ax4782

No. Apparently they passed some new rule where persons in service academies who are drafted to the pros can serve their time working in recruitment centers and doing the bi-weekly Army Reserve reporting. They were making a big deal about it on ESPN after another player from Army was taken in the draft.

The RF360 article attached to TBD today explained why Buffalo probably drafted Oman at that spot. Bryne (take it for what it's worth) speculates the due to Oman's build and strength he would be an easy switch to FB, once he puts on about fifteen or twenty pounds. Could be one explanation. And I would have been REALLY disappointed if Buffalo wasted a pick on Mike Hart. He's going to be nothing more than a perennial bench warmer in the NFL. He was Michigan's second coming of Tim Biakabituka. Good in college, below average pro.

Exactly. If he does, Kelsay can take a hike and we can sign this kid to a pretty good deal. Not to mention I suspect the Bills will be drafting a top DE in the first round either next year or the year after, as Schobel will be 36 when his most recent extension finally comes due. They're going to need a couple of guy, and if Ellis works out, all the better for Buffalo.

Not only that, but the Bills drafted a tackle round seven and actually do have some decent depth on the O-Line. Whittle and Preston can back up at either guard spot pretty effectively, and Kirk Chambers, while not great is an adequate back up at either tackle position. He played well in Peters' stead when he was injured for a couple of games last year. I suspect the Bills will add another O-Lineman after the camp cuts for depth, but they are in pretty good shape for right now.

That O-LIne was so bad last year they led a rookie running back to the fifth-highest yard total in the NFL. And he only started 12 games. Yeah, that O-Line sucked on their way to giving up a franchise low 26 sacks last year. Try looking at the numbers and the facts before you start making statements. That being said, I think the defense is ready to take that next step this year, and if the D is top ten, which they have a shot at, and the O can just be middle of the pack, Buffalo goes 10-6 and makes the playoffs. Jauron has done a great job with this team. 12 different starters were injured last year and he kept us in the playoff race until the very end. He's done a heck of a job. The problem this franchise has had, for better or worse, has been a constant change at coach and in the FO. There has been no stability. You know, Marv didn't have Buffalo in the Super Bowl right away. It took time for him to get the team to that point. Give Jauron the time he needs. The team is getting better and I expect them to play well this season. Let's see how it goes before people start throwing down the gauntlets.

And people on this board think Ralph is cheap? Yesh. I know their a small market team but man, not having a scouting department might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Maybe, or that could have been a fluke of a game. A one hit wonder, if you can excuse the pun. Buffalo had a great pass rush in the early 90s when we played the pass happy Cowboys, but it didn't really do much to help us win those games. If your offense doesn't show up, and the Patsies didn't this past year, you lose the game. After 18 wins, it was bound to happen. Don't forget that the Giants had played New England in a close game about four weeks before the Super Bowl. They could have beaten them then, and if you watch that game, it wasn't NY's pass rush that kept it close.

Yes, but teams with good lines and no skill players don't go anywhere. If all Buffalo did was draft O-LIne and D-Line, we'd have great blockers and run stuffers, but we'd have no one to stop the pass and no running backs or receivers to make plays on offense, unless we paid through the teeth in FA to get them. And RBs, QBs, WRs, CBs are all far more expensive FA pick ups than a solid DT, DE, LB. Buffalo proved that this year. Our lines are FINE for now. Could we use more depth? Probably, but the Bills did draft a very good DE prospect in RD3 and we have a solid stable of OLs right now. Get players you actually need. Buffalo did that and we will reap the benefits over the course of the season.

I think this post would work better if we contained our reports to UDFA signings that the Bills actually made. Thus far, I have seen one, Luke Drone. To avoid further confusion, people should probably only post Bills UDFA signings.

Not to mention we took, IIRC, an OT in the later rounds. He is likely to need time to come along, but that's worked pretty well with Butler and Peters.

Yeah, and if Buffalo had six picks in the first three rounds we would have come away with six starters too. Buffalo did very well. The fact is, the shortest talent pool on this team was at WR and CB. Buffalo filled those two areas with good solid talent. Buffalo had practice squad guys in the defensive backfield last year after Greer and Webster went down. Because of that, we got burned bad in the passing game. Buffalo filled those holes with starting talent and depth so we don't have a repeat of last year. Hardy will be an impact player from his first down on the field. Hillis is not the type of FB the Bills were looking for. He is more of an H-Back type of player, Buffalo was looking for a true FB. Schmitt would likely have been the pick in the 6th round, but he went a couple spots before we could have taken him. Also, when you have NO players on your team, like KC didn't, you can take starters at all positions. Buffalo had needs at corner, wr, te and special teams. Buffalo addressed those areas, and added a skilled DE as well. What's not to like again?

Actually, while he was hurt last season there was not a significant drop off in the numbers. The line still had a very good pass block, there was just no one to throw too, and ML's numbers were almost the same. I'm not saying that if he had a season ending injury it would be all right, but for a couple of weeks, we have a number of guys who can do an adequate job. The lines have plenty of good players, and Chris Ellis is going to be a very good pass rusher. I wish people would actually look at the roster before they complain. With Stroud and McCargo, teams will be hard pressed to run up the middle, and in obvious run situations, you can play Spencer Johnson at end to clog things up even more. Schobel and Kelsay also have good speed to track down runners and with the increased bulk at LB, Buffalo is going to have a very good run defense. Our weakeness was a corner where we had practice squad walk ons having to play because we had no legitimate depth at the position. Buffalo addressed that problem today.

I think he was one of the players the front office had in mind when they wanted to see improved play this year. I think if Youboty performs like the corner they hoped he would be, he'll be on the team and our rotation will be set with McGee, McKelvin, James, Greer and Youboty, with a number of young guys for depth. If not, Buffalo has options now, as they have four corners they can start on any given Sunday, with a lot of depth behind them that weren't guys on a practice squad.

After last year, when we had walk ons to the practice squad playing corner, I think they realized that having some depth in the secondary might be a good thing. Sorry, just a logical point to your illogical whining.

Agreed, his initial post is oxymoronic. You can't have two true statements and have a false conclusion. That's logically impossible. But then again, this is the TSW Message Board.

Getting to the playoffs is not necessarily a reflection of how the team has done in the draft. A lot of other issues go into whether or not a franchise succeeds beyond how they do in the draft. To suggest that we haven't had as talented or as successful a draft over the last ten years doesn't mean much, considering that the current administration has only been stabilized for the past three years. I know people get frustrated, but rushing to judgment on players and personnel before they have even started or played a down in the league, is not venting. Saying that, in your opinion, Buffalo would have been better off drafting another player, or another position and give an actual reasoned basis for that opinion, people would be far more likely to address your concerns in a civil manner. Simply wanting to complain is fine, but at least give real reasons, rather than just saying you don't like something. What would you have rather seen the Bills do? What need did they not address adequately enough in your estimation. That type of thinking starts civil conversations. Throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't draft some player that you would have rather taken instead is the five year old response to the Bills doing something you don't like. I didn't like the fact that they took a corner in the first round. However, the person they got, while not perfect, is going to be a top CB for this team. I felt better about that choice when we still had our pick of wideouts at #41. Buffalo has been implementing a plan for the last few years, a big part of which consisted of getting rid of Donahoe's dead weight. They have fixed those positions, and by many accounts are now a viable candidate to make the wild card. Lastly, during the past two drafts, and possibly this one, the Bills have performed better than the majority of the other teams in the league. In 2006, we drafted 4 players capable of starting or playing significant roles in the NFL with Whitner, McCargo, Simpson and Williams. In 2007 we drafted three starting caliber players in the first three rounds. Lynch, Poz and TE. We also drafted Butler in the 6th and he is turning into a very good player at RG. This year, I think we drafted two starters on day one and possibly two other players who could come in and play significant roles for us as the year goes on. McKelvin and Hardy will be day one contributors, barring injury. Ellis will play a role in the DE rotation, and I think Reggie Corner may get some time in the fourth CB slot as well. The others may only be STs but we lost a lot of talent on ST. Saying that we wasted picks on guys that will be STers is silly, considering that we have serious needs to fill on ST. So, basically, I would like to hear some actual reasons behind why you are so angry with the Bills' FO, as opposed to just having a Message Board Temper Tantrum.

Exactly. The Bills over the past three years have had an actual PLAN going into draft day and by executing it, they have vastly improved the talent on this team.

Wow, one of the few voices of reason I've seen other than Pete and a couple of others. Buffalo has actually done a very good job so far in this draft. While I was skeptical of a CB at #11, I like McKelvin, and his questionables aren't huge. I was a bit down on the pick yesterday, but having thought on it, getting the top CB in the draft should be a huge boon for the D. I think Hardy will contribute right away, and that Ellis, who was underrated a bit in my opinion, will get some time in the DE rotation in situational pass rushing situations. That puts together a solid DE rotation, which was what many on this board were complaining about before the draft. Anyway, there's a lot of people who think that Buffalo didn't do well. I completely disagree and think thay you have made an excellent point. We drafted positions of need, and just because we didn't get Fred Davis or Martellus Bennett at TE, doesn't mean we had a horrible draft.

Way to leave out the three best OL that we have, which we also acquired in FA during the recent tenure. Dockery, Walker and Fowler (who isn't great, but he's good enough for now). To say that Buffalo hasn't tried to invest in the O-Line is load of crap, and I for one am sick of hearing all the bs whining. They invested 80 mil in total contracts to the O-Line last year. The line was actually very good. They gave up the fewest sacks in franchise history at 26, and were one of the highest rated passing lines in the league. They also led Lynch to the fifth rated rushing yards last season. They have done a fine job with improving the O-Line. Not to mention that Butler is actually looking very good at the RG position which gives us three veteran back-ups that can come in and play. I'm so sick of people whining who don't pay attention to anything the team actually does, and only live in their own little universe of whine.

Not to mention that over the course of the last two seasons, Buffalo has spent 110 mil on bringing in relatively young, highly sought after talent to bolster both the offensive and defensive lines. To say that the team has neglected this need is a bit inaccurate. Not to mention the 75 mil they then gave to Schobel and Kelsay. They have spent a lot of money on the lines. Give the FO a little credit. They may not draft a lineman in the first two rounds every year, but they have tried to address the problem, and I would argue they have done a good job. The O-Line gave up a franchise least 26 sacks last season. I'd say that's pretty good.

Try checking their pick in RD 3. They did address the one position on the D-Line that needed quality depth and C. Ellis is an exceptional pass rusher. Check out his game film. As for the O-Line, Buffalo is going to address their need at C either in the 6th or the 7th. Buffalo's lines are not the problem right now. Their needs are were at CB, WR, TE. We have addressed those needs adequately so far, some far better than others. Still, they have had a tremendous draft.

We could use a versatile FB ahead of Marshawn Lynch. I fear that the Derek Fine pick may be the signal that we are going to use the H-Back system again this year, which, IMO would be a disaster. We don't have a decent FB on the roster and Schmitt and Hillis would be immediate starters. Which one, if either do you think Buffalo should take, and at what point. I say we take one of them in the 6th round.

Correct. When Poz was there Connor played outside and was second on the team in tackles. Behind Poz. This year they moved him to middle, as he knew the defense and was the fastest LB on PSU's team. Frankly, that makes him an even more valuable commodity for the Bills. He could start at the WSLB position, but if, God forbid, Poz got hurt again, Connor could move to the middle and Crowell could take over at WSLB. Thus, you don't really lose much in that rotation. The four LBs we would have in the starting rotation after adding Connor would be one of the top five in the league. I would not take Doucet there. He's another smurf. We have enough of those. Buffalo should look at TEs, particularly Rucker or Kellen Davis, though I think Davis will be there when we pick early in the Fourth. They should try and do the following: 3. Dan Connor LB 4. Kellen Davis TE 4. Owen Schmitt/Peyton Hillis FB 5. Andre Fluellen DT 6. Colt Brennan QB 7. Matt Spanos C 7. BA Safety 7. BA RG/RT

I agree. If Connor is there in the third, Buffalo would be foolish not to take him. He has better size and speed than Angelo, and I don't know that the Bills are going to be Crowell the kind of money he is going to demand at the end of the season. Especially not when we need to retain Evans. Still, Connor would add depth to a position where we don't have much. After all, while Ellison and DiGiorgio are good players, Connor is clearly a cut above. We can get Schmitt and Kellen Davis in the Fourth, which should take care of the FB and TE problems. Connor is a sure fire LB, who will, IMO have a better career than either Keith Rivers or Jerod Mayo.

I think the Bills did a great job. They drafted the best all around corner in the first round (though his ball skills need tweaking) and Hardy is the receiver with the most upside and was graded by most to be a first round pick. I think even the Bills brass was surprised the guy was there at #41. They made their decision fast. A so far, but they still need to get a TE in the third. If they do that and manage to get Owen Schmitt, it will be an A+ draft. I would love to see Schmitt in a Bills uniform.