2020 Our Year For Sure

Exactly. Its cleary Russ Brandon's fault we took Thomas Smith and Jeff Burris.

While I would much rather have Keith Rivers or Derek Harvey who are much worthier of #11 and would really help down rhe road, I think at this point it will be Limas Sweed due to need.

James is a very solid pick-up. I have seen him play many times. Remember what R. Moss did to our small corners. It's time to start thinking about matching up with the pats. One of my goals is to actually beat them in "08. Toward that end, I think Derek Harvey would be a very interesting pick.

To those following this year's draft more closely than I: what are the possibilities a safety gets picked as high as #11 this year? -There have been some rumors of the Bills considering finding a new strong safety and moving Whitner to free safety. Ko is young, unproven and coming off a big injury. Therefore, we could possibly be open to drafting either safety position. -Its well-documented that the safety position is more emphasized in the Cover/Tampa 2 than in other systems. -We now have 3 rock solid cornerbacks, plus a youngster with upside, 2 of which have pretty good size. I can't see us going corner unless the braintrust is absolutely in love with somebody. I'd be open to getting a playmaker roaming around back there. With our zone scheme hopefully benefitting from an improved pass rush, quality safeties could have opportunities to snag some turnovers. This team has eliminated most of it's truly dire needs. WRs can be had in the 2nd round. My first choice is currently DE Derrick Harvey, but safety is another intriguing possibility. How does this year's draft class look?

It may not seem like it, but this is a 100% serious question. What kind of offense do the Bills want to run? You seem to have an idea, and through watching every game last year and following the team as closely as most here, I really haven't a clue.

Completely agree. There's 32 teams in the league, and the Bills are covered just as much as their fellow middle-of-the-pack teams. Don't really know what the original poster is expecting...when the Bills make a transaction, they're talked about...when they go on a winning streak, they're talked about. If they were to start winning again, they'd be talked about, just like Cleveland was last year. Don't blame the entire network for Marshall Faulk having no qualms about throwing his opinions out there without actually having any knowledge of the team.

I really hope this doesn't result in McGee being replaced as the return man. Then again, people said Josh Scobey was a good return man, and that didn't turn out so well.

The touchdown he had against Denver was impressive as well...he got stood up around the 2 if I recall, and still fought his way in.

The Bills have honestly done a great job in the personnel department the last few years, and the list of positions they need to upgrade is shrinking. That spot Kelsay and Denney occupy is one of the weaker starting positions on the team.

Surely you meant abstain in the subtitle, as opposed to sustain.

Some of the biggest problems with these threads have nothing to do with your arguments. You tried to make a point that good teams don't tie up big money on WRs. Yes, the original premise of the thread was not using high draft picks on WRs...but then you said this: At this point, you went beyond the thread's original intention...this sentence is purely about the money tied up in the WR position. Even if we do draft a WR at #11, you can't make the claim we'd be paying our WRs as a group significantly more than last year's Pats* with Moss/Stallworth/Welker, or the Colts with Harrison/Wayne/Gonzales. BlueFire pointed this out, and you chose to go back and claim that sentence was about not wasting high picks on recieivers, when it was actually about not wasting big money on recievers. You would have been better served simply admitting you took the concept too far, and that the statement was wrong. The arrogant tone you take turns people off to your theories as much as, and maybe more than, your arguments do. Its okay to admit you're not infallible. None of us are.

$125 million to Hall and Javon Walker. Linemen? We don't need no stinkin linemen.

I clearly remember, after the season, a poster here linking to one of those websites that really pick apart the NFL's stats, and they showed that Lynch had the best ypc average when running off tackle to the right side. This would support the notion that Walker is actually a good run blocker, which is exactly what the word on him was when we got him. I believe the drawback to his game is that he can be beat by some of the quicker defensive ends in the passing game. So you may have that a bit backwards. And seeing as you'd hardly spend a 1st round pick on a guy you know is going to be a backup, I don't see us going tackle. Dockery is obviously going to start and from my perspective Butler did a fine job last year...maybe we could use some depth/competition at guard, but IMO that also need not be addressed on the 1st day. I'd be open to a center in the 2nd round, but unfortunately all that I've heard is that none of them warrant going until the 3rd. Still, if they do like somebody there, I'd be happy with the pick. Just one other comment...I had no interest in taking a corner on the 1st day before the Will James signing, so I'd certainly pass on them now. We have 3 rock solid corners and a young guy with potential, with 2 of those four having decent size. In all honestly I'd rather they go back to safety than add another corner on the first day. Just my (likely wrong) opinions.

I'd love to get Chad Johnson. You're right, it won't happen, but I'd gladly deal our 1st rounder for him. Third best reciever in the game, IMHO.

It actually makes very little sense. If you take a wide reciever in rounds 1 or 2, he's going to start. Then we have Roscoe and Reed in the slot...that's already a very deep group of recievers. There just wouldn't be anything left for Johnson. I'm really baffled by people who thought (and some who still seem to think) we were (or are) going to acquire two new recievers. Its just completely unnecessary. We have two deep threats in Roscoe and Evans, a good 3rd down guy who can work the middle of the field in Reed...there's just one role that needs to be filled, a possession reciever with SIZE who can help in the red zone. You don't need two guys to fill that roll.

Bills 10-6 Pats* 10-6 Jets 6-10 Dolphins 5-11

I have a bad feeling we're getting a corner.

For what its worth, I'd like to see the data recovered, every once in awhile I'd enjoy looking at some of my really old posts...but I wouldn't pay for it, so do what you please.

You're clearly a "Losman apologist." Whatever that means.

25 Million copies of George Washington tells me they do not believe he will be outplayed by Butler and Preston.

Actually, there was nothing Seattle could really do about it. After they put the transition tag on Hutchinson, Minnesota signed him to a contract with a poison pill in it. The deal he signed with the Vikes was for 7yrs/$49M including $16M guaranteed. But there was a stipulation in the contract that stated that if Hutchinson was not the highest paid offensive lineman for his team, then the entire $49M was guaranteed money...while the Seahawks had Walter Jones who would've been higher paid and made that stipulation relevant if they matched the offer, the Vikes obviously didn't have a lineman that would qualify. Seattle didn't really have a choice but to decline to match and let Hutchinson go.

With this poison pill tactic teams are using now, you wonder why anybody would bother trying to sign an RFA the old-fashioned way. The league needs to put a stop to this quickly.

Late-game stop against Jacksonville? Are you referring to the game in which Jacksonville took over with 2:58 left from their own 38, and our defense allowed them to go 62 yards in 2:30 to score the game-tying touchdown with 34 seconds left? You're right, a truly heroic defensive effort. "(:34) 9-D.Garrard pass short right to 18-M.Jones for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught 3 yds. into end zone, along right sideline. 10-J.Scobee extra point is GOOD, Center-88-J.Zelenka, Holder-2-C.Hanson. JAX 24 BUF 24, 11 plays, 62 yards, 2:30 drive, 14:32 elapsed" link Fortunately, our offense was able to get into position for the game-winning field goal, despite taking over with only 22 seconds left.

I think McGahee will be here. I'm not sure about Spikes because we may decide we could put his cap room to better use, but I personally would like to give him another shot.

If I'm understanding your point correctly here, you're not happy with Price being used as a possession reciever, and maybe believe he should have been used more as a downfield threat. I think a problem with this is that Evans' bread and butter is the long ball. With Evans making plays 30-40 (or sometimes 83) yards downfield and certainly drawing the attention of defenses this upcoming year, the best thing we can get from our #2 would be a big, reliable target that Losman can easily find on 3rd downs. Someone with a natural ability to get open on short and intermediate routes, which I think is one of Price's biggest shortcomings...he just doesn't get open enough. My basic point is that with Lee Evans, a consistent playmaker on one side, its really inevitable that our Offensive Coordinator is going to use our other reciever as a possession reciever. If we had a #2 WR with the ability to take advantage of all the attention Evans is sure to get from defenses this year, it would dramatically improve our overall passing game, and our 3rd down percentage (which was a problem this year). At some point, we need to examine our recievers because a #2 with more of a presence could take this offense to another level. Seeing as we do have other needs, however, this offseason (may or) may not be the time. I've made a couple of lengthy posts in other threads about why I think we can go best player available early in the draft so I won't get into that now. But I do believe Dwayne Jarrett is a player who should at least be on our radar if the top players on our draft board aren't around when we pick. And if we end up trading down, I think Robert Meachem from Tennessee and Dwayne Bowe of LSU (who may be around in the 2nd round) are two big recievers that would add a new dimension to our offense and alleviate the pressure that Evans will get. Otherwise, I still think Price is somewhat expendable. I believe Josh Reed at least matches his abilties as a possession reciever if he can stay on the field (meanwhile, his injury probably caused a slight inflation in Price's mediocre stats). Price wasn't really used much in the capacity of a downfield threat, as you mentioned, so there wouldn't be much loss in that department. And during the season I was thinking that those WR screen plays that we ran to him should have been going to Roscoe Parrish anyway. Speaking of Roscoe, he had a reception against Jacksonville to set up a game-winning field goal that showed me he can replace Price's "toe work" that you mentioned. In all likelihood, Price stays this year, and its not the end of the world. I just think we should be keeping our eyes open to the WR position because an upgrade could go far in the way of helping Losman, Evans and McGahee play to their fullest.