
DynamicHero22
Aug 20, 2010 May 29, 2012 147 431
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2012 Offseason Opinions: §I. Draft Analysis
In the first part of my analysis I shall be looking at the Bills 2012 draft and giving my opinions on what the Bills did. Heading into the draft, I pegged the Bills biggest needs as being at left offensive tackle, wide receiver, strong-side linebacker and cornerback. All in all the Bills had quite a successful draft securing players in all the need areas, thereby adding depth across the roster. Coupled with their outstanding acquisitions in free agency [next post] the Bills are perhaps at their strongest point on paper in over a decade.
In the draft the Bills draft 2 cornerbacks, 2 tackles, 2 linebackers, a wide receiver, an offensive lineman and a kicker. While I may have taken different players in some of the rounds, the Bills not only took players that were the best available, but also filled positional needs. Coupled with their outstanding acquisitions in free agency [next post] the Bills are perhaps at their strongest point on paper in over a decade.
2012 Offseason Opinions
To say the Bills have had a dull offseason would be far from the truth. I have seen several mocks now with the Bills drafting somewhere in the 20s, and let’s face it, there seems to be an air of excitement surrounding Buffalo right now. The Bills had a strong draft and more impressively made a splash in free agency, not only re-signing key players like WR Stevie Johnson, but also bringing in serious pass rush talent in the likes of DE Mario Williams who went first overall in the 2006 NFL draft.
Among the other moves this off-season was the Bills decision to revert back to the 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt. As such there became fewer areas on the roster to address this year and the Bills have been able to load the roster with talent. Given the length of my opinions I have divided up this article into 12 sections as seen below.
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Bills Tryout Players - Who to Watch (Poll)
So with the Bills set to hold a mini camp with their tryout players in a few days times I thought it prudent to look up who the Bills have brought in and gauge who stands the best shot at filling up the last few spots on the off-season roster. Of my top third tier, my top 7 players to keep an eye on are QB Alex Tanney, FB Dorin Dickerson, DE Vincent Browne, DE Corey Hart, LB Nick Clark, LB Emmanuel Lamur and CB Dominic Cook.
Without further ado here are the players, their senior year college stats and for a few some interesting fact. Note that (*) means that the player came out of the previous draft while (**) means they have no known stat I can find.
Our Choice For The Fourth Round
So far in the draft the Bills have drafted CB Stephon GIlmore, OT Cordy Glenn and WR T.J. Graham. All in all these picks have been pretty solid and while the Bills reached a bit on Graham, there is no doubt that he is one of the fastest receivers in a draft class that lacks burners.
This means however that the Bills could still address several areas in Day 3 of the draft. Among these areas include a SLB, a #2 WR (to compete), defensive and offensive line depth, a developmental QB, defensive back depth, linebacker depth and potentially a tight end. Below are 16 of the best players available (although I included Bobby Massie, I highly doubt he'll be around by time the Bills draft 10th in the fourth round).
Our Choice For The Third Round
So far the Bills have taken CB Stephon Gilmore in the first and OT Cordy Glenn in the second. Gilmore was the #2 voted player after LB Luke Kuechly (taken by Carolina the pick before) while Bills fans were correct in choosing Glenn in the second. As time is of the essence I am only going to list positions with the BPA at that area. I apologize for the lack of bio blasts from the combine or stats, but time is of the essence. In return I shall take off names heading up to the third round.
Go Bills!!
Our Choice For The Second Round
With the tenth pick of the 2012 Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected CB Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina. While personally I would have preferred the Bills to have traded down for a left tackle prospect, this pick does make sense as Gilmore with one of the best players available. Indeed Mel Kiper last night viewed Gilmore as a solid all around corner who has a good combination of speed and height with playmaking.. What this does in turn though is raises the question what the Bills should and will do next, particularly in the second round.
Compounding this situation has been the unexpected rise and fall of certain players. There are potentially a few left tackle prospects out there, as there are linebackers, wide receivers, defensive ends and even a developmental QB or two. Below I have included 16 names the Bills could target, larger than my usual list given that I have no idea what fans would want heading in with the ninth pick of the second round. As a result, I have only been able to include a basic bio blast about the players so please comment and argue for why you want a certain player.
Our Choice For The First Round
Given that the Bills are drafting tenth overall, there will definitely be a lot of hype heading into the draft Thursday night. The Bills could seek a trade up or down, but given their past history will likely stay at 10. Whoever the Bills acquire will see serious playing time with some exceptions (Tannehill will need a year or two to develop). In my opinion the Bills are just a few picks away from becoming playoff contenders following a rather splashy free agency in which they acquired pro-bowl DE Mario Williams.
Current needs for the Bills are as followed: LT, SLB, WR, CB to compete for starting jobs and depth at QB, OL, WR, DE, DE, LB and DB. Players that should definitively be off the board at 10 include QB Andrew Luck (1 to Colts), QB Robert Griffin III (2 to Redskins), OT Matt Kalil (3 to Vikings), RB Trent Richardson (4 to Browns), CB Morris Claiborne (5 to Bucs) and WR Justin Blackmon (6 to Rams). That leaves just the Jaguars at 7, the Fish at 8 and the Panthers at 9 before the Bills pick barring no trades.
For the sake of simplicity, I am going with the player majority vote wins the poll (as opposed to positional priority), but as always we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
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Why the Bills Should Draft Luke Kuechly
Owning the tenth overall pick in the draft, the Bills have several needs it could choose to address. With the Bills not hosting either WR Michael Floyd or OT Riley Reiff, this rules out two of the more likely choices for this spot. The singing of DE Mario Williams and Mark Anderson also probably means the Bills will not take either Quinton Coples or Melvin Ingram in the first either. While OT Cordy Glenn and CB Stephon Gilmore make sense as picks as well, neither have cracked the top 10 talents and they are only the third best of their position group. (Glenn is behind Kalil and Reiff while Gilmore is behind Claiborne and Kirkpatrick.)
One player who is the best at their position and is a top-10 talent is LB Luke Kuechly. People may be turned off by the fact that Kuechly has mostly played as a middle linebacker at Boston College, a position currently belonging to third round 2011 rookie Kelvin Sheppard. Additionally the Bills re-signed both Kirk Morrison and Bryan Scott this off-season to man the gap at strong-side linebacker. Nick Barnett meanwhile is the undeniable option at weak-side linebacker.
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4 Mock Scenarios: Poll
With the NFL Draft set to kick off in a week (my time flies when there is no lockout) and because I have not posted my own mock in a while, I decided to propose four different mocks based off of what the Bills may do with their first round pick. In all scenarios I do not have the Bills trading up or (my preference) down, instead going for a combination of selecting best players available while trying to satisfy needs as well.
The biggest needs for the Bills are at left tackle, a #2 wide receiver, cornerback and strongside linebacker. The Bills could rely on current personnel at these areas; LT Chris Hairston, WR Marcus Easley, Donald Jones or Derek Hagan, CB Drayton Florence or CB Terrence McGee and LB Kirk Morrison. The Bills could easily double up at these areas by also addressing a speed slot receiver, a linebacker (outside or in) for depth and a switch tackle backup. Also on the docket is depth at cornerback, defensive end depth, defensive line depth, tight end, offensive line depth and the ever prevalent issue of quarterback. Before I have you look at the mocks, I am just going to explain my first round draft picks and addressing the priority needs for the Bills.
With the first mock I have the Bills taking LB Luke Kuechly. Kuechly fits the Bills need for an immediate playmaker and a long term solution for OLB in teh Bills new 4-3 defense. Barnett is nearing the end of his career (but is a solid WLB), Kelvin Sheppard is a 2-down MLB and Kirk Morrison is not set at starting at SLB. Though Kuechly has played mostly MLB in college for his captaining the defense and great instincts, he showed great speed and strength at the combine ad is solid in pass defense which is really handy given the struggles to contain TE Rob Gronkowski. Ideally Kuechly could start at SLB and shift to MLB in third down nickel formations.
In my second mock I have the Bills taking CB Stephon Gilmore. With concerns of Drayton Florence inconsistencies in pass coverage and Terrence McGee's injury woes, the Bills have been linked more and more to Gilmore. Gilmore has good instincts and as shown in the combine, has good speed as well. Should the Bills take Gilmore, he would start opposite Aaron Williams at corner with McGee playing at nickelback to keep healthy and keep Florence in red-zone situations.
In my third mock I have the Bills taking OT Cordy Glenn. Early on in 2011, LT Glenn gave up some big plays to likely first rounder Shea McClellin, but since then has been fairly consistent. With the departure of Demetrius Bell, the only left tackle the Bills have is Chris Hairston (Andy Levitre is fair, but is the emergency LT and is elite at guard). Glenn looked really good drills at the combines and not only benched 31 reps compared to Reiff's 23, but has the second longest arms for a tackle at 34.6" long (nearly 2" longer than Reiff) which aside from his long frame, means it will be easier to defend the edge. Glenn would ultimately provides ample competition for Hairston at LT if taken.
Lastly in my fourth mock I have the Bills taking WR Michael Floyd. While Floyd is a fan favorite and would instantly be the #2 receiver off of Easley, CHIX did not entertain him in visits (also the Bills did not host Reiff) over concerns of off-field issues. Right now there is a three-way competition between Marcus Easley, Donald Jones and Derek Hagan for the #2 role. Floyd has good speed and size for a starting receiver, but again, the Bills seem disinterested.
Our Mock 5.5.2
With the Bills first 5th round selection Bills fans en-mass supported taking CB Donnie Fletcher with 30% of the vote. In second was CB Keith Tandy with 18% of the vote followed by OT Levy Adcock with 11% of the vote. With the Bills second 5th round pick just a few spots after, I've elected to keep most of the names from the last poll around. Here is our mock so far...
1. WR Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
2. TE Coby Fleener - Stanford
3. LB Tank Carder - TCU
4. OT Nate Potter - Boise State
4. QB Russell Wilson - Wisconsin
5. CB Donnie Fletcher - Boston College
While the Bills taking a quarterback, I am taking that option off the list. Other options still available are slot receiver, cornerback, defensive lineman depth, linebacker depth, and offensive line depth. As always, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 5.5.1
With the Bills second 4th round pick, Bills fans selected QB Russell Wilson with 31% of the vote. In second place was WR Ryan Broyles with 14% of the vote followed by CB DaQuan Menzie with 14% of the vote as well. Here is our mock so far...
1. WR Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
2. TE Coby Fleener - Stanford
3. LB Tank Carder - TCU
4. OT Nate Potter - Boise State
4. QB Russell Wilson - Wisconsin
While the Bills taking a quarterback, I am taking that option off the list. Other options still available are slot receiver, cornerback, defensive lineman depth, linebacker depth, and offensive line depth. As always, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 5.4.2
In the first of the Bills fourth round picks, Bills fans overwhelming supported drafting LOT Nate Potter of Boise State with 36% of the vote (46% in favor of a LOT). In second place was CB Chase Minnifield with 23% of the vote followed by 10% in favor of selecting LOT James Brown from Troy. Here's the mock so far:
1. WR Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
2. TE Coby Fleener - Stanford
3. LB Tank Carder - TCU
4. OT Nate Potter - Boise State
While the Bills could double up on tackles this draft, I am going to forgo on including tackles until at least round 6. I am also opening up the possibility the Bills will take more than one linebacker, but this is no longer the biggest position of need. Other options still available are slot receiver, corner-back, defensive lineman depth, offensive line depth and quarterback.
As always, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
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Our Mock 5.4.1
With another close round of voting, Bills fans narrowly selected an outside linebacker with 29% of the vote to 28% in favor of a tackle. As such the selection goes to OLB Tank Carder of TCU. With the most individual votes was OT Mitchell Schwartz followed by CB Trumaine Johnson and tied with Carder was QB Kirk Cousins. Here is our mock so far...
1. WR Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
2. TE Coby Fleener - Stanford
3. LB Tank Carder - TCU
While I had taken off wide receiver as an option for the last few rounds following the selection of Floyd, I am bringing back a speed slot receiver option. I am also opening up the possibility the Bills will take more than one linebacker, but this is no longer the biggest position of need. Other options still available are left tackle, corner-back, defensive lineman depth, offensive line depth and quarterback.
As always, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 5.3
In the second round of voting, TE Coby Fleener of Stanford narrowly won the vote with 24% of the vote. One vote behind Fleener was OT Zerbie Sanders with 24% of the vote. In third was QB Brock Osweiler with 13% of the vote, but it should be noted that 15% of Bills fans wanted the Bills to draft a cornerback instead with Josh Robinson being the most preferred option. Here’s the mock so far.
1. WR Michael Floyd – Notre Dame
2. TE Coby Fleener – Stanford
With the Bills needing just one other starting receiver, I took the WR option off the list for a few rounds; the Bills could take another receiver as early as the fourth round for a speed slot option/punt returner. Additionally with the Bills set with Scott Chandler and now Fleener at TE, I am taking off that choice as well. Other options still available are linebacker, corner-back, left tackle, defensive lineman depth, offensive line depth and quarterback.
This time around, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 5.2
With the first round of the mock, the clear majority winner with 33% of the vote was WR Michael Floyd of Notre Dame. In second place was OT Jonathan Martin who split the vote with OT Riley Reiff 9% and 8% respectively. LB Luke Kuechly had 14% of the vote while CB Dre Kirkpatrick got 12% Here's the mock so far.
1. WR Michael Floyd - Notre Dame
With the Bills needing just one other starting receiver, I am taking this option off the list for a few rounds; the Bills could take another receiver as early as the fourth round for a speed slot option/punt returner. Other options still available are linebacker, corner-back, left tackle, tight end, defensive lineman and quarterback.
This time around, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 5.1
With a few big signings, most predominantly with DE (Super) Mario Williams in free agency, I have decided to start a new mock draft as to highlight the changes. Additionally the Bills signed DE Mark Anderson, while re-signing SLB Kirk Morrison, SLB/FS Bryan Scott, WR Derek Hagan and RB Tashard Choice. With the Bills switching to a predominantly 4-3 defense, CHIX got Wilson to finally let loose the purse strings and the Bills look a lot stronger defensively than they did a month ago.
While the need for a DE has greatly diminished (from needing 2-3), I won’t rule out the Bills taking one just yet. Areas the Bills are more likely to address are (left) Offensive Tackle, Wide Receiver, Cornerback, Strong Outside Linebacker, Linebacker depth, Defensive Line depth, Safety depth, a #2 Tight End, a fast slot Receiver and potentially a QB to develop.
Rules for this mock are simple; just vote for your favorite player. However do note that in the past, if a position gets more votes than an individual, I will take the positional choice over a player as split votes have left unhappy fans in the past. Fortunately this happens fairly rarely so in most cases, the player with the majority vote will likely win.
This time around, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine and several pro-days. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 4.3
In the second round of the draft, the DE Vinny Curry narrowly edged out the competition with 28% of the vote (35% for DE). In second place was WR Alshon Jeffery with 24% of the votes. In third was OLB Shea McClellin with 17% of the vote. Given that Bills fans have taken defensive ends back to back, I am closing off this option until the seventh round so as to address other areas of need. Here's the mock so far.
1. DE Nick Perry – USC
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
Other needs include strong-side linebacker, a wide receiver (#2 or speed slot), a left tackle (if Demetrius Bell is not re-signed) and a corner-back. Other areas the Bills may wish to address is to add depth at safety, add a second tight end to complement Scott Chandler and another linebacker for depth or potentially a developmental long-term QB.
I shall be taking results from the NFL combine and use rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Now I know some players could be off the boards now or may not go until the fourth round. Even at draft day though some prospects stock inexplicably rise or fall. Just remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 4.2
With the first round of the draft, the player with the most votes was WR Michael Floyd with 20% of the vote. However, as more Bills fans (42%) wanted a defensive end, the winner of the first round is DE Nick Perry of USC with 15% of the vote. In third was OT Jonathan Martin with 15% of the vote. Here’s your mock so far.
1. DE Nick Perry – USC
Now as the Bills may seek to double up on defensive end, I will still have DE as an option. However, I do wish to remind all the Bills fans of other needs that could be addressed in the draft especially depending on what happens with the Bills current free agents. These needs include SLB, WR (#2 or speed slot), OT (left/depth), CB, TE and potentially a developmental QB. Players whom I feel will be off the boards by time the Bills draft in the second round include WR Stephen Hill, WR Mohamed Sanu, TE Coby Fleener, OL Cordy Glenn, LB Zach Brown and DE Andre Branch.
I shall be taking results from the NFL combine and use rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 4.1
It’s that time again Buffalo… time for us to fill out a new mock draft for the Buffalo Bills! Over the years, we have seen Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey bring in several players through the draft, some more successful than others. But it is undeniable that a good draft or two can have serious merits for a team.
This year the Bills are switching to a predominantly 4-3 defense, which despite building up a 3-4 defense over the last few years, actually suits a number of players. Several free agents are in the process of being re-signed by the Bills, so obviously depending in that area will affect who we target in the draft.
Needs as of right now include a defensive end or two, a strong-outside linebacker, a #2 wide receiver and/or one with speed, a corner with potential to start and an offensive tackle for depth/to start on the left side. Other areas that could be targeted include tight end, a backup free safety, linebacker depth and I am leaving it on the table, a franchise quarterback.
Rules for this mock are simple; just vote for your favorite player. However do note that in the past, if a position gets more votes than an individual, I will take the positional choice over a player as split votes have left unhappy fans in the past. Fortunately this happens fairly rarely so in most cases, the player with the majority vote will likely win.
This time around, we are anchored by the results from the NFL combine. I shall input these as well as rankings/information on players from sites including Walter Football, CBS Sports and Drafttek. Statistics are courtesy from CFB Stats. Remember to vote and use the comments to support your choice below.
Our Mock 3.0 Results
With the final round of voting, while DE Donte Paige Moss narrowly gained the most votes, clearly more people supported acquiring a tackle with 32% of the vote (to 22% for a third DE). Paige Moss had 21% of the vote, the winner James Carmon had 19% of the vote, while OLB Nathan Stupar had 15% of the vote and OT Jeff Adams had 13% of the vote.
All in all, I think this mock we chose was fairly good in that it addressed several needs and a few wants as well. Admittedly players draft stock have changed over the weeks this mock draft has been running especially with the combine results this past week. Some players stock has risen (and/or dropped) as such. I am currently trying to balance new rankings on Walters, CBS Sports, Drafttek as well as factoring in player stats and combine results. Here is the mock as it stands.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
4. LB Emmanuel Acho – Texas
5. CB Cliff Harris – Oregon
5. TE Michael Egnew – Missouri
6. WR Chris Rainey – Florida
7. OT James Carmon – Mississippi State
Here’s a rough estimate as to what I think the depth chart could look like given this mock. This is the first time I’ve done this. Additionally, I am operating given recent negotiations, the Bills have re-signed several free agents from the team last year (noted in italics). Furthermore, all rookies are underlined while players in bold, have just survived being cut.
Our Mock 3.7
Well we are already on the final round of voting. In the sixth round, Bills fans supported nabbing a slot speedster in WR/RB Chris Rainey of Florida with 25% of the vote. In second was OT Marcel Jones of Nebraska with 14% while WR T.J. Graham finished with 11% of the vote. Here’s the mock so far.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
4. LB Emmanuel Acho – Texas
5. CB Cliff Harris – Oregon
5. TE Michael Egnew – Missouri
6. WR Chris Rainey – Florida
With one pick remaining, I am opening up taking in depth on the defensive line. Other options include either safety position, corner-back, both linebacker positions for depth, and the offensive line for depth. I am not including halfback, quarterback, tight end or wide receiver as these positions have either been addressed in the mock or have depth already.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go earlier or may not go until later. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Also, note that with the scrimmage ongoing, I will make changes based on performance for the next draft.
[Note: I will post one final with the results from round 7, as well as a picture of how the Bills depth chart would look like under this mock. I have had trouble putting images in articles (not for lack of trying) so if anyone can help, I'd be much obliged!!] Last chance to vote!
Our Mock 3.6
With the Bills second fifth round selection, Bills fans overwhelmingly supported grabbing TE Michael Egnew of Missouri with 35% of the vote. In second was slot receiver Jairus Wright of Arkansas with 11% of the vote followed by TCU OLB Tank Carder also with 11% of the vote. South Dakota OT Tom Compton finished with 9% of the vote. Here's the mock so far...
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
4. LB Emmanuel Acho – Texas
5. CB Cliff Harris – Oregon
5. TE Michael Egnew – Missouri
Odds are the Bills will not draft more than one tight end and quarterback. Options still available for the sixth round include a second CB, WR, OLB as well as a MLB, S, OL or OT. For those wishing to add more depth to the defensive line, I shall include some options in the seventh round. Given that we already have ample depth at DT and have grabbed two high ranking DEs in this mock so far it would be unlikely the Bills do anything to bolster depth earlier than that under these circumstances.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go earlier or may not go until later. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Also, note that with the scrimmage ongoing, I will make changes based on performance for the next draft. In the meanwhile vote away!
Our Mock 3.5.2
Going back to my first post, I indicated if a position has more support over a player with the majority vote, we will address the position first. This has happened in the fifth round voting. Despite TE Michael Egnew receiving 25% of the vote, the corner-back position received more support with Cliff Harris and Josh Robinson receiving 17% and 13% of the vote respectively.
While I know some people may complain about this, it is clear people perceive corner-back as the more important position to address. But thanks to a compensatory pick from Seattle with the Marshawn Lynch trade, the Bills essentially have back-back fifth round selections. For all those Egnew supporters, that means you have a second shot to put him on the Bills draft board. I am also leaving up most of the players from the previous ballot. Here's the mock so far.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
4. LB Emmanuel Acho – Texas
5. CB Cliff Harris – Oregon
Needs/wants that could still be addressed include linebacker depth (outside and inside), a second corner-back, another wide receiver, a tight end, offensive tackle and possibly an interior lineman or safety for depth.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go earlier or may not go until later. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Also, note that with the scrimmage coming up soon, I will make changes based on performance for the next draft.
Our Mock 3.5.1
With the second fourth round selection, Bills fans selected with a wide margin, OLB Emmanuel Acho of Texas with 32% of the vote. In second was slot WR Joe Adams with 14% of the vote and in third was OLB Tyler Nielsen with 10% of the vote. By position, securing an outside linebacker was first with 43% of the vote followed with 27% in favor of taking a corner-back. Here’s the mock so far.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
4. LB Emmanuel Acho – Texas
Now the Bills have two fifth round selections, the second courtesy of a compensatory pick with the Marshawn Lynch trade last year. Given that the Bills and Seahawks will be trading nearly next to each other come April, most of the names you see here will be up again (in a separate post). This means if your favorite guy doesn’t pull through this time, you’ll have a second stab.
Needs/wants that could still be addressed include linebacker depth (outside and inside), cornerback, another wide receiver, a tight end, offensive tackle and possibly an interior lineman or safety for depth.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go earlier or may not go until later. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Also, note that with the scrimmage coming up soon, I will make changes based on performance for the next draft.
Our Mock 3.4.2
First off I want to apologize for how long it took to get this next round up. I had a few tests and projects to complete at college and that took more time than expected. I am hoping to have this mock wrap up towards the end of February or early March. With the combines coming up soon, expect many shifts in rankings as well as the fact that the Bills may re/sign a number of players between then (fingers crossed for lucky #13).
With the first of the Bills fourth round picks, the fans en-masse supported acquiring QB Brock Osweiler of Arizona State with 31% of the vote. A long term project to be sure, but Fitz would easily be starting in the interim. In second was TE Ladarius Green of Louisiana Lafayette with 16% of the vote with QB Kellen Moore finishing in third with 13% of the vote. Here’s your mock right now.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
4. QB Brock Osweiler – Arizona State
The Bills have received a second fourth round selection from the Baltimore Ravens for Lee Evans. Still hate that trade but what’s done is done. On the one bright side, it gives us one more poll to work on! As of right now, I am taking off QB as an option for Rumblers as well as DE for another few rounds. WR still remains open if the Bills do not re-sign Stevie Johnson. On a bright side, I don’t have to include a kicker option now that the Bills re-signed Rian Lindell to a new contract! Other needs keeping in mind the Bills on the market right now include OT, OG, TE, WR, SLB, MLB, and CB
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go earlier or may not go until later. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Time to cast your ballot!
Our Mock 3.4.1
In the closest round of voting yet, Rumblers overall wanted a receiver supporting WR Nick Toon of Wisconsin with 18% of the vote (44% for a receiver). Narrowly in second was OT Nate Potter of Boise State with 12% of the vote followed by CB Trumaine Johnson of Montana with 11% of the vote. Also worth noting is that WR Stephen Hills of Georgia Tech also had 11% of the vote but one vote fewer than Johnson. Here is the mock so far…
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
3. WR Nick Toon – Wisconsin
Given that the Bills may need two receivers without taking anyone in free agency I shall keep that option available. 4-3 DE meanwhile remains off as the Bills would have good depth and other needs to address. These needs include (but are not limited to) LT, TE, OLB, CB, MLB and potentially QB.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go towards the end of a late-previous round, may not go until later, or that I have not included. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. I also looked at Walterfootball and Drafttek for input as well. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Time to cast your ballot!
Our Mock 3.3
In a vote that may be not surprising to some fans, we selected DE Vinny Curry in the second round with 28% of the vote. In second was LB Vontaze Burfict with 23% of the vote while DE Jared Crick had 10% of the vote. For those following the complete totals, over 40% went in support of a second defensive end. Here’s the mock so far.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
2. DE Vinny Curry – Marshall
Given that the Bills have two starters at defensive end with personnel to fill at least three backup spots, I am going to take off the defensive end as an option until the sixth round. The Bills have other needs to address, and nailing two long term starters means if the Bills select a third pass rusher, it’ll be to develop from a later round. Other needs include (but are not limited to) SLB, MLB, CB, WR, TE, OT and potentially QB.
As a side note, I know there are some players that I include that either may go towards the end of a late-previous round, may not go until later, or that I have not included. The further we go along in this mock the more this will happen. To be frank I try to include a player or two that may fall into the Bills hand (as they do draft relatively high in the pecking order). We always see players that may fall or inexplicably rise the day of the draft as well. I do try to balance several draft sites in choosing players that may be available.
I specifically use CFB Stats for collegiate statistics, while I use CBSSports for player notes and measurements. As always leave comments for supporting the player/need of your choice, and let me know if there are any names you’d like to see in the next full mock draft. Let the third round voting begin!
Our Mock 3.2
With the first rounds results in, Bills fans overwhelmingly voted to take DE Quinton Coples with an amazing 47% of the vote. DE Courtney Upshaw was in second with 20% of the vote while the dynamic junior DE Whitney Merculis finished third with 10%. It’s hard to overlook a prospect like Coples who dominated in the senior bowl in pass pressure and run stopping, but may have garnered serious interest from teams like the Dolphins and Jaguars drafting ahead of us. For now though here’s the mock we want.
1. DE Quinton Coples – North Carolina
The Bills are running with a predominantly 4-3 defense in 2012 under Dave Wannstedt. Drafting a full time pass rusher is a major need, but the Bills also have needs elsewhere. In no particular order, the Bills could be looking at a SLB, WR, OT, TE, CB, MLB, DE, OG, FS, QB. Some of these positions also depends who the Bills sign from free agency, include their own players like WR Stevie Johnson, OT Demetrius Bell, and OG Kraig Urbik.
Given the Bills need to fill in pass rushers, I am keeping open the idea the Bills could draft back-back 4-3 DE. But there are several names that warrant serious consideration here so be sure to vote/comment on your favorite/best fit choice. Here are the bio blasts (stats courtesy of CFB Stats and player info from CBSSports).
Our Mock 3.1 - Post 4-3 News
So if you haven't heard by now, Chan Gailey announced the Bills will be operating out of a predominantly 4-3 defense next year (but will likely play hybrid 3-4 once in while). This of course has huge implications as to who the Bills should target in the draft. Also given the fact that the Senior Bowl has affected some players' draft stock, I decided to restart a mock draft. Given that the combines are still a month away I guarantee that I will do a full seven rounds this time. For those wondering Bills fans selected OLB/DE Courtney Upshaw in the first and OT Mike Adams in the second.
Most notably, the Bills need a major pass rusher to man the defensive end spot. Another need is to acquire a 4-3 OLB to man the strongside. Needs/possible needs depending on free agency include wide receiver (or 2), left tackle, a starting tight end, an inside linebacker (for depth), another pass rusher, a corner (or 2) and a free safety for depth. Oh and maybe the Bills use a pick somewhere to groom a franchise quarterback.
Vote for the guy you would like best, and comment why so. Note that I have only put ten names below so if you don't see your fav player below, let me know and I will try to accommodate you in a later round or the next mock. Also, if players of a common position split a vote, I will recognize the need for that position (and majority voted player within that position) over the actual majority voted player. I try to balance the players I select among the Bills current needs while consulting cbssports.com, drafttek.com, and walterfootball.com; players physical measurements are from CBSsports while stats are from cfbstats.com. Here are the prospects!
Our Mock 2.1
With the preliminary first round mock Rumblers tied percentage wise between DE Quinton Coples and OLB Courtney Upshaw with 18% of the vote. The need for a pass rusher was clearly forefront of Bills fans wants. I did not make the distinction clear enough as to what position Coples particularly belongs to (3-4 DE/4-3 DE in this one) so we’ll see how this affects voting in this round although Coples makes sense for the Bills (see bio blast below). This is on the basis that the Bills will be utilizing a 3-4 | 4-3 or 46 defense [see Der Jaeger’s ARTICLE for more on this issue]
The Bills will likely continue to work the 3-4 base defense under Wannstedt for versatility and to fit personnel and development of the players the Bills retained, picked up and drafted. Still, the players being drafted must also be able to fit 4-3 schemes at times. The biggest need is right now to get a pass rusher, but many top-10 elite college talents at this time aside from Coples are below this mark right now. Other areas that may be affected are at wide receiver and offensive tackle particularly with the likes of WR Stevie Johnson and OT Demetrius Bell on the market. Then again, other prospects may be too good to overlook taking.
Please note I have not included six names that likely will not be on the boards by time the Bills draft. These include QB Andrew Luck, QB Robert Griffin III, RB Trent Richardson, OT Matt Kalil, WR Justin Blackmon and CB Morris Claiborne. I know that RG3 in particularly has been a man of interest due to a really strong senior year capped with the Heisman but because of that and Barkley returning to USC, I feel RG3 will not be available by time the draft reaches the Bills tenth overall slot.
Additionally I have not included ILB Luke Kuechly given a lack of speed and utmost need, CB Dre Kirkpatrick given testing positive in drug testing, WR Kendall Wright due to 0/180 votes and OG David DeCastro as both Kraig Urbik and Chad Rinehart are restricted free agents.
Rules for this mock are as followed. People can vote for the player they want the Bills to pursue in the draft. The player with the highest percentage of vote will win unless players of a certain position win a higher percentage overall (in which the highest voted player of that position wins). IE if QB Ryan Tannehill won with 20% of the vote because people split the OLB vote between Upshaw, Perry, etc. the vote would go to the OLB player with the most votes; as more people would rather have an OLB over a QB.
Here are some bio blasts as to whom I think are among the top 12 in consideration for the Bills. Please note physical attributes are reported from CBSSports although I also used Walters, Drafttek and CFB (Stats) in compiling my lists.
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