Punch

I'm a big fan of NFL Films' Greg Cosell (Howard's nephew)--- he does a ton of film work and gives in-depth evaluations which I followed religiously over the past month leading up to the draft. The Toronto Sun spoke with Cosell about Vince Young and he has some interesting observations on how Young doesn't exactly fit in with Chan's offense. Is it possible that as the #2 QB he'll be viewed as a specialty player with packages devoted to him under center? Sort of a not-quite-WildCat? So just how good, or bad, is Young? We asked Greg Cosell, who with NFL Films has been evaluating college and NFL talent for more than 20 years, and whose incisive assessments are widely respected. "I think that Vince Young is a quarterback that is limited in the kind of offence he can run," Cosell said Tuesday. "He needs to run an offence whose foundation is the run, so you give him the play-action pass game, because that limits your reads, and defines your reads. "If you put him in the shotgun, he's not very good at seeing things before the snap, which is a very, very critical part of playing quarterback in today's NFL -- particularly if you're in the shotgun in a spread, because it's always up to the quarterback in the spread to figure out who potentially is blitzing." The Bills, of course, often utilize the shotgun spread. And a spread QB who struggles in this "pre-snap phase," as Cosell calls it, is a drive-killer because defences will overload their blitzes to one side if they know the QB won't make accommodations for it. "So what happens is (Young) becomes an improvisational, random player," Cosell said. "And because he's got a lot of physical ability, every once in a while he'll make some spectacular plays." http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/NFL/2012/05/01/19704586.html?twobillsdrive

Ryan Denney also switched from 90 to 92 the year Kelsay arrived.

This quote from the above article made me laugh: "When Buddy Nix was named GM in Buffalo a few years ago there were many that questioned the hire because of his age," wrote former Chicago Bears college scouting chief Greg Gabriel on the National Football Post. "For some reason in the NFL, the people who do the hiring around the league don't look at experience as a strong point. In any other business it's a prerequisite. Buddy has been a life-long football guy and he has done an outstanding job since taking over in Buffalo." Greg Gabriel was one of the vocal writers questioning the Bills for hiring Nix because he was old and inexperienced! In fact, he suggested they hire Doug Whaley, who was an up and coming Front Office talent in the Steelers' organization--- of course, the Bills did hire Whaley about a week later to be Nix's Assistant GM. I wonder if Gabriel remembers criticizing the Nix hire or if he's being ironical?

Thanks so much for this recap--- the players we've targeted in the draft and in FA for the most part have leadership qualities and great character. Chan Gailey fits that same profile and I absolutely beam with pride that he's our guy. You're right, Chan should've refused to do the interview and instead spent his time petitioning the league to start the season early.

Whomever Chan is referring to when he responded with an emphatic yes doesn't need to be anything splashy for me--- a veteran backup QB or LB would be perfect. As much as I'm intrigued by Easley I also wouldn't mind a WR but I have no idea who's out there in FA. I haven't felt this good about a Bills' roster heading into the season since 2003, and that team had nowhere the cohesiveness and coaching competence in place now.

Prior to the injury, he was the starter at USC over Matt Barkley. He transferred to Richmond after his recovery, once Barkley had taken over in his absence. Intriguing.

It's possible his issues with accuracy and deep throws are with his mechanics and can be corrected. That can be said about a lot of QBs that never make it, though. Questionable leadership traits is probably the polar opposite of anything I've ever read about the guy. "Takes command of every room he enters" is common analysis plus he's exceptionally smart. He sounds like the kind of player Nix/Gailey covet, but that's not to say he's anything more than a poor man's Fitz.

FWIW, Scouts, Inc. had Graham rated as the 80th best prospect in this year's draft--- taking him at 69 is not outrageous. NFL Films Greg Cosell says that although he's raw he is the most "vertically explosive WR" in the draft and has "dynamic speed".

Very interesting stuff, thanks--- not that they're similar WRs in general, but the bolded part sounds like our own Stevie Johnson. He creates space and gets open by working the DB, not speed.

I do understand that, but Buddy and Chan both still like Troup quite a bit. I don't think that pick was a case of Modrak infecting the draft analysis in any way.

That's true, but if that's how they view it, then a 3rd or 4th round pick is definitely more valuable than a 3rd string QB. It would be a move in line with New England's MO. Even if they think Mallett has potential and they pick another this year, it's not typical to have two understudies learning as the heir apparent at QB. If the Pats want to put all of their eggs in one developmental basket they may just not like the Mallett basket as much as someone else.

This could be the answer as to why Belichick is willing to trade Mallett: perhaps they see someone in this year's draft class that they prefer developing over Ryan Mallett. Having said that, I'd agree with The Senator that I prefer Nick Foles as a developmental QB, and in fact, Foles may very well be the guy Belichick is targeting this year--- if they are indeed looking at someone this year.

Would this not likely be the success/fail rate for almost any pick in the 1st round? Not to mention, just because Jerrod Mayo was taken by New England at 10 in 2008 doesn't mean a different team with a different need and a different draft board would have picked that same player or that the talent level is the same in each individual year. But thanks for the cold water, now we all know how we should feel and why we should expect certain defeat.

Still up at 2:30 so here are a few more details before my wife slaps the iPad out of my hands: Biron was the only NHL player wearing #00 at the time, which is actually how the bug was discovered. He only appeared in 3 games that year, which was the last year in the Aud, before being sent back to Juniors in Quebec because... well, he wasn't quite an NHL caliber goaltender at 18. He didn't get called back to the Sabres for 3 years and he chose #43 in honor of Matt Darby, which he wears to this day. Ok, the Darby part is not true... as far as I know.

Non-Bills Buffalo sports trivia: Marty Biron wore 00 as an 18/19 year old rookie for the Sabres. 00 was then outlawed in the NHL due to a bug in their statistic keeping software, with the rule being known as the "Biron rule".

Reuben Randle is a borderline late 1st round pick, depending on how the top of the draft plays out. I'm not saying he should be, mind you, but he's gotta be gone before the 3rd begins let alone the 4th.

OJ Simpson was traded to San Francisco for a 1st round pick, which was used to take LB Tom Cousineau. Cousineau never played for the Bills but his rights were sent to Cleveland for a 1st round pick in 1983... which was used to draft Jim Kelly. OJ Simpson essentially traded for Jim Kelly, You can also trace Mike Grier back to the late Rick Martin, via trades. That stretched from the Sabres 2nd season in 1971 to the 2006-07 season, unless you include Grier's 2nd stint which ended with his retirement last year.

Thurman Thomas tweeted this a little while ago, which I thought was both funny and awesome: Thurman Thomas ‏ @thurmanthomas I remember Greg Lloyd telling #12 b4 the game he was going to knock the **** out of him, and Jim saying, bring it MoFo.... Classic Jimbo

How do you know Buddy didn't "at least talk to his agent and find out what kind of money he is looking for"? Did he tell you?

According to the figures on Jason LaCanfora's blog the team with the highest "team cash" (actual cash spent) is the Philadelphia Eagles at about $140,000,000. At $136,000,000 the 2nd highest team cash figure belongs to... the Buffalo Bills. http://blogs.nfl.com/2012/03/30/salary-cap-situation-for-each-team/ Ralph is cheap.

Ben Volin ‏ @BenVolinPBP According to Broward County Sheriffs Office, #Dolphins LB Koa Misi was arrested on battery charges http://bit.ly/H44vDz http://sheriff.org/apps/arrest/details.cfm?id=8543bf5f-5fb1-4e66-a972-832e425d1caa&key=92DD88157FFEE016D9FFF8C20B175708&page=1&lname=MISI&fname=

FWIW, Bill Polian also loves Tannehill: Alex Marvez ‏ @alexmarvez Bill Polian is big #RyanTannehill fan. "Perfect West-Coast QB in sense can throw on run&make things happen when pocket breaks down"#Dolphins

JohnnyGold clearly said no such thing. He merely used examples involving Buffalo, nothing more.

Jay Glazer ‏ @JayGlazer Following up a @mortreport that Sean Payton asked Bill Parcells to be interim HC, the 2 are planning to meet in FL this wk to discuss

FWIW, Scouts, Inc. doesn't have Patrick Walker listed in their top 208 WRs coming out this year. Then again, Wes Welker was an UFA. He may be a guy they pick in the 7th round if he's drafted at all.