NY Nole

C'mon -- we have to feel good about something this year. 4-0 BABY!!!! On a serious note -- what are the chances Buffalo goes back to the 3-4 Defense. It appears we can't stop much with the 4-3 -- and the 3-4 seems to be in vogue.

I vote to trade the overrated "Pro Bowler" known as Jason Peters. I am also willing to take any offers to move Dick Jauron, Turk Schonert and Perry Fewell as a package deal. I think our Defensive system sucks. We can not stop anyone in crunch time and have only beaten teams that quite frankly are worse off then we are -- including Denver. On a related note, since we are now the AFC West Champions (4-0), I also vote to trade divisions from the East to the West. I believe this would finally put an end to our playoff drought and make us perennial division contenders.

F Jason Peters. I am really sick of hearing about this guy. He is the most over-rated LT in football. He had a good year last season and a decent year this season (when he finally got his fat ass in shape), but has not been the "dominant" LT that so many posters on this board -- and evidently many pro bowl voters -- think he is. He has a "me-first" mentality in a team-oriented, blue collar town like buffalo. This quote sums up his whole approach "This is what you play the game for, to get to Hawaii..." What a bunch of sh-t! You play the game to be a part of a winning team. Trade this jerk. We haven't won anything with him and we sure as hell can go on without him. I'd take Joe Thomas, Jake Long or Brandon Albert over this chump any day My lasting impression of him this year will be the ill-fated JP Losman sack/fumble against the Jesters, when our Pro Bowler watched the blitzing Elam march right past him en route to the fumble. Pro Bowl -- yea right.

For what it's worth -- I caught that report on Channel 13 last night at 11:00. It was the stand-in/weekend sports anchor Kevin Roche who reported it. He said it after a story they did on Robert Royal and the trash talking he's been doing with George Wilson at camp. They did a short segment on the Bills Camp and it was followed by a statement along the lines of "According to our sources, Jason Peters is reported to be in Orchard Park tonight." That was it -- then they moved on. I also have to think there are people on Jason Peters watch at the airport and would be surpised as hell if no one reported this to other media types in Buffalo -- but don't shoot the messenger. The thread that was started was completely accurate. Granted the report seems more like speculation/wishful thinking than actual fact -- but it was reported on air none-the-less.

Maybe Peters excelled at LT because of the Dockery (and Walker signing). If you lined him up at LT and put a scrub LG next to him, maybe our all-pro LT just becomes another in a long-line of failed prospects at that position. I'm not suggesting that Peters isn't worth investing more money into -- and he probably is underpaid at his position, but he is 1/5 of the O-line and to use the Dockery/Walker signings as leverage for justifying more money goes both ways -- without them he probably isn't as good. Being a GM in this league today reminds me of someone trying to constantly patch holes in a leaking dam using bubblegum. As soon as you get one stopped another one starts gushing. No wonder Marv called it a day. I really like Peters and think he is an integral part of our line/success -- but if the Bills efforts to date haven't built up enough good faith credit to get his ass in camp and let the Bills FO work on a renegotiated contract then we may be looking at a Darwin Walker type situation.

I was at camp and can honestly say that Hardy impressed the hell out of me. He might not start week one, but I guarantee he sees alot of action especially in the red zone. His height gives him a major advantage over smaller DB's and he was catching everything thrown at him when I was there. The other thing that impressed me was his physical nature of play. I think he uses his hands pretty effectively to fight off and gain separation. I'm sure he still has alot to learn, as I couldn't decipher whether he ran his routes effectively -- although he seemed fluid in making his cuts. I don't think he is necessarily ready to start -- but I wouldn't consider him lost either. History shows the learning curve is pretty big for WR's -- I don't think Calvin Johnson had a breakout year last year. Bottom line, I think Hardy plays a big role for the Bills this year -- especially in the red zone where the routes are simplified and he basically just has to go up and get the ball. I wouldn't get too worked up over Rotoworld or Pat Kirwin's comments -- esspecially after the first day in pads. Let's see him when the bullets start to fly in the preseason before making any overly critical comments.

Great report Mike. I was also at this morning's practice and had a couple observations to add. I pretty much concentrated on 2 areas today: TE's (probably the most competitive battle) and the WR's - namely our newest acquisition James Hardy and the battle for the last WR spot - specifically Steve Johnson. 1. With respect to our TE's -- I think Robert Royal is the most polished. He appeared to get off the ball the best and also ran the cleanest routes - very fluid (but struggled when it came to making the catch and/or adjustments to the ball). Schouman is probably the best at making the catch as he is very focused on the ball - but struggles mightily when it comes to getting off the ball -- especially against linebackers. He seemed to get pushed off his route way too easy (one play stands out where shouman clearly wanted to break to the outside and was pushed inside, never recovered and was taken out of the play). Anderson is HUGE. I mean this guy is a big big target and seems like he has some pretty good quicks to him. Problem that I saw was again getting off the ball. For someone as big and quick as Anderson appears, he had the same problem as schouman getting off the ball. He immediately gets too high and loses leverage right away. I think he would hold much promise if he demonstrated more strength and technique. I really didn't see much of Derek Fine to make an accurate assessment -- and he didn't have as many reps/looks as the others. 2. WR's -- Hardy has the potential to be a big time NFL receiver and in my opinion should crack the starting lineup sooner rather than later. He simply has the physical tools and ability to make guys look silly out there. One play in particular he was matched up one on one with Ashton Youboty. Hardy gave a little juke move then used his hands to get some separation -- he nearly knocked youboty on his can and proceeded to make the catch on about a 7 yard slant with no one around him. I was really impressed with Hardy today! On another note, I really wanted to focus on Steve Johnson -- as he was much hyped around here on draft day. I will say that my thoughts on him were tempered today. He made some grabs, made some mistakes. He struggled to get separation from our corners -- but appears as though he does have potential. Still, I'm not convinced he will warrant a 53-man spot and probably doesn't have enough to overtake some vets based on what I saw today -- here's hoping he improves with camp. A couple other random thoughts: 1. Trent Edwards is our starting QB. There is no question in my mind. He just has a poise and internal clock that JP does not have. Edwards gets the ball out so quickly and he seems to make his mind up on his progressions in a way that I'm afraid JP never will - or at least not in Buffalo. Mike mentioned a pick early on by Trent -- but it was because the receiver (Lee I believe) fell down. The ball was there on a timing throw and it was an easy pick for the DB -- but one that Evans should have caught. I like JP and wish him well -- I just don't think he will be a starting QB here unless Trent gets hurt. 2. Liked what I saw from Kawika Mitchell. Played very fast and showed the experience of a vet who knows what he is doing. POZ also looked good and hopefully will return to the form he showed before last years injury. Sorry for the long post -- but wanted to add my observations here rather than start a new thread. Should be a fun year. GO Bills!

Happened to catch the interview, even though I usually would rather listen to Dr. Laura than the loud-mouth, hack aka Adam Schein. Pretty much softball Q&A session, although they had him on for about 15 minutes or more. Some highlights: -Playing alot of golf to pass time, is getting frustrated by how bad he's been playing. Broke two clubs yesterday and says his father-in-law is getting pissed about having to fix each time. -Hasn't spent much time in Buffalo in off-season except mandatory camps, in order to spend more time with family in Texas. says coaches know he is staying in shape and know that he;ll come back ready to go. -Doesn't know too much about Lynch situation, but says it's not a distraction to team. -Thinks TE is a good young QB and just wants to see him manage the game and not turn the ball over. He says the biggest thing is to keep possession of the ball and not go 3 and out each time. If he can do it, thinks they'll be very competitive. -Likes McKelvin, says he's not a loud mouth and the vets like that. -Says the team will be better after all the injuries forced others onto the field last year. Likes the experience of JD and Wilson after being thrust into the spotlight last year. Thinks POZ will have some competition for starting job -- but he'll ultimately be better for it. -Loves the pickup of Stroud and thinks it'll benefit him to have opposing teams forced to worry about containing the big man. -Doesn't think much about the Peters contract stuff, says those situations happen every year and he thinks something will get done. Also mentioned Lee Evans and said it's important to lock up the talent -- thinks highly of Lee. -Wants them to do everything they have to in order to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Would rather play in Buffalo and live in Buffalo than in Toronto -- likes living there and his family likes it there. Bottom line, Schobel comes across as very laid back. He seems like a great fit for Buffalo and was happy to hear him talk about how much he likes it in Buffalo (granted not enough to be here in off-season) and wants the team to stay.

I heard it, was a short segment. Mitchell called in to talk/rib Antonio Pierce (who is an intern for Howard Stern). Pierce asked why he wasn't working out at 10:00 am instead of calling in to a radio show. Kawika said it was a late night and the stern crew started to ask about the women/scene in Buffalo. Artie Lang said Buffalo is where all good things go to die and basically that there were no women in Buffalo compared to NYC. Antonio Pierce explained that Kawika was married and probably not what he was talking about. Artie continued to mock Buffalo as the Land of Norwood and ribbed Kawika for being part of the losers of 4 straight. Kawika said he will always be part of a super bowl champ and that he will always be associated with last year's Giants team. Antonio suggested to not wear his ring around Buffalo because it would piss everyone off. Kawika said he wears it with pride and wants his new teamates to see it. Howard asked Mitchell if he wants to intern on his show, and Antonio Pierce mentioned that Mitchell just signed a new $17 million contract and probably wouldn't be getting coffee for anyone. All in all, Kawika appears to be a pretty grounded guy (as does Antonio Pierce) and stern facilitated a conversation among former friends/teamates.

You are simply incorrect. Monk can catch the ball very well. In addition to posting over 50 catches his junior year, the kid caught 20 out of 21 balls at the combine. I am very interested in giving this kid a shot in the later rounds and think he could provide what the bills are looking for in terms of big red zone threat. There are some concerns that I have with him, namely his speed (he routinely blew past SEC defenders during his career but since the knee injury appeared to have lost a step) however I don't think his role in the NFL would be to outrun defenders -- it would be to catch the ball at it's highest point in the end zone -- something this kid does extremely well. BTW ran a 4.54 40 -- not bad. Also, I would like to see him finish his blocks better, he needs to get a bit more physical -- did 9 225 lb. reps at the combine (most receivers opt not to participate in this drill). Also, for the poster who dismissed him based on a youtube video, check out game footage of him against USC, Florida and Auburn -- their three biggest games of '06 -- kid burned all three of these big-time secondaries for touchdown scores and did it in impressive fashion.

but...but...how could you pass up a bonafide ALL-PRO, Hall of Fame player like POZ (notice sounds alot like BOZ) for Kermit.

No offense to you space, but RB's are a dime a dozen with shelf lives of maybe 3-5 years??? and Adrian Peterson hasn't played a full season in over 2 years. I don't know how you can classify him as an elite franchise back. We can easily get a young back in later parts of the draft to plug into our RB rotation (as the Bills are looking to run RB by committee anyways). I'm not saying Wiillis is a sure thing either, but I do believe he has more promise to fill your "franchise" player shoes and plays a position that could be with us for a longer period of time. Defense wins championships, not offense -- and a running back is only as good as the line in front of him. Hopefully, our line has the potential to put the A-Train back on the tracks again. He looked pretty decent last year.

Sorry to steal your thunder bizell, I must have missed that thread. In any rate, I'm anxious to see his pro day results on thursday - if he runs well, I think he could really move up alot of people's boards.

I am of the opinion that Patrick Willis should be our pick (if available), but should he not be there, I still think there is another GREAT linebacker worthy of a 1st round pick and it's Jon Beason from Miami. I just watched my old game tapes of the Miami-FSU games and this kid was a pretty special player out there. He is ALWAYS around the ball and shows great instincts. He has average speed (4.6-4.7) but plays faster than that and hasn't had his pro day yet (4/5/07). When he locks on to someone, watch out, as he packs a heckuva wallop! (one that stands out, was a stop he made during a goaline stand -- he came through the line and sent the RB backwards). I did notice that he tends to play a bit high at times and doesn't always use good leverage -- which is why he got overpowered on occasion by bigger offensive lineman -- but these plays didn't overshadow his overall performance. He seems like he is a pretty smart player and made great adjustments thoughout the games I watched. The scouts assessment of him are that he is a prototypical Tampa 2 OLB, but he could easily play inside if needed. (I think he makes the most sense for Buffalo as an OLB and move Crowell to MLB). Pending his pro day workouts, I see this kid as being the second LB off the board. I disagree with everyone saying we take a RB in the first. DEFENSE is what we need and, to me, linebacker is the most critical of all. I think Beason would have less of a learning curve than Willis (as the MLB has to make all the calls, etc.) and with the potential to move Crowell to MLB -- this pick would make alot of sense to me.

I do appreciate your feedback but....here is some info that I came across from nfl.com: 40 time: 4.58 (Pro Day), 4.7 combine - Decent pro day, but not eye popping for an OLB - considering Willis' numbers Scouting Report info: Needs to add more bulk to his frame to prevent bigger blockers from washing him out of the play (frame is better suited for middle linebacker than on the outside). Many compare Posluszny to Green Bay's A.J. Hawk, but Posluszny lacks the power and play-making ability of Hawk … However, a move to middle linebacker late in his career could see him find a home there … He is more effective on the bull rush than coming off the edge … He just did not seem as effective in pass coverage playing on the outside in 2006 as he did in the past

I really don't have anything against this kid, and, he may turn into a good/decent player in the NFL -- but his senior year wasn't as good as his junior year and Seminoles fans know what happened to him in his junior year - (severe knee injury in the orange bowl). I guess I just want to know why so many people on TBD are so into this kid -- is it because you live in the northeast and have been exposed to him more? Is it because he has a name that you know? Is it because the so-called "experts" are into him? Just wondering. I, personally, do not believe he is better than Patrick Willis and some have suggested he is not even the 2nd best ILB (David Harris-Michigan). I think Buster Davis may even make a better pro LB -- ala London Fletcher. Don't get me wrong -- I wouldn't mind if the Bills drafted this kid in the 2nd or 3rd round -- but I just haven't seen how posters can justify taking him with the 12th pick - or even in the 1rst round for that matter. Thoughts????

As a loyal FSU fan, I have watched Booker for the last 4 yrs. He was the most heavily recruited RB coming out of High School (California) but sadly his career never materialized while wearing the garnet and gold. I attribute much of his lack-of-progression to the horrible offensive coaching that he received while at FSU (our offense was plain lousy and non-imaginitive under Jeff Bowden). That said, Booker dances way too much! He is NOT a North-South runner and relies on his speed and elusiveness to gain yardage -- something he will not be able to do with much consistency in the pros. On the positive side, he is an excellent receiver and FSU did (to their credit) use him in this capacity from time-to-time --ala Reggie Bush. He has never had any major injuries and is ripped physically. With some good coaching he might become a starter in the pros -- but I honestly thought Leon Washington (former backfield mate and now with the JETS) had more potential in the NFL. I see Booker as more of a backup and less of a full-time everydown back.

On the flip side of this argument is the New York Yankees and Washington Redskins. Spending more than the other guy does not equate to winning and championships.

My record player has somehow got stuck -- it keeps repeating MLB Buster Davis FSU -- I'm telling you he is London Fletcher's replacement and I do think he could come in and play MLB right away.

I like Fletcher alot and will miss him -- but to offset his loss, I would really like to see Buffalo grab Buster Davis from FSU in the Draft. After watching him in college, I think he is a clone of Fletcher.

I don't mean to sound like a smart ass, but Williams and McCargo are interchangeable-- for that matter so is Tripplett and Anderson. Here is a quote from Marv when Tripplett was signed, "General manager Marv Levy said Tripplett will serve the role as a penetrating tackle, adding that the team will look for a bulkier player to play alongside him." Kyle Williams: 6-1 295 Larry Tripplett: 6-2 295 John McCargo: 6-2 295 Tim Anderson: 6-3 304 They are all smaller, penetrating d-tackles despite the whole notion of one-gap vs. two or three-gap techniques. I believe the Bills got a good player in Kyle Williams and while I'm holding out hope for McCargo -- I don't think he has showed the same intensity as Williams despite being a first round draft pick. If he had -- I believe he would be in the starting rotation next to Tripplett.

I love the fact that Williams is starting over Anderson (who's showed nothing). The problem for me is that McCargo was brought in with a 1st rd. pick and should be in a better position to win the job. What gives with McCargo -- is he not motivated or just not good enough???

I was at camp yesterday and fortunate to be in the vip section to see the Bills without the need for mike's zoom lens. Here are some thoughts: 1. anyone that wasn't in the VIP area really didn't miss a whole lot. They did some individual work like hb/fb's hitting the sleds (of which willis impressed me with his ferocity) and the oline doing some basic drills with mcnally (gibson and peters are imposing specimens -- would love to see gibson work out). 2. Defense looks really really quick. They were flying around the field in the 11/11(team) sessions. I think the new attacking style of defense has certainly been illustrated in camp -- i'm not sure about how effective we will be at stopping the run -- but our quys will certainly be quicker at reaching the ball carrier (hopefully not after he blows past our line up the middle). 3. Qb's (two observations): 1) Holcomb was warming up by taking snaps from fowler (our presumed starting center) while JP took snaps from someone else -- not sure if this means anything -- but it gave me an indication that Holcomb is somehow the more credible starter and not JP. 2) during 11/11 -- neither QB was good. Holcomb looked more poised (sighhhhhhh) than JP. More times than not Holcomb went for the safety/dump off pass and got a completion whereas JP seemed to look downfield more and either a) made an incompletion b) took too long or c) didn't make a good throw. Here's hoping there is more progress in the weeks to come with our QB's -- but color me as worried about our QB situation in the meantime (and I am really pulling for JP to be "the guy").

what's your scoring like?

I also had/have big expectations from tim anderson and thought he was a good draft choice a couple seasons ago. Watching him at camp -- he looked like he had great arm/hand techniques as he would swat at the defenders when taking them on at the point of attack. To me though, it looks like he needs to get a little more physical as he just doesn't bring the same force as a sam adams or ron edwards.