Taron Johnson Jerseys 2019 , the Buffalo Bills had only one center. Eric Wood, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2009, manned the pivot for the final seven years of his career. However, he began his professional career at another position: right guard. The reason? The center position is remarkably difficult for a young player to handle.If you remember the man who played center next to Wood for those first two years, then you’ll know that he wasn’t a phenomenal player, but he was a reliable veteran. Geoff Hangartner came to Buffalo as a free agent following the 2008 season. His rookie contract had just expired with the Carolina Panthers, and the Bills needed someone to play center while they allowed their young prospect to develop.The current iteration of the Buffalo Bills find themselves in a similar position. Last year, they signed Russell Bodine, a four-year veteran whose rookie contract had expired with the Cincinnati Bengals. This year, the Bills need to replace at least two starters along the offensive line, as underwhelming veterans John Miller and Jordan Mills are unrestricted free agents. Bodine was adequate, though unspectacular, at center, and rookie Wyatt Teller was inconsistent at left guard. Even Dion Dawkins, the second-year left tackle, struggled at times.In short, the Buffalo offensive line group was a mess for most of 2018. As they look to reshape and rebuild the unit, they will need to seek new blood from both the free-agent pool and the draft in order to provide the kind of protection necessary. If the Bills want to make positive strides next season White Tre’Davious White Jersey , they cannot entrust the center position to a rookie. They must sign a free agent—a veteran—to help Josh Allen along in his development.A veteran center can do wonders for a young quarterback. The most important thing he can do (aside from the obvious, which is to block well) is help the quarterback set and define protections before the snap. This is part of Allen’s game where he absolutely needs work, and it was his greatest struggle early on in the 2018 season. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll did well to help Allen via scheme in the latter portion of the year, and Russell Bodine deserves some credit for helping Allen, as well. If the Bills truly want to improve the center position, they probably won’t be able to do so immediately via the NFL Draft. Prospects like Elgton Jenkins, Michael Jordan, and Ross Piersbacher may develop into fine NFL players, but to ask them to step into the middle of Buffalo’s offensive line with the responsibilities of a professional center is asking an awful lot. While Allen made great strides over the second half of the season, he is still a young, raw prospect who needs help. Buffalo could help him tremendously by pursuing a veteran center to pair with him for the next few seasons. Could Buffalo do what they did with Wood, drafting a center in the early-to-middle rounds and playing him at guard while he learns the game? Absolutely. However, expecting that rookie to pair with a quarterback who will make his 13th career start in Week 1 of 2019 and communicate with what should be an almost entirely new offensive line is an awful big ask of any rookie.The Bills haven’t started a rookie center since 1986. Of course, that year the team paired Kent Hull with another rookie, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. While both men were playing in their first NFL season, they each had played for at least two years professionally in the USFL prior to that time. Hull came to the NFL understanding protections and blocking schemes, just like any veteran free-agent signing would.In 2019, the Bills should again sign a veteran free-agent center rather than drafting one to start immediately. The Jacksonville Jaguars sacked offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and quarterback Blake Bortles one day after the team's seventh consecutive loss.Coach Doug Marrone fired Hackett and benched Bortles on Monday Tre’Davious White Jersey 2019 , making sweeping changes to one of the league's worst offenses."I felt I needed to make a change to get us an opportunity to win some games," Marrone said. "It's not a knee-jerk reaction. I really feel like at the end of the day we've got to try to get better production out of our passing game or more consistent production in our passing game."Marrone promoted quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich to play-caller and backup quarterback Cody Kessler.Milanovich spent five seasons (2012-16) as head coach for the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts before landing in Jacksonville last year. Kessler lost all eight starts for Cleveland in 2016.Marrone expects Milanovich and Kessler to energize a lackluster offense when the Jaguars (3-8) host Indianapolis (6-5) on Sunday."Hopefully he can stay healthy and win some games for us," Marrone said. "My plan is for him to go in there and play."Staying healthy could be a challenge for Kessler considering Jacksonville will be without three starting offensive linemen, including left guard Andrew Norwell (ankle) who was placed on injured reserve Monday. Norwell joins center Brandon Linder and left tackle Cam Robinson on IR.The Jags also could be without running back Leonard Fournette, who was suspended one game without pay for leaving the sideline, running across the field and throwing punches at Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson .Fournette has three days to appeal.NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan sent Fournette a letter detailing his wrongdoing, saying "sportsmanship is the cornerstone of the game and the League will not tolerate game-related misconduct that conveys a lack of respect for the game itself and those involved in it.""Video of the incident shows that you were not a participant in the play and that you ran from your sideline to the opposite side of the field to insert yourself as an active participant in a fight," Runyan added. "Once you entered the fight area, you struck a member of the opposing team. Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game."It would be the seventh game Fournette has missed this season and 10th in two years.Marrone refused to use Fournette's absences or anything else as an excuse for the team's offensive struggles.Bortles didn't throw for 150 yards in four of the last six games. He had 104 yards through the air against Pittsburgh two weeks ago and 127 yards against the Bills. Marrone benched Bortles twice in two years, only to give him the job back both times.Now, though, it seems Bortles could be done in Jacksonville.Finances might be the only reason he sticks around. The fifth-year starter signed a three-year, $54 million contract in February and is due to count $21 million against the salary cap in 2019. Cutting him would cost Jacksonville $16.5 million against the cap.But it's clear Marrone has lost faith in Bortles, who regressed this season.Marrone felt Hackett should have done more, too. Marrone and Hackett had been together for nine years, including stops at Syracuse (2010-12), with the Bills (2013-14) and in Jacksonville (2015-18).Hackett ended up being the first scapegoat in Jacksonville's ultra-disappointing season. He failed to get Bortles and the offense to play anywhere close to the level they did early in the season or in 2017. Injuries have been the biggest issue, but not enough to save Hackett's job."Obviously White Zay Jones Jerseys , you feel terrible, especially as an offensive player," center Tyler Shatley said. "I feel like a lot of that's on us. He had great game plans and stuff; we just have to execute better."The Jaguars rank 22nd in the NFL in total offense, averaging 346.5 yards a game, but have been on a steady decline the last two months. They rank 29th in points, averaging a paltry 17.9 a game.Bortles' lack of production has been the primary problem. He has 13 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions this season, incapable of putting the offense on his shoulders when things go wrong around him.He also has been hamstrung, most notably by a lack of playmakers and numerous injuries. Jacksonville is without three left tackles, two tight ends, the team's leading receiver from 2017, the team's starting center and played six games without Fournette."It sucks that somebody had to get let go," defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. "I thought he was doing a wonderful job. But it's the nature of the business. We need to start winning or we all need to look in the mirror about who can let go. It sucks."Marrone could have made other changes. The defense looks little like it did in 2017, prompting some to question coordinator Todd Wash's future, and special teams have been a non-factor all year.But Marrone opted to address the offense."Any time you're losing, it's not just on one person," Marrone said. "It's on everyone, and obviously when I say that I understand and take responsibility for that. It starts with me as the head coach. ... Obviously none of us are doing a good enough job right now. We have an opportunity to play five games and get back on track and break this losing streak."