BillsfaninSixburgh

I so hope he is right!!! Bulaga

I'm thinking maybe I ought to delete these two posts. Ralph might read them and figure between Bunting's credentials and his salary that he ought to hire him to be the Bill's new GM.

Thanks for the post. I gotta get me a job like these draft gurus. His credentials.... About Wes Bunting Wes Bunting, the National Football Post’s director of college scouting, has been monitoring the college football scene since 2002. He completed a football GM and scouting course from Sports Management Worldwide, studying under Marc Trestman and Russ Lande, and has published scouting reports for NFLSmackdown.com, Scout.com and NFLDraftscout.com. He’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America. I'm thinking with wireless internet, a TV, a few beers, and some time to kill, I can prepare a mock draft as well as this guy. And if you only have to get about 25% of the picks right to rank up there with the "big boys" like Kiper, McShay, Prisco, etc. I can probably have a couple of extra beers and still be in that ballpark.

Good point. Obviously you make an assumption that said QB is / or will become a star. Got someone other than Clausen in mind that has to be taken at No 9 that won't be there at No 41?

I can't speak for everyone, but IMO: The QB position is different than others. Edwards has lost the confidence of the fans and to an extent that none of them wants to publicly say, his teamates. Buddy and Chan have pretty much said by their words and actions they don't think the current trio on the roster is the answer. So whether its McNabb (too late), Campbell, Clausen, Tebow, or any of the other QBs that have been mentioned, we pretty much know there is going to be a new QB in town, probably sooner rather than later. So most people, myself included, would rather see the Bills make a change and do anything different in the name of trying to improve, than to waste time on the same old, same old.

My family has a similiar story. My brother and I were introduced to the Bills by our Dad when we were kids in the 60s and 70s. He was blue collar, but sent us to college. As we got on with life, my brother and I moved out of WNY and led lives much different than our blue collar WNY roots. One of the few things that we continued to share in common with our Dad until he passed away was the Bills. Every phone call home usually started with " So wha'dya think of the Bills this week Dad?" Good or bad, it was the one thing he loved talking about. Last football season, I was talking to my brother who has lived in the South for almost 20 years now. He told me he got his 4 year old son his first Bills jersey and they were watching the Bills game and the Bills were getting embarrassed by someone. I thought about my own kids who are now in their late teens, have never lived in WNY, but are die hard Bills fans. So, I said to him "You know, my kids never saw first hand the Kelly-era Bills and have really never known what it's like when the Bills have been "winners". You don't live in WNY anymore, why do you want to put your son through the same thing?" His response. "I bleed red, white and blue, and my son will bleed with me!" That's what being a Bills fan is all about!

First my Dad taught me to play sports (back in the 60's there were only three sports we played - football, baseball and basketball). Back then, you played sports with your friends. Every day, at recess, after school, all weekend and all summer. There were no XBoxs, cell phones or 24 TV channels. Of course you watched the Bills or the Browns. (Again, it was the 60's - one or two games a week on TV. Usually either the Bills (AFL game) or Browns (pre 1970 NFL) team. In the winter you listened to Little Three or Buffalo Braves basketball, or the Sabres on the radio. Then Joe Namath came along, I was about 10. Any self respecting male in 1969 wanted to be Joe Namath (even Bills fans) From there, sports in general and football (Bills football) in particular became a common bond among family and friends. As another poster said, sports is the "original reality TV". Here are just a few examples I remember vividly: -Jets beat Colts in SB III '69 -Mets beat Orioles in '69 series - St. Bona goes to Final Four in 1970; Lanier blows out knee against Jacksonville in semi's - OJ goes for 2003 against Jets and the "Run OJ Run" commercial (long before the LA Bronco chase) - Dr J dunks over Kurt Rambis in '83 NBA Finals - Villanova beats Georgetown in 85 NCAA - Jim Kelly takes the field at Rich for first time against Jets in '86 home opener - 51-3 - Reich leads Bills to Greatest Comeback in NFL History in '93 Even...WIDE RIGHT..(as painful as it was and still is)...is all great drama. And usually the joy or heartache is shared with family and friends, especially if its your team. Even last night, Duke-Butler was one of the best basketball games ever to watch. If that last shot had gone in, it would have arguably been the greatest basketball game ever played. These examples and thousands more are better than any "will Jake pick the 'Ho or the Librarian?" on The Bachelor scenario that are manufactured for television today. And when you get older, they are all good memories......even the bad ones... So tip your glass to all those Bills fans who are no longer with us who over the years said... "Maybe they will win JUST ONE before I die!"

QB w/o LT =

Best player available at another need position like DL or LB. Sorry - I still wouldn't bite on Clausen. My reasons stated in numerous other posts, so I won't rehash again.

Without Darryl Talley motivating his butt, it wouldn't have mattered whether he was in 3-4 or 4-3, he wouldn't have become the player he was. In a 4-3, he would have gotten more sacks.

Why do they need to trade up to get him? By all accounts he will be available at 9 now that Washington has McNabb. Hopefully they will take a LT at 9.

Sounds a lot like Mike Williams (Bills 2003 #1 OT pick) - definitely has the physical attributes like Williams did. Unfortunately it sounds like he has the heart of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man like Williams did. But hey, he says the right things.

Definitely Not. Each players respective current status: Starting DB for a backup QB. Maybe Whitner does need a change a scenery, but this trade would have to include something else. I wouldn't do it straight up.

Yes, in 2010 I would be ecstatic if the Bills just made the playoffs. You're kidding yourself if you think that given their current talent level when compared to the other three teams in the AFC East that they are anything more than a longshot to finish higher than 3rd in the division, let alone seriously competing for a playoff spot. Like ALL Bills fans, I'm sick about the 10-year playoff drought. But there is no magic cure for 10 years of bad decisions and poor talent evaluation. They need to rebuild through the draft, and upgrade when they can through JUDICIOUS veteran acquistions. If they can get Campbell on the cheap, it's worth the risk and IMO an upgrade over what they have while they figure out what to do long term at the QB position. (Even if they draft Clausen, he does NOTHING to improve them in 2010!) Comparing the potential acqusition of Campbell to Bledsoe is apples and oranges. That Bills squad still had legitimate playoff (not Super Bowl) potential. Bledsoe almost got them there ( I realize key word is almost!!). This Bills squad is rightfully ranked in the bottom 10 teams in the league. Until the lines are restocked, and until the new defense takes hold, the QB position in the short-term is a secondary issue. Given the current talent level on the lines (including the the lack of tight end production), even if you put Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger or Phillip Rivers at QB for the Bills, they probably wouldn't be much better than 8-8 or 9-7.

Good article, good points. But I'll take the opposite position. The Bills are more than 1 or 2 players away. We are talking at least two good drafts before they really get back into contention. IMO, they need to 1) put some pieces in place (like LT, D-line, LB); 2) start moving in the right direction as far as building a foundation for long-term success; and 3) play competitive and entertaining football this year. If they accomplish those thiings, it will be a good year. They have a much better chance of doing that with someone like Campbell at QB who has shown he has some talent, has been a starter and needs to be given a real chance. I'm not saying Campbell is the long-term answer, but my bottom line is that Campbell has been looking over his shoulder for the past two seasons. The article makes the point he's 20-32 as a starter. So what, Clausen is 0-0 as an NFL starter and won't play much this year. Neither will any other rookie QB. If the Bills pickup Campbell, they have a viable starter for at least the next two years (possibly/hopefully longer). The article also says he won't win BIG in the NFL. Maybe I'm too skeptical, but I don't need the Bills to win BIG at this point. I just want them to win and be competive next year while they start plugging all the other holes they have. A 4th round pick for Campbell does two things. It give the Bills someone who can come in and start. He couldn't be any worse than the three guys on the roster now, and by most accounts would be at least a marginal improvement and possibly has a huge upside. The Bills could also then appropriately use the No 9 and 41 picks for line help. I've posted repeatedly I'm not a Clausen fan. The fact that a number of "offensive geniuses" like Shanahan and Holmgren appear to be backing off reinforces my gut feeling that despite the physical talents, he has an equally good chance of turning out to be a Ryan Leaf as opposed to a Peyton Manning. If fact, he seems to get compared more frequently to Leaf than he does Manning. Here's hoping Bulaga somehow falls to No 9, but with Washington now apparently out of the QB market, that seems unlikely.

Well said AD......I like your points as well as your assessment of Clausen.

I agree with Clark Judge's article. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1315832...overlist_footer If the Eagles were willing to trade him within the division, they must believe pretty strongly that he isn't the QB he has been in the past. Reminds me of when Bellicheat & Co. were happy to let Bledsoe come to Buffalo. He was serviceable at that point in his career, just enough to give Bills fans false hope that the promised land was near. I initially like the idea of McNabb to Buffalo for a 3rd or 4th rounder, but definitely not a 2 and a 3 or 4 like Washington gave them. Now the questions are: Does Clausen fall to No 9? Do the Bills make a play for Jason Campbell? I'm in the "Just Say No to Clausen" camp, so I'm a little bummed because there is now a much greater chance he will be there when Buffalo picks at No. 9. I'd still rather see them go after an LT (but the McNabb deal means Washington will take a LT instead of a QB). Keeps things interesting!

After reading this thread, I think the Bills should take Tebow with their first round pick, and Chuck Norris with their 2nd pick. If they do that, they won't need any other picks.

The more I talk to my own NFL (not fully lucid) contacts here at the bar, we are thinking if Chan, Buddy, Jimbo and Vic like him.....THEN WE ARE ON BOARD!!! Or maybe we got it backwards and we are just bored (waiting for the draft). Another few beers should help clear things up.

If Walker, Texas Ranger likes him too......I'm definitely in!

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d...mp;confirm=true If Jimbo likes him, and Carucci likes him, I may have to have a beer and rethink my position on Tebow. (If this was already posted somewhere in the Tebow thread, sorry - I missed it.)

BGinOP Lay the law down now friend. Got married in '89 on a Sat. Bills vs Cincy on Sunday (Kelly vs Esiason with playoff implications). Wouldn't leave for honeymoon until after the game. (And yes we are still married). Here's to the happy couple!

I like that philosophy I will take two Genny Creams over one Labatts every time.

What would you call an Bills/Lions annual, with all of its' illustrious history? How about....... The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (or more appropriately The Wreck of the Ryan Fitzpatrick). Lions fan vs Bills fan

I heard he's changing his name to Chad MuchoStinko