Mikie2times

I posted this a few weeks ago when Fairchild was getting consideration before Mularkey left. He's still drawing some intrest from Buffalo so I thought people might wan't to take a look at it again. (UPDATE-He Was Hired) In the 11 games he called plays (Martz called the rest) the Rams averaged 21 Points, 245 Yards passing, and 101 yards rushing per game. He also showed good balance with his play calling averaging 35 passes per game, and 25 rushes per game. What’s even more impressive is he did all that with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jamie Martin as his starting QB's. He also has experience as a QB coach, and coached in Buffalo in the past. I know people would like to see Willis get 30 carries everyweek, but let's face it, this Bills team got behind a lot and that makes it difficult to run. Despite that they still averaged 9th in the league in run/pass ratio, having a rushing attempt for every 1.57 passes. Fairchild averaged a 1.4 in that category which would have ranked him 7th had he called all the games. He is also a former RB's coach with the Bills when Williams was here, so theirs no doubt that the run oriented stradegy would still be in effect.

I’ve done a few mocks prior to the draft order being finalized, so I’ll call this one version 1.0. It is done under the assumption that we addressed other need areas threw FA so take that into consideration. Trades Nate Clements to the New York Giants for the 24th pick in the 2nd round Compensation 4th Round pick awarded from the loss of PW and JJ. (This is still debatable but a 4th doesn’t sound to unrealistic) 1. D'BRICKASHAW FERGUSON (OT) - VIRGINIA- Spare me the he's a bust talk, D'Brick is an NFL ready pass blocking LT, and that’s what we desperately need. He will do a decent enough job walling off defenders in the ground game for us to get by early on, then he will be more then adequate as he gains weight. Personally I think we could afford to have some finesse on the left side anyway being that the right has traditionally been our "power" side. No brainier if he's on the board. 2. (A)-CHARLES GORDON (CB) - KANSAS- He doesn’t get the pub being that he plays for a school more known for it's basketball program then football. But make no mistake about it, Charles Gordon is a pro bowl type talent and would have been the top CB prospect in the 2007 draft. Slightly undersized and at 5'10 180LB, but has blazing speed, and blanket cover skills. He also doubled as a WR, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he led the nation in INT's in 2004. 2 (B)- GREG BLUE (FS) – GEORGIA- Complete FS with great size, athleticism, and coverage ability. Was regarded as the unquestioned leader of the secondary with Georgia and would really provide some much needed athleticism at the FS position. If he puts up a sub 4.4 at the combine he might not be around at this pick, but if he lasts he would be a great pick in round 2. 3. (A)- JESSE MAHELONA (DT)- TENNESSEE- Strong, quick, and tenacious, Mahelona has everything NFL teams look for in a DT. He will often demand double teams, and also provides a strong interior pass rush. Prior to this year he was projected as a first round pick, but constant double teams in 05 led to a drop in production, and many think he will slip because of it. 3. (B) ELVIS DUMERVILLE (OLB/DE)- LOUISVILLE- Dumerville dominated as a college pass rusher registering 10 sacks in 04 and 20 in 05. He's got just one problem, he's only 5'11, and probably isn't fast enough to be an OLB. Thus one of the premier pass rushers in this draft is probably going to drop, and if he's around at this spot it would make a great pick. Having him serve as a situational pass rusher opposite Schobel would really give our DL pass rush a boost. 4. (A)- DONTRELL MOORE (HB)- NEW MEXICO- Tremendously talented runner with all the tools to succeed at the next level. Because he played against small school competition, and is such a deep RB class he might fall to round 4. If so we should gobble him up as a legitimate back up and potential competition for Willis. 4. (B)- DWAYNE SLAY (SS)- TEXAS TECH- HUGE hitter, dominating at the line of scrimmage. Also has great size at 6'3 214LB, and above average athleticism. The knock on him is experience and coverage, which usually go and in hand. Perhaps he could flourish in a simplified attacking role early on while he develops the rest of his game. He could also be used as a gunner on special teams. 5. BRAD SMITH (WR) - MISSOURI- You don't became the most prolific scrambler in division one history for nothing. Smith's future isn't at QB, but the guy is great in the open field, and has the size we need at 6'2 210. He's also one of the most respected players in college football, and is widely regarded as a class act and team player. At round 5, his potential is great enough to justify the selection. 6. JOSH BETTS (QB) - MIAMI OH- I'm a firm believer in late round QB drafting and Betts is one of those guys that fits the mold. He lived in Rothlisbergers shadow, but when you look at him as a prospect he as all the tools you need to be good at the next level. He's raw and inexperienced but that's what you get with most late round QB's, another potential pick. 7. PAUL SOLIAI (OG)- UTAH- Most 7th round pick isn't going to have a huge chance at making an impact right away, and neither will Soliai, but he is a good project guy. He's not the most agile lineman, but is difficult to move and has great strength. Again a good project and nothing more.

Ya I was unsure on that one, I figured somebody as qualified as him might be gone by now.

OC: Norv Turner: I believe he's still available, and if so he is the most qualified man for the job. Some guy's just don't make good head coaches, perhaps the additional responsibilities become too much. But when you break the role down to just coordinator these same HC bums can flourish. Turner is one of those guys. He's shown time and time again that he can build an offense with different types of players, and always features a strong ground game. I really think he could bring instant credibility to this offense as soon as we have a QB that separates from the pack. DC: Mike Singletary: I mentioned him a few weeks ago and was quickly shot down saying we wouldn't have a chance. I don't understand why that is? His role in San Francisco is no bigger then DL's was here when he made the switch to Pitts DC. He also has head coaching aspirations with NO experience as a coordinator or head coach at any level. You just don't see many guys elevate to head coach status without that on their resume, and he would even be armed with some decent talent to work with. Singletary brings intensity, great leadership, and incredible character as a coach and a person and would make an excellent defensive coordinator for the Bills.

I think Tolstoy overemphasized our impatients to much, because we have lost for a long time now, but considering the way we welcomed the past few coaches compared to Jauron I really don't think his opinion is that off base. Bills fans are passionate as all hell so a cynical attitude would be expected during a time like this, but the main problem was under the TD administration the attitude of the fans was often the direction the team took. If we wanted a guy fired he usually got fired, offensive coordinator after offensive coordinator, coach after coach. I'm not saying any of these guys were gems, but we never stayed in a system long enough for our guys to have things come naturally to them. Now another guy gets brought in that isn't very popular, and most people won't even give him enough time to hire his coordinators. Just like JP we don't know for sure how Jauron will do. So many variables go into a coach’s record and so many more when you try and figure out how he might do the second time around. For Jaurons sake hopefully things settle down a little bit. Even if they don't I expect this administration won't be as likely to make rash decisions as TD's was.

Bills fans are VERY short of confidence right now, and many were looking for this hire to give them a vote of confidence in the organization. Dick Jauron wasn't a coach that fulfilled that requirement, because as you pointed out his record is poor, and Sherman’s was good. When you look at Jauron the wins aren’t as high as you would like them to be, but you also see an overall lack of talent on the teams he’s coached. His situation in Chicago was bad from the start with the organization being divided on his hiring. Management wasn’t his only problem either as the Bears never could find a decent QB and lacked talent threw out his tenure. What his teams did do was play hard, and one of them even went onto an improbable 13-3 record, earning him coach of the year. We all know he was canned and moved onto Detroit, the arm pit of the NFL world. In Detroit before he took over as interim coach the Lions secondary went threw consecutive seasons of being depleted by injury. I'm not talking about a couple starters either, I'm talking New England times two. Prior to that happening this year Jauron had them playing great D. As for his interim stint how could anybody be successful in the situation the Lions were in late in the year? That team is bad news from top to bottom, but I thought he still did a decent job. They played one of their best games of the year the final week in Pittsburgh, so they certainly showed improvement. Bottom line unless Jauron shows complete incompetence I'll give him two years and revaluate him again. Anything short of that and were being very unrealistic with the problems he's inheriting. Give the man a chance people.

Yup...I got nothing

Good post FFS, especially the part about the power struggle. What we know is Ralph will always have the final say, especially now when he asserted a more active role. Then you have Levy who was brought in as the PR front man. We know he isn't the main guy behind player development (Tom Modrak) but we also know that being Ralph’s direct consultant makes him a pretty powerful figure. Modrak also has to have some pretty heavy power being the most experienced talent evaluator of the group. When you throw in a guy like Sherman things just wouldn't work. He was the dictator of Green Bay, serving a dual role as both GM and head coach. That's power, but in Buffalo would he be? 4th in line behind Ralph, Levy, and Modrak. It's hardly an ideal situation for him, but even if he did want it things would be really crowded on our end. Ultimately Dick Jauron doesn't excite the hell out of me, but I'll give him a couple years just like I did with the last few. I’m depressed about my team just like everybody else, but coaches are like QB's, some just take time. I would hate to ride a late bloomer out of town before he even gets here.

If so how do you feel about Jauron?

Didn't Soprano still get a couple of his other predictions right? Just saying its possible the Sherman thing just fell threw.

If they do I will pee from excitement

Assuming we retain Moulds, Clements, and Adams I would like Buffalo to pursue the following. RB: Chester Taylor: Back up to the often injured Jamal Lewis. His experience starting is what we need if Willis goes down. He combines very good agility and balance with some solid hands out of the backfield. WR: Kennan McCardell: I don't care that he's going to be 36 next year; he's still producing and wouldn't be expensive. If we can retain Moulds our WR's would look like this Moulds, Evans, McCardell/Parish, Reed. C: Mike Flanagan: If Sherman is our coach I expect Flanagan to follow him. Sherman was most noted for his ability to mold the offensive lines, and we also know his players loved him. With Teague being a FA we will probably be in his market for a C, so expect this to go down if Sherman comes aboard. G: Stephen Neal or Terrance Metcalf: Either would bring a big upgrade over Bennie, and could be our first competent LG since Ruben Brown. T: Kevin Shaffer: Schaffer would be an excellent addition, both upgrading the starting talent and depth. Gandy would be a fantastic back up at G and T, and a guy like Schaffer could provide us with that luxury. DT: Maake Kemoeatu: Massive 350 pound run stuffer who started every game this year at DT for Baltimore. He could be a Ted Washington type late bloomer and also provides an alternative to the older often injured Jackson. FS: Will Demps: Vincent has not made the switch to safety very effectively and he isn't getting any younger. Demps isn't going to make a ton of picks, but he's fundamentally sound, and would provide the safeties some much needed youth.

In no way do I think this could happen, but could you imagine a Capers coached 3-4 defense if we added these guys? If you wanted to take this fantasy one step further I also have read Chris Hovan would make a solid 3-4 end, and many think he would be much better suited in that role. He would also give us the size at end we would need to make the switch to a 3-4. We then draft Ngata, and keep Sam to rotate at DT. When you add in the Baltimore a crew the final defense would look like this. DE:Schobel DT:Haloti Ngata, Sam Adams DE: Chris Hovan OLB: Spikes ILB: Lewis ILB Fletcher OLB: Crowell CB: McCallister CB: MaGee SS: Milloy FS: Demps Led by Capers I have no doubt my fantasy defense would actually play at the level promised to us last season.

same here

From what I've watched the last 2 years he seems more like a wall off type run blocker then a guy that's going to drive his man out of the screen. That's fine with me, we need nimble feet and agility in our pass blocking from the left side. As he fine tunes his run blocking that will just serve as the icing on the cake IMO.

Also are you aware that McNeil is being projected as a RT over LT? After going threw the Mike Williams situation and with Peter’s emergence why on earth would we get within 20 feet of a tackle that is not a true LT prospect? Especially with a top 10 pick.

You brought up the main concern with D'Brick as he advances to the pro game, but at the same you’re also trashing the skills that have made him so heralded. He's known for being undersized, thus making his run blocking a question mark, but he's still has a solid frame at 6'5, and has been steadily gaining weight ever since his freshman year at Virginia. He's already around 300, and at his current pace of about 25 pounds a year and his height he could easily take on another 25-30 pounds. What leaves me most puzzled about your comments is the knock on his athleticism. I've read just about every draft bio on the web concerning old D'Brick and they almost universally have this guys pegged as the most athletically gifted LT in a long time. D'Brick 1 D'Brick 2 D'Brick 3 (Mock, Read the Bio)

Are you talking about Henson or Losman?

Hmmmm Sherman Sleeping...Mularkey awake The high motor DL must be going

Good Post, I agree with many of your points. MM was put in an impossible situation, and I think he made a rational and correct decision. Frankly this team is a mess and his head was square on the block already, can you imagine what a slow start in 06 would bring? Marv and crew would get the first year pass to some extent while MM would get destroyed. What's most damning to me is the way Marv and Ralph handled the coordinator situation. Surely they have enough intelligence to realize how difficult it would be for Mularkey to fill the coordinator positions. After all why would a coordinator want to sign on with likelihood of a staff overhaul just one year later? I think MM felt set up as the fall guy, and from the looks of it I would have to agree.

Some might remember back when we drafted JP Green Bay was rumored to be interested in him being Farves replacement. I still think Sherman is a long shot for us but perhaps JP would influence him positively. Edit: Also this notion of Farve following Sherman is ridiculous. Farve's ties are to Green Bay, not one coach, otherwise we would see him in Seattle with Holmgren. He's idolized in GB and I doubt our situation would be enticing to him as he enters the final stages of his career.

I posted this in another thread. I don't see a problem with Fairchild. The ram’s offense was balanced and played well when he took over the play calling duties for Martz. In the 11 games he called plays in the Rams averaged 21 Points, 245 Yards passing, and 101 yards rushing per game. He also showed good balance with his play calling averaging 35 passes per game, and 25 rushes per game. What’s even more impressive is he did all that with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jamie Martin as his starting QB's. He also has experience as a QB coach, and coached in Buffalo in the past. I know a lot of people are holding out for a Norv Turner, or X head coach but it's unlikely we spend that type of cash. Fairchild learned a very productive system in St Louis that always seemed to produce great results at the QB position, and in his 11 game stretch this year he really proved that Martz was the problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I would also like to add something because I got a response in that thread suggesting his pass/run ratio favored the pass to much. I know people would like to see Willis get 30 carries everyweek, but let's face it, this Bills team got behind a lot and that makes it difficult to run. Despite that they still averaged 9th in the league in run/pass ratio, having a rushing attempt for every 1.57 passes. Fairchild averaged a 1.4 in that category which would have ranked him 7th had he called all the games. He is also a former RB's coach with the Bills when Williams was here, so theirs no doubt that the run oriented stradegy would still be in effect with Fairchild. So don't worry, the guy brings balence, and a system that has made some average QB's put up great numbers.

I don't see a problem with it. The ram’s offense was balanced and played well when he took over the play calling duties for Martz. In the 11 games he called plays in the Rams averaged 21 Points, 245 Yards passing, and 101 yards rushing per game. He also showed good balance with his play calling averaging 35 passes per game, and 25 rushes per game. What’s even more impressive is he did all that with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jamie Martin as his starting QB's. He also has experience as a QB coach, and coached in Buffalo in the past. I know a lot of people are holding out for a Norv Turner, or X head coach but it's unlikely we spend that type of cash. Fairchild learned a very productive system in St Louis that always seemed to produce great results at the QB position, and in his 11 game stretch this year he really proved that Martz was the problem.

In the NFL the good head coaches seem to do one of two things. The Belicheck types strategize and make excellent adjustments, and that's how putting your players in the right positioning counts. The other type is more like a Lombardi or Parcells, that type just gets every last ounce of effort from their player. Not all teams have great coaches, and some teams can still become contenders with bad/average coaching, that's were talent comes in. I would argue Saban fits the motivator mold, thus paving the way for Miami's quick turnaround.

It would be easier for me to live with Mularkey right now if he didn’t have so many disputes with the vets this year. This franchise really needs Moulds to be in a renegotiating mood for next year, and Adams must stick around with our current tandem of Bannon and Anderson at DT. I'm not saying these guy's are angels by any means but as some of the leaders of this team I worry if they aren't buying it the younger guys won't either.