Bill from NYC

Yes, but this was not the highest ladder to climb, ya know?

You are not asking me, but I will take the unpopular position that Aaron Williams was in fact a stupid pick. You know why? Because Nix clearly stated that he had multiple trade down offers in every round. Do you know how much the 2nd pick in round 2 is worth? PART of the compensation would have been a 1st round pick in this draft. So.....would I rather have Ryan Mallett AND another first this year than Aaron Williams? Of course. How about you? To be fair, it's tough to judge Williams. He was injured for a good chunk of the season and we had next to no pass rush. Maybe he will be a very good player some day. I don't know, but taking a corner this early with a crumbling, shoddy foundation was another step in the path of stupidity imo. And we didn't win many games, ya know?

Even if Hightower gets past Pitt, he will be drafted by Baltimore. Ray Lewis is old, Hightower will be great, and Ozzie Newsome is from Alabama. And, he is a great GM. I agree that Vlachos will drop because he is small. Barrett Jones however will move up. He will be a great OG, and can play some LT. And btw, Michael Williams will be a steal at TE. Bama runs alot and the qb is young and even a bit shaky. On another team he would probably have much better numbers. I really hope we can snag some players from the Tide!!!!!

PD, I am making the point that the Spiller selection was part of an ongoing stupid, losing philosophy. Mr. Wilson said that they needed a player to, "add excitement." He meant it imo. Mr. Wilson is a businessman, not a football man, and there is zero reason not to believe that he has not been heavily involved in the Bills drafts. And remember, they FLEW up to the podium and made the selection. There is no reason to suspect that trading down was an impossibility. The other element of stupidity is the emphasis on dbs. WADE PHILLIPPS (not me on a message board) said that he wants players who can rush the quarterback and THEN he will worry about dbs. He is obviously right. We do the opposite and of course lose football games. Imo, it's not about where a player is rated. It's about building a foundation. LaMarr Woodley was a mid second round pick. The Bills need a player like him far more than a flashy, small running back. And as people continue to post, the game has changed. It's about passing and pass pressure these days. Btw, I am not one to demand a consensus. I appreciate the dialogue and hope that you can at least see/consider my points.

My point is simply that it was not neccessary to use a #9 on yet another running back, Lynch or no Lynch. It doesn't matter whether or not Spiller is "good." So are Whitner, McKelvin, MaGahee, and Lynch, but they too were wasted picks. We have absolutely no OLBs on the roster, but we used a #9 on a player who cannot beat out a udfa. Dick Drawn makes the point of the w/l record and he is not to be denied. The rbs and dbs have not won us games, even if they are "good." They are easy to get, unlike QBs, LTs and pass rushers. And btw, imo the best player on the field was Dareus, not Spiller.

Which fans told him to mow down the girl and take off?

I appreciate quesions/dialogue like this. However, this one is tough to answer, but I'll try. I would draft Blackmon ONLY if I thought he was a superstar AND there were no OLBs, LTs, or QBs who I thought would be very good. In other words, if I thought that Blackmon was a 10 and Upshaw or a LT was a 9, I would pass on Blackmon. As you are well aware, receivers are easier to get than LTs or pass rushers. And again, the need at LB is nothing less than alarming.

This is true. But, the pass rush is very disturbing. The Bills probably field the worst set of linebackers in the NFL, and our team leader in sacks was a rookie who spent time at the nose. This is unacceptable, even mind boggling if you aren't a Bills fan. It is up to the Bills front office to find us pass rushers, and a LT (if they are loath to giving Bell the big bucks due to his health). They should have scouts all over the place looking at kids who can step in and help us now. Maybe they are doing this; who knows? But, in my perhaps ridiculous opinion, Mr. Wilson has control of the first round, and we will take a ticket selling wide receiver, who will be referred to as the "best player available." He won't take a QB in the first after paying Fitz, and he's probably still reeling from the Mike Williams fiasco. I want to be wrong; time will tell.

I hear ya. Brady threw for 200 yards the other day to Hernandez and Gronkowski. Btw, Gronkowski looks about as good as any TE I have ever seen. If he stays healthy he looks like a hall of fame player.

There are a lot of options imo. If Upshaw is able to produce "6.5" sacks, this would absolutely take blockers away from players such as Dareus and Edwards (who I happen to think is good). You see, Moats gets some sacks, but he can't seal off the edge. He is a situatiuonal pass rusher, or else he would always be on the field. Batten is not procucing at all. So Upshaw would add sacks, pressure, AND help vs. the run. Not too shabby imo. But, if they really don't think he is worth a 10 (a team that took Whitner at 8 and Spiller at 9 mind you), how about trading down? The last time we did it (2001) it worked. Even our second round pick could probably get us another 1st in 2013. There is no need to race to the podium and take the supposed "bpa," if taking him will not produce wins and build a solid team. I am an Alabama fan and think that Kirkpatrick will be a fine corner, but one who would rot on a team with no pass rush. I would rather they take Hightower, let alone Upshaw. Barnett and Hightower would be absolute beasts on the inside in a 3/4, wouldn't you say? The very last thing the Bills should do is draft a db or rb at 10. Even a wideout wouldn't be wise imo. Give me an OLB, LT, or trade down. Why keep losing? Jmo.

I'm sorry that my post made you a little hostile. My point is that there are units on this team in far worse shape than the secondary. How about a LB unit with one credible starter for instance? A first round corner would be a continuation of a stupid philosophy and would most certainly result in more losses.

This team has no pass rush. Their starting OLBs are a so-so DE (not noted for speed) and a decent backup DT. Mel Blount and Deion Sanders would give up TD passes while QBs such as SANCHEZ pick them apart with 7 seconds, let alone Brady. One thing the Bills have proven is that if you are going to build from the secondary, you are going to build a team that loses football games.

Hightower is going to be flat out great. The thing is, he plays inside. Our OLBS are as bad as the OL used to be. We have a situational pass rusher (Moats) and that's it. There probably isn't another NFL team on which Johnson or Kelsay would play OLB. It's crazy. Upshaw would be an instant upgrade. He has good pass rushing moves and is very good vs. the run. There is no safer pick in this draft. And btw, Nico Johnson might be there in round 3. He is another monster LB from Bama. Imo, our best hope is that the top rated corners and wrs are gone when we select. We need OLBs, and a great LT is never a bad thing.

Trent Richardson is being touted on some sites as a top 10 pick. Some say he goes later. Who would you rather have on the Bills, CJ Spiller or Trent Richardson?

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much?

The truth is, it worked with Jennings. He was better than Bell, but he couldn't stay healthy. The 49ers gave him more than 40 million and he was the same way in SF. I am not his doctor or his trainer, but he is small for a LT and is constantly hurt. He is quick and agile; I have never disputed this. But can his body stand up to NFL competetion? I don't know, but Bills management needs to guess right. And btw Wood is clearly another question mark. He is far from perfect. He, at his best, is not as strong as the average LT in this league. Good? Sure. Perfect? I think that you didn't really mean this.

Upshaw, imo, can play OLB in a 4/3, but would be better in a 3/4. His stats are not staggering but remember, Bama does not like teams to run against them. They take run defense seriously. Trust me, Upshaw seals off the outside as well as bring consistent pressure. I am curious to see what he bench presses at the combines. This could matter with this type of player. But again, this kid makes plays. Remember, I am in the minority here wrt the draft (and btw, I am not trying to convert anyone lol). I don't really buy the "bpa" myth. I believe in fundamental football, and a strong foundation. In other words, you should never run to the podium and draft CJ Spiller in 45 seconds because you think he is the "bpa." This means little when you have Spencer Johnson at OLB. If it was up to me, the choice would be between the best OLB, DT, QB, or ILB. And we would re-sign SJ, Chandler, Urbik, and others. Jmo. But remember, we could have traded WAY down and taken Bulaga, AND got extra picks. This matters.

Hightower is a flat out monster, and Nico Johnson is also great. Could you imagine either of them with Barnett? Upshaw? He will be a better than average OLB as a rookie. I've been watching him for years. The kid makes big plays.

Exactly. He was our best player and a rare talent at a very hard to get position. Trading him was insane.

When healthy, I would think Bell is at least close to middle of the pack. But think about this if you will. When is he healthy? I don't think that an unbiased fan could liken Bell to perhaps the best LT in football.

Promo, this is a tough question because it is impossible to prove one's answer, and you know this. But, let's try this: The Bills had to wait years for Bell to develop into a good OLT, which btw he is. But, he is almost always playing injured or out. This results in a rookie OT (Hairston) playing the left side. In a few years, he too might be "good," although he sure looks like a RT from where I sit. When Bell is 100% healthy, he isn't as good as Peters. Not in run or pass blocking, and it isn't close. Games such as Cincy and the Giants were very close. Maybe with a star studded LT they could have put those games away. Don't ya think this is very possible Promo? I am not asking you (or any poster) to like Jason Peters as a person after the bad blood between him and our favorite team. No problem. But, the trade was stupid and set this team back a long way. We had to wait years for our replacement to be good at this crucial position, and he spends most of his time off the field, injured. Is anyone even sure that the Bills want to give Bell the big bucks? Bottom line? You don't trade away a great LT. Not ever.

This is a very sad, yet plausible thought.

Thanks for this good info. One thing Manning doesn't need is cash. Another is to play professional football with neck problems. But given the above, it will all depend on what he wants to do. I do wonder if he will want to come to NY (NJ) and play for the Jets. Would he get to see his brother more? I don't know. What I do know his that he would take over the tri-state area. And, the league would absolutely love this. I have a very strong feeling that the Jets will do everything possible to acquire him. Sanchez sucks, and the fans are well aware. Time will tell.

I agree that they should draft Luck, but disagree about a 2nd round pick for Manning. Did you see what the Raiders gace up for Palmer? Manning is one of the top 5 qbs who ever lived. If he was traded to the Jets, they would sell a million jerseys, tees, etc. within a week or so. They could increase ticket prices and people would pay. It would be front page news, etc. Whether he, after the surgeries, would be worth it or not, Manning would cost far more than even a 1st round pick, even at his age.