Archives for April 25, 2009

‘Listed at 6-foot-4, 248 pounds, Maybin was a late bloomer with the Nittany Lions, getting the most out his junior season last year in which he didn’t become a starter until three games in. Maybin still wound up leading the Big 10 with 12 sacks in 10 starts.’

‘Maybin burst onto the scene at Penn State in 2008 stepping into the starting lineup and racking up 12 sacks to rank fourth in the nation. His 19 tackles for loss last season was sixth best in the country.’

‘Buffalo’s biggest need, by far, is a pass rusher … either a defensive end or outside linebacker. Last season the Bills ranked 26th in the league with only 23 sacks, a figure impacted by the injured absence of end Aaron Schobel who played only five games. However, the trading of Peters creates an immediate hole at offensive tackle that virtually has to be addressed with one of the two first-rounders.’

‘That puts the spotlight on a defense that is without a starter at strong-side linebacker and needs more pass rush. The Bills had 24 sacks last year, tied for 28th in the league. Southern California linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews III are the top outside linebacker prospects after Wake Forest’s Aaron Curry (a top-10 prospect). Texas’ Brian Orakpo and Penn State’s Aaron Maybin arguably are the top two pass rushers.’

‘"It’s a critical year," said chief operating officer Russ Brandon in a classic understatement. "We stated that right at the conclusion of the season; 7-9 is not good enough and we need to get back to where our fans expect us to be and that’s playing football in deep January. And obviously the draft is an important layer to making this football team better."’

‘There has been debate about the relative depth and quality of players available, but for a team that has not qualified for the playoffs since the 1999 season, there will not be much room for error. The consensus from the expert mock-drafters suggests the Bills will take a defensive end 11th overall — but the team’s management does not prepare for the draft with mock drafts.’

#11 Overall: DE Brian Orakpo – Texas Defensive end is the position that the Bills have identified as their biggest need. If he’s gone, they may go with Everette Brown or turn to offensive tackle and take Michael Oher.

‘This draft just got more interesting for the Bills with the trade of Jason Peters that gave them two more picks. It also became much more critical as they have another major hole to fill. The Bills now have two first round picks and three picks in the first 42. This adds flexibility to go along with all the needs. That should make for a very interesting and unpredictable draft for Buffalo.’

‘”But I think the team can benefit from it and (it’s) a good year to do that. I’m not going to get into measuring the value of the early first (round) to the last part of the first. There’s a bit of a difference, but nevertheless you’re going to get good players at either of those areas.”‘