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I happen to think that Bennett deserves at least some HOF consideration, as is. He not only had a great career in Buffalo, but was credited for being the heart and soul of the Falcons defense a few years ago, when they made it to the Super Bowl. I think he is a very underrated, and under appreciated player. I think Bills fans were pretty rough on him at times, toward the end. They guy played hard, game in game out, and played injured very frequently. The guy just had an amazing knack for big plays, at the most opportune times... I don't think the Bills have had a guy with that knack since, except for maybe Nate Clements... as much talant as there was on those Bills defenses, IMO, they weren't coached all that well. They relied on Bennett and Odomes a little too much, to steal games. One of the reasons they don't get mentioned as one of the great defenses. In fact, the defense prior to that, in 1988 was far more disciplined, and dominant. That slo-mo NFL films shot of he and Talley walking off the field, looking dejected as hell, in the waining moments of Super Bowl 28 kind of epitomizes that period of Bills football for me...

Oh irving is just a gem to listen to on the radio. He gives english speaking people lessons on the proper way to pronounce skrake instead of straight. There is also his ever popular view on how romo's grandma must have been down in the slaves shack back in the day cause tony can't have those kind of moves on the field unless he was part black. Then there's Nate the two time fellon who gives his view on how much weed he could fit into the trunk of a volkswagen. Don't see Emmit being part of that kind of show.

Just like Nate Clements was a couple of years ago. I hope I'm watching ESPN and here this, "We have breaking news coming in from the NFL at this hour. John Clayton is reporting that Albert Haynesworth, the bohemoth DT from the Tennessee Titans, has signed a FA deal with the Buffalo Bills. The terms are not yet disclosed, but he is now officially off the market. We suspect he is now the highest paid DL in the NFL. We'll give more details as we get them."

I'm not talking about keeping him. I think I've been quite clear and in the thread about Kelvin Hayden that the idea is: TAG AND THEN TRADE HIM. There are multiple teams in need of a solid cover CB with plenty of cap room. Teams like KC, TB, MIA, DET, and SF have room to use for a CB and 25M+ to spend. After today, there are three fewer options in UFA this year now that Dunta Robinson, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Dunta Robinson are unavailable. The Giants also placed a 2nd round tender on one of their CB's today. Every year the board underestimates how much players get in UFA. We may think collectively that 9.9M is too much for Greer, and it is. But the market, not fan opinion, dictates how much is spent on these guys. No one ever thought Nate Clements would get the deal he did. No one thought Bob Sanders would get the contract he did. Or Adalius Thomas. And no one around here saw the Bills signing about the 4th best guard in UFA for 49M over 7 years. Be prepared to be surprised when Greer signs a deal somewhere around 35-40M over 5-6 years after 2/27. Tagging and trading won't be that bad of an idea after he moves on to greener pastures.

Yea, we'd be "stuck" w/ a solid cover corner who can tackle and is a total team guy. Yes, it is A LOT of money for any corner, but aren't we sick of developing top cb's, only let 'em walk for nothing? (See Winfield, Antonio or Clements, Nate). Top corners are very difficult to get your mitts on. After Greer gets top 10 money elsewhere, which he will, we'll be one injury away from serious problems. And we had 2 injuries last year, not one. AND, McGee is a FA after next year....Still look like a good idea to let a very good corner walk for nothing? He's gone, unfortunately.....

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.

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?

Mike Williams was more than dominant at Texas. The idea that Texas players vs. Alabama players are somehow less ready for the NFL is kind of ridiculous. Here's some backup. Here is the list of Alabama players in the NFL Mark Anderson Chicago Bears Wesley Britt New England Patriots Fernando Bryant Pittsburgh Steelers Anthony Bryant New York Giants Matt Caddell St. Louis Rams Simeon Castille Cincinnati Bengals Tim Castille Arizona Cardinals Jeremy Clark New York Giants Brodie Croyle Kansas City Chiefs Kenneth Darby St. Louis Rams Wallace Gilberry Kansas City Chiefs Cornelius Griffin Washington Redskins Roman Harper New Orleans Saints Jarret Johnson Baltimore Ravens Anthony Madison Pittsburgh Steelers Evan Mathis Cincinnati Bengals Le'Ron McClain Baltimore Ravens Kindal Moorehead Atlanta Falcons Antwan Odom Cincinnati Bengals Charlie Peprah Green Bay Packers Ramzee Robinson Detroit Lions DeMeco Ryans Houston Texans Chris Samuels Washington Redskins Justin Smiley Miami Dolphins Kenny Smith New England Patriots Deshea Townsend Pittsburgh Steelers and Texas: Cedric Benson Cincinnati Bengals Justin Blalock Atlanta Falcons Tarell Brown San Francisco 49ers Jamaal Charles Kansas City Chiefs Tim Crowder Denver Broncos Leonard Davis Dallas Cowboys Phil Dawson Cleveland Browns Derrick Dockery Buffalo Bills Jermichael Finley Green Bay Packers Brandon Foster Indianapolis Colts Cedric Griffin Minnesota Vikings Michael Griffin Tennessee Titans Ahmard Hall Tennessee Titans Casey Hampton Pittsburgh Steelers Tony Hills Pittsburgh Steelers Michael Huff Oakland Raiders Quentin Jammer San Diego Chargers Derrick Johnson Kansas City Chiefs Nate Jones St. Louis Rams D.D. Lewis Seattle Seahawks Cullen Loeffler Minnesota Vikings Derek Lokey Kansas City Chiefs Frank Okam Houston Texans Cory Redding Detroit Lions Brian Robison Minnesota Vikings Shaun Rogers Cleveland Browns Aaron Ross New York Giants Bo Scaife Tennessee Titans Jonathan Scott Buffalo Bills Lyle Sendlein Arizona Cardinals Chris Simms Tennessee Titans Kasey Studdard Houston Texans Limas Sweed Pittsburgh Steelers David Thomas New England Patriots Nathan Vasher Chicago Bears Ricky Williams Miami Dolphins Roy E. Williams Dallas Cowboys Rodrique Wright Miami Dolphins Vince Young Tennessee Titans Selvin Young Denver Broncos

I posted this list on another thread. So far I have been pretty much on the money. Would nots- AFC East New England- They got Moss, they believe in team chemistry and they don't need him Miami- Parcells. Enough said. AFC North Cincinnati- They just signed Coles and and already have Ocho. Baltimore- TO jilted them for Philly, wouldn't be popular with their fanbase plus it's a military camp over there. Pittsburgh- No need with them having Ward, Holmes and Sweed. AFC West San Diego- Plenty of big body receivers over there with Malcolm Floyd and Vincent Jackson. Kansas City- Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez should be sufficent enough for them without adding a malcontent. They are too far away from being a serious play-off threat also. AFC South Indianapolis- No need even without Marvin Harrison. I'm not sure if they would have the salary cap room anyways. Tennessee- They just signed Nate Washington and they are primarily a running team. I could see Kerry Collins getting drunk and getting racial with TO. Jeff Fisher would go nuts with this tandem. Jacksonville- Thank Jerry Porter for eliminating them from considering TO. Maybe TO will piss off Del Rio enough and make him resort back to his playing days when he suckered punched Otis Taylor for crossing the picket line during the strike. Taylor was an administrator at the time. Now for the NFC... NFC East Philadelphia- Ha! Do I need to go on? Dallas- Ha Ha! *see Philadelphia Washington- They got Santana Moss plus they drafted Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. They have other needs than just to focus this much on the receiver position. New York- They just got rid of Shocky because of his attitude. They already have a mess on their hands dealing with the Burress situation. This is Eli's team and it won't be TO's. NFC North Minnesota- Brad Childress was in Philly when TO was. I don't see this reunion. Green Bay- They have Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones. They also don't need him and they already are the survivors of Javon Walker. Why do this again? NFC West Arizona- They have too many receivers as it is. So the answer is no. Seattle- They just signed Housh-whatever-his-name-is, Deion Branch who they are going to keep and Nte Burleson. They also have one or two young bright talents, Jordan Kent being one of them. San Francisco- Mike Singletary would kick TO's ass by preseason! NFC South Tampa- They already have Antonio Bryant. I could see these two going at it, one thinking he's better than the other. Carolina- Steve Smith-*see Antonio Bryant. They also have Muhsin Muhammad who is a fan favorite and Dwayne Jarrett. Atlanta- They have plenty of WRs with Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Laurent Robinson and Harry Douglas. New Orleans- This is the last position of need for this team. They just re-signed Devery Henderson and Lance Moore in addition to already having Marques Colston and Robert Meachem. Now for the woulds AFC East- We need a #2 receiver after just missing out on Coles. There is plenty of other reasons why we could use him but I'll let you argue that. New York- I suppose TO could go here. The Jets have been making big splashes in free agency and trades the last couple of years so I guess that this is very possible. AFC North Cleveland- New regime, new Mangini. TO could be Mangenius' mutant version of Randy Moss. In addition to the trade rumors of Braylon Edwards they did just trade off Kellen Winslow so an offensive threat is needed. AFC West Oakland- What better place than this bizarro world of Al Davis? This has to be one of the favorite places for TO to land up. Denver- Does Josh McDaniels' offense need a Randy Moss type receiver? He has one in Brandon Marshall but who knows whats going on with this headcase and how they feel about him. AFC South Houston- They have Andre Johnson with a very competent Kevin Walter abd Jacoby Jones in the slot but maybe they could be interested. I'll give this team as a possibility. Now for the NFC NFC North Detroit- Oh yeah, anything is possible with them, especially when it comes to receivers. What better than to fleece Jerry Jones of a 1st, 3rd and 6th rd picks for the replacement of the the guy they're replacing?! Yeah, figure that one out! Chicago- I can't say yes and I can't say no to this team and that's why they are a possibility for the services of TO. NFC West St Louis- If Torry Holt is unhappy then why not replace him with another unhappy receiver? A perfect fit if you ask me. So there you have it! Where does TO land up, you tell me.

They should have extended him. Had they approached it seriously a year before he hit the market, it would have been cheaper than 8yrs/$80M. Also the numbers for that contract are misleading and it's backloaded with money Nate will never see. Considering what they spent on a fatas$ like Dockery, Nate was well within the budget and should have been retained.

That's not the choice we were confronted with. Letting Nate go set the franchise back and forced the team to use a first-rounder on another cornerback. Imagine if the team re-signed Nate and instead used the #11 pick on Ryan Clady or Branden Albert? Would the overall team be better off? Absolutely. No doubt Nate himself hasn't improved the 49ers that much... but he's still an upper echelon corner. He had a so-so season last year, but in his first season on the 49ers, he was lights out. Those are the types of players you build around, you don't let them walk for nothing in return. It was clear that McCargo was a bust waiting to happen. There's no excuse for a pick like that and whoever was responsible for the pick should be fired. There's no "It's the thought that counts" in professional football. Marv let Nate Clements walk and gave Derrick Dockery a $60+ million deal. Think that money would have been better spent with Nate? I think so. I like the "moves" they've made (except signing Fitzpatrick -- he blows). But the team is still fundamentally flawed.

Agreed for the most paid. It's stupid to jerk around with Peters. Be happy you lucked out with him and pay him. As for Nate, I was one of his biggest fans. But he really hasn't improved the 49ers defense that much. I would much rather have our group of corners now, than Nc and a bunch of scrubs. And I know you hate Marv, but he did have the right idea. He went after o-line in free agency and moved up to get a DT (who did show signs of becoming a player in 2007 but then fell aparat last season). He just picked the wrong guys. Personally, I'm pretty happy with the team now. They have msot of the skill players they need. There is very little doubt that this should be a big person draft. Trust me, if a corner or receiver is choose before the 4th round, I will go to One bills Drive and hand in my season tickets.

Good question. The Bills should have paid up for Nate Clements. If they offered him a long-term contract a year in advance, they could have had him locked up. Instead, they let him walk for nothing in return. People can trash Nate all they want, but he was and still is an upper echelon cornerback. Another example is Jason Peters. Bills fans love to talk about how much he sucked last year, but he is a top-flight tackle. The Bills need to pay him like one and will probably have to overpay slightly in order to keep him. Those are players you slightly overpay for. The Jabari Greers, Kelsays, Chambers, Denneys of the world are good, but far from upper echelon players... those guys you keep only if the price is right. If the price isn't right, you draft of sign their replacements. Time after time, we watch New England and Pittsburgh do this. They pay big money to keep those top-notch players and let the JAGs walk. Allowing Greer to move on and replacing him with a proven vet like Drayton Florence is a good move. Florence has a bigtime chip on his shoulder and the team is banking on Leodis taking the next step.

I agree with you 100%. George Allen used to trade just about all of his draft picks for proven players, he didn't do to bad. Especially in todays NFL, by the time a player reaches his potential it is time for him to leave Buffalo as a Free Agent. Such as Jabari Greer, Nate Clements, Antoine Winfield, Jim Leonard, and several more. It is almost like the Bills are a farm team for much of the rest of the NFL.

Get TO in here, I'd love to see him slapping that cadaver Jauron around on the sidelines! Let's go thru what teams would and would not take TO. Would nots- AFC East New England- They got Moss, they believe in team chemistry and they don't need him Miami- Parcells. Enough said. AFC North Cincinnati- They just signed Coles and and already have Ocho. Baltimore- TO jilted them for Philly, wouldn't be popular with their fanbase plus it's a military camp over there. Pittsburgh- No need with them having Ward, Holmes and Sweed. AFC West San Diego- Plenty of big body receivers over there with Malcolm Floyd and Vincent Jackson. Kansas City- Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez should be sufficent enough for them without adding a malcontent. They are too far away from being a serious play-off threat also. AFC South Indianapolis- No need even without Marvin Harrison. I'm not sure if they would have the salary cap room anyways. Tennessee- They just signed Nate Washington and they are primarily a running team. I could see Kerry Collins getting drunk and getting racial with TO. Jeff Fisher would go nuts with this tandem. Jacksonville- Thank Jerry Porter for eliminating them from considering TO. Maybe TO will piss off Del Rio enough and make him resort back to his playing days when he suckered punched Otis Taylor for crossing the picket line during the strike. Taylor was an administrator at the time. Now for the NFC... NFC East Philadelphia- Ha! Do I need to go on? Dallas- Ha Ha! *see Philadelphia Washington- They got Santana Moss plus they drafted Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas. They have other needs than just to focus this much on the receiver position. New York- They just got rid of Shocky because of his attitude. They already have a mess on their hands dealing with the Burress situation. This is Eli's team and it won't be TO's. NFC North Minnesota- Brad Childress was in Philly when TO was. I don't see this reunion. Green Bay- They have Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones. They also don't need him and they already are the survivors of Javon Walker. Why do this again? NFC West Arizona- They have too many receivers as it is. So the answer is no. Seattle- They just signed Housh-whatever-his-name-is, Deion Branch who they are going to keep and Nte Burleson. They also have one or two young bright talents, Jordan Kent being one of them. San Francisco- Mike Singletary would kick TO's ass by preseason! NFC South Tampa- They already have Antonio Bryant. I could see these two going at it, one thinking he's better than the other. Carolina- Steve Smith-*see Antonio Bryant. They also have Muhsin Muhammad who is a fan favorite and Dwayne Jarrett. Atlanta- They have plenty of WRs with Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Laurent Robinson and Harry Douglas. New Orleans- This is the last position of need for this team. They just re-signed Devery Henderson and Lance Moore in addition to already having Marques Colston and Robert Meachem. Now for the woulds AFC East- We need a #2 receiver after just missing out on Coles. There is plenty of other reasons why we could use him but I'll let you argue that. New York- I suppose TO could go here. The Jets have been making big splashes in free agency and trades the last couple of years so I guess that this is very possible. AFC North Cleveland- New regime, new Mangini. TO could be Mangenius' mutant version of Randy Moss. In addition to the trade rumors of Braylon Edwards they did just trade off Kellen Winslow so an offensive threat is needed. AFC West Oakland- What better place than this bizarro world of Al Davis? This has to be one of the favorite places for TO to land up. Denver- Does Josh McDaniels' offense need a Randy Moss type receiver? He has one in Brandon Marshall but who knows whats going on with this headcase and how they feel about him. AFC South Houston- They have Andre Johnson with a very competent Kevin Walter abd Jacoby Jones in the slot but maybe they could be interested. I'll give this team as a possibility. Now for the NFC NFC North Detroit- Oh yeah, anything is possible with them, especially when it comes to receivers. What better than to fleece Jerry Jones of a 1st, 3rd and 6th rd picks for the replacement of the the guy they're replacing?! Yeah, figure that one out! Chicago- I can't say yes and I can't say no to this team and that's why they are a possibility for the services of TO. NFC West St Louis- If Torry Holt is unhappy then why not replace him with another unhappy receiver? A perfect fit if you ask me. So there you have it! Where does TO land up, you tell me.

While I was a fan of Jabari, I think the point people are making is that the market typically overpays Cornerbacks in free-agency. Look at Drayton Florence (last year), DeAngelo Hall (though that was a trade and then a waiver pickup), and our beloved Nate Clements. For those of you that want to tout Clements, I'll admit, he is good, but 10 mil a year good? How many Pro Bowls has he been to since the signing? All in all, a CB can be made by good pressure on a QB. All those years the Bills kept taking DB after DB in the first round of the draft in the 90's, when they should have been getting Bruce Smith help. They finally did by signing Paup. With that said, the fact that the Bills were terrible rushing the QB last year makes what Greer did even better. He'll do fine in NO, but Buffalo better get some help at DL and LB, then McGee, McKelvin and Youbouty's jobs will be much easier.

Meh. Should've just paid Nate in the first place instead of giving his $ to Dockery.... then Jabari would still be Jabroni & no one would care if he left. For a minor player though, he did make a few nice plays... right up there with Brandon Spoon.

All the variables? Ralph and his merry men are the ones who have made Pat Toomay's comment about the organization scouting from The Sporting News seem like a Nostradamus insight. When he finally made a move in the post Super Bowl years he hired a GM who would not take the job until the old man, himself, fired Wade Phillips... boy that first slug of dead money to a departed coach must have called back some painful memories of Mr Wilson's youth... so he won't make that mistake again. Lack of continuity? ... the one consistent aspect of the organization since the departure (over money as I recall) of John Butler et al has been the inconsistency and poor talent evaluation (for selecting coaches and on-field talent). If the Bills' leadership felt that Jauron deserved a contract extension why do it after six games of the current season? Was there some vicious rumor afield that one of the free spending new-breed owners was poised to steal away our braintrust following remarkable back to back 7-9 finishes? Wilson, Littman, and Brandon are anxious to extend the contract of a life-time sub .500 head coach (while refusing to renegotiate with their own Pro Bowl tackle who will demand even more money after this next trip to Hawaii); go the the mat (and lose) with Pat Williams, Nate Clements, Antoine Winfield... overpay Schoebel, Kelsay, Denny, Dockery, Royal without any tangible results... all orchestrated (from my perspective) to chum the water for next August when the WNY Leemings again caravan to St John Fisher and swallow gallons of the Blue, Red and White Kool-Aid, because it might finally be "next year".

Awright already - sheesh, it's not like I went out and rented it or ordered it on pay-per-view or anything It was more of an 'inertia' thing - it was on the air, the remote was across the room, I had a nice glass of swill, etc. Actually, it didn't suck out loud - the remake stuck pretty close to the original, with Burt Reynolds playing the role of Nate Scarboro (the late Michael Conrad in the original) and Cloris Leachman playing Miss Toot (Bernadette Peters in the '74 version). Also had Bill Romanowski, Brian Bosworth, Michael Irvin, Chris Berman, Jime Rome, et al.

Your forgot Nate Clements currently playing for the 49ers ...

Sorry this installment has taken so long to get posted. It was a very busy weekend for me, but anyways on to the 2009 Free Agent Linebackers. OLB Bart Scott (Ravens) Far and away the best LB on this list, I highly doubt Scott leaves the Ravens. Going into his 8th season in 2009 Scott has tallied 433 tackles and 16 sacks. Outside of 2006, Bart has not had more than 4 sacks in a single season. He is coming into the prime of his career and I’m sure he’ll get a very lucrative deal from the Ravens. Michael Boley (Falcons) Right behind Scott is Michael Boley. In just 4 seasons in the NFL Boley has quietly tallied 330 tackles, 6 sacks and 5 INTs for the Falcons. Looking for his first big payday, it’s possible to see Boley leave to join the highest bidder. However, it looks like the Falcons are a franchise on the rise and he might stick around to see how far they go. Leroy Hill (Seahawks) Another solid LB looking for his first big payday, Hill has comparable stats to Boley. However, Hill does have some durability concerns with him as he has not played in all 16 games in a season yet in his career. Still, Hill had 7.5 sacks in his rookie season in 2005, but has only 6.5 across the last 3 seasons. With the Seahawks looking to make some front office/coaching changes, it might be possible to see Hill take off for greener pastures. Angelo Crowell (Bills) Missed the 2008 season due to a knee injury that required surgery just prior to the Bills opener. Many fans believed this was the end of Angelo in Buffalo. However, Crowell has recently stated that he would be interested in returning to the Bills in 2009. With the Bills thin at LB, it would be hard to believe that Buffalo lets him walk. Marques Harris (Chargers) San Diego’s version of Keith Ellison, Harris is a special teams gunner and pass rush specialist. Began his collegiate career at Colorado, but transferred to Southern Utah after his junior year. Harris was also a star wrestler and baseball player in the state of Colorado. Clark Haggans (Arizona) Former Steeler that followed Ken Wisenhunt to Arizona, Haggans is a reliable LB that brings a veteran presence to the field. Best utilized as a pass rush specialist, Haggans has 33.5 sacks in his 9 year career. Haggans has not seen a lot of playtime in Arizona and might be looking for a team that would give him more playtime. Willie McGinest (Browns) One of the greatest 3-4 pass rush specialists of all time, McGinest has stated that he will retire at the end of 2008. McGinest has been slowed by injuries while in Cleveland and has only recorded 8 sacks in 3 seasons with the Browns. McGinest finishes his career with 86 career sacks and 401 tackles. Keith Ellison (Bills) RFA A speedy undersized OLB, Ellison has been thrust into the starting defense in each of his 3 seasons with the Bills. 177 tackles and 2 sacks in 3 seasons Ellison should get a decent qualifying offer from Buffalo and remain with them through 2009. Rashad Jeanty (Bengals) RFA Jeanty is a lot like Keith Ellison as he has been thrust into the starting lineup for Cincy. However, Jeanty really seemed to come into his own in 2008 recording 96 tackles for the Bengals in 15 starts. Cincinnati should probably retain him through 2009. DD Lewis (Seahawks) Mostly a reserve LB throughout his career, Lewis might be looking for a new home in 2009 depending on what the Seahawks do in regards to coaching and management. Shantee Orr (Browns) Well traveled veteran LB, who has mostly been a reserve throughout his 6 seasons in the NFL. Will probably be looking for work come spring time. Darryl Blackstock (Bengals) I had high hopes for Blackstock coming out of Virginia in 2005. However, things just haven’t quite turned out as planned. Blackstock was suspended 4 games for violating the league’s Steroid policy. Sadly, the steroids weren’t much of a help as Blackstock has only recorded 64 tackles in 4 seasons with the Bengals and Cardinals. Gilbert Gardner (Bears) Another well traveled vet, Gardner played on two teams in 2008, the Lions and Bears. However, due to injuries only appeared in 3 games in 2008. Typically a backup and special teamer, no one knows where Gardner will surface in 2009. Gary Stills (Rams) One of the better DE’s to come out of West Virginia University, Stills made his mark in the NFL as a tweener DE/LB and Special Teams ace. Stills was released by Baltimore early in 2008 and promptly signed by St. Louis where he appeared in 14 games. Stills will be 35 going into next season, but can still contribute somewhere in 2009. Sam Williams (Raiders) Has played 6 seasons with the Raiders and tallied a total of 99 tackles. Mainly a reserve and special teams player Williams is a large LB at 6’5” 260lbs. Will probably compete for a roster spot somewhere in 2009. MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens) The very heart and soul of the Ravens’ defense, Lewis is by far one of the greatest MLBs of all time. A natural born leader Lewis makes nearly every player around him that much better. He has played his entire 13 year career with the Browns/Ravens organization and will definitely retire a Raven. Karlos Dansby (Cardinals) One of the best young LBers in the game, Dansby is looking for his big payday. With things looking up in Arizona, I would find it hard to believe that the Cardinals would let one of their best defenders go this offseason. In 5 seasons with the Cardinals, Dansby has amassed 444 tackles, 24.5 sacks and 9 INTs. My bet is that the Cardinals lock him up for a longtime. Jonathan Vilma (Saints) Vilma was traded from the Jets after an injury and not fitting in well with Mangini’s 3-4 defense and had one of his best years starting all 16 games for the Saints and racking up 132 tackles. Vilma will draw a lot of interest this offseason and will be looking to cash in on his previous success. Mike Peterson (Jaguars) One of the leaders of the Jaguars defense, Peterson has some issues with head coach Jack Del Rio this year and may be looking for a change of scenery. At 32 Peterson will probably looking for somewhere to finish his career on a high note. He would be a welcome addition to any LB corps in need of veteran leadership. Channing Crowder (Dolphins) Crowder is coming of a career year with the Dolphins and will be looking for his big pay day this offseason. While it is highly unlike that Parcells and the Phins will let him slip away, Crowder is going to draw plenty of interest this offseason and will probably see a ridiculously large offer sent to him. Would like prefer to stay with a 3-4 defense since that is where he has seen the most success. Eric Barton (Jets) A solid ILB/MLB looking for what could be his last big contract, Barton maybe looking for a new team in 2009 with the firing of Mangini. A very reliable tackler, Barton typically tallies over 100 tackles per season. He does have a tendency to take bad penalties sometimes. Takeo Spikes (49ers) Spikes never really returned to form after his Achilles’ injury, but he did record his best season since 2004 by recording 96 tackles for the 49ers. At age 32, Spikes will probably be looking for somewhere to finish off his career and I’d be surprised to see him leave San Francisco. Andra Davis (Browns) Andra Davis was one of the bright spots for the Cleveland defense in 2008 recording 90 tackles and starting all 16 games for the Browns. He appears to perform best as a 3-4 ILB and will probably stay put in Cleveland if Mangini is hired. Nate Webster (Broncos) A well traveled reserve LB who found his way into the starting role in Denver, Webster is a very average LB. Doesn’t really stand out as a LB and it’s hard to say where he will be in 2009. My guess is somewhere with a Cover 2 style defense Paris Lenon (Lions) Underrated MLB that has flown under the radar in Detroit, Lenon has started 16 games in each of the past 3 seasons with the Lions, and has tallied over 100 tackles in each of the past 2 seasons. I guess that would be easy to do though in Detroit when the offense doesn’t really spend much time on the field. Could be a great pickup for a team looking to sure things up at MLB. Ryan Nece (Lions) A reliable veteran, Nece has spent time with the Buccaneers and Lions since 2002. Typically a reserve, Nece has been a serviceable starter as well. Could be a decent pickup for a team needing a reliable vet to fill out their LB spots. John Digiorgio (Bills) RFA Had a career year stepping in for the injured Paul Poszlusny in 2007 recording 113 tackles and 2 sacks for the Bills. JD was placed on IR after the 6th game of 2008 after tearing his ACL. JD has shown remarkable talent and drive for an UDFA out of Saginaw Valley State. Should still be a Bill in 2009. This list was compiled using Scouts.com, KFFL.com, and footballsfuture.com as a reference. If any of the players listed have signed an extension, please say so. Out of the players I’ve listed, I think Lenon would be a great addition to the Bills. He’s pretty versatile as a LB playing all 3 positions as a pro, but I think he’s best suited as a MLB. Yes, I know Poz is there, but personally I think he might be better on the outside, just my thoughts. I also think Crowell should be re-signed, especially if no one from outside of the Bills is brought in and he’s willing to comeback at 100% under Jauron and company. Looking strictly outside, I would make a run at Michael Boley if he is willing to leave Atlanta. If he continues to develop like he has over the past few seasons, he could be a solid starter in this league for years to come. (QBs previously discussed here http://www.stadiumwall.com/index.php?showtopic=80614 OL is next topic)

Putting aside the playoffs for a moment, try adding the following players to our team: Pat Williams Justin Bannan (as a sub) London Fletcher Antoine Winfield Nate Clements Lawyer Milloy Coy Wire (as a special teams ace) David Bowens (solid role player and passrusher for the 'Phins and now the Jets) While the Bills have been in the spin cycle of mediocrity for a decade, the rest of the League poaches what it needs from Ralph's cheap management and builds quality rosters. And we just keep drafting replacements for the quality we let out the door.

Antoine Winfield. This guy can flat out play football. I would take Winfield over Nate Clements any day of the week. Antoine brings it every week, every down. He's an awesome football player in almost every phase of the game at this required position. I also miss Pat Williams, although he's hurt. But one guy I wish and feel the Bills should have kept is Winfield. The guy is worth the price of admission.

now make a list of the players Ralph has given big money to in their 2nd contract off the top of my head Kelsey Schoebel Butler Williams note not on the list Jason Peters Pat Williams Nate CLements Antoine Winfield who else besides Evans and McGhee have been renewed with big money deals?

I think the disagreement here is that some (and I count myself among them) do not fell at all that this team desperately needs a "good" (whatever you mean by that) CB, The Cover 2 the way we employ it can actually be adequately manned by a player whom I would judge to be a second tier CB (and what I mean by that is a fairly average starting CB who could only get to the Pro Bowl with an airline ticket to Hawaii he paid for and a ticket to the game). Everyone wants to have a good CB, but the Bills were smart to agree not to franchise MC a second time in exchange for a promise of labor peace from him because they did not give up anything for getting NC to agree to follow the letter of the CBA and simply play last season. There is no way the Bills would (or should) pay what the market would give NC to play CB because no CB is gonna be able to make plays in our Cover 2 which would justify either the cap hit the market would give him for a contract or even the cap hit of the average of the top 5 CBs if we franchised him again this year. We got another on point example of how the CB position as we play it denies a playmaking CB the opportunity to produce when Dre Bly publicly announced he was leaving Detroit as an FA because he hated playing CB in a Cover 2 which was designed by Jauron, As it stands right now, the Bills actually could go into the season with our CBs being McGee, Thomas, Youbouty and Greer and actually that foursome could adequately man our CB needs. I myself would be more comfortable if we had signed an FA a little better than Thomas to challenge Youbouty for the #2 CB spot. but this still may happen and even if it does not happen, if the coaches know something we do not know (which I am sure they do since they have forgotten more about football than most of us have learned) we could be OK with our current for if (Youbouty actually merited a 1ast round choice last year as many mocks indicated and he is actually a Leon Hall level player with a year's pro experience, or Thomas really has more to offer than most of us guess. or the real deal about McGee what he showed in the second half of last year rather than his sorry performance in the 1st half. I hope we get another CB but a cheap FA or a 4th round choice would seem to me to fit our needs better than a 1st round pick which is better spent on a real football need by the Bills. Nick Harper and Jason David were quite adequate as CBs in the Colts Cover 2 and FA Harper was definitely viewed as a step down from the most sought after CBs like Nate Clements or Assante Samuel. The Bills simply do not have a desperate need for a CB unless folks are caught up in the idea that we must replace Nate Clements with a similarly skilled player. if that was the Bills need then they would have signed NC last year when they could have had him far more cheaply. Instead they decided way back when that they were going to go forward without paying the cost a CB of that skill level requires whether he is an FA or the slot a 1st rounder commands.