SB Nation User Blog: ForeignArrow

Stat Pack Thru 2 Games

ForeignArrow — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:16:16 -0000

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

ForeignArrow — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:46:04 -0000

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?

Poll

How should Buffalo try to upgrade SLB?

Sign Leroy Hill

220 votes

Find a Day 2 gem

16 votes

Buffalo is fine at LB

2 votes

238 votes | Poll has closed

Demetrius Bell Sounds confident in himself. Are the Bills just as confident in him? Will his...

ForeignArrow — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:02:15 -0000

Demetrius Bell Sounds confident in himself. Are the Bills just as confident in him? Will his progress affect their 1st round draft selections?

Check It Out

Let's Get Some Bang for Our Bills

ForeignArrow — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:20:40 -0000

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

Poll

Grade my Mock

A

9 votes

B+

13 votes

B

17 votes

B-

9 votes

C+

2 votes

C

5 votes

C-

3 votes

Dee duh dee

6 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

Survey Says: Round 2! Fight!

ForeignArrow — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:07:13 -0000

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?

Poll

Who's your pick of THIS crop of players in the 2nd round?

Jarron Gilbert

7 votes

Chase Coffman

2 votes

Duke Robinson

41 votes

William Moore

9 votes

James Laurinaitus

17 votes

William Beatty

4 votes

Michael Johnson

9 votes

Max Unger

62 votes

151 votes | Poll has closed

Terrell Owens is in the building?

ForeignArrow — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:20:06 -0000

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

ForeignArrow — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:28:06 -0000

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.

Poll

Which player do you want starting for Buffalo on opening day?

Jason Peters

324 votes

Andre Smith

379 votes

703 votes | Poll has closed

A Draft History and Review

ForeignArrow — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:10:41 -0000

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.

Poll

Which of these teams are masters of Day 1?

NY Giants

3 votes

Washington Redskins

0 votes

Pittsburgh Steelers

9 votes

Indy Colts

12 votes

Carolia Panthers

0 votes

SD Chargers

4 votes

28 votes | Poll has closed

"We've got to score more points" -DJ

ForeignArrow — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:27:04 -0000

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

Poll

Vote for the offensive weapon you would add to the Bills with their 1st round pick

Brandon Pettigrew

46 votes

Darrius Heyward-Bey

6 votes

Jeremy Maclin

16 votes

Percy Harvin

12 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

Shaun Rogers Y'all

ForeignArrow — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:35:35 -0000

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?

Poll

Would you pull the trigger for a 3rd and 5th round draft pick?

Yay

117 votes

Nay

38 votes

155 votes | Poll has closed