uncle flap

Doesn't anyone think that Buffalo traded up to get Graham bc they knew (or at least thought) Jacksonville was about to pick him? The Jags seemingly panicked and picked a punter. A punter! In the third round!

Not at all. Average of 5 YAC when catching the ball on avg 14 yds past the LOS. He goes down too easily, and I just have a feeling he isn't outjumping/outmuscling/outpositioning NFL corners like he did in college. Maybe I was harsh on the drops, as his drop rate is about average. He's made some spectacular catches with guys draped all over him, but I noticed a few where it looked like he wasn't concentrating on securing the catch, and also doesn't always make adjustments to less than perfect throws. Some stat-based analysis here: http://secondroundst...2/06/tier2-wrs/ But stats aside, just watching the videos shows me IMO that he doesn't have "it," at least at this point. Yes, he's made some excellent highlight reel catches, but unless he continues to significantly develop, I don't see Terrance Williams as anything more than average WR2 or WR3.

Terrance Williams out of Baylor. He may not qualify as the typical definition of "bust," as he probably won't go all that high. However, I keep seeing his name included among the top wideouts in a deep class. I haven't exactly pored over all the youtube videos of WRs extensively (and I'm no guru anyway), but I have checked out just about all of the guys slated to go in the top 4 rounds. Williams has to be the worst. He does a decent job of getting open, but too many drops and does absolutely nothing with the ball in his hands. He's pretty fast but not quick. For a Bills comparison, think Stevie Johnson without the moves off the line and worse hands... and that's being generous. I just can't understand how I keep seeing him mocked in the second round.

I hope so, since I've posted in this thread yesterday, I've changed my mind and think Buddy and Whaley seem sold on Barkley, not so much on Manuel. I totally agree with you though and I like Manuel the best out of the prospects available, maybe even more than Geno whom I doubt will be available. If you watch the pre-draft luncheon, they have good things to say about Barkley like, "he's been doing it on a big stage for a long time," "knows how to get the ball to his playmakers," "before his injury he was #1 on everyone's board," and on arm strength Whaley basically said, "Joe Montana didn't have a cannon, so what?" Meanwhile, when asked about Manuel, Buddy says "he's got an arm, but is inconsistent," "Well, I've seen him make NFL throws.... at Florida State," and even went so far as to call the read-option movement a "fad," before backtracking and clarifying that in any case a "QB has to win with his arm, not his legs." Taken at face value, those statements seem to indicate they don't really like Manuel and looooove Barkley. Keep in mind those aren't *exact* quotes but close enough and don't alter the meaning. Watch for yourself: http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/2013_Bills_Draft_Luncheon_Press_Conference/64777a4d-6fe9-4806-adea-f4dff890bd41 They start talking about Barkley around the 25 minute mark and then Manuel right after. But could it all be a smokescreen? After Buddy's responses on Manuel, he touches his nose. Is it a subconscious tell? YOU BE THE JUDGE

Based on everything out there, if they stand pat at #8, they'll take a QB. The problem is it's tough to tell what is and isn't a smokescreen. If you believe the Bills are straightforward, then it's Barkley. If you think they are in the business of deception, then it's Manuel. Right now I think they're being honest and it's Barkley. However I reserve the right to change my mind! Hell, even earlier today my gut was telling me Manuel until I watched the predraft luncheon and Buddy sounded less than enamored with Manuel. I think Geno will be gone by the time the Bills are on the clock. I would also bet that if Justin Hunter is there at #41, he will be the Bills pick. Just another hunch. I could also see BPA first if Geno and Barkley are gone by 8, and taking Tyler Wilson in the second or third, if the truly don't like Manuel. I think they like Nassib, but probably not enough to draft him as high as he's pegged to go. So, all in all, if I *had* to bet right now, I'd say Matt Barkley at #8.

Oh, I definitely agree. The prudent thing for any team in general, and especially this year's Jets, is to get the "safe" thing when you can and hope for the best later. However, at a certain point you have to start taking risks. Getting Kolb may mean that the Bills don't have to take that first round risk this year, but since the only developmental guy they have is Aaron "Andy" Corp, they may be feeling a bit more of the pressure. Especially with a roster that IMO is a lot better than most give credit for. What's the sense of building a solid team (and signing the likes of Super Mario) if by the time a QB hits his prime, you've lost half the roster you started with? They've got to start taking flyers and the sooner the better. Up until pretty recently my ideal draft had a stud defender at #8 and Manuel at #41. If not Manuel, Nassib, Barkley, or whomever they like best. But after some more thought, I think its too risky to wait on a QB unless they truly dont think any of the QBs available at 8 at worth it. Buddy says there should be 2-3 franchise QBs. They should have a shot at at least one of them at 8. It's far less likely they'll get that shot at 41. Aside from QB, the biggest holes IMO are WR and TE. Both deep positions in this draft. Get those guys in the 2nd and 3rd/4th and get your QB in the first. If he busts so be it, but at least they didn't miss their opportunity.

FWIW: http://www.wgr550.com/Bills-Marrone-stressing-tempo-at-practices/16084776 However, keep in mind that Kyle was not on the field.

I think that's a completely valid viewpoint, but I think every team wants continuity and doesn't operate with that type of mindset re: possible coaching changes. There's definitely something to be said for not reaching for a QB and playing it safe but I don't think "next year" plays a part in a front office's mind except in terms of contracts expiring. Too much can change in 12 months, so you might as well set yourself up the best you can. Expect the best and prepare for the worst. If you're only preparing for the worst, you've already admitted defeat. No team is outright tanking. Colts, Shmolts, that was getting (un)lucky. The "Any Given Sunday" mentality, for better or worse, is going to have teams doing everything they can to win now AND later. Like I said, I do think it's a valid viewpoint, but with the relative parity, the salary cap, and the fact that ANY team can get hot and make some noise, I can't see a competent FO taking that approach. Note: I did say competent. Baseball, OTOH, has the Astros, whose FO is upfront about tanking/rebuilding/saving $. But there's a huge difference between how the MLB operates and the NFL. For starters, playing ten times as many games neutralizes the likelihood of a "bad" team getting hot and taking out the big boys. In the NFL you can get in the playoffs winning just over half of your games. Win 3-4 more, and you've got a championship. Why not go all in each year?

I also agree except I have a gut feeling it'll be Manuel. I've liked him the best of the prospects for a while, and I don't think he'll be there in the second as I had initially been hoping. Like the OP, I'm scared the Jets or someone else would take him (or whoever the Bills like) before the Bills get another chance, be it in the second or in a trade back scenario.

Yeah I dont know either. There were plenty of "knocks" on Kaepernick- gimmick offense vs sub par competition for starters. And I believe they were high on Ponder and when Minnesota "reached" for him, that may have caught the Bills off guard and forced them to adjust their draft strategy on the fly. As far as employing a strategy that basically excludes taking QBs for the sake of bolstering the rest of the roster... ugh. I mean in theory, that's great, but since you can't win championships without a top tier QB, you've got to take some flyers. I know its been discussed ad nauseum that there weren't actually all that many QBs that they passed on that have worked out, but without the benefit of hindsight, I find it hard to fathom that Nix (and everyone who has input) is just now figuring out that QBs draft positions are inflated. "Now" you have to get them earlier because of the demand? Give me a break. I realize in relatively recent history the league has become more passing oriented, but it's not like you're noticing a subtle trend about free safeties going higher- it's the most important position in the game and has been for some time. Yes QBs are going increasingly higher, but its not as if this trend appeared overnight out of thin air. Considering the organizations affinity for drafting RBs early, Occam's razor would dictate Ralph is meddling and would rather put the team on an RB's back than a QB's arm. Which would also make him a moron if true, since the Bills' rare bouts with success have been courtesy of top tier QBs. Maybe Ralph is just waiting for another QB prospect with the initials JK. Sorry- back to the topic: I also was going to mention based on Buddy "admitting" they have to reach for a QB, I am almost expecting Manuel to be the pick at #8. As others have posted, the Jets are picking at #9 and they've got almost identical needs. The Bills don't want to be doubly screwed by losing out on their guy AND having him go to a division rival.

I hear you on the Gailey thing, but that got me wondering how much input the coaches have. I mean, Gailey was running the pistol, yet they passed on Kaepernick who put up insane numbers out of the pistol. The only way that makes any sense to me is if they thought he (or some other QB they liked) would be there in the 3rd. I also agree something is up w Manuel accepting the invite, but that's likely independent of Barkley declining. Barkley may simply just not want to go, regardless of where he thinks he might be drafted. And I love that mock, except I think the 2nd rd pick will be Justin Hunter.

Funny. I can't watch on Chrome but I can watch on Safari with no problems. And I update all the time as well.

http://timminneci.co...falo-bills-fan/ Each of the song titles are links to mp3 files. Right click "Save As" or whatever applies for your browser. You're welcome

Yeah I just noticed that. It's weird because on the site where you enter it already has the designations of who is home and who is away. So I don't know why it displayed like that, since you can't pick Baltimore as a home game. Also, statistically speaking, you've got a better shot of winning the lotto than picking all the games right... and if you read the rules on that page: In the event of no correct entries, the winner will be chosen at random.

The Bills are running a contest to give away season tickets for guessing the schedule, and here's my entry: My @buffalobills 2013 schedule prediction is CLE,@NYJ,NO,@NE,@MIA,TB,@BAL,BYE,NE,JAC,@ATL,@KC,@CIN,NYJ,@CAR,MIA,PIT. http://bills.c1ms.com/2013/ Follow the link to give your self a shot. Or don't since it decreases my odds of winning.

Here's the link to a list of all the visitors: http://www.wgr550.com/Bills-Pre-Draft-Visits--The-Official-List/12022322?pid=309921 For farts and guffaws here's the list of all the prospects that Chris Brown has recently followed on Twitter (in chronological order): Geno Smith Dion Jordan Barkevious Mingo Tyler Wilson Matt Barkley Ryan Nassib Mike Glennon EJ Manuel Matt Scott Tyler Bray Jarvis Jones Justin Hunter The only reason I bothered to check is because I remembered Chris Brown was following Stephon Gilmore before it was announced that he was visiting the Bills prior to last year's draft. Not all players have Twitter of course, and there is probably no insight to be gained from this, but I'm just going to assume that the Bills draft board looks like the list above. If one were to glean anything from this info (and of course all Nix's blabbing) is that the Bills really like Justin Hunter, and that they may be content to try to draft one of those QBs like Tyler Wilson or Tyler Bray (who has apparently visited twice) later on if they can grab one of those blue chip pass rushers in the first. Flame away!

I've mentioned this before and while I wouldn't say I agree with this strategy, I think there could be a validity to "consistently" drafting DBs high as a deliberate practice. I'm not saying that the Bills have been employing "analytics" all along, but re-signing #1 corners/ above avg DBs is pretty expensive. So, if as an organization you decide you'd rather spend a larger proportion of your payroll in other areas, you can replace those DBs through the draft, rather than pay the "mega" contracts that better DBs command (see WInfield and Clements, for example). Again, I don't propose this as a Bills apologist, because sound strategy or not, we haven't seen results in quite some time. I'm just saying there may be a method to what seems like madness.

Great choices and I'm sure you'll agree that the soundtrack for Singles is right up there, too: 1. “Would” – Alice in Chains 2. “Breath” – Pearl Jam 3. “Seasons” – Chris Cornell 4. “Dyslexic Heart” – Paul Westerberg 5. “Battle of Evermore” – The Lovemongers 6. “Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns” – Mother Love Bone 7. “Birth Ritual” – Soundgarden 8. “State of Love and Trust” – Pearl Jam 9. “Overblown” – Mudhoney 10. “Waiting for Somebody” Paul Westerberg 11. “May This be Love” – Jimi Hendrix 12. “Nearly Lost You” – Screaming Trees 13. “Drown” – Smashing Pumpkins I also really like the soundtrack to Romeo and Juliet from 1996: "#1 Crush" - Garbage – 4:47 "Local God" - Everclear – 3:56 "Angel" - Gavin Friday – 4:19 "Pretty Piece of Flesh" - One Inch Punch – 4:53 "Kissing You (Love Theme from Romeo + Juliet)" - Des'ree – 4:58 "Whatever (I Had a Dream)" - Butthole Surfers – 4:09 "Lovefool" - The Cardigans – 3:19 "Young Hearts Run Free" - Kym Mazelle – 4:16 "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" - Quindon Tarver – 1:43 "To You I Bestow" - Mundy – 3:59 "Talk Show Host" - Radiohead – 4:17 "Little Star" - Stina Nordenstam – 3:40 "You and Me Song" - The Wannadies – 2:55 Also, in terms of movie scores- I'm a huge fan of John Carpenter:

The internet. jk http://interactives....-training-camp/

Right on - The Bills already have a ton of younger guys. What's the point of getting an extra one of this year's version of Nigel Bradham, Aaron Williams, Kelvin Sheppard, Da'Norris Searcy, TJ Graham, etc... at the expense of a top ten talent aka likely immediate starter and difference maker?

http://qkme.me/3trbe7 http://qkme.me/3trbhv http://qkme.me/3trb9p

To be perfectly honest, I am such a homer that I will immediately become a huge fan of whomever they draft. That's not to say I won't second guess picks as they're made, but even if they make what seems to be a bonehead pick or a huge reach or a player I don't particularly like, I'm just *wired* to be optimistic about what that player will do for the Bills- case in point: I'm still rooting for Aaron Williams and Torell Troup to pay dividends. The only time I'm momentarily peeved is when there is a guy on the board that I really want and they pass on him. But then I just rationalize that the "professionals" know what they're doing. That said, there aren't really many players that I don't want, but I would be briefly (although very) upset if they passed on Dion Jordan in the first or EJ Manuel in the second (obviously assuming they're available).

Right- and he doesn't know which two. That comment has been overblown by many (I don't mean you, GL). All he's saying is that history shows there are at least two starters in every QB class, not that there are necessarily two and only two in this class. http://blogs.canoe.c...e-qb-situation/ I'd be ok with many of the prospects- all of them have question marks, and all of them have potential. I'm just glad it's not my job to determine which QB I want to risk drafting over another player that seemingly would be less of a risk at less of an impact position. I think they must take a flyer on *someone* and I think the second round is the time to do it. Get a top ten defensive talent at #8, the QB they like the most at #41, and a WR in the third. I'd be ok with Manuel, WIlson, Nassib, Barkley or Geno in the second. Of course, I don't think they'll all be there, but I don't think any of them are worth passing on a top ten defensive talent... even if they traded back to get more picks. They need playMAKERS, not just players.

That guy would probably catch a lot more touchdowns if he didn't waste so much time telling jokes. -or- He'd be a whole lot funnier if he didn't play flag football on the weekends.

Well, after hearing some of the players and coaches describing the D - especially Mario saying that he'll be more than happy playing anywhere (either side/ hand in dirt or standing), I'm starting to warm up to the idea of targeting Ogletree. Although, hopefully not at #8 because I think he can be had later and if they can't trade back then there will likely be a better prospect available that would be just as useful. Now I agree that if all things were equal I'll take the pass rusher, but I'm not sure how "equal" things are in the following front 7: dareus-branch-k williams, mario-bradham-sheppard-lawson/anderson Would you rather replace an ILB with Ogletree? Or an OLB with Jones? And then consider sub packages where at least one of those LBs is coming off the field... I guess I'd still take Jones over Ogletree if it had to be one or the other at #8, but I'm not as high on Jones as I am Dion Jordan who I will still hold out hope for until his name is called by another team. Ogletree might be / probably is more of an improvement over the ILBs than Jones is on the outside, but I'm still willing to give pretty much everyone a pass so far because of the crap coaching and scheming we've seen the past few seasons here. I don't think it's crazy to think Pettine just might be able to get a little bit more out of players, and also make guys look better than they are by putting them in better positions to make plays and help each other.