Webster Guy

Agreed. Run support is a strength of his. Man we could use him now. The skinny on Aaron.... Read & React: Reads routes well and starts to close when receivers throttle down to catch curl or hitch. Sniffs out bubble screens. Gets fooled on double moves and misdirection when receivers and backs sell their routes. Recognizes run immediately in man or zone coverage and gets around the receiver to make the play. Man Coverage: His size makes him a prototypical outside corner, able to stay with NFL pass-catchers down the sideline. Usually matches up with opponent's biggest receiver. Shows relatively quick feet when in the slot. Mirrors receivers on most straight-line routes but struggles to stop and return on throws behind him. Stays too high in his pedal, however, lets receivers eat up cushion too quickly. Needs to play more physically; usually plays well off the receiver, fails to land his hands when on the line. Gets pushed around too easily, allowing separation outside. Zone Coverage: Practiced as a zone defender. Comes off of initial target a bit late, but gets to the ball in a hurry once he picks up the quarterback's read. Adjusts to jerk routes and can change his angle on the fly. Gets a hand on passes thrown over his head when underneath. Lacks great suddenness to change direction with quick slot receivers over the middle. Closing/Recovery: A bit slow transitioning forward to plant and drive, but likes to make big hits and is tough for receivers to escape when he closes. Owns only adequate hands for the interception; picks off some easy passes but drops high and wide throws when in position to make the play. Able to knock away passes by swiping his long arm in front of receivers and winning jump balls. Lacks recovery speed if beaten off the line and does not gain ground running down the field. Run Support: Solid run defender on the edge. Not afraid to take on large outside receivers and reacts quickly to get around potential blockers to make the tackle on running plays to his side of the field. Gets outside of the blocker to funnel plays back inside, but could do a better job shedding blocks when he's not able to elude them. Takes deep angles to be a last line of defense. Tackling: Inconsistent tackler who displays the length and aggressiveness to wrap up ballcarriers but lacks great strength. Like to hit running backs on the edge and usually leads with a shoulder. Gives good effort, coming off his man to help teammates and laying out to make ankle tackles. Blitzes effectively due to his straight-line speed and size. Height can be a detriment against smaller, quicker ballcarriers; will leave his feet instead of dropping his hips to wrap and tackle. Gets dragged for extra yardage by stronger receivers. Intangibles: Showed great maturity working though disappointing dropped punt against Oklahoma last fall. Missed UCF game in 2009 with a right knee injury. Uncle, Ken Taylor, played defensive back at Oregon State (1981-84) and Super Bowl XX champion Chicago Bears. Career Notes Three-year defensive back who appeared in 37 games, including 23 starts in his last 26 games, at cornerback and on special teams … declared for the NFL Draft as a junior … 2010 Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award watch lists … second-team All-Big 12 in 2010 … posted 106 tackles (64 solo), three sacks, 12 TFL, three pressures, four INTs, 24 PBU, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five blocked punts (No. 2 on UT's all-time list) for his career … also had 11 punt returns for 86 yards (7.8 ypr) for his career … started nine of the 11 games in which he played in 2010 … led the team with 13 PBU, to go along with 46 tackles, one sack, five TFL, three forced fumbles and one blocked punt … started 13 games at cornerback in 2009, missing the UCF game with an injury … compiled 44 tackles (25 solo), two sacks, six TFL, three pressures, three INTs, eight PBU and two forced fumbles … appeared in all 13 games, starting one, at cornerback and on special teams as a true freshman in 2008 … recorded 16 tackles, three PBU, a pressure, a TFL, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, four blocked punts (T-No. 1 on UT's single-season list) and returned an INT 81 yards for a TD … tied for second on the team with nine special-teams tackles … a prep All-American and all-state selection who saw action on both sides of the ball … named a Parade All-American … also tabbed second-team All-USA by USA?Today and a second-team EA Sports All-American … blocked 12 kicks as prepster … a member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll (Spring 2010).

Exactly. I'd rather see him take a month or so and get it right and be full strength for the last four games. If it's bone spurs my guess is its possible to take a needle before games without risking further injury, but they're usually careful about that stuff. I think rib injuries and heel/foot stuff is the only time they bring out the novacane. We are gonna need the big fella if we plan on getting to the playoffs.

I think it was his third. He might be done for good if this keeps up. For his sake, I hope he is really careful about returning, there's some pretty compelling evidence about the long term effects of multiple concussions. Not just memory loss but depression, dementia etc.

He was the 3rd person picked in the world for the 2011 NFL draft, with some analysts saying he should have been #1. He just got $20M guaranteed and every Bills fan knows who he is and what he does. He's been a trenches guy his whole life so he's never been into stats anyway. Believe me he's okay with doing what he's doing. Playing for a young, winning team that has a fun culture in a low-key city and making a difference.

Old School, hard working, tough as nails, respected by everyone. Read an interview with Jim Kelly recently where he was saying he would let Kent call plays sometimes when they were rolling teams. JK called the plays at the line most of the time anyway, and he said sometimes we'd line up, and Kent would look over the formation, call out the assignments and the play, Jim would restate it to the wideouts and the backs and they'd fire away. What a cool relationship those two had, I'm sure this is a tough pill for JK to swallow.

Ralph, if this is your last birthday, remember three things: 1. Even though you live in Detroit, I think it's cool that you hated the movie 8 Mile as much as I did. 2. Nobody wishes Art Modell happy birthday anymore in Cleveland. 3. The difference between your family inheriting 600 million or 900 million will never, ever, EVER change the way they live their lives for countless generations, but it will significantly change the way you are remembered, both inside your family and from the people of WNY. There is a price we pay sometimes in life for doing the right thing, it would be a good legacy and message to younger generations when you move on.

Stevie Johnson was talking about Spiller at WR today on 550am, and they asked him about the end around and that it looked like it was open on both plays. Stevie said they knew it was there after the first play, but implied that sometimes if you run it again they THINK it's going to CJ so they bite on him and it helps Freddy because it freezes defenders for a second. The Giants didn't care or just forgot to adjust, they just keyed on Freddy on both plays so the deception didn't work. As far as WR goes, he said they were expecting CJ to run mostly go routes so they played him deep, but he did some curls and other stuff inside that obviously worked well. He had 5 catches I think, seems like he has pretty good hands.

Why isn't now the time? Could we get any worse? A staff reorganization on a winning squad may be a bad idea, but the defense isn't a winning squad, they're the worst in the league. They're a losing squad with a weak DC. Wanny is part of the team and already knows how to call defenses, you'd simply be trying something different to fix a horrible problem that will continue to plague this team all year. Nix isn't going to trade for better personnel, so as head coach you need to make a change to AT LEAST evaluate how Wanny would do if he were in charge. We've drafted 80% defense in the last two drafts, the first SIX picks last year were D picks. Don't tell me coaching isn't a concern here.

I agree with you that all things being equal, err on the aggressive side and go down swinging. But man, in this case the pedal down approach cost us this game. We beat the Patriots and the Eagles by controlling the ball until the end. If Fitz was getting time to pass and tearing them up all day I would agree with you, but he wasn't. The INT was not a surprise. I hate the freaking Giants, we should've taken this game.

The play lost us the game. It absolutely was not the right one. When you can't pass protect, you're on the road in a windy stadium, you have the ball, you're going against a very talented secondary, you have a top notch RB, and your team's defense hasn't stopped anybody all year, the RIGHT call is to maintain possession and run huge chunks off the clock each play. We swung for the homerun when all we had to do was hit a single. Dungy was right on with his analysis of the play, a pressured QB sometimes forgets to set his feet and bad mechanics=risky throws. Far too much unnecessary risk for the situation, especially knowing you aren't going to stop them if you turn it over. This same type of mentality cost us 3 in the first half, passing when you're on the edge of field goal range is just plain stupid. Certainly a deep drop pass anyway. The reason I'm not mad at Chan is that he's won us a few already with his play calling, so you live by the sword, die by the sword. p.s. Just because it needs to be said, Lee Evans never getting open is the biggest line of crap I've ever heard. Nelson is a good slot receiver, like Josh Reed was, but go ahead and line him up wide against the other team's number one CB every week (and usually a safety too) and then we'll talk. Throw in the fact that we haven't had a single season of solid QB play Lee's whole career here while you're at it. Player comparisons who had completely different playing situations and assignments is so JV....

Chan also made a mistake calling a pass play on 3rd down on the giants 30 yd line in the first half. Fitz gets sacked, we are out of field goal range and end up losing by three. I respect his play calling skills and pedal-down approach but not at the expense of smart game coaching. We messed up twice today forcing passes when we didn't need to. Cost us the game.

Its hard to evaluate ILB's unless you really know the coverages and assignments (i don't). That probably goes for any position but inside guys are asked to do everything, including DLine adjustments if necessary. My idiot evaluation criteria for ILB's is how well they shed blocks, get to their gaps, and cover their side of the field for run or pass coverage. They all hit hard, including Davis, the question is are they making the tackles up at the line or 6 yards deep. Can they cover TE's or Backs? What about side to side range? (Barnett is strong in that category) Shep looked somewhat lost on a few plays, even the one where he released and stuck Vick to cause the INT he had a half second hesitation before shooting the gap. It was like, "wow, I have a clean lane to Mike Vick, holy crap I'd better get after him" He looked slow on the Vick long run, but so did everybody on the field except the DogKilla himself. Here's the skinny on him coming out of college: STRENGTHS Athletic inside linebacker prospect Versatile - experience inside and outside (may project best to weak side) Has the speed to make plays sideline to sideline Good lateral agility allows him to make plays down the line Moves well in space and looks fluid in coverage Diagnoses plays Times blitzes well and makes plays in the backfield Productive and around the football - over 100 tackles in 2009 and 2010 Good size Leader of one of the best defenses in the country - makes defensive calls Experienced - 3 year starter WEAKNESSES Lacks the build and physical style to play inside in a 3-4 (note: not sure whats wrong with 6'2 250) Is not a big hitter Tends to let the action come to him rather than anticipate and react Struggles to seal the edge Not overly physical

Not true. Nix has always looked to upgrade his team in any way possible. He doesn't have such a rule. He obviously felt that a good WR for a fourth round pick was a fair exchange, and since then it's looking like Easley and Roscoe may never play again in Buffalo. It also looks like we might make the playoffs this year, which was unexpected, and a proven 1400yd receiver might help us achieve that. He's not going to ignore an upgrade chance because he has some etched rule against trading a pick for a player. Especially now that we have two 4th round picks.

You start looking for WR help when your existing guys can't get open, aren't team players, or dog it on the field with poor blocking or not finishing routes etc. Im just not seeing that at all right now. We don't need more leadership and we definitely don't need a locker room !@#$. I think you hafta trust Fitz and Chan when they say we can still run our packages successfully despite the injuries. Stevie namaan nelson spiller chandler n freddy can all catch n run and block. We r OK boys, let Lloyd go show some other team why Denver wanted him gone....

Von Miller college scouting report verbatim: Smooth hips in coverage Can turn and run with running backs/tight ends This dude is a monster and is playing very well for a rookie. People, please don't give me another example of how a pass rusher gets pushed upfield and they run at his vacant gap, it happens almost EVERY time to speed rushers. Just ask Demarcus Ware, Aaron Schobel, even Bruce Smith.

Its an interesting thing to consider, especially now that our deepest position is Dline and our weakest is WR. In training camp, our top 6 receivers were Evans, Stevie, Easley, Parrish, Jones, and Nelson. We are down to two and we run a spread offense. We have a backup QB as one of our receivers and two guys that we cut back on the team. (I wonder if Fitz likes throwing to Ruvell Martin or Lee Evans better?) But I still would rather have Dareus. He was the right pick.

I love how everyone says "well, its against NFL rules so forget it, it'll never happen" As a moderately successful entrepreneur, refusing to accept this type of attitude has played a major part in some of the better real estate acquisitions I've made. "Oh the town will NEVER let you do THAT, they already tried" "Its not zoned for that" "The bank will never approve that" Sometimes its true, but sometimes a reasonable compromise and middle ground can be found that benefits both sides. It's a good idea. A proven one based on the Green Bay model. Good ideas have a way of finding a way back into the world if they were retired for the wrong reasons. And the NFL changes rules all the time. A group of investors purchasing the Bills (like Jim Kelly's group) is exactly like selling shares of an NFL franchise, simply an accredited investor type of approach, but still a share ownership structure, just not a public offering. I love the idea, but based on the values I've heard that the Bills would sell for, and the likely return on investment, you'll be better off investing elsewhere and saving your money for season tickets..... And the superbowl plane tickets of course....

I'm with you Vincec. Especially now that we are in need at WR. We have the least sacked QB in the NFL and an elite running back behind a good offensive line. We don't need the wildcat or a slash type player on an offense like this. That TD run Smith had was through a hole the size of a car, Gailey could have run that one in himself. He's not as good a passer as Fitz, or better than Freddy at running, or Spiller at returning kickoffs, and he's not a great receiver either. He's a super college player that can do it all pretty well, but not good enough in one area. How someone thinks this guy is going to win us a game is beyond me. Why Chan would take Fitz and Freddy out of the game to put in this guy when we're moving the ball is beyond me. Its getting too cute. It was a good backup plan to have in place before the season but it's not necessary now that our offense is proving itself. Fitz has too much class to say it, but I'll bet he and Freddy are both shaking their heads behind closed doors when they put Smith in. Oddly, the only game we could have used a change up or spark was the Cinci game, and I don't think we even brought in Smith at all that game. If we did, it was meaningless. Dance with who brung ya. Keep Fitz on the field.

I was impressed with Hairston. He wasn't going against the usual elite talent that LT's are usually up against every week with Cole out, but he sure seemed to be holding his own out there. What a tough thing to ask of the young dude. I heard the Giants have some defensive line injuries too, hopefully that will help next week as well.

Maybe you're not completely clueless, but you're implying that based on the statistics sheet the Bills will be better off without Kyle Williams on the field. Your dubious DT grading criteria combined with your know-it-all attitude reminds me of the drunk guy at the game that has all the answers, knows more than the coaches, and can tell you exactly why we suck so bad. Do you think the offensive line coaches for the past 5 teams we've played would agree with you? "Hey guys, look at the film on this 95 guy, what a dud. Guy hasn't had a sack all year, and only 4 tackles. Hopefully the Bills are dumb enough to keep playing this loser..... Now lets go figure out why the Bills SS Wilson and LB Barnett are both in the top 5 NFL tacklers this year...They've gotta be really something...."

Why do people keep saying Batten is undersized for a 3-4 OLB? The dude is 6-4 240 plus. Any more weight and good luck in coverage or running down rb's (or vick) Im glad he's finally going to get some real gametime logged. Moats too. Bring on the young guns! Whats the worst that can happen, we give up 400 yards on defense..... Oh wait, we already do.....

You mean getting chewed up in the running game like Pitt and the Jets defense have this year. Both teams are giving up well over 100 yards per game. Jets are almost last in the league against the run and Pitt is in the bottom bracket. Not defending our defense, just saying even well-coached defensive oriented teams can still struggle like we are.....

Our defense is still one of the worst in the league. 400 plus yards per game is rough. What makes it worse is that because we give up long drives down the field, we are pulling Kyle and Dareus (usually at the same time) and putting in second stringers because our studs need a breather. I didn't count how many snaps those two were out, but it was significant. The thing that worries me the most is the last drive the Bengals had to get in field goal position should have never happened. 14 yards right up the gut by some 2nd string back? Just stuffing that one play at the line puts their kicker in a 56 yard kick situation not a 42 yarder. Not sure who to blame for that play but it looked a lot like last year's team and that's not acceptable with us drafting all defense this year and quite a bit last year, plus the free agency LB pickups. Makes me start to think we have a great offensive coach who needs a Gregg or a Wade type DC, not Edwards.

Both of our home games have been awesome, and this is going to be another fun one. Both teams missing their starting LT's, but we get the edge in injuries with Cole out and hopefully getting McGhee back in the lineup. I believe this will be the game that makes or breaks Merriman. He's going against a backup LT against a qb that is playing hurt and can get rattled easily. I hope we see the faster Moats and Batten getting involved in pursuing Vick. Early vegas line has Bills as 3 point underdogs, over/under is 49.5

I re watch a lot of the games, and I don't agree that Kyle is playing any different than he has in the past. The only recent surprise that I saw was the Dalton QB draw play went pretty much right to Kyle's spot and he got turned around and Dalton ran right at him into the end zone. I think he didn't see Dalton He's still working hard, still great at keeping hands off him, playing low with leverage, getting upfield on the pass plays and holding the point on the runs. I didn't bother clicking on the stat link someone posted because he doesn't have a stat type position. Don't care how many sacks or tackles he has and neither does Kyle. The one thing I'm surprised at is how they keep Dareus and Kyle together all the time, and Edwards pulls them out of the game together quite a bit. I understand on long drives giving them a breather, and we are deep at Dline (I do love that Heard kid), but a few times they've been out on 3rd and short EARLY in a drive when they clearly don't need a breather. Having your only two pro bowl defenders on the sideline at the same time when they aren't tired seems to be overcoaching and getting too cute.