SB Nation - Jairus Byrd

Media Wednesday - Respecting the Power of the Juju

Addicted to Quack — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:17:48 -0000

Its Bear week, and Media Wednesday doesn't need to be reminded that we've lost three in a row and four of five against these guys. We can tell ourselves that this streak will be broken on Saturday but, lets be honest, we have no control over that. No, we must acknowledge the Juju and his power to control the fate of the football universe. Keth Allen's drop? FLUKE. Cameron Colvin's fumble? FLUKE. These excuses are no more. What the Juju wants is our attention and our respect. We respect you, Juju, and stand in awe of the power that you can unleash. In deference to your power, we relive the moments of mayhem that you have caused the last five years, acknowledge your power and implore you to make the Bears respect you the way we humbly do.

2004, the darkest days in decades for our Ducks. However, at the time, we're 5-3, and driving for the game winning field goal against a top ten team when the Juju, clearly visible in this video, turns Keith Allen's hands to butter:

In 2006, we start off 4-0, and head into Berkeley coming off a total blowout of Arizona State. We're ranked #11, and our offense is rolling. Pissed off at Brady Leaf for defying the Juju in OT the year before, the Juju really lets us have it with a primetime national TV meltdown. DeSean Jackson just toyed with us:

Not even Dennis Dixon could overcome the power of the Juju. In what was one of the biggest games in Oregon history. the Ducks all but have the game tying score, when the Juju makes a lifelong goat of poor Cameron Colvin just as he's crossing the goal line:

And, perhaps mercifully, there doesn't seem to be any video of the pain that the Juju caused us last year. Needing only a field goal to tie it in the fourth quarter, the Juju made Jairus Byrd forget to catch the punt, and gave Cal another TD to put the game away.

UPDATE: reader Oskigodummy has added this video for us. I'm not sure if we should thank him or pummel him:

We acknowledge this pain and the power of the Juju to inflict it. You may go elsewhere now Juju, your work will be remembered in Eugene for a long, long time.

Morning Quack Fix: Media Day, Reloading the running game; Byrd and Unger sign.

JConant — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:02:39 -0000

Happy Media Day, there's plenty of Quack for everyone.

You can catch streaming coverage of Pac-10 Media Day. Into Twitter? Well, you can tweet with Pac-10 coaches as well.
Things are shaping up for Oregon's running game as the team gets closer to fall practices. LeGarrette Blount is the given among the ball carriers, but Duck coaches and players see depth and talent through the entire depth chart.
Want proof all the Oregon RBs are ready to go? Let's go to the video. Props to the R-G's Chris Pietsch for producing just enough video this summer to keep us all lathered up.
Oregon senior Ed Dickson was named to the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end. His toughest competition is probably within the Pac-10 conference.
Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News is reporting that former Oregon safety Jairus Byrd has signed with the Buffalo Bills. A second round pick, Byrd signed a 4-year deal for up to $4.2 million, with $2.4 million guaranteed. Unfortunately, Byrd won't see the field for a couple weeks as he recovers from a sports hernia injury. Former Duck center Max Unger has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks. Also a second-round pick, Unger gets over $3 million, with $1.95 million guaranteed. Note to Max: you shoulda played safety big guy.
Bleacher Report weighs in with a couple tidbits. First, a preview of Oregon's linebackers. Is this Oregon's return to the "Gang Green" level of play? Also, the BR's Jeff Kneis selects his Oregon All-Decade team...ahh, the memories.
Former Oregon receivers coach Robin Pfluegrad has landed at Montana. No surprise there.

If you find more, don't hesitate to pile on.

Nebraska: Beyond the Box Score Preseason Offensive Preview

Bill C. — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

Is Bo Pelini ready for Year #5 expectations in Year #2?

Browse more photos »

Confused? Catch up with the BTBS Primer.

Alright, through the non-conference slate, the BTBS Projections (which had none of my own biases in them whatsoever--I actually downgraded Mizzou's initial status in the original projections) have Missouri heading into conference play at 4-0, albeit with tight victories over Illinois and Nevada. As they head into their first weeknight ESPN home game since 1992's 6-0 loss to Colorado, Mizzou could either be primed for another North title run or ready for a stiff reality check to head into town. Or, you know, they could be 2-2 and desperate. We'll see. First up in conference, for the third straight year, are the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I'm bringing my A-game for this one (as I'm sure Missouri will too)--time to go waaaaaaaaaaaay beyond the box score.

With 1:43 left in the Colorado-Nebraska game, Alex Henery booted a beyond-clutch 57-yard field goal to give Nebraska a 33-31 lead. Forty-five seconds later, Ndamukong Suh intercepted a Cody Hawkins pass and took it to the house for the game-clinching TD in a 40-31 win. If Henery had missed that field goal, Nebraska would have likely lost and fallen to 7-5; they probably wouldn't have qualified for the Gator Bowl, and without the proceeding win over Clemson upon which to build, would the expectations for 2009 have been quite as high? Did the killer kick from Henery change the landscape of the 2009 preseason?

However it happened, here we are. Instead of a predominant "Is this the Jayhawks' time?" offseason storyline, most eyes have been on the Huskers. They're back! Ndamukong Suh! Blackshirts! Domination! (Of course, the cynical Missouri fan in me says the "They're back!" storyline would have been the same if they'd gone 0-12 last year--they're always 'almost back.' But I'm turning over a new leaf and trying to leave cynicism out of this...as much as I can, anyway). Instead of continuing to slowly build the program over time, Bo Pelini is now expected to produce a Top 15-20 team and North champion in Year #2.

Without further adieu, let's dive into our two-day, far-too-detailed look at Pelini's Huskers.

2008

Record: 9-4 (5-3)
S&P+: #21
Scoring Margin: 460-371 (+89)
Conference Scoring Margin: 284-272 (+12)
Wins (S&P+ Ranking in parentheses): #20 Kansas, #30 Clemson, #40 Baylor, #79 Kansas State, #82 Colorado, #101 San Jose State, #104 Iowa State, #106 Western Michigan, #110 New Mexico State
Losses: #3 Oklahoma, #10 Missouri, #15 Texas Tech, #41 Virginia Tech

Nebraska faced a whopping four teams ranked #100 or lower and went just 3-4 against teams in the Top 50. Their capstone wins were at home over #20 Kansas and in Jacksonville against #30 Clemson. In their two games against the S&P+ Top 10, they were outscored 114-45. But it's all about momentum (at least as far as offseason narratives go), and Nebraska has it. They won six of their last seven, and while they didn't beat a marquee team in that time, they did take out three in the Top 40 (KU, Clemson, Baylor). While it's probably true that Henery's kick against #82 Colorado sent expectations through the stratosphere, there's no denying that Nebraska has some things going for them. The nine wins were more than most people expected for 2008 (though not me, ahem), and a lot more is expected in 2009.

Coaching

Head Coach: Bo Pelini
Record at Nebraska: 9-4 (conference: 5-3)
Career Pythagorean Record (explained further down): +1.25 wins (+1.25/year)

A former co-captain and starting free safety for Ohio State (his senior season was Kirk Herbstreit's redshirt freshman season--I point this out only because I can), Bo Pelini has pretty quickly built a solid career for himself. After bouncing around at the grad assistant level for a few years, he made the move to NFL positions coach. He started with the 49ers (DBs coach, 1994-96), then moved to the Pats (LBs, 1997-99) and Packers (LBs, 2000-02). In 2003, he broke into the college ranks by taking over as Defensive Coordinator for Frank Solich's final Nebraska team. Solich was let go, and after a year as co-coordinator at OU, he spent three seasons as DC in Baton Rouge before taking the NU job last year. That's a pretty steady progression.

So how good was Pelini as a defensive coordinator? To gauge that, we can't simply look at his defenses' stats--we also have to compare it to something of a baseline for defensive performance at the schools he coached. So for his three DC gigs, we're going to compare his defenses' performances to the performance of those schools before and after his time.

Nebraska. In 2003, Nebraska gave up 14.5 points and 297.2 yards per game, allowed 4.4 yards per play, and forced an insane 3.5 turnovers per game (granted, 14 turnovers came in three games against Oklahoma State, Southern Miss and Troy, but that's still an impressive total). In the four seasons surrounding Pelini's one year in Lincoln, the Blackshirts gave up 21.9 points and 338.5 yards per game, allowed 4.7 yards per play, and forced 1.8 turnovers per game. Clearly Pelini's '03 unit was better than the others Solich or Bill Callahan produced around that time. (And you wonder why NU fans thought Pelini was an unbelievably great coach.)

Oklahoma. In 2004, Oklahoma gave up 16.8 points and 299.0 yards per game, allowed 4.8 yards per play, and forced 1.7 turnovers per game. In the four seasons sandwiching his one year in Norman, the Sooners gave up 18.8 points and 297.6 yards per game, allowed 4.6 yards per play, and forced 2.2 turnovers per game. This was a strange situation--he was a co-coordinator, and he was replacing the head coach's brother. His 2004 defense was really no better or worse than the typical Sooner defense (they gave up a couple fewer points, more yards per play, and forced fewer turnovers). Not surprisingly, he left after one season to take over another big-time defense and remove the "Co-" from his title.

LSU. From 2005-07, LSU gave up 15.7 points and 266.7 yards per game, allowed 4.2 yards per play, and forced 1.8 turnovers per game. In the four seasons sandwiching his time there, the Bayou Bengals gave up 17.5 points and 280.2 yards per game, allowed 4.4 yards per play, and forced 1.9 turnovers per game.

Aside from the 2003 turnovers outlier (if Pelini had been there five years, you know they wouldn't have forced 3.5 turnovers per game that whole time--it would have come back down toward the 2.0 range), you do get a pretty good read of a Pelini defense. They're going to give up the expected (and respectable) number of yards, but they also seem able to make the big plays in preventing points. Whether that's just timely blitzes in the red zone or something else, preventing points clearly is a pretty good idea (brilliant analysis, I know), and Pelini's defenses generally knew how to do it.

After five seasons of being a pretty good defensive coordinator, Pelini took the Nebraska job vacated by Bill Callahan. In season #1, the Huskers managed 9 wins despite a Pythagorean projection of just 7.75 wins, so well done there too. Usually a team overachieving its projection that much probably managed to win a series of close games, but Nebraska actually went only 1-2 in games decided by a touchdown or less, so...not sure. Really, the projections were probably crazy because they got crushed so badly by Oklahoma and Missouri and it skewed the reliability of the projection. Anyway, I'm not going to think too hard about it. We'll see how his Pythagorean record shapes up after at least a couple more years of data.

Offense

So we've talked a lot about the typical Pelini defense. What did the Pelini offense do in 2008, and what can we expect in 2009?

Overall Stats

S&P+: 119.9 (#18)
Success Rate+: 116.6 (#13)
PPP+: 124.3 (#20)

Standard Downs S&P+: 120.1 (#13)
Passing Downs S&P+: 119.1 (#25)

Redzone S&P+: 117.3 (#22)

Q1 S&P+: 123.8 (#22)
Q2 S&P+: 115.6 (#27)
Q3 S&P+: 123.9 (#17)
Q4 S&P+: 124.4 (#11)

1st Down S&P+: 128.0 (#10)
2nd Down S&P+: 111.9 (#38)
3rd Down S&P+: 123.9 (#22)

Rushing Stats

Rushing S&P+: 107.1 (#50)
Rushing SR+: 104.0 (#55)
Rushing PPP+: 112.1 (#50)

Standard Downs: 111.7 (#35)
Passing Downs: 84.9 (#102)

Redzone: 94.2 (#87)

Line Yards+: 96.1 (#81)

Passing Stats

Passing S&P+: 131.3 (#10)
Passing SR+: 129.9 (#8)
Passing PPP+: 113.1 (#15)

Standard Downs: 132.9 (#6)
Passing Downs: 130.0 (#17)

Redzone: 163.8 (#4)

Adj. Sack Rate: 4.9% (#40)

In all, Nebraska ended up putting together strong offensive numbers in 2008, better than some would expect. Because of Pelini's reputation and the ongoing "BLACKSHIRTS!!" narrative this offseason, it's assumed that the NU defense runs the show--not true. NU's defensive numbers were decent but far from dominant; meanwhile, they had a Top 20 offense. (Of course, this is a problem since they lost much more on offense than defense.)

NU's numbers here don't have a whole lot of crazy variation, but there is one in particular--while their Passing Downs performance was worse than Standard Downs performance across the board, they were severely lacking in terms of rushing on Passing Downs. What that says is, if they ran the ball on, say, 2nd-and-8, they were not picking up enough yards to avoid a 3rd-and-long.

Here are some other points of interest:

For the most part, their offense got better as the game progressed, from #20-30 in the first half to #10-20 in the second. They were best in the fourth quarter, and if that's because of the system, or the offensive line, or the running backs, that could mean great things for 2009. If it was more because of Joe Ganz or Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, that could be much less encouraging.
Their red zone passing was outstanding, and their red zone rushing was terrible. Strange. Though it also throws a little water on the "Quentin Castille = great short-yardage runner" theory. And again, if this was because of Ganz-to-Swift/Peterson, that could be a red flag.
Another interesting split: NU's O-line was #40 in preventing sacks (though that could have been somewhat due to Ganz's scrambling abilities) but only #81 in line yards. The 2009 O-line should be about the same as 2008, potentially a bit better, so NU's success in 2009 could hinge on whether Zac Lee is as elusive as Ganz.

Quarterback

Zac Lee is the default #1.

2008 Unit Ranking: #13 in the nation (#5 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Zac Lee (6'2, 210, Jr.)
Latravis Washington (6'3, 225, Jr.)
Kody Spano (6'2, 215. RSFr.)

A former 4-star JUCO recruit, Lee won the battle for starting QB, in part, by sticking around. Entering the spring, Patrick Witt was seen as the slight favorite to win the starting job, by the end of the spring, he had announced that he was transferring. So that left the job to the winner of a contest between, basically, Lee and converted defender Latravis Washington. From what I read, Washington has nice arm strength and running ability (he was a QB in high school), but...well, in general you have to hope that your starting quarterback was actually playing quarterback twelve months earlier, not linebacker. So in the end, it was probably a relief that Lee won the job--he had a tremendous spring game, and while we've all come to notice how one performance in the spring game is taken more seriously than all other spring practices combined (just ask Blaine Gabbert), it does seem like he performed well enough in the spring that there is a legitimate amount of optimism in how he'll handle the job once the real season starts.

As mentioned above, the key to his success could be his elusiveness. Joe Ganz was able to extend coverage on a lot of plays by avoiding the pass rush and creating things outside the pocket. NU's offensive line was not too tremendous, and he possibly made them look better by avoiding sacks. If this is true, then Lee will need to do the same in 2009.

In the end, Lee shapes up to be anywhere between the #2 and #5 QB in the North, depending on both how he performs and how another newbie QB performs--one-time Nebraska commitment Blaine Gabbert.

Running Backs

Most hope pinned on the NU offense is because of this guy.

2008 Unit Ranking: #20 in the nation (#3 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
Roy Helu, Jr. (6'0, 215, Jr.)
Quentin Castille (6'1, 235, Jr.)
Collins Okafor (6'1, 225, RSFr.)

Taking poor line yardage figures into account, NU's running backs were quite strong in 2008, and they should be even better in 2009. Marlon Lucky was the go-to guy heading into the season, but he just didn't do anything on the field to keep from losing a large percentage of his carries to Roy Helu, Jr. (being injury-prone didn't help). Using the Points Over Expected (POE) measure, Lucky's 2008 carries generated 2.7 points fewer than would have been expected against given opponents (164th among 267 eligible FCS backs). Meanwhile, Helu generated 14.9 points over expected, good for 30th in the country and 6th in the Big 12 behind Kendall Hunter (5th), Chris Brown (8th), Derrick Washington (15th), DeMarco Murray (26th), and Keith Toston (27th). The third guy in the backfield, Quentin Castille, was almost exactly average, generating 1.7 POE.

(It should be noted that Lucky was also the #13 receiving RB according to POE, 2nd in the conference behind DeMarco Murray. Helu was #53, 9th in the conference.)

In the end, Helu took 125 carries, Lucky 125, and Castille 106. Simply splitting Lucky's carries among Helu and castille could generate between 10 and 15 extra EqPts for NU in 2009. That's really not too much to ask from the two, as that would only put Helu up to about 16 carries per game and Castille 14. Honestly, I don't think much of Castille, so the more carries to Helu, the better for Nebraska. The other question, of course, is can somebody like Collins Okafor break into the rotation?

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Jeremy Maclin's high school teammate, Mike McNeill

2008 Unit Ranking: #27 in the nation (#6 in the Big 12)

Projected WR Depth Chart
Menelik Holt (6'4, 220, Sr.)
Niles Paul (6'1, 215, Jr.)
Curenski Gilleylen (6'0, 220, So.)
Chris Brooks (6'2, 215, Sr.)
Will Henry (6'5, 215, Jr.)
Khiry Cooper (6'2, 195, RSFr.)

Projected TE Depth Chart
Mike McNeill (6'4, 240, Jr.)
Dreu Young (6'4, 245, Jr.)
Ryan Hill (6'3, 250, So.)

In 2008, Nate Swift and Todd Peterson combined for 125 catches, 1,727 yards, and 14 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the six names on the above WR depth chart combined for 57 catches, 607 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Looking at POE, Swift and Peterson were +29.5, everybody else -7.5.

In other words, the passing game could be pretty iffy in 2009. Now, certainly this receiving corps is more highly-touted from a recruiting perspective, but they have not yet produced, and considering there are two seniors and two juniors there, they've had plenty of opportunities already. Swift in partcular was quite solid, ranking 35th among 411 eligible receivers in POE, 7th in conference and ahead of Michael Crabtree (39th), Jordan Shipley (52nd), and Quan Cosby (100th).

But he's gone. The good news for Nebraska is, there are quite a few candidates for becoming Zac Lee's go-to receiver; the bad news, of course, is there's no guarantee that one will emerge. Menelik Holt has good size but was -1.8 POE (320th in the country). Niles Paul is a solid threat in kick returns but produced -5.7 POE (382nd, third-from-last in the conference ahead of just CU's Patrick Williams and ISU's Darius Darks). Curenski Gilleylen passed up a Mizzou offer to play for the Huskers but produced only 11 yards in two catches last year.

Then there's Chris Brooks, a former 4-star recruit from Hazelwood East (and Mizzou commit), ranked ahead of Chase Coffman, Brock Christopher, Kurtis Gregory, Justin Thornton, Jaron Baston, and Jairus Byrd in Rivals.com's 2005 State of MO rankings. Three seasons in Lincoln have produced three catches and 31 yards. He had himself a nice spring, even catching a touchdown pass in the Red-White Game, but...well, there isn't a very nice way to say this, but if Brooks is one of your top receivers, at this point in his career, that probably means that your receiving corps isn't very good. He's had plenty of time to distinguish himself and hasn't; and with little time on the field to date, it's not tremendously likely that his experience can lead to the latest of late-career breakthroughs...at least not much of one. Never say never, of course, but it's not likely.

The bright spot, however, comes at tight end. Every new QB can use a bailout option at the TE position (Mizzou fans are banking on Andrew Jones becoming just that for Blaine Gabbert), and junior Mike McNeill looks like a pretty nice bailout. He and Helu out of the backfield can allow the Huskers to pick up some yards while remaining conservative and letting Lee grow more confident. Jeremy Maclin's former high school teammate would have looked really good in black and gold.

Offensive Line

Jacob Hickman is one of the conference's better centers. Of course, now he's playing guard.

2008 Unit Ranking: #61 in the nation (#8 in the Big 12)

Projected Depth Chart
G Jacob Hickman (6'4, 295, Sr.)
T Mike Smith (6'6, 290, Jr.)
G Keith Williams (6'5, 320, Jr.)
T Marcel Jones (6'7, 310, So.)
C Mike Caputo (6'1, 275, So.)
G Ricky Henry (6'4, 300, Jr.)
G DJ Jones (6'5, 315, Jr.)
G Andy Christensen (6'3, 310, Sr.)
T Jaivorio Burkes (6'5, 295, Jr.)
T Brandon Thompson (6'6, 300, RSFr.)

Here's where my own stats confuse me. With good rushing stats and decent sack totals, it seems like NU would have had a pretty good line in 2008. But the line yards measure--not a perfect stat, obviously, but a pretty good one--credited most of NU's rushing yards to the backs, and it really is likely that Ganz's scrambling ability (just think of how much he was on the run against Missouri) bailed the line out of some pretty poor sack numbers. In the end, NU's line ranked poorly, below Iowa State (60th), Kent State (53rd), Southern Miss (51st) and Marshall (50th).

It appears that Bo Pelini knew that his line wasn't too hot--he did a decent amount of shuffling this spring. The result is a line that has potential quality at the guard positions but inexperience at center and shakiness on the outside. Their 61 career starts rank fifth in the conference, but solid experience on a mediocre line isn't as impressive as a smidge less experience on a really good line. With a new QB, new receivers (who may, in theory, take longer to get open), and a unit or RBs who had to create a lot on their own in 2008, the offensive line could be the linchpin of the Nebraska offense.

Summary

If you believe that NU's defense is going to be outstanding in 2009 (maybe, maybe not--we'll talk about this tomorrow), then the offense only needs to be serviceable to win the Huskers some games in the Big 12 North. By all means, there is enough talent here--particularly in Helu, McNeill, Hickman, and potentially Lee--to put some points on the board, but we'll see. The offensive line is relatively experienced but shaky, and the WR corps is the exact opposite of proven. If NU can't avoid passing downs, and if the passing threat isn't enough to prevent defenses from keying on Helu, then this unit could go downhill in a hurry. On potential, Nebraska could have the 2nd- or 3rd-best offense in the North, but some players--Holt, Paul, Jones, Caputo--will need to step up their games for that to happen.

Tomorrow: the defense.

2009 NFL Draft Grades: Buffalo Bills Edition

Brian Galliford — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

7 months ago: Russ Brandon, center, Buffalo Bills chief operating officer/general manager, stands with the team's first-round NFL draft picks, Aaron Maybin, left, and Eric Wood at the Ralph Wilson Stadium complex in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Sunday, April 26, 2009. Maybin, 11th-overall pick, is a defensive end from Penn State and Wood is a center from Louisville. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Buffalo Rumblings community - at least to the point that this is published - has given the Buffalo Bills' efforts over the weekend an overwhelming 78% approval rating (while 9% of voters disapprove and 12% are undecided).

I have long believed that handing out grades after a draft is an exercise in futility, because ultimately, we have no idea how each pick is going to pan out. Ellis Lankster may end up being the best draft pick out of this class; we just don't know yet. But we do a reasonable amount of research, and far more prudently, we can grade the picks on a philosophical level - so grades aren't completely irrelevant. Here's how we grade the Buffalo Bills' 2009 NFL Draft efforts - factoring in player, philosophy and using those to form an ultimate grade.

1-11: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
Entering draft weekend - and throughout the entire pre-draft process, really - I worried that the Bills would pass on a speed rusher for a more well-rounded, every-down defensive end. That's the type of athlete they've targeted in the past, and I didn't expect it to change. I'm happy to report I was wrong. On paper, Buffalo has its most explosive pass rusher since Bryce Paup.

What makes this pick better is the fact that they took the right player. No DE displayed a quicker first step in college or at the Combine than Maybin. I had him rated as the top DE on the board the moment he declared for the draft, and the Bills clearly followed suit, if only at the most critical juncture. I think he's the best pass rusher in the draft. The Bills, too, think he's the best pass rusher in the draft, and his upside is tremendous. There is risk here, and he won't play every down, but this is still a perfect fit. Philosophy grade: A; Player grade: A-

1-28: Eric Wood, OG, Louisville
Considering the fact that Buffalo went into the draft with only three set starters on the offensive line, this pick made a ton of sense both philosophically and player-wise. Wood was Buffalo's top-rated interior lineman, and he was close to the top on my board as well. He was one of four or five guys that I viewed as immediate starters at this level, and it was plainly obvious that the Bills needed one of those. They may have had to reach a touch to get him, but blame the Cleveland Browns for that - they took California C Alex Mack at No. 21 overall. Buffalo couldn't wait on Wood once that happened, so they're not docked as many points overall. Philosophy grade: A-; Player grade: B+

2-42: Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon
My eyebrows raised a bit on this one, as I'm certain yours did as well. It was pretty apparent, however, that the Bills were going to add a DB early on in the draft process, and it was nice to see them target a safety prospect with ball skills. Byrd's ball-hawking tendencies alone make him a smart investment, but like Maybin, he's probably not an immediate starter. I like the fact that they targeted a playmaker here; I do believe there were some better safety prospects available, but I'm not complaining about the Byrd selection in the least. Philosophy grade: B; Player grade: B-

2-51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State
Remember when I said that I thought four to five interior linemen in this draft class could start right away? Levitre was one of them. He was also the third-rated interior line prospect on Buffalo's board (behind Wood and Seahawks C Max Unger), and at this point in the draft, he was another supremely intelligent investment. Don't be concerned with the college tackle's position switch - Levitre was born to play guard. He's a Wood clone. With this pick and the subsequent shift of Brad Butler to RT, Buffalo had quickly re-assembled its offensive line after the trade of OT Jason Peters a week prior to the draft. Philosophy grade: A; Player grade: B

4-121: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
I'll say it now, folks - Shawn Nelson is the steal of the 2009 Draft. Name any other pick by any other team that you think is a steal, and I'll tell you why Nelson is a better pick. At one point in time, Nelson was considered a fringe first-round pick. A day before the draft, most experts would have told you he'd be a second-round pick; third at the worst. This kid is tall, super fast and athletic, and outside of Bengals TE Chase Coffman has the best set of hands on any receiving prospect in this draft class. Buffalo actually considered trading up on day two for this guy. His athleticism, ability to stretch the field, and run-after-catch abilities are going to be an excellent help for QB Trent Edwards - who got a lot of help in this year's draft, by the way. Philosophy grade: A-; Player grade: A-

5-147: Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma
I have no issues with Buffalo taking a productive, athletic collegian and asking him to make a position switch. Harris will be able to handle it. We've crossed the threshold from instant impact to depth here, though; Harris will make the team and contribute as a special teams player (where he actually has a good deal of potential), but he's not an answer to the team's question at starting SAM linebacker. Philosophy grade: B; Player grade: C+

6-183: Cary Harris, DB, USC
You knew that Buffalo would take a pure corner at some point, and Harris was actually one of the late-round sleepers I'd circled because of his physicality and zone-based skill set. He has the potential to start in this league, folks. He'll never be a spectacular player or a Pro Bowl performer, nor will he make many big plays, but he's smart, tough, defends the run well, and will hold his own. He can also play some safety if need be, and of course, he'll play special teams. Philosophy grade: B-; Player grade: C+

7-220: Ellis Lankster, DB, West Virginia
Was I surprised that the Bills ended the draft by taking two defensive backs? Not really. Lankster is a fringe prospect, but he has a bit of playmaking potential and, like Harris, has a zone-based skill set. I'll defer to the Bills on this one - they've drafted relatively well in the late rounds over the past three years. It would have been nice if they'd had a player at a different position graded out as highly as another DB, however. Philosophy grade: C+; Player grade: D

Total (weighted) philosophical grade: B+
Total (weighted) player grade: B
Overall 2009 Buffalo Bills Draft Grade: B+

Oregon's 2009 NFL Draft Summary

dvieira — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:34:19 -0000

Congratulations to the following Ducks that have been selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. Big ups to Nick Reed especially who conquered the odds and went in the 7th round, despite not having that typical NFL body. Sometimes having that motor helps and it will be good to see him remain local. I was also very surprised to have 3 Ducks go in the Top 50 of the draft. That's awesome and hasn't happened before. All of these teams should be competing for playoff spots next year as well. Great job guys!

-- Patrick Chung to New England: 2nd Round, 34th overall

-- Jairus Byrd to Buffalo: 2nd Round, 42nd overall

-- Max Unger to Seattle: 2nd Round, 49th overall

-- Fenuki Tupou to Philadelphia: 5th Round, 159th overall

-- Ra'Shon Harris to Pittsburgh: 6th Round, 205th overall

-- Nick Reed to Seattle: 7th Round, 247th overall

Poll

Which Duck will have the biggest impact on the field next year in the NFL?

Patrick Chung

237 votes

Jairus Byrd

58 votes

Max Unger

206 votes

Fenuki Tupou

9 votes

Ra'Shon Harris

2 votes

Nick Reed

41 votes

553 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NFL Draft: Buffalo Bills Pick Recap

Brian Galliford — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:33:19 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Buffalo Bills DE Aaron Maybin, the team's first first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Browse more photos »

The 2009 NFL Draft is officially in the books!

Entering the weekend, the Buffalo Bills had three areas that needed immediate attention: their woeful pass rush; their porous offensive line; and a defensive playmaker. The Bills addressed those needs on day one, and coupled with one tremendous value selection on day two, the Bills made out like bandits this draft weekend - whether you're a fan of their late-round picks or not.

Without further ado, here are your eight newest Buffalo Bills...

1-11: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State (Coverage)
We asked for a speed rusher and the Bills obliged. Maybin, by a country mile, is Buffalo's most athletic pass rushing threat since the days of Bryce Paup. He is undoubtedly a gamble, and won't be an every-down player right out of the gate. But with quarterbacks Tom Brady, Chad Pennington and now Mark Sanchez in the division, the Bills needed a guy to put heat on those signal-callers. This is a smart risk for the Bills to take - and Maybin's potential is elite.

1-28: Eric Wood, OG, Louisville (Coverage)
They tried to move up for TE Brandon Pettigrew but weren't prepared to pay out the nose to do it. Instead, they stay put and take a smart, athletic, tough-nosed kid who steps in and immediately fills the right guard position vacated by Brad Butler, who will move to right tackle.

2-42: Jairus Byrd, FS, Oregon (Coverage)
Buffalo went into the draft keenly aware that they needed a playmaker defensively, and particularly at the safety position. This is a risky pick in that they're asking Byrd to make a position switch, but he enters Buffalo as the best DB on the team in terms of pure ball skills. Ko Simpson, beware: you are officially on the roster bubble.

2-51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State (Coverage)
Buffalo traded third- and fourth-round picks to move back into the second round and draft another instant starter in the versatile Levitre. He is a Wood clone - tough, smart, and durable. He has the inside track at starting immediately at left guard; the Bills will move Brad Butler to right tackle and flip Langston Walker to left tackle to replace the departed Jason Peters. And just like that, Buffalo's in-flux offensive line is once again settled - and perhaps better.

4-121: Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss (Coverage)
This was by leaps and bounds Buffalo's best selection, if you're asking me. Nelson is one of the finer athletes available at any position in this draft class, and he's also got an incredibly soft pair of hands. He's an immediate upgrade at the tight end position and complements Derek Fine and Derek Schouman perfectly. Even better - unlike some of his "receiving TE" counterparts, he's got upside as a blocker. Buffalo now has themselves a legitimate tight end threat for the first time since Jay Riemersma ran routes at The Ralph, though whether or not he'll contribute as a rookie is another question.

5-147: Nic Harris, OLB, Oklahoma (Coverage)
He played safety in college, but the Bills will move the 230-pound athlete to outside linebacker. This is where Buffalo's draft class crossed the realm from "contributor" to "depth", but Harris was very productive at a high-quality program. He's worth a shot, and he'll compete directly with Keith Ellison for a future roster spot.

6-183: Cary Harris, CB, USC (Coverage)
Zone-based, physical cornerback that provides depth and special teams potential. May have a tough time making the roster considering Buffalo's envious depth in the defensive backfield, particularly at cornerback.

7-220: Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia (Coverage)
... Zone-based, physical cornerback that provides depth and special teams potential. May have a tough time making the roster considering Buffalo's envious depth in the defensive backfield, particularly at cornerback.

That's it, folks. Draft weekend at Buffalo Rumblings has officially concluded. Thanks for dropping by this weekend; I know that personally, I had a blast hanging with y'all. Cheers!

Poll

Do you approve of the Buffalo Bills' efforts in drafting eight players in the 2009 NFL Draft?

Yes

1064 votes

No

131 votes

Undecided

159 votes

1354 votes | Poll has closed

Morning Quack Fix 4.26.09 - Weekend Edition

dvieira — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:00:13 -0000

Lots of big happenings going on this weekend with Oregon ties. Let's get started. Also, feel free to jump in with additional notes in the thread about the ongoing NFL draft. With 3 Ducks going in the 2nd round, there are a couple of other names out there that may go. 3 Ducks in the Top 50 of the draft has never happened before. USC had the most picks of the Pac-10 with 4 going in the top 50. Oregon was second with 3. Arizona and California each had one. Oregon State's Andy Levitre barely missed the Top 50, getting drafted at 51. Everyone else had bupkiss.

As mentioned in the outset, Patrick Chung goes 34th to New England, Jairus Byrd goes 42nd to Buffalo and Max Unger goes 49th to Seattle. Byrd will get to swap Civil War stories with Oregon State's Andy Levitre who was picked 51st by Buffalo. The reaction coming from Buffalo Rumblings, an SB Nation Blog, is less than flattering about the Byrd pickup.
Baseball has lost 5 straight after losing 2-0 to the Huskies. I think we can say that the team has finally come back to earth after the lofty expectations at the beginning of the year. Oregon is in 9th place in the Pac-10 and you can't argue with that. The Ducks are beating most people's expectations since they were picked dead last to start the season. The series with Arizona to end the season may very well be for last place in the Pac-10.
The defense is looking good for the football team in the latest scrimmage. Chip Kelly also invokes his Major League Baseball trivia comparing the team's performance to a Pedro Martinez outing.
From Rob Moseley's Twitter feed, Got an email alert at 12:22 a.m. saying that Cliff Harris "has been released from the Fresno County Sheriff's Department as of 04/25/2009." Also to note, the charges against him have been reduced to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a public official.
Academic honors for Nick Reed by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Cal beat up on two of our teams. The Bears defeated the Softball Ducks 7-2. They also squashed a comeback bid by Women's Lacrosse, winning the semifinal game in the MPSF Tournament 10-9.
The Women's 4x400 meter relay team broke a 25-year-old meet record at the Oregon Relays meet. That mark was one of 17 NCAA Regional-qualifying marks the Ducks had on the day.

Check out the ATQ Facebook page and become a fan today! Also don't forget the Addicted to Quack Twitter Feed with all kinds of juicy tidbits. With the Spring Game looming, come on out and meet your fellow ATQ'ers. Stop by dvieira's car and say hi for some nice BBQ and conversation.

[UPDATE]: I'm not sure if I was drunk when I wrote this but I've fixed the title to reflect the accurate date. We have now moved "Back to the Future" - dvieira

2009 NFL Draft at Rumblings: Bills Day One Recap

Brian Galliford — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:34:03 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Louisville G/C Eric Wood, pictured above, runs a 40-yard dash at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Wood was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Browse more photos »

Day one of the 2009 NFL Draft featured a dozen trades and plenty of surprises - including several eyebrow-raisers made by your Buffalo Bills. In the end, four players are now the newest members of the Buffalo Bills: DE Aaron Maybin, OG Eric Wood, DB Jairus Byrd and OG Andy Levitre.

Obviously, a lot went on today - and if any Bills fan tells you that they saw this result coming, laugh loudly in their face, folks. We'll break down everything that we know happened today below - and then turn it over to you guys for your thoughts on day one, our new players, and of course, a day one grade.

1-11: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State (Coverage)
We knew going in that Alabama OT Andre Smith sat at the top of Buffalo's board. I got a phone call early this afternoon, however, that I didn't expect - I was informed earlier today that if Smith wasn't available (and he wasn't, going No. 6 overall to Cincinnati), that Maybin would be the pick for the Bills.

Here's the scoop - the Bills liked Tennessee's Robert Ayers (who eventually became a Denver Bronco). But they realized he wasn't a playmaker. They needed a defensive playmaker more than any other position in this draft, and they think they have that player in the speedy, athletic and long Maybin. They are certainly taking a risk with this pick - but it's a risk worth taking for a franchise that hasn't been to the playoffs in nearly a decade. He'll be counted on as a situational pass-rusher as a rookie - and the team was keenly aware that their woeful pass rush needed to be addressed first and foremost.

SB Nation had representatives at Radio City Music Hall today covering the draft as credentialed NFL media. I was sent this statement from JasonB, who was on a call with Maybin. This was Maybin's reaction after the Bills made him their top selection...

Just very overwhelmed. I'm very happy to just be able to have a chance to play in such a great city for such an amazing franchise. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm coming into a situation where I'm going to get a chance to play with some Penn State guys out there. They've got Paul Posluszny and Bryan Scott on the team right now. I'm really anxious to just get out there and just to start putting in work, just to start building the foundation out there for myself.

Trying to trade back up...
From this point, the Bills got on the phone and tried to move up to select Oklahoma State TE Brandon Pettigrew. The consensus top TE in the draft went a bit earlier than anticipated, however, when the Detroit Lions took him at No. 20 overall. USC LB Clay Matthews III nearly fell to them at No. 28, but the Packers traded up to No. 26 to steal him (and I don't think they tried to trade up, preferring to keep their picks after Pettigrew was selected). When those two guys were gone, the Bills stuck to their board and took a guy they didn't think would fall to them at No. 42 in the second round...

1-28: Eric Wood, G/C, Louisville (Coverage)
Simply put, the Bills were focused on adding a quality interior lineman today (a point that they would emphatically underscore later in the second round). Wood was their highest-rated interior lineman; they view him as an immediate starter at guard. I am speculating that he'll play left guard, but based on the Bills' fourth (yes, fourth) pick of the day, that might change. But Wood will play guard in Buffalo, and he will very likely start right away.

With no prospects to trade up for at that point and seven more picks, the Bills chose to stay put... for a while. Head on in beyond the jump to see how the second round unfolded for Buffalo.

2-42: Jairus Byrd, DB, Oregon (Coverage)
I don't think I've ever seen a Bills draft pick as immediately despised as this selection of Byrd. DB was clearly a spot that was going to be addressed, as three cornerbacks and five safeties are within the final two years of their respective contracts in Buffalo. As mentioned ad nauseam, the Bills were also focused on adding playmakers defensively - and Byrd is decidedly that, having picked off 17 passes in just three seasons at Oregon.

Byrd tested poorly in pre-draft workouts, running a 4.68-second 40, but he's a good athlete with great instincts that fits well in a zone scheme. He has the ability to play either corner or free safety, and might get a look at both spots in Buffalo. He also averaged 12.3 yards per punt return in his career at Oregon. This pick may have been completely left-field and certainly not a need-centric selection, but there is undeniably some value here. Still... it was a weird pick. We'll admit it.

At that point, the Bills had exercised all of their day one picks. Then, one trade later, they hadn't.

Bills trade up with Dallas
In a very surprising move, the Bills sent their third-round pick (No. 75 overall) and their first fourth-round pick (No. 110) to the Dallas Cowboys for the No. 51 overall pick. The trade gave the Bills four first-day picks, but it also takes them completely out of the third round.

The Bills currently have four picks tomorrow: Round 4 (No. 121), Round 5 (No. 147), Round 6 (No. 183) and Round 7 (No. 220). Who'd they move up for?

2-51: Andy Levitre, OG, Oregon State (Coverage)
A college left tackle, Levitre is widely considered to be a guard prospect at the NFL level - and, ironically, Levitre was second to Wood on the Bills' board of interior offensive linemen.

Levitre is a versatile player that can play four spots on the line. He is similar to Wood in many respects, including demeanor, athleticism and intelligence. He'll make a very good pro, and the fact that the Bills focused so heavily on their lines on day one (three picks) is an encouraging sign. But the Levitre selection absolutely creates some question marks surrounding the Bills' re-tooled offensive line.

LT: Langston Walker has the early edge at this position as the most experienced OT on the roster.
LG: I had penciled Wood in here, but it could easily be Levitre or even current RG Brad Butler at this position.
C: This one's settled - Geoff Hangartner will be the Bills' starting center.
RG: Butler is here for now, but having played OT in college, there's a chance they could move him to RT. If that's the case, Wood and Levitre become contenders here.
RT: Kirk Chambers will likely open camp as the starter here, but Demetrius Bell and perhaps even Brad Butler (depending on the speed of assimilation from our two new guards) could challenge.

A lot is changing on the line, clearly, but there's certainly no shortage of quality depth at this point. There are options - and with only two spots locked down (Walker and Hangartner), there will be some interesting decisions to make. If you're asking me now, the line will look like this:

L. Walker - E. Wood - G. Hangartner - A. Levitre - B. Butler
K. Chambers - D. Bell - S. McKinney

That does it for Buffalo Rumblings' coverage of day one of the NFL Draft. It was a surprising day, but I had fun chilling with y'all. Thanks for making Rumblings your one-stop shop for NFL Draft and Buffalo Bills news. We hope to see y'all tomorrow!

Poll

How satisfied are you with the Bills' day one haul of DE Aaron Maybin, OG Eric Wood, DB Jairus Byrd and OG Andy Levitre?

Very satisfied

435 votes

Somewhat satisfied

804 votes

Somewhat dissatisfied

244 votes

Very dissatisfied

140 votes

Completely and utterly neutral

36 votes

1659 votes | Poll has closed

Bills select Oregon DB Jairus Byrd at No. 42

Brian Galliford — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:24:05 -0000

New Buffalo Bills CB Jairus Byrd (photo source)

With their third pick, No. 42 overall in the second round, the Buffalo Bills have selected Oregon CB Jairus Byrd.

We won't pretend we expected this pick. We were certain that the Bills would take a defensive back at some point in this draft with eight defensive backs approaching the close of their contracts in the next two years. Byrd, an early entrant measuring in at 5'10" and 207 pounds, protects against that probability - though in terms of immediate impact, it's difficult to expect much.

Byrd had a terrible pre-draft process. He timed slowly and underwhelmed at the Combine. But he produced well in the Pac-10, intercepting 17 passes in his three-year career, and is pretty athletic. He also has been productive as a punt returner at Oregon.

As mentioned, we won't say we expected this pick - but a defensive back was coming at some point. Byrd has proven to be a playmaker, but he'll only be a specialist and sub-package corner as a rookie. Strange pick - but it does offer a bit of value, particularly if the Bills try him at safety - an area the Bills need help at as well.

The Bills have exercised all three of their first-day selections. We're sure you'll want to vent on this pick, so have at it. Consider this your open thread for the rest of day one of the 2009 NFL Draft. Thanks for making Buffalo Rumblings your home for the day!

Poll

Knee-jerk reaction: are you pleased with the pick of new Buffalo Bills CB Jairus Byrd?

Yes

265 votes

No

874 votes

1139 votes | Poll has closed

ROTB Community Mock Draft: With the 53rd Overall Pick, the Philadelphia Eagles Select...

Hawkwind — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:13 -0000

Jairus Byrd (CB), University of Oregon

5'10", 207

The Eagles first pick in the second round goes to defense and even though they could use a safety, Byrd offers the best value at 53. Some scouts think that Byrd could eventually move to safety where his lack of great top end speed wouldn't be such a liability but for the time being, he'll just be a jack of all trades. He's got the ability to learn on the fly and be a possible replacement for Sheldon Brown, who recently celebrated his 30th birthday.

Positives: Byrd's a well built athlete with decent size and bulk. He's got the speed and fluidity to turn and run with receivers and the strength to get a solid jam at the line of scrimmage. He's a natural play maker with soft hands and good ball skills. He's got good instincts and won't hesitate to support the run where he's a reliable tackler. He's got a strong work ethic and offers some versatility (returner and/or safety). His father was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Chargers and recently served as the Bears DB coach.

Negatives: Byrd is more quick than fast and will have problems trying to stay with a speedy reciever all the way down the field. He can get too aggressive at times and will be better suited for a zone scheme instead of man-to-man coverage. He's also a bit 'grabby' in coverage.

First Round Picks: Knowshon Moreno, William Beatty

Many thanks to AJBirdwatcher for submitting this pick. The Vikings and jallred350 are now on the clock (email pick to revengeofthebirds@gmail.com) with the Falcons and Cardsfan08 on deck. If anyone needs to refresh their memory on the second round draft order, check here.

Also guys, we're in draft 'crunch time' right now with ten picks to cover in the next three days so we're going to be hitting these fast and furious. If you can, send a list of three players who you'd like to draft as your pick approaches so that we can stay ahead of the action and knock these picks out quickly.