OldTimer1960

Yeah, I am with you. I wouldn't compare Ebron to Gragg in that Ebron was very productive in a good conference, but he isn't very big for an NFL TE, if I have his size right at 6'3" and 245 lbs. Certainly, there will be worse options available when the Bills pick, but I'd rather have Sammy Watkins or Marquise Lee at WR or one of the top 3 OTs. I would rather have Ebron than WR Evans, though.

I think that it might be a little unrealistic to address as many positions as you listed (at least with high picks and good FAs), but I would have no big issue with trying to build a dominant defense. My concern with that many resources spent on D is that the offense will be ignored again. In my opinion, they have to find another competent OG and really need at least one top receiving weapon (could be WR or TE). To me, even if Robert Woods takes a big step up this year (which I think he will), the Bills will still have an average to below average receiving group (without additions, that is). They have a young QB with potential, even if some here want to bury him already. They need to get him some quality weapons and provide much better pass protection (and run blocking) - both of which will help any QB.

There are bigger needs elsewhere, unless for some very strange reason the market for him is very depressed.

+1000

I usually like to stay away from players who are perceived to have less than stellar work habits, but Clowney is SO talented that I would be very tempted to draft him if he were miraculously still on the board. I would not trade up to get him, but man is he talented. WRT to him being invisible this year, according to Spurrier teams double and even triple teamed him on nearly every play. NFL teams won't be able to do that because his teammates will be better than they were at S.Carolina.

We'll, even if we agree on those 8 teams, that IS the bottom 25% of the 32 team league. I'd say that Torrey Smith is better than any Bills WR, at this point. I also think that Dallas Clark/Dennis Pitta/Ed Dixon are better than the Bills' TEs. Jacoby Jones was also on the Ravens. Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson and 1st round pick Cordarrelle Patterson with John Carlson and Kyle Rudolph at TE - I'd say they measured up well vs the Bills' receivers last year. I could make an argument for Steve Smith, Greg Olsen, Brandon Lafelle and Ted Ginn being as good,too.

I respectfully disagree. I'd put last year's Bills receiving corp in the bottom 25% of the league (easily). Their ONLY experienced WR (SJ) was out or playing injured much of the time. Woods and Graham were rookies. TJ Graham started at WR and had less than 20 receptions for the whole year (for God's sake!). Nobody else on the WR roster even had ONE NFL reception going into the year. I do agree that Woods should continue to get better. I *think*/hope that Goodwin will become a good complementary weapon. The rest of the WR corp I could live without. I don't see potential in any of the rest of them (but I am not a scout).

And how did their rookie QB look?

On this we can agree (that Manuel has to get better), but I DO expect him to get better. MOST rookies, regardless of position, get better in year two - especially if they have a good work-ethic as Manuel reportedly has. Can someone point to a more inexperienced/below average receiving crew than Manuel had last year?

Why? Is there some kind of track record of success in the past with Chandler that suggest that the Bills' inadequate coaching held him back? I don't think he had many CAREER catches before joining the Bills. Last year was certainly not his best with the Bills, but he was coming off a major injury. Still, there is NOTHING to suggest that Chandler is a star being held back by the Bills' coaching/scheme.

On defense, I agree that the young talent is developing. I am not seeing that young talent around Manuel that is developing on offense. To be clear, I think that Robert Woods will develop into a good complementary receiver. I am not sure of Goodwin or Graham doing so. I think that SJ is exactly that - a good complementary receiver. Look at what Kaepernick had in SF: Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin WITH a good running game and an OL comprised of multiple #1 picks. I see the potential in Kaepernick, too, but given what he had to work with, I didn't think that he was more impressive than Manuel at all.

Please help us all out here. What is YOUR definition of pocket awareness? Is that affected by the time it takes (mostly) rookie WRs to get open and the time afforded by a questionable OL? If the answer is: "he should have known after 1.5 seconds that nobody would get open and the OL couldn't protect him longer" then I *sort of* agree.....

I think that this is a very overly harsh view of Manuel. How many rookies QBs are masters at going through their progressions and pre-snap reads? How many rookie QBs have virtually an all rookie receiving corp, augmented with an average TE coming off knee surgery? I will agree that if Manuel doesn't show improvement this year, it will be a big concern. However, the same is true of Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. If TJ Graham isn't 100% better this year, there is a BIg hole at WR. Can the Bills count on SJ to be healthy and play well?

With all due respect, I think you are fantasizing if you think that Stevie would fetch a 2nd round pick and Byrd (as a restricted FA) would get a #1 or 2. If SJ and Byrd aren't worth "their money", why do you think any other team would pay very much to trade for them? Who is the magical "veteran" QB that would be "that good" to fill "that important of a position"? Do you really think that Roethlisberger could be had for a REASONABLE price? How can you utter Kirk Cousin's name in the same breath as Roethlisberger? Cousins for a 3rd - MAYBE, but not more.

Ugh. Smith was AWFUL, but still I wouldn't give up on him with the weapons he had. Manuel was encouraging given that he had: TJ Graham in year 2, rookie Woods, rookie Goodwin and a good-not-great Stevie Johnson (sometimes). At TE, he had Campbell coming off a major knee injury - even at his best, he is an adequate starting TE. The running game was compromised with Spiller's injury and poor LG play. Still, there is, of course questions regarding EJ's long-term outcome, but that would be true of any rookie QB - especially in that situation. The Bills have barely addressed the offense in the last 3 drafts (at least in premium rounds). Most of the draft has been pointed at improving the defense - and I think that has been done. They need to be more disciplined (and need a little help at LB), but there is a lot of talent on D. On O, the solid veterans are: Wood, Glenn, Freddie Jackson, Stevie Johnson (if not hurt) and Spiller (if not hurt). Time for an influx of talent on O, best players available on that side of the ball, unless a CAN"T MISS prospect is available on D in round 1.

I can't imagine a S in the first, even if Byrd leaves. I don't know how Watkins/Benjamin don't make your list for round 1, unless you think both will be gone. I'd be very concerned with Mosley or Zach Martin (at OG, but less so at RT) I am really not grooving on Sefarian-Jenkins at TE in round 2. Too much baggage and too many questions about effort (only based on what I've read - maybe he will do great things). I would be hard-pressed to wait on a WR/TE until round 3, but if there isn't one worth picking at 9 or in the 2nd, by all means pass on them.

Evans is big, but not very sudden (given my limited exposure to his play). it is much easier to 'win' those battles in college than in the NFL where the QB has 2-2.5 seconds to throw to someone who might not be open. Based only on what I've seen/read, I'd take Sammy Watkins or Kelvin Benjamin over Evans all day. I am not sure I'd take Evans in round 2 even.

Agreed

Cowherd is a know-nothing TV dweeb. Now, I don't know which QB will be better over the next 7 years, but I think I'd take Aaron Rodgers OR Andrew Luck ANY day.

Do you suppose that some of that rushing had to do with a marginal OL and mostly rookie/first year WRs?

In my very humble opinion, it is very risky to evaluate rookie QBs, no matter their stats. Smith and Manual suffered from a lack of experienced playmakers at TE and WR. How will they develop? I certainly don't know, but I still like everything that I've read about EJ Manual's work-ethic and intelligence.

I think that (as of now with possibly much to change), that they have to look at: WR: Watkins & Benjamin (Benjamin will go much higher than many anticipate based on size, athleticism and the p-word potential) OT: Mathews and Robinson or bust. I don't *think* that Lewan will be in the discussion at 9. LB: Mack or Barr(possibly). I think those are the main targets, with Ebron on the outside. If 2-3 QBs go early, they should have a shot at one or more of these guys.

We are on the same page. Some here who expect immediate success spawned by a rookie or two are ignoring the odds. I'll grant that Andrew Luck got his team to the playoffs in just his 2nd year - but there are VERY few players as impactful as Andrew Luck. I think the Bills have built a good foundation on Defense and put some parts in place on O last year. Best hope for significant improvement this year is growth from young players from the last 2 drafts. Yes, we hope that we'll find more good rookies this year, but likely it will take them a bit of time to hit their stride in the NFL. As an example: Cleveland's Josh Gordon had a good rookie year w 50 receptions for about 800 yards. In his second year he caught 87 passes for 1600+ yards - nearly 80% more catches and over 100% more yards in year 2! Of course that is exceptional, but it illustrates the point that a rookie year doesn't define a player often.

In my opinion, Johnson is a good player who would be even better if he had a truly dominant Wr to play with so that he wasn't getting the defense's top attention. That being said, they have to weigh whether he is worth the salary he is receiving. I am not positive of his salary or Byrd's demands, but if it came down to Byrd at $8.5M/yr or SJ13 for $7M/yr - I would think that Byrd would be the better investment. I am not dissing SJ, but Byrd is clutch.

I think that it is risky to judge players after only their rookie year. Nearly all rookies have some trouble adjusting to the NFL. Chances are good that some of the OL that struggled last season will go on to have good careers and a few will continue to struggle - but the same can be said for players at every position.