Dawgg

Never said he would. But making a snap judgement to switch QBs when your team is 10-6 and your backup lit it up in a meaningless game is hardly a wise move. In fact, it's downright dumb. As for Flutie, he got body slammed on that play because of our sh-- offensive line. That season, he helped the team overcome an 1-3 start to finish 10-6 and earned a Pro Bowl berth. Funny how no one remembers that.

In a playoff game? Making a snap judgement from a season finale that had zero meaning to both teams involved? Far from a push...

It was Polian, then Butler, then Donahoe.

Last year, it was more of the former. When Nate Clements was on the team, they made the conscious decision around 4 games in that Nate would cover the team's #1 receiver and follow him around wherever he goes. Nate ended up having one of his best seasons, propelling him to a mega-$$$ deal with the 49ers. If McKelvin can develop into that type of corner, this is a great pick.

- Similar to Darryl Tapp - Lots of talent, but questionable/inconsistent effort - Fits the 4-3 defense well - Scout said he just needs to "put it all together"

I see it as the other way around. I think the talent dropoff among the top 6-8 cornerbacks is far greater than the talent dropoff among the top 6-8 WRs. That's why the prudent choice was to address cornerback first and keep your fingers crossed that one of the receivers would fall to our laps. As it turned out, it worked out better than any of us imagined.

And you were pushing to reach for a WR at #11! Now 2 needs have been filled in a major way.

Practically every fan on this board wanted to reach for a WR in round 1.

and picking a top corner instead of reaching for a WR at pick #11. As you probably are aware, not a single WR has been taken in the first round. With 9 picks remaining before yours, you are in a great position to get a quality WR or TE to help your young QB -- all without unnecessarily reaching. Sincerely, Dawgg

A WR has yet to be chosen and we're at pick #20 already. There will be plenty of WR talent on the board in Round 2. I still would have preferred a trade down if it was available, but McCelvin was a far better option than reaching on Devin Thomas at #11.

The probability that a defender will make an immediate impact is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than that of a WR -- that's a fact. If the team's scouting department is good, they should be able to find a good receiver after round 1 and get immediate help from a defensive playmaker at #11.

Well that's just a talking point. At the end of the day, I watched every single game and came to the conclusion that our pass rush is simply not good enough. Now improving the pass rush can come in many forms... one is by bolstering the secondary. If you can cover the top WRs in this league, that leads to coverage sacks. Schobel is a perfect example of this -- with Nate blanketing top receivers two years ago, Schobel, with his never-quit motor, benefited greatly. Another way to bolster the pass rush is to beef up the middle of the defense. The Bills did that with the addition of Stroud and Spencer Johnson. Another way is to bolster the DE corps. Kelsay and Denney are pretty good, but we can use another disruptive player in the DE rotation, especially with Hargrove out with a suspension.

Really? Is that why they were ranked 31st overall in defense? Looks to me like QBs had a field day against this defense.

There's more to pass rushing than just sacks.

Exactly.

When you have a high pick, you take the best player available at a need position. Now the definition of "need" is a loose one. In my view, a "need" is any position that needs to improve -- not just the position with a gaping hole. If a disruptive pass rusher falls to us at #11, do we take him -- even though we have spent a ton of $ on Kelsay and Schobel? YES! Because he will improve our team significantly. If a shut-down corner who can match up with Randy Moss one-on-one falls to us at #11, do we take him -- even though Jabari Greer and Terrance McGee had pretty good years? YES! Because if Greer is moved to the slot, our team improves significantly.

John -- I just don't think you can blindly look at the team's biggest need and just force yourself to address that position with a high pick. You have to consider who the best player is available, regardless of position. When Whitner was taken at #8, he was not the best player available at that point. It wasn't even close. He's a nice player and looks good in red, white and blue -- but he wasn't the best player available when the Bills' selection came around. Same goes for Lee Evans. With Pat Williams walking in free agency, we chose a wide receiver? With Tommie Harris and Vince Wilfork on the board? Again, Lee is a nice player.... but these guys have 4 Pro Bowls between them and have been dominant. I like the free agency moves... the lines were addressed, but the party's not over yet. This team is not just a few players away and they need to build on that foundation. Another pass rusher or a shut down corner will be a far better use of that pick than a WR. In the 2nd round, the Bills can take the best WR or TE that falls to their lap -- and make no mistake there will be some very good prospects available. Anyway, I'm hopeful that the Bills won't reach for a WR and will address it later, knowing that they can probably do so after the first round.

I certainly agree that WR is a need, and a big one at that. But that doesn't mean you reach for one at #11. If the Bills have the opportunity to take a shut-down corner or a very good lineman at #11, they should simply close their eyes and take him. Yes, the Bills spent tons of $ on the offensive and defensive lines -- that doesn't mean that they have become strengths. While I like the Stroud acquisition, I don't expect him to be a savior by any means. He has a lot of mileage on him and you have to wonder why Jacksonville was so willing to part with him in a trade to a team they will might be competing with for a wildcard berth. There will be good, tall receivers available in the second round. Malcom Kelly's stock has dropped considerably. James Hardy and Jordy Nelson look like very solid prospects. I think the overall TEAM will be better if they take the best player available in Rd 1 and take the top receiver or tight end who falls to their lap in Rd 2.

A league ranking of 30th in Offense. A league ranking of 31st in Defense. Viable?

The same "professionals" who have steered this team to irrelevance the past 10 years? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_f...-season_drought

Absolutely. Because this team is pretty weak at a number positions, WR included.

Taking a Wide Receiver high is a luxury pick, one that you make when you're set at other key positions (unless of course, you are Matt Millen). Yes, the Bills need a WR -- but they also need to improve their pass rush, their pass defense, their defensive line, and offensive line. The Bills should take the best player available -- and if they think that a WR is the best player available at #11, chances are pretty good that they're DEAD wrong... just like they were dead wrong when they thought that Whitner was the best player available at #8, and just like they were dead wrong when they deemed Lee Evans the best player available at #12. While Lee Evans is a good player, there's no question that Wilfork and Harris have made a far greater impact in keeping their teams competitive and would have been better selections. Is it any coincidence that the Bills and Lions have the longest post-season drought in the NFL behind only the Arizona Cardinals? I think not.

I also forgot Ahmad Bradshaw for the Giants. Wow, what a draft! The Bills' drafts have been decent the past two years -- definitely a big improvement over years' past -- but they don't compare to that of the Giants and Packers.

Did you watch the Giants' Super Bowl run? Steve Smith, Aaron Ross, and Kevin Boss made key plays and played critical roles in their SB run. Did you watch the Packers turnaround season last year? They had a few rookie starters on both sides of the ball. Perhaps you consider the draft a crapshoot because the Bills frankly haven't been very good drafters in the past 10 years... whatever the reason may be, I think you're wrong.

Really? The Bills, with holes everywhere, should have taken an impact defensive lineman rather than reach on a safety?