R. Rich

One XL and one 3X for us, please.

We will be there.

41 days and counting!!!! Got our hotel reservations made and lookin' forward to the much needed time away from work!!

46 days and counting!!!!

More like your list is like this: 1) Weak joke attempt 2) Food 3) through infinity) anything else infinity +1) Reading comprehension

...and a solid receiving option @ TE.... ...and another pass rushing DL.... ...and a few pass rushing OLBs.... ...and a few (healthy, consistent) CBs (rumor has it that teams throw the ball these days)...

I'll miss Helen more than any stromboli. We all had a blast when they came down for the Bills @ Ravens game last season.

Welcome to TBD.

Randy Quaid.........is that you?

Buddy Nix. He sucks, and the Bills are doomed before the season even starts. Behold, the coming of Armageddon...

WHAT????

Just answerin' your rant, Joseph. You implied there was only one LB, Willis, that was better then Posluszny. I beg to differ. I would've loved to see 'em draft Harris, but @ the time, the Bills were still toying w/ their oh so successful "smallish 4-3" and Harris was not suited for that role. Ah well.

I'll find ya three: Lawrence Timmons, David Harris (a prototypical 3-4 inside LB), and Jon Beason.

53 days and counting!!!!

62 days and counting!!!! Been gone for a bit, but I am still counting the days.

Funny you should mention that. To paraphrase what Buddy Nix and/or Chan Gailey said 'bout QBs before the draft: "We'll be looking to find a QB to groom in the draft". [Remember: this is me paraphrasing 'em, so no, I do not have a "link" to this quote!] Well, when a comment like this is made, I read 'tween the lines. Based on the comment, the actual layout of the draft, and the Bills' actions (or inactions), here's my guess: "We'll be looking to find a QB to groom in the draft" really meant, "We'll be looking to draft Cam Newton". Well, Newton was the top pick, so he was ruled out. Aside from Christian Ponder and Jake Locker, the Bills passed on every other high profile QB in this draft after picking Dareus and by picking Dareus, passed on Ponder and Locker as well (though they may have thought they'd have a shot @ one or both in Round 2). If Newton wasn't the only QB on their radar (rumor has it that Nix and Gailey were torn on Newton, w/ one in favor of and the other opposed), then why did they not go after ANY of the other top QBs in this draft? My guess (again, just a guess)? They thought, as many (like me) did, that these QBs were, as a class, "okay". None were worth losin' out on a badly needed component, such as a true ILB for the 3-4, guys (like Dareus and your favorite pick, Searcy) who can help in run support, or guys who can help defend the pass.

I believe the Bills should, "mix in need" when they pick like you said, but they cannot just blindly pick for need. Why select an OT early if there aren't any worthy of early selection, or if there's a player they covet @ another position that is rated higher? Like you said, they need to draft good players. All over . I know the Bills have neglected the lines over the years. You and I have discussed this numerous times. That said, they need to be smart in how they draft and, in my (meaningless) opinion, I feel Nix and Gailey are doing a good job of fixin' the mess they inherited.

As always, I’ll start off by thanking LancasterSteve and his lovely wife Lisa for their hospitality on draft weekend. Lis (“my Lisa”) and I appreciate it more than words can say. I only wish we could spend time w/ you two more often. It was also nice to see MarkVI. Sorry you couldn’t make the draft party (it’s getting’ cheaper by the year; move it back to the Jim Kelly Club-PLEASE!), but thankfully, we got to hang out for Saturday’s picks. Mark was the very first person I remember to leap onto the Marcell Dareus bandwagon (before the 2010-2011 college season even ended), and I’m sure glad the Bills got ‘em. Of course, the difference this time was Psycho Ward 86 makin’ the trip w/ me. So, she has to come up from now on. On to the Bills' draft picks. ROUND 1: Marcell Dareus, DT Alabama The Bills finally got a guy I have wanted to see ‘em draft w/ their first round pick! WOW!!! And, what a addition he is! He has the size (6-3, 319) and the ability to really become a difference maker on the Bills’ defensive line. Look @ the dramatic improvement Detroit’s D line had last year by adding their first round pick, Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh. Now, I’m not saying Dareus will be an immediate first team All Pro (way more impressive than making the Pro Bowl nowadays), but he should be someone that teams will have to focus on and that should allow for some one-on-one opportunities for guys like Kyle Williams to do some things. Whether he’s inside @ DT on passing downs or lined up as a 3-4 DE, I believe Dareus will be a factor in the pass rush. In other words, the Bills should actually have a pass rush now. ROUND 2: Aaron Williams, DB Texas Not the move I would’ve made @ that spot, but here is a guy who should give the Bills a defender to use on inside routes, a problem area for the Bills of late. Solid cover skills, plus the ability to match up better w/ multiple receiver sets is a good thing. Yeah, yeah, another defensive back, but I ‘spose the Bills realize that they have to be able to stop the pass in order to compete. Teams do throw the ball now, so if you’re gonna match up, you had best be able to field some decent secondary players, and a bunch of ‘em. Right now, w/ looming free agency, injuries, and less than stellar play, the Bills really don’t have a comfortable situation in their secondary. This guy can help in that area, and if he actually does, then this is a sound move. Many people will be watching this guy’s development, I’m sure. ROUND 3: Kelvin Sheppard, LB Louisiana State As I said ‘bout the Carrington pick last year (another third rounder), this is one of my favorite picks the Bills made in this draft. In my post game write ups, I have said over and over how the Bills have had issues w/ linebackers who cannot stack and shed, who cannot meet the ball carrier @ the point of attack or, perish the thought, in the backfield and make impact plays. I think a large part of this is due to the fact that the Bills linebacking unit is far too small, as they went w/ smaller, quicker LBs for the prior defensive scheme. Well, that ain’t gonna cut it for the 3-4. There has to be guys w/ good size (I’d say 6-1, 248 qualifies as “good”) who can deliver a big hit (if you haven’t checked out his Youtube video, do so!) and chase plays down. ROUND 4a: Da’Norris Searcy, S North Carolina Searcy appears to be the kinda tough, hard hittin’, in the box safety the Bills could’ve used a few times last year….when teams got to the second level or beyond and met little challenge from the DBs. If this guy gets his way, those days are over, as (probably) are the days of Twitter king Donte Whitner. Anyhoo, Searcy isn’t gonna remind anyone of Ed Reed in terms of deep coverage, but he is a thumper w/ the size (5-10, 223), speed (4.55), and range to make things really tough on opposing runners. God, I hope so. In addition, he’s a smart, instinctive player who also shows some ability as a return guy for special teams. ROUND 4b: Chris Hairston, OT Clemson Here, the Bills appeared to get @ worst a depth guy for the right tackle position and @ best, a potential starter. He has great size (6-6, 334) and long arms, always a plus for O tackles. He plays hard, but also has a tendency to play too high and let guys get under his pads, which makes his size advantage useless. Proper coaching should be able to correct this and, if so, the Bills may have gotten a solution to one of their biggest problems. ROUND 5: Johnny White, RB North Carolina There’s a lot to like ‘bout White: he has a good burst, shows good vision, is a willing blocker (a very key attribute in RBs makin’ the jump to the NFL), and is also a good receiver out of the backfield. He doesn’t have a very impressive resume, as UNC didn’t showcase his abilities, but appears to have the tools to be an effective third down back. He also has turned the ball over some, and that has to be a concern. But, this guy has a ton of potential and may not have shown his best stuff yet. ROUND 6: Chris White, LB Mississippi State Here’s another “try hard” guy who is physical, tough, and smart. He has good speed (4.68), but isn’t an awesome athlete ala Von Miller. What he can do is get to the play and give tremendous effort. Get this, he has shown the ability to actually shed blockers! Imagine that. Since the Bills will probably use a hybrid 3-4/4-3 scheme, he will probably get work as a strongside guy (4-3) and/or a rush ‘backer (3-4). Either way, he should provide solid depth along w/ last year’s find Arthur Moats. ROUND 7a: Justin Rogers, DB RICHmond Rogers has good cover skills and also has the ability to help out on special teams as a return guy. He’s a bit small (6-0, 180), but plays bigger than the measurables. He’s pretty good when the ball is in the air, in terms of anticipation and jumpin’ the routes. This guy could be a poor man’s Bob Sanders in one respect: if he were a bigger guy, he probably would’ve been taken higher in the draft. He should provide nice depth in the secondary. ROUND 7b: Michael Jasper, G/DT Bethel (TN) This guy is HUGE (6-6, 380), and shows good movement and athleticism for a guy his size. If you haven’t done so already (and I’m sure many of you have by now), watch his Youtube workout. The medicine ball part, in particular, impressed me! I’ve seen no tape of ‘em playing, so I’m sure this guy is a pure project. But, man, if they can get ‘em to be effective as a DT……..LOOK OUT!!! So, how did they do? Well, as many may know from reading my draft write-ups in the past, I do not give letter grades and I really don’t like to either praise or condemn a draft when nobody has played a down yet. Suffice to say that the Bills did a few things I like: 1. They addressed needs by going after help for the beleaguered defensive front (Dareus, Sheppard, Chris White, Jasper) and secondary (Williams, Searcy, Rogers) 2. They took players who not only had talent, but who also had production over a long haul 3. They targeted guys who were tough and smart (guys like Sheppard, Searcy, Chris White, Rogers) I can live w/ those kinda players fillin’ out the Bills roster, and if that’s the plan Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix are following (and after a couple draft, it appears to be their plan), I’m all for it. Now, I know there’s plenty of folks who still suffer from Mary Wells disease (as in, the Bills didn’t take, “My Guy”), but folks, these guys are building a team according to…..get this…..A PLAN!! I'm sure Nix and Gailey aren't finished yet, meaning they have more holes to fill, but they are @ least using a blueprint instead of blindly throwin' darts and hopin' they stick. They are gettin’ guys to fit their plan and continuing to build towards a future. Yeah, the Bills will finally have one. And, not a future filled w/ Plan B, Plan B part II, Plan B-the final chapter, etc. Ya gotta love that, right?

No.

Post draft/opening day/CBA-lockout/start of minicamp/start of training camp/pre-season/regular season/Labor Day/Memorial Day/Arbor Day...

Only 152 days 'til the home opener!!!! Yeah, yeah, the lockout and all, but even more than the Bills season starting, and even more than seeing all my TBD friends and family, this opener is on my anniversary! I really can't wait!!

I like Sheppard. He's tough and can roam. Problem w/ him and Foster is that they both can get engulfed by blockers. Not a good thing for potential ILBs in a 3-4 (we have this problem now). Sheppard also has so-so coverage abilities; another bad thing for ILBs. But, these could be things that can be coached up (agility drills and weight training can help), and it's hard not to like his FBI (football intelligence) and his toughness (playing through injuries, delivering bit hits).

It would really upset me if the Bills draft any player w/ the 3rd overall pick, and then just go home and forget the fact that they have additional draft picks.

I hope anyone who shoots someone (and it can be proven that they're the culprit) goes to jail.

There are plenty of guys, even the black ones, who devote plenty of time to film study w/out being QBs. Film study and attention to detail is what has made Ray Lewis and Ed Reed among the best to ever play their respective positions.