FightClub

Dan Connor - a lot of people would be shocked but I would not

DRC, Keith Rivers and Derrick Harvey. I won't mind Devin Thomas if the Bills think he is the right guy. I would rather see Dan Connor and take Jordy Nelson in the second round and a CB (like Chevis Jackson from LSU) and TE later on (someone like Craig Stevens from Cal)

I don't post mock drafts but I do play around with possibilities and Jordy Nelson is part of my "all intangible / no busts" mock draft. It goes something like 1. Dan Connor 2. Jordy Nelson 3. John Carlson 4a. Chevis Jackson ...and so on... (yes I know I just contradicted myself by posting a mock draft) The idea is that the Bills need to be drafting players that fit the system (as other posters have said), but they also need to make sure there are no "Mike Williams" picks. The biggest thing with the Bills is we can't afford any busts in the draft. The last couple of years, we have not had any in the early rounds. We may not have hit on an Adrian Peterson, but we have a solid Safety, emerging DT, solid to great RB, solid MLB (possibly great later), solid QB, etc. from the early rounds of the last couple of years. The above guys were all looked up to on their teams for leadership. There might be less potential for greatness in this draft, but little to no risk of a bust with these picks.

If they take a LB, don't be surprised if they take Dan Connor even if Rivers is there. Rivers has amazing athleticism but nowhere near the instincts that Connor has, and those instincts are a major difference in the cover 2 defense.

I like him. Probably the best corner in the draft for run support. However, I am one who is hoping for a best player available approach in the 1st (Harvey?) which would leave us looking at a pass catcher in the second. One WILL fall to us (Thomas, Hardy, Keller, Doucet, F. Davis, M. Bennett, etc.). If this happens, then the corner I like in the 3rd or 4th is Chevis Jackson out of LSU.

I don't think there's any chance of this, is there? With needs at WR, TE, DE, CB and possibly LB, and only three picks now in these rounds, the chances of them picking OL are about 1%. I do see the need for a Center and tackle depth. The players I like in the later rounds are: Demetrius Bell, OT, Northwestern State Jamey Richard, C, Buffalo Doug Legursky, C, Marshall

If I had to pick one it would be Morris, as he has been in a cover-2 and he's too far along to start anymore but might be good depth. But...would he play on special teams? If not, should we be picking up a LB that is not going to play on Special Teams? So far we have starters of Poz, Mitchell and Crowell. Safe to say these guys are not going to play on special teams. Then we have depth of DiGiogio and Ellison for sure. These guys are perfect because they've both played a lot now and could fill in as needed and will both play on Special Teams. It seems the 6th LB should be in this same mold - a guy who's played a bit but is young and will play on special teams. Not sure who that is, but I don't know if it's any of the aging veterans in your list

Well, here's the story from my end. You could probably only tell if he's matured from talking to him. Hopefully the Bills have or will have had a chance to interview him to figure that out. I probably couldn't say for sure, so all I can go by is the record itself. I will say I do like the idea of waiting until the 3rd to pick up a WR. I know lots of people want a WR at #11, but let's assume we draft a TE with #2 (for discussion purposes let's say Fred Davis). What would people rather have: S. Ellis or D. Harvey in 1st / F. Davis in 2nd / Jordy Nelson or A. Bowman in 3rd OR M. Kelly or L. Sweed in 1st / F. Davis in 2nd / Some CB or a Center in 3rd (my guess what we would pick if the draft went this way) Personally, I like that in the first option we get best player available impact on the DL and still get a comparable WR, so I see your point. Not sure that Sweed or Kelly are that much better than the other two to reflect how much higher they will go.

I like everything about this guy's physical skills, but getting kicked off a college team as a freshman probably takes him off the Bills draft board, IMO. They are not going to draft anyone with character flags.

Right. Everyplace has it's own weather issues. I am in Atlanta too and we just had the tornadoes and have been fighting a drought for a year. Though my blood has been thinned living here a dozen years now, I don't mind going home to Buffalo and experiencing sunny days in the 30's. Blizzards are something else, of course, but I would rather have a traditional snowstorm than have my home ruined by flooding or tornadoes.

If he comes out next year, Michael Crabtree is projected as a "top 5 stud" which no WR in this year's class is. In fact, Walter Football's 2009 Mock Draft has Crabtree pegged as the #1 overall pick. It's all premature now, and he's only going to be a red-shirt sophomore, but he did catch 17 TDs in 7 games last year. Hopefully if he does go #1, we won't be in a position to pick him!

Isn't this the guy that has a TON of speed that also is in their return game? If so, I say Yes! I am surprised actually the Raiders have not resigned him but I guess their money is going everywhere (and I mean, EVERYwhere) else...this guy is not a great corner, but he would be decent depth and could spell McGee in returns which might help McGee's effectiveness on D also.

Personally, I don't agree as the Bills have shown that they will pick the player they have targeted regardless of whether the "experts" think it is a reach or not. I really think the interest in Devin Thomas is not a smoke screen - he reminds me so much of Andre Reed. But, it appears others are starting to think like you. See NFL Draft Countdown's latest mock draft for example. I would not be unhappy with getting a big quality corner like Rodgers-Cromartie in Round 1 and coming back with a TE like Fred Davis or WR like Hardy or Doucet (see round 2, they both go ahead of us but within 5 picks or so - one of them might fall to us).

If the trade with Dallas goes through I think you will find that we have to give up our 3rd or 4th to make it happen. See Trade Value Chart According to this chart #22 (780) + #28 (660) = 1440 and the number 11 pick is worth 1250. Cowboys will demand something close to the 190 point difference to make the trade even. The argument that will then ensue is not whether the pick is included, but which pick. Bills will argue our 3rd (#72 = 230) is too high and Cowboys will argue that our 4th (#110 = 74) is too low. A good, mostly fair deal would be Bills give #11 (1st) and #72 (3rd) for #22 (1st), #28 (1st) and #155 (5th). The points on this are 1250 + 230 = 1480 and 780 + 660 + 29.4 = 1469.4 The point is, those that think we are going to get the 22 and 28 for 11 with nothing else involved are wrong. These teams use this chart or a variation of it and will not get taken like that. Anything more than a 20 - 30 point difference will be argued. A nearly 200 point difference would not be accepted. I do agree that Devin Thomas is and should be the target after we move down.

Totally disagree. I am here in Atlanta and trading for him would be like trading for T.O. This is a player I am not interested in having on my favorite team. More than that, he would create lockerroom strife within a year. It won't be noticed on the Raiders because the inmates are running the asylum over there anyway, but no way should he have been a Bill for any price

The Bills are really in good shape either way. Correct, there will be some good WRs available in the second, but some of the corners will drop to the second as well. So WR - CB or CB - WR will probably both work. I vote WR in round 1 because that pick probably actually starts at this point while the CB pick is probably behind Greer and McGee day 1 (but will play a lot I realize as the nickel).

They were specifically saying that he would most likely draw interest from teams that run the West Coast Offense. All of the teams listed run some variance of the WCO (or will, now that Zorn is head coach at Washington) and the Bills don't. I don't know what you call our offense, but it's not a WCO.

My contribution to the "I heard of him, let's sign him!" posts: PFT Rumormill - Jackson released Seriously, this guy knows how to get open. The trouble is, he can't catch. But it might be nice to see a receiver with a little separation and hope that the catch is made, rather than throwing to guys with defenders draped all over them, where we pretty much know the connection won't be made.

OK, point taken. But I think my point is that you do "try" to move down if you are looking for extra picks. For example, if the Bills felt as I do that the impact players are to be had in the first three rounds...and if we have 4 spots (WR, CB, TE, C) where we want to pick up an impact player, then personally I'd like to have 4 picks in the first three rounds (like we used to have before the Stroud trade) even if it means picking a little later in the 1st. Especially since the players I am considering are pretty much guaranteed to be there 5 or so picks later than we pick. So, yes, if I were GM, I would be "trying" to move down. But just like the B. Johnson stand off, I wouldn't blink if no one was offering me a fair deal, and would just go ahead and pick the player I want - which this year would be Devin Thomas. And just like when we picked Lee, Marshawn and Donte, all of the "draft experts" would cry out that we reached.

I'll bite.... Was the year 1985? When we drafted Chris Burkett in the 2nd round and Andre Reed in the 4th. Yes, Reed was the much better receiver as we all know. Possibly to your point - I really like Devin Thomas. I hope everyone doesn't start 50 threads about how we reached when we draft him at #11. I think they will try to trade down but it's not that easy to get the value.

Very good draft, but I am still not a Pittman fan. Rather see Brandon Jackson but he could be had later too...

Those on the McCauley / Houston bandwagon please read this: Stay Away Marv! Again, I've posted this on another thread or two but if we take a first day CB (and I think we should), it needs to be from this list of "solid" players (in order): 1. Darrelle Revis 2. Leon Hall 3. Daymeion Hughes 4. Josh Wilson 5. Tanard Jackson 6. A.J Davis (that's right...I don't like Jonathan Wade who I see on here a lot as well)

I agree that we are not as desperate at running back as most here and everyone in the "media" seems to think we are. I would not be surprised at all if Marv is willing to give the combination of Thomas, Fred Jackson and a second day draft pick a chance to be RB by committee. However, it will not include Ramonce Taylor. He was arrested in 2006 for marijuana possession and Marv will not draft him. More likely second day candidates are Garrett Wolfe from Northern Illinois or Alonzo Coleman from Hampton.

I think they are giving up a second DAY pick, not a second ROUND pick. It will probably be a 5th or 6th.

I have to fall on the side of "good news" here. While I have always liked Trent Green as a QB and think he has been pretty good in the past, things are pretty much over for him now. It's one thing to sign a QB from years ago who was familiar with your offense to help establish the system (see Chris Redman in Atlanta, who will be cut as soon as training camp is over but in the meantime will help install the offense). But to sign an old QB past his prime because you worked with him years ago and ask him to be your starter doesn't make sense in today's NFL. The Dolphins will be bad again, really bad, IMO.