BillsVet

The Bills spent 75M last season for a LG and RT. How many teams spend this kind of money for a G and RT? Not many. Fowler is a body that is thrown around like a rag doll. One common denominator last year was an inability to run the ball up the middle, Fowler's home. You can't tell me there wasn't a guy they liked at C available in Rounds 5 or 6. What is fifth rated rushing yards anyway? Buffalo was 15th in the league in rushing, and Lynch fell just short of 4 ypc. Additionally, this team lucked into Jason Peters. Had they not, this OL would still have serious issues, as LT is the most important OL position hands down. Buffalo has exactly one player drafted on this team (Butler) who was expected to contribute as an OL. Peters was not, and I'd remind fans of DJ, Marv, et al. that #71 was a Donahoe UDFA. It cannot be said enough, you build with good QB play, and superior OL and DL. Fringe positions like WR and CB are not as instrumental to a team's success. The OL depth continues to be a problem, in light of Whittle, Preston, and Chambers being those top backups you're referring to. This is not good.

I don't think there's a true decision maker at OBD. IMO, Brandon is doing the humble thing (by virtue of not knowing personnel as much) and delegating a lot to Jauron. This is being done to prevent any excuses should, and I only mean should, Jauron be given the ax at the end of the season. Remember, Jauron's been present for three drafts now, and Additionally, Modrak has given his input, but being chief scout, isn't going to make picks. Therefore, I see Jauron pretty much running the show. Perhaps not all the picks have his signature, but certainly many of them. This is what happens where no bonafide GM with a proven talent evaluation background is present. People say Donahoe didn't build the OL in the draft. Well, what have the Bills done the past 3 years to develop homegrown NFL prospects? Merz and Pennington were cut, leaving only Butler. Last year, Buffalo selected exactly zero OL. This year, they took a chance on a developmental prospect. Meanwhile, they've gone with 3 FA's, Peters who Donahoe lucked into, and Butler. Behind them? Preston, a Donahoe pick, journeyman Whittle, and street FA Kirk Chambers. Meanwhile, the Pats have a homegrown-heavy OL that is smart, although not quite what they were in the regular season. Why is it difficult to draft OL in the 4th round or higher for this franchise?

Peters was a UDFA from 2004 that was cut and subsequently re-signed. Minimum two year project. Worth a flyer.

Polian, AJ Smith, Pioli/Belichick, Jerry Reese, Parcells, and Ted Thompson are what you need in an NFL front office. Unfortunately, none of those guys are in Buffalo. Polian's departure was the beginning of a slow descent.

Wright was Ralph's personal pick last year. Ralph should stay the heck out of the draft...but he's the owner. Sometimes I get the feeling this team is being run like the Indians in Major League. Another RB? Well, at least it's only a 6th. We might have gotten the next Tom Brady.

Kellen Davis looks like a football player...he just doesn't always play like one.

It's somewhat reassuring that Mayock likes this (I don't have NFLN) but at the same time, the OL depth is putrid. Whittle wasn't much before he went down, and this team had a lot of luck not being hit with the injury bug until Peters in Week 16. That said, Jauron is running the show. That should be clear now.

At this point, perhaps another K or P. DJ Fitzpatrick isn't caddying well enough. Honestly, how about a OL? And we all bashed Donahoe for not taking OL for depth...now Dick's taking CB's. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Because those guys were solid in Oakland, and the latter in Atlanta and Oakland. So where's the pixie dust for us to sprinkle on these guys to make them "good." Absolutely. DJ's probably asking how they can play more 5 or 6 CB type defenses.

Yes, maybe they'll play 8 CB defense this season.

Does anyone doubt the Jauron influence now? Why have a GM/COO whatever when you've got DJ making picks?

6 DB's in 2+ drafts...and we have no depth on the OL...yes why not take a CB!

Thanks Dick. Why on earth? And we wonder why this guy wins 43% of his games.

DJ strikes again!!!!!

character just went out the window

Hard to believe the Bills are almost 22M beneath the cap. And fans around here are worried about a few million. Amazing. Then again, that's par for the course.

I, like many on this board, thought of you yesterday Bill. Without having met you, I know you weren't thrilled. I have a hard time standing idly by, having season tickets, and seeing the philosophy of this team so flawed. Having no GM, and worse, no plan for the future of the franchise (at least publicized) and a HC with a terrible career record can be daunting. But alas, I will remain a Bills fan, because what else is there?

Apparently, the Bills will be getting the ball at their opponent's 20 yard line this season to start drives. obie is correct, in that they didn't throw the ball into the endzone much anyway. Regardless, Hardy had serious issues matching up against Jake Ikegwuono from Wisonsin and Vontae Davis if Illinois, two very good CB's. Put simply, Hardy did not play well against better CB's, although he abused Justin King, who was not good this year and wasn't a first day pick. 12 of his 16 TD's came against Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron, Minnesota, Ball State, Northwestern and King's Penn State.

Brad Cottam has had so many surgeries, it's hard to believe he'll be durable. Measureables are one thing, but his health is another. He's challenging Mark Schlereth for total surgeries, and he hasn't made it to the NFL yet. For my money, Kellen Davis is the best option at TE.

This team's HC is defensive minded, almost to a fault. He exercised no control over the former OC who couldn't call plays for a Pop Warner team. DJ has immense say in who this team drafts, given that the COO isn't a personnel guy. Hopefully Modrak can remind Dick his offense was ranked near the bottom in almost every category save rushing. It would not surprise me to see a CB in round 1, although with all the resources devoted to the defense in the off-season, it's hard to look at the offense and think that magically this team will improve. I could accept a pass rusher, but a CB will be a disaster. Who's Trent going to throw to?

Not Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin. Can't see it happening regardless. He wants a large contract, and it would jack up the price for Evans.

It says that Larry Tripplett was a swing and a miss. Stroud is a different type of DT than Tripplett or K. Williams, both of whom were thrown out of the way on a regular basis. Stroud was also the Bills letting go of the smaller and quicker philosophy which hasn't exactly panned out. I don't think the comparison carries weight. My take on obtaining Sheppard is that Buffalo allowed NC to go in FA, and now may (and I only mean potentially) be adding a top CB who will demand a long term deal worth many millions. Why couldn't the Bills have worked out something with NC after franchising him in Febraury 2006? I'm very sure a deal wouldn't have been in the neighborhood of what he got when FA began in March 2007 because we all know the price jumps when every team has a shot at a guy. That's as opposed to when one team has rights like Buffalo did when they franchised him. Or the Bills could have done what GB did with Corey Williams. Besides, this defense doesn't need elite corners.

The Bills aren't big on handing out large contracts to CB's. If they swing a trade for Sheppard, what does that say about the fiasco surrounding NC two years ago? Essentially, if Buffalo makes this trade, it means they prefer players from other systems over their own drafted players. Remember, minus Marv, this is the same front office that potentially would make this deal that said no to NC.

That you Orenthal?

So a guy goes and studies the top 2 rounds of the last seven drafts for SB teams, declares his findings, and it's disputed? Arguing with Raimus is like yelling at what Raimus rhymes with...you'll never get anywhere. It's like trying to tell a blind man what Niagara Falls looks like. Amazingly, people still don't understand that the game is won in the trenches and with QB's. Go figure, Losman wasn't good, the OL had guys like Villarrial, Gandy, and Fowler starting one season. The DT's were sub 300 pounders pushed out of the way like a bully taking candy from a kindergartner. No playoffs? Makes plenty of sense. Good teams draft DL, as a matter of fact. Not surprisingly, the Bills starting front four this coming season were all originally drafted in either rounds 1 or 2! And we wonder if DL isn't important!