BillsVet

The problem at TE is what the Bills want. In recent years, they wanted guys who were good in-line blockers they hoped could catch. Finding a guy who can do both real well is difficult, but this TE class is deep. Besides, doesn't it make sense to have the QB have another option who can make defenses honest in the middle? A guy to watch is Shawn Nelson out of Southern Mississippi, alma mater of Brett Favruh. He's got excellent speed along with good hands and put Ray Maualuga on his keester in blocking drills at the Senior Bowl. He could go at the tail end of the first after running a 4.56 at the combine. Another is Florida's Cornelius Ingram who has put on 15 pounds but is coming off an ACL tear. Ingram ran well at the combine and reportedly has some of the best hands in the class. The C and TE classes are deep. DE not so much, but if they've got a chance to grab Everette Brown I'm fine with that in the first. If not, it's time to trade down. Philly really looks good, but nothing's set in stone.

UFA simply doesn't reflect pass rushing DE's or decent TE's. I think those two positions will be targeted in the first two rounds of the draft. The center position is possible in FA, but I'm not sure if they want to spend more money on UFA centers like Brown, and to a lesser extent Saturday and Birk. I'm hopeful they add another second round pick by trading down in the first, provided they get a dance partner and getting a center like Eric Wood. I think Buffalo likes E. Brown in the first, and perhaps one of the many TE's most likely available in the second. Someone along the lines of Shawn Nelson or Cornelius Ingram. In FA, I see them going OLB, depth at OL, and maybe even WR.

Doesn't hurt that there is pressure on the QB for that play, and Favruh hung a wobbler out there to dry. Credit to Greer for taking it back, but clearly the pocket collapsed. Give me another pass rusher.

You'll have the potential for a QB controversy if Boller comes to Buffalo. Trent is the starter, but Boller's big arm will be enough for some of the armchair QB's out there. Jason Brown will get a big contract, probably in excess of what LeCharles Bentley received a few years back from Cleveland. I'm hopeful Buffalo re-signs Peters, and if so, that would mean big deals for three of their five starting OL, with Walker and Butler more modest deals. I'm not so sure the Bills will go after a free agent at C. I think they address this in the draft. I'm consistently amazed at how many distinct needs the Bills hit the off-season with. This year it's C, DE, OLB, and TE in no particular order. Last year it was DT, WR, CB, TE. The year before (06) it was a host of things as the team built the team up post-Donahoe. At some point they should be close, and to get there, it's going to take a stellar draft and free agency. If not, they'll be victimized as they were in the final 10 games this year.

I disagree. Without making this a thread about shoulda coulda woulda, Buffalo goes best player available at a position of need. They felt they needed a safety in 08, and Whitner was the need and best available in their mind. DT was a huge need, and they prioritized secondary before DL. I'm not trying to make this a Whitner stinks thread, but it was their mindset, as evidenced by the picks. Jauron does not control the purse strings on this team. And with the elevation of Modrak into the vaunted inner circle, I don't think DJ has the control over personnel he once had either. This is reminiscent of his time in Chicago when that was stripped from him after Jerry Angelo's hiring as GM. DJ is in a tough situation, although he wouldn't be on the hot-seat had he finished last year 9-7 like Buffalo easily should have. Nice guy, bad HC going up against a tough schedule in 09.

Whaddya think Bill? A free safety in the first with some coverage skills. Sounds like a winner for Buffalo!

Thanks for sharing that information. It seems like there's a lot of "cried wolf" attitudes who won't acknowledge someone. Those who post anything without as detailed an explanation get flamed quick. But I'm not surprised with any of those points. The combine makes and destroys certain players. Maualuga seems like a guy who could've been a star in the 70s or 80s, but his speed and coverage ability is not what I believe is NFL-caliber. People complain about Posluszny, but he's far better in this area. Everything will play out more, but it's little wonder the Colts are big time scouts. Sure it's their home field, but Bill Polian rarely misses on a first day pick. The whole team is basically drafted or undrafted types. Only Vinatieri I believe is a former UFA signing.

I'd be doing cartwheels if those first four picks came to fruition. I think Mack is the best fit at center for this team, and Barwin's athleticism is appealing in the second. Casey is a very productive player at a mid major school, but he's got some talent. McRath ran well at the combine, but aside from that I'm not sure.

Whitner seems like a good fit in the locker room (as opposed to Lawyer Milloy) but switching positions, eve if it's to FS full time is not something I want to hear about after three years in their system. He was taken to be a SS, and play the role in their Cover 2. This is not about Bryan Scott, Ko Simpson, or anything else. It's a matter of a player not living up to what they expected. Frankly, I hope he becomes the ball hawk they need at the FS position. But if he's not, it casts a lot more doubt onto what went on in the 06 draft.

With the options on UFA and the draft, one would think this problem should be solved. Brown, Birk, Saturday, and to a lesser extent Hangartner are available in UFA. And then there's Alex Mack and Eric Wood, who I believe best fit what Buffalo needs in a center-bulk strength to handle larger interior DL.

The point is not what another HC, it's why this team allows quality veteran players to leave and replaces them with high draft picks. The Bills have been rebuilding since the 06 offseason. And so far, the results haven't been much to write home about. Yet, the same people who have been making decisions which currently have the team coming off another 7-9 season are still the ones doing it now. It's more than who lines up at DE or LB, but team building to get this team into the playoffs. Miami and Atlanta both took teams with a shortage of talent and got them into the playoffs through two of the toughest divisions in football.

Forget it. Talking about losing players like Greer without compensation is too much for some people. Building a NFL team is a big picture type of conversation that loses too many before it even starts. Many have already pointed out that most of our top picks are replacements for players allowed to leave in UFA. Usually, people bite on a given reason why one player needed to go, but rarely can someone show how in the long term it was a good move. From a team building perspective, Buffalo has used 3 firsts and a second rounder in 3 drafts to replace players who were already performing well but allowed to leave. They dumped Milloy for Whitner, traded McGahee and drafted Lynch, allowed Fletcher to go and drafted Posluszny, and finally let Nate Clements go only to draft McKelvin a year later. It's little wonder they've been mediocre year after year. But try telling that to the residents of TSW who believe a few more players in UFA and the draft will put this team into the playoffs and over the likes of Parcells, Belichick, and the Jets. Regardless of who's on the team, it's going to be an issue overcoming the HC and his unimaginative gameplans.

It's going to take a disaster season in order for this to happen. I'm not pulling for a 5-11, but there must be a point at which people begin to see the folly of having a HC who's had 3 season of 7-9, makes huge gameday blunders, and hires assistants that no one wants. And the most absurd move is not having a GM with authority over personnel issues. If RW is that insecure about trusting someone now, wait until after the season. I hope they make the playoffs, but overcoming the HC might be tougher than their opponents in 2009. We can only wait.

Is Franco Harris available? Man, he'd be a great addition at about 58 years of age.

Translation: I'm the offensive coordinator and no one should ever question me because I watch film 80 hours per week and knew Bill Walsh.

I recall Marv Levy saying they'd made a contract offer to Nate Clements a few years ago. Unfortunately, you never allow top players to even come close to free agency without a contract. They low-balled Greer, and spun it to make it look like they were interested. They knew when the contract was offered that it wouldn't be accepted. Why was it not offered back in October if they liked him that much?

There is no position on the team with more depth than the CB position. Greer is a nice player and story, especially being a former UDFA and Tennessee track/football guy. He'd be a luxury and in the big picture the team has plenty of areas to address (all of them) above CB. Right now, the Bills need to stockpile picks to provide them options on draft day. I believe Greer would have brought a 3rd rounder with the lack of CB's available in UFA. And in this draft, it seems there will be plenty of good players who can contribute in 2-3 years available in the mid rounds. Teams do not let decent UFA's leave for nothing. Knowing that you've got limited assets is important, and with 3 7-9 seasons, the Bills need every advantage to overcome their HC who now realizes he must improve on gameday after 30+ seasons in the NFL.

Sign and trade doesn't happen in the NFL, because you have the franchise tag already in place. Name the last player signed to a long term and then traded right away. Greer's play may not be stellar to fans on this board who only watch this team, but NFL personnel people have taken note of a player who continues to improve while playing a position sorely needed by many NFL teams. If the Bills were serious about re-signing Greer, they would have done it during the season when they realized what they had. Had they tagged him with an exclusive rights tag, he would have been property of Buffalo and no one could sign him with surrendering 2 1st rounders. As it stands, Greer will leave with no compensation. If Greer gets Kelvin Hayden money, it's about 2M more on average for the first season over with the tag. If we're worried about 2M, there's serious issues then. This front office blew 49M on a guard who they overestimated, with Greer you know what you've got. Opportunity lost. And BTW, I thought Dick Jauron said you can never have too many good cornerbacks.

You underestimate the market. Greer is one of the last available decent CB's left. He had more picks than Hayden, and took back his 2 INT's for scores. He played solid football until getting injured. More than 12 teams have 20M+ in cap room, and while it's being done that way to combat the uncapped year in 2010, Greer will get a sizable offer regardless. Those names you mention, several of them are already off the market. Hayden, Asomugha, D. Robinson. Naturally, the remaining guys will benefit from all these moves. Those guys aren't better because they play for other teams. They're simply unknown to many on this board who know Greer.

The Bills accomplish this every off-season. They have so many holes to fill that it's anyone's guess which ones they will. Last year, everyone knew the Bills were desperately seeking a DT, first pursuing Shaun Rogers, they going with Stroud. This year, every team knows they'll be looking for a C, TE, and OLB. With multiple free agents on the interior OL, Robert Royal at TE, and having banished Crowell, no one has to guess what Buffalo will address first. If that thinking of not giving away information is accurate, then no one should cut anyone. Yet several NFL teams already have. And if there was any doubt about McCargo, it was put to rest when they attempted to trade him last season.

TAG and TRADE. Not TAG and retain.

It's no use. Many Bills fans here choose not to follow or ignore happenings and trends around the league. Starks is a fine example of a player not worth the franchise tender, but who will receive it. It's not about how much money the tag is worth. It's not about how good or not people think Greer is. It's got everything to do with making the most out of what you have as there's a limit to how many cap dollars and draft picks a team has. We can argue about it all day, but when you have a UFA who will command attention on the open market, you get something for them. DL Corey Williams from GB was franchised last season and subsequently traded to Cleveland for a second round pick. That's how a real front office handles this sort of thing. There are about 3 CB's in UFA who will have good offers in front of them, and Greer is one. It's non-moves like this which allow the Bills to continue rebuilding season after season without ever getting anywhere. Then again, maybe that's the way they like it.

Yesterday he had the audacity to say the 5-1 created almost unrealistic expectations. Yet last year he pointed out early on when the team lost to Arizona that no one expected a 4-0 start. Essentially, no one thought the team would start 4-0, yet when it happened it really hurt the team.

IIRC, Peters hired Eugene Parker about a year after signing that deal. I don't think he was advised all that well, and re-signing him was one of the best moves the Levy front office made. Parker obviously figured out that he had the skills to be a top LT in this league. Gross' contract probably sets the standard for what Peters will receive-whether from Buffalo or someone else. While I've never been an advocate of demanding to renegotiate a contract, it's clear he's not playing this season on that contract. To the average blue collar fan like most of us, it seems ridiculous. But these guys have a limited window to make their money and then it's gone. He's the best OL on the team by far and avoiding a pay day tells me the Bills aren't serious about winning. As for Chris Brown, of Bills Website fame, I know it's his job to hype the team and don't begrudge him for doing his job. But not having a little criticism of DJ for being in the NFL 30+ years and being such a poor gameday manager. Inexcusable.

And this is the guy that is supposed to be calling the plays? I agree he comes off as an insecure, dim-witted jerk. There's a reason he wasn't ever offered an OC job, despite acting as a QB coach for TB, NYG, CAR, and BUF (2x) Scary.