How many players from the draft really have an immediate impact each year?
I agree that getting rid of JP for something would be beneficial, but he does have SOME value as a backup. If we could trade JP for a 4th, and then trade a 5th or 6th for a veteran backup, I could see such a scenario working.
There were two issues with CB play last year. The first, and somewhat less important problem was coverage vs tall receivers. McGee and Greer did everything they could to knock the ball away, but when you got a tall receiver going for a jump ball in the end-zone vs one of our CBs, it was likely (not always) a touchdown.
The second, and far bigger worry, is the run support from the CBs. While television is an imperfect viewing mechanism, it seemed like running backs ran all over the defense, including much of the time outside against the corners, who are responsible for run coverage in that area. We need to get stronger from the CB position against the run.
Vernon is going to be drafted top 5 in all likelyhood, and thus I doubt that the Bills would give up picks and the money to take him at that selection, though i could be wrong. It is also possible that Rivers goes to another team in the top 10 before the Bills.
That being said, I'd rather address one of our other areas of need, with one of the CBs at #11, or Sweed at #11, or possibly a DL or OL if they have one rated higher. I'd like even better to move back a few picks, then take Sweed.
Not necessarily. It depends on the players involved, the offense you are playing, and the defensive scheme that you are going up against.
It might be a "weak" draft as there are no clear cut forces that will scare defenses, but this "weak" draft is going to be solid overall on the field. There are a lot of good, dependable wideouts in this draft. While none may be barn burners or overly amazing athletically, or even a star in the league, there will be multiple solid players for many, many years at the WR spot in this draft.
What you lose with the players later in the draft is the solid all-around game. They may have a specialty - such as being extremely fast, having extremely good hands, being extremely shifty, etc., but none of them have decent skills in all of this. You also lose a lot of consistency and dependability.
This is a very weak center draft. Pollack is the only decent one on the board, and even he is not very good. I actually think it would be better to put up with Fowler for a year, let Trent Edwards have some resemblance of consistency, and then replace Fowler next year when there are (hopefully) better players available at the position.