Florida Bills Fanatic

I agree with you. He may already have a deal in place to acquire Rosen from Arizona. They have an early 2nd round pick that may be enough to make the trade. He may think that none of the QB's other than Murray are better than Rosen. If he pulls off the trade, he keeps the two #1's and keeps the flexibility to take two good position players on either offense or defense.

I agree with you. I think he is one of the top five prospects. We need about 5 GM's to completely whiff on their picks so that he can drop to #9. I don't expect that to happen.

Looks like one of the Kraft family!

When I look at the Bills roster, other than QB, they can use a talent upgrade at any position group. That's why Beane keeps talking about taking BPA. It gets a little confusing when trade downs come into play. Those decisions are made when the grade on available players doesn't match the pick or when the roster has enough glaring wholes where the extra picks are of more value than the player available at the original pick. Since I don't know about the specific grades on given players, I don't feel like I'm really in a position to judge the draft until I see them perform in games. I have draft prospects that I like but that doesn't mean they will be the best selection. I have to keep reminding myself that I really liked the selection of Dareus and we all know how poorly that turned out. I'm just going to trust the process.

With the depth of good players in certain position groups in this draft class, I think it makes more sense to move up into the second or third rounds. The price to make those moves is a more reasonable use of the extra 4th, 5th, and 7th round picks.

I have to believe that Beane is playing his cards conservatively at this point. Based on his past comments about managing the cap, I don't expect him to throw big money at a guy like Clark or Clowney. Depending on how the draft falls through the first few picks, he will make his move for either a specific player or down for more picks or make the pick at 9. In my opinion, the only likely trade candidate that has any potential value is Lawson. Other than some speculation from some sports reporters, I haven't seen anything to indicate that they are serious about a trade. The decision with his 5th year option may clarify things.

I'm not sure that they will re-sign Lawson, especially if they don't pick up his fifth year option. If they stick to BPA in the draft, they won't worry how they will get him on the field (at least according to Beane). He would be a rotational player to start and earn more playing time with good performance. I don't care for this scenario but it is one that they may follow. I agree with you that we need to select an impact starter with our pick at 9. It's not like the Bills have a loaded roster and can afford for a number 9 pick to wait on the sidelines.

The Browns didn't tank. Their front office did an incredibly bad job of drafting (Johnny Football and others) and had some of the worst coaching in the league. They squandered multiple high draft picks, several years in a row. They finally got a good GM, had two good drafts in a row, made one really good trade, made a couple of really good FA signings, and improved their coaching staff. They really stumbled their way into this great situation. They were so bad that they didn't need to tank. They still have some holes to fill on their defense but I expect their GM to get them fixed. They have a window of time to be successful before rookie deals start to run out on those high draft picks. In the meantime, I expect them to be good, especially on offense.

I think "Depends could have a market for an athletic fit version". Just sayin

Depending on who is picked in 1 through 8, it is possible that he could be the BPA. I don't think it will fall that way, but it is possible. It wouldn't be horrible but I'm hoping for better.

As much as we all like to throw rocks at Roger the dodger, the restrictions on off season workouts and practices are the result of the demands of the NFLPA. This was negotiated in lieu of benefit and monetary demands. The owners gave this and kept more cash. Can't say as I blame them. As many have pointed out, many of these restrictions are really stupid. I'm sure that as players gather for their own private offsite workouts, defensive players are catching balls, etc. I can't wait for real football to start.

You got it! BPA because the Bills need better talent in all of those areas.

I think that you nailed it. Nobody would argue that the guy has freakish athletic ability. The problem is that he has not been a dominating player but wants to get paid like one. I hope Beane sees it the same way.

I don't see any of the WR draft prospects being worthy of a selection at #9. Based on the FA receiver signings, I don't think the Bills do either. With the 11 guys they have under contract, it seems unlikely that they will draft one unless a good receiver plummets during the draft. It is looking more like d-line with or without a trade down. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm going to stock up on beer and chips and get ready to hunker down on the 25th. I can't wait to see the threads that erupt after the first picks. We'll have the whiners and the self proclaimed experts that guessed what Beane did. No matter what happens, the Bills will have a better roster at the end of the draft and we'll all have new material to write about.

Like some others on this thread, I'm sure that some of the recent FA signings won't make the 53 man roster nor will all of the draft picks. I'm sure that is part of the plan. They brought in a bunch of FA guys with active game experience to compete for a job. Their contracts can be easily dumped by the team. The result should be a better roster from top to bottom. Working with a better roster next year, this process should be easier and easier with each successive year. Keeping the CAP in a manageable position is the key to making this possible.

I don't know whether there is really a sweet spot for trading up or not. It seems to me that things like teams moving up to draft QB's or a serious run on a particular position create the opportunities to trade up or down. Nine may not be high enough to get one of the coveted QB's and it may be so high that the run on a particular position has not materialized. Some posters act as though Beane merely needs to decide to trade up or down and it will happen. It takes two teams with agreement over the price of the trade. After reading a lot about this draft class, there are about 12 guys that look to be very high quality picks. The next tier seems to be valued more than other years and may include the next 40 players. If you can get one of those top 12 and two of the next 40, you've done a good job. This would require a move up toward the end of day one or early on day two. I'm hoping for teams moving up to snag a QB. This may create a chance to move down and still get one of the players that they value but with a lower pick (plus gaining an extra day two pick).

No Jerry Butler, Reggie McKenzie, Joe Devlin, Jim Braxton, Tom Day, John Tracy, Ben Williams?

He was a good guy and a high effort guy. He was not a game changer that could justify the money that the Cheatriots paid him. Contrary to the revisionists, there were large numbers of people that were apoplectic over his loss. Even the local and national news media pushed the narrative that this was a big loss. At the time it seemed more important than it was because the Bills' roster was fairly weak. His effort had been a positive on a team that had a shortage of effort and results. I hope he does well ( just not against the Bills )and stays healthy.

Great summary! I think you nailed it in a very concise manner. I also know a person that overcame this diagnosis to lead a productive and happy life over the last 15 years.

I agree with you in that exact order of preference.

Dumb manifests itself in many ways. Many good people do a dumb thing in their life but they learn from it. To repeat dumb acts takes stupidity to a new level. His performance on the field has not been good enough to warrant putting up with his behavior. I'd pass on him.

I seriously doubt that the backers of this league have any personal liability unless they were officers of the company and committed an illegal act causing specific harm to Schmidt. As others have said, the AAF is probably an LLC where the owners are merely stockholders. If the LLC files for bankruptcy, employees (players) usually fall in line with other debt holders (and are usually at the end of the line). It is highly improbable that Schmidt will get anything. Just because an attorney agreed to file a lawsuit, it doesn't mean there is any legitimate enforceable claim. My bet is the owners of the league have more money, better lawyers, and therefore better legal protection in the existing contracts. The whole thing seems to really s*** for the players and coaches that committed a lot of effort to the league.

I agree. I think that they aren't counting on an elite edge guy falling to them. This indicates to me that they believe a DT will be the BPA for them at #9 and they will pick one.

It seems like we go through this "hand wringing" exercise every year. We all try to project what other teams above us will do and fret over the players that remain. It is good to remember that there are always unpredicted moves made by teams. Last year it was Cleveland taking a CB with pick #4 instead of B. Chubb. Some GM's who are on the hot seat will select a player strictly for need and some will have players ranked differently than the popular opinions. The over drafting of QB's helps as well. When I look at the top 25 players, we could do alright with about 12 of them at pick #9. I have confidence that Beane and company will play their hand well to get a player that they value and get some extra draft capital if they have the chance. None of these players are a sure thing. I remember being pleased with the Dareus selection and we all know how that turned out. Teams with weak rosters have a propensity to trade down in round 1 to gain picks in rounds 2 and 3. They also tend to move around on day two to fill specific holes. I don't see the Bills locked into this approach. Beane has great flexibility this year and it is going to be fun to watch. It's been a long time since Buffalo has had a GM as capable and daring as Beane.

When OJ planted his foot and turned the run up field, it was like he was shot out of a gun. He just accelerated away from everyone. Great memory!