Bob in STL

The draft tracker on nfl.com does not give him any props at all. Anybody have any constructive news on this guy?

I think they still need another tackle. I bet they pick one today. I hope so. Look like Free Agency is the next avenue to improve the ROT position.

But how can Sheppard be good when his forty yard dash time puts him in the fourth round? He was slower than 7 other guys in the "run around the garbage can" drill and his fresbie toss shows he has weak wrists. Oh wait .. some people actually watch the way these guys play in a real football game? Great idea. (Sarcasm off)

I don't understand the negative vibe on Williams. Because Donahoe, Levy and Jauron drafted DBs are you guys saying that Nix and Gaily should not? All experts (working in the NFL that is) will tell you that the defensive secondary is critical in this league. The great New England Patriots consistently draft DB in the first three rounds, more so than the Bills. You can find glowing reports on Williams too. There is no single concensus on this guy. The Bills love him and he is a Bill. I also wanted to draft an OT in the second round but look at who was on the board and compare them to Williams. Williams was higher rated than any OT left on the board at the time of the Bills pick. Haven't we learned the hard way that drafting solely by position needs will get you in trouble. It is not like the Bills do not have numerous needs. This team can improve in every position. Looking closely at the secondary you will see we need some help. Florence will be gone leaving the aging McGee and the inconsistent McKelvin. Whitner is likely to be gone too. This pick makes great sense as Williams can play corner, nickel back and safety.

We drafted a guy that likes to be a team leader. We need to draft players like this, leadership has been lacking on this team for a long time. I think that all these combine tests get overblown, lets focus on consistent production on the field in the game of football. This guy was first team all SEC[/b} and as I said he was a leader on LSU. Reminds me of Talley but he will play inside. I like this draft. All three of these guys project as starters at some point in the near future. Yes I know our defense sucks but maybe not for long.

I would have liked to see a road grader RT but Williams at DB looks like a solid pick and I would not be surprised to see him playing a lot this year. Tackles Franklin Orlando or Ben Ijalana were on the board, both project as RT or could end up playing guard. I think they went BPA. As for Nix, he has not completed two drafts yet so it seems premature to define his tendencies. We will know about what to think of Nix after we see what lasts years rookies contribute in their second year.

Right on Dave. Hard to argue with this pick considering the age of McGee, Florence gone, the inconsistency of Mckelvin, etc. This guy had first round grades and will upgrade the team. This is a PASSING league. Some of the sadness in this pick is that there a lot do options at LB, DL and OL. I can understand the build the trenches mentality but this pick looks solid. I would like to see a LB added in round 3.

Ok. I agree that Bowers has, or had, the potential to be a special player but how is the reward greater than the risk? If his knee already has bone-on-bone Bowers might not last one season, he might last only 2 or 3 season at best. There are many good players to choose from at #34 ... many that will could step in and start in this team for a long time.

No tweeners and no projects. At #34 get a solid player that projects as a starter ---> ILB - OLB - TE - OT. All positions that need help right now. No tweeners, no workout warriors, no what ifs .. just guys that play good football please.

Pick up a vet backup to backup and draft a QB in the later rounds. Draft a stud QB next year. We need OLB, ILB, TE, and OT more than a backup QB.

Looks like a beast of a player. I am no draftnik and the guy I really liked was Fairley but Dareus was always ranked higher by the "experts" and seems to fit 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. I am a believer in building from the trenches out. I am pleased. Von Miller would have been nice too. Glad we did not pick a QB at #3.

Our front 7 needs help more than our DBs do. We have more talent at CB than DL. I would like to get Miller but if he is gone then Dareus is a nice option. Impact players are impact players, no matter the position. There was this 3-4 DE named Bruce Smith that made a pretty good impact, more so than any LB or CB on our roster.

Yes. I ALWAYS want to win. There will be a very fine player sitting there at #6 and also at #13.

I am here in Missouri and I don't see see him as worthy of #3. Mid-first round at best. Since teams are dying for the "franchise" QB, he will be taken sooner. Buffalo should go low risk and grab Dareus or Von Miller. Fairley could have fantastic upside too.

That would be great. I know they drafted Troup (rd 2) and Carrington (rd 3) last year but man this team needs help on the front 7.

Wow. I cannot comprehend why you would put the most dissappointing moment in franchise history on your arm? Oh well enjoy it. I do commend the loyalty. Thanks for sharing. Although I am not a "tat" fan the artwork looks great.

Very inept reporting. As some of you mentioned, James Harris was drafted out of Grambling way back in 1968 or 69. The Bills were pioneers to some extent. What the article can correctly state is that the Bills have been very poor at drafting QBs period, black or white is not the issue. I guess that would not add enough shock value to the story.

'More liked' means more popular. Hockey is not a sport for 70k to watch at one time ... it is not a TV friendly game like football either. Hockey os better in a close intimate setting. Football plays one game a week and will get huge crowds for it. TV coverage for football is awesome, actually better than live except you miss the awesome stadium experience. They are totally different games so judging popularity by attendance for one game is not a good way to go. All I am saying is thet the Sabre were more popular in Buffalo than the Bills in the 70's. Sabrees tickets were hard to get and highly disired, Bills ticket were not. I was there and I saw it. I will not speak for the 80's but obviously the Super Bowl era Bills changed things in the late 80's. Losing NFL franchise's have failed in Los Angeles (several times), yet the Kings and the Ducks are still there. I think Ralph has tried to take care of the fans. Like Pegula is doing now, Ralph has done a lot to maintain a bridge to the past as well (other than his personal feud with Lou Saban). Yes, he has bungled many decisons related to how the team is managed, he has put an inferior product on the field quite often since 1960, but has never purposely put the hurt on the fans. He tries to do the right thing and he does it his way ...like it or not.

I would absolutely hate this draft. Gabbert should not be taken in the first round by any team. Major reach. We need to stop the run and rush the passer. Troup will take a step forward but counting on Carrington, Batten and Moats is crazy. This is a great Draft for DL. Load up now.

We are talking about the Buffalo fan base which includes Southern Ontario, not the US national fan base. When the Sabres came into the NHL in 1970 they were the hot ticket. They quickly rose to a top team, made the playoff in three years and the finals in five. They had some of the best players in the NHL and they were exciting to watch. You could not get a ticket. The Sabres sold out all home games for about ten years, maybe more. In the 70's the Sabres were more popular than the Bills, even during the OJ years. I was there in my prime high School and College years and attended games of both teams. You needed connections to get a Sabres ticket. Bills games ... well, most of the time you could buy tickets at the gate on game day. Chuck Knox's teams put the Bills back on the map. Of course the Jim Kelly and Bruce Smith years made the Bills a nationally known and followed franchise. In summary, I think that the newly restored Sabres can and will overtake the Bills in popularity. This is not a concern, it is a good thing. The Bills front office needs a wake up call.

If I am Buddy I improve the defense by drafting front 7 players that can play in our 3-4, 4-3 hybrid. DE, OLB and ILB are great needs. I also pick an OT and a QB if good ones are there in round 2-4. I would try to trade down a few spots and acquire picks. We need help on this team and an extra 2nd rounder would be huge.

No, I would not say that Pegula is responsibile for it all, or that Galisano was a bad owner. TG was a good owner and he saved the team. But his committment was to making money first and if they can win while doing it then that is great too. Pegula is going to take this team to new levels. Would this team have held it together to play 15-4-4 in the Pegula stretch? We will never know but I will say that the team is much more inspired right now and hockey is fun again in Buffalo.

It can happen and I have seen it. 92 is very old indeed but some men can maintain all faculties right to the end. Take care of your body and your mind. Take care of others and they will take care of you. Don't drink too much, don't do drugs. Eat well, exercise you body and your brian every single day, and sleep well. Do things that make you happy. Be with people that make you happy. Genetics play a huge role in how long you live but if you do the things above and you will live well for whatever time you have. Ralph is actually a guy that gets it. Sure he has money for great health care but he is still spry and functional for these reasons. The younger we are the more tendency we have to think that the aged are not competent. As you age you see that it is possible to age with vitality and that process starts the moment you realize it.

What Terry Pegula has done so far is bring the same energy, enthusiam, and leadership skills to bear on the Sabres that he did in his other businesses. Using the past to inspire the future is an effective tactic, as is recognizing that things need to change and commiting to make the right cganges. So far his actions back up his words. Pegula is pushing the right buttons, he is a fantastic leader and inspires others around him. Prior to Pegula the Sabres already had a few star players (Miller, Vanek and Myers) and they have some decent role players (Boyes, Stafford, Gaustad, McCormack) and some promising young players (Sekera, Ennis, Gerbe, Enroth). They also have a fantastic coach. Because of this they are in much better shape than the Bills which have had abymsal talent on the field and in the front office for a long time. My point is it would be hard to take what Pegula has done with the Sabres to date, apply it to the Bills, and get the similar results in such a short time. The Bills still need a lot of work. Pegula will succeed because he is committed to winning. He does not need the money. His plan to build a Cup winning machine is just getting started and it may still take a few years to get all the pieces in place. There have been periods of time in Buffalo were the Sabres were #1 and the Bills #2, but you are right, for the most part the Bills have been #1 to the fans. I do see that changing. I expect that Ralph will plod along with Brandon, Nix, Modrak and Gaily. Ralph has the money to spend to do the same things Pegula is doing but I don't see it happening.

He was a monster. He wore the old style two-bar face mask with the U bar over his nose ... which looked like he broke about five times over. Big bad dude that Csonka.