Got_Wood

The key to building through the draft is 1. getting lucky with the right players, and 2. keeping your core players when they develop. We have proven that we have a difficult time with both (ex: Nate Clements, Marshawn Lynch, Poz, and soon to be Whitner and Maybin). And if you can't hit on draft picks, you need to be able to sign players in free agency to stay competitive. You can't just rely on backups to step in or wait for free agent left overs when everyone is done cleaning up the market. I hope we step up this year in free agency.

Yeah, I was thinking Nick Barnett from the Packers as opposed to Kevin Burnett from the Chargers. The guy is a playmaker. He might be 30, but that isn't terribly old. And he could teach our young guys a thing or two also. I would like any one of the 4 guys to be honest. They're all talented, and we're a little short of that at the LB position right now.

Great options out there in unrestricted free agency at linebacker right now. I hope we're not banking on young guys that aren't ready yet.

I completely agree. Let's not go overboard for a marginally talented QB (Losman) and trade up, wasting additional draft picks. I really am scared that these guys are going to pull something boneheaded like that. Hope I'm wrong. Still praying for a draft like this: 1. Miller / Dareus / Fairley / Newton (maybe) 2. Carimi / Ijalana / Clayborn / Ayers

If you watched Steve McNair play, you wouldn't say that. He was a good QB, and a dual threat QB. Not only did he have six 3,000+ yard seasons, but he also had a completion percentage of 60%, and had five 400+ rushing yard seasons. And they went to the playoffs in 4 out of 7 seasons that he was a starter. I would take a young Steve McNair on this team any day.

Why is that? Character issues? Remember Bruce Smith's "character issues"? No regrets there. If they are the best at what they do, I would take any one of these guys. The character concerns are very minor from my perspective. There are no criminals or drug users here.

The 3 QB's I would take on this team: -> Cam Newton Pros: winner, athletic, playmaker, leader, accurate Cons: focus off the field, new under center NFL Comparison: Steve McNair -> Ryan Mallett Pros: big arm, winner, accurate, knows how to find the endzone, football smart Cons: Needs guidance, confidence NFL Comparison: Drew Bledsoe -> Colin Kaepernick Pros: athletic, winner, accurate, playmaker Cons: too light, new under center NFL Comparison: Randall Cunningham Also consider: Andy Dalton

Let's just say it's in Buffalo in the middle of January. Fairley may not like snow, but he could learn to like it. He's a monster.

We've seen everything you can think of as far as the draft is concerned this year. A million different mock drafts, combine workouts, pro day workouts, team visits, Mayock this, and Kiper that. Basically piles of information that serves only to confuse the hell out of you by the time draft day arrives. I was thinking a lot about this, and really it comes down to the best FOOTBALL Players in its simplest sense. Think back to when you were a kid on the playground. There was always a team captain, and all the other kids would stand there and wait to get picked for each team. Kids of all shapes and sizes would wait nervously and hope they wouldn't get picked last. But the kids picking the players for their team knew exactly the kinds of guys they wanted. They either wanted the fast, athletic guys that could burn the other team, or they wanted the big, mean guys that could intimidate the other team. And most likely, the captains would weed out a QB for their team early on as well. Right now, if you look at this team, the Bills have a lot of those fast, athletic guys that can burn the other team (Lee Evans, Steve Johnson, CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson, Roscoe Parrish, Leodis McKelvin, etc.). But we don't have a ton of intimidation on this squad. We've got guys like Kyle Williams, Paul Posluszny, Eric Wood, and now Shawne Merriman. But is there anyone that can lay a big hit on another team? I know Chris Kelsay and Akin Ayodele aren't scaring anyone out there. We need some intimidation on this team. Our division opponents have plenty of punch out there. New England: Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, and Brandon Meriweather will take your head off. Miami: Cameron Wake, Karlos Dansby, and Yeremiah Bell are beasts. New York: Bart Scott, David Harris, Calvin Pace, Jason Taylor, and Shaun Ellis bring tons of pressure. So look at this draft and tell me who (from a playground point of view) you would take on your team? These are the guys that I think will make a big difference: Round 1: Von Miller Nick Fairley Marcell Dareus Cam Newton (he's big, fast, and he'll run you over) Round 2: Akeem Ayers Marvin Austin Adrian Clayborn Gabe Carimi (big, mean OT) Ben Ijalana (another big, mean O-lineman) (I factor in our ability to run the ball as an intimidating factor for us when deciding to include O-lineman) So, that's my take on this whole thing. Take it for what it's worth.

Yeah, the free market worked out well with real estate in this country didn't it... The "free market" isn't so free my friend. Not when it's manipulated by the wealthy 1% of this country (and wealthy of the world for that matter). And guess what, I'm no blue collar liberal. I'm a white collar right winger that's paid my dues. But it's not about that. It's about the rich vs. non-rich. And sooner or later the little guy fights back.

I agree with this. A TV boycott would be huge, but hard to organize such a massive "fan blackout". But I'd love to shove our own blackout back in their face.

Ok, I'm glad I started this thread. Clearly this is the way many fans think out there. Soon enough the NFL will need to start thinking about how they can make watching football entertaining, while still affordable. Not just issuing threats like blackouts for games that aren't sold out. Eventually the growth becomes unsustainable.

They have a great product that is deteriorating the more they allow commercial interests to taint the fabric of what makes football great. It's a tough mans game, an endurance game, and a display of sheer athleticism. We still have great athletes, but their increasingly more worried about not getting injured. And the endurance part of the game is gone. This may come as a shock to some of you... but the average NFL game has 11 MINUTES OF ACTION. See this article in the WSJ as evidence. So that 3 1/2 hours of game we're watching is filled with timeouts, commercial breaks, and running clock.

The entire league, including the owners and players, are filled with greed. I mean, it's getting to the point where I can't stand these people. I've been a Bills fan, and football fan in general, for my entire life. And the league as it stands is threatening to take football away from the average fan, even if they decide to take the field this year. Ticket prices continue to rise (not so much in Buffalo as other cities), parking lot fees are expensive, stadiums seats are being replaced with luxury boxes, beer and food is unaffordable, etc etc. Players aren't as loyal to their teams anymore because they want the best paycheck they can find. Cities can't keep their stadiums anymore, because they don't have enough luxury seating, jumbo trons, or tourist attractions. And the average tax payer is expected to foot a good percentage of the bill for a new stadium to support the wealthy that the league wants attending these games. If they think fans care about the billionaires vs. millionaires battle going on right now, they can stuff it. I'd be pissed if there wasn't football this year, but it won't ruin my year by any means. These guys need a reality check. "Growth" has it's limits. And the NFL can't forget the fans that made the league what it is today. The average, blue collar, hard working man. This article has some great insight into the current state of the league... http://www.jsonline.com/sports/117500703.html

I agree with you. Perhaps the ILB position coach should be filled by Edwards, and Wannstedt will take over the defense. Gailey can't be passive and worry about stepping on people's toes. His own job is at stake if this staff doesn't succeed in the near future. I hope they take a hard look at Wannsedt, Ryan, Singletary, and Mangini. At least consider it.

Cheating on a test and buying a laptop that was previously stolen. These hardly make him a bad person. You have to use common sense when making a judgment about an individual. The recruiting thing I'm mixed about. In many cases, the parents are the one's to blame for accepting money from college programs, agents, or boosters. It sounds like Newton's father benefited the most from this situation, not Cam himself. When you're an 18 year old kid, you tend to follow the example set by your parents. Cam may not have had a choice in the matter. He's just like many other star college athletes before him who have been subject to the same treatment. Typically the parents get the house and car. Either way, none of these things make me believe he can't be a great football player.

Always be weary of the guys that shoot up the draft boards late. Typically they are guys that have all the physical attributes you want in a player. On paper, Gabbert looks like a blue chip prospect. But where it counts, he falls short. 3,186 yards, 16 TDs, 9 Ints, 63% completions. This is in a spread offense that is supposed to generate BIG numbers. Doesn't impress me much. Two years straight they lost in disappointing bowl games to Iowa in the Insight Bowl, and Navy in the Texas Bowl. And in many of the games against the biggest opponents (Nebraska, Texas, OK State), he choked. Look past all of these supposed draft experts, and you have a guy that should be in the 3rd or 4th round based on his merits.

I agree that Fitz has a ton of character. But the talent + character combination isn't quite as strong as what you get from Cam Newton. I would have no problem going into next season with Fitzpatrick as our starting QB, especially if we draft a guy like Fairley, Bowers, or Dareus. But the potential that Newton has to make us a winner is intriguing at the very least.

You're correct. He left Florida because there was a certain player there named Tim Tebow, who wasn't about to be benched after his performance the past two seasons. Once he knew Tebow was returning, he had to go somewhere he could play. And everyone on here knows damn well that his so called "character concerns" are everyday problems a normal college kid goes through. We're talkin' football here. Newton is a guy who is dedicated, as athletic as they come, smart, a leader, a motivator, and a team player. That's the guy I want. Now, if a guy like Fairley or Bowers is there at #3... I won't be upset if we take them either. But I'm not sure they will be.

Many people have brought this up, including the media. But I don't get it. He didn't leave the field. He didn't give up. He took a BIG shot from the safety, sucked it up, and stayed in the game to lead his team to a victory. Now I'm not even sure that Cam Newton is the best pick for us at #3. But I won't be upset if we do grab him. It would finally give me something to be excited about with this team. (And no I wasn't excited when we signed Terrell Owens.)

If you look past all of the draft talk, the stats, the measurables, the prototypical player for a position, and all of the other talk that goes on about the players before the NFL Draft... there are the intangibles. Players that possess an ability to lead men, to inspire the players around them, and win at all costs. These are the kinds of players the Bills need to bring in. And they don't come around very often.

When you haven't gone to the playoffs in over 10 years, you should explore all options. We can never be content, or we'll be left in the dust.

You're right, my fault... Auburn University, not to be confused with University of Alabama at Birmingham. I associate the two because of the similar lettering, but they're not the same.

1. Sadly one of the Bills all-time greats, Cookie Gilchrist, passed away at the age of 75 after a long battle with cancer. http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3/Bills-Gilchrist-passes-at-75/53a0d019-0a31-4f1c-97e9-f4d5d3e864e8 2. In more positive news, the Buffalo Bills Coaching Staff will get the first crack at evaluating some of the top senior talent coming out of college football, as they have been selected to coach the South team at the Senior Bowl: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-7577980 3. The Bills may end up passing on Whitner in free agency. I know this topic has been discussed before, but I believe the Bills should consider converting McGee to safety. Excellent open field tackler, and great nose for the ball. Maybe even an upgrade over Donte at the safety position. Champ Bailey would like to do something similar (converting to safety) to extend his career in the NFL: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/27/champ-bailey-wont-give-broncos-hometown-discount/ 4. Walter Football’s latest mock draft has us taking UAB Defensive End, Nick Fairley at #3 overall. I like it: http://walterfootball.com/draft2011.php . Make sure to watch him in the national championship game tonight at 8:30 eastern time. You will quickly notice his dominating presence out there. 5. Congrats to former Bills running backs Marshawn Lynch and Willis McGahee on helping their teams move on to the second round of the playoffs. And a shout out to former UB running back James Starks on his breakout performance against Philly to propel the Packers to the second round as well. 6. Some player Tweets of the past couple weeks: a. Twitter / @Cj Spiller "I'm go ahead n go on record rt now n say it bills fans reserve ur tixs for playoffs nxt year bc I'm make sure we be playing this time nxt yr" b. Twitter / @shawnemerriman “RT @jaylyno15: @shawnemerriman shouldve went to the jets with LT and Cromartie bro and im a chargers fan... nope I'm in the right place” c. Regarding Marshawn’s performance for Seattle this weekend: Twitter / @StevieJohnson13 “Going Down As One Of The Best TD Runs Ever In Playoff History!!! Anybody Who Say It Ain't Is A Str8 Up Hater! Keep Shinin' Brah! ML” 7. The offensive line group in this year’s draft class is deep. I would love to see the Bills grab a top level offensive tackle in the 2nd round. Here is NFL Draft Scout’s rankings of the top players: http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/players.php?genpos=OT&draftyear=2011&sortorder=tsxpos&order=ASC 8. There are quite a few free agents in the 2011 class that the Bills should at least take a look at. Many of these guys will re-sign with their respective teams, but a couple of them will likely hit the open market. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-freeagents111810 9. Lots of high quality coaches on the market should the Bills consider upgrading to their defensive coaching staff. See John Fox, Mike Singletary, Eric Mangini, and Dave Wannstedt. 10. Are Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey considering the top QB’s in this year’s draft now that Luck has dropped out? If so, who’s it going to be? Newton, Mallett, Locker, Gabbert, McElroy, Foles, Ponder, Stanzi, Devlin, Taylor, or Kaepernick? Even if Fitzpatrick is our starter next year, we need depth behind him. a. Other considerations would be free agents: i. Vince Young ii. Alex Smith iii. Matt Leinart iv. Brady Quinn v. Tyler Thigpen vi. Rex Grossman vii. Shaun Hill viii. Dennis Dixon ix. Troy Smith x. Kerry Collins xi. Tim Tebow (may become available if staff chooses another direction) xii. Kevin Kolb (possibly available) xiii. Donovan McNabb (may become available) xiv. Trent Edwards (very funny) xv. Jimmy Clausen (may be available if Panthers select new QB) That's all for this week! But stay tuned during the offseason for more updates.

That's true. His experience as a head coach may help transition a little better. He's had an opportunity to game plan at a high level, and the 49ers defense has been very good since he's been in charge. I'd be willing to give him a shot if the opportunity presented itself. And I also agree with Zulu that Phillips would likely not even consider Buffalo after what happened to him last time around. Two scenarios may make him consider the job, 1.) Ralph Wilson sells the team, or (more likely) 2.) The job market is stiff and he doesn't have any other options. Either way, probably a slim chance. Other options to consider might be Jack Del Rio or Jeff Fisher if they end up leaving their respective teams.