jri111

OH i agree 100% and in the ideal world that would be awesome because we could literally get Turner and then probably the 2nd back from whoever we traded with + so much more. But i would still cring at the thought of passing on Peterson if he was there. I like Turner. But I like Peterson so much more. Interesting side note: I've been a big proponent of getting a second/third round RB. And if you asked me two weeks ago, I would have defenitley preferred one of them to Turner (or lynch for that matter). I don't deny Turner's potential ability, I would just rather have a 22 year old guy with fresh legs and less wear and tear (and yes i realize Turner has been a back-up and in some cases probably has less wear on him then some of these draft picks, but he's still older and a man's body, especially a runningback's body, begins to break down eventually at a certain age). That said, with more and more question marks coming up with these 2nd tier backs (Bush - leg setback, Hunt - poor pro-day speed - and this coming from a penn state homer who LOVES hunt, so it's fairly objective), I think now I'd prefer Turner if we could get him for our second, or our second and another pick. That way we could take the best LB available in round 1 (Willis or PUz) and be pretty set for glaring needs. I would def. not mind seeing a Willis-Turner or a puz-turner as our 1st and 2nd round picks.

what about this year's second and balitimore's third from next year?? i think i'd be OK with that?? (question marks indicate idk, i feel i would be, i could be proven wrong though) I'm a Peterson guy all the way though, and would hate to see us give up a lot for Turner and then somehow have Peterson fall to us!! But it might be asking too much to wait until after the draft... If we were the only team biding for Turner at that point we'll have to give up a LOT to get him (although they would be next year's picks at that point) i don't know it's a tough give or take

Heres a link to the original article: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/03/30...9_403_29_07.txt and an intersting segment from it: Smith said there's no urgency on the part of the Chargers to make a deal involving Turner. Smith likes having Turner (502 yards in 2006) as an insurance policy in case of a serious injury to NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. "I don't have a timetable," Smith said. "Some of the teams might. They want to know if they have a back. I'm OK. I either have the running back or I have some draft picks." So Smith is going to play hardball, as a good GM in his position should...if we truly are one of the teams negotiating with him, I hope marv doesn't blink first. I think you have to find that balance before the draft where his value will be coming down. If you pull the trigger too early you don't give yourself flexibility. If you wait too late then you'll be the only team looking for a RB and you'll be giving up entirely too much...

Taking in what levy said about being OK at running back for the time being and the fact that L. White came in over 30 pounds heavier I would almost have to assume that it's with the Titans. Which is absolutly fine by me. If you look at it, i'm sure brown is just using buffalo at this point as a bargaining chip to get a few extra dollars out of the titans.... i hope at least! Anyways, a thing to keep an eye on... link: http://titans.scout.com/2/631103.html

Not Bils related so i apoligize, but I thought this was TOO FUNNY not to post... If you saw SNL last saturday night you probably saw the Manning/United Way skit...it was pretty darn funny! if not here it is... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZpPf-q2_es But here's a scene that was described in Seth Wickersham's Blog on ESPN insider that didn't make the cut... "I thought Peyton Manning was pretty good on Saturday Night Live, even though you could tell he was reading from the cards a little too much. The United Way spot was classic. But the best joke might not have been seen or heard. I pulled this from my buddy Dan Shanoff's blog. One of his readers was in the audience for SNL, and filed this: I attended last night's SNL dress rehearsal, where Lorne Michaels decides what sketches and jokes to keep, and which to dump. Anyway, during Peyton's monologue, Amy Poeler was dressed in a Patriots jersey and heckled Peyton, saying "What does Tom Brady and the Circus have in common? They both have two more rings than you." Peyton stared right back and said, "That's not the ONLY thing he'll have two more of." Ouch." Man that would have been funny to see!

yep, larry johnson was a hugh bust... can't believe the chiefs wasted that pick on him, what fools! i'm so glad we passed up LJ for Willis, man that was a close one!!! now tell me what Blair Thomas, Curtis Enis, KJ, or even Larry johnson have to do with Puz?! THEY'RE DIFFERENT PLAYERS!!

for the sake of stuffing mcgahee and making him eat his words lets draft willis (the LB) with the 12th pick and then trade back into round one and draft Puz! unleash them both on mcgahee!! i'm just joking, just to make that clear... but here's a serious question, do you think the Sabres could loan us one of their goons for that Sunday afternoon?!?! HAHA, that game is going to be GREAT!

ahh you beat me too it! i was crunching the numbers as you posted it! good job though!! you know what's the best part about these numbers though? Saving ALL of Holcomb's salary. Had we cut him we would have eaten the bonus money. The only other way to save that money was if he retired. Now we dump it and don't lose a thing! The numbers are probably the best thing about this trade. Although the savings most likely will just go to getting "under" the cap to cash policy, which we were a little bit over before this deal. Anyways, the numbers worked out very well for us. BTW, i wish Spikes all the luck, I hope he gets everything he desrves in Philly. He's a first class guy all the way...

I fixed it for ya buddy so you wouldn't have coronary over an extra "t"

1. my mistake about putting willis at 11, i mean carkiker (spelling?) its getting real late and it was a mis-type. but if you want a legitimate mock that has them both falling here: 1. Oak: Russell 2. Detroit: Joe Thomas 3. Cleveland: Quinn 4. TB: Johnson 5. Arizona: Gains Adams 6. Washinton: branch 7. Minnessota: Jamaal Anderson 8. Falcons: Leroy Landry 9. Miami: Okoye 10. Texans: Nelson 11. 49ers: Carriker not legit? 2. Who is going ot trade up to get Peterson? 13. St. Louis - Steven Jackson 14. Carolina - Denagelo Williams and Deshon Foster 15. Pittsburg - Willie Parker 16. Green bay (will come back to this in a second) 17. Jags - Fred Taylor and Jones-drew 18. Bengals - rudi johnson 19. Titans - White, possibly would trade up 20. Giants - Jacobs, Droughns 21. Broncos - T. Henry 22. Dallas - Jones and 23. Cheifs - LJ 24. Pats - Maroney 25. Jets - Jones and Washington 26. Philly - Westbrook 27. NO - mccallister and Bush 28. Pats - maroney 29. Ravens - Mcgahee 30. bolts - LT and Turner 31. Bears - benson 32. Colts - addai So that leaves GB And Tennessee. If Peterson is falling green bay has absolutly NO incentive to leap frog us to get him. That's because between the first pick in the draft and the 16th (where GB picks) there are only three teams in need of a starting RB - Cleveland, Buffalo and Green Bay. Therefore if Cleveland Passes on Peterson, Green Bay has to be sitting there at 16 knowing they have a pretty good chance that one of the top two RB's would fall to them. Not even fall because Lynch at 16 is right about where he's projected to go. The only other team is the Titans, but no team is going to want to trade down from a top ten pick to 19. That's too far of a jump. On the other end the Titans would have to give up a boat load to get up there and why would they do that when they just drafted White not a year ago?

How so? the only teams that would take Peterson are the Browns, Falcons and Texans. Willis is more likley to go to the Niners. What if the Browns take Quinn, falcons take Landry, Texans take Brown and the 49er's take Willis. This is not a prediction, just to show that it could happen that they are both there at 12. ...and I think Peterson has a much better chance of falling then people think. Will he go to Celveland at 3? probably, but if they decide to go with Quinn if he's still there then who knows. Falcons needs a saftey and love Landry. Texans have like 5 RB's on the roster and are paying green $5million a year already...

It all depends on who they have at what value.... Personally I think there is 1 marquee RB in this draft and that's Peterson. I think there is one, could be marquee RB in this draft and that's lynch (but i wouldn't take him in the first half of round 1). The rest of the RB's have the potential to be good in their own right, but all have certain knocks agaisnt them (hunt - speed, Pittman, Irons - size, Bush - health, Leonard - RB or FB, etc...) As for LB's i see it this way: Although there is more depth here, there are 3 marquee guys (guys that can start today in the NFL). that's willis, Puz and Timmons. Willis will be gone in the top 15 and Puz and Timmons will be gone somewhere between 10-25 (IMO). After that there are good players, but you are taking a big chance if you don't have one of those three guys slotted as a starter on day 1. so where does that leave you? Personally, i love Peterson, i value him VERY high and would never dream about passing on him if he fell in our laps. AT THE SAME TIME.... and i think this may be the thinking of Marv and Co., is that we can find a RB to go with A-train anywhere between rounds 1-3 and it has the potential to be a good running game, however, if we don't get one of the top three LB'ers, we're going to have a hole in that Defense that wont be able to be filled. Therefore, although there is only one marquee RB and three marquee Lbs (according to my personal ratings), the Bills may feel the need to ensure that they'll get one of those LB's, even if that means passing up on Peterson.... Unless there is a real curveball in the draft i see it playing out one of two ways: Senario 1: 1. Peterson/lynch 1a. Puz/Timmons 3. CB (someone like hughes?) 4. another LB (Tim shaw?)/CB **I think if we go RB in round 1 it becomes imperative in this senario that we trade up enough to get either Puz or Timmons (assuming they are still there) OR Senario 2: 1. Willis/Puz/Timmons 2. CB or RB (Hughes/Hunt/Pittman/Irons/etc...) 3. CB or RB (Hunt/Pittman/Irons/Jackson/etc...) 3. WR/LB/DT? 4. LB? DT? It's funny, when people started talking about taking a RB in round 1 i was against it 100%. I still am to a degree, unless it's Peterson. But it may result in higher quality players, however. HOWEVER, whereas senario one is more ideal, it is also much more risky and the players you want might not be there. This is why I would not be shocked in the least bit if we went with senario two (even if Peterson or lynch are still on the board)...

Very true, but this is still very good. Next year we don't have to worry about re-singing any of our own guys (more or less) and just work on extending some of the "key" players...

who wants to put an over/under on the Bills/Ravens game being the first to sell out this year?! That game is going to be vicious!! you might want to leave the young ones at home for this one... I can see it now....someone organizes a "burn willis jerseys" bon-fire in the parking lot. Everyone brings their old jerseys of Willis and take turns one by one throwing them into the flames while angry, drunk tailgaters cheer wildley in excitement! -ahhhhhhhhh bills tailgating, paradise!

That's exactly my feelings on him. I just think the writing is on the wall with him. It's sad. I understand where he's coming from and wanting to win and being loyal to veterans, but unfortunately its not how the NFL works. He's an emotional guy playing in a shrewed league. I feel for him, I wish all players were like him. I think he's going to have a great year (whomever he plays for) I just think there are too many variables which made him returning not possible. Between Levy wanting to get younger, attacking LB's, to his injury concenrs and no one knowing if he will return to full stength, his salary, his age, trade rumors, him not being happy that London left, Milloy, ect... I just think all of those things added up means that he has to move on despite maybe what's best for him, the Bills and the fans. It's just one of those things where too many things have been set in motion for there to ever being a chance to go back... even if going back might be the better choice... If he does indeed get traded i wish him all the luck and hope he gets what he deserves whomever he plays for (hopefully its an NFC team so it will have minimal effect on us)

agreed! With no "older/senior" players left and no siginficant free agents coming up next season, I think the turn over on the roster is pretty much complete for a few years. The jury is still out on '07, it all hinges on the draft now and if we can get some immediate impact guys... but '08 is looking better and better. WE have a VERY young team and these moves just make us younger and younger. If we have a draft this year like the one we had last year then we'll be in good shape.... imagine two offseasons without any real significant subtractions and a boat load of new draft picks (we already have 8 picks this year - 4 in the top 100 and 8 next year, with 4 more likley in the top 100 again). I've posted this already but here's a list of '07 free agents: Most of these guys wont even make the team or are pretty insignificant/replaceable if they do... http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/20...ry_cap_page.php (so if they're wrong i'm wrong) Chris Denney (WR) Sam Aikin (WR) Brad Cieslak (TE) Matt Miller (TE) Ryan Newfield (TE) Jason Whittle (OL) Anthony Hargrove (DE) Eric Powell (DE) Jason Jefferson (DT) Tim Anderson (DT) Josh Stamer (LB) Mario Haggen (LB) Roy Manning (LB) Jim Leonhard (S)

The Bills drafts have been anything but predictable for like the past 5 seasons. I don't know, before these "trade talks" about Spikes started heating up I had this thought, but now that they're here and it's a real possibility that he's going to be gone this thought is becoming more prevelant... If Peterson falls to us that means that lynch will also most definitley be there. Willis has been skyrocketing up draft boards but unless the 49ers take him, I still think he's going to be there at 12 ( I think the niners will go for Carkiker -spelling?). So the 12th pick rolls around and all three players are still there, what happens? the easy and coventional answer is that we take Peterson. There has been cracks about how the Bills set a new record for how fast they hand in the card. I gotta admit, I don't see how I could personally pass on him. that said, we ARE talking about the Bills. If/When Spikes leaves heres what our LB core looks like: Crowell, Ellison, Stamer, Haggen, DiGiorgio, Wire, Manning, Harrison. You can scratch Manning and Harrison off the 52-man roster. Stamer, Haggen DiGiorgio, and Wire are all special teams standout but are nothing more, nor will they ever be anything more, then average back-ups. So who does that leave? Crowell is obviously one starter, and you can pretty much pencil in Ellison as the other, because you're not going to be able to find two starting LBer's in the draft. Bottom line, we are REALLY thin at LB and there are only three LB's with potential to start from Day one as we would need: Willis, Puz, and Timmons. All are projected to go in round 1. SO... Question 1: If all three guys were still on the board, would the Bills do the unthinkable and pass on Peterson and take the best available linebacker? (could you imagine the national media on this one?!) Question 2: Who would you take at 12 if these three guys and Puz and Timmons were available (assuming Okoye and branch are gone and we don't go CB)? **note of course this isn't contingent on trade downs, but I don't see very many situations where the Bills would trade down. Should they if they were presented with this hypothetical and collect kings ransom for a team that wants petterson? you betcha. will they? personally, i don't think so... thoughts?

if we get that much for spikes i'd be shocked! not that i'm saying he's wrong or you're wrong for posting it, just that I didn't think that we would be able to get that much. That said, I really wished we would have just kept him, even for that. But i understand that things definitley went on behind the scene that we dont know about (Spikes hasn't whipsered a word all offseason, even with all the trade rumors. He wasn't happy about london leaving, and now there are reports that the bills gave his agent permission to seek a trade...) I think the sad fact is though is that he wants to move on. When a guy has that mentality there's not much else you can do. I think talent wise it's not worth it (i still think he has a lot left in him..the nagging injuries are what kept him down this year so we still really don't know about the achillis (spelling?)). Realistically though, I think its a good move. Definitley think we go LB in round 1 now. and again by our 4th (someone like Tim Shaw)

You're right his 40 speed isn't great, but what makes him so good are his instincts. It's the same old discussion everyone has about every other position. How good can one run track and how good of a football player is he. What makes PUz so good is not his average speed, but his above average instincts. He "attacks" quick. Isn't that exactly what Marv was looking for, an 'attacking' Linebacker? I agree he could be good in the middle, but if you move him there i think you risk taking away his best attributes (his instincts). If you've watched him play the last two years, it's beyond clear that he's more comforatable on the outside and when you're comfortable at what you do, you do your best. Also, look at his three cone and other times. They're near the top. Another indication that he's quicker then faster.

I wouldn't mind it either. That would be a young, but VERY GOOD Linebacking core! it would probably look something like this: 1. Willis 1a. Puz (shop the second and later third to get in a position to take him) 3. Irons, Pittman, Jackson? 4. CB/DT 4. CB/DT --------------------------- replying to the other posts: as far as other needs, lets face it, LB and RB are priority 1 and 1. Although we could probably use upgrades at CB and DT, you have to be realistic. We'll draft guys at these positions, just don't look for these upgrades to come our of round 1 and 2. We have young guys on the roster in both positions and you just hope that one of them or a later round draft pick steps up and take the starting job. If we take RB in the first round look for LB in the second or vice versa. Even though LB is deeper then RB though, If we went RB first, I would try with all my might to get back in the first to get either Puz or Timmons. Those are the only other LB's besides Willis that can be Day 1 starters and have an impact.

btw another real option in the later round (end of round three, beginning of round 4) is Puz's teammate Tim Shaw. He was overshadowed at Linebacker U by Puz and Dan Connor, but actually is pretty darn impressive. I don't have time to look up the numbers but if you go and look at his combine numbers they were better then Puz and Willis in a lot of categories. He's quick and strong. The debate keeps surfacing of whether we now need 2 Lb's or 1. The answer is 2, but not two starters. Like it or not, IF spikes leaves Ellison is going to be a day one starter (barring some really weird draft senarios or an unlikely move from left field, like trading for Lance Briggs). That leaves one starter we need. But even if we get a starter in Round 1, we're still drastically shallow in depth. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we took two LB's in the frist 4 rounds. One as an immediate starter and the other as a developmental guy who fits the system. I think if Willis is there at 12 we take him. But don't be surprise if we take someone like Tim Shaw at the end or round three or early in round 4 too. I think Shaw would be an excellent addition to our Defense and someone which would offer great value at the pick. Who knows, Puz and Shaw reunited? unlikley, but not impossible.

Not true. Puz projects more so as an outside LB in the NFL. That's the position he played as a junior in the 2005 seasons when he won nearly every defensive award in the country (Including beating out A.J. Hawk for the Butkist for the best LB in the country). He then had that knee injury in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2005 season and decided to not go into the draft as he was thinking about doing. At that time he was projected as a high first round pick, right up there with Hawk. In 2006 he came back, but becuase of team needs they moved him to MLB (note: Penn state plays the college equivilent to cover 2 - it's a zone intenstive defense. With the proper personel as in 2005 they play a base 4-3. however last year they played a lot more 3-4, but still played in the zone. Puz moved to the inside regardless of whether they wre aligning in the 3-4 or 4-3). Anyways, in 2006 he had a good season, but not a spectaular one. Some people think its his knee. Others (the vast majority) think that it was because he had to learn a new position, MLB - he was good at it, but not as instintive or comfortable as he was in 2005 playing OLB. Yet others say that he was a half-step slower because he wore a large brace on his knee for the first half of the season to ensure that it would hold up which ultimatley limited his mobility. I believe it was a combination of the brace and new position. Puz is a natural OLB. He's the most comfortable there. Don't get me wrong, he can play MLB with the best of them and be a good one, but he has the potential to be a GREAT player on the outside. All-in-all, if the Bills draft him it will ideally be to play OLB, not the middle. One of the great things about him is his versitility (alla crowell) and if they needed him to play middle he could. But since the MLB calls the plays and needs to know the defense in-side and out, it makes much more sense to move crowell there (which he played as a back-up until this past year) and let Puz learn to play the outside without having to worry about the rest of the stuff an ILB has to worry about. Personally i love the guy and would not be upset if we got him at 12. I posted about this awhile ago but it largely went ignored. I def think its a possibility (especially if Spikes leaves and Willis is gone when we pick at 12). I think if we get him it will be one of two ways: 1. take him at 12 regardless if people consider it a reach (if you look at mock drafts he's projected to go as high as st. louis at 13, so is that really a reach?) or 2. if he's still there past 20 (NYGiants) attemp to trade back in the first and taking him. (I don't see them risk losing him if Willis is gone by tradeing down. If that's the sitaution, Petterson and Lynch will sure to be gone by the time they Bills 1st pick came up, meaning if Puz is gone, they could be in real trouble and not get an impact player in one of their two neediest positions: RB or LB. Timmons is a possibility too though)

Here, i'll help ya out buddy... it's in this one at the 2:44 mark... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tue2BcWSilQ let me just say... i LOVE THIS VIDEO, btw!!!

A lot of mocks had Puz going to the Giants at 20 (if he lasts that long, i think he can go as high as St. louis at 13), but Al wilson might be going to the G-men to play WLB (http://blog.nj.com/ledgergiants/2007/03/wilson_in_new_york_for_phyisca.html) which obviously means they wouldn't be looking for one in the draft. IF we didn't take Willis with the 12th pick for some reasons (i.e. he's gone, or Petterson fell and we took him, etc...) I would love to use our 2nd and one of the 3rds to try to trade back into the first (somewhere in the mid 20's) to take him if he was still there when the draft got to the 20's. Something like this would be my ideal first day: 1. Petterson (RB) 1a. Puz (OLB) 3. Hughes (CB) EDIT: (I can't get the hyperlink to work so here's what the site says) It's from NJ.com, a blog written by one of the local newspaper sports writers, so take it for what it's worth) Wilson in New York for physical Posted by Mike Garafolo March 23, 2007 1:35PM Categories: Trades Broncos LB Al Wilson is in New York this afternoon for a physical being conducted by Giants team doctors, according to a league source. It's unclear if this means a trade will be finalized today, but it's a pretty good indication the Giants are ahead of any other team interested in acquiring the linebacker. The Denver Post is reporting Wilson's physical means he will be a Giant today. At the very least, the Giants want to take a look at some of Wilson's recent nicks and injuries. He's had a lingering thumb injury and jammed his neck in a game against the Seahawks this past December. If the Giants like what they see in Wilson's physical, they'll probably hit the gas on the trade talks with Denver. Stay tuned.

good pickup. I knew it was an opinion of the rotoworld editors, but I assumed at least the team names were from the source. Well that site lost a lot of credibility with me! Anyways here's what the Nashville Paper said: "STILL LOOKING: Running back Chris Brown has four teams that he is considering, with the Titans and Buffalo Bills still among that mix. Agent Ryan Morgan said he spoke to Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt on Wednesday about the unrestricted free agent, who started for two years in Tennessee." Darn, I was hoping the Chris Brown in Buffalo talk was done!!