Lothar

heheheh - he said "keep dick up at night" - heheheheh

Whitner selection discussed Look, I too think we ought to have traded down a few picks but I feel a bit better about both moves. 8. Buffalo — S Donte Whitner, Ohio State Some outsiders might consider this pick a bit of a reach. The reality is that a lot of teams were lining up to secure Whitner, and he was graded as a consensus first-round talent around the league and would not have lasted much longer. He is very, very smart and instinctive and should replace Coy Wire in the starting lineup immediately. With intelligence and character being highly valued by new head coach Dick Jauron, a former NFL safety himself, Whitner was a natural fit. 26. Buffalo (from Chicago) — DT John McCargo, North Carolina State The Bills had a pressing need to fill at defensive tackle and were able to land a very underrated talent at this spot. McCargo is a great fit for new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's defense and has drawn comparisons to Warren Sapp. With Justin Bannan, Ron Edwards and Sam Adams all having departed, the Bills desperately needed to move up to make sure they could land the three-technique so pivotal to improving their 31st-ranked run defense.

another pretty thorough analysis of John McCargo McCargo analysis per nfl.com and GMjr.

pretty complete analysis of strengths thru nfl.com Whitner is a junior who came out early for the NFL draft and is one of the better safeties available. Is a very good athlete with the natural explosiveness and playing speed to fly to the ball to make plays from sideline to sideline. Plays with the attacking, aggressive style that is hard to find, and it enables him to consistently play bigger than his size. Flies up in run support. On passes in front of him, will bend knees, get low and drive up into the ball carrier to make the hard hit. Is a versatile safety that has experience lining up in a variety of different alignments, which will offer his team the opportunity to move him around and use a variety of different defenses without having to substitute personnel. Overall, Whitner is probably going to slip lower in the draft than his production warrants, but it is due to his lack of size. He is going to be a good all-around starting safety in the NFL who consistently makes plays all over the field, against the run and the pass. Additionally, he will be a very good special teams player in the NFL.

That's HILL people to you sir. Maybe if you didn't pat pat pat the ball before posting ...

Is this the real Simon? I dunno man - I'm usually agreeing with much of what you have to say but if Hawk fell to us, I don't care if we have Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, I take him. I've watched several of his games the last couple years and this kid has the speed, instincts and toughness to be an instant impact. It's rare you find that athleticism combined with great awareness (see Rob Johnson) - I'd be shocked if he doesn't become a superstar in this league. Unlike many others on this board, I'd be disappointed if we took Vernon Davis since it would mean we ignored trade down possibilities. Also, another 1st round QB would simply be deflating.

I thought this snippet from his "Personal" section on the BB site was interesting. PERSONAL: Active in the NFL Junior Player Development League in Queens, NY, which stresses the importance of education and football fundamentals...Garnered All-Queens honors and was selected to the Coaches All-City Team as a senior at August Martin HS in Queens, NY...Posted 18 receptions for 413 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end...Lettered twice in basketball, earning All-Queens honors...SEC All-Academic Honor Roll choice in 1996 and 1999...Made the Dean's Honor Roll in 1998...Three-time member of the University of Mississippi Athletic Association Honor Roll...Majored in management at Mississippi...Lives in Queens, NY...Single...Son: Tyriq Marqués Reyes...Full name: Tutankhamen Marqués Reyes. Dude comes with nickname in hand - King Tut.

Now THAT was funny

And I really hate to agree with you Bill because I don't think picking high round offensive linemen is the path to greatness, however, I'm wary of picking phenom athletes unless they show great instincts in college (re: Urlacher vs Wire or Flowers or Mamula).

Did anyone here watch Vernon Davis run the receiving drills at the combine? Look I have no problems calling him an athletic phenom but besides "bodying" every catch in the drills, I don't think he has the greatest hands. If it's the receiving element you want, go after Fassano from ND or the kid from UCLA. While I'm intrigued by Davis' potential, he ain't no "wide receiver in a tight end's body", more like an "insane athlete in a tight end's body". Very different. The delta between him and the great TEs in the league now are: a. experience obviously and b. they are all VERY good receivers - just watch how they catch the ball. Speed kills but his hands don't warrant a top 10 pick. Me, I'd rather not get caught up in the hype and unless a Hawk or D'Brick fell to us, I'd be workin the phones like crazy to trade down and get another 1st day pick.

Bentley has experience at guard and Faine is coming off his best season, so if no trading partner is found, I think this scenario is very possible. bentley/faine

I think that's a good pickup - gives them someone over the middle with great hands. Just imagine how good Smith can be with a little help.

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 ...

the other way around actually - Bentley (despite being a pro-bowl center) might be moved to guard if Faine stays.

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.

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.

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.

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.

uhhhh ... http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html

I don't know about sucked but Schultzie "knew nothing"

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.

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.

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 590096[/snapback]

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.

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.