TPS

I don't know that i would put the Colts in there yet, and I also think Jax and Oak will join the pack this year--Jax was much like the Bills last year, they gave a lot of teams a tough outing. To me, there are the Broncos and Pats, then on any given day, all of the other teams can look like world beaters or sleep walkers.

:thumbsup:I think I've finally settled on this for the first 2 picks as well. I don't think the Bills have said peep about Lewan, so they may be thinking his personality is too volatile also?

didn't like the new guy at all.

I only mean that I love December games, and it would be great if they did it then because of green bay.I try to make 2 games per season, one in early October, and one in late December.

he's turning on the lights, the party is getting started.

I hope it's in December!

One other aspect about going OT at 9 vs Evans/Ebron, the OT will start day 1 and be an every down player; the others will start as situational players. If the staff is about winning this year, a new starting RT helps the most. My preference for the first 2 picks based on who has a chance of being available: Mathews or Lewan Niklas or Crichton

i posted a link to a BBrooks article in another OT thread and he had this to say about Lewan,Why is he in demand? The offensive tackle class features three blue-chip prospects -- Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews and Lewan -- at the top of the board. Although the talent difference is negligible between the top three players, there is a stark contrast between the first tier and second tier at the position. Thus, teams entering the draft in desperate need of a franchise-caliber offensive tackle will point to the third-ranked player at the position as the tipping point in the draft. With most observers assuming Robinson and Matthews will come off the board in that order, it's very likely that Lewan's name will be at the top of trade discussions on draft day. The Michigan standout has put together an impressive reel of game tape and ranks as one of the best athletes at the position. Given the importance of finding a blindside blocker with exceptional athleticism and technical skills, the market will certainly bubble up with teams looking to make a play for Lewan.

Robinson might even be worth trading up for.

Check out what Bucky Brooks has to say about Lewan in this piece... http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000339514/article/five-prospects-worth-trading-up-for-in-2014-nfl-draft

I like DE Crichton as an R2 possibility. He just visited OBD.

I like Crichton and think he's a great option in R2. He seems a good fit for schwartz's D.

thanks for posting that. I really like how he battles for the ball, making catches on balls that should've been INTs.

That was my thinking too, they are set up to trade back. I think they could even do a swap with Cleveland's pick at 26(?).

STs was probably responsible for 2 losses last year. Easely was a decent gunner, but kind of disappeared in the second half--probably because they started to focus on him. Graham really takes the coverage unit up a notch. I'd be willing to bet that the coverage units will at least move into the middle of the rankings. I think those who don't give the Bills decent marks for their moves in FA neglect the impact these two will have on STs...

I wasn't necessarily posting becauSe of his picks, rather that he projects so many trades. I think this is a very strong possibility this year. My point is that I believe we're going to see a lot more unexpected things happening in the top half this year as opposed to how it has been more predictable in the recent past.

Here's his latest mock, which has bills going Evans and OT in R2. http://www.wgr550.com/pages/18723933.php?contentType=4&contentId=14987341 What I find interesting is how many trades he projects in the top 11, which is certainly a strong possibility. In recent years, the top of the draft board was fairly easy to predict. This year is going to be wild and unpredictable!

so one would think if they have any interest in Lewan, then they'd bring him in, given his background. I'm sure they will bring in someone like Mathews, but Lewan would be a real tell.

I'd be happy with taking the cousins with first two picks--Mathews and niklas.

A long life well lived You brought joy to so many The trophy awaits...

That was my first thought too! TJ to safety?!?

Jeremiah's latest mock has all 3 OTs gone by 7th pick. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/mock-drafts/daniel-jeremiah/195602 See what he says about the Brown's pick.

Decided to compile some numbers from the "experts" and their rankings of Lewan, Evans, and Ebron. I used nfl.com (Jeremiah, Brandt, and brooks), cbssports (top prospects and rang), nfl-si, espn, and sporting news. Based on 8 rankings, and order listed as L, Evans, Ebron: 1. Average rank= 11, 14, 15 2. Range= 7-20, 6-36, 6-24 3. if you toss out the highest ranking for each, the gap narrows significantly between Lewan and Evans--9.9 vs 11.6; Ebron drops to 14) 4. Top 10 rankings= 5/8, 3/8, 1/8 5. Top ranking by: espn and sporting news=7, espn=6, sporting news=6. Assuming Mathews, Watkins, Mack, or Robinson aren't there, then these "experts' rankings" suggest Lewan should be the pick, and if he's gone, then Evans. Ps. If I had access to espn insider, I would've included Kiper and mcshay, but I don't, so I used the overall ranking on the espn draft site.

Re-thinking the OP's point, it certainly has merit, but I think the more interesting comparison is to see how the salaries have changed in the past few years. Has the pay gap decreased? If so, will it continue to shrink? There would still be a tricky pay and position issue down the line... At this point, I think the Bills have themselves in position to go with BPA, which I like a lot. This allows them to pick someone like Mack (for example) if he's there, or trade down. That said, upgrading RT is a big need, so I would say they do have to pick an OT in one of the first 3 rounds. And once again, I'm flip-flopping on what I'd like to see, but here's my priority list: 1. Outside of the QBs, if one of Robinson, Clowney, Mathews, Mack, or Watkins falls to Bills, then grab them. 2. Trade back. If this happens, then I'm ok with OT, S, TE, or WR here. The extra pick(s) will allow the Bills to fill all of those positions in the first 3 rounds. 3. If no trade partner, take Ebron and draft OT in R2 or 3.

I wouldn't call that a rumor. They quote a writer from the B-news who think "it would be hard for the Bills to pass him up if he's there." They might as well come to TBD for rumors...