JoeF

AJ hates Ralph...I don't think that has tempered even though Ralph and John Butler buried the hatchet before JB died. I think you saw with what happened to Marty what happens when AJ has a grudge... I don't think we are going to get any special consideration -- but I do probably think there have been some conversations.

65 days...to come up with this... The really stupid thing...everyone had forgotten. Its like he is trying to be stupid...

Or the statement..."We should sign him on the expensive" How about if we use vet minimum...such as... "Oft injured, fragile as fine china RB Chris Brown would be an okay signing if he were to agree to a deal that was at or near the vet minimum...." Is it the lack of specificity of "sign him on the cheap" or too much cliche' that bothers you? By the way--I am an offender -- I have used this before in posts--but I do agree with you.

Of course....next question please...surprised it took so many responses to get to this obvious answer...actually 20-0 as the Bills load up for the preseason by bringing back Kamil Loud, Anthony Gray and other past preseason luminaries...

Are you kidding me? He's Bo Schobel....our season is over...Bo Schobel...I can't believe you aren't more depressed and that the board isn't in an absolute apoplectic tizzy...

Dammit...another piece of evidence that the Bills have no hope of attracting the top tier free agents. I am ready to pack 2007 in. Hopefully we can be competitive by 2010 or so....

and Eagles fans booed Santa Claus.....The cynical and sarcastic live here....that's not a bad thing...

Great, a Tony Robbins infomercial -- just what I needed..

Actually the gap between 12 and 23 is not as much as I thought. My initial thought in my first reply to use was that the financial difference between what the Bills would pay the 12th versus what we paid Willis at 23rd increased the risk, but as I look at the last couple of years 1st round deals --The difference between 12 and 23 isn't that great. A couple of other things to consider.. 1) When we drafted McGahee -- we already had a hedge--Henry was our number 1 and was performing well-- it was okay to take a risk on an injury history talent because we drafted for depth and future leverage not an immediate starter..we don't have that luxury now. 2) Depth in this years draft--as always big DT's are at a premium--there are really 4 who might be able to step in and contribute right away--Okoye, Branch, Tank Tyler (Character questions) and oft injured Joel Harrell--so after the top 2 the next two have questions...I think our need here is greatest because of the way teams killed us with up the gut runs last year. The depth is much greater at the RB position..there is enough depth to draft 2 RB's and play the one who performs the best.. You make valid points..I guess that's what this discussion is all about--exchanging views

Something I hadn't considered. More of an anchor than a penetrator?

There's a huge investment gap between the 12th pick and the 23rd pick...its much more of a risk -- maybe double.

This will mean that JP and Walker are both upright -- which is a good thing. One thing McNally liked about Walker was his knee bend and solid base--I think we will be okay here--but it may be Butler at RG and Walker at RT. McNally likes Butler because he is nasty. Butler would have been above Pennington on the depth chart last year if not for his shoulder issue from college.

This is a really tough choice. Peterson is the first off my survivor draft island in this scenario--its just too much to invest for an back who has a tendency to get injured and this draft's pool of running backs is pretty deep. Willis is the next to go..I think we are serviceable at LB right now, particularly if we upgrade the nose tackle position..I am okay with Spikes (SLB); Crowell (MLB); Ellison (WLB) with Haggan, Stamer for goal line and then a couple of draftees -- one at strong/Mlb and one at WLB in in the draft later. Okoye--He is not as finished a product as Branch right now--he is more of a 3 than a nose--we are okay at 3 with Tripplett and Williams. Branch...you can't teach big and quick; they also say he is lazy and has a "low motor" at times...I think this coaching staff -- with Jauron's steady hand and laid back style and Fewell and Kollar's passion and teaching can get the most out of him. If we want to get better against the run--we have to have a great rotation at the nose--McCargo and Branch have the potential to be a pair to build on... Branch...really tough choice though...I would be happy with Okoye, Willis or Branch... As for Hall--corner is pretty deep in this draft--we can get a player who will do well in cover 2 in round 3....Hughes from Cal who is slow (4.6) but had 8 INT's last year--could be a Bill.

Maybe a musing or two about his short lived career as a RB for the Titans.....

I think either Pennington or Butler gets the RT slot and Walker gets RG. It will be cool to have some depth--Pennington or Butler (whomever loses the RT competition) as 3rd tackle, Preston and Whittle on the interior...we could actually consider ourselves two deep...wow...that's a far cry from none deep.

Chris Brown's initial reports from the first day of the offseason program..... Pennington looking fit Today Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 12:51 PM ET | Link PENNINGTON LOOKING FIT: Bills OT Terrance Pennington looked like he's firmed up some since last season. He came in a little soft last year, but looks like he's toned his body up this offseason. He said he's been working hard in the weight room. --- A Royal problem Today Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 12:44 PM ET | Link A ROYAL PROBLEM: Everyone who owns a home knows maintaining a house or making improvements is a seemingly endless process. So imagine how Bills TE Robert Royal felt when he got a call from his contractor this offseason telling him his house was completely flooded. Apparently when Royal left to go down to his native Louisiana at the end of the season he turned his thermostat off. The water in his pipes then froze, expanded and burst all the pipes in his house. Water was apparently cascading down from the second floor bathroom. His contractor happened to be driving by and saw water coming out the front door. He went inside and waded through three and a half feet of water in the basement to turn the water off. Needless to say the house is a mess. That's a tough, tough lesson for a native southerner to learn about having a home up north. --- Jackson pumped up Today Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 12:42 PM ET | Link JACKSON PUMPED UP: Of all the players I saw at One Bills Drive today, the guy that has transformed his body the most from the end of last year was RB Fred Jackson. He bulked up some up top and feels comfortable with the extra muscle he's carrying. I'll have a story on him later this week on the home page.

If the Beekman play is typical -- he wouldn't help the run D very much and a conversion is not worth a #12 pick. There is another youtube clip of Vermeil, Rich Eisen, Mayock, Jamie Dukes and Charles Davis talking about Willis during he Combine...they said he was impressive at the senior bowl...I wonder if this play was an anomaly. They were raving about him....It also shows him running the 40 at the combine--pretty damn impressive to see a guy that big and well defined moving like a corner. Oh well--if we take him -- I guess the talent folks have more than youtube film on him.... All good points though Nanker...very good points...

He followed the flow of the play-- he wasn't on the edge -- as a MLB he's supposed to follow the flow of the play..The OLB on the right side is the one who got bluffed..the MLB doesn't have contain responsibility..The right side end, corner and right side LB all bit on that one.. That play is hugely impressive for him--he ran 30 yards downfield to make the tackle despite having to change direction and reverse field.

Yep--he road graded him...my question is did the scheme require him to read and react rather than attack...Beekman was on him like a flash and in that situation you gotta know they are going to run...to every great play there is a downside...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YodiWVGS_8...ted&search= We may not draft him..but this is what we need against the run.....He was out there by himself sometimes on the Ole Miss D....noone really knows what he can do with other skilled players around him..

Krumrie said our beloved Tim Anderson was one of the best ever at the slap fight. Not sure the slap fight transfers to the NFL. But I do a agree--there has been more buzz than this that Branch is lazy-- I would love to take him because big DT's with his quicks and anchoring ability are rare--but he got by on just being big and quick in college--he actually has to work hard and gain technique to succeed in the pros. A side note--NFL Network Path to the draft last night was corners...Mike Mayock, who is quickly becoming my favorite draft pundit, said the position is deep but that Hall is a clear #1-- there are several cover 2 corners that can be had in rounds 2-4 (Hughes, Wilson from MD., Ross, TX, Jackson from Syracuse, etc.)

Interesting post. So if you look at it on the surface..There is no way you could state at this point that we will be better. Losing Clements, Fletcher-Baker and Willis -- arguably our two best defenders and one of the few offensive weapons we have there is no way. But take a look deeper.... 1) Improving LG gives us an awesome Left Side of the offensive line-one that can be relied upon to get push and protect JP's blind side at a higher level. For the pass--it means more time and JP improved his accuracy immensely last year--he is only going to get better with more time. For the run--we got overwhelmed a lot on 3rd and short the last seven years--while we won't convert every third and short now--I bet our total conversion rate increases by 10% from this years 31.7% to around 40% that's more time on offense, that's less stress on the defense. -We were the third worst O in the NFL last year--6th worst running and 5th worst passing--I think despite the loss of Willis we improve markedly next year. -Another fact--the games Anthony Thomas started--he had more average yards -- 84 per game-- than Willis' average for the games he started--77 -On Walker--I agree with you that he is a risk and that the pro scouting team and McNally must see something we don't--but look at what McNally has had to work with--he has led the development of Peters, made Gandy play the best football of his career, prepared a rookie to play last year and basically evaluated Williams as a lost cause--we haven't given McNally much to work with--but he has gotten a lot out of it. Walker only has to be better than our RT's last year for the line to improve--that is a pretty accomplishable task. 2) On D-- we were mid tier last year...we will suffer with the loss of the Clements and Fletcher-Baker--my biggest worry about corner is McGee, not the loss of Clements. He was very shaky last year--however he was also gimpy all year with hammy, shoulder and ankle issues. We prepped for this loss of Clements last year by drafting better coverage safetys and Youboty. Plus a shutdown corner is not critical in cover 2 where you almost always have Safety help deep..we will be hurt--and won't have the flexibility to man up all the time -- but the system and Whitner and Simpson's logical improvements help mitigate this some...plus the draft will yield something here. On Fletcher Baker--believe it or not -- I am less worried about losing his talent than his leadership...I think we will make more mental mistakes because #59 is not there--we need Crowell to step up and lead...be the coach on the field. I think we slip on D--but I am hopeful that McCargo and Youboty make the slide a small one. Plus I have confidence we will find talent in the draft on this side of the ball -- why--well Kyle Williams, Ko Simpson and Keith Ellison are pretty gosh darn good players and they were 5th, 4th and 6th round picks respectively last year. 3) We still have field changing, reliable and talented special teams. Its not totally lost--I want to see the 8 new Bills we get at the end of next month...but my biggest concern is Fletcher's leadership--its the most important loss of the off-season to me.

I love this...we transform to the Bengals (Sorry Stuck) in one move....from the choir boys to the convicts...sweet...Its like the Spiderman suit turning black in the previews for Spidey III

Damn you are fast on the draw....

If TD were still with the Bills these deals would all get done. Sincerely, Chris Mortenson & Len Pasqaurelli ESPN