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Nah I hear you. I would actually love if they could somehow get LaVonte David on this roster as I think he'd be a huge asset to our D. No matter what happens I'm sure we'll both have faith in Nix/Whaley and the entire organizations plan. For the first time in a long time, I really think this team is being built the right way. The QB postion remains the biggest ?, and unfortuantely that's probably the postion that means the most.

What's your definition of a "good" LB? 35 starts, 186 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions in 4 seasons doesn't define good to me. I'd actually argue this only reinforces the Giants philosophy about not using major resources on their LB corps. Taking a chance on an injury prone LB with a 5th round draft choice is just the type of investment you'd expect the Giants to make in an OLB, rather than spending a top 10 pick on one in the draft, as you argue the Bills should do. The point isn't that the Giants don't want good LB's, they just aren't going to use major resources (high draft picks and a lot of money) on acquiring them. Those high picks will be used on DE/DT 1st, and CB/S 2nd. I expect the Bills to follow a similar philosophy when it comes to fortifying our defense.

Here's how I rate our needs in order: OT: 9 (With our current numbers at T if Hairston or Pears were to go down we'd be screwed)- Cordy Glenn WR: 8 (We need a true #2 WR who has the skill set to beat the man in front of him) - Rueben Randle OLB: 7 (Nick Barnett is a lil older and semi-injury prone, Kirk Morrsion is average at best, behind them not very much) - Lavonte David CB: 7 (Aaron Williams and Rogers are both young and talented, outside of them we have CB's who are either average (Florence), injury-prone (McGee) or bad (McKelvin) - Josh Robinson DT: 5 (I love Dareus. I love Kyle Williams, but the achilles injury has me a bit nervous. I'd like to draft Run stuffing DT as insurance just in case. - Josh Chapman QB: 5 (Fitz may be our best option for the next couple of years. Thigpen blows IMO. Would love to see the Bills nab an athletic QB. - Russell Wilson Obviously, we don't have the ammuntion to pick all of the players I've bolded, but I highlighted them to show the guys I like to fill the bill.

Another big thing for Bell signing with Philly, is the fact that he's all but guarenteed to start at LT. Buddy probably told Bell he'd be competing with Hairston and a possible draft pick for the rights to start at LT. Assuming he'll be a FA again in 2013 Bell would certainly rather be a starter for the Eagles than a backup for the Bills.

I wouldn't have complained one bit if the Bills signed D. Bell to the exact same deal. The terms of the deal confirm my suspicions that the Eagles are renting Bell for 1 year and that's it. Even if Bell were to play at a high level for all 16 games there is no way he sees the $8+ million bonus in 2013. The difference in Bell's mind, is that he may actually believe Philly will keep him beyond Year 1, where as he knew he'd never see big money from the Bills. For this season at $3 million though, Bell is a bargain for the Eagles.

I'd love that. Big Rueben Randle fan, too, that's Rueben's mug on my Home alone avatar if you didn't catch that.

Mayock had Aaron Curry as one of the best and safest prospects in the 2009 draft. Should we discount all of Mayock's draft evaluations because he swung and missed on ONE evaluation? You have to keep in mind, the better media draft gurus (Nawrocki, Mayock, Wes Bunting) evaluate 250-350 prospects each year. To expect them never to misevaluate talent is impossible.

2 things: 1 - In the interview with Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan, Nix and Kirwan were specifically on the topic of Offensive Tackles, when Nix talked about see a few of the O-Lineman different than others. He clearly wasn't talkin about any other position. If I could post the interview I would, as it was a great interview, but it was on Sirius, so can't find it anywhere 2 - The morning of this years draft sit down and do a quick mock draft yourself. It's tough enough to get 6 or 7 players to the right team, let alone 12. He actually went 15 for 32 the year before which to me indicates he clearly has connections to some of these teams. If he picks Floyd or Reiff for us in his final mock draft it doesn't make him a genius......but predicting Marshawn Lynch, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Maybin, C.J. Spiller, and Marcell Dareus as the Bills 1st round pick in his Final Mock draft the last 5 years, is enough for me to put a lot of stock in his draft evaluations.

Can't win 'em all. I'll judge him on his entire body of work rather than one single misevaluation though. Nolan may have not been too high on Cam, but he did have him going #1 overall to the Panthers in his mock draft, which is what we're looking for here: accuracy in predicting what players will land with what teams. He pegged 12 players to the exact teams that ended up selecting them in round 1 in his final mock draft last year, that's pretty damn impressive.

As much as I plug this guy you'd think I worked for PFW.com, which I don't. I just happen to really respect his insight for draft value, and where players will come off the board. Let's not forget he's accurately predicted the Bills round 1 pick the last 5 years. He has connections, unlike the million other draft pundits. Keep in mind this is not how Nawrocki rates the prospects, but rather where he thinks they come off the board according to league value. Enjoy! http://www.profootballweekly.com/2012/04/06/pfws-exclusive-draft-value-chart-7 Just a few quick thoughts: 1. Looks like the Josh Robinson, CB (UCF) hype is real. He has him rated as the #4 CB, coming off the board early round 2. Do the Bills even have a shot at him at #41? 2. My favorite 4-3 OLB in the draft has a shot to be there at #41, LaVonte David. Has him coming off in the middle of round #2. 3. Looks like my boy Rueben Randle will be long gone as expected by pick #41. Views him as a late 1st rounder. Would be a perfect Z receiver compliment to Stevie. 4. Cordy Glenn the #2 rated OT in the draft, as I suspect he is on Buddy's board. I've made numerous posts about Cordy Glenn, so no need to dive in again other than to say this: All signs continue to point to Cordy Glenn being a Buffalo Bill.

I've heard a lot of chatter that Gilmore excels in off man. I've heard that Dre Kirkpatrick excels at press cover and zone. My question is this: What do the Bills ask their CB's to do primarily? I know it's not always the same exact assignment, but for the most part do the Bills run zone or man in the back end? I remember under Juaron our CB's always played a solid 10 yards off the WR, so I'm assuming they ran a lot of off man then (perhaps it was zone, I dont know). I haven't noticed any tendency the last couple of years, and really want to know what Wanny's philopophy is in the back end? If anybody has the knowledge, enlighten me. Thanks.

I prefer LaVonte David over any other OLB in this draft, so I agree. After watching his tape over and over, and hearing the things his coaches and scouts have said about him I honestly don't think he'll be around at pick #42. Nawrocki had him rated in the #60-#70 rated prospect range a month or two ago and now I see him as the #37 rated prospect. I use Nawrocki as a reference only because his board is set on what he's hearing on when players will come off the board. This shows me there are a lot of teams that aren't going to knock down David too far because of his size. He could be a surprise Day 1 selection, not a surprise to me though. Whoever drafts him is getting a beast who will be more than adequate on 1st down and 2nd down and excel on 3rd downs. One thing people forget to mention about David is the fact that he's a very capable blitzer. His acceleration, change of direction, and ability to twist through the OL and get to the QB his a huge asset. He did have 11.5 sacks in his 2 seasons at Nebraska.

And my point is this (please listen from 18:22 - 18:57): http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/videos/Buddy-Nix-State-of-the-Team-Press-Conference/6e644145-3f98-4fb1-8906-fe9e6039c4df And listen to Buddy's exact words. "It's easier to move a tackle to guard than it is guard to tackle, obviously. So we think we draft tackles, we're pretty good at guard and center" The whole point of this thread was to point out that Buddy's been a straight shooter ever since becoming the GM. If some fans want to continue to believe that Nix is going to take David DeCastro because he's the best guard since "Steve Hutchinson" than their entitled to that belief. Personally, I'm going to listen to the words coming straight out of the GM's mouth. And remember DeCastro, just like ever other prospect, hasn't played a down in the NFL.....so any comparison to a multiple time All-Pro like Hutchinson are beyond premature.

That's the point that was made. Nix' exact quote was that they see some of the offensive lineman differently than the rest of the league. Most of the pundits have Glenn listed as a G. I've read many scouts think Glenn can stay at LT. Hence (perhaps) the Bills seeing things differently than what you may read.

Look, so far Nix has blown very little smoke the last 2 years when it's come to discussing the Bills draft plans. Until that changes I'm going to take what Nix says in these candid interviews as his "true" feelings/thoughts. And the most candid of those interviews came early last week when he was interviewed by Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan on Sirius NFL Radio. Buddy was actually so transparent in the interview that Kirwan had to say "Alright Buddy don't tell us the actual names of the guys you're talking about" while Buddy was discussing the OT talent in the draft pool. So let's take a look at what Buddy Nix said, because to me it told a lot. Buddy's Quote "We think there are 2 "maybe" 3 tackles in this draft that can come in and play right away" Translation There is definitely 2, possibly 3 OT's in this years draft that have the talent to be the #10 pick. Buddy's Quote "We also think there are some OT's that can be had later that can probably be starters a year or 2 down the line. Translation There are some guys we have our eyes on a little later in the draft.(Andrew Datko, from FSU perhaps) Buddy's Quote "We view some of the these offensive lineman different than the rest of you guys do" Translation We think Cordy Glenn is a starting LT in the NFL, not just a G as some of the draft pundits have stated. We don't think Reiff is a starting LT in this league. With his short arms and lack of athleticism and speed he's a RT. My gut feeling is this: The 2 Tackles that Buddy thinks can start Day 1 are: Matt Kalil and Cordy Glenn, who probably stack #1 and #2 on the Bills board. The "maybe" 3rd tackle would probably be: Either Mike Adams or Jonathan Martin (again I just don't think Reiff is a LT, and he doesn't fit the big mauler athletic type that Buddy covets). Martin or Adams would probably be a target if we were to trade down a bit. In the end I think we stand pat at #10 and select Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia. The Bills develop Glenn as a LT and he and Hairston battle it out in camp. If Hairston wins the job we at worst have a dominant G, who's ready to play T if needed. With the contracts of LeVitre, Urbik and Rhinehart all expiring after the 2012 season having a T who can also play G is a huge plus. Obviously the Bills will work hard to resign 2 of the above 3 G's prior to next years FA, but adding Glenn to the mix will be a big plus for our OL situation. I also believe the Bills will pick up another OT in the draft with one of our additonal 4th or 5th round picks. Glenn will be groomed as our future LT, with great potential at G if Hairston holds it down, and the T picked up in the middle rounds will be groomed as a swing backup tackle, with starter potential at RT down the line. For anyone who argues that DeCastro should be the pick at #10.......just remember what Buddy is on record as saying: Buddy's Quote: "Our philosophy is to draft T's. It's a lot easier for guys to move outside in, than vice versa. We think if we draft T's that we'll be pretty good at G and C." Translation: As an organization our philosphy is to target T prospects in the draft. If they don't work out there, they have a good shot at success at either G or C. We won't select G or C prospects with high picks, because if they don't pan out at the only position they can play than they're out of the league. G's, C's are not drafted with high picks in the draft.

LaVonte David is my favorite pure OLB in this draft. I like Courtney Upshaw as a footabll player, but disagee with anyone that sees him as a LB, to me he's strictly a 4-3 DE. David on the otherhand is strictly a 4-3 weakside OLB. While this position may not be a huge need for the Bills, you can't forget Nick Barnett is getting up there in age and he does have an injury history. I just think LaVonte David is the perfect LB for our new defense. 1-Fast 2-Excels in pass coverage 3-Amazing instincts 4-very good pursuit and tackle ability 5-Gets to the QB when asked to blitz. The biggest knack on David is that he's undersized for LB in the NFL, and there may be some truth to that. But, at 6'1" and 233 lbs hes almost the saem size as Barnett, so I don't see his size being as big of a problem as some others. I mean lets face it, if he was 6'3" - 255lbs hed be a top 15 cinch. The only reason the Bills would have a shot at taking David at #42 is because he's on the "smaller" size. I strongly belive the Bills will be going CB if they stand pat in round #2, but if they could somehow get LaVonte David I'd be pumped. He will be a beast in a fast flowing 4-3 with a big DL in front of him (exactly what the Bills have).

I know he's an outlier, but Drew Brees at 6'0" has proven that shorter QB's can get it done. Wilson is an inch shorter than Drew, but there is hope. In the 4th-5th round range though I'd be happy if Russell turned into a quality backup. This team sorely needs a backup QB. The positives on Russell that jump out to me are: 1. athleticism 2. ability to move around in the pocket 3. nice over the top delivery (looks like a ptcher delivering the ball downfield) 4. ability to throw on the move 5. intangibles, seems like a hardworker and good guy Would love to see this guy in Bills Camp come summertime.

I'm a fan of Wilson's. He wasn't on my radar a month or 2 ago, but the more I looked into him, the more I liked. His height (under 6') is clearly a big negative, but he has a lot of traits that make you think he's got a shot to be a player. With D Lineman only getting bigger and taller, his height should be a pretty big concern, but once you get into Round 4 or 5 I really like the idea of taking Wilson. Tyler Thigpen is far from a solid backup, so I can see why the Bills would be taking a look at Wilson.

I'm not sure Chandler Jones is an ideal fit for our new 4-3 defense. He's 6'5" - around 270 lbs., but looks like he could stack on another 20 or so lbs. as hes a pretty lean looking guy now. I've seen him projected ideally as a 5-technique in a 3-4 defense. My final point is Chandler Jones doesn't have good speed coming off the edge. He clocked in around 4.83 in the 40 yard dash at the Combine. With the signings of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, I think the Bills have shown they covet speed at the DE position. Both Anderson and Williams were 4.6 ish 40 yard guys in the Combine, so quite a bit speedier compared to chandler Jones. Chandler Jones had 10 sacks in 3 years at Syracuse, which isn't very many. I think 3-4 teams will take a good look at him in the 50-100 range, but I just don't see where he fits in our D.

The overtime rules SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN changed in the first place, for postseason or regular season. The sudden death overtime rules were fine. I think it was very close to 50/50 on who won the game, receiving team or kicking team. Plus defense is just as important as offense, so if your defense can't stop the offense from getting in field goal range, then you should lose the game. My final point on this is (and tell me if you agree: Under the new rules....say TEAM A (the receiving team) goes down and kicks a FG. TEAM B (the kicking team), with a chance to tie or win, gets into FG range and kicks a FG tying the game. TEAM A gets the ball again, and drives and kicks a FG. Game over. Now TEAM B will still complain they had 1 less possession than TEAM A, so nothing is really resolved through the rule change. On top of that, TEAM B will effectively be playing with 4 downs to get into scoring position, because punting would end the game. TEAM A, on the other hand is effectively playing with 3 downs, because they start with the ball. This gives team B an unfair advantage IMO. I have one of those BIlls fan sickening feelings that the Bills will be the first teams to lose a game under these new rules, in a game where we would have won under the previous rules.

Doc I heard the same interview, I think you may have misheard what Nix said. Here's what he said in a nutshell: 1- Bell was offered a contract prior to the start of FA. Still haven't heard anything from Bell or his agent and thinks they are probably looking for something else. 2- Said they have to come away with a "top" tackle. (This was a huge tell to me) 3- They think there is "2 to 3 tackles that can come into the league and start right away". (Would indicate a 1st round draft choice IMO) 4- They view some of the OL a little differently than the rest of the league, and think theres guys that can man the tackle position that people arent really aware of (A huge tell that they are very high on Cordy Glenn IMO. Glenn has often been talked baout as a G prospect, but I've seen plenty of chatter that he could stay at LT in the NFL). I actually thought the interview with Nix on Sirius was so telling I thought about making a seperate post about it entirely.

I'm with you on that: If Buddy liked him, that's good enough for me. Meachem isn't a guy that was on my radar prior to FA, but when I heard the bills were bringing him in, I liked the idea a lot. I think he would've been a very effective #2, and the Bills sorely need that. The Bills seemed pretty confident they'd sign Meach, so I think they were certainly dissapointed to lose him to the Chargers. All things equal I'd prefer Meach over Anderson. I also believe it was going to be one or the other, I couldn't envision the bills spending for Mario, Meach and Anderson. My thinking is perhaps Anderson was the plan B for Mario. We happened to get Mario, but missed out on Meach. There wasn't really a plan B or another FA WR they liked so they thought, hell even though we got plan A at DE lets use that Meachem money to go get plan B too. That's absolute speculation on my part, but sometimes it's fun to guess. Also I think it's funny everybody says the Chargers overpaid for Meach, but that our signing of Mark Anderson was awesome. I'm not doggin either player, I think they both have a shot to be real good on theri new teams, but both teams overpaid. Anderson at $5.25-$7 millin per year w/ incentives, is clearly more than he's worth. I actually still like the signing, sometimes you have to overpay, but I'm objective enough to admit it. I just hope the money spent on Anderson doesn't hurt our chances of resigning Byrd or LeVitre this next year. They're much more valuale IMO than Mark Anderson.

Mark Anderson's contract specifics: http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/mark-anderson/ How it looks from the cash to cap perspective: 2012: $6 million (signing bonus) + $2 million (base salary + workout bonus) = $8 million 2013: $1.5 million (option bonus) + $2.5 million (base salary + workout bonus) = $4 million 2014: $4 million (base salary + workout bonus) = $4 million 2015: $5 million (base salary + workout bonus) = $5 million The deal was reported as a 4 year, $27.5 million, but if you look at the above it actually appears to be 4 years for $21 million. The $6.5 million unccounted for is probably incentive based stipulations. This deal makes me feel a bit btter than the original numbers reported. $5.25 million per is still too much, but it's a hell of a lot better than over $7 million per. If he's a producer his cash to cap doesn't look to bad in years 2-4 and the cap will be much higher in those years, thus further softening the blow of his numbers.

I've read a lot about Joel Buchsbaum, guy really sounded like a one of a kind. Bill Bellechick tried hiring him on numerous occasions, but Joel never wanted to work with 1 team. With that said you have to give some credit to Nolan Nawrocki. He's as good as they come when it comes to accurately predicting the NFL draft. His mocks have consistently graded out as being the most accurate, and as popular as the draft and mock drafts have become that's important. One last thing about Nawrocki: He has accurately predicted the player the Bills will take with their 1st selection the last 6 years. Think about that. In his final mock draft which comes out the day of the draft he has accurately predicted....Donte Whitner, Marshwan Lynch, Leodis McKelvin, Aaron Maybin, CJ Spiller and Marcell Dareus all becoming Bills. I don't think theres one other person that can claim they've been 6 for 6 on the Bills 1st round picks. That's crazy. To me, it indicates the guys got an amazing source with the Bills, so draft morning the first thing I do is check his final mock draft when it comes out.......because for the last 6 years he's told me who it is well befre the Bills made their selection. could be luck but.......