dpberr

Haha. Love that.

I think it's important, especially on defense. Looking at the college pipeline into the NFL, winning programs contribute the greatest number of NFL players. When you think of the teams that have historically contributed the most NFL players... USC, Miami, Pittsburgh, Florida State, Penn State, Ohio State, etc. you can readily establish years or decades of winning programs and NFL talent. You want that top ten pick to be as safe and as sure a bet as possible. You want to eliminate that bust potential as much as possible. You want your player to have faced the tough competition and performed well against it.

I like taking solid players, with proven, consistent performance from winning programs when drafting in the first round. Whitney Mercilus is not that player.

Just like Jeff Fisher, give Bill Cowher or any coach nearly twenty years, and he'll probably give you an above average result. Nothing outside old age, health issues or death, says Chan Gailey, for example, couldn't get to the same place given 15 years. Further, Cowher and Fisher inherited relatively intact and somewhat mediocre teams, not complete shipwrecks that needed a massive overhaul.

Unless you're going to get the DeLorean up to 88mph, what's the point of discussing this draft pick in 2012?

Not wearing the colors = I don't care. I follow and root for the machine, not all the little cogs.

What's the big deal about Jeff Fisher? Give any half decent coach 16 years and he'll probably win just as much as Fisher did.

Intriguing question. I wouldn't do the trade. Unless it's a top ten pick which it won't be, I prefer the proven quantity.

I would be very disappointed with a pick that doesn't address the pass rush. I want that not only fixed but an asset that opposing teams must plan for during the 2012 season. I'd be outraged with a QB pick in the first round. I think that would be a ridiculous waste.

It's whomever your QB says it is.

Did anyone care when Shula was coaching the Dolphins? He'd be a fool to take the Dolphins job. Too many ego-driven already in that kitchen.

Much like Wade, I don't know why Schottenheimer is interviewing for this Tampa job. The lousy heat. Very young undisciplined team. A GM that is going nowhere as he's signed through 2014. Ownership that doesn't appear to be financially solid, not to mention he's been out of the league for four years and he's pushing 70.

I agree with you. I don't know what Jacksonville sees. Then again, I don't know why they are keeping Gabbert either.

Some men are better coordinators than head coaches. Mularkey is one of those men.

I'm intrigued by Avril. I don't think his production would decrease if he were signed. Teamed on a line with Dareus and Williams, that'd be a scary line. It'll be interesting to see what Detroit does. I'd offer that they have bigger problems in their secondary and that's where their investment may go if they decide not to resign Avril. They can generate a powerful pass rush with Suh, Williams and Fairley.

I don't think it's the weather, the city or the fans. Or even necessarily the players. It's the agents and their relationship or lack thereof with the Bills brass. The Bills don't have to convince players, they've got to sell the agents on Buffalo as a destination. A lot of that agent/front office interaction is based on building and reinforcing personal relationships. We as fans tend to think all this free agent stuff is based on statistics and dollars. You'd probably be surprised that much more of it is based on the face to face interaction between agent and "bean counter" and the relationships forged between the two over meetings, lunches, etc.

I'd put SJ being back in a Bills uniform at 90%. If Nix was silent or no comment on this topic, I would have been worried. I think it's an excellent move to resign him.

If I'm Wade, I pass on the Tampa heat and all that stress. The job could literally kill you.

Mayock needs booth experience. As he gets more, he'll deliver a smoother play by play. Right now, he calls the game in the draft day voice. In an unrelated television personality opinion, I find Donovan McNabb on ESPN to be very impressive.

Tom Donahue has not been hired as a general manager for any NFL team post his Bills employ. That's all I need to know. I don't know what Mort's problem is but it's all really old news. Jabari Greer is a good football player. I feel some of his performance is in part to Gregg Williams who is the definition of a man who's talents are far better coordinating rather than head coaching. You have Gregg Williams in a position which suits his talents best and he makes all the players on the defense perform better.

I'll be interested to see if McKillop is A) healthy and B) can perform. The 49ers really liked this guy and teamed him with Patrick Willis before he got hurt.

I don't think Nix would have made that trade. That's the good news. That being said, I don't think a true evaluation of a trade can be conclusive until the playing careers of the trade pieces have ended. There is nothing that says Peters only plays one more year and Wood goes on to a 17 year career with numerous Pro Bowls. In that case, you would say the Bills fleeced the Eagles.

I'll take Johnson. Vincent Jackson has no work ethic and runs sloppy routes. He also benefits from a system where the defense has to focus on multiple weapons like Antonio Gates in nearly perfect weather, on grass. Johnson has been effective with opposing defenses not having to worry about guys like that in a mix of weather on turf. When you are the only real receiving threat, you need to run crisp, clean routes and out work your opposition. I used to be high on Vincent Jackson but no longer. His talent has fallen victim to it's owner's personality and ego.

+1. Spot on.

I think things worked out ok by just drafting where we were last year. I don't like the idea of giving away the farm to move up. It's one player at the consequence of losing the opportunity to draft 2-3 good, possibly great players. The teams that make the playoffs have a "B" team that is just a shade less in talent than the A team. You need solid rotations and that requires depth.