smapdi

I've never understood why some coaches insist on force feeding their system. Trying to get "square" players into "round" holes just does not work. The hallmark of a great coach is someone who evaluates the talent he has and adapts his scheme around their strengths. It really boggles my mind sometimes. Spiller's issues last season were two fold IMO: 1. Health - He obviously was nowhere near 100% last season. The attempted comeback also hurt him; he should've just sat until his knee was good 2. Offense ineptitude - With the carousel at QB and the devastating loss of their pro-bowl LG, they became one dimensional. Teams knew Jeff Tuel or Thad Lewis wasn't going to beat them throwing the ball so defenses focused on stopping the run. Both of those are very fixable problems. If we can get a fully healthy Manuel (cross your fingers) & pick up a weapon or two at the top of draft for him, balance will be restored to the offense. We don't need Peyton Manning out there to be more effective offensively. Hopefully Spiller is taking it easy this offseason and rehabbing his knee. His effectiveness stems from his speed and agility; he needs to be able to cut on a dime.

Couldn't disagree more. Spiller is our best offensive player & you just want to give h awy for a 3rd round pick?? that's insane to me. Great coaches tailor their scheme's to their player's strengths. Spiller is one of the most deadly players in space yet they refused to use him that way. The screen pass should be this team's bread and butter yet was barely used last year. Think using him in a Percy Harvin type role. You dont win games by trading away your best playmaker for a 3rd round pick; you add pages to your playbook that showcase his strengths- getting him the ball in space

You people are out of your minds if you think Spiller is expendable. He is by far and away the most talented player they have offense. Yes, injuries hampered is production last season BUT he was terribly misused. He is a devastating player in space yet the screen pass was almost nonexistent last season- Spiller is almost unstoppable in space. Coaches really need to implement that into offense. FJax is hearing the end. He can't go on forever. Dixon is nothing more then a short yardage / goal line back. Getting Manuel some more weapons & actually having the threat of a passing attack will really open things up for CJ.

I'm all in for improving the offense in first 3 rounds. I think getting Manual a big time weapon in the 1st is key. Watkins is my dream pick but probably will be gone. Evans is intriguing but I'm not sold on him @ 9. Ebron intrigues me a lot more: big, playmaking TE with 4.60 speed. A big TE like that can be a young QBs best friend. Just provides so many mismatches. Can line him up with Chandler in 2 TE sets & keep defenses guessing if Spiller or Fjax will be running or Ebron blowing up the seam. With the depth at WR, we could still get a player in the 2nd. That would allow us to move Stevie into the slot full time & have Woods+2nd on outside with Ebron at TE. Stevie has his faults but is still one of the best route runners in league & would eat nickle backs a alive. Mathews also is intriguing. Day 1 starter and a major upgrade over Pears. You can never have too many good linemen & we definitely need another OT. I know its not the sexiest pick but having two young bookend tackles for the next decade would be nice. I'm still in favor in getting a new weapon for Manuel. Crossing my fingers that there is a huge run on QBs and OTs (7 players with Clowney). That would leave us with Mack or Watkins.. Yes please

Offense: EJ Manuel, Da'Rick Rogers Defense: LB corp; Kiko Alonso, Nigel Bradham, Jerry Hughes, and Manny Lawson Typing out that LB corp, it actually looks pretty promising. Certainly the most potential of any group we've had in here in quite awhile. Jerry Hughes really intrigues me. I loved him coming out of TCU and have been hearing he has had a pretty good camp. He could really become a valuable piece on 3rd downs with his ability to blow up the edge. I'm also interested to see Manny Lawson. He is another guy I've always liked since he came out of NC State. We won't see it in preseason, but I'm wondering if he will help bring Mario Williams to another level since they played together at NC State.

Excellent write up. I am leaning towards "impact defender" myself. As you said, that is where need and value collide IMO. Dion Jordan would be my first choice but I highly doubt he makes it out of the top 5. That leaves Jarvis Jones, Ezkiel Ansah, and Barkevious Mingo. All 3 seem like great prospects but I can't ignore Jones dominance in the SEC. Neither can Buddy. Yes, Jones 40 time was less then impressive but when you put on the tape, he plays much faster. I personally feel on-field production trumps workout numbers every day of the week. Especially when that production comes in the top conference in all of college football. There is no question that LB is our weakest link on defense. We had the 30th ranked run defense.. We need some talent to plug in from day 1. Jarvis Jones will be a beast from day 1. He is a perfect fit for our new "hybrid" d. He would also a provide us with that elusive outside pass rusher which is the key to making a 3-4 defense work. Between Jones and Lawson, our pass rush should elevate itself to an elite unit. Being able to send Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, Manny Lawson, and Jarvis Jones after the QB will be a nightmare for OC's to prepare for.

I think Dansby is worth a look. I'm a little surprised he is still out there. Only thing I can think of is that he wants ridiculous money. We could definitely use him when we our in the 3-4.

I would be disgusted with this pick. I can't fathom a OG at 8 but at least go after Warmack if they're dead set on it. They should have just resigned Levitre if that's whats in store for our 1st. I still don't get why everyone, everywhere I read, thinks our line is in desperate shape. I think it is the strength of the offense. We don't need to spend a top 10 pick on a fricken guard. If anything, they need to trade down and get extra picks. I'm sure Cooper will be there in the late teens.

I'm guessing both. He'll see some time at NT in the 3-4 and I bet Dareus will also see some snaps at NT. One thing our defensive line have is versatility. Nearly everyone on the roster can and has played multiple positions along the line. Addressing another poster, Another DT was definitely a need. I don't see how you could depend on Troupe for anything at this point in his career. Big men get tired so you can't just assume that Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus will be able to play every snap. Branch is also a very good run defender which will be put to good use here. We weren't exactly the stoutest team against the run last season. This signing checks off another box on the roster and gives us one less position that we need to spend a draft pick on. I'd much rather sign Branch and then be able to spend that pick on another WR or OLB which need talent, badly.

Solid pick up. The Seahawks had one of the best defensive fronts last year. I think he immediately steps in as the #3 DT and will see plenty of snaps. I think he is the type of player that Nix was hoping Troupe would turn into when he took him in the 2nd. You can never have too many big bodies on either line. He's a mountain of a man at 6'6" / 325 LB.

It was a great catch. I believe it was against San Diego. It was a bit mind boggling how little they tried that with him. He was 6'7" and they barely ever attempted the endzone fade route with him. All he did in college was catch TD's like that... he had 36 in 3 years. The coaching back then was just terrible I'm really hoping Marrone can lead us out of the dark ages of NFL coaching and game planning. After Dick Jauron and Chan Gailey, we have been subjected to some of the worst displays of coaching in football. From time management to player utilization, those coaches were just atrocious.

Stranger things have happened in the draft. I think there's a possibility Jordan will be there at 8 for us. I wouldn't bank on it but it's not impossible. This team can't afford to trade up for anyone being short on picks already. We need to sit tight at 8 and see who drops. It appears that we should be able to get a very good prospect at 8 so I am hesitant to trade down. There should be an impact player available. I'm def leaning towards a pass-rushing OLB/DE for the hybrid defense. Jordan, Jones, Ansah; one of them should be there at 8. I don't see the value there to take a WR. We'd be much better off waiting until the 2nd or 3rd to snag a WR. I'd say that would be our most glaring hole at the moment.

James Hardy only caught 10 balls for 96 yards. Ouch. I had really high hopes for that kid. Was a TD machine at Indiana averaging double digit TD's in his career there. Lets hope we have much better luck with our WR pick this year

Not a huge fan of Ogletree at 8. I'd rather get an outside pass rusher like Jarvis Jones or Dion Jordan. A stud OLB is the major piece of the puzzle that this team is missing. Since we're moving to a hybrid defense with a lot more 3-4 looks, we're going to need some outside pass rushers. Lawson was a good pickup and should fill that 3-4 weakside LB role but we need someone to bookend with him. Jarvis Jones seems to fit Nix's profile. Dominated the SEC over the past 2 seasons. His workout numbers are a little disheartening but at some point, you have to trust the film. Jones has everything you want when you watch him play. He's much quicker out there in pads during a game then his 40 time suggests. Dion Jordan also fits that pass rushing OLB mold. He has the frame to do it all on the outside; nearly 6'7" and 250 LBs. Blazing fast speed. He would be perfect to take on the Gronkowskis and Hernandez's of the league

Even after losing Levitre, the Bills offensive line is still light years better then the Cardinals. The Cardinals had the worst ranked OT in league. Their other OT wasn't much better. They had the worst ranked center and their guards were terrible as well. In ProFootballFocus' time of evaluating every offensive snap (Since 2008 I believe), the Cardinals of last season had the worst offensive line they've ever compiled. Bad would be an upgrade for Kolb. I think if the rumors are true and we're moving to a West Coast style offense, Kolb has the tools to be a solid starter. We will first and foremost lean on CJ Spiller & Fred Jackson, which is what Gailey should have done last season. Kolb had almost zero support from his run game in ARI- they didn't even have a RB close to FJax's level, let alone CJ's. I think it's foolish to write off the season already because Kolb got blown up in Arizona's terrible offense. No line and no running game... tough to be successful as a QB with no help.

Found this at ProFootballFocus: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/03/29/best-of-the-rest-the-all-remaining-free-agent-team/ That is very reassuring. If our line can give him time and keep him from getting hit so much, he might just be able to give us an actual passing attack.

Its pretty easy to narrow down those options IMO. I do not want to see Cordy Glenn moved inside to LG. He has too much length and athleticism to be wasted inside; his 6'6" is almost a disadvantage inside against the stockier DT's. The 6'1" Kyle Williams of the NFL have the leverage advantage against taller guards. According to ProFootballFocus, we had the 13th best offensive line in 2012 (https://www.profootb...ensive-lines/3/). Guards are much easier to find later in the draft or in free agency. We don't need to invest a high pick there IMO. Lane Johnson is very tempting @ 8 to help bookend with Glenn at RT but I feel we have bigger fish to fry. I would also scratch off the interior of the defensive line. There are some good DT's available but I am more then happy with Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus as our starters. I think Dareus has a huge bounce back season and turns into that elite, playmaker on the inside. He went thru a very difficult time with his brother being murdered at the beginning of the season. With the new hybrid defense, more DT's will not be the problem. Probably will see a lot more 3 man fronts (Williams - Dareus - Williams) in the new defense. What we will need is pass rushers. Specifically, an outside linebacker that can get after the QB. This team is desperately thin at LB as proven by their performance last season. I like the Lawson signing but that is only a small piece. We need a true stud OLB that can be out there in all situations & can be used in multiple roles in the new hybrid defense. Which is why I think we will be focusing on Jarvis Jones, Dion Jordan, Ezekiel Ansah or Barkevious Mingo. Out of those 4, I think at least 2 of them will be there for us at 8. I really hope the 2 are Jordan and Jones. They both are screaming to be on this roster and really would provide us with a very high intersection of BPA and Need. I personally am split down the middle with those two. Jones totaled 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss over the past two seasons in the SEC. We all know Nix loves his SEC prospects. Jordan has less production but has amazing athleticism and less injury concern

I think Jenkins is worth a look. He was highly touted coming out of school and talented enough to warrant a 1st round pick. We don't need him to come in and be the #1 CB; that is what Gilmore's job is. We need another solid CB as our dimeback. If we can get him at a good price, it is worth it. That would free up another position need wise for the draft. We're already short a pick so being able to sign a CB for nothing instead of having to invest a draft pick is a smart move. I think Jenkins could really solidify our backend: CB1 - Gilmore CB2 - McKelvin CB3 - Aaron Williams/Ron Brooks CB4 - Justin Rodgers/Jenkins I would not be surprised if they went ahead and made Williams into a safety. He has the size and physical ability to be a SS. He hasn't exactly sunk his teeth into the starting job opposite Gilmore; I think McKelvin's new contract makes that crystal clear.

This move definitely gives them flexibility in the draft. They don't have to "reach" for Nassib at 8 and neglect more talented non-QB prospects. You can feel the pressure valve releasing on Nix & Whaley to get a QB no matter what at 8 with this signing. This team has plenty of holes so they should not be passing on a clearly better defensive player to "reach" for a QB at 8. it seems that NFL GM's are not very excited about this QB class. Reaching for sub-par talent to fill holes has been this team's Achilles heel for the past couple decades. They need to take the most talented players they can get their hands on.

I actually feel pretty good about this signing after reading up on Kolb's metrics. He is definitely an upgrade for this team. Arizona has had one of the, if not, the worst offensive lines in the league. Kolb took plenty of hits & sacks playing behind that atrocious line. The Bills offensive line is leaps and bounds better then what he is used to. The Bills also have the best duo of RB's in the NFL; Kolb received ZERO help from his RB's in Arizona. Knowing that you have a couple of great backs behind you who can get first downs will really take the pressure off a QB. This signing also really gives us some flexibility in the draft. It's pretty obvious NFL GM's are not too thrilled with this year's QB class. Nix & Whaley realized this and did not want a gun to their heads to pick a QB at 8 when they get on the clock. This team can now go after the best player available at 8 instead of having to pick a QB. Maybe Lane Johnson to bookend Cordy Glenn. Or maybe someone like Dion Jordan to add that critical edge rusher on defense. They can also consider a trade down to pick up extra picks. Maybe they really like Nassib but know that he is not the 8th best player in the draft. This move allows them to go BPA in the 1st and then be able to pick up Nassib in the 2nd (IF Marrone thinks he is a NFL QB) The way I see it, this team should not stop bringing in QB's until they have someone under contract for 7+ years. Let Jackson, Kolb, and the rookie battle it out in TC and let the winner see what they can do this season. They should draft a QB every single draft uintil one is found IMO

I agree that there is no AJ Green in this draft but we can still massively upgrade our WR corps in the 1st or 2nd round. Patterson, Austin, Allen, or Hunter would all be day 1 starters opposite Stevie. I think we have just as good of a foundation as the Bengals had going into that draft. The biggest thing holding back this team has been the ineptitude of the coaching staff. Our offense is just dying for a NFL caliber QB to step in and elevate them into an above average NFL offense. I truly feel that Spiller can be a MVP caliber offensive threat; he can do it all out of the backfield. Then we have the best backup RB in the league in FJax. Hell, with an actual NFL offensive coordinator, both of them can be on the field creating matchup nightmares for the defense. I don't think the loss of Levitre automatically makes this one of the worst offensive lines in the league as some posters and media types would lead you to believe On defense, we have a very solid foundation for a real NFL DC to raise some hell. Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, and Mark Anderson is still one hell of a defensive line. Yes, our LB corp is weak but the addition of Lawson and a 2nd or 3rd day LB should fix that. Once we get a more aggressive attack going on defense, our secondary should look better. Byrd is one of the best safety's in the league. Gilmore should take a step up in his 2nd year. I like Ron Brooks a lot in the nickleback role. So this team had 2 major issues holding them back going into the off-season: QB and coaching staff. I feel like they have upgraded the coaching staff big time over Chan Gailey with Marrone and co. We just need to get our hands on one of those top 4 QB's

Sounds like a solid plan to me. I'm a little surprised so many posters are writing this season off already. The NFL is filled with mediocre to average teams; almost anything can happen year to year. With the new coaching staff and a solid foundation of playmakers on offense (Spiller, FJax, and Stevie) and defense (Mario & Kyle Williams, Dareus, and Byrd),I see no reason just to flush this year down the toilet. I think if Marrone has the right stuff and can motivate these guys, they can sneak into a wildcard spot. We all know the Patriots are tough but you can't say the Dolphins or Jets are much better then we are. I am all for with Nix selecting the best combo of QB & WR with our first 2 picks. Whether that is Geno Smith in the 1st & Keenan Allen in the 2nd or Cordarelle Patterson in the 1st and Ryan Nassib in the 2nd is up to Nix/Whaley. I feel like if the Bengals were able to pull it off with Green and Dalton, why can't we? I would argue that we have a better foundation then that CIN team did 2 years ago.

I cannot get behind the Bills using the 8th overall pick on a OG. This team has much bigger fish to fry then taking a guard in the top 10. QB, WR, LB, CB, Pass Rushers, and SS are in much dire straights then who our LG will be. Hell, just look at our WR's: Stevie Johnson and TJ Graham. That's it. We also don't have a QB to get our WR's the ball. Like it or not, the NFL is a passing league now-a-days. You will not make it very far without an above average passing attack.

I'll pass on Te'o. He's not worth the 2nd round pick it would cost to get him. I highly doubt we will take a WR at 8 so it becomes imperative that we get a WR or TE in the 2nd. There is no way Te'o lasts til the 3rd round so I don't really want any part of him. Plus the whole fake girlfriend thing is worrisome. I think he knew about it on some level and that worries me. I also think the Alabama game is very telling. He was abused and disappeared for the majority of the game. That Alabama team is the closest thing to an NFL caliber opponent and he failed miserably

I can't get on board of this team moving any of this year's draft picks. Maybe if they could get him for a 2014 5th round pick. I definitely agree that we need to acquire 2 more QB's and Flynn might be worth a look but not at the cost of one of our 6 picks this year.