The Senator

To me, the most interesting about the Cheatriettes* draft is that they* went defense on their* first 6 picks. Belicheat* must be thinking that their* D* is gonna be on the field quite a bit this season...that Marcia* is gonna have a ton of 3-and-out series GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated...I expect to win every game." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!!! .

I'm wondering if Buddy would have taken Nick Foles with our first 4th round pick (105th overall) if the Eagles hadn't taken him late in the 3rd (88th overall). (Personally, I still think it was Foles the Bills were targeting, but hoping he would last another couple of rounds and grabbing him maybe in the 5th or 6th rounds.) Can't wait to see which free agent QB (or QBs) Buddy has in mind... GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Adcock

Let's start with Day One, since that's the easiest. The Bills will select the best player available when they pick at the #10-spot, Stanford's David DeCastro (Right Guard), the highest rated OL in this years draft - who allowed just one sack his entire college career and only 14 tackles of any kind in 2011. DeCastro is 'pro-ready' right out of the chute, and has the kind of attitude all coaches love in offensive linemen... "He arrives angry and focused and ready to dominate - and expects everybody else to be the same," current Stanford head coach David Shaw recently said. Look for the Bills to accumulate 3000+ rushing yards this season as DeCastro becomes the best NFL guard since John Hannah, blowing open huge holes for Bills backs to burst though with ease...all season long...for years to come. I'll have a better idea what we'll do in rounds 2 and 3 after tonight. (After we learn which 20-30 players of the 50-60 projected to go in the first round are still available on Friday. ) GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated...I expect to win every game." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Interesting...Stanford is predicted to have four of their players go in round one as well. All in all, I believe there is now a total of somewhere between 50-60 players going in round one. Of course, it's ALL a bunch of crap. Don't know what the real number for 'bama will be, but Stanford will only see two of theirs go in the first round - Luck (to the Colts), and DeCastro (to the Bills).

And this would be because you've actually seen Mallett play in a regular-season NFL game? (No one else has.) Or you are basing this bold claim on Mallett's collective body of NFL career experience holding a clipboard and "warming the pine" last season as an NFL rookie and *NE's 3rd-string QB, inactive for 15 of 16 games???

My feelings are similar to yours regarding youthful mistakes and second chances, Pilsner - even Riley Reiff had an incident at Iowa shortly after arriving on campus his freshman year. (And outran the Iowa City police on foot for 20 minutes before finally being arrested for public intoxication - very impressive for a drunken, 6' 6", 300+ pounds offensive tackle!!!! ) But I don't think Buddy Nix can take that chance with a guy like Michael Floyd. (Nix certainly wasted no time minimizing the Bills exposure to another Marshawn Lynch suspension.) In Floyd's case, we're talking about spending the #10 overall pick on a guy who could very well end up on probation or - even worse - in jail if he gets another DWI conviction...not to mention losing the services of a 1st round pick to the inevitable multiple-game suspension from Goodell.

The reason you can't read them well is because those documents are written so as to be completely incomprehensible to those outside the legal profession whose livelihoods they sustain. What I tried to do is distill the single relevant sentence from that decision - ignoring all the excess verbiage about the 1985 and 2006 amendments, when and how each of those amendments became effective, and how they affect prior convictions. If you do take the time to read the entire decision VERY closely ( I wouldn't bother), you'll find that the single sentence I cited was correct. In essence... Prior to November 1, 2006, a prior out-of-state conviction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs was deemed to be a prior conviction of DWAI. Thus, it could not be used as a predicate for a felony DWI charge in New York. Effective November 1, 2006, a prior out-of-state conviction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is deemed to be a prior conviction of the analogous section of VTL § 1192 (if such conduct would have constituted misdemeanor or felony DWI, Aggravated DWI, DWAI Drugs or DWAI Combined Influence if it had occurred in New York). The significance of this change is that an out-of-state conviction can now potentially be used as a predicate for a felony DWI charge in New York. Hope that's clear enough.

Good stuff, eball - thanks! I, for one, do not doubt Fitz's ability to get the Bills to the Superbowl, and to win it... GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to win every game...I expect to be undefeated." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Briefly, from People v. Ballman, NY Court of Appeals... ...the 2006 amendments ended the practice of treating all prior out-of-state convictions as mere traffic infractions under New York law. Rather, for purposes of determining penalties, a prior out-of-state conviction is now treated as a conviction of the equivalent conduct under New York law. link

I was one of the biggest proponents - probably bigger than Bill - for drafting Mallett last year. Now 'that ship has sailed' - and the Bills would have to be morons to take the Belicheat* bait. If Mallett shows any real promise at all, why would NE* want to trade him? Marcia* is 34 years old, and about to take the worst pounding of her* career this season! And, if BB* is just dangling him out there hoping to find some GM stupid enough to give him a 3rd or 4th in this year's draft for Mallett, then Belicheat has already decided that Mallett' s not the next NE* QB. He'll draft another developmental QB this year, and just cut Mallett anyway. (Unless he finds that one mentally-challenged GM that'll make the trade). The Bills are best choosing their own developmental QB on day 3 of the draft - a guy who has no drug or other character issues and is, as Buddy prefers, a very 'high-character' guy - 6'5" 245 lb. Nick Foles from Arizona. (That is, unless Belicheat* beats us to the podium on Foles!) GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

No way can Nix be 'comfy' with Floyd, who was cited for drunken driving with a BAC of more than twice the legal limit and has 3 alcohol-related arrests in a 2-year span. If it happens again within 10 years, it'll be a felony DWI. Anyone really think that Nix is stupid enough to blow a 1st round pick on a guy who shows a pattern of recidivism and - besides the obvious suspension by Goodell - is likely headed to jail if (when) he gets his next DWI?

FWIW, Bills Director of Scouting Chuck Cook was also at Nick Foles Pro Day. It's been my opinion for some time now that the Bills like Foles size (6'5, 243 lbs.), and see him as a developmental QB behind Fitz and a day 3 pick. GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Thank you, my good man - and without further ado... 19 and 0 baby!!!!! GO BILLSSS!!!!!

Dunno... Andy Luck maybe?

Well I don't know that he'll be available with our #10 pick either - but there's a pretty good chance DeCastro will. Alternatively, we need a left tackle really bad - so maybe we should bypass DeCastro and roll the dice on the next Robert Gallery?

Are either Wolford or Matthews draft-eligible this month, and will they be available at the #10 spot?

Yeah - along with Joe DeLamiellure, John Hannah, Larry Little, Mike Munchak, Russ Grimm, Tom Mack, Gene Upshaw, etc., etc...

Well first of all, you're beginning your case on the premise that DeCastro will play only guard - perhaps a shaky foundation on which to build your argument. The kid's extremely athletic and can play ANY interior OL position - possibly even OT - though I would not f&%k around with a guy that's gonna be an All Pro RG from day one by shuffling him around (though there ARE teams that are looking at DeCastro as a center). But let's just answer your question... 2010

Well that's one argument - not without merit - but maybe one that overlooks how thin the Bills quickly became at every OL position last season when Bell, Hairston, Urbik, Levitre, Wood, etc., etc. all missed games to due injury. Another point of view says that teams improve overall by improving at every position, and that if there's a guy that's a year-one starter and a likely Pro Bowl caliber player for the next 10 seasons, you don't reach for a positional player of lesser talent just to fill a perceived need. Still another point of view says... Kraig Urbik - Career Stats Drafted 2009 Games played-20 Games stated- 12 Pro Bowls - 0 Eric Wood - Career Stats Drafted 2009 Games played-33 Games stated- 33 Pro Bowls - 0 ...that it's a bit short-sighted to think that an All Pro RG like DeCastro doesn't vastly improve both the Bills rushing offense AND pass protection. GO BILLSSS!!!! "I expect to be undefeated...I expect to win every game." - Chan Gailey 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

DeCastro's a right guard, Pilsner, who can also play center (i.e., provide depth - currently nonexistent - at center to rest Eric Wood, or relieve him in case re-injury). DeCastro handled all the snaps - about 200 - for Luck at Standord's Pro Day, played center in high school, and is considered by most pro teams scouting him to be versatile enough to play either position. IMHO, guy's a can't miss pick - a future HOF RG and guaranteed All Pro from season one and for the next 10 seasons. Think Joe DeLamielleure and OJ Simpson, then imagine the holes DeCastro can blow open for CJ & Freddie... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM3jPINC0WU GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Why did the Bills bring in Cam Newton for a pre-draft visit last year? Nick Fairley??? Blaine Gabbert????? Just consider this - each year the Bills (and every other NFL team) bring in 30 draft-eligible prospects for team visits and private workouts prior to the draft, plus as many local prospects from their own metro-area as they are interested in (which do not count against the NFL-imposed limit of 30). Of those 30-plus players the Bills meet with and evaluate privately each season, they draft 2 or 3 of them - the other 27-plus players that visit OBD every season are not drafted by Buffalo. There are probably multiple reasons why the Bills - and every other NFL team - engage in these practices, be they 'due diligence', smokescreen/deception, or other. I don't really know the 'ins & outs' of why teams do this, nor do most TSW posters. The one thing I do know (and have insisted since early February) - with the #10 pick the Bills will be selecting immediate 2012 starter - and guaranteed All Pro for the next ten seasons and beyond - Stanford RG David DeCastro.... GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

I'd love to announce that pick...

I'm not sure what that data reveals, if anything at all. I was going to reply that those numbers beg the question, "But how many first-round LTs are really any good at all?" I further wondered aloud, "Does drafting a LT in round one REALLY guarantee that our problems at OT will be solved, as many on TSW insist - with varying degress of apoplexy- that it will?" Then I read the rest of the article and got my answer... The 20 offensive tackles that have been drafted in the first round since Long and Clady were selected (four in ’09, four in ’10, six in ’11) have a grand total of zero Pro Bowl bids between them...The five tackles that were lumped between Clady and Brown in picks 14-21 in ’08 have shown promise at times, but each is of them is still trying to prove himself, to varying degrees, entering season No. 5...It’s getting late for them, though, and the majority of the ’08 first-round class of offensive tackles may never quite live up to its billing. And there you have it - my questions were answered! Once Matt Kalil is 'off the board', We definitely DO NOT reach for a LT in round one. We draft David DeCastro, guaranteed all-pro RG for the next 10 seasons and indisputably the BPA when we pick at the #10 spot. We take 'bama ILF Dont'a Hightower with our #41 pick in round 2, and Georgia Tech WR Stephen Hill with our #71 pick on round 3. Early on day 3, we draft Oklahoma State OT Levy Adcock with one of our 4th round picks. GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!!

Meh... No biggie...dude wasn't that good, otherwise Buddy would have tried to keep him. Or he would have gotten a offer from one of the other 4 teams he visited that sent him away saying, "No thanks, not interested." I'm happy for him - he got real lucky when the Eagles found themselves in a desperate situation, otherwise he'd be fighting some rookie to back up Hairston on the Bills OL. (Just hope he saves some of that signing bonus - 'cause hell be dropped like a hot potato when FatBoy comes off f IR.)