BigAl2526

Honestly, I find it more cumbersome to have one thread that ends up having 70, 80 or 100 pages to wade through. I actually like separate threads on the various sub- topics that make up our pre-draft conversation. That way I can look for the sub-topics I find more interesting, rather than look through one interminable thread looking for the interesting stuff.

A slower version of Cole Beasley? I'll stick with Shakir. If I were a receiver running in the range of 5 seconds, I would probably just put in a job application at the local Piggly Wiggly.

It matters more in man coverage than in zone. It doesn't matter going against every receiver, but the margin for error shrinks for a CB when he is slower and/or smaller. Thomas is not the slowest CB in the draft, but if skill set is similar, or course you pick the guy who is faster and more athletic.

At the moment, it looks like the odds are better for Grant to be the Bills' pick than any other player. As we all know, that can and probably will change over the next five weeks. I would be happy with Grant.

Well, Cook is under contract for the 2025 season. I suppose that Beane's options are to cave and sign him for a big money deal now, try and trade him (assuming there is a team willing to risk that Cook will accept what they are willing to play, or let Cook play out his rookie deal in hopes that Cook doesn't hold out or become locker room poison. If Beane goes into the draft without being relatively certain about Cook's future with the team, I assume he will draft a running back.

I don't have any information on which to evaluate him as a player, so I'll take Gunner's word for it that he's terrible. It is interesting, however that he has good measurables, or did coming out of college. Besides being big, he has long arms, big hands and ran a 5.15. His production has been underwhelming to say the least. So, would there be anything a great defensive line coach could get out of him or is he stuck in mediocrity.

Do you mean "Pastor?" I'm available. I have 40 years experience.

I think that since we're now talking about electricians, EMTs and firefighters instead of Free agents, this thread has about run its course.

The question is whether or not the league's salary cap will outpace what fans/advertisers are willing to play for the product. When might that day come?

You didn't like the fact that Buffalo passed on a Porsche and drove off in a Ford?

Harmon, Nolen and Alexander are all more generally regarded as 3 tech guys. Williams is too, at least somewhat, but he has 20 -30 lbs more weight that might make a move to 1 tech more desirable. He tests well too. Grant in the first and Collins in the second are not impossible, but I don't think the Bills would do it. I think Williams is something of a reach at #30. I don't think the Bills would pick him there. They could trade down to the top of the second and still do it if they wanted IMO.

Say it's your turn at the draft. You have one player on your board that is graded quite a bit higher than anyone else available, but his is not at a position of need. Then you have a 4 or 5 players graded similarly behind him. Everyone in that group is at a position of either minor or major need. Ideally, you find a trade partner that allows you to move down a few spots. You then get a player you need and you are keeping to your BPA philosophy.

If you're picking a guy in the first round, you generally want as close to you can get to a complete skill set and some traits that are at least close to elite. Ideally, it is at a position of need, or at least at a position where the draftee would be an immediate and significant upgrade. That's why I'm not especially interested in a 3 tech in round 1. That includes Walter Nolen and Derrick Harmon, both of whom I like, just not so much for the Bills. As the draft proceeds, you're less and less likely to get a complete prospect. He is going to lack several physical traits (from among size, speed, agility, arm length, strength, endurance), a complete skill set (tackling, pass rush ability run defense etc.), college production and/or experience. You may pick a guy who has the physical traits you like and gamble that you can coach his skill set up and make him a productive player. Or, you may pick a guy that has the physical traits and was productive at a small school, hoping he can make the leap to the NFL. Or you might pick a guy that is undersized and short armed but tore it up as a player in a big time college football program. Late in round one, Kenneth Grant is the only defensive tackle I'm seriously interested in. He was not as productive as his teammate, Mason Graham, but he oozes traits and it might be that some of the discrepancy in production is due to the roles each player was asked to play. For the Bills, I think the hope is that Ed Oliver's production will soar if they can line him up to a beast like Grant at 1 tech. In round 2 I like Alfred Collins. Deone Walker is loaded with physical traits like Grant but has a bunch of technique issues that need to be cleaned up. I'm not averse to drafting him if the Bills think they can coach him up, but at the very least, it might take some time. Tyliek Williams is the same way, except it's more of a case (as Gunner points out) he just doesn't produce much in pass defense. The question is, would Ed Oliver produce more next to Tyliek Williams than he does next to Daquan Jones.

With Hoecht and Ogunjobi suspended for 6 games, the Bills are going to need a couple more defensive linemen for their spots when the season starts.

I understand the league only just notified Ogunjobi after he had already signed. I only caught part of what was said on WGR, but I guess if a player has a positive test, the league does another test because of the risk of a false positive. Ogunjobi knew he'd tested positive in the first round but hadn't heard the results of the re-test. I agree, that's still a pretty lame excuse.

With the pressure to produce, I can imagine every player is looking for some way to get an edge. There are probably things players can take which are legal, but perceived at least as performance enhancing. I can also imagine that the official list of banned substances is long and probably gets updated somewhat frequently as the league tries to play catchup with what players are using.

I view him as a depth signing. The Bills really need to hope they can find a starter in the draft.

Heard on the radio: Ogunjobi said something to the effect that the league rules about what players can and can't take are complicated and it is easy to make a mistake. Whether or not that is true, I don't know.

Presumably, the Bills can put both players on some sort of reserve list so they don't need to be carried on the 53 man roster. Ogunjobi is the more concerning suspension. He's out for 6 games, so he'll be available for only 11 regular season games on a one year deal. That's hardly worth it. Hoecht signed a 3 year deal, so a 6 game suspension is only a little more than 10% of the length of his deal. Do the suspensions mean the Bills don't need to pay them for games missed due to suspension? If so the probably don't have to eat the cap hit either. I don't feel sorry for the players. They know the rules and broke them deliberately. I figured the Bills would be drafting players at both positions anyway, but with both guys out, the Bills could be forced to play some players who might not otherwise even make the team.

Ogunjobi is listed at 305 lbs. I agree that a big bodied DT could be picked later. Alfred Collins and Deone Walker might be available in round two and there are a few more who could be drafted later.

I wouldn't mind at all if the Bills re-signed Cooper. That said, I can think of a couple reasons why that might be difficult. Cooper had a disappointing year, production wise, which makes it likely Buffalo is unwilling to offer him as much money as he would like. Moreover, Cooper wasn't utilized as much as he could have been, and Cooper would probably prefer to go where he has an assurance that he would be targeted more frequently. His agent is probably looking hard for offers. If he doesn't find what he wants elsewhere, there's a chance Cooper could end up back in Buffalo, but I think it will take a while for that to play out.

When it comes to the draft, I never think in terms of "absolutely." That said, I agree that other positions need more help than defensive end. Moreover, the odds are decent that players at positions other than DE, who are still available at #30 will have higher value than defensive end. The speed guys at DE, (Carter, Pearce, Green, and Ezeiruaku) may all be gone. Carter, of course, is top 5. I would pick Kenneth Grant in a heart beat, though the odds of him being on the board aren't very good. I'm not as excited about Harmon or Nolen as I think they are kind of like what Buffalo already has, more suited to 3 tech. I like Matthew Golden at WR and there are several CBs who could be available depending on which ones are the best values in Brandon Beane's eyes.

I think the Bills will at least attempt to draft a DE that has speed and the ability to bend on the edge. They only have one such guy on the roster now, Javon Solomon. Everybody else (Bosa, Hoecht, Rousseau, Epenesa) depends more on strength to rush the passer. I think a quicker edge rusher would balance out the position for the Bills even if the guy is only 250 lbs or a bit less. That said, if Shemar Stewart inexplicably drops to the Bills, they should race to the stage with the pick at the draft. He doesn't have Abdul Carter or James Pearce speed, but you can't say "no" to a Myles Garrett like combination of traits even if he didn't produce quite what people hoped in college.

Interesting. A lot of fans wanted the Bills to draft him. He was thought to be a lot faster than he timed at the combine. Obviously, he's been a disappointment. From the Bills' perspective I think Shenault will be viewed as depth competition until or unless he proves to be something more. He does have the body mass to be a physical receiver and downfield blocker if he also has the requisite skill set.

That was Hamlin's combine run. He may well have slowed since then.