ChanOverChin

There's no reason to not be optimistic about so much new talent. There's no question that opposing DCs will find a way to make things tough for the young Manuel. The key will be Marrone/Hackett knowing how to best utilize what they have. The playcalling does indeed make a huge difference. For instance, Goodwin may not be a great route runner right away so get him the ball on short WR screens and reverses because he can take it to the house with the speed that he has. There is just a lot more talent on this offense than we had last year. I look for big things from Woods and D. Rogers whether Kolb or Manuel is the QB.

I think most of us agree that the Bills could still use a little help with filling certain positions. They obviously have interest in ILB/OLB K. Dansby, who was the highest paid LB just a few years ago. With ILB Sheppard being traded to the Colts recently, I really think that the Bills want to fill his spot with a vet ILB like Dansby and what a nice addition that would be. But what kind of salary would Dansby be willing to settle for?? That's got to be the issue at this point. Here is a list of the premiere veteran free agents that are still available and looking to sign with an NFL team. Since the Bills appear to have a big need at CB as well, would they consider a wiley ol' veteran like C. Woodson?? He's probably better than most of the CBs that we have currently on the roster. Myself, I'd like to see us sign ILB Dansby, CB Woodson, and OG B. Moore. With those signings the Bills would be well equipped to challenge for the division title this year. ESPN's Jason La Confora gives his input on their posibble landing spots. With that in mind, here are nine free agents who are plenty worthy of a shot at a roster spot right now, and where they would make sense. DE John Abraham: He made his tour of visits, and he's been pretty firm with his asking price, but this still leaps out as a Bill Belichick move to me. He is always collecting veteran edge players who can add situational help, and the Pats are always in the hunt. Abraham used to play in this division and could be spelled some. Belichick will find a way to get him on the field at the key time. G Brandon Moore: He has been a longtime starter and consistent performer, and even though the Bears reached for interior lineman Kyle Long in the first round, it doesn't mean they don't need cover. Their line has long been a mess, and Long is a project who will need some mentoring. With Jay Cutler in his walk year, more investment in protecting him is necessary. RT Tyson Clabo: A stalwart for the Falcons, he got caught in a cap crunch. The Cowboys really like him and remain in contact with him and need to make this move. Get rid of Doug Free and his $7 million salary and give Clabo his $3.5 million-$4 million and call it an upgrade. I know Dallas is in a cap crunch, but after a questionable draft, upgrading some offensive line personnel now would be wise. And the Dolphins are now in on Clabo, too, hosting him for a visit starting Tuesday night. LT Bryant McKinnie: McKinnie never has managed to ingratiate himself with the Ravens -- and has been overweight, and erratic at times -- but he has played particularly well in the postseason. In fact, the Ravens don't win the Super Bowl, or maybe even make the playoffs, without him being reinserted at left tackle late in the season. The Ravens continue to talk to him, and frankly, they should give him a few million with some weight clauses and get this done. Baltimore is dabbling with moving guard Kelechi Osemele to left tackle, but that's not his natural fit. Miami and San Diego are also interested, and either could use him. RT Eric Winston: Has performed at a high level for awhile, but there are medical concerns and no one has been willing to pay him in that $3 million to $4 million range, either. But the Dolphins continue to monitor him. After all of their splashy moves and overpaying people in free agency, they might as well go get a tackle, since Jake Long departed. The thought here is Jonathan Martin moves to left tackle -- the Dolphins think he can pull it off -- and Winston stabilizes things on the right side. Of course, if Miami can get its main target -- Kansas City right tackle Branden Albert via trade -- then these signings would be moot. LB Karlos Dansby: He has been a tackling machine throughout his career, he brings strong leadership qualities with him and he undoubtedly will be motivated after the Dolphins let him go. He recently visited the Bills. While I understand Buffalo drafted linebacker Kiko Alonso, they could use reinforcements, and you can't tell me that their defensive roster is so robust and overflowing with talent that Dansby couldn't help. DL Richard Seymour: He still has something to offer, can help anchor the inside and rush off the edge. And he knows what it's like to be in a winning locker room ... as well as an inept one. He won't come cheaply, which is why he hasn't signed yet, but teams continue to monitor him. While I think he could offer a boost to a Pittsburgh front seven in transition, the Steelers don't have the cap space to pull it off. But what about the Colts? They still could use some depth there, are trying to add more bite on defense and haven't been shy at all about spending this offseason. OLB Dwight Freeney: I'm not sure he's more than a situational pass rusher at this stage, but in small doses still might be able to approach double-digit sack totals, and that's always in demand. Another player whose price tag has been seen as too steep. But I still don't know that he doesn't make sense in Denver, a team that is obviously in Super Bowl or bust mode. DB Charles Woodson: He may not have much to offer, but he's a total pro, has seen both sides of the NFL evolution process (going from looking like a disinterested potential bust to one of the most respected veterans in the game) and long ago realized that there won't be big money for him. He could make sense for the Ravens. Baltimore just lost Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Having drafted safety Matt Elam, who is talented but could have attitude issues, and with young starting corner Jimmy Smith a character concern in the past as well, a steady, reliable old head like Woodson in a locker room lacking leaders might not be the worst investment the Ravens could make.

Manuel's threat as a runner will force the opposing LBs to stay closer to the LOS, which will make things easier for all of the receivers to get open. Hackett can run a lot of play action, short screens, draws, reverses, WR screens (i.e. safe plays that get the ball into the hands of the speedsters)..............and then take a shot over the top once in awhile. It's going to be a much different offense than we're used to seeing if Manuel is the QB. The "read option" alone will force opposing defenses to change the way that they defend the field. It will force them to bring their LBs closer to the LOS or they will find themselves trying to tackle a very big, agile QB downfield. Having Manuel and Spiller in the same backfield will be difficult to defend. I remember Nix commenting last year about how he thought that QBs like C. Kaepernick (who is a real dual run/pass threat) really changed the game. EJ Manuel is our C. Kaepernick.

These players are the type of players that Marrone obviously wanted. He obviously believes in speed, speed, speed. Bills fans have never seen a Bills QB with this type of athleticism and speed to go along with the likes of Spiller and the new receivers. It should be very fun to watch. I'm just as anxious to see if Marrone/Hackett know how to take full advantage of what they have. I'm expecting a New Orleans type offense that is wide open and that utilizes a fast tempo. I also expect Manuel to utilize the "read-option" at times to take advantage of Manuel's athleticism and to force opposing defenses to respect his ability to run. Originally I was thinking that Kolb would be the full time starter, but now I think that Manuel has a better than 50/50 chance to start because he is a better fit for the new offense.

The one thing that I would have done would be to trade up a few spots to grab WR K. Allen in R3 who was taken only two spots ahead of Goodwin. Allen had R1 grades and Goodwin is more of a project.

I'm hoping that the Bills don't stop with making the improvements. They are getting so close to filling all of their needs. I still feel like they need an ILB on defense to fill Sheppard's spot (i.e. a veteran ILB like Dansby would sure do the trick), a vet CB, a vet OG (i.e. B. Moore) and possibly a vet TE to either pair with Chandler or fill in for him if he can't go at the start of the season. See what one NFL insider thinks of the new weapons on offense. The link: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000165565/article/draft-fallout-buffalo-bills.

This Manuel article will get you jacked up. The link: http://www.profootballcentral.com/2013/04/29/the-ej-manuel-era-begins-in-buffalo/. Do you remember the feeling when you first knew that Jim Kelly was coming to Buffalo?? What a great feeling that was. I'm starting to get a similar feeling with Manuel as our new franchise QB after reading this article. The arm, the poise, the leadership, the great athleticism, the great success in college and the many new weapons that the Bills now have on offense (Woods/Goodwin/Rogers/Gragg to add to Spiller/FJax/SJ/Chandler/etc.) means that Manuel could very well be the franchise QB that we've been looking for since the Kelly days. It would sure be something for the Nix and the Bills to be right about Manuel and so many others like Kiper/McShay so totally wrong.

I don't think the Bills will go into the season with only FOUR CBs as has been proposed above even with D. Williams on the roster. They will take at least FIVE. Realistically, they need to sign a vet CB to improve the depth at that position. Gilmore/vet FA or trade/McKelvin/Brooks/Rogers or Robey would be nice. One UDFA player to keep an eye on is CB Robey from USC. I think he has a shot to make the final roster by beating out either Butler or Rogers. I like Dickerson, but who do you cut if you take him?? Gragg?? An OL??

I always like to do a roster projection every so often just to see what the status of the roster is and which players realistically have a shot to make the team. It also shows our current depth at each position and whether we should be on the lookout for a player at a certain position. The * indicates that a new player has made the roster from last year i.e. (either wasn't with the team to start the year or did not contribute much for some other reason last year). There are 21 of these such players. You could look at these players as "improvement players" potentially. This probably our best group heading into training camp. Hopefully, more additions will be made to improve the team. Pos. # Starter # Backup # Reserve WR 11 T.J. Graham # Da'Rick Rogers* TE 84 Scott Chandler 85 Lee Smith 89 Chris Gragg* LT 77 Cordy Glenn 72 Zebrie Sanders* LG 74 Colin Brown 71 Sam Young C 70 Eric Wood 61 David Snow* RG 60 Kraig Urbik RT 75 Chris Hairston 79 Erik Pears WR 10 Robert Woods* 88 Marquise Goodwin* WR 13 Stevie Johnson 16 Brad Smith QB 4 Kevin Kolb 3 E.J. Manuel* # Tavaris Jackson* RB 28 C.J. Spiller 22 Fred Jackson 20 Tashard Choice NT 99 Marcell Dareus 90 Alan Branch* 98 Torell Troup* DT 95 Kyle Williams 92 Alex Carrington 96 Jarron Gilbert* RE 94 Mario Williams 93 Mark Anderson SLB 91 Manny Lawson* # Jerry Hughes* MLB 50 Kiko Alonso* 51 Chris White* 52 Arthur Moats WLB 53 Nigel Bradham 43 Bryan Scott 54 Marcus Dowtin* RCB 24 Stephon Gilmore FS 31 Jairus Byrd 27 Duke Williams* SS 23 Aaron Williams 25 Da'Norris Searcy 36 Jonathan Meeks* NCB 33 Ron Brooks 26 Justin Rogers LCB 21 Leodis McKelvin 29 Crezdon Butler* K 5 Dustin Hopkins* P 6 Shawn Powell* LS 65 Garrison Sanborn

expect it will be : LE K. Williams/NT Dareus/RE Branch w/ LOLB Ma. Williams/ILB Bradham/ILB Alonzo/ROLB Lawson w/ CB Gilmore/SS A. Williams/FS Byrd/CB McKelvin. Add Dansby to the mix at ILB and a vet CB to either start ahead of McKevin or as the nickel CB and the Bills will really have something on D.

The Bills are now lacking depth at ILB so one would think that K. Dansby might be their next move. I love it that the Bills are finally being proactive in going after players that fit their schemes. What it means is that they think they can win now.

Why not Jackson?? It's because Kolb is a much better passer. If the Bills can protect him (and that will have as much to do with their offensive philosophy as it will the O-line) Kolb is capable of being a top 10 QB. I would love for Manuel to be the starter from Day 1, but he just may not be ready for that. We will see. I don't think we want to throw him to the wolves. it won't hurt him to sit behind Kolb andj watch how a veteran NFL QB handles himself. Kolb could be aour biggest impact player this year. i predict the QB depth chart will read: 1. Kolb, 2. Manuel, 3. Jackson with Tuel as the PS QB.

Here's the updated roster as of 4-29-13. Where are we strong and where are we weak?? Compared to last year: QB: Greatly improved RB: Same FB: Same. Hungary Summers/Gaskins might improve the position. TE: A tiny bit better. Need help. WR: Greatly improved by adding Woods/Goodwin/D. Rogers. O-line: Same. Could still use the vet B. Moore. K: Possibly better P: Same LS: Same D-line: Improved with additon of Branch/Troup/Gilbert DE/OLB: Improved with addition of Lawson ILB: Improved with addition of Alonzo. Could still use the vet Dansby. CB: Same. Need help. Very surprised this position was not addressed in the draft. SS: Improved with addition of D. Williams and switch of A. Williams from CB to SS. FS: Improved with addition of J. Meeks. Byrd must be resigned of course. Recommend that Bills shore up their O-line and LB corps with addition of OG B. Moore and ILB/OLB K. Dansby. Biggest need may be at CB where the Bills could use the addition of at least one vet CB. Maybe one of the UDFA CBs will prove to be worthy. The TE position is very weak if Chandler can't go to start the season. With Chandler/L. Smith/Gragg/Dickerson it's not a bad group, but the addition of a solid vet TE certainly wouldn't hurt. Pos. Starter Backup Reserve Reserve Reserve Reserve WR R. Woods* T. Graham M. Goodwin* K. Elliott D. Rogers Kaufman TE S. Chandler L. Smith D. Dickerson C. Gragg* M. Caussin J. Sawyer LT C. Glenn T. Welch Z. Sanders LG C. Brown S. Young C. Scott Chibane C E. Wood D. Snow Turnley RG K. Urbik K. Williams H. Eckerson RT C. Hairston E. Pears A. Grant WR S. Johnson B. Smith M. Easley C. Hogan Norrell QB K. Kolb T. Jackson E. Manuel* A. Corp Tuel RB C. Spiller F. Jackson T. Choice Z. Brown D. Smith FB F. Summers Gaskins DE A. Branch C. Bryant Cross NT M. Dareus T. Troup J. Ross DT K. Williams A. Carrington J. Gilbert Tipoti JLB M. Williams M. Anderson J. Blatnick SLB M. Lawson A. Moats K. Brown Pough MLB K. Alonso* K. Sheppard C. White G. Lloyd WLB N. Bradham B. Scott M. Dowtin B. Smith RCB S. Gilmore R. Brooks J. Rogers D. Ellis Robey Edwards SS A. Williams D. Searcy J. Meeks* FS J. Byrd D. Williams* M. Silva Dangerfield LCB L. McKelvin C. Butler T. Heath Rolle Kearney K R. Lindell D. Hopkins* C. Koepplin P S. Powell B. Stahovich LS G. Sanborn

Brad Smith is a valuable guy to have on the roster. He can do so many things. Why would you want to get rid of him??

Watching Goodwin run will get you excited. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4nq9emo0hWs. Watch him take off on the reverse. Wow!!

What are your thoughts?? Offense - 45; Defense - 42; ST - 6; Total = 93 players Pos. Starter Backup Reserve Reserve Reserve Reserve WR R. Woods* T. Graham M. Goodwin* K. Elliott D. Rogers TE S. Chandler L. Smith D. Dickerson C. Gragg* M. Caussin J. Sawyer LT C. Glenn T. Welch Z. Sanders LG C. Brown S. Young C. Scott Chibane C E. Wood D. Snow Turnley RG K. Urbik K. Williams H. Eckerson RT C. Hairston E. Pears A. Grant Norrell WR S. Johnson B. Smith M. Easley C. Hogan Kaufman QB K. Kolb T. Jackson E. Manuel* A. Corp Tuel RB C. Spiller F. Jackson T. Choice Z. Brown Gaskins D. Smith FB F. Summers DE A. Branch C. Bryant NT M. Dareus T. Troup J. Ross DT K. Williams A. Carrington J. Gilbert Tipoti JLB M. Williams M. Anderson J. Blatnick SLB M. Lawson A. Moats K. Brown MLB K. Alonso* K. Sheppard C. White G. Lloyd Pough WLB N. Bradham B. Scott M. Dowtin B. Smith RCB S. Gilmore R. Brooks J. Rogers D. Ellis Edwards Kearney SS A. Williams D. Searcy J. Meeks* FS J. Byrd D. Williams* M. Silva Dangerfield LCB L. McKelvin C. Butler T. Heath Robey Rolle K R. Lindell D. Hopkins* C. Koepplin P S. Powell B. Stahovich LS G. Sanborn

Love the summary from the OP. CB is where we need to find at least one more major contributor. We have Gilmore/McKelvin/Brooks/Rogers with possible contributions from A. Williams and D. Williams. The Bills signed McKelvin to a fairly big contract so Pettine may think that he can get more out of McKelvin than he has shown previously. I think we need to pursue a solid vet CB some how some way to make us more competitive. Can somebody provide the list of FA CBs that are still available as well as any that might e available via trade?? CB is still a big need for us. I say that we sign OG B. Moore and ILB/OLB K. Dansby ASAP. That would help to solidify two positions. We could still use some help at TE if Chandler is not healthy enough to start the season, but if he is healthy it is not as big of a concern. I would like to see us acquire a big RB for short yardage/goal line situations. Other than that, we're ready to compete. Obtaining WR D. Rogers could be huge.

Bills have signed D. Rogers.

The Bills have signed him!!

The Bills have signed him!!

Before you all freak out please realize that Pettine likes to use THREE safeties on the field quite a bit. He's now got Byrd/A. Williams/Searcy/D. Williams/Meeks/even B. Scott to play with.

In Pettine's scheme, which is designed to deceive/disguise, the fact that A. Williams can play both CB and S makes him very valuable. Pettine's scheme is very unique compared to what we're used to seeing.

I don't see the Bills starting Manuel right away. I think he will take some time to develop. I expect Kolb to be the starter at least to begin the season. I also expect the Bills to sign Dansby, who can play both ILB and OLB in a 3-4 and MLB and OLB in a 4-3. That's what makes him so valuable......and he's very durable to boot!! Pettine likes guys like Dansby because he can change his defensive scheme on the fly without making substitutions. He can really help us. Our biggest needs are at CB, WR, LB, and TE. CB: We have Gilmore, but need a better cover CB as our #2. We MUST get better here to allow Pettine to run his defense effectively. Ideally, we could use TWO new CBs. WR: We have SJ (plus Graham/Easley/B. Smith/Dickerson) so we need at least one WR. Ideally, we could use TWO new WRs. LB: At OLB, we have Ma. Williams/Lawson/M. Anderson/Dowtin. We could certainly use another pass rushing OLB, but that may not be possible. At ILB, if we sign Dansby then we have Dansby and Bradham (who I think could really break out this year) plus Sheppard. Another ILB would be nice. TE: We have Chandler recovering from knee surgery and L. Smith. This is a big need, but is it as important as the other needs. Could we fill this need by adding a vet FA and then drafting a TE in R6 or R7?? I would propose to have the Bills sign ILB Dansby and do the following with the seven picks that we have: 1. CB - R2a 2. WR - R2b 3. Pass rushing OLB - R3 4. WR - R4 5. QB - R5 6. TE - R6 7. CB - R7

Dansby update Posted by Chris Brown on April 25, 2013 – 12:37 pm A couple of days ago the Bills hosted free agent LB Karlos Dansby for a visit at One Bills Drive. Bills GM Buddy Nix provided an update after the visit concluded without a contract signing. “He had a good visit,” Nix told Buffalobills.com. “We liked him. It’s still ongoing. It’s not dead, but it’s not done either.” Dansby would add a veteran presence to what is largely a young linebacking corps for the Bills. A 10-year vet, Dansby is coming off a career season in which he led the Dolphins with a career-high 134 tackles. My take is that the Bills are indeed going to sign Dansby, but won't make the announcement until after the first or second round or even right after the draft to not tip their hand to the other teams so that they will believe that the Bills have interest in more players. They don't want to hinder their ability to trade down in this draft in any way. very savvy move. Signing Dansby will show that the Bills are at least trying to be competitive this year.

I could see the trade with the Rams happening because they want and need a WR very badly. Austin appears to be worth trading up for. I happen to think the Bills will make the trade, obtain the additional R2 and R3 picks and select Barkley instead of Manuel. That would give us QB Barkley and fill our biggest need plus R2, R2, R3, R3, R4, R5, R6. There is believed to be great value in Rounds 2 and 3 this year so those four picks could really help us to fill some major holes right away.