Mr. ChumChums

Looks good Quite the opposite of what we're used to seeing.

Thanks! This should get stickied, IMO.

I don't think Nix and Gailey are looking for anyone to be a day 1 starter. They're not looking for a quick fix...they're trying to find the best way to continue winning in the future, and if that means drafting players that might not have an immediate impact, then so be it. I can take a 3-13 season if that means we'll be making the playoffs the following year.

But would having 2 stud 3-4 DE's (5-techniques) make it all right if we don't get a stud NT? What if we had Kyle Williams as our NT, but we had 2 stud pro-bowl 3-4 DE's? How would our line fare? Personally, I still say we'll suck, but it's an interesting idea.

I was listening to either Mike Mayock or Mel Kiper (can't remember which) talking about Bradford on some ESPN radio podcast. Their main concern isn't his injury risk... it's his O-Line in college. Up until this season, Bradford played behind a stone wall of an O-Line that protected him silly. What many of the scouts wanted to see this year was how he would've performed under a relatively new/inexperienced/crappy O-Line. Unfortunately, he got injured, and that question on whether he would be able to perform under fire from NFL blitzing defenses still lingers. Would we want to draft him given our line? Would he be able to perform under fire? This seems to me to be too big of a question mark for us...which is why I've been leaning towards Clausen over Bradford recently. Clausen played under fire and performed, so in my untrained opinion, he has a greater chance of succeeding (in Buffalo at least). Of course, the issue that they brought up with Clausen is that he's coming out of school as a junior...and there's a REALLY long history of QB's who come out early turning out to be major busts.

Ask no questions, and I will tell you no lies.

Odds on longshot teams are usually overly generous in Vegas. The reason is that Vegas odds are typically predicated on demand. The more people bet on something, the more generous the line. The funny thing is, people usually over-bet on longshot teams in the hope that they can turn a little, into a lot, thereby artificially making the odds even more generous. I wouldn't be surprised if the bills actually have a true 500-1 odds on making the super bowl, with the inflated Vegas odds making it 100-1. In the end, if you look at historical, statistical numbers, your actual return on longshot odds is actually much lower than the risk would dictate.

Hampton is getting up there in age, and word is that his play has been starting to decline. Regardless, he's still one of the best out there, and I would love to have him, if we could possibly draft a replacement that could take over that role in a season or 2 (Dan Williams or Terrence Cody anyone?). Maybe with him as a mentor, that would lower the chance of one of those guys eating themselves out of the league.

For the DT's, Terrence Cody is way down on the list. A possible (and better) option for the 3-4 NT would be Dan Williams from Tennessee. Also, Jared Odrick from Penn State as a 5-technique is a possibility. Would we be able to get away with not having that dominant NT if we have 2 dominant 5-techniques in Stroud and Odrick (or another 5-technique DE)? Just a thought.

On the other hand...no matter what he picks, he'll be filling a major need! So he can't lose!

Well, he WAS featured in that movie about Ernie Davis, "The Express." He's the guy that was recruited for Syracuse after Ernie left. Maybe the voters were caught up in the hype of the movie?

Makes enough sense. A 1-gap 3-4 would better suit our current personnel. Either way, the key to doing well would be to get a monster NT that would tie up 2, maybe even 3 blockers. How would Stroud do as a RE in this system (ie. Bruce's old spot)? RE in a 1-gap 3-4 would actually have significant pass-rushing responsibilities, so I'm not sure if he's quick enough for that. He'll definitely fit as the LE, IMO.

Stroud is currently a 3-technique DT right? Didn't Warren Sapp try switching from a 3-technique to a 5-technique 3-4 DE? That experiment was largely unsuccessful. I remain optimistic though, but it's something to think about. This has been tried before, (with one of the best DT's ever) and has failed. Let's hope this isn't the case.

Just as a comparison to 3 of the ILB's listed as examples in the article, Paul Posluszny Height: 6-1 Weight: 238 Kawika Mitchell Height: 6-1 Weight: 253 Kevin Burnett Height: 6-3 Weight: 240 Bradie James Height: 6-2 Weight: 247 Bobby Carpenter Height: 6-2 Weight: 249 Poz is pretty much the same size as Kevin Burnett (albeit...a bit shorter). However, definitely could use some weight gain compared to Bradie James and Bobby Carpenter. Edit: Mitchell is really the ideal size for a 3-4 ILB. Anybody know about his ability to take on O-linemen?

Speed isn't necessarily the most important aspect of a 3-4 ILB. Parcells openly favors slower, but stronger LB's that can take on Guards on every play. Now, the real question is... are Poz and Mitchell strong enough to deal with potentially free-roaming Guards?

Schobel is definitely not a 3-4 DE. Like in article, you need 3 "planet"-like D-linemen, and that includes the DE's as well. 280-300 lb DE's to basically tie up blockers and protect not only the edges, but also the ILB's from the 2 guards left free by the 2-gap scheme. Maybe Kyle Williams and Stroud could give the DE roles a go? Honestly, none of us have any idea until we see it in action.

I saw this posted in here a few months ago, and decided to go back and read it again. A long read, but it really gives you a good understanding on the fundamental principles of the different looks and formations in an NFL defense. Has a nice big section on the 3-4 also http://subscribers.footballguys.com/2009/0...el_idpguide.php Anyways, from what I can gather, George Edwards learned the 3-4 under Bill Parcells in Miami, and will most likely run his form of 3-4. Basically, what we need are "3 monsters" on the D-line, and 2 BIG, STRONG linebackers in the middle. Speed can be sacrificed for the ILB's in favor of LB's that can basically take on the 2 Guards on every play.

Did great apparently. Helped recruit 17 of the ESPNU Top 150 prospects, which was the most of any school I believe.

I thought Edwards was with Florida for 3 weeks? Basically just stayed for recruiting season.

Gotta add another defense option in there for teh 4-3. Not quite Kitchen-sink style 4-6, but more aggressive than the read/react style 4-3. What MartyBall4Buffalo said basically, an attacking 4-3 similar to Jim Johnson's defense. With that said, I would I would actually love to see a west-coast offense installed. It can work in cold weather (just ask Green Bay). For defense, an attacking 4-3.

Thought this thread could use a quick revival with this article by Rick Reilly. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/sto...mp;sportCat=nfl

Interesting combination...being a Sens and Bills fan. But I guess it's not unheard of...

Recruiting?

With the Hixon hire, we might see Josh Reed back next year. He coached Reed at LSU when he had 94 catches for 1740 yards his senior season.

You're right, I completely forgot about that. Wasn't it also Mike Brown, owner of the Bengals, that voted against opting out of the CBA? People all over were bashing the two of them for being stuck in their "small market nonsense"....