A swing to left for Bills' Walker
Peters’ holdout forces experiment
PITTSFORD — It’s far too early for the Buffalo Bills to panic about their offensive line but it’s not too early to take some precautions.
The Bills did just that Wednesday when they shifted Langston Walker from right tackle to left tackle as a result of the holdout by Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters.
“It reminded me of when I was younger and about 100 pounds lighter,” said the 6-foot-8, 366- pound Walker, who has not played left tackle since college. “It was good. It was a learning process. This is what we’re going to need depending on what goes on with Jason’s situation.”
Peters’ holdout due to his desire for a new contract reached its sixth day Wednesday. No negotiations have taken place between Peters’ camp and the Bills.
Peters is subject to fines of $15,116 a day, so his maximum fine to date would be $90,696. (It’s up to the team’s discretion whether to fine a player the maximum amount per day once he reports to camp.)
Peters would not forfeit any of the $3.25 million in base salary he’s due to receive this year unless his holdout stretched into the regular season. The Bills’ home opener still is 38 days away, a long time in the holdout game.
Nevertheless, the Bills experimented with an emergency plan at St. John Fisher College.
Kirk Chambers, a 6-7, 315- pound, three-year veteran has worked in Peters’ place since the start of camp. Chambers is a former sixth-round draft pick of the Browns who made his first career start in place of an injured Peters in the Bills’ season finale at Philadelphia last season.
Walker, a six-year veteran, is far more experienced, with 49 career starts, including all 16 for the Bills last season.
Walker performed admirably last season at right tackle, showing more consistent footwork than previously in his career and allowing just one sack and nine pressures. However, his skill set clearly is better suited to the right side.
“I’m so used to going against [Chris] Kelsay, and he’s an up-the-field, real strong, heavy-handed guy,” Walker said. “You’ve got to anchor on that. Now going to the left side, you’re going against guys who are a little more shifty. That presents its own problems and advantages at the same time, because if you get your hands on them they’re pretty much done.”
The caliber of speed rushers faced by the left tackle is superior than the right tackle because the best pass rushers are aligned on the quarterback’s blind side.
“Your footwork is different,” Walker said. “Obviously the plays are different. Not all the plays are just reverse. . . . Footwork is the biggest thing and then it’s the guys you go against.”
Entering camp, offensive line figured to be one of the few areas on the team where there were no major concerns. Now, with Peters absent, the line is missing a chance to gain continuity and cohesiveness.
Coach Dick Jauron acknowledged that Walker is best suited to the right side.
“I’d definitely like to keep Langston on the right and have Jason come into camp,” Jauron said. “But we’ll be prepared just in case. Even when Jason comes in, we’ll keep working people at different positions.”
Jauron said he was not certain having Walker on the left and Chambers on the right would be the best alignment.
“I really don’t know, and that’s why we’re preparing for any eventuality,” he said. “But what we don’t want to do is get to a point where we think it might [be better] and not have looked at it. And you don’t want to move a guy who’s never taken a rep there through the whole of training camp. So we feel the way we’re doing it will give us options.”
Jauron said he expects Walker to line up at left tackle for at least part of practice every day while Peters is absent.
Meanwhile, Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon said he would refrain from discussing Peters’ status until he rejoins the team.
“I said the day of the press conference [a week ago], it was the only day I was going to address it,” Brandon said. “We’re just going to be focused on these guys here.”
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