1billsfan

Well clearly I'm not ready to drive...LOL

Yes, sorry about that. Thanks, I just changed it.

#1 prospect in the draft and losing any credibility they ever had... http://www.nationalf...Version-50.html I get that this Russ Lande has a serious and strange man crush going on with Nassib, but how can he keep his job at NFP after doing this? I've never seen anything like this in a draft blog. Ryan Nassib, #1 prospect in the NFL draft...LOL

Legendary band, legendary song which I could see working with video footage encapsulating the history of the NFL and the journey and culmination of the 2013 football season. If done right, I think it could be something very inspirational and special that would hit the mark with all ages and demographics. If you want to attract females then you could possibly incorporate Cirque du Soleil into the performance. The band's fallen angel logo does look very much like a silhouette of a Cirque du Soleil performer, right?...LOL If you want to go with a popular contemporary artist, then I'd try to get Adele. Someone with real and rare (for today's standards) artistic talent and who's appeal spans all demographics and continents.

I find it hard to believe that Beyonce's popularity goes beyond a small portion of women ages 25-45 and the "diva loving" men in the crowd. That "put a ring on it" song sounds like music for people who are going insane and need a soundtrack for the ride. It's definitely in my top 10 worst songs of all time. I literally can't listen to more than a few seconds of that idiotic song.

They can pretend it's New York, but that game is being played in New Jersey...LOL I think it's best if they don't play up the whole "NEW YORK" theme. I'd also advise them not inviting the New York guy who took away the Nets. I think they should do something really simple yet really big, like having Led Zeppelin perform the halftime show. Don't even do a bunch of songs, just do "Stairway to Heaven" and that's it.

FWIW, I just think that the music doesn't matter for RnB artists today as much as it did back in the old days and it exposes itself on a large scale when you get a Superbowl halftime show chock full of very forgettable contemporary music. I consider Beyonce an RnB artist and her songs are chicken scratch compared to the "Solid Gold" sounds of The SOS Band and The Gap Band back in the day… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHo7RW0l0yw

If the Bills were ever able to get their hands on a true #1 receiving deep threat, and add him to the weapons of Spiller, Johnson, Graham...EJ Manuel could easily become an effective runner 5-7 times a game. The guy's strides are so long is ridiculous. He'll never become Newton, Kaepernick or RGIII, but there's no reason why he couldn't be just a level below them in effectiveness.

When I said scrambler, I meant that he's athletic and with his long legs he can get out of the pocket and extend plays. I know that he's not a "running QB" like Kaepernick and RGIII, but he seems to be opportunistic and at least possesses the talent to run around and avoid getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I see him as the modern day version of Steve McNair.

You've hit on a MAJOR reason for it. QBs are no longer scared of getting hit. You match that with fearless athletic talent and you get the early successes of Luck, Newton, RGIII, Kaepernick and Wilson. EJ Manuel perfectly fits the new model of early QB success. Athletic, scrambling, fearless QB with a very good arm who can easily have a quick rise to success against the toothless defenses of today's NFL.

One thing about Manuel is that he found out in september that his mother had breast cancer. He was still able to mentally keep it together mentally with a solid season. That is substantial to me. His bad performance in the Florida game could also be attributable to his mom being there for senior day and him losing it emotionally when she came onto the field. He's still a kid and I can understand him losing focus that day. As for not coming up big in big games, he does have a 4-0 bowl record and he had a great senior bowl looking very calm and comfortable against the best senior players in this class. It's still early in the draft season, but he's been my guy who I think will be the safest bet for a franchise, and even possible elite, QB in this class.

I just went to the forum archive and searched "Colin Kaepernick". In a word, painful. In another word, why. I'm not posting the links because it's not fair to the people who didn't like Kaepernick at all. It seems I was very high on Newton and didn't even give Kaepernick a second thought. I was amazed at some of the people here who were dead on about this guy. Big props for that. I will be watching the Superbowl today with some anger that the Bills took Williams when they could drafted had Kaepernick. I'll wonder what was going on in the Bills draft room that day. Were they scared off of him because he looked (not size) and played a similar style of QB to JP Losman and they "didn't want to go there"? Did they really like him, but as a 3rd round pick? There had to be a discussion because there were a lot of discussions here about drafting Kaepernick in the second. Maybe Buddy's comments about now having to draft QBs a round earlier than you'd like pertains specifically to Colin Kaepernick. With all that being said, this 2013 class of QBs draft looks very similar to the 2011 class of QBs. There will probably be three solid starters and one unexpected breakout franchise QB with a bunch of busts mixed in. Right now, I think that breakout stud guy is EJ Manuel, but I like Tyler Wilson as well. I guess my point in all this is that the Bills need to get it right in the 2013 draft. If that means drafting a QB with the #8 when he's projected as a round later, then so be it.

I wouldn't believe a word any paid NFL scout says this time of year. Especially what they say about QBs.

I wasn't too thrilled at first with the notion of it being Alex Smith. But I've warmed up to the idea lately. This team was built for Fitzpatrick to take them to the playoffs this year and the Superbowl the year after that. So going with Smith keeps the team moving along the same basic plan with the difference of course being this coming year is the playoffs and the Superbowl would be two years away. Going the rookie 1st or 2nd round route may be riskier in that when he does hopefully become very good (until recently, this process usually took three years) the teams current best players will be gone. I think Smith is a seasoned talented QB with a huge chip on his shoulder. I like that, especially in an AFC where Brady and Manning will be as good as gone in a couple of years.

Russell Wilson is more scrambling QB than a running QB. That's how I see Manuel and T. Wilson...guys who can buy time with their legs. Obviously their styles are way different, but it's the same principle. RGIII and Kaepernick are running QBs who will eventually have to knock it off due to getting injured to often. Other than size, those two are very similar.

Alex Smith is the only real veteran option for the Bills. If they do go this route, I think they're officially "going for the gold". That means that all early picks (keep in mind that a 3rd or 4th will be used in the trade for Alex) will be used for BPA starting players...WR, OL, LB, DE. Going with Smith and signing him to a big contract means that the Bills are locked in and are betting he's the guy to take them to the Superbowl. To me, that means that a QB won't be taken by the Bills until the 4th or later rounds. Also, once they did get Smith, I could see them attempting to trade back and target a WR in the 1st and adding another 2nd round pick in the process. That would seem be the most logical approach.

I think our next starting QB will come from this group... Alex Smith, Geno Smith, EJ Manuel or Tyler Wilson. As for T. Wilson, I think that R. Wilson proved that measurables like height are overrated. If he were a stationary target then I think it would be more of a concern, but I think he's got a good sense in the pocket and avoiding defenders. That being said, without question I would still take EJ Manuel over him.

Kaepernick will make the Ravens defense look old and slow... 49ers 34 Ravens 24

I would too. However, I think there's the chance that EJ Manuel separates himself as the standout legit franchise QB so much so that the Bills could never even get the chance to draft him. There are six teams that desperately need a QB (Chiefs, Jaguars, Raiders, Eagles and Browns) drafting ahead of the Bills. I think as the draft draws closer it will become clear that there will probably be three QBs off the board before the Bills pick. I think those guys are Smith, Barkley and possibly Manuel.

It's computer generated yes, but it's based on their site talent evaluators' "big board". Basically that mock draft is classic "garbage in garbage out". They may think that Barkley and Manuel are 4th round and lower rated QBs, but that's simply not reality. The reality is that the modern NFL is two separate worlds of the haves vs the have nots. The QB position is 10 times more important than the 2nd most important position in the NFL. So that factor MUST be included in player evaluations or you get the joke of drafttek's ridiculous mock draft. No matter the year, many QBs will be taken within the first three rounds. I actually think there's four teams in the back of the first round no one is suspecting, that if the right QB fell to them, could take a QB...Bears, Vikings, Texans and Patriots. I could easily see the Patriots planning for the post Brady years (which are coming soon) by drafting Barkley or Manuel if either were there. I highly doubt they are pinning all of their franchise's hopes on Mallett.

That mock draft is completely wacked due to their "big board" being completely wacked. Drafttek's talent evaluators for their big board doesn't even have EJ Manuel in the top 100 players and him going in the 5th round, yet they have Zak Dysert at #46...LOL That site has zero credibility with me after seeing that.

I don't know where people are getting that EJ Manuel will be there in the third or later rounds. That is purely insane wishful thinking. That ship has sailed. Manuel looked great in the Senior Bowl. He has the size, athleticism and skills that can't be teached. He's a mature person with a good work ethic. He can avoid the rush easily. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll be drafted in the first round. His worst case scenario is being drafted by Eagles pick #35 in the second round. Chip Kelly recruited Manuel in high school and I'm sure he would love to be able to get him there. I heard this nugget listening to Manuel getting interviewed today on Philly's all sports radio station The Fanatic. BTW, It's not only the NFL weak QB teams, but I definitely could see teams like the Bears, Vikings, Texans and Patriots "surprise" the experts by drafting the "high ceiling QB" EJ Manuel in the back end of the first round because these kind of QBs don't grow on trees and there's an extremely HIGH premium on the QB position. As for the original question, I like these two scenarios (I'm not so sure which one is best yet)... 1. Get Alex Smith and go best defensive player at #8 and trade back into the 1st for a top WR like Austin or Patterson. 2. EJ Manuel at #8 and trade back into the 1st for a top WR like Austin or Patterson. It sucks that it will be considered a big gamble, but the Bills can't chance losing their guy. The Bills can no longer afford to get "cute" with the QB position. Get Smith or Manuel and move on.

One thing about getting Alex Smith would be that the Bills would immediately have the 6th best QB in the AFC and the 4th best once Brady and Manning retire. I got it...Brady, Manning, Flacco, Rothlesburger, Luck, Smith. I think Smith is better than both Schaub and Rivers at this point their careers. I wasn't big on the idea at first, but Smith must have an awfully big chip on his shoulder and it kind of reminds me a little bit like the Rivers/Brees situation. Of course he's not as good as Brees, but he may be a guy who's really figured out the NFL and who's ready for a long run of very good QB play for which ever team gets him. If the Bills add the right players the next couple of years, I could actually envision a Bills vs 49ers Superbowl in two years with one of the greatest story lines in the game's history. Here's a fun fact, Smith is younger than Weedon...LOL

I thought I read something somewhere about Freeman not being dedicated enough for Schiano's liking. Some QBs have the talent, but they just don't have that drive necessary to become a great QB. Now I don't know if this is the case with Freeman, but if it is the Bills should definitely not try to trade for him. Just draft EJ Manuel. Not only does he have the talent, he's said to be a film room junkie.

After watching the game, I don't see how anyone could reason that Nassib has a higher ceiling than Fitzpatrick and that he could outperform his 23, 24 and 24 TDs thrown in the last three years. If he does in fact have a higher ceiling, it won't be anywhere near the first three years of his career.