ForeignArrow
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NFL CBA Affects Drafting of Quaterbacks
by ForeignArrow on May 16, 2012 4:46 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Da Raaaaiiiders
by ForeignArrow on Sep 14, 2011 10:29 AM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
The Raiders and Bills tilt this weekend will be a perfect test for Buffalo. If y'all caught Oakland's monday night game, you saw an EXTREMELY physical defensive line with every kind of strength a DLine can have. They have speed rushers in Kamerion Wimbleyand Jarvis Moss, a space-eater in Tommy Kelly, tenacious pursuit players in Lamar Houston and Matt Shaughnessy, and one of the best all-around defensive linemen in the game in Richard Seymore. The front was dominant against a not-so-spectacular Broncos line, showing some of the most violent hand use I've seen in long, long time. They also have very talented and athletic linebackers behind them in Quentin Groves and Rolando McClain. We'll see if Gailey was able to find the right amount of physicality in Buffalo's front 5 as the Raiders will surely try to set the tone early with bullying and intimidation.
The Raiders are also the perfect test for Buffalo's newfound run defense, as they were twice as productive on the ground than through the air, which has been their modus of operandi for the past few years. Buffalo's defense appears VERY assignment-sound this season in their run fits, so this game is going to be a battle of toughness and will.
A little more analysis after "the jump" (sorry I think the jump is cool)
Scouting - (Drum Roll) Quarterbacks...
by ForeignArrow on Feb 20, 2011 3:09 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
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Rather than argue and debate every post that's going on about QB's right now I just figured it was a good time to publish my QB scouting reports. As usual, the most important thing for me is to separate the hype and the hoopla from the players' actual performances on the field. And I hate the broad, sweeping synopses that are often given about players which are only designed to persuade people... that's what the comments section is for.
Has nice athleticism, great size, and a great arm. Has Excellent but not elite velocity yet, but every QB's velocity inevitably improves as they turn pro and work on their strength and mechanics. Has a quick release that allows him to wait until the last moment. Unfortunately, Mizzou's offense makes it somewhat difficult to grade Gabbert's football acumen. They ran a version of the (in)famous spread offense that are one read plays. There were a lot of plays where Blaine unloaded the ball to a short route before looking downfield with plenty of time in the pocket because of play design. Mechanically, he has a habit of half-way stepping into his throws. It didn't affect his performance much, but it did affect his accuracy enough to rob his receivers of some YAC. It's directly related to a bit of a "fear" he seems to have at stepping up into the pocket, he's much more apt/comfortable to get outside the pocket than stay home. Doesn't throw a very good jumpball in the end zone, consistently overthrown. Inconsistent accuracy on his deep balls. He definitely locks onto his primary until he either decides to check it down or scramble/improvise. He didn't show in any way that he's more than a 2 read QB right now. He gets classic happy feet, a lot of scouts phrase this as bad footwork, but it's a much more serious sign/symptom of being uncomfortable in the pocket. Gabbert is most impressive when the right play is called and he knows exactly where he's going with ball... he delivers his most accurate and fastest balls this way... BUT, so does every QB. Those throws were few and far between in the Missouri offense. Comparisons to Matthew Stafford or Sam Bradford are completely spurious, those 2 players were pocket passers that took several huge hits every game because they were fearless at stepping into the pocket. Gabbert is almost incapable of hitting a secondary receiver without scrambling.
Bottom Line - I have no earthly idea why Gabbert is considered a Top 10 pick, or even a 1st rounder. Maybe for a team with a superstar QB in his twilight and they want to bring along his replacement slowly. Gabbert has a high upside because he has every tool in the tool box, but with the offense he ran in college he's almost going to be playing a different sport in the NFL. He is the prototype thrower. But mentally, I think the NFL will leave him in the dust if he's thrown into the fire. He'll need to be eased into the NFL game. He is a good candidate to groom behind Fitzpatrick, to use a cliche, but his juvenile tendency to "look and run" scares me to death if I'm a talent evaluator for an NFL team. Gabbert will look awesome at the combine... but it won't be enough to discount the film.
Cam Newton -
Well, his athleticism is is another stratosphere when it comes to QB's. Better than Vince Young and better than Michael Vick. Better than Vick because he's just as good of a ball carrier but Newton is 6'6" and +240 lbs. He was impossible to bring down and equally as elusive. Showed poise and no fear when he set up in the pocket. He did try to scramble a lot, but why wouldn't you when you don't like what you see downfield and you can run like he can? Once again, another spread QB that wasn't asked to think a lot in the pocket, which leads to the inevitable technical flaws, which are drillable. He did show the willingness/ability to scan the field when target #1 was occupied. Also showed the ability to manipulate defenders with play action and pump fakes. Very accurate thrower. Great deep ball. Velocity is top-notch due to his frame and huge hands. Not afraid to take a hit. Competitiveness and fire are evident on the field. Showed the ability to perform at his best amongst huge distractions.
Bottom Line - From an athletic standpoint, Newton is the cream of the crop. He has the same question mark that the majority of collegiate QB's do coming out: can he read NFL defenses? Newton's poise in the pocket and fearlessness lead me to believe he can. He has the frame and the size to stay healthy from NFL blows (to a certain extent, of course). There still has yet to be that "dual threat" college QB that translated his game to the NFL. Michael Vick showed signs of putting that together last season and he lit the league on fire when he was on. Can Cam "Scam" Newton do it? I have no idea, but I certainly could not fault the Bills for taking this guy No. 3 overall.
Poor poor mobility, and Mallett knows it... which is why he always keeps his eyes downfield. In Bobby Petrino's offense, Mallett had to make every throw, and he did. He has elite arm strength, and can throw the ball on a line at least 45 yards, very impressive. That said, he doesn't have a very good gain switch all the time and doesn't always temper his throws with touch when he needs to. However, he throws fades and jump balls with nice touch so he is very capable of doing it. Had superb production at the highest level of college football with a terrible running game and an average offensive line. He's easily the best play action QB in this class. Made a ton of "WOW" throws, throws 99% of QB's can't make. Overall, has excellent throwing mechanics, but could refine his footwork. Pretty good at throwing on the move. Has a little bit of swagger and moxy to him. He excels at utilizing the intermediate passing game, crucial in today's NFL. His accuracy is great. The red flags in his game have to do with maturity on the field. Gets discouraged when the defense gets a good lick on him or forces a negative play, it shows in his body language.
Bottom Line - I have never seen more placed on 2 games of a QB's career than on Ryan Mallett's. He was considered in the Top 5 - Top 15 range at certain points of his career. He threw some late interceptions against Alabama and Ohio State and boom, he falls out of the 1st round. He threw 3 picks against a dauntless Tide defense, and the Razorbacks still only lost 24-20. He played maybe his worst game of the season against Ohio State, and he still had them in position to win at the end of the game, only to lose 31-26. Ben Roethlisberger played terribly in 2 of the 3 Super Bowls he was in and has a cumulative passer rating of 69.9. The Steelers aren't going to dump him because of that. People quickly forgot the close victories he led the Hogs to over LSU, 2 OT at Mississippi State, and his game winning drive against Georgia. Is he worthy of the 3rd overall pick, not with the talent on the board at other positions. But if he slides to the 2nd round or the top of the 1st, Mallett is a no-brainer because he most certainly has what it takes to become an extremely productive signal-caller in the NFL.
A tough guy to evaluate. Far and away the majority of the plays he made were with his legs. He has excellent athleticism as we all already know. His game suffered quite a bit from being on a pretty bad team. Didn't have a lot of clean pockets to throw from. He did play in a traditional offense and works through his receivers. He sometimes ignores defenders or misreads defenses and relies on his arm to clean that up. He got away with it in college. His arm is excellent, can really drill the ball. He doesn't overwhelm you with accuracy, though. Moves in the pocket pretty well with his eyes down the field. A little hasty to take off and run sometimes, and other times he'll straddle the LOS to allow receivers to come open. Throws the deep ball pretty well. Good at play action. Very good footwork, keeps his body in a position of strength to deliver the ball. Very good thrower on the run, probably best in the class. Great improviser, even though it gets him in trouble sometimes. When his OL gave him a pocket, he executed the offense very well. When his OL was beaten badly, he made a lot of somethings out of nothings. Trusts his arm a bit too much and will sometimes throw across his body.
Bottom Line - Overall Locker is an up-n-down prospect. He flashes immense potential, but was unable to complete the sell because of his roller coaster play. He never really dominated games through the air consistently. At the end of the day, you want something more to hang your hat on than potential. Locker has leadership, competitiveness, and will work hard on his game. I just don't know if he has the talent as a distributor to become a prolific NFL passer. He just makes too many plays in college that don't translate to the NFL (running the ball and forcing passes). I'm not sold on Locker, so I wouldn't draft him. His talent level, however, makes him a good 2nd pick for the Bills if he's there and they see something in him I don't.
So far, he and Mallett are the best pocket QB’s in the class. Stanzi shows excellent awareness to step into the creases his line gives. Steps into every throw, even when a big hit is coming. Love the fearlessness. Had to throw on the run a lot in Iowa’s offense, and excelled at it. Iowa ran a pro style with progressions on every play. Stanzi did very well scanning the field and finding the right receivers. He was very productive and efficient. He’s a very mechanically sound and smooth thrower. Great size and can make every throw. Great velocity and accuracy. Had to throw a lot of NFL type routes (comebacks, seams, back shoulders). He made a lot of close throws in one-on-one situations that he’ll have to clean up or NFL DB’s will make the play where college DB’s couldn’t. Very poised and confident in the pocket. Overall athleticism is decent, but he’s no running QB.
Bottom Line – An under the radar guy that has the tools and be a good QB in the NFL. He’s just not elite in any one category, so he’s not in the 1st round discussion. He took a quantum leap his senior year, so there’s reason to believe he can continue to improve his game and be ready to start at some point in the NFL. He carries a solid 2nd round grade, and unless there’s a player with a much better grade on the board, Stanzi is a nice selection in the 2nd round. If he slides (as QB’s tend to) to the 3rd he’s a no-brainer.
Ponder was the last QB I evaluated, and it really brought to light his short-comings. Athletically, he’s solid with excellent mobility. But after evaluating the other guys it was almost as if Ponder was throwing in slow motion. His velocity is awful. The amount of time the ball spends in the air when it travels more than 10 yards is frightening. His deep ball hangs and flutters for an eternity. He will be handcuffed in the NFL by this, without question. You want your QB to be able to make every play, Ponder cannot. He had several throws to the side-line picked off in college because there wasn’t enough on them and they were jumped by the DB/LB, and maybe a dozen more that were dropped by defenders. Ponder has good mechanics and nice size, it’s a bit of a mystery why his velocity suffers so much. Durability is a tremendous concern. Mentally he’s an interesting guy. You’ll see him drop back and move defenders with his eyes and pump fakes, and then throw a dumb ball. A little like Fitzpatrick in that regard that he’s so smart you wonder how he does some things that are so stupid sometimes.
Bottom Line – I wouldn’t draft Ponder. He carries a 4th round grade for me. I want a QB who won’t handcuff an OC. If Ponder is smart, he’ll go out there in drills and throw as many deep comebacks and outs as hard as he can. Either way, I wouldn’t take him until the latter half of the draft, as he’ll need some time to adjust to the speed of the NFL and find where his skill set fits in there. He’s best off in a West Coast/ball control type of offense. If he cleans up the dumb mistakes he could be a pretty good "game manager," but he won’t be picking any teams up on his back and taking games over with his arm. His durability is the deal-breaker here that makes him undraftable, to me.
So there are a few prospects notably left off the list including Kaepernick, Dalton, and McElroy. It didn’t take long to figure out that if Buffalo drafted these guys it wouldn’t be until late because they are all serious project players. After taking a gander at all of these prospects, the best position player of the bunch is easily Mallett. Newton and Locker are not as good of QB’s as several of the other players, they just get bumped up because of their size and athleticism. Drafting 3rd overall is a curse for QB’s. You will inevitably miss out on the "Andrew Lucks" and maybe have to pass on players with better grades to get your guy at No. 3. If I had to rank them…
Cam Newton
Ryan Mallett
Ricky Stanzi
Jake Locker
Blaine Gabbert
Christian Ponder
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Scouting - 5 Techs and Nose Tackles
by ForeignArrow on Feb 16, 2011 12:03 AM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
The pass rushers are in the books, so I moved on to the interior of Buffalo's defense. For the record, I do these because usually just reading thru scouting reports from different draftniks is inconsistent and hype-based at best. So I try to just gather as much game footage torrents as I can to evaluate the players myself.
Disclaimer: if there's a player not included here it's because when I started evaluating them I decided they would not fit what Buffalo is trying to do defensively. It's debatable, but whatevs.
There's a lot to like about Cameron Jordan. He doesn't take any plays off. Very strong player that's tough to block. Has powerful hand use to avoid/shed blocks. Is not weak by any stretch but can add upper body strength. Moves very well for a guy his size. He got plenty of experience playing with 3 down linemen. He actually is a good pass rusher, showed the bull, punch, rip, spin, etc. and always makes the QB move. The bottom line with Jordan is he's as solid of a prospect as they come. He gives maximal effort on the field, plays the run and pass equally well and unfortunately isn't likely to be on the board when Buffalo picks as he'll go after 3 and before 34.
Beast mode should be applied to JJ Watt instead of Marshawn Lynch. The man is an animal. He's a tough and nasty DE that's pretty tough to handle. A superb run defender, although he is slow as molasses and not so sharp at changing direction, so if he's caught out of position he won't make the play. However, in a 34 alignment, he'd be playing more of a gap control role, which he excels at. Maybe the best player in the draft at shedding blocks, an NFL-sized OL is almost required to block him. He is not a great pass rusher, he often gets in the backfield with his sheer size and strength and makes plays with his length, but I think he'd have a hard time finishing sacks in the NFL. The bottom line with Watt is he might be a prospect on the board when Buffalo picks in the 2nd round. He's an extremely large and strong prospect that I think will end up being a solid run defender in the NFL, ala Keisel of the Steelers.
There are a lot of fans that seem to be pretty high on Heyward, I'm assuming they're Ohio State fans. He was pretty disappointing to watch on film. He lacks the athleticism to play DE and the size to play inside. He has a VERY limited pass rush repertoire and has very poor balance. He actually looks drunk sometimes as he gets knocked off balance and lumbers around. He is pretty strong, and has an OK bull rush. His overall lack of athleticism will keep him from making an impact in the NFL, there were a couple of times where teams forgot to block him and he still couldn't finish the play in the backfield. Can anchor and play the run well enough to be a depth guy but I don't envision him as a starter except on a bad team. He had some big games but disappeared against good opponents (Oregon and Wisconsin, in particular). Bottom line is I wouldn't draft him, he is not an upgrade over any player on the roster, not talent or potential-wise.
A good athlete for a big man. Very strong. There weren't many college OL that had success at stoning him. He's always moving toward the ball because of his sheer size and strength. He gets pressure, but not sacks. He's another DL prospect that usually needs a missed block to get his sacks. But he does excel at disrupting blocking schemes and setting up his LB's to make plays. So he's seemingly a good fit for Buffalo, but he's a bit of a project player because he hasn't figured out when to shed the block to make the play on the ball carrier (like most college DL). There's plenty of potential here for him to be a superb run defender that gets the occasional sack. The bottom line on Bailey is he might be a bit of a reach in the 2nd if you're looking for immediate impact... but down the road he should become a good 34 DE. The biggest red flag for Bailey is his football instincts are marginal, he'll definitely over-penetrate and lose containment sometimes.
Just a beastly natural athlete. Doesn't have a build or bulk that jumps out at you but he's just a hard man to block. His motor runs hot and cold, when he turns it on he' s unblockable. He's not a great technician but treats OL like their nuisances. When he's being blocked and taken out of plays is when his motor gets cold. Not sure how that mentality will translate to the NFL because he will inevitably struggle with the increased competition. He definitely classifies as a penetrator, rather than a block-eater. He can play inside in a 43, but from what I saw he performed better playing on the edge of Bama's 34. If he matures and learns to be more consistent down in and down out he'll be a very disruptive player against the run and pass. The bottom line on Dareus is that he's a tremendous talent but a risky selection in the Top 10. All of the players I've watched so far go balls to the wall on every play, and Dareus is the 1st one that doesn't. I'm not investing that kind of a pick/money in a player with a question mark like that. Very talented, but I would need to have a chat with everyone who knows him before I could pull the trigger on taking him about his character/work ethic. Based on film study alone, I steer clear of guys that don't bring it on every play.
Wow. I would argue Nick Fairley was just about as dominant as Ndomakung Suh last season. He' consistently the first player off the ball and simply could not be blocked one-on-one. Tremendous agility for a 6'5" 300 pounder. He doesn't even have a panorama of pass rush moves. Extremely disruptive at the highest level of college football. I'd say he excels at shedding blocks, but it rarely gets to the point where he is blocked. Splits double teams with ease. Excellent acceleration, agility, and range to finish plays when he beats his man (or men). Consistently collapses the pocket and is always moving toward the QB. A classic penetrator. If he's not directly disrupting the play he's being schemed against and opens his teammates up to plays. The bottom line on Fairley is he is a perfect guy to take 3rd overall. He's an undeniable talent with bona fide, almost self-made production in the toughest conference of college football. He was a JUCO transfer, so his rap sheet is thin, but this isn't Da'Quan Bowers type of production. Nick Fairley made and earned every play in his impressive stat-line, and that projects well to continued production.
Solid, solid prospect. He's only 6'1" and maybe the most compact 311 lbs I've ever seen. He actually is cut like a MLB. Very good athlete with the quickness and agility to make plays up and down the LOS. Very powerful and uses his power to punch OL back. Very good at piggy-backing blockers toward the ball carrier and then shedding the to make the play. Very good at shedding blocks for a collegiate athlete. He played a lot in a 2-4-5 and 2-3-6 front, so he saw a lot of double teams, and faired pretty well against them. His height gives him outstanding natural leverage ala Kyle Williams. He would be a good fit in any defensive scheme. Paea could even add weight and play NT. No doubt he can play the 5 tech. The bottom line is not good. He's not quite No. 3 material, but he's definitely better than No. 34 material. So the chances of him being there when Buffalo picks short of a trade up are slim. His upside is thru the roof considering he came to the states when he was 16 and had never played football before. He's going to shoot up draft board when scouts see his workout numbers, he is a human muscle. Would love to see him in one of the Bills new uni's. Definitely one of my favorite prospects to grade.
Tall, long, and strong athlete. Was a hard guy to move against the run. Uses his long arms well to keep blockers off him. Has good natural strength and balance and doesn't spend a lot of time on the ground. He did well playing at both DE and DT. He struggled with stunts and exotic blitzes. Definitely has a good get-off for a big guy and routinely pushes OL back. Didn't have stupendous production for a defensive end, but he was definitely a solid piece to Iowa's defense. He's not much of a pass rusher, but he's a good football player. The bottom line is, if the better prospects are all gone before pick No. 34, Ballard would not be the best player available, but a nice consolation prize if Buffalo is really looking to upgrade the DL.
Well that's it. There was definitely more guys than I thought there would be. It's a good draft for defensive linemen, to say the least. If I had to rank these prospects...
1. Nick Fairley
2. Stephen Paea
3. Cameron Jordan
4. J.J. Watt
5. Marcell Dareus
6. Allen Bailey
7. Christian Ballard
8. Cameron Heyward
Thanks for reading y'all, comments appreciated.
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Wow - Some Pass Rusher Scouting Reports
by ForeignArrow on Jan 26, 2011 4:01 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
This year's top pass rushing prospects... a deep draft for DE/OLB's
Von Miller - as much as I hate player comparisons, Von Miller compares very well to Aaron Maybin. Ultra quick off the snap, good agility, but utterly awful at the physical aspects of the game. Engaging, disengaging, fagettaboutit. I wouldn't even draft Von Miller in the 1st round based on his lack of size AND strength. Speed will get you sacks in college... but alone will not get you sacks in the NFL.
Da'Quan Bowers - after looking into Bowers I came away pretty unimpressed. He was smart to come out after getting 15.5 sacks, because the likelihood of him following that up is very low. He holds his ground against the run well, but isn't that good at getting off blocks to make tackles and pursue. Pass rush is limited, usually gets coverage sacks or takes advantage of a QB that gets happy feet. Many of the plays he made were due to his sheer physical advantage, as with Von Miller, that won't cut it in the NFL. Bowers will likely need a couple of seasons to develop some pass rush moves and learn how and when to disengage blocks. But that goes for most DL. Either way he's not a particularly good fit for Buffalo's 34, he absolutely cannot play in coverage and is not exactly best suited for the 5-tech, either. I think his measurables will be a disappointment to most people when the combine/pro days come around.
Robert Quinn - Absolutely could not find many flaws in his game. He played a little high sometimes against the run, but it didn't seem to matter. He's one of those players that's almost impossible to block. He consistently split double teams, set the edge on perimeter running plays, and almost never failed to at least make the QB know he was coming. He thoroughly beat Blake Costanzo of Boston College, considered a top OL prospect, in spite of TE help throughout the game. His athleticism is unmatched for a player his size. He can make the play on the QB no matter where he is in the pocket, finishing his sacks. He showed a variety of pass rush: speed, swim, change-up, bull. He showed good instincts against the run, not too hasty to crash inside and lose contain. No doubt in my mind he can drop back in coverage, it's more of an issue of him getting used to it. The big concern with him is he's been out of football for a year. That will have to be dealt with in the pre-draft stuff.
Aldon Smith - This is a guy who is dubbed as a classic raw high-ceiling prospect. I don't know how I feel about that. He's not a good combatant for a guy who plays in the trenches. He's rangy, quick, and agile... but not elite at any of them. He lacks strength to "set the edge" against the run. Another classic speed-rusher with no ability to power thru an OT or TE. He got around a lot of OT in college, but he was often side-stepped by QB's and he didn't have the agility finish those sacks.
Akeem Ayers - Here's a player a lot of people are high on. He looks good on paper: nice size at 6'4" @ +250 lbs. When you watch him play, though, he is very easily blocked. He makes plays by avoiding blocks, which is one strategy. But, to be a complete player in the NFL, in particular an OLB in a 34, you need to be more physical. He lacks strength to incorporate power moves into his pass rush, something he was good at, but was by no means a world-beater. IMO he projects more to a true OLB in a 43 defense. He simply isn't good enough at mixing it up with O-linemen to consistently play with his hand on the ground. I also question his demeanor: he doesn't have that tenacious or aggressive demeanor I want in my front 7.
Justin Houston - This is a guy that will probably climb draft-boards throughout the process. His athleticism and size (6'3" @ 260 lbs) are phenomenal. He is Mr. Versatility. He played DE and OLB almost equally as much for the Dawgs. His speed rush off the edge is devastating. He needs to expand that, but he showed potential to do so because he's good at hand-to-hand combat and has phenomenal balance. Of all of these pass rushers, he is the surest one to project to OLB in the 34, simply because he actually played OLB with 3 down linemen in some of Georgia's fronts. And he actually looks smooth in coverage, but doesn't have a lot of experience in man coverage. He holds up well against the run, always scrapping and his instincts funnel him to the ball. His biggest area for improvement would be taking on blocks but keeping track of the ball, as he likes to beat the block and then relocate the ball. In the NFL, the play would already be by him. He's not worthy of Buffalo's top pick, but if Buffalo found themselves somehow after that with Houston on the board, it's a no-brainer.
Bottom Line: The only player to live up to any of their hype SO FAR was Robert Quinn. He and Justin Houston are the only ones that could probably contribute to the Bills right away and warrant a high selection. If the Bills plan on getting a developmental guy, then they should do it in later rounds. Only teams with established starters at most positions should be taking developmental players in the 1st round. I would say Quinn is as good as any prospect out there, although he lacks as much the fan-fare that comes with a name like AJ Green or Patrick Peterson, or even a Nick Fairley.
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Faith or Folly for Gailey and Nix as Scouts?
by ForeignArrow on Aug 31, 2010 9:17 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Found an older SI article about the Top 10 players who likely to go undrafted, they call it the Welker Watch List (because he was undrafted). As it turns out, the Bills ended up with 3 out of 10 players on the list (David Nelson, Danny Batten, and Levi Brown). It gives me a little confidence that the Bills are adding the most important players to their roster, not the big free agents or 1st day picks... but the players that seem to show up out of nowhere to become producers. If they are successful in the back end of their drafts then all of a sudden your roster becomes deep, robust, and gains longevity. For as mediocre as Gailey's W-L record is in the NFL, he never really was given any extensive amount of time to craft a roster.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/don_banks/04/02/list/index.html
Post-Draft Cuts
by ForeignArrow on Apr 26, 2010 7:23 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
This is not a "Let's sign these guys post." It's just a place to talk about it, because it does pique your interest as a fan when quality players hit the market.
The Pats cut Adalius Thomas
The Jags cut John Henderson
The Bucs cut Chris Hovan
These are all defensive linemen, and Buffalo appears to have solid depth there now... post-draft. But, John Henderson ?is/was? an elite DT in the league. Obviously his play waned if the Jags went as far as to draft 2 new DTs and cut him. I didn't watch him, in particular, all that much last season... so I really couldn't tell you if he's washed up.
Adalius Thomas somehow got in the Pats' doghouse. Again, I'm not really sure if he's washed up, either.
Chris Hovan was a nice player for the Bucs recently, but is not an answer to.. anything really.
I would put a great deal of doubt on Buffalo making a move on any of them... but c'mon... it's John Henderson.
Browns Cut Anderson
by ForeignArrow on Mar 9, 2010 4:26 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Just saw on espn.com that that Browns cut Derek Anderson. He's probably the best free agent option available at the position now, perhaps potential-wise. I'm sure someone else might be posting this as I speak... if so I apologize. Anderson had a productive season in Cleveland, but I'm not sure I'd bring him in unless there was a minimal investment (money and years). One thing is for sure, he's got the arm necessary to throw in Buffalo winters.
March 17th, put it on your calendars...
by ForeignArrow on Feb 22, 2010 4:54 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft10/news/story?id=4935351
Something we all knew was coming, is Tim Tebow's new mechanical prowess. He's planning on doing drills at UF's Pro Day on March 17th, sorry for those of you who were hoping to get a look at some QBs at the combine. The three arguably most important prospects aren't going to participate in drills there. Sam Bradford will still be healing his shoulder, Jimmy Clausen his toe, and Tebow will still be refining his technique.
However, for all of the hemming and hawing that's gone on around here about Tim Tebow, the question is this:
"If he works out well and displays marked improvement in his mechanics... does that persuade you one way or the other about his ability to play in the NFL?"
For me, it doesn't change much. It would only increase his score in an evaluation... but his draft stock is still the same for me. Tebow should be taken somewhere between 25-50.
DO NOT be shocked if he 'wows' at his Pro Day and a team jumps at him between 10-20 (even if it's not the Jags). NFL scouts are some of the most impressionable and capricious people on the planet. A guy can go from a 5th rounder to a 2nd if he sprints 40 yards in a certain amount of time.
P.S. - UF's Pro Day is going to be somewhat of a spectacle this year with anywhere from 7-9 1st day prospects working out (at least six 1st-2nd rounders).
Players of Note Include...
Maurkice Pouncey ==> he played G and C for the Gators but is more than athletic enough to move to RT. At 6'5" 320 lbs, he might even be better suited to play tackle.
Brandon Spikes ==> Can play any LB position in Buffalo's new front. Interestingly, he excelled when they had him put his hand on the ground and play DE against Bama and OU (Andre Smith couldn't block him). Good 40 = 1st round... Bad 40 = 2nd round
Joe Haden ==> (please God no, not another corner on the 1st day) I think people are a little too high on Joe Haden. He might go in the top 10 but he probably shouldn't. He's solid but I don't think he's got the size or the speed to be a shut-down corner. Otherwise, he's very polished and should have an awesome rookie season, but he's no Champ Bailey.
Carlos Dunlap ==> I absolutely love that he's underrated. He won't fall to the 2nd but I can dream, I guess. The knock is he's inconsistent. All I know is I've never seen him stopped when TRIES. Sky is the limit. Besides, I'll take any "inconsistent" guy who still gets 9.5 sacks in the SEC.
Aaron Hernandez ==> While Haden is overrated, Hernandez is definitely underrated. Why is he not a consensus 1st rounder? Probably because he didn't have to block much. But Dustin Keller went in the 1st and Hernandez is MUCH more skilled as a route runner and has better hands than Keller did coming out. AH just won't run in the 4.4's so he stays in the 2nd probably (honestly, 40 times are stupid).
Major Wright ==> he's projected as a mid-rounder. An absolute torpedo in the secondary. Would add great depth at S and would be a ST demon. With George Wilson about to be extended, I wouldn't be surprised if there's movement at S.
Jermaine Cunningham ==> undersized to play DE in the NFL... but there is a possible move to "rush LB" in his future. He had noticeably more pressures than Dunlap, but was not as good at finishing sacks.
Rylie Cooper ==> strong, physical... good speed, great hands. He's a bigger slightly slower version of Jordan Shipley. He'd be a great fit in the slot on some team... perhaps the Bills. Could be a fit on the outside as well, very Drew Bennett-like.
Tale of the Tape - QB Rankings
by ForeignArrow on Feb 13, 2010 1:51 AM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
I realized recently that a lot of times when we think of the draft we form an opinion of a player based on impressions... either from watching games they've played or by listening to what others have to say. Well, I sat down and got as much video as I could on the top 4 QB prospects of this year's draft class: Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. One thing I noticed is that the impressions we have of players are almost useless. I used 5 criteria in which a player is graded on a 5 point scale. The physical aspect is pretty self-explanatory. The "Intelligence" category pertains to how "smart" of a QB they are (reading coverage, throwing into coverage, protecting the ball, etc.). "Intangibles" equates to leadership, toughness and clutchness. May the best man win...
Sam Bradford
1. Fundamentals ===> 4.8
2. Arm Strength ===> 4.5
3. Accuracy ===> 5
4. Intelligence ===> 4.8
5. Intangibles ===> 4
Total ==========> 23.1/25 = 92.4
Bradford is one of the best college throwers of the football I've ever seen. If I could give him a 6 for accuracy, I would. His fundamentals are solid, holding the ball high where he should. He has a quick release (although not lightning fast, by any means). He is very rarely off-balace on a throw. Even if he's rolling to his left, he's still extremely accurate with his throws. One thing that surprised me was the strength of his arm. He has a very fluid throwing motion and the ball comes out on a line with a tight spiral very consistently. He makes ALL of the throws with velocity to spare. His intelligence is impeccable. Of the 4 QB's evaluated, he was the only one that truly read the entire field. He rarely throws into double coverage, manipulates the safety like it's 2nd nature, and takes care of the football. He never looks confused and is a cool customer no matter what coverages are thrown at him. He was docked a little for intangibles because he (along with the rest of the Oklahoma program) came up short in most of the big games he played. He also lost some for being somewhat injury-proned, even though it does not concern me moving forward.
Bottom Line: Bradford is a good enough prospect to where if he comes within 3 picks of Buffalo they should move up to get him. He is a franchise signal-caller in my opinion and is capable of changing a team's fortunes.
Jimmy Clausen
1. Fundamentals ===> 4.0
2. Arm Strength ===> 4.2
3. Accuracy ===> 4.3
4. Intelligence ===> 4.0
5. Intangibles ===> 4.6
Total ==========> 21.1/25 = 84.4
After watching a lot of Clausen's video, it seems he's being a little over-hyped. While he plays in a "pro-style" offense, he (like many college QB's) did not read the entire field. In fact, he zeroes in on one half of the field so much he consistently sets up in the pocket and faces the side of the field his reads are on. At first I thought it was to manipulate coverage, not the case. He reads 1/2 the field and if he has to come to the other side it's as an improvisation. He surprised me with how much he scrambles. His fundamentals are not the best. He has a bit of a wind-up, elongating his release. He also throws at 3/4 which lowers his release point... not good for a QB who isn't one of the tallest. His accuracy is good, but inconsistent. He lacks touch on shorter throws sometimes (JP Losman flashbacks) and his deep ball is also inconsistent. Sometimes he tries to drill it, sometimes he rainbows it, either way they're not on target. He definitely puts it up there for his receivers to make plays, but he'll have far less success doing that in the NFL against good DBs. Clausen's intelligence is questionable (but still good). He looks flustered when his first reads are covered and immediately tries to scramble. He often does not stay in the pocket long enough to allow plays to develop the way they were designed. He does a great job improvising, he's tough, he's clutch, he protects the ball, and he's a good (although unremarkable) leader.
Bottom Line: Jimmy Clausen is skilled and has the potential to be a good pro. He'll just need time to to fine-tune his fundamentals and maybe grow into a mature QB. There are plays he's making in college that just won't be made against NFL defenses and he'll have to be completely groomed and correct all of his mistakes before he becomes a viable pro. The number one thing he needs to fix is his happy feet, must become more patient in the pocket. I wouldn't touch Clausen until the late 1st (he's got a lower grade than I gave Aaron Rodgers, for perspective), but that is still a reach in my opinion. He'll probably go sooner because this class is weak on QB's.
Colt McCoy
1. Fundamentals ===> 4.0
2. Arm Strength ===> 3.8
3. Accuracy ===> 4.0
4. Intelligence ===> 4.0
5. Intangibles ===> 4.3
Total ==========> 20.1/25 = 80.4
The surprise in evaluating McCoy was that for a player with such a high completion %, his accuracy is not par with that metric. Unless it was a wide open crossing route, he rarely hit a receiver in stride. His completion % was inflated quite a bit by the volume of Texas' short passing game. His arm strength is poor. I didn't see a play where he threw a ball on a line that was over 15 yards (from LOS). Beyond that range, his line-drives die. His fundamentals are also lacking. He has a nice over-hand delivery with a quick release, but he fails to step into many of his throws. When he does drive the ball with his legs, his accuracy and velocity significantly improve (still sub-par, though). He's a smart QB, but he's falls short when it comes to reading the defense. As of now, he reads separation, and he's prone to being baited or just misjudging the DBs/LBs. He does a good job at seeing the whole field, but he'll struggle mightily in the NFL if he doesn't start looking at the D instead of his receivers. McCoy's intangibles are very good. He's a winner, clutch (but not too clutch), and pretty tough.
Bottom Line: McCoy has serviceable mental capabilities, but unfortunately he's not an NFL thrower. His arm strength is not good enough to cut it right now, and he'll have to develop Chad Pennington-like accuracy and IQ in order to make it in the league... which isn't likely. I wouldn't touch McCoy until rounds 4 or 5.
Tim Tebow
1. Fundamentals ===> 2.0
2. Arm Strength ===> 4.7
3. Accuracy ===> 4.0
4. Intelligence ===> 4.5
5. Intangibles ===> 5.0
Total ==========> 20.2/25 = 80.8
By far the most difficult assessment of the 4 for a couple of reasons... 1st, his fundamentals are so incredibly varied/inconsistent that it's almost necessary to have a Tebow A and Tebow B evaluation. 2nd, the offense he played in makes it difficult to project his intelligence to the next level. But, I digress... Tebow's famous throwing motion is as varied as it is quirky. Sometimes he drops the arm, sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he shows NFL accuracy, sometimes he doesn't (and yes, it's about 50/50). And, while he has a very LONG wind-up, it doesn't SLOW his throwing motion down as much as you'd expect. Tebow tends to speed or slow his delivery based on each throw and how much time he perceives he has to make the throw. Despite the poor fundamentals he throws very well on the run to either side. His arm strength is undeniable, easily the best velocity in this class. He also throws the best deep-ball among these 4, contrary to popular belief. Tebow's an intelligent QB. Unlike Clausen, improvisation is almost a requirement in Urban Meyer's spread. The play design is very specific, funneling the ball to 1 or 2 options usually. Tebow follows his reads, shows patience, then runs. But he doesn't show those happy feet, hanging in the pocket while plays develop. It's tough to say if he can run a conventional offense... but he's smart with the ball, with very few turnovers and rarely making bad reads. His intangibles are well documented.
Bottom Line: As a prospect, Tebow grades out where McCoy does, between rounds 3-5. Tebow's potential however, kicks him into the 2nd round (maybe even late 1st, yeah, it's that shaky evaluating this guy). The question is "can he integrate new fundamentals along with learning a new style of play?" The answer would be "yes." It's a delicate process, though... and requires a patient organization. He must learn each new facet (fundamentals + new offense) before he's thrown on the field. How long that may take is another topic, but bare minimum is 1 year.
Conclusions
The Bills should make solid effort to draft Sam Bradford early or capitalize on a sliding Tebow later. Either one of these player could be a franchise QB, Bradford being a sure-fire prospect IMO. McCoy is not an NFL starter, no way Jose. Clausen has "good but not great" written all over him and I wouldn't draft him unless he slides to the 2nd round, we've already got a guy in Brohm who has similar potential and upside. Some team may will take him much earlier, though (unless he has a Rodgers-esque free-fall, which is not unlikely).
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3-4 Personnel, Can we be rational?OL
by ForeignArrow on Jan 27, 2010 7:37 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
It seems most people around here have wanted to switch to the 3-4 for years now. Now, there's a glimmer of hope that the Bills might actually do it and most of the comments here are along the lines of "yeeaahh BUT." If you take a gander at Buffalo's roster, the players on defense do not particularly "fit" into any one scheme (especially the zone based scheme they were already running).
Then people start saying things like "well so-and-so doesn't have the prototypical size... blah blah blah." Jay Ratliff is one of the best 3-4 NT's in the game and he's listed at 304 lbs, he might be up to 315 lbs, maximum. It's not as simple as when we were kids putting the square blocks in the square hole. The key to Buffalo being successful is going to be the coordinator of the defense, not the players. The players have the ability, but they're going to need a good teacher because I don't think there's a single player on the Bills that's played in a 3-4 before. No one's ever questioned their work ethic, so if they stay on point why would it be an "arduous" transition... it would be no more arduous than when they all arrived and started learning Perry Fewell's defense... it's not like switching from constitutional law to civil engineering... it's football.
What would Buffalo need (players-wise) to make the transition? Not all that much. Everyone gets caught up in the front 7, but the reality is that most teams don't always run a pure 3-4, they mix in 2 and 4 man lines with it as well. Stroud and Kyle Williams can play NT, but this is really the position where you want someone dominant. I'm pretty sure they can play well there, but whether or not the 2 of them can dominate is another issue. There may be guys available in FA that can be "stop-gaps," (notables are Marcus Spears, Jarvis Green, Johnny Jolly, and Julius Peppers, for the DL in general) and there are probably 2 guys in the draft that could be dominant there that the Bills have a shot at: Terrance Cody and Dan Williams. Dan Williams is more athletic and is a better football player, just not as big as Cody.
The other area of need regardless of what scheme Buffalo runs is LB. It's safer to assume that Mitchell won't be the same player again. So, it's another scenario where the Bills have to add number and skill via FA and the draft (Karlos Dansby, Shawne Maerriman, Antwan Barnes, are notables with several others). If McClain is there at #9, duh... you take him. If he's not, you can wait until the 2nd and maybe shoot for Brandon Spikes, after that you ain't gettin a starting MLB. There are plenty of ways to add the personnel that may be missing... Buffalo just needs to manage their draft and FA well enough to get some guys to OBD that can DO WORK.
Even if the Bills' D stinks next year, I will be much more entertained watching them screw up a 3-4 D than watching them make teams dink and dunk them until corneas burn off.
And BTW, if Kelsay goes back to playing at 280 lbs (as he did a couple of years ago when he was int he DT rotation) he'd probably be a decent 3-4 end. I'd still rather see his $6-7 million spent elsewhere, though. The cynicism and pessimism are seeping in, for good reason, there have been several teams to switch to a 3-4 that were worse off than the Bills are. Look at what the Packers did.... signed some FA's drafted BJ Raji and Clay Matthews, voila, their 3-4 worked pretty darn well until Kurt Warner got a hold of it.
The 1st Thing Buffalo Should Do This Offseason
by ForeignArrow on Nov 23, 2009 3:06 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
is fire their training staff. I know it's football and guys get hurt... but why so many Buffalo Bills end up on IR seemingly every season? It's getting a little ridiculous... to the point where it probably isn't coincidence anymore. Maybe we need new strength and conditioning programs, new nutritionists, new endurance coaches, or all of the above... whatever. More has to be done to prevent injury to the players. Two words
Stat Pack Thru 2 Games
by ForeignArrow on Sep 21, 2009 9:58 AM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Some interesting statistics through the 1st two games of the season:
Keith Ellison is 2nd in the league in tackles with an impressive 27 total, 1 behind the leader
Trent Edwards is the 5th rated passer in the league with a 104 passer rating
Fred Jackson is 5th in the league in rushing at 220 yards,
Buffalo is giving up a solid 65 ypg rushing, but a ridiculous 332 ypg through the air.
Welllll, the sample size is obviously too small for any extrapolation...
After watching Keith Ellison, he's playing well, but he's still Keith Ellison. I thought Nic Harris looked good when he was in. And Perry, stop blitzing Ellison, because he sucks at it.
Trent has started the season well again, will he finish this time? I think so, he's a smart guy and the more control over the offense he has, the better. And a BIG BIG BIG up to AVP, proving that being an offensive coordinator is not rocket science. Unpredictable, balanced, execution, excellent. And is it safe to say that TE has the fastest release in the NFL? I think Tono Romo may be his closest competition.
The Bills give up a ton of passing yards because they still play too much zone. They have 4 corners and 3 safeties that can cover their asses off, there's no need to let the offense know where you are at all times... on the flip side I was pleased with the blitzes, although the Bucs did a good job of picking them up.
Finally, what impact will Marshawn Lynch have on the offense when comes back? Could he possibly have a negative impact? Not likely. He's gonna be fresh, he's gonna be hungry. I just hope the Bills have learned that they need play both backs equally. If they split time, 50/50, it's like having either one of them at 100% for the whole game.
Leroy Hill
by ForeignArrow on Apr 26, 2009 11:51 AM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
I'm not sure if he was a player Buffalo was coveting at the start of free agency, but the Seahawks have predictably removed the franchise tag from Hill in the wake of drafting Aaron Curry. The Bills made a noticeable effort to upgrade the LB position, bringing in a plethora of free aget veterans. Leroy Hill could be a steal on the 2nd day of the draft with all of the instant starters off the board at LB.
What say you?
Demetrius Bell Sounds confident in himself. Are the Bills just as confident in him? Will his progress affect their 1st round draft selections?
Let's Get Some Bang for Our Bills
by ForeignArrow on Apr 21, 2009 1:47 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
I've been avoiding making a mock draft up til now because things change so much and it just seems a little tired. But it's NFL Draft Eve all week and everyone's dying to open their presents. What are we gonna get?!!
Well, the Bills are in quite a pickle this year. There are several positions that need up-grading and some need numbers AND up-grading.
1-11-Michael Oher, LT, Ole Miss. I just don't see Andre Smith being there at 11, so unless the Bills trade up to get him... Oher is good value for the pick and it's a must to snag him because the drop-off between he and Britton is appreciable.
1-28- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. I don't like the pick, but Buffalo's staff will be stoked to find him here because they will be able to unload Kelsay if he is. I don't see many teams ahead of us that would go with Ayers over other DE's. I think Larry English will also be available here, but it's obvious who the Bills like more. A trade-up for Brandon Pettigrew is absolutely necessary if the Bills want him because he ain't getting past the Falcons at 24 and might go as early as the Eagles at 21.
2-42- Max Unger, OL, Oregon. It cannot be over-stated how valuable Unger's versatility is. If any part of the interior line experiences a defection, Unger can slide right in there. This is the perfect spot for Unger to go as far as value goes.
3-75- Fili Moala, DT, USC. It came down to Moala and Magee. Moaloa is more of what the Bills are looking for: a complete DT. And I do believe he'll fall to the 3rd round with guys like Ziggy Hood and Ron Brace and Jarron Gilbert going ahead of him in the 2nd.
4-110- Chase Coffman, TE, Mizzou. Coffman is as good of a receiving TE as you'll find in this draft, but he's in the 4th round because he's not a great blocker. He shows a willingness to block and maybe with some strength and coaching he will become better at it.
4-121- Kaluka Maiava, OLB, USC. A lot of people say of all the Trojan LBs he looks the best on film. His only downside is he's about the same size as Kieth Ellison, the very player we're trying to upgrade. The difference is he plays much better than Ellison. He excels in space and coverage. At the very least he will provide invaluable depth at a violent position, not bad for a 4th rounder.
5-147- Louis Vasquez, OG, Texas Tech. Similar to Brad Butler in that he is not the most athletic cat in the junkyard but he is the meanest. Is probably being down-graded by scouts for playing in a passing system.
6-183- Otis Wiley, S, Michigan State. Athletic and talented safety that had an excellent senior year. Developmental prospect with the size to play SS.
7-220- Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. A very complete fullback and a good short-yardage runner. Excellent special teamer as well.
Well, these are my predictions. The most likely things to change the Bills' draft would be a trade for Pettigrew (which I think is likely) and a trade for Brian Waters including Roscoe Parrish and a later pick (which I also think is likely). Both trades would likely eliminate Max Unger, Robert Ayers, and Chase Coffman from my mock..... wich is fine with me if the Bills pull those 2 deals off. It would look something more like:
1a. Oher
1b. Pettigrew
2. Larry English
4a. Chris Baker
4b. Maiava
5. Vasquez
6. Wiley
7. Southerland
Survey Says: Round 2! Fight!
by ForeignArrow on Apr 14, 2009 2:06 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
The first round of this year's draft is such a mystery right now I don't really even want to think about it. It seems pretty evident, though... that if Peters is gone, we'll select the best Tackle available. If he's here... who knows? Best defensive playmaker available?
Either way the Bills will be getting an excellent player in the 1st round, so I'm trying to zero in on the 2nd round crop of players. OL, TE, DE, LB, S are positions of considerable need/upgrading, and there are many 2nd round prospects who could step in and make significant contributions as rookies.
But what has everybody obsessed about here since Takeo Spikes fell off the map? We need defensive playmakers. I cherrypicked what I perceived to be the best 2nd round prospects and I want to see where the community stands on them:
James Laurinaitus: the uber-productive MLB could fit nicely at our strongside spot and is certainly a potential upgrade over Keith Ellison. He does well in coverage and has also produced some sacks in his career. About the same value as Poz was in the 2nd. Would be a safe pick, can't go wrong.
Michael Johnson: the not-so-uber-productive DE is a polarizing prospect. Not the type of pick a building team necessarily makes. But hey, go big or go home, right? He could be a sack-master if he would play harder and learn the game. Maybe the least safe pick in the draft.
William Beatty: Buffalo claims to run a zone-blocking scheme... unfortunately, just about all of their OL aren't any good at it. Thus the OL remodeling. This guy would actually FIT that blocking style. Beatty is a very nimble guy that just needs a little longer in the oven and some strength and he could be a steal in this draft. Very similar player to Tony Ugoh.
Max Unger: jack of all trades but master of none? Who cares? He's seamingly mastered the interior of the OL. Another very safe pick, will be a solid starter for a long time... just maybe not a Pro Bowler.
William Moore: my personal favorite. His stock fell solely because of his record-breaking junior campaign. As a senior, the Tigers played the SS much closer to the LOS much more often, which depleted his INT totals. I would recommend a highlight video of him... he's got everything. The size and all the physical tools, he hits like a truck, awesome ball skills, covers well (he was recruited as a CB). He would flourish in the NFL, he faced mostly spread offenses in the Big 12... but I think he would be much more effective against pro offenses. Without a doubt will be a better player than Donte Whitner, and he made a ton of plays in college.
Duke Robinson: I think he's going to be a solid pro. He looks great in game film. He's got size, strength, and talent.... if teams refine his technique he could be a Pro Bowler. Very safe pick, IMO.
Chase Coffman: he can catch anything and runs great routes but he may never be a complete TE. If you want a guy to reliabally get open in the short and intermediate areas.... here's your guy. I think he'd be a better 3rd-4th round value.
Jarron Gilbert: potential, potential, potential. Very gifted athletically.... raw, raw, raw. Reminds me of Kentwan Balmer the way his stock soared. He could be a monster LDE if he was coached and developed well. Risky pick, but could pay-off huge for an NFL franchise someday.
So who do you pull the trigger on if these guys populate your board?
Terrell Owens is in the building?
by ForeignArrow on Apr 9, 2009 12:35 PM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Surprise!!! Owens decided to come to voluntary team workouts. Is he bored? Is he looking for attention? Is he anxious to meet his new team mates? Is he responding to something that Troy Aikman said? Did he just get that off-season itch? Well, psycho-analyzing Mr. Owens may be a futile task, anyways. But he's thrown Bills' fans his second breaking ball. The first, of course, was signing with Buffalo in the first place.
Personally, I don't think there's a better scenario for the team or Owens. The sooner he starts working with Trent and our other wide receivers (particularly the young guys) the better off this franchise is.
But who knows? Maybe the enigmatic Owens is reporting to try and rewrite Turk's playbook... "Let's seeeeee..... Proform Slot Laser Digs Evans Owens Go....."
Just kidding guys.... let's hope Lynch's suspension is reduced to 1 or 2 games.
Jason Peters vs Andre Smith
by ForeignArrow on Mar 31, 2009 8:00 AM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Ed. Note, by Brian Galliford: ForeignArrow is in my head, folks. I planned on doing a poll just like this today. We'll just use FA's fine work instead. Don't forget about Tuesday Morning Bills Trivia, either.
Is anybody else as tired as I am of the way Jason Peters does business? There's a certain amount of arrogance to him that I, as a fan, overlooked because of his great play. But he began to wear his welcome during last season when he would be questioned about his performances, in particular when he was asked about a sack he gave up to Joey Porter. Peters played it off as Porter just made a "hustle play." Well, I don't know what's worse: just getting beat by Joey Porter or out-hustled by him.The correct answer to that question, Jason, is... "I got beat on that play, it was my fault, and I'm going to work my tail off so it doesn't happen again." Even if you don't think it was your fault (he clearly felt Trent should have gotten rid of the ball by that point), you be a professional and say the right thing.
Anyway, in spite of his selfishness, the best-case-scenario for the Bills is still to re-sign him; it's just one less hole to fill. However, our intel report from the reliable Geronimo indicates that to be a stretch. The intelligence also indicates that Buffalo favors Andre Smith, at least in terms of available rookies.
Well, as a UF alum, I've watched my fair share of SEC football. Andre Smith is a franchise left tackle. I remember the first snap I saw him play as a freshman, and he looked like a re-incarnate of Orlando Pace, but more athletic. Before his suspension for the Utah game, he was basically the consensus best OL in the draft. Well, the fact that he's a little immature (crazy for a 21-year old, right?) doesn't change that in my eyes. I mean, Andre Smith is immature because he's a kid coming out of college; what's Jason Peters' excuse? The issues with Smith of work ethic and immaturity can (and likely will be) cured by a locker room full of vets and hard workers. There's not much you can do as a franchise to ameliorate the avarice of a non-cooperative player. I expect Smith's transition to the NFL to be seamless, at least physically. He's faced size and speed in the SEC, so that's not really a concern for me. The hardest thing to speculate is how a player will handle the jump mentally: will it be a quantum leap for them or hop-skotch? If I had to guess, I would say Smith will be fine. His scouting reports say that he knows his assignments and he did practice against Nick Saban's 3-4 defenses everyday (a huge bonus for a guy coming to the AFC East).
The only way the Bills will win in this situation (a Peters trade) is if they get fair value for him. It's simply not an option to settle for anything less than a first rounder for Peters. If that's the case, then Buffalo will have won the day... because as far as I'm concerned, in a season or two, Smith will be an upgrade over Peters.
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A Draft History and Review
by ForeignArrow on Mar 17, 2009 11:28 AM EDT
on Buffalo Rumblings
Since the draft seems to be such a crap shoot, I decided to take a gander at how the Bills stack up to other franchises over the past few years (starting in 2002-2007). I only checked the first three rounds for each team over the past 6 years (I've only got so much time on my hands). The 2008 draft class will be omitted for obvious reasons. I graded each year with a hindsight approach and y'all can be the judges to determine which franchises/coaches historically do the best on the first day of the draft. It's a graduated scale: teams are penalized more for missing in the 1st round than in the 2nd or 3rd. Players that cannot be graded do not count against a team, they are marked "NC." It works out just like real life: anything below a B just kills your GPA. This is not academia, however, so it is all subjective and open for debate... enjoy. I actually had to do this in bits and pieces.
Arizona Cardinals - B
2002- Wendell Bryant, Levar Fisher, Josh McCown -----------------(C)
2003- Bryant Johnson, Calvin Pace, Anquan Boldin, Geno Hayes (B)
2004- Larry Fitzgerald, Karlos Dansby, Darnell Dockett ------------(A+++)
2005- Antrel Rolle, JJ Arrington, Eric Green-----------------------------(B+)
2006- Matt Leinart (NC), Deuce Lutui, Leonard Pope --------------- (C-)
2007- Levi Brown, Alan Branch, Buster Davis ------------------------- (C+)
Atlanta Falcons - C+
2002- TJ Duckett, Will Oversheet------------------------------------ (D)
2003- Bryan Scott--------------------------------------------------------- (B-)
2004- DeAngelo Hall, Michael Jenkins, Matt Schaub----------- (B+)
2005- Roddy White, Jon Babineaux, Jordan Beck---------------- (B)
2006- Jimmy Williams, Jerious Norwood--------------------------- (C-)
2007-Jamaal anderson, Justin Blalock, Chris Houston--------- (B)
Carolina Panthers - B+
2002- Julius Peppers, DeShaun Foster, Will Witherspoon----------- (A+)
2003- Jordan Gross, Bruce Nelson, Ricky Manning-------------------- (A)
2004- Chris Gamble, Keary Colbert, Travelle Wharton----------------- (B-)
2005- Thomas Davis, Eric Shelton, Evan Mathis------------------------- (C)
2006- DeAngelo Williams, Richard Marshall, Rashad Butler--------- (B+)
2007-Jon Beason, Dwayne Jarrett, Ryan Kalil, Charles Johnson---- (A)
Chicago Bears - C+
2002- Marc Colombo, Roe Williams, Terrance Metcalf-------------- (C+)
2003- Michael Haynes, Rex Grossman, Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs (A)
2004- Tommie Harris, Tank Johnson, Bernard Berrian------------- (A)
2005- Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley--------------------------------------- (F)
2006- Daniael Manning, Devin Hester, Dusty Dvoracek ------------- (B+)
2007-Greg Olsen, Dan Bazuin, Garrett Wolfe---------------------------- (B-)
Dallas Cowboys - B-
2002- Roy Williams, Andre Gurode, Antonio Bryant--------------- (B+)
2003- Terrence Newman, Al Johnson, Jason Whitten------------ (B-)
2004- Julius Jones, Jacob Rogers, Stephen Peterman---------- (B-)
2005- DeMarcus Ware, Marcus Spears, Kevin Burnett------------ (B+)
2006- Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Fasano, Jason Hatcher-------- (B)
2007- Anthony Spencer, James Marten--------------------------------- (C+)
Detroit Lions - C+
2002- Joey Harrington, Kalimba Edwards, Andre Goodman------ (C)
2003- Charles Rogers, Boss Bailey, Cory Redding----------------- (D+)
2004- Roy Williams, Kevin Jones, Teddy Lehman------------------- (A)
2005- Mike Williams, Shaun Cody, Stanley Wilson------------------ (C-)
2006- Ernie Sims, Daniel Bullocks, Brian Calhoun------------------ (B+)
2007- Calvin Johnson, Drew Stanton (NC), Ikaika Francis, Gerald Alexander (A)
Green Bay Packers - B
2002- Javon Walker, Marques Anderson--------------------------------------- (A-)
2003- Nick Barnett, Kenny Peterson--------------------------------------------- (A-)
2004- Ahmad Carroll, Joey Thomas, Donnell Washington---------------- (D)
2005- Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins, Terrence Murphy---------------------- (B+)
2006- AJ Hawk, Daryn Colledge, Greg Jennings, Jason Spitz------------ (B+)
2007-Justin Harrell, Brandon Jackson, James Jones, Aaron Rouse--- (B+)
Minnesota Vikings - C
2002- Bryant McKinnie, Raonall Smith, Willie Offord-------------- (B+)
2003- Kevin Williams, EJ Henderson, Nate Burleson------------ (A+)
2004- Kenechi Udeze, Don Thomas, Darrion Scott---------------- (F)
2005- Troy Williamson, Erasmus James, Marcus Johnson, Dustin Fox (F)
2006- Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Ryan Cook, Tavaris Jackson (C)
2007- Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Marcus McCauley----------- (A)
New Orleans Saints - B
2002- Donte Stallworth, Charles Grant, LeCharles Bentley, James Allen (A-)
2003- John Sullivan, Jon Stinchcomb, Cie Grant-------------------- (B-)
2004- Will Smith, Devery Henderson, Courtney Watson----------- (B+)
2005- Jamaal Brown, Josh Bullocks, Alfred Fincher--------------- (B)
2006- Reggie Bush, Roman Harper------------------------------------- (B)
2007- Robert Meachem, Usama Young, Andy Alleman------------ (C+)
New York Giants - B+
2002- Jeremy Shockey, Tim Carter, Jeff Hatch------------- (B)
2003- Will Joseph, Osi Umenyiora, Visanthe Shiancoe-- (B)
2004- Eli Manning, Chris Snee---------------------------------- (A)
2005- Corey Webster, Justin Tuck------------------------------ (A+)
2006- Mathias Kiwanuka, Sinorice Moss, Gerris Wilikonson (B-)
2007-Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford-------------------- (B+)
Philadelphia Eagles -B
2002- Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, Sheldon Brown, Brian Westbrook (A++)
2003- Jerome McDougal, LJ Smith, Billy McMullen-------------- (C-)
2004- Shawn Andrews, Matt Ware------------------------------------ (A-)
2005- Mike Patterson, Reggie Brown, Matt McCoy, Ryan Moats (C+)
2006- Broderick Bunkley, Winston Justice, Chris Gocong----- (B)
2007-Kevin Kolb (NC), Victor Abiamiri, Stewart Bradley, Tony Hunt (B)
San Francisco 49ers - C
2002- Mike Rumph, Saleem Rasheed------------------------------- (B-)
2003- Kwame Harris, Anthony Adams, Andrew Williams------- (C-)
2004- Rashaun Woods, Justin Smiley, Shawntae Spencer---- (C-)
2005- Alex Smith, David Baas, Frank Gore, Adam Snyder------- (C-)
2006- Vernon Davis, Manny Lawson, Brandon Williams--------- (C+)
2007- Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, Jason Hill, Ray McDonald------ (A)
Seattle Seahawks - B
2002- Jeremy Stevens, Moe Morris, Anton Palepoi, Kris Richard (C-)
2003- Marcus Trufant, Ken Hamlin, Wayne Hunter--------- (A)
2004- Marcus Tubbs, Michael Boulware, Sean Locklear (B+)
2005- Chris Spencer, Lofa Tatupu, David Greene (NC), Leroy Hill (A)
2006- Kelly Jennings, Darryl Tapp------------------------------ (B)
2007- Josh Wilson, Brandon Mebane-------------------------- (B)
St. Louis Rams - C+
2002- Robert Thomas, Travis Fisher, Eric Crouch-------------------- (C)
2003- Jimmy Kennedy, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Kevin Curtis-------------- (C)
2004- Steven Jackson, Anthony Hargrove-------------------------------- (A-)
2005- Alex Barron, Ron Bartell, OJ Atogwe------------------------------- (A)
2006- Tye Hill, Joe Klopfenstein, Claude Wrotten, Jon Alston------- (C+)
2007-Adam Carriker, Brian Leonard, Jonathan Wade----------------- (B+)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - B
2002- Marquise Walker--------------------------------------------------------- (C)
2003- Dwayne White, Chris Simms----------------------------------------- (B-)
2004- Michale Clayton, Marquis Cooper------------------------------------ (C)
2005- Cadillac Williams, Barrett Ruud, Alex Smith----------------------- (A)
2006- Davin Joseph, Jeremy Trueblood, Maurice Stovall--------------- (B+)
2007-Gaines Adams, Aaron Sears, Sabby Piscitelli, Quincy Black--- (A)
Washington Redskins - B+
2002- Patrick Ramsey, Ladell Betts, Rashad Bauman, Cliff Russell (C-)
2003- Taylor Jacobs, Derrick Dockery--------------------------- (B)
2004- Sean Taylor, Chris Cooley---------------------------------- (A++)
2005- Carlos Rogers, Jason Campbell-------------------------- (A)
2006- Rocky McIntosh-------------------------------------------------- (A)
2007- LaRon Landry---------------------------------------------------- (A-)
Baltimore Ravens - C+
2002- Ed Reed, Anthony Weaver---------------------------------------------- (A+)
2003- Terrell Suggs, Kyle Boller, Musa Smith----------------------------- (B-)
2004- Dwan Edwards, Devard Darling--------------------------------------- (C-)
2005- Mark Clayton, Dan Cody, Adam Terry-------------------------------- (C+)
2006- Haloti Ngata, Chris Chester, David Pittman------------------------ (B)
2007- Ben Grubbs, Yamon Figurs, Marshal Yanda----------------------- (B)
Buffalo Bills - B-
2002- Mike Williams, Josh Reed, Ryan Denney, Coy Wire------------ (C)
2003- Willis McGahee, Chris Kelsay, Angelo Crowell------------------- (B+)
2004- Lee Evans, JP Losman, Tim Anderson----------------------------- (B-)
2005- Roscoe Parrish, Kevin Everett (NC)---------------------------------- (B-)
2006- Donte Whitner, John McCargo, Ashton Youboty------------------- (B-)
2007-Marshawn Lynch, Paul Posluszny, Trent Edwards----------------- (A)
Cincinnati Bengals - B
2002- Levi Jones, Lamont Thompson, Matt Schobel--------------- (A-)
2003- Carson Palmer, Eric Steinbach, Kelly Washington--------- (A+)
2004- Chris Perry, Keiwan Ratliff, Madieu Williams, Landon Johnson (B-)
2005- David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Chris Henry------------------ (C+)
2006- Jon Joseph, Andrew Whitworth, Frostee Rucker------------ (B)
2007- Leon Hall, Kenny Irons---------------------------------------------- (B+)
Cleveland Browns - B-
2002- William Green, Andre Davis, Melvin Fowler--------------------- (C)
2003- Jeff Faine, Chaun Thompson, Chris Crocker------------------- (C+)
2004- Kellen Winslow, Sean Jones---------------------------------------- (A+)
2005- Braylon Edwards, Brodney Pool, Charlie Frye------------------- (B+)
2006- Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Travis Wilson---------- (C+)
2007-Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn (NC), Eric Wright----------------------- (A)
Denver Broncos - B
2002- Ashley Lelie, Clinton Portis, Dorsett Davis--------------------------- (B)
2003- George Foster, Terry Pierce---------------------------------------------- (B-)
2004- DJ Williams, Tatum Bell, Darius Watts, Jeremy LeSueur------- (B)
2005- Darrent Williams, Karl Paymah, Dominique Foxworth, Maurice Clarett (B)
2006- Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler------------------------------------------------ (A)
2007- Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, Ryan Harris------------------------------ (C)
Houston Texans - B-
2002- Davis Carr, Jabar Gaffney, Chester Pitts, Fred Weary--------- (D+)
2003- Andre Johnson, Bennie Joppru, Antwan Peek------------------ (B)
2004- Dunta Robinson, Jason Babin--------------------------------------- (B-)
2005- Travis Johnson, Vernand Morency---------------------------------- (C+)
2006- Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Charles Spencer, Eric Winston (A+)
2007- Amobi Okoye, Jacoby Jones (NC)----------------------------------- (A)
Indianapolis Colts - A
2002- Dwight Freeney, Larry Triplett, Joe Jefferson----------------------- (A)
2003- Dallas Clark, Mike Doss, Donald Strickland------------------------ (B+)
2004- Bob Sanders, Ben Hartsock, Gilbert Gardner----------------------- (B+)
2005- Marlin Jackson, Kelvin Hayden, Vincent Burns--------------------- (A)
2006- Joespeh Addai, Tim Jennings, Freddie Keiaho-------------------- (A)
2007- Anthony Gonzalez, Tony Ugoh, Dante Hughes, Quinn Pitcock (NC) (A)
Jacksonville Jaguars - B+
2002- John Henderson, Mike Pearson, Akin Ayodele---------------- (A)
2003- Byron Leftwich, Rashean Mathis, Vince Manuwai------------- (A)
2004- Reggie Williams, Daryl Smith, Greg Jones, Jorge Cordova (C+)
2005- Matt Jones, Khalif Barnes, Scott Starks--------------------------- (B-)
2006- Mercedes Lewis, Moe Jones-Drew, Clint Ingram-------------- (A-)
2007- Reggie Nelson, Justin Durant, Mike Walker--------------------- (A-)
Kansas City Chiefs - C+
2002- Ryan Sims, Eddie Freeman---------------------------------------- (D)
2003- Larry Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, Julian Battle------------------ (A)
2004- Junior Siavii, Kris Wilson, Keyaron Fox--------------------------- (F)
2005- Derrick Johnson, Dustin Colquitt---------------------------------- (A)
2006- Tamba Hali, Bernard Pollard, Brodie Croyle-------------------- (B+)
2007- Dwayne Bowe, Turk McBride, Tank Tyler------------------------- (B+)
Miami Dolphins - D+
2002- Seth McKinney------------------------------------------------------------- (D)
2003- Eddie Moore, Wade Smith, Taylor Whitley-------------------------- (F)
2004- Vernon Carey---------------------------------------------------------------- (B)
2005- Ronnie Brown, Matt Roth, Channing Crowder--------------------- (A)
2006- Jason Allen, Derek Hagan----------------------------------------------- (F)
2007- Tedd Ginn, John Beck (NC), Samson Satele, Lorenzo Booker (B+)
New England Patriots - B
2002- Daniel Graham, Deion Branch---------------------------------- (B)
2003- Ty Warren, Eugene Wilson, Bethel Johnson----------------- (A)
2004- Vince Wilfork, Ben Watson, Marquise Hill, Guss Scott----- (A)
2005- Logan Mankins, Ellis Hobbs, Nick Kaczur--------------------- (A-)
2006- Lawrence Maroney, Chad Jackson, David Thomas--------- (C+)
2007- Brandon Meriweather------------------------------------------------- (B)
New York Jets - C+
2002- Bryan Thomas, Jon McGraw, Chris Baker--------------------------- (B)
2003- Dwayne Robertson, Victor Hobson, BJ Askew--------------------- (C)
2004- Jonathan Vilma, Derrick Strait------------------------------------------- (A-)
2005- Mike Nugent, Justin Miller, Sione Pouha------------------------------ (D)
2006- Brick Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Kellen Clemens (NC), Eric Smith (B+)
2007- Darrelle Revis, Davis Harris--------------------------------------------- (A+)
Oakland Raiders - C-
2002- Phillip Buchanon, Napoleon Harris, Langston Walker, Doug Jolley (C+)
2003- Nnamdi Asomugha, Tyler Brayton, Teyo Johnson, Justin Fargas (B)
2004- Robert Gallery, Jake Grove, Stuart Schweigert------------------- (D)
2005- Fabian Washington, Stanford Routt, Andrew Walter, Kirk Morrison (B)
2006- Michael Huff, Thomas Howard, Paul McQuistan---------------- (C+)
2007- JaMarcus Russell, Zach Miller, Quentin Moses----------------- (D+)
Pittsburgh Steelers - A-
2002- Kendall Simmons, Antwan Randle El, Chris Hope--------------- (A)
2003- Troy Polamalu, Alonzo Jackson, Ike Taylor-------------------------- (A+)
2004- Ben Roethlisberger, Ricardo Colcough, Max Starks-------------- (A+)
2005- Heath Miller, Bryant McFadden, Trai Essex-------------------------- (A-)
2006- Santonio Holmes, Anthony Smith, Will Reid------------------------- (B-)
2007- Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley, Matt Spaeth---------------- (A-)
San Diego Chargers - B+
2002- Quentin Jammer, Toniu Fonoti, Reche Caldwell, Ben Leber (B)
2003- Sammy Davis, Drayton Florence, Terrence Keil---------------- (C)
2004- Phillup Rivers, Igor Olshansky, Nick Hardwick, Nate Kaeding (A+)
2005- Shawn Merriman, Luis Castillo, Vincent Jackson------------- (A++)
2006- Antonio Cromartie, Marcus McNeill, Charlie Whitehurst----- (A+)
2007- Buster Davis, Eric Weddle, Anthony Waters---------------------- (B-)
Tennessee Titans - B-
2002- Albert Haynesworth, Tank Williams, Rocky Calmus------ (A)
2003- Andre Woolfolk, Tyrone Calico, Chris Brown---------------- (C+)
2004- Ben Troupe, Travis LaBoy, Antwan Odom, Randy Starks (B)
2005- Pacman Jones, Michael Roos, Brandon Jones------------- (C+)
2006- Vince Young, LenDale White-------------------------------------- (B)
2007- Michael Griffin, Chris Henry, Paul Williams-------------------- (B)
If there's something I learned from this exercise.... it is you MUST nail the 1st round. If you miss on a 1st rounder it really hinders your franchise from improving in the short AND long-term. Imagine if Buffalo had scored on Mike Williams and JP Losman... the Bills would be significantly better if just those 2 players panned out. Keep in mind these grades are for the "1st day" only, and a lot of teams make their living on the 2nd day. One thing I have been happy with Jauron and Co. about is they rarely miss in the 1st round (I barely count McCargo as a 1st rouder).
The top Day 1 drafters over the past 5 years or so have been the Panthers, Giants, Redskins, Colts, Jags, Steelers, and Chargers. The Bills did their best work in that time frame under DJ and made a killing on Day 2 picks. The Redskins made excellent picks when they had picks. The Steelers and the Colts were easily the 2 best drafters and it's no surprise those are 2 of the most successful franchises this century.
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"We've got to score more points" -DJ
by ForeignArrow on Mar 4, 2009 9:04 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Watching some videos of DJ, he's very adiment about improving our offense, or so he says. Now, I don't know if DJ is the sly type, but it doesn't seem that he's the type of guy to pull a Kansas City Shuffle on the media to mislead other teams. But in 2006 the Bills worked out Haloti Ngata and drafted Donte Whitner, catching everybody in the world offguard.
Soooooo.... trying to anticipate a player or even a position that the Bills might take becomes a crapshoot. So we have to parcel it. But it is safe to say most people have (more like want) the Bills taking defense in the 1st round, particularly DE. So the opinions vary from Maybin to Brown to Orakpo.
Sooooo.... my question to the community is.... if you were going to improve Buffalo's offense as much as possible with the 11th pick in the draft, which player are you going for?
We'll eliminate some particluar players because they simply won't be realistically available: Jason Smith, Andre Smith, Michael Crabtree, Eugene Monroe, and maybe even Micahel Oher.
Sooooo..... after thinking about what we have and what's out there: the Bills are pretty crowded at tackle and there are no interior linemen worthy of a top 15 pick. The Bills are also too crowded at RB to draft one this high. Trent Edwards is not untouchable but Stafford ain't fallin to us and Mark Sanchez is quite possibly the most overrated QB prospect since Alex Smith. So, if Buffalo wants to improve their offense these are the guys they should be looking at.
Percy Harvin - easily the most dynamic athlete in the draft with the ball in his hands, he also has the best game-speed and quickness in this draft, bar none. Darius Heyward-Bey may have run the best at the combine, but I've watched him play and he just isn't a 4.3 guy with pads on. Harvin was a true game-breaker and the Gators weren't the same without him in the lineup... which is the only concern with him, he has been banged up with nagging injuries.
Brandon Pettigrew - Bills fans want a TE in the worst way, but they immediately dismiss Pettigrew from being a priority because they want a DE more. Well, I wasn't too impressed with Pettigrew until I saw some "tape" (videos from youtube, fan sites, game archives... yadda yadda) on him. I think he's an underrated athlete and actually gets off the LOS as quick as anyone else. He makes catches with A LOT of contact and his blocking skills are 2nd to none in the draft. All of that said, 11 may still be a little high for him, but he defintiely gets a 1st round grade from me. However, he may still last to the 2nd round where I could see Buffalo moving up a few spots for him.
Jeremy Maclin - A lot of people seem to be very high on Mr. Maclin. I like him, but I don't see a complete receiver in him. His value seems to be inflated by his return abilities and the system he played in along with the competition he faced. He may develop eventually but I think he'll have a pretty big learning curve much like Tedd Ginn Jr. did. Maclin, though, is very fast on the football field... so his 4.46 in the dash shouldn't be a considered a disappointment.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - I'm not very serious about him, but he flew up some draft boards after the combine because he ran the best time. But as I mentioned above, his football speed is a bit slower than Harvin and Maclin and he is a step below them skill-wise as well. But, he has very good size and maybe the most upside.
If I had to take one of these guys I would vote for Percy Harvin because if you can get the ball into his hands he could have an impact as a rookie. He showed fearlessness going over the middle in college (in the SEC, no less, NFL Jr.) and was also excellent in the vertical game. But he's just one of those players that if you get him the ball on a bubble screen it's an automatic first down and maybe even a TD. Maclin is a similar
Shaun Rogers Y'all
by ForeignArrow on Feb 27, 2009 4:46 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Shaun Rogers is hell-bent on his release or trade out of Cleveland because Mangina gave him the shaft and the training staff told him not to show up for the conditioning program unless he was ALREADY in shape, per ESPN.
I wouldn't think twice about trading a 3rd and a 5th for Rogers as we did for Stroud. Rogers played really well last season and would undoubtedly perform even better in Buffalo rotating with Stroud/Williams/Johnson. Stroud and Rogers would rival Williams and Williams in Minnesota for the most dominat interior defensive line in the NFL, IMO.
Think about it: that would mean on every single snap, Buffalo's defense could have either Shaun Rogers or Marcus Stroud matched up one-on-one with a guard or center.
Last year we added Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Stroud, our defense jumped from the bottom to the middle, so what happens if we add Rogers and say... Crowell??? And there's always the Detroit connection with Jauron.Then there's Mangina who will probably play hard-ball with Rogers and wait for him to hold out or something. I would even trade Kyle Williams staright-up for Rogers... then pray McCargo can emerge a little for depth at the 4th spot.
What do y'all think?
Lynch Reaches Pro-Bowl
by ForeignArrow on Jan 30, 2009 12:53 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Chris Henry is injured and is being replaced in the Pro-Bowl by Marshawn Lynch. On the front page, Brian compared Donte Whitner to other 1st-round safeties. There are problems with that type of analysis, though. Imagine if Marshawn Lynch weren't on the Buffalo Bills. Imagine he were on the Tennessee Titans or the Minnesota Vikings... he wouldn't be reaching the Pro-Bowl as an alternate, he'd have been 1st string.
Statistics are more confirmatory than exclusionary. For instance, you can validate that Phillip Rivers had a good season by taking a gander at his passer rating, but you cannot exclude Marc Bulger as a good QB because he posted a 71 passer rating. Bulger was on a terrible football team.
http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d80e6e9a4&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
Survey Says: Expect Mangini-like Shopping Spree at OBD?
by ForeignArrow on Jan 26, 2009 5:25 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Is it safe to say Dick Jauron is on the Hot Seat? Last season, you'll all recall there were a couple of other coaches on the Hot Seat: Eric Mangini and Romeo Crennell. Well, both of those coaches and their front offices spent extravagantly on free agents and made some gnarley trades to save their jobs. Buffalo is undoubtedly Dick Jauron's last stop as a professional head coach, and he knows it. Will he try to make significant player changes this off-season to save his hide? The nonfrugal ways of his co-workers did not work out so well for them.
Well, it could go either way. Management has shown the willingness to go after guys (Stroud and Dockery are the only marquis names, but they're not afraid to try). To their credit, when they see a problem, they use the off-season to address it. First, it was the O-line, then the D-line. Now, we need a DE and another WR. There are four guys available who can dramatically change the fortunes of the Bills on-field perfomance: Terrell Suggs, Julius Peppers, TJ "Championship" Housamazilly, and Anquan Boldin. If the Bills can land just one of these top-flight talents, their free agency period would be considered a great success. Imagine landing 2 of them (now we are in elisium).
However, DJ has to deal with a republic front office and a fiscally conservative commander-in-chief (although I think this point is exaggerated and belabored). So what now? If Buffalo can gain a star in FA thusly blowing the draft wide open, then this roster may perhaps (finally) be ready to make a REAL run at the playoffs. And don't forget the value of Trent Edwards making improvements if he, in fact, does so.
If I'm DJ I make preparations this off-season as if I never drafted James Hardy or Chris Ellis and as if Chris Kelsay is no longer on this football team.
Declarations and Lack Thereof
by ForeignArrow on Jan 15, 2009 11:36 AM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Jermaine Gresham is staying in school.... does that make things easier for Buffalo's coaching staff? Does anybody really believe the Bills (at least Jauron) would even ever take a TE in the 1st round? I never really did. Gresham only looked good on mocks because he was talented and filled a need, not because the pick actually made realistic sense to analysts. However, DEs Maybin and Everett Brown have declared for the draft... good news for Buffalo. The more quality DEs in the draft the better. Is there a DE worthy of a top 15 pick? Orakpo had the production this season, Michael Johnson and Everett Brown are physical freaks without a whole lot of production.... there may be a talented DE waiting for us in the 2nd round. Do we take the chance if a guy like Taylor Mays falls to us? If not, Gresham staying in school may have done THE FANS a huge favor because now TE in the 1st round is not an option, and it narrows the guessing game. Right now, there are only a couple of guys that I would take over our top rated DE in the 1st round (Taylor Mays, Rey Maualuga, maybe Raji or Maclin). And there's still no way I take Alex Mack in the 1st. There are too many playmakers in the top 15 to blow the pick on him. Perhaps a more intersting question is, who would you rather take if they were there in the 2nd, Alex Mack or Travis Beckum or Chase Coffman? Most will probably say Mack... but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed the Bills sign somebody to address Center.
Some more food for thought: with the exception of Aaron Schobel, the Bills scouts have been completely inept at drafting DEs. I still have hope for Chris Ellis, let's all hope he starts a good track record for the front office.
SURVEY SAYS: Angelo Crowell
by ForeignArrow on Jan 5, 2009 11:59 AM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
The more you think about Buffalo's linebacker position the more apparent it becomes that it IS an issue and a serious position of need.Keith Ellison is a decent starter and won't hold the defense back, but after him the only depth to speak of is a rookie whom is recovering from a blown knee. So, even if you feel fine with Ellison in there, the Bills still need solid depth at the position. Enter Angelo Crowell. His re-addition to this team could shore up a huge question mark for the Bills and automatically allocate Ellison to back-up the outside spots.
However, if Crowell demands too much money (could go either way) he may not be rehired. So that leaves Buffalo the draft and free agency to possibly add a starter AND quality depth. I think it's clear that the best option is to re-sign Crowell for two reasons: it gives Buffalo instant stability at the position and more flexability in acquiring personnel. I know that's the best way to go, but a considerable part of me wants to pick up one of the impact linebackers in the draft... if Crowell is signed you can all but take those guys off the table.
1st Round Survey
by ForeignArrow on Jan 1, 2009 6:09 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
In the 1st round of this draft, at the 11th spot, there is probably going to be some ultra-talented players availible. I want to know how everyone feels about the need vs. best available philosophies. DE seems to be indisputably the greatest need for this team. However, there may be more impact players at other positions available.
So, by answering the poll question below, we'll see how much of an emphasis people place on need over talent.
Can't get rid of him, can't kill him...
by ForeignArrow on Dec 15, 2008 8:58 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
So Dick Jauron is here to stay. Fine. I really can live with that. What about our genius coordinators? Bobby April has stood the test of time as he is one of the best in the business. I just don't know if Dick Jauron is willing to go outside of his own coaching tree to find bright coordinators.
I've said before, Perry Fewell needs to lose his job... he just drives me nuts and I don't think I have to chronicle all the reasons here.
Turk Schonert... I have mixed feelings. His playbook is decent, I truly believe it is just lacking a couple of things for the passing game to take off (more athletic TEs and the RBs to put more pressure on the middle of the field). I think where Schonert has failed this season is to establish an identity for the offense. Are we a running team, passing team, balanced? We are a team that abandons the run and under-utilizes the play-action like no other (unless of course we are up by 3 with 2 mins to go on 2nd and 5). Our QB play has also killed Schonert, too. I'm not sure if he and Van Pelt are coaching Losman and Edwards this way or if our QBs are just gunshy... Our QBs never seem to diagnose plays smoothly. When you watch some of the games this season and pause some of the field shots there are usually 3 things that happen way too often to Edwards and JP:
1) they move through their progressions too quickly and check down for a minimal gain
2) they move too slowly locking onto their primary too long missing intermediate routes for good gains
3) they just don't want to throw into tight man coverage and let our receivers make plays
#3 seems to be killing the offense the most. But plays never seem to go just right. If you watch Chad Pennington play, he really is the smartest QB I've ever seen play the game, in spite of what he lacks physically. He knows his offense as well as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning know theirs... and look at the talent (or lack thereof) he is doing it with.
Does anybody have any insight as to good candidates for OC or DC this off-season? And does anyone have a feeling of whether or not DJ will actually make changes to his staff?
3 Words
by ForeignArrow on Dec 7, 2008 9:04 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
Fire Perry Fewell
There has been some chat about the security of Dick Jauron's job security lately and I believe he has done a fine job of just about everything here in Buffalo so far with the exception of one VERY important thing: picking his coordinators. The jury is still out on Turk Schonert who cannot be judged on one season of work where he has showed some good and some bad.
Perry Fewell, though... well he is a different story. I wanted to teleport to the Rogers Centre today to personally break a clipboard over his head (exaggeration). His defense only gave up 16 points today but it could have been more like 7 or 0 the way this game played out. I'm too lazy to recount the whole game of his absolute stupidity on defensive calls, but I'll throw one out there that I think typifies his incompetence.
The Dolphins are across midfield and have a key 3rd and 7 and Perry Fewell calls man-under with exactly a 7 yard cushion for his DBs. Let that sit for a moment. So, as soon as the ball is snapped the corners start their back-pedal and have no way to stop the 7 yard out that Pennington executes. I almost had an outer-body experience when I watched this unfold. Perry Fewell shouldn't be allowed in the same zip code as our players anymore.
I hope from the bottom of my heart that Jauron has the stones to cut him loose in the off-season and find somebody competent. I'm done...... for now..... too much studying to do. At least the Gators whooped some ace this weekend.
Loosey Goosey
by ForeignArrow on Nov 24, 2008 4:04 PM EST
on Buffalo Rumblings
The Bills D gave up some serious points/yards/big plays in KC. However, for the first time this season I saw the defense playing loose and taking A LOT of chances. The result? 5 turnovers. The game plan was aggressive and the Bills seemed to have a "do or die" attitude the whole game (see Trent Edwards' 2 TD runs). Can the Bills defense continue to be aggressive without giving up big plays? Well, of course. If Buffalo fine tunes its run fits to eliminate the big runs they've given up the past couple weeks and George Wilson gets some cleats with spikes in them AND we stop relying on Kawika Mitchell to cover runningbacks.... we should be fine.
There is a common denominator with the Bills defense making big plays: and it's the blitzing. When we get pressure on the QB our CBs are good enough to capitalize on the mistakes. This has been the case since the very beginning of the season when we saw Perry Fewell open up against the Seahawks with exotic blitzes, only to mysteriously abandon his pressure packages later.
And how much was Bryan Scott missed when George Wilson was being abused by Tony Gonzales? Fewer big plays should be given up when Scott , Whitner, and Schobel return to the line up.
And I'm officially never sticking up for Chris Kelsay ever again. The man is an Alzheimer's patient when it comes to containment. Teams specifically game plan misdirections at Kelsay because they know he abandons his responsibilities EVERY time. You'd think he would muster up a little pride and fix the problem but it just makes me realize how much Schobel is missed. Even when they run naked boots and counters at Denney he recognizes and at least disrupts the play, Schobel is even better. I even saw our rookie, Chris Ellis, do a better job in containment than Kelsay. Captain or not, Kelsay needs to be called out in front of everybody in the film room. If he keeps this crap up, and Ellis comes along a little bit... he may be a "surprise" cut in the off-season or training camp... because he is eating $6 million in cap space.
Finally, Trent Edwards. He started the game out with the same indecisiveness and lack of confidence that has taken him over recently... but I think as the game wore on and he started making some plays... by game's end he was almost (like 90-95%) old Trent. He'll be facing another 3-4 defense next week and he has yet to prove he can dismantle one. Turk Schonert needs to commit to the run and make sure he has some plays in order that can find holes in those cover 3's and cloud zones they've been throwing at Trent. And for the Love of God can we please stop having our backs check down in the flats?! Check down in the middle of the field and put pressure on the LB zones to open up the middle of the field a little bit. Not to mention you're guaranteed to actually gain 4-5 yards.
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