Rockinon

I can't believe the pessimists haven't arrived yet. Could it be we have a few converts here? I can smell it!

I wonder how much Whaley's influence is showing in this draft. Pittsburgh has always had an aggressive defense, and I think their drafting philosophy reflects that. Whaley having a Pittsburg background may be getting some attention or the whole war room may be putting a new stamp on Buffalo's drafting philosophy. Either way, I like it. Drafting 2 early round defensive linemen last year just makes this draft look even more like there is a long term goal for success. And Wannstedt, I think is going to have a great influence on the coaching of these players. The defense is looking awesome. The offense even got a couple of key acquisitions. Overall, the depth on the team is much improved over last year.

Of course. I went back and fixed spelling. I wanted to do it quickly and without too much in depth analysis on each player. This draft should make our defensive coordinator and LBs coach very happy. Hope training camp starts soon. I did get the sense that size and instinct was a big factor in this draft. The brass seems to be looking for an aggressive dominating defense instead of a speedy finesse defense.

Following this draft has been fun. We all watched last year as our offense fought valiantly only to watch our defense get pushed around like rag dolls and lose a lot of close games. It became very evident that what this team needed most was to get bigger and stronger on defense. We knew we would likely go heavy on defense, but 7 out of 9 picks heavy? Wow! 1. The Dareus pick. DT/Alabama. I was very much in favor of picking up Miller but that was only because there would certainly be zero chance of Darius actually still being on the board at #3. Can anyone not be optimistic about this pick? This guy lined up next to Kyle Williams is going to be fun to watch. And even more impressive, some real props must go to Nix, Gailey and Whaley for also spending 2 early picks on DL last year. Troupe and Carrington both showed promise last year and it is certainly reasonable to expect improvement. A dominating performance from our DL this year can actually be expected. 2. Aaron Williams, CB/FS, University of Texas. This was a head scratcher for many of us, but good corners and ones that can also be a FS are not easy to find in later rounds. Add also that two of our starters may not be back from last year and this all of a sudden can be seen as a wise pick by the Bill's brain trust. What is interesting is that he is not the short speed freaks we are accustomed to seeing. He is bigger and a more aggressive tackler however and this is a theme that we will see throughout this draft. Though many of us wanted a LB, this pick shows a considerable amount of vision. We got a football player at a position need and one that was actually rated a 1st round prospect. So this was a value pick as well. 3. Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU. Well here is the linebacker we wanted in the 2nd round and I must say, he is a gamer. Sheppard was on Gailey's squad in the senior bowl. In 2010 ... he added 26 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, six forced fumbles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries for career. That is getting in on the action! Another trait is that he is considered a fiery team leader at LSU. This is football player that not only lays it out on the field but also motivates the people around him. This is a great pick! 4. Da'Norris Searcy, SS North Carolina. Searcy is a strong safety known for his good instinctual play. Everyone is aware of our problems covering TE's. This is a step in the right direction. Searcy covers TE's and slot receivers very well and has a habit of making plays on the ball. He is also considered a reliable tackler that takes good angles and wraps up his target when he gets there. I am definitely beginning to get the sense that the brass on this team is getting serious about improving the defense with this pick. 5. Chris Hairston, OT Clemson. A big strong tackle with good technique and has good feet. This guy is considered an excellent pass protector who makes few mistakes. His greatest criticism is his conditioning. He is a big man that tires easily. Welcome to the NFL Mr. Hairston. Time to get serious about your workout regimen. He was CJ Spiller's team mate at Clemson. Can he open some hole's for him? Time will tell. We needed a Tackle and here he is. This was a tough draft to find a good one. Hairston is definitely a project, but he does have a lot of upside. He could turn out to be a good protector for Fitz and there ain't nothing wrong with that. 6. Johnny White, RB North Carolina. OK, we do have talent at this position, but there is no one behind Fred Jackson and CJ if one of them get hurt. White is a one cut and up the field runner who is very good at finding a lane quickly(something that CJ struggled with). He is strong, fast and considered a runner that finishes moving forward. Good pick at a position of need. This is another weapon that Fitz can use to his advantage. 7. Chris White, ILB Mississippi State. Chris was another outstanding SEC ILB. A tackling machine. His speed is his greatest criticism, but he always seems to be around the ball. Honestly, I would much rather have an instinctual player that reads offenses quickly and makes a play than someone who can't(even if they are physically gifted). This is a smart kid with a nose for the ball and that is what we need. He is considered stout at the point of attack and a vicious hitter. Not bad for the 6th round. More defense and someone else to push the LB core. 8. Justin Rogers, CB Richmond. OK another corner and I too am having trouble being optimistic about this pick, but he is another defensive addition. The one good thing to like is he is 6' tall. A trend that I am noticing is the move away from small fast defensive backs. With taller stronger WRs dominating the league, it stands to reason that the DBs covering them must also be taller and stronger. Definitely a noticeable trend at all positions in this draft is to get bigger. Gailey and company are getting ready to play some smash mouth football. 9. Michael Jasper, DT, Bethel TN. A mountain of a man with incredible agility for his size. All I can say is WOW. He is most definitely a project and may not even make the team. That being said though, if our coaching staff can turn him into a real space eating 3-4 NT, this defense is going to put the fear of God into opposing offenses. This guy has played at well over 430 pounds and has dropped below 380 since. If he is strong enough and smart enough, he could turn into the biggest steal in this draft. It is considered a very tall order at this point, but stranger things have happened. Right? How anyone can not be optimistic about this year's draft is beyond me. I know you are out there however, so fire away. Don't expect the optimists to lay down to your criticisms though. All I ask is that you play nice and remember, we are all Bill's fans. Now I need a beer.

This seems to be a pretty optimistic evaluation. Sounds like he just needs some conditioning to be a superstar.

Shoot I was high on Miller only because I didn't think there was a snowballs chance in hell Darius would still be there. As far as I am concerned, this is sign. A sign that the the stars have finally shifted in favor of Buffalo, the Bill's and the fans. Mark it down. This the turning point.

I bet Wannstache is chomping at the bit with this defense. I new when we hired him, we were going to go defense heavy, but I didn't know it would be this heavy.

He has never been given the starting job from day one either. After last year, I think he has as much of a chance as anyone to really pull off a great season. And it would be an awesome Buffalo story too. A "beautiful thing". Can you imagine how many jaws would drop if he puts up more than 4000 yards? Or more than 30 TDs. I think he has it in him.

Would be a steal. Butkus award runner up in 2009 and injured last year. One big LB.

What happened to the kid who was tearing it up in training camp last year? Can't remember his name. Running back though.

I think maybe Whaley is having an influence. Seems a lot like a Pittsburgh draft.

Now that is interesting.

Well he is another big strong DB. And he has return skills too. The brass is dead serious about improving the defense quickly.

I'm OK with that. Kyle Williams and Marcel Darius bust through NE's offensive line and simultaneously arrive on top of Brady with 600 plus pounds of weight and forward motion and drive him into the turf ending his ability to play for the rest of the day. Enter Mallet, who is chased all over the field for the remainder of the game. Buffalo wins 34 - 3. NE's streak ends and the Bills begin a new chapter in Bill's history. Oh and Fitz throws for 320 yards and 3 TDs.

Did someone notice a dog barking? I thought I told him I was finished talking to him. What a barrage of useless yapping.

And if Fitz ends up being a top 5 QB this season? With a great supporting cast, he has a better chance than any of the youngsters coming out of college this year. I do think we can find a better QB at some point, but it just isn't going to happen this year and it never was going to happen this year because the talent is not available. To be honest though, Fitz could very well improve greatly. It has happened before and he seemed to be progressing in that direction last year. That is not something you ignore.

You mean the way you are at this moment yourself? Have some more cheese puffs. It was good of you to reveal not only how narrow minded but also how shallow you are. Now you are resorting to making stuff up because you can't come up with a real argument. Pitiful. Why don't you go back to school and ask your teacher to give you some lessons. That's all. I am finished speaking to a foolish teenager with overblown sense of self importance.

What a blat ass.

Never heard of him

Nice. Still walking around with blinders on. Capitalizing the word truth doesn't make it true. Seriously, there is no QB in this draft that is better than Fitz. None. Further, at pick #1 in this draft, there is was not a better QB than Fitz. Are there better QBs? Yes, absolutely. But you are reaching for something that is not there, in this draft class. You completely overlook his experience level and other traits. If you really want to have those stats of yours lifted higher, you do so by giving the guy something to work with, like a line that can protect him for more 3 seconds on passing plays or a line that can open holes for rushing plays. How about a TE, even. Or better yet give him a defense that will put him back on the field and give him more opportunities. The fixation on finding a replacement at QB is just narrow minded. If it's for an actual "Franchise" prospect then, yes. You roll the dice. But if they ain't there, you open your mind and look for another way to get the job done.

Don't get your panties in a bunch. His comments were meant to be humorous and not to be taken verbatim.

The reason you can't understand the debate, is because you can't get past your ridiculous statistics. There is far more to being QB than passer ratings and interception numbers. The things you don't understand are the same things that most young people tend to give far too little merit to. Things like leadership, wisdom, perseverance or a never quit attitude can't be measured by statistical numbers. These things never the less do have merit and if you can't look at them, you can't see them. If you can't see that there are no rookies with the same qualities, you will never understand the "debate".

Now that would be funny.

I still don't want Mike Vick. But I do think that if the Bills like Bowers enough to take him at 34, I'd be happy.

Dareus can also play multiple positions. With those two moving around, it will definitely be a fun thing to watch. Offensive linemen will suddenly have to decide who gets double teamed and when. Linebackers will suddenly have open access to holes because offensive linemen will be tied up at the line of scrimmage. God forbid that Kyle Williams or Marcel Darius are left in one on one situations. We got very lucky with this pick. Hope we get some linebackers now.