tonyjustbcuz

Just wish we had someone bigger that can punch it in on 3rd and goal...maybe that is Johnny White? Little short but stocky I believe...Also wish we had a Butch Rolle (I think that was his name?).. type that will get that unexpected t.d. at clutch time. I am glad that M. Lynch is gone too...he worked very hard to get his 2 or 3 yards, couldn't outrun anyone when he did break one, and seemed like a bad player for team morale as he was influential with other young players. So much from past regimes was wrong...Lynch, Maybin, Whitner..yeah Whitner, Hardy, (talent wise only Kelsay..but he does have a good attitude), T. Edwards, Lossman etc...when you have to overcome these draft picks plus many others it takes years to do! Not to mentione when you assemble some solid to very good players like Jason Peters, Pat Williams, Nate Clements, Antwoine Winfield, Jabari Greer, Leonhard, etc...and you let them all slip away because you don't want to pay them the market rate you have to make up for those holes as well...So this regime of Nix and Gailey pretty much started with a near empty well! I think the positives of this season though will be evidenced by the progression of the 3-4 defense, and some unit cohesiveness on the offensive line and at the WR position. I think you could very well see some increased production from the young players like McKelvin, Spiller, Troup, Moats, Nelson, etc... I think it would be wise to bring in at a minimum one offensive and defensive players who are experienced and well seasoned who are known for their leadership skills as the Bills have a high percentage of young players who have a lot that could be learned from a mentor type of player. This is where S. Merriman may be best at contributing if not on the field. When you look at it philosophically not too much seperates the Bills from half of the leaugue's players. Yes when you are talking about Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England, GreenBay and a few others their is a distinct difference in our talent base, but we can win one game or eight games depending on how willing everyone is to sing from the same sheet of musice, accept construnctive criticism from their coaches, and work to improve their individual and team performance on the field..not only on game day, but day to day during practice. Winning starts with doing that one extra pushup, situp, lift, lap, hour of studying your playbook, it's the little things that add up!!!! We have a team right now that if they "billeave" and do all the small and big things on the practice field, film room, dietary wise, game day, and in the locker room to properly prepare they could be fighting for a playoff spot well into November if not longer! Remember, we lost some overtime games to teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh last season and some other close ones that could've been won if they played just a little better throughout the game and took advantage of one or two opportunities! It's the small things like putting your hands up to deflect a pass or not giving up a touchdown on a interception that matter! We can win 9 or 10 games this year...but without total team committment we will not! If we just fall in line at an equal tempo with the other half of the leaugue and play as we are slotted then we are looking at 4 to 7 wins! Just like in life it's all about character, persisitence, overcoming challenges and great odds, and being as well conditioned as you can be as a player because it's in the trenches and in the 4th quarter that most teams win or lose a game as most games are close until one team makes up it's mind seperate itself! It's all about the will to win! and desire! That's why Parcells always said something like...I can win with my guys, but if I had your guys I could win too! That's why Bellicheck can replace marquee players that he feels inclined to dump and pickup a no-name fill in that will perform admirably year after year! So it's a new season...and it can be as positive or negative dependent upon what the Bills make it! I think with all the positive slogans and pictures with motivating captions on them...drafting some key elements in the draft the past couple of years, working on building some depth, having a good Quarterback who is well liked and a good leader like Fitzy that we will be a very underated team with a lot of potential to win many games. I don't think there is one game that we can look at and say.."We can't win this game". I think instead we say "We can win this game and will"..We know this won't work everytime..but we believe that it will! GO BILLS !

I agree.....It sounds nice at first glance and all the good feeling in the air, but until we have New England's, Pittsburgh's, and other legitimate team's envy based on how talented we are, and how much of a challenge we pose with our offense, defense, special teams, coaches, gameplanning, drafting, ownership, homefield advantage, etc...then I think the Bills instead should try to borrow and wear Rocky's "eye of the tiger", train & workout like never before with a vengence, and instead of smiling and joking at an informal half-speed padless practice in May and twitter'ng about how they feel about their status on the Bills ie: Donte Whitner...Despite all this good feeling we are destined to be a 4 to 7 win team this year +/- 1 dependent upon injury or lucky bounces! I'd rather they try to prove everyone wrong, including me, shut-up, be humble, bring their lunch pail, and act like they really want to be a winning team. Sometimes, I saw that last year, but many times I would see a lack of hustle, players that would give up on a play, and a team that was not as physically fit in the fourth quarter that would let games slip away! Even Trent Edwards looked good in the offseason and wore a smile! I hope this lockout ends soon so we can get rid of a few players, and replace them with free agents and utilize some of our draft picks in their place ie: Kelvin Sheppard, Aaron Williams, and of course a future Pro Bowler..Marcell Dareus! Sorry if I went off-topic a little, but with 4 kids in our house I try to let out all of what I'm thinking about the state of the Bills in one reply when given the opportunity! and that's what the Bills need to take advantage of....Their opportunity!!!! They should practice together 5 days a week because other teams aren't and they need a leg up...(a thigh..a shoulder...a hand..etc..lol)on the competition as they have a talent deficit to contend with at several positions..especially when it comes to depth, and they still have issues with being undersized at a few positions. Let's Go Bills!

I think Dareus will be good..Williams great..Edwards so-so....Merriman may not make it through the season..we'll see..Shepard unknown..Poz? Overated..if he's here..so-so, and I like Moats...McKelvin is underachiever better turn it up!...McGee often injured..Williams should be decent..Byrd needs more grabs this year! Overall I think our defense is still 3 good players away from being something special... On offense still need a TE..#1 receiver or #2 depending on how you look at it..probably a RT..an upgrade at LT...So probably about 4 good starters from being good...an upgrade at QB to be a contender! That makes 5 good offensive Starters and 3 good defensive players (not including depth..) away from being a playoff team! So of 22 starters we still need 8 more approx. so we're almost 2/3 the way there! Next year's focus should be on the offense and in 2013 we're looking at depth and filling the final few holes...and then we should be a real contender!!

I could understand if he slid like Da'Quan Bowers did or even maybe Nick Fairley but Dareus was selected 3rd overall and one of those selections was a QB which is quite typical of previous NFL drafts. I'm actually surprised by the comment/statement by Dareus as he seems pretty mild mannered off the field. I could also understand the comments if Dareus was projected as the #1 pick for a lengthy period of time, but for quite a while until Bowers got injured, and Fairley's workouts weren't as spectacular as expected both players were actually projected ahead of Dareus, including Peterson, A.J. Green, and Von Miller typically at 5..not including Cam Newton... If those 2 scenarios unfolded differently with Fairley and Bowers..Marcell Dareus could've easily found himself somewhere between the 5th and 9th player selected in the draft. Dareus shot up the draft boards in the last month or so previous to the draft and dependent on team needs wasn't the best player available. That distinction probably would belong to Patrick Peterson at CB. Fortunately for Dareus it is rare that a CB is selected in the first few picks! Dareus should consider himself very lucky to be picked at #3 instead of some sort of entitlement and the mindset that he was somehow slighted. As a Bills fan I am very excited to have him, but my advice to him is if he isn't making positive statements in a humble sort of way...just play football when it's time and keep your mouth shut and let your playing justify the pick!!!! We don't need another Donte Whitner always twittering and telling everyone how he feels today about his Bills status...We don't need anyone predicting that we are going to the playoffs...We don't care what ticks you off or what you had for breakfast! What most Bills fans care about is how you perform on the football field, what kind of teamate you are, and the bottom line of how many wins the Bills amass thoughout the regular season!!! Baiscally...Shut up and play ball (that's whenever the lockout is over!!!), until then train like you never trained before and come in and dominate as a rookie if you can? Go Bills!

I hear ya...but, I differ somewhat on my take. I really wanted Colin Kaepernick as our 2nd pick and as you know the Bills had a different plan than a QB in round #2 and Kapernick may have been gone by then anyways, but I wanted a QB. Upon further review despite not one down of football being played as of yet, I think the Bills made mostly smart moves in the draft as far as their selections. After reading extensively their are good reasons why they selected Williams, Searcy etc.....Of course you gotta love the Dareus pick! I think that the Bills are not looking with a shortsightedness, and are looking to build something substantial here like Detroit has been doing the past few years. I think it's great that the Bills probably significantly upgraded their defense and could have as many as 4 true starters if football is played this season. They addressed the defensive line which was the biggest problem on their roster. The Bills just could not slow down the run, and that hinders the ability to stop the 3rd down conversions, and the ability for our offense to get the ball back and score. A good defense will help our offense tremendously! A more productive defense means a defense that gets off the field sooner, which in turn leads to a fresher defense in the second half and late in games at crunch time. It also means that if they can shut down teams on the run, we can dictate to them to throw more and typically are cornerbacks have been a strong group over the years. Aaron Williams plays better against the run than pass and has the ability to get to the QB as well and cause havoc. You would like to draft all the top players available but you only get to draft one player per selection and have to make the prudent choice. I think overall the Bills did that..and even their pick of Johnny White is intriguing as he is a good runner, receiver,and at special teams. I think it's easy to see that this is a multi-layered plan that is built on stages and will take 3 years essentially to fruitation. Last year was in-depth evaluation of the entire roster, and I believe the Bills know exactly their needs. This year was build up the defense, and add a couple players for depth on the O line and at RB. Next year will be a fun process when we draft as it will be 80% Offense (although we will plug a few holes and depth on offense during freeagency this year dependent on the CBA etc..) I feel confident in saying that the Bills will want Andrew Luck next year and may do whatever it takes to get him, but at the very least you are looking at one of 3 QB's most likely...(it's early!) Luck, Barkley, or L. Jones. I think the emphasis on TE is weak, and although it's not a primary concern of Gailey I think it will be addressed as well. I think the #2 concern though would be a Left Tackle to protect the future franchise QB. I think that is smart and may be worth moving back into the first round for. If you can get out of the 2012 with Luck and move back in and get Kalil or someone else of similar talent that alone would be a successful draft even if you gave up all your other picks! Sure another WR would help, a RT if it's still a problem, but I think next year we really close in on becoming a team that is in the process of learning to win and evolving into a future contender! If all goes to plan in 2012 I think in 2013 which is really far on the horizon at the moment....I think that draft is the draft to take the best available player on the board and build depth for the playoff runs in our future. All that being said, I think I have been one of the biggest pessimists about the Bills future. I have disagreed more times than I can count on our past draft blunders and was very upset when we past on players like Hali Nata, Bryan Orakapo, Clay Matthews, etc.... I stated the day before the draft this year that if the Bills drafted Marcell Dareus DT with their first pick that I would finally believe in what they are trying to assemble and the methods they are using to get there! Well, they surprised me for once and picked the player I thought will begin the magic we had in the early 90's! My bold "out there" prediction is Buffalo will win the Superbowl in 2014 after drafting defense...offense...depth...and all of it finally meshing together into a top notch cohesive unit as they win the Superbowl!!!! Buffalo 31 Detroit 28 (Bills make a game winning 43 yd fiedgoal as time expires!!!) Can't Wait!!!! Go Bills

Yeah..substance abuse!

I suppose so...instead of riding the pine though he'd be in the pine! RIP

I thought that Donovan McNabb was a pretty good QB...Very solid over the course of his career. Not great...Not a Marino, Kelly, Montana, Brady etc....but a step below and solid. I do think that he is probably just about done though, and it would be about the appropriate time for him to retire.I wish we would've had him over nearly all if not all of our QB's since Kelly. I did like Flutie for about 2 yrs..and Blesdoe for about 8 games...but overall I wish we would've had Mcnabb..especially considering we've had Rob Johnson, Hobert, Lossman, Todd Collins, Edwards, Van Pelt etc...I know A. Van Pelt was a popular player, but I never saw him as a decent QB. I hope Donovan McNabb has success again, but if not hopefully he'll have a nice retirement.

I guess I am uncommonly pessimistic about the Bills management and ownership to some degree...but, based on the past decade I think it's warranted. Buddy Nix has already stated that he doesn't go after big ticket free agents in free agency and sticks to marginal players to fill a hole. (Not a quote, but that was the general meaning of what he did say..) Except for maybe the Redskins I've seen several big name free agents over the years really help a team get over the hump. All players cost a chunk of change but a good free agent is like a free draft pick in a way and may have the potential to be a big impact.I think if the Bills would pick up two higher profile free agents that are not pushing the age barrier like T.Owens...that they could get much better sooner rather than later. But, like Ownes the objective shouldn't be just to sign a big name to put people in the seats, but instead to make the team deeper and add real talent. I do agree with the fundamental belief that you want to generally build your team around draft choices though. That is the exact reason why I would've liked for the Bills to draft a QB this past year instead of looking at T. Thigpen as a backup QB option. Actually the Bills should've probably done both things (drafting QB of future & pickup a free agent as well)..Whomever they thought was the Best QB of Kaepernick, Mallett, Dalton. I usually hear that a QB takes at least a year or two to develop in the NFL. (Not a rule as there are exceptions, but generally)..I think what Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey said about drafting a QB before you actually need them is the smart thing to do! The Bills did not take that course of action though, and I think it is a mistake. I am not saying at all that Ralph Wilson sucks as you put it. I am saying when it comes to spending a boatload of money (which he does!) That he often (or his GM's) puts the money in the wrong places, and in the wrong amounts. Some of the marginal free agents that they did acquire in the past several years were only marginal talent at best, and the Bills overpaid to get them when there were better options. They also have resigned players like Chris Kelsay and others and substantially overpaid while opting not to resign players of higher caliber when it was warranted: Antwoine Winfield, Nate Clements, Pat Williams, Jabari Greer, Leonhard, etc...(there are several others!). I cannot blame Buddy Nix for most of those mistakes considering he's time at his positon, but I can blame him for drafting C.J. Spiller who was not a good use of his first round selection in last year's NFL Draft. Instead we should've drafted a DT, or OT which would have put us further ahead this year, and just maybe we could've used our 1st round pick to select another position of need this year instead of selecting Dareus. (I do really like Dareus though!). I do believe that the Bills (Ralph) sometimes thinks with his wallet when it comes to big paycheck players, and that includes his hirings of GM's, coaches, QB's etc...I think it would be foolish to say otherwise after the past decade or more of incompetence. Look at Greg Williams for instance...He was adamant about us drafting Drew Breeze, but the Bills braintrust (lol)..was smarter and would not have it! Time and time again Williams ideas were shot down and he told Breeze that he may see him at a future time...we know how that turned out and who has a ring! I may take a kick in the head for this, but I think that good teams repeat themselves and generally are good or get good again fast, while poor teams with weak ownership and management keep finding themselves at ground zero! The examples are plentiful throughout the leaugue ie: New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Diego....etc..not every year is guaranteed for these teams to be good, but with GM's like Bill Polian etc..they spend the money in the right places, hire the right front office personnel, and make logical selections in the drafts and free agency. The bad teams always finds themselves at the bottom of the pile. Somehow, even with lower draft picks than the bad teams the good teams historically draft better! That is because they have great scouting teams, and winning philosophies that work well. (We do not!)Teams like Cincinatti, Seattle, Buffalo, Cleveland are usually bad to fair, but you can count on it that they will be back there again at ground zero soon as they generally are poorly run organizations from top to bottom! So with history often repeating itself when do you think the Bills will see the playoffs again? Okay, better question is..When do you have realistic hope that the Bills have a reasonable chance of going to the Superbowl? (That is what they play for right?).. Do you think Ryan Fitzpatrick will lead the Bills to the Superbowl this year? Next year? Year after? Okay that's probably a NO! So what about the playoffs? This year? NO...Next year? Probably not yet! WHEN? That's why we need to start developing our QB of the future NOW! (and Thigpen isn't him!).. I'll leave you with one more thought as I know this is long and I could write about the Bills all day long (I have several kids and I squeeze everything in when I get the chance so please excuse me!)....If you take away Rothlesburger, Manning, Brady (who were all drafted by their teams!) And from day one you inserted a DT, or a CB, or a LB instead...Could you sit there and be confident that any one of those 3 teams would've won the Superbowl during the time frame these guys have been those teams QB's...(That would probably be a NO!) That is how important it is to get a QB in the draft, and we passed on it for the hope that we may get one of the top 3 QB's in next years draft (which is far from a guarantee..) which sets us back another year ontop of the year or two developmental wait we will probably incur already! So now your looking at a 3 yr wait in all likelihood just to get off the ground and be realistic contenders!!!! Three years is about the extent of the time frame that Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey have to show strong playoff potential..Then it will be new coaches, and probably Doug Whaley starting the cycle of incompetence all over again like we have seen many times before! That's not saying anyone sucks! That's not being a unconditional optimist! That's being realistic, based on what I have seen, What I have heard, and what the Bills telegraph the future to be based on their personnel decisons!!! Just like my mutual funds..Past performance is no guarantee of future performance, but when comparing funds most everyone looks at the history of the fund when deciding the likelihood of future successes!

That was 3 yrs ago! I haven't even heard that fossil's name in a couple of years..How old is he? I don't think I would like that maneuver at all..Maybe our true motive in bypassing Blaine Gabbert at #3 is that we saved a ton of $ CASH $ and we are once again trying to take the cheaper route to mediocrity? I sure hope not! It's pretty hard being a fan of Ralph's team, just like it was as a fan of Galasonio's Sabres! One thing I've learned as a Buffalo fan is don't read into the hype of owners, General managers and coaches...when they say they want to bring a championship to Buffalo...We've heard it from Regis, Galisono, Ralph Wison, Buddy Nix, The Buffalo Braves front office back in the day, Jauron, and other Bills past coaches etc..Now of course Pegula, (who may be legit if it isn't a short lived prospect?). I've been slapped around and taking advantage of along with the rest of you fans...so when I'm told by Nix that we took the player we did in a draft or free agency..I just wonder is he talking out of both ends when stressing the point of the quality of the player they took while I'm thinking about the potential of the player they could have taken??? That being said I did agree with taken Marcell Dareus, but where I beg to differ is that I think there was a quality QB to be selected at pick #34 and we decided to go in a different direction. I think it would be cheaper to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick vice drafting and grooming a QB with pick #34. I not only think the Bills want to keep Fitzpatrick as the starter for this year, but I believe the Bills will re-sign Fitzpatrick for an additional 2-3 years with him being at the reigns of QB for the forseeable future! I think Ryan Fitzpatrick is a good manager of the game who can help a team break even at 8-8 if surrounded by enough talent, but I don't think he is a player that can get you into the playoffs! If your motive is to fill the seats, give the Bills fans some hope, and keep the payroll very manageable without breaking the bank...then chasing a QB like T. Thigpen makes perfect sense and the dreams of tomorrow will be reflective of the decade prior filled with mediocrity and unrealized hope that has made a cynic of your best Bill's fans including myself! I liked him a few years ago..but what has he been doing? Has he been in a starter roll? Has he started any games while the featured QB was injured? I'm just curious as I don't know.

I think the Bills are just good enough to avoid the top 5 picks next year..but I could see them coming in about 7th-9th position on the draft board. I'm thinking about 5 or 6 wins next year..and optimistically maybe 7 tops! I think the Bills schedule is very hard next year and believe it's ranked as the 2nd hardest schedule. If that is the case and the Bills are going to be sub-marginal then I'd rather them lose some close games and get a high draft pick! I know it is tough to root for them to lose and I'm sure I won't be thinking that way until I know that it's too late to salvage the season as playoff hopes are fun, but probably unrealistic at this point. Of course I'm hoping to get Andrew Luck, but I would think the odds of us actually having that opportunity are somewhat low. I think that it helps that most of the teams that had QB needs in the draft selected one in the early rounds, but it didn't stop Carolina from drafting a QB early back to back seasons. I think the Bills are possibly heading in the right direction, and I said prior to the draft.."If the Bills end up selecting Marcell Dareus in the draft we are heading in the right direction, and if they end up taking the 237 lb Von Miller I still have some doubt." I am so glad that they went in this direction and only time will tell if we made a good selection or not! Here's to hoping we end up with Andrew Luck in 2012!

What about 15 years in a row? We have the potential to achieve that you know! I would take that without even thinking twice! Heck I would take a 2nd for him without thinking hard either!

I get what they are saying to a point...Im darn glad for Dareus, but I think when the Bills were on the board with their second rounder they shouldve gone for a QB! I believe Colin kaepernick wouldve been the choice I would've made. They could've gotten right back to defense in the third and then a Offense tackle in the 4th and another defensive player without losing a beat! I just don't get how they intend on carrying 4 QB's into camp without picking up two free agents. Unless they end up tendering an offer to B. Brohm and picking up one free agent. But, then you know they are not going to create a controversy by drafting someone to compete with Fitzpatrick as Chan Gailey has already assured Fitzpatrick that he is the annointed starter in 2011. What that all equates to is that they will draft one middling free agent that is sub par to Fitzpatrick, and probably bring Brohm and Levi Brown into camp which isn't getting us anywhere fast. My concern is if Fitzpatrick gets injured prior to the season we are going to end up with someone else's hand-me-down QB that couldn't make it and lead the Bills right down the Johnny flusher and a 2-14 record! So what's the upside of all of this? The good news is we should be one of 3 or 4 teams competing for the A. Luck sweepstakes! My only fear is that Bills will instead go with Barkley or a defensive player because they had them ranked higher on their board! or win a meaningless game at the end of the year against a playoff team that has nothing to gain except for resting their starters..and losing out on that precious first pick! Walters is right that some of our picks our reaches...one of them isn't even in my draft manual at all..and another was predicted to be a priority free agent pick up! I like 3 of our picks and that's about it! There were opportunities to fill some of our needs with even more credible talent that was available. I would give our draft a C+ and that's only because we got Marcell Dareus. If it makes a differnce..I study the draft for about 6 months a year...have graphs, charts, mocks, and my own War room! The only picks that me and the Bills have agreed on regarding my present and past couple of years of mocks was..Byrd, Dareus, Levitre....If the Bills would've followed my mocks we'd have Ngata, Clay Matthews, B. Orakapo, Dareus, Kaepernick, and a couple of other good players...but yeah, I would've gotten burnt on Claussen as I would've taken him in the 2nd round last year! I'm just glad they finally got the first pick right as that's a good step for this organization...and if we could ever string three or four good picks in a row we will finally be on the road to the playoffs! But one thing to remember is that good organizations repeat themselves and bad organizations repeat themselves...their draft blunders, personnel blunders, etc...We should've gotten a QB at some point in the first 3 rounds! If you took a CB away from the Steelers, Colts, Patriots, Saints, Packers..recent Superbowl teams is it possible they might have still gone to the Superbowl? Probably! But if you took away Rothlesburger, Manning, Brady, Breeze, and Rodgers away from those teams and gave them a CB instead would have they been likely Superbowl participants? Probably Not....and that is just how important it is to have a franchise QB!!! Point made...

Yeah..and maybe with him gone we can focus on making the playoffs someday! Nothing like a never was predicting the playoffs like he did a couple of years ago! I wont miss his big mouth yapping on twitter!

Well several months ago I had Ricky Stanzi Iowa picked by the Bills on my mock...but I took a fair amount of flak for that pick! I later backed off from my interest in Stanzi more based on feedback! I really liked him, he has a lot of good qualities...I think he has great upside and potential! If the Bills don't take Stanzi I am done pulling for any of the remaining QB's, but wouldn't be surprised if they take leftovers on the plate in the 6th or 7th round for competition's sake! I thought they said they woldn't do that this year? Well pick is coming in a few min....last chance?

I'm not claiming to have the best memory on Twobillsdrive, but it seems to me that Ralph made a promise that he was going to immediately send scouts in the field to focus solely on evaluating the QB talent at the college level. That was early during the season when many didn't realize that Fitzpatrick was a servicable to decent QB. I'm not bashing Ryan Fitzpatrick either as I like and root for him as much as I root for the team. I also know that the majority of Bills players on the roster like and support Fitzpatrick. Buddy Nix has said repeatedly during the pre draft process that if you wait to get a QB until you need one it's usually too late! I agree with that mindset which makes me wonder what are we waiting for. The Bills only have Fitzpatrick and Levi Brown on their roster as of now, and obviousl they are not that enthusiastic about Brown's ability seeing that they did release him prior to releasing Brohm. Buddy said that they will have 4 QB's on the roster for training camp, and there is no guarantee that freeagency will have a QB (or two) that they desire...if there is freeagency at all? Who knows if a season as we know it will exist if at all? Who knows if freeagency will occur as we know it or at all? The most prudent thing would have been to get a QB either in the 2nd or 3rd round. I love Dareus...like the 2nd rounder..and I'm okay with the third rounder overall! But, how interesting and the potential that would have existed if we would have drafted Ryan Mallett in the third round. Yes, he has some baggage, and needs to be coached up and peer pressured into staying away from other questionable issues he may have. The scary thing is that we will always have to live with the fact that Ryan Mallett went one pick after us to the New England Patriots. The Patriots are superb talent evaluators and looked more at Mallett's potential rather than focusing on his current detractors. They did okay with the slow-footed Blesdoe didn't they? Peyton Manning was a questionable pick as many thought Ryan Leaf was the right pick. Peyton is a little slower on the foot than many QB's as well, but he has great arm strength and accuracy and Mallett possesses these qualities as well. More on the arm strength than accuracy, but he has the tools! The interesting fact is that if you take the great teams....Indy, N.Eng, Phil, Pitt, S.Diego etc...they can identify QB's...Is it that Gailey gets too much credit for QB's? He can develop them, but he doesn't draft them! He has input, but the bottom line is Modrak, Nix, Ralph, all supercede Gailey's input. 1983 was the last time that we drafted a QB that was close to a sure fire solution. Flutie was okay, not great! Johnson was good occasionally but overall he was lousy! Lossman was a miss! Edwards was a miss! Fitz is an excellent backup or fair starter. Now was the time, and it likely passed! The Bills will probably be just good enought to avoid the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, but bad enough to put to sleep in my reclining chair! The last potential QB that has any potential to me is Ricky Stanzi, Iowa and he is 2 yrs away from being a NFL starter if that ever occurs. So what do you all think we should do as the draft will not likely net us a future franchise QB? If we get to freeagency, who do you think will be available? Carson Palmer? Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb? lol... Brett Favre???..lol...had to add that as stranger things have happened! (a couple of times at least!) Hope this post is worthy and I look forward to your ideas....

Houston and C. Ballard were popped recently on a urinalysis for THC. This would be a red flag for me even though I'm sure that's not such a rare occurence. I was rooting for them to pick Mallett once we got to the 3rd round even though he's a red flag walking! It scares me that N.E. see's something in him and drafted him! Would've, could've, should've? The only QB left that I think has enough upside to take a shot on is Ricky Stanzi...

I'd be surprised if someone doesn't move up with the trade masters (N.E.) and grab Bowers! But if he's there we'd be foolish to pass up on the risk/reward chance to have Dareus, K.Williams, and Bowers on the same defensive line! Could you imagine??? The other option I would consider (which isn't an option on here)..as I'm partial on the subject is Colin Kaepernick QB! 4,000 rushing yards, 10,000 passing yards, very strong arm, very determined and makes the big play when needed most! The yardage totals for his career are NCAA records as nobody has ever achieved that milestone before!

I don't know if anyone is aware of it..but I heard it on WGR news the other day that both Christian Ballard DE, and Justin Houston were popped for THC a few days ago. It may have been for some type of event like wrestling if I recall correctly. I definitely don't need another bad influence which I felt M. Lynch was when on our roster! I see the poll shows a equal amount of the vote went in his direction and wonder if people would vote the same way if they were aware of this information?

I just wonder if the Pats will take Bowers at #33 as they went into the drafting needing DE's and they have a strong enough talent base and enough picks to take a chance on Bowers. Also I wouldn't be surprised if someone didn't trade up with New England and take Bowers or a QB. If he is there at #34 and our coaches and medical doctors feel that he is going to make a full recovery in a timely manner then I say let's get him! Could be the steal of the draft and a healthy Bowers playing on the same line as Dareus and Kyle Williams really is scary!! I agree with what you are saying about drafting a QB! Nows the time and you have enough picks to do that and then to refocus on the defense! With a year or two..sometimes more of break in period/learning curve this is the perfect time to snag a QB. My personal favorite I'm rooting for is Colin Kaepernick for a variety of reasons, but I still would be accepting of either Dalton or Mallett as I would think the Bills would have conviction over whomever they select..and that they probably know better than me which QB is more talented! But a big YES! will come out if they took Kaeprenick! I would also be fine with Bowers at #34 if it were to happen and would be willing to delay the QB selection as this is a high risk/high reward type of pick due to the injury sustained! But the potential may be worth the risk! If that would require a trade back into the second that's fine as long as we don't mortgage the future by giving next years high picks to do so! So get the QB...Get the QB...2ND OR 3RD..But get'em!

That's unless Marcell Dareus is on the board...I think Buddy Nix emphasized one thing in one of his recent press conferences, and that was that the number one thing they have to be able to do is have the ability to shut down the running game. I think the way to achieve that would be by drafting Marcell Dareus if Denver doesn't for some reason select him. Dareus has the ability to play in the 4-3 or 3-4 or any hybird version as well. He is very versatile and has a strong anchor and eats up space while making plays, including having the ability to sack the qb. One thing about Dareus is that he is a big man, and would be just as good fit for Buffalo as Miller. The deciding factor though is that Marcell Dareus more than adequately fills the Bills most glaring weakness. Meanwhile the Bills still have hope somehow that Aaron Maybin may actually see the light and begin to become a real player. The Bills also have hope that Shawn Merriman may return to old form prior to his nagging injuries. If one of these two things were to happen then the Bills need for a OLB would be lower on the totem pole and therefore we could address our greatest need!

The only differences I can think of is whomever the Panthers and Broncos will pick will cost them slightly more than it will if the Bills remain at #3 and pick at that spot. The major difference between us and the Panthers is that they have the ability to pick a player if they want to witht he first pick no matter what any other organization decides. We on the otherhand have to have a contingency plan in case the player(s) we covet are selected as the 1st or 2nd pick! The Bills at a mininum have to have at least 3 players on the board prior to the draft, The Broncos 2, and the Panthers 1. If all 3 teams do so, everyone will get a player on their wish list! That's really about it as far as I can think....just a little difference in the money, and a difference in how assured you are that your coveted player will be there.

So let me ask you since you've selected Miller in your mind.... What was our biggest flaw as a team last year? Does that fit into the equation when you decided on Miller over Dareus or whomever else is available? My quick view because I have to do something else is...that our biggest flaw was the inability to stop the run! The best way I know is to clog up the running lanes with a big defensive tackle like Marcell Dareus who is a strong anchor and a wide body...He gets his share of sacks and disrupts the QB as well. Nobody had more sacks than Miller, but I'm slightly uneasy about that converting to the same results in the NFL as Miller is obviously a slightly undersized player. His specialty is a need, but not as much as stopping the run at the point of attack. Marcell Dareus is probably the most versatile DT in the draft and like Miller doesn't display any character or work ethic flaws. Despite our differnce in player preference I think we do win either way..I'm just more inclined to go with Dareus and wanted to see your thoughts on the subject...thanks!

I still have to open up this article...but I like the idea of the Bills going after Locker or especially Kaepernick!!!! I have seen some draft magazines that compares Christian Ponder to Trent Edwards as a QB..and that scares me away from him! I think Gabbert is overrated and he wasn't even a first rounder prior to Andrew Luck's decision to not declare for the draft!

Yeah, I agree with you that we need a defensive player and Marcell Dareus would be the selection in my opinion at DT. He has the size, speed, experience, and ability to stop the run and also cause havoc for the opposing offensive line and QB. I don't think you will have to worry about the Bills drafting Green with the 3rd pick. I think that it's one of the most proposterous opinions I have seen lately. I think sometimes people just jump on here after reading someone else's mock and unfortuantely they don't know football all that well. I mean a top WR does add excitement to an offense and possibly an extra win here or there..but in the grand scheme QB, and the Offensive and defensive lines are what good teams are composed of. New England is a prime example as they will release or trade WR's with little regard and pick up a free agent to plug in and have great success with that methodology. Marcell Dareus will likely be gone, but if available he is my pick! Alternate pick would be Von Miller OLB..