Lothar
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Charles Robinson comments on Yahoo
- Looks like the Browns are hot for Bunkley at #12. Am coming around to the idea that he could be our selection even if we don't drop down.
-I was hoping Cromartie would slip under the radar and fall into the 2nd (assuming Bills traded down and stockpiled picks) - he was the best corner going into the season but essentially missed the entire season. Based on his workouts, it looks like he's worked his way back into the 1st round.
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The hype I refer to is that surrounding the Bills' possible selection of Davis. The signing of Royal combined with taking Everett last year with a first day pick make Davis' selection a luxury akin to a Donahoe choice. In fact, if TD were here, I'd say Vernon might be the pick. Given the current state of the Bills, if we can't trade down and pick up another 2nd rounder, my hopes for our #1 pick are as follows:
1. Hawk - I didn't think there was any chance we could end up with AJ but I've seen a few mock drafts showing him slipping to our pick. If we sign Pickett, adding Hawk would make the biggest immediate impact to the defense (see Tatupu in Seattle or Vilma in NY). We'd probably drop Posey while Crowell becomes a capable sub - we'd find a way to juggle our LBs to get Hawk on the field. His availability makes for more trade-down opps as well.
2. Huff - I know there are several good safety prospects here but Huff fills an immediate need with Milloy's departure and has the hips and 4.4 speed to even play corner if we want to play more flexible defenses.
3. Ngata - While I prefer Bunkley, the signing of Triplett means our other tackle needs more bulk. Ngata has a higher ceiling than Bunkley but probably would take longer to become a player. I've watched several UO games - Ngata is a star but played in the defensively challenged PAC 10 and he needs a couple years of good coaching to approach his potential.
4. Davis - You can't ignore his measurables but if you watched the combine receiving drills, he caught the ball with his body rather than his hands. That might be ok given his speed, but with Everett and Royal already here, I think his availability at the #8 spot would entice someone to give up a 2nd rounder to move up and we should listen.
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Football's Future sleeper picks
Marques Colston - red zone receiver - depending on Moulds' ultimate destination, we will need help in the red zone. While I still hope we can get another TE in the draft (Fassano, if I ignore the Davis hype).
Many people have not heard the name Marques Colston, but that is a result of playing for D1-AA Hofstra. After sitting out 2004 with an injury, Colston put together an excellent senior campaign, hauling in 70 balls for 975 yards and five touchdowns. That was after a 51/910/7 performance before the injury. Colston is a huge target, checking in at 6'5 224lbs at the combine. He also moves well for a player with those dimensions, as his 4.55 40 at Indy suggests. What makes him stand out though is his body control. Colston knows how to use his size to shield off defenders, and may have the best skills of any wide out in the draft at adjusting to the ball while it's in the air. His combination of size and body control makes him unstoppable in jump ball situations. The knock on Colston's game was that he was playing at a lower level, and that he did not face enough talent on a game to game basis. He put on a show at the East-West Shrine game with players from major schools, and showed that he can play with anyone. He is a work in progress, but he could develop into an excellent intermediate and red zone threat in the NFL.
Will Derting - LB from Washington State - I've seen this kid play several games - he just knows how to get to the football. He has had to get thru injuries however, but could be worth a late round flyer.
Another Pac-10 linebacker has flown under the radar. Washington State's Will Derting is a football player. That is the only description that does him justice. He is not the biggest, the fastest, or the most athletic, but the guy knows how to play football. Derting's football instincts are second to none. He reads and reacts as quickly as any player in this draft. There are no wasted steps and no hesitation once Derting reads the play. The problem with Derting is his durability. He is a bit undersized for the linebacker position, and is coming off a knee injury that limited his senior season to just six games and only 35 tackles. It is understandable that he only carries a Day Two grade, but if this kid is healthy, he is a guy you will hear a lot about in the NFL.
Jon Alston (potential converted SS from LB from Stanford - aiiieee! - somebody stop me). Kid has great speed and if he has better instincts than Coy, he may be worth a look in the 4th.
LB Jon Alston from Stanford isn't your typical linebacker. He's a tad undersized at 6'1 223, and he's got ridiculous speed, clocking a 4.40 40 at the combine in February. With those measurables, you would immediately think safety, but Alston has been a standout outside linebacker for the Cardinal. He has used that speed and quickness to post 113 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks over the past two seasons. Alston has the agility and cover ability you would expect of a player with those dimensions, but the sack numbers show he knows how to get to the passer as well. He flies around the football field doing whatever is asked of him, and the result is usually positive. Alston is a linebacker, but with his athletic talent, some teams may view him as a safety. Wherever he plays, he is a playmaker and a name to keep an eye on.
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I agree Lori - I remember watching him in preseason and the early games last year and thinking he was the worst lineman on the team. Maybe he's an "effort" guy 'cause I did see him sprawled on the turf an awful lot.
The extra money in everyone's pockets probably make it hard to find good quality linemen in free agency this year but I'd almost rather have someone else's castoffs than our own at this point.
All our base belong to McNally ... in Mouse we trust.
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uhhhh ...
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What makes you think Stamer is a better lb? I get Crowell. I think he proved a lot this year, and will be a valuable player in the future, but Stamer? I havent seen anything out of him as far as a lb to say he's better then posey. Stamer is a good st's player though.
Edit I like that this guy broke down a well organized blue print, but he's dreaming if he thinks we can get bentley backus, and a grady jackson. Im not overly fond of his draft either. A Safety and a corner as 2 of our 1st 3 picks..... ehh not unless the corner is antonio cromarite lasting till the 3rd will I sleep easy with that. Personally I'd go
1.- Ngata- dt oregon
2.- Tutusiu Lutui- g usc
3a- jeremy trueblood t bc
3b- Nick Mangold c osu
Adress the lines right off the bat with our first 4 picks.
I doubt Mangold gets past middle of 2nd round. I like the 1st 2 choices though if we don't target a center in free agency, I'd like to see us pick Mangold if he drops to us in the 2nd.
I also don't get the love for Stamer - he's a decent special teamer - but that's it. Crowell at least has some skills though I'd always be looking to upgrade this spot.
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looks like before the Malarkey firing - since he talks about that issue being up in the air.
But that was as detailed and thorough an analysis as I've seen on how to address the current Bills' plight. I like a lot of it, think he may be whistling dixie thinking we can grab 3 of those FA OL. But I think we do have to do some housecleaning now - and especially with the offense - it's hard to justify keeping a lot of big name high salaries around. What I definitely DON'T wanna see is more long-term albatross extensions with the aging stars on our team.
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Jonathon Scott came into the year as perhaps the top rated tackle - must not have played as well this year as last - really only saw him in the championship game.
Of all the linemen though I don't think Mangold makes it out of the 1st. He's the only true blue-chipper at the pivot point and really helped his stock over the last few weeks. I'd love to see us get him. If Jean-Giles can keep from eating himself out of the league, he may be a Bennie Anderson-type who can actually move.
I really think we have to start upgrading linebackers and getting at least a true backup strong safety this year.
Tackles
Eric Winston OT from Miami
Jonathon Scott OT from Texas
Daryn Colledge OT from Boise State
Guards
Max Jean-Giles OG from Georgia
Charles Spencer OG from Pitt.
C
Nick Mangold C from Ohio State
LB
D'Qwell Jackson MLB from Maryland
Safeties
Darnell Bing S from USC
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I don't think they meant THE top DE prospect, just A top prospect.
Yah I saw that too - it'll be interesting how he works out and measures at the combine - for a pure run blocker, he may be very good. I'm curious how he handles any of the better pass rushers inside.
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The only time I saw Max-Jean Gilles in a game, he looked like Jamie Nails. This report on him being out of shape isn't surprising. We might want to keep an eye on the Ohio State center as well as FSU DT Brodrick Bunkley who seems to have climbed into the 2nd round now that he's gained a few pounds. I know some people have tossed around a few of the other names here as well.
Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State, continues to dominate in 1-on-1 drills. He could elevate himself to the top center prospect in the draft if he continues to impress.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia, might be the top prospect in the draft. Today he pushed around top DE prospect Mathias Kiwanuka in 1-on-1 drills. While Bush, Leinart, and Young get all the press Ferguson could be the best player to come out of this draft. It would be surprising if he gets past the Jets at the fourth pick. They need an offensive tackle and have been very interested in Ferguson. They'd be foolish to pass him up at four. If it wasn't for the need to sell tickets and appease the 'average fan', the Texans would pass on Bush or Young with number one pick and draft Ferguson. They may live to regret passing on such a talent.
Max Jean-Gilles, G, Georgia, has looked slow and out of shape. During a 1-on-1 drill, Gabe Watson ran him over.
Tye Hill's stock continues its meteroric rise. He displayed excellent cover skills in 1-on-1 drills, where he intercepted a pass. His pure speed and cover ability have moved him into the first round.
Brodrick Bunkley, DT, Florida State is going to see his stock rise after his impressive first day showing. At a muscular 6'2" and 300 he showed incredible agility and power while attacking the rusher. He's the type of run stuffing defensive tackle NFL coaches must have to be successful.
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I think i'm about done with experimental hires for a while. I know the Bills don't have a plethora of options and many other head coaches have yet to fill their vacancies, but I hope to hell they push hard for Bates as DC.
I think he is by far the most desirable DC candidate out there right now, aside from a diamond in the rough that i have no clue about.
As for OC, that's a bit tougher. I guess Caldwell would be an intriguing choice. Also, Heimerdinger apparently wants out of NY, so that might be worth it to check out.
'cept that heimerdinger's best buds with denver's coach - who just happens to need an OC.
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But you cant ignore the championship history of the English. Their imperialistic gameplan owned the league for centuries. Surely that proud pedigree could be very usefull in the NFL. Yes, after the road loss to the Americans the English have never been able to win the division but the potential is certainly there.
Al Saunders - former head coach of the Chargers and current skins OC, was born in London, England - just 1 of 4 foreign-born NFL coaches apparently.
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With Donnie Henderson of the Jets potentially available, I thought I would throw in a couple of initial thoughts about him as the Bills new DC.
In New York they played a Cover 2 scheme. Was that more a Henderson desire or was he taking concept direction from Herman Edwards. The reason I ask this is that the Bills personnel does not match-up if they went to the Cover 2.
However in Baltimore the Ravens used a very aggressive version of the 3-4 when he was their, they switched back to a 4-3 this year due to changes in personnel. As the Bills are structured now, they do not have the players that fit a "3-4" system either.
Therefore, does Henderson make a good potential fit as DC using a base 4-3 and man-up style of back 7 coverage.
Any "Donnie Henderson" advocates give me some answers to my questions.
I scanned the Jets' boards today for information - and found it interesting that they backed off the aggressive dfensive scheme pretty significantly this year compared to last - due to injuries/personnel/not really sure. Media reports say that Henderson had a meeting with his players during the season and they expressed their dislike for the more passive scheme but they never became the force they did the previous year. Also, the fact that noone (till the Bills have come calling) has really been requesting permission to talk to Henderson leaves a lot of their fan base thinking he's a 1-hit wonder. I really don't know - based on his response to adversity this year, is he any different than Grey?
The fact that Bates could lead a great D in MIami, then improve that bad Packer D makes me think he's just flat 1 of the better coordinators around.
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McCarthy wanted Bates to stay on as DC but apparently Bates wasn't happy after 2 interviews with the guy. I knew he wasn't staying with Green Bay, didn't know it was his choice. I'm sorry - don't have a link, I saw it on one of the Packer news boards.
Here's the way I see our coach selection conundrum: I really think you can be a good coach but not have the skills or knowledge to choose a good staff. I actually think Donahoe's biggest mistake with GW was letting Williams pick his own staff of teachers based on how confident Greggo seemed at his interview. Malarkey, I believe, deferred that role to Donahoe and we got some pretty good coaches in here (including Mcnally and April).
If we can trust Levy to keep our good coaches - something I think they will mandate to the new head guy - my take on the different candidates play out as follows:
Do we play to the strength of our team and hire a defensive minded coach like Jauron or Rivera? We're a big DT and healthy Spikes away from being a very good defense again. My worry is that a whole new system will set the D back a couple years. If we hire an offensive minded coach, we'd better get a good DC - it seems as though there are more of these available currently. Also, does the fact that Marv has little pro personnel management experience mean he needs a stronger coach - i.e, Sherman over a Saunders
Sherman - 2:1
Positives - experience as NFL head coach, Holmgren tutelage, comes from a winning program that made playoffs 4 times, offensive minded, will probably bring one of the better D-coords in the game in Bates (who uses a 4-3 so one would think our personnel could work under him), appears to work well with a veteran team, has had a very good OL until this year when salary cap forced letting loose 2 good linemen, good community guy
Negatives - questionable personnel calls when he had GM role, is not considered a "developer of young talent" by much of the media and fans in Green Bay, much of his success can be traced to Favre's success - not convinced of his impact, seems rooted in WCO - will that hinder Losman's development?, not very successful in playoffs
Jauron - 5:1
Positives - experience as NFL head coach, had 1 miracle season for Bears and became coach of the year, is one of the most intelligent and well-respected defensive minds in the game (defenses usually among the top 3rd of the league), well-liked among the players,
Negatives - had 3 sucky seasons following his COY award, will need to hire a good OC (not as many available), not very charismatic
AL Saunders - 10:1 my personal favorite though not sure he is on Bills' radar
Positives - experience as NFL head coach (of Chargers from '86-'88), great offensive pedigree under both Martz and Vermeil (arguably the coach of NFL's best offense the past 5 years), 23 years as an NFL coach, could groom OC or bring over assistants with his successful philosophy, good DCs are plentiful this year, would probably be a good judge of JP's future potential, believes in a strong running game yet presided over the 'greatest show on turf' in '99 and '00.
Negatives - no RECENT HC experience, will need plenty of help from a good DC, there MUST be some reason he hasn't been a top candidate these last several years, looks like Rams have put him at the top of their list
Jim Haslett - 12:1
Positives - experience as NFL head coach, made playoffs and won a postseason game for hapless Saints, has ties to Bills, wants to coach in Buffalo, has solid defensive background with successful Steeler teams
Negatives - Saints haven't been a disciplined team during his tenure (regularly classified as underachievers), doesn't help that he ticked off Bills brass with his "Hull on steroids" comment
Ted Cottrell - 20:1
Positives - well-liked, well-respected DC of the Bills and then the Vikes, has connections to Levy, had a top 5 defense as Bills DC
Negatives - plays a safe defense that does not generate lots of turnovers, was used to running 3-4 under Wade Phillips, took flak from Vikings at mid-season for having predictable defense, did not do well as Jets coord - needed 'his' players in Minnesota to succeed
The Field - 20:1
Mike Singletary - asst. head coach of Niners
Ron Rivera - Bears DC
George Siefert - was seen at Buffalo airport
Marv Levy - like Cheney did with Bush, might survey field and say I'm the best candidate
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I wasn't excited about either Sherman or Jauron until I asked Hub Arkush (Pro Football Weekly) about them and now I'm OK, good even, with either one of them. If you have the time, listen to what he had to say.
Thanks Brad - that WAS interesting.
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Hey guys Green Bay fan here. Jerry Gray is interviewing with the Packers today. Could you give some insight on what defensive scheme he runs? I saw that he had good defenses in 03 and 04. Was last year just rough because of injuries.
Would he be a good pickup for a DC? My guess is that he would.
So Grey learned at the foot of Greg Williams - who absolutely is a great defensive coordinator. I think Jerry has potential. He basically took the scheme that Greggo and Lebeau (the current Steeler DC who spent 1 year here) had and generated what was one of the top defenses in the league. This year he really had a hard time - primarily due to 2 factors: the loss of Pat Williams - who you know from his performance with the Vikes - is a true monster in the middle, and the season ending injury to Takeo Spikes who was the heart and soul of this defense.
That being said, he didn't make many successful adjustments this year. He seemed to think that the solution to problems like not stopping the run was to blitz more frequently. Then when that didn't work, he'd blitz even more. The one game I was impressed with him was when he changed to a cover-2 against the Panthers - and the combination of Clements and Vincent shut Steve Smith down. I think Carolina was so shocked at the lack of blitzing that they resorted to pass 3-4 yard screens all the way down the field and won a close game against our over-matched offense. My biggest disappointment with him was his inability to come up with a scheme to stop the run. At the worst let Clements and McGee play the wideouts 1-on-1 and figure out a way to stop the opposition from getting 5+ yard chunks. A DC who can't come up with a solution for that till the season's nearly over, has some issues.
I think Grey's a smart guy, I know he expected to be a head coach after 2-3 seasons at DC. But he still needs some teaching in fundamentals frankly. Williams blitzes work because he also knows the basics - it seems like Jerry never quite picked them up. Maybe having someone rooted in defensive fundamentals as a head coach, like a Jauron or Rivera - would help. Not sure if McCarthy's the right "fit" for a guy like Grey.
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And I got laughed at for suggesting Martz. There's no way Jauron is a better head football coach than Mike Martz. I knew the Bills were going to pull this schit.
"But Martz drove the Rams into the ground," cry the ignorant. One year they don't make the playoffs (with Martz out sick) and he's run the team into the ground? How stupid people are on here. If you'd really rather have Dick Jauron over Mike Martz you are all smoking crack.
I think the Mike Martz fans here are way off base. Martz coached a dome team, inherited practically all his good players (just take a look at HIS drafts for comparison), chased a great special teams coach out of town (his STs are still the worst in football), has perennially had horrible defenses, but somehow managed to be competitive in the worst division in football plus he has serious health issues - and besides that, is a true smug ass. Now what characteristic from those above would make him qualified to coach a Northeastern blue-collar team?
Just askin' ...
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I don't know how Coleman saw that knee being down at contact - especially to overrule.
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As far as Williams, I'm not so sure he is not a good coach. Donahoe didn't do him many favors as I recall. (Most notably gutting the team of talent and experience, and the initial coaching staff hiring disaster.)
GW has shown he is an extremely capable defensive coordinator. He just was not prepared to be a head coach (good interview or not) and, in retrospect, got frighteningly little support from his boss to minimize his chances of success.
First, haven't seen your name in these parts in a long time - welcome back unless I've missed your posts.
Second, I disagree with the premise that Williams didn't get support from Donahoe. TD let Williams pick his own coaches - if anything, he should have realized that Greggo didn't know squat about coaching personnel outside of defense.
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That whole article is completely disrespectful of the Patriots. I mean not 1 single tiny iota of a mention of his holiness, Teddy B. Even Brady doesn't mention Bruschi by name. Is this like a Greek gods melodrama? Tom and Teddy throwing thunderbolts of respect at each other while still keeping peace on this earth as they struggle mightily toward a Superbowl. The great writers of our age must be writing odes to this momentous event even as the playoffs intensify.
In all seriousness, Bellicheck makes this defense go. Ever since AB1 (after Bledsoe), Brady has markedly improved each year. While completely overrated his 1st year, he's definitely among the elite in the league now. However, if Bruschi ever learned to throw a football ...
Eric Gaining Interest
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
except that we pay $5mil in dead money whether he's here or not. I think if we can get anything for him - preferably a 1st day pick - we'll trade him. Maybe Marv will even trade him for a box of chocolates, but Moulds obviously still has enough in the tank for teams to show interest.
It makes sense that Denver, Philly and yah- even the Steelers - could look to him as a nice short term pickup for a 3rd to 5th round pick. Otherwise we pay him the full $10 mill and he stews on our roster - I don't think we just release him, unless Marv needs the cap space (re: somebody out there we really want to to do a long term deal with right now). I don't see that in the offing ...