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For crying out loud, maybe it's just me, I don't think anyone here is saying Whitner can't play. He obviously has been a real leader on this team. But when you pick 8th, the guy IMHO has to be a game changer. Someone people game plan for, someone people take into account. That Raiders CB Asama-something is such a player. Haloti Ngata is such a player. Jay Cutler is such a player. Even Haynesworth is such a guy. Whitner IMO still needs to earn that and hasn't done anything on the field, that I if I were an OC would not be able to counter. He's a very good cover safety. Nothing more than that. Maybe that'll show in years to come. But his play isn't game changing. Further, that draft needs a context. We until we got Stroud this year needed a good DT. Ngata was such a guy. Because we got Whitner and passed on Ngata, we overcompensated and got McCargo while trading an extra pick. I think we need to factor that into the Whitner pick. DTs - especially blue chippers - are terribly hard to find. I would argue that we could have found a lesser talented safety either in the draft or thru FA who could have contributed adequately because someone like Ngata was collapsing pockets or stopping runners up front. A safety like Whitner is crucial to a Tampa Cover 2 system With his speed, I'm sure the Bills brass thought they needed him for that system. Fine. But please, let's stop this talk about how he was so worth that pick and that we *did* not reach. We did reach cause we needed *that* player for *this* system. It wasn't the best available player mantra at that point, it's that "we need someone like that and we don't do this now, there's no guarantee we'll find someone to fit" OK. I disagree with the decision. But I'm glad we have him just because I think he's a good guy and a good influence on his peers. I'd rather not he came at such a high price tag. But what the hell do I know. Now, this is the same FO that spent a high pick on a DB this year that they don't think they can trust to start when their starter CBs are out of commission. The guy is taking some time to learn his part. Same with the 2nd round WR Hardy. It's OK. I trust that the FO knows what they're doing. But in this league there's a balance between a guy's upside and what his immediate contribution can be. There are players like Eddie Royal and Chris Johnson from the Titans who are immediate contributors. So is DeSean Jackson. Defensive players are supposed to have an easier time. At some level, we're all Monday Morning Quarterbacking here on who we should have picked and whom we shouldn't have. That's fine. But just because I disagree with where we picked a player and why, doesn't make me an idiot. And please don't point to a toy newspaper's mid season review to justify your gripe. I'm glad we have Whitner. He's a very good player who is showing leadership qualities. Good for him. I'm awfully grateful we had Daryll Talley alongside Bruce. But we didn't have to spend a 1st rounder on Talley. So please could we stop anointing him as the next Ronnie Lott or John Lynch? I am of the opinion we reached for Donte and could have had him later. So what? Until he lays out a WR or RB cold as he's coming across his zone and that changes the tenor of the game and the opposing offense has to change the way they would normally go about their business, please, please can we just agree to disagree? C

Here's some insight. I don't know - for a vet minimum or something close with incentives maybe - I'd take a look: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/309457 C

Easy there Oak. I wasn't saying Reed wasn't valuable. But he's almost a specialist type WR. He's a third down guy. That's all well and good. But we need someone who is a good counterfoil to Evans on a consistent basis. Ala Boldin in AZ for Fitz. I think Hardy might end up being that (please God). But right now he plays like a wimp. I think Jenkins and Johnson are possession type guys who if they get into a roll, could cause Ds headaches. I'm thinking kinda like how Jackson has become Lynch's lynchpin. C

You know I won't be surprised if they use him as an extra WR. He was pretty effective in one of the games that we used him in that capacity. was it JAX? C

Our receivers with the exception of Evans and possibly Reed have underperformed. I'm looking forward to what Jenkins and Johnson can do. I like how Jenkins plays except for the boneheaded ST gaffe in one of the games this year. But I really think Johnson can be something special. He was All Fisher this year. C

OMG - he's right

The Colts could have easily won the game yesterday. At 14-6 it's a field position game. I can understand the 4th and 1 try. The run was a smart call. Unfortunately the Colts OL was slow to pick up their blocks. But why would you go for it at 4th and 2 with a low percentage play. I would have even tried to draw the DL offsides and take the delay of game. The smart money there is to punt and have them drive the entire field. It was still 14 all at that point, at least I think it was...at worse it was 17-14 Titans. The Colts just played and coached bone headed last night. C

There things - stability,stability, stability...The same head coach since they moved here. Same defensive system. Practically the same offensive system for 5 years since Heimerdinger came back. Lots to be said for that. But more than anything the HC has some cajones. Also same OL scheme since what seems like the Stone Age...

I agree with most of your observations. We should have had that game yesterday. We were simply flat.

Over and over again we hear from the FO on how we need a TE who can block. I humbly submit that it's easier to find a pass catching TE and teach him to block than to find a TE who can block and teach him to catch. TE simply hasn't been a priority for the FO the last few years and it shows...Sure wish we had Courtney Anderson now... C

Lynch might be bigger, stronger and more talented. He also gives is all. But Fred Jackson for whatever reason hits the holes cleaner & gains more yards. I don't know why. Maybe he just fits the blocking scheme better. Regardless I'm glad the staff used him more yesterday. C

Too bad our D was on the bench sipping Gatorade and looking at the scoreboard...Maybe if they tackled and took their heads out their a**es we'd be at 6-0 - just like the Titans... I'm an Edwards guy - NOW - but c'mon for a Defensive leader to come out and say that...That's just scapegoating...

Per CNN http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/...ex.html?eref=T1 Holy Cr*p...This is way cool.

As good as Ryan was - I thought the real superstar in the game yesterday was Roddy White. He caught everything thrown his way. C

After playing us, he might feel like he can play 10 more seasons...

I agree. This game wasn't about turnovers. At least not to any appreciable degree. The D was where it all began and started. Oh, the offense didn't help - but AZ was slanting us to death on the short and middle stuff. WTF? Except for that vicious hit on Warner by Mitchell, there was just no, "Let's Get After Them." It's like they were neutered or something...Maybe they were afraid to give up the big play - But when your CBs are 10 yards off the receiver - that's just silly. Fitzg. needs to be jammed at the line ala Owens. To his credit - Greer was doing that occasionally. But he lost the size advantage. Also our safeties were not as intimidating back there as they normally are. I don't know, it seems we lost this game shortly after Edwards went down. I just can't believe that with guys like Stroud, Poz, Whitner and Mitchell - they didn't get their tails up and say no more TDs for AZ. They just didn't make Warner do something different...BTW, that's about as good as I've ever seen Warner play. Holy cr8p, he looked All World out there.... C

I want to be fair in this discussion. Like all teams we have strong points and weak points. But to some degree we have been living on borrowed time on the offensive side of the ball. You can't sleep walk for 3 quarters and "believe" you'll pull it out in the 4th quarter. To a large extent, that's on the O line. I think they have been atrocious this year in their ability to run block. That left side should be annihilating defenses. Our middle is so damn soft. Fowler keeps being blown back and the other two guards overcompensate. Lynch has to gain yards mostly by himself when he goes up the middle. The way the line plays now, Jackson is the better RB for this team. He as an ability to be slippery and making his "footprint" small. Also having a pass rusher come at your QB unblocked is just plain inexcusable. A back should at least be chipping him. I have no idea why our blocking scheme didn't pick up the safety. Most of our ills this year are either directly or indirectly a result of Oline play. I don't even want to get into the whole Jason Peters thing - though I think he had a relatively good game yesterday. Only yesterday did I see how much having Edwards back there helped compensate for our shortcomings. I thought JP played well - but he is too excitable and overly emotional to calm a team down when their backs are against the wall. Finally, our receivers seem incapable of making themselves available as targets when the chips are down. I like Josh Reed's play this season in that respect - but Hardy's development had better accelerate. I don't know why Steve Johnson isn't on the field. He has great hands. Maybe his route running is suspect. I think our run offense is great when we have some good blocking. Our WRs can make plays when the QB has more than 2.5 seconds to make a throw. Our TEs just make up the numbers. I had high hopes for Schouman but he has been hopeless so far. Royal is just a locker room lawyer. He's not Witten. Not even close. As for the defense, pass rush has been a problem all along this year, but it was mitigated by us playing impotent offenses for the most part. Not getting to the quarterback is gonna hurt us unless Schobel steps us consistently. Stroud is double teamed all the time, so I have no idea what Schobel's excuse is. He was being owned by Gandy yesterday for Cr**sake. I have belief in Jauron, Schonert and Fewell - but somebody had better light a fire under both of our lines. There's too much talent there for them to be mediocre. Thank God for our kicking game. It always is gonna give us a chance. I also want to see more Youbouty than McKelvin in the secondary. Dude's a player. We have a good history of fixing stuff during the bye, hopefully that holds true for us again. Sure we're 4-1 but the next 5 games are so are gonna be brutal. And in our conference... C

Live here in NashVegas. I think the T**s are a more consistent team. Having said that - if they fall behind say by 14pts, they'd be hard pressed to have to come back. So the secret to beating them is to jump ahead and play keep away. But with that D that's awfully hard to do. C

I don't mind Hardy dropping and missing passes. I have a problem with him playing "soft" - He hasn't shown the ability to be aggressive for the ball. It's weird. That has nothing to do with route running and inexperience. It's attitude. So far he hasn't been bringing it... The guy looks like a monster but doesn't play like one...Jenkins at least is aggressive.

Yep. he consulted with them about hiring Linnehan and overseeing last years draft. I'll see if I can find that piece. C

I think Trent likes Kara...

That Marv is a wiley one...I also love what Modrak has done for us so far. I'm OK with some of our top picks - but deep in the late rounds is where our scouting staff has shined. I really like Steve Johnson this year. But man they sure whiffed on Wright the RB... And someone mentioned earlier - good DTs are rare. So are good safeties. But a good DT will make an above average safety "look" great. C

Yeah, kinda like a QB from Stanford who got beaten up so bad it prepped him for a great NFL career ;-) I'm still scratching my head over that one... C

yes, yes I understand why they didn't pick him...My money would have been on Ngata. The guy is unblockable. I think we would have been a little ahead in our rebuild if we had gotten him. I like Whitner - now. Though I still remain to be convinced he was a legit top 10 pick. As for throwing turds on sh-- Mountain - you kidding me? Cutler played at Vanderbilt man...Any O-line even ours at the time, and he would have thought he had all day...Plus he has serious wheels and is tough as nails... I agree Donte was a safe pick - not a big risk - yet no big upside. And ultimately that might have been the call - let's not screw this up. Still I heard that Wilson loved Cutler - and if Levy loved him too - I am surprised they didn't pull the trigger. C

I think Whitner is developing well. But we had our choice of Ngata or Cutler. I would have traded down and picked Whitner - if I I was so hot on him. Or picked Ngata. But if this was a luxury pick - which it wasn't - I would have gotten Cutler. I work at Vandy. You could tell the kid was something special. Plus he's from Santa Claus, IND. You gotta love that. C