2020 Our Year For Sure

Great avatar

Why? On a general note, I have this suspicion that our management realizes we're picking football players as opposed to positions...even if some members of this forum do not.

I doubt it. When would you say the offense opened up and JP's performance improved? Week 9 was Green Bay, week 10 was @ Indy, week 11 was @ Houston, and week 12 was Jacksonville...I'd say the offense opened up starting week 11 with the Texans, and I'm sure you'd agree. So drawing a line right where JP and the offense picked things up, here are Price's numbers: first 9 games 27 catches, 3 catches/game 231 yards, 25.6 yards/game last 7 games 22 catches, 3.1 catches/game 171 yards, 24.4 yards/game stats are from here As I see it, we have no reason to believe Price's production will be any better next year. Even when the passing game was clicking, he still wasn't providing us with what we need from our #2 reciever. With no increase in the numbers there's no reason to expect him to improve next season.

With the money it costs to franchise Clements counting against the cap this year, I doubt Derrick Dockery would be a Bill. Whats more valuable, one year of outstanding cornerback play, or seven years of a running game?

Strange line of thinking. How often do teams find a great outside linebacker in the 3rd round? Or a great cornerback? Or a quality run-stuffer? Maybe we should just skip our 3rd rounder altogether. Although I do believe Lindell is getting on in years, maybe we could draft his replacement?

Its only funny to Monty Python fans.

I know you want to trade down...but what if we can't? Why can't we consider all positions at #12? Okay, so who IS the 1-technique answer? Who are we locked into so much that we can't consider other positions, like OL, WR, DE, etc.? Again, who is so much better? As I said, I do realize you want to trade down, probably to the range where we'd be able to draft the crazy name from Penn State or Timmons...but if we can't trade down and are drafting from 12th, again, who are we so in love with that we must make a pick at this position and can't look at the entire draft board? Right. It doesn't really make sense for a Tampa 2 team to draft a CB 12th overall anyway...but even if we did, that draft pick wouldn't be any more of a sure thing than Youboty is. You realize this, and yet you still think we must pick from one of these positions in the 1st? On the contrary to what you stated, I don't think there's any reason why we can't pick the best player available. If we get a hard-on for Jarrett, Lynch, Anderson, Brown, or anybody else...and really think one of these guys is the type of player that will make an impact in the NFL...why can't we draft them? Can't defense be the priority without being the 1st rounder? If we drafted offense in the 1st and defense in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th...what would you say our draft emphasized?

Yeah, think of all the guard-tackle combos we could have on the right side: Preston-Whittle Preston-Walker Preston-Butler Preston-Pennington Whittle-Walker Whittle-Butler Whittle-Pennington Butler-Whittle Butler-Walker Butler-Pennington Merz-Whittle Merz-Walker Merz-Butler Merz-Pennington Walker-Butler Walker-Whittle Walker-Pennington And this is excluding Reyes, and anyone else who we acquire. Even if you were to assume Walker will start, there's still 7 different ways we could line up. Should be an interesting preseason.

It's funny cause its troo.

I think Adam Carriker would be a good fit. He'd make half this board say "Who?" or "What the !@#$?" and the analysts would all call him a reach. Yet, I've read some reports saying the kid is a good DT prospect.

I agree that if the draft was tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to go best player available. But that fact is a moot point, because there's plenty of time before the draft. I expect the Bills to add a 1-technique DT (Ian Scott?) and a veteran cornerback (possibly re-signing Kiwaukee) through free agency. These two moves would be pretty cheap and easy, but would take us from being forced to draft a position to being able to select the best player available, which increases our chances of successfully drafting an impact player. The more players you can choose from, the more likely you are to pick a great one. One of your positions of need is linebacker. Why must we draft a linebacker in the 1st round? Our current linebacking core features Takeo Spikes on one side...last season, Spikes was only at full strength for one play, and that one play was a sack on Tom Brady and a forced fumble that went for a touchdown opening day. After that, it was an injury-riddled season for him. There have been cases of players with injuries similar to the one that ended Spikes' 2005 season that didn't get back to full strength until their second year back (Julian Peterson). There's nothing wrong with seeing what Spikes can do for us this year. Our other outside 'backer at the moment is Keith Ellison, who was on a level of play clearly above his 6th round draft status. He has the type of speed and athleticism that this system calls for from it's OLBs, and he should improve with his second season both in the NFL and in the Tampa 2. But still...don't trust Spikes? Not comfortable with Ellison? Want another option in the middle, besides Crowell? The draft is more than one round! There's no reason why we must take a LB in the 1st. And then your next position of need is DT. Agreed, the team as it stands now must add a defensive tackle, but a solid rotation guy (probably a free agent) for the 1-tech position to replace Tim Anderson will do. Williams showed potential playing on the nose last year, and most agree he can stand to benefit from adding some strength this offseason. McCargo also showed some flashes just before his injury, and its unfortunate he had to miss that time. But you drafted these guys for a reason, right? You have to give these guys a chance to develop as they enter their 2nd NFL (and 2nd Tampa 2) season. It wouldn't be so terrible to go into the season with McCargo and Tripplett at the 3-tech, with Williams and a solid free agent on the nose. As for corner, I agree, replacing Clements is an area of concern. Last year, the pass defense was ugly until they changed the system and allowed Nate to play more man-to-man against the opposition's #1 WR. But here's a newsflash: even if we were to address CB in the 1st round, in all likelihood that player would NOT be able to match Clements' role in the defense. So we're forced to hope that our zone pass defense will be improved this year. That means the coaches must find a way to get the most out of Terrence McGee (who struggled last year) and Ashton Youboty. Youboty hasn't played much to this point, but he's the physical, smart, good-tackling corner that can potentially fit into the system. And then you can bring in any one of a number of second-tier CBs from free agency, whether its re-signing Kiwaukee, or bringing in Nick Harper, or any of a bunch of other guys out there. Cornerback should still be addressed at some point in this draft, but again, I see no reason why it must be with a 1st round pick. This isn't to say we can't take a player from one of these positions...I've got no problem if the Bills take Patrick Willis, or Revis, or Okoye. But these positions aren't so awful that we're forced into it. If our braintrust is high on the likes of Levi Brown, Marshawn Lynch, Dwayne Jarrett, Jamaal Anderson...there's nothing wrong with them pulling the trigger. I'm open to anyone who doesn't play quarterback or safety. Its important to remember that free agency isn't over, and the draft is more than one round. I'm also definitely open to a trade-down, adding picks and allowing us to solidify multiple positions.

Why can't TSW be about getting information on potential draftees, potential free agents, discussing which players we should go after through either of these avenues, what we should do with any situation that arises (McGahee), what players are out there that fit into our schemes, discussing where our young players are in their progression, the impact of recently acquired players, and on and on and on. What, exactly, makes debating whether or not our defense is the worst in the league, 6 months before the season starts, a higher calling? There are plenty of worthwhile ways to use TSW other than arguing that we should have re-signed Nate Clements, and that people who go to the games know best.

If thats whats going on here, its a job well done by the management. But bringing down McGahee's price range isn't the only thing this accomplishes...now that Willis sees he doesn't have the value he thought he had, he's going to work hard in his upcoming contract year to get that value so he can recieve a big payday next offseason. This insures that we'll get McGahee's best in '07. Get ready to play the Jets 16 times...

I'm definitely with you on your point as a whole, as I believe the nose tackle is the position that needs to be addressed and we're better off doing that through free agency. However, I don't think Kyle Williams is "ideally suited" to play the 3-technique position. He just doesn't have the quickness to shoot the gap and get into the backfield with the consistency that you need from that spot. I see Kyle Williams as a decent, developing nose tackle, who is going to improve as he adds strength and NFL experience. That said, we still have Tripplett and McCargo at the 3 and only Williams at the nose (Anderson is good as gone), so whoever we add better be able to play on the nose. Unless we want to move McCargo, which I'm not ready to do. Okoye doesn't make too much sense, but wouldn't Alan Branch be nice?

Great great back but I think we need Willis to plug big hole in middle

Well, then we'd be one right tackle away. We'll see about Butler and Pennington, though.

This team has no need for a TE. Now that we have a decent offensive line, I expect Royal to be used to his capability in the passing game instead of helping to block defensive ends.

I don't think the problem was the money, but the contract length. Despite my display name, I'm thinking its a bad idea for a Tampa 2 team (with its stress on speed) to be giving a 5-year deal to a 32 year old middle linebacker. I think he'd be a Bill if he wanted to sign a 3 year, $15 million deal. Time to say so long to London as I wonder who on this defense will replace his leadership. Looks like our MLB next year is either Patrick Willis or Angelo Crowell.

Still goin' with former Bears DT Ian Scott to push Tim Anderson into unemployment.

And a well done to you as well, good to see one person man up.

In reality, neither of those things were actually said. But don't let me interrupt, you had a real head of steam there.

Why in the world would you trade McGahee and then bring in a stop-gap free agent halfback? If you're going to have a vet and a rookie, just let McGahee be the vet.

I'd put OLB on a P6. One of our current OLBs, Angelo Crowell, was a MLB up until a couple of years ago...we have the option of drafting (or signing) an OLB and moving Crowell to the middle, and Priority 6 seems to describe this situation best.

If Jake Scott is good, why didn't they tender him an offer?

About Pennington, isn't 319 a bit light for a 6-7 right tackle? You'd think he could stand to benefit from putting on some more weight as left ends are generally a bit slower off the snap than right ends, and some more muscle could help him in the running game. Additionally, his 6-7 frame should allow for some more weight without losing too much speed/quickness/agility, right?