One glaring need that everyone is overlooking

[Bob in STL]

Let see here, in no particular order we need the following:

 

QB, Left OT, a giant run stuffing Nose Tackle, DE's that can play a 3-4, Linebackers that can run and tackle, a backup RB to replace Lynch, and WRs to replace TO and Josh Reed.

 

Buddy better hit the Free Agent market hard because this list will take 3 drafts to fill. Open the wallet Ralph.

[Sisyphean Bills]

If we have a vet QB just try and resign TO if we can't get him Chris Chambers should be our guy.

Doesn't anyone else get the sense of where there is smoke there is fire with Chambers? The guy was traded/dumped twice mid-season from 2007 to 2009.

 

Since WR is a need and probably the easiest position in football to fill and given all the other needs on offense and a total rebuild on defense, the Bills should definitely be spending some UDFA "picks" on some prospects to bring into camp.

[Bob in STL]

Doesn't anyone else get the sense of where there is smoke there is fire with Chambers? The guy was traded/dumped twice mid-season from 2007 to 2009.

 

Since WR is a need and probably the easiest position in football to fill and given all the other needs on offense and a total rebuild on defense, the Bills should definitely be spending some UDFA "picks" on some prospects to bring into camp.

 

 

First time I have ever heard this claim. I would say RB is much easier. WR is actually a difficult position to fill. Many early round picks go bust or take years to develop because they cannot read defensive coverages and learn the complex offenses.

[Sisyphean Bills]

First time I have ever heard this claim. I would say RB is much easier. WR is actually a difficult position to fill. Many early round picks go bust or take years to develop because they cannot read defensive coverages and learn the complex offenses.

You're a virgin, eh? Gil Brandt has been saying it for the past 50 years or so.

 

Of course, you do have to find guys that can play the position, but you can find them all over the map.

 

Andre Reed, 4th round. Wes Welker, undrafted. Steve Largent, 4th round. John Stallworth, 4th round. Steve Smith, 3rd round. Drew Pearson, free agent. Ray Berry, 20th round. Bob Hayes, 7th round. Terrell Owens, 3rd round. Miles Austin, free agent.

 

Those are Hall-of-Famers and other damn good players (Austin is a 1 year wonder at this point, but he eclipsed a 1st round pick on the field and capably replaced the production of Owens). Obviously, there are the Jerry Rice and Tim Brown 1st round success stories, but being an elite WR isn't highly correlated to draft position. See Darius Hayward-Bey.

 

BTW, with the shift in focus from the running game to the passing game, one could argue that RB is becoming the new commodity position and that WR is becoming much more in demand. (I wouldn't necessarily disagree even.) The deal with WR though is that there is a wide-range of body types and athletes that can be highly successful at the position. There have been slow guys, quick guys, world-class sprinters, big guys, tiny guys, smart guys, some "not-so-bright" guys, ... a lot has to do with the player's internal make-up and drive to succeed as well as the team as a whole.

[DrDawkinstein]

Ok, I'm gonna stick up for Stallworth here because the comparisons to Vick, and the rest are just ridiculous. First off Stallworth never lied to the Commissioner's or anyone elses face regarding the accident. He called the police and ambulance for the guy and stayed there until the authorities arrived. Also, while he was drunk, Mr. Reyes (victim) was illegally crossing a major causeway that was poorly lit. Unlike guys like Lynch, Jones, and Vick Stallworth didn't run, didn't lie, and didn't try to cop out. He plead guilty to his crime, gave up his driver's license for life in Florida, and served his time. He has no other history of run ins with the law or anything like that so to lump him in with the thug moniker is wrong in my opinion.

 

Now, that said, let me tell you why I don't want him in Buffalo. One, he has a history of hamstring problems and he rarely plays all 16 games in a season and his stats are quite underwhelming. Two, he is still under contract with the cleveland browns after signing a 7 year deal prior to the 2009 season meaning we would have to trade for him because I doubt the Browns are going to release him and pay him all that cash while getting nothing in return.

 

thank you. what happened to Stallworth could happen to anyone, and it tragically happens over 10 times a year on a highway not too far from me. people crossing where they have no business even being near the road, at night. but there are lots of apartment complexes near it, so people are always running out. some poor, innocent driver just accidentally hit a woman who was crossing with her kids... at 11:30pm... in a poorly lit area. it's tragic, but it's also the pedestrian's fault.

 

Stallworth is not even close to being in the same class as the Vicks and Leonard Littles in this league.

 

But no to him as a WR option for those reasons you listed as well.

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Chambers in Buffalo, and I wouldn't mind taking a serious look @ Jordan Shipley. Shipley's a Welker clone that would more than just fill the void left be Reed.

 

Agreed...I would love to see Jordan Shipley on this team. He's a possession receiver with big game experience, and he's tough as hell. Seems like he would fit well in Buffalo. If he's still on the board in rounds 3 or 4, and he likely will be, I think Nix and the boys should strongly consider him.

[Bob in STL]

You're a virgin, eh? Gil Brandt has been saying it for the past 50 years or so.

 

Of course, you do have to find guys that can play the position, but you can find them all over the map.

 

Andre Reed, 4th round. Wes Welker, undrafted. Steve Largent, 4th round. John Stallworth, 4th round. Steve Smith, 3rd round. Drew Pearson, free agent. Ray Berry, 20th round. Bob Hayes, 7th round. Terrell Owens, 3rd round. Miles Austin, free agent.

 

Those are Hall-of-Famers and other damn good players (Austin is a 1 year wonder at this point, but he eclipsed a 1st round pick on the field and capably replaced the production of Owens). Obviously, there are the Jerry Rice and Tim Brown 1st round success stories, but being an elite WR isn't highly correlated to draft position. See Darius Hayward-Bey.

 

BTW, with the shift in focus from the running game to the passing game, one could argue that RB is becoming the new commodity position and that WR is becoming much more in demand. (I wouldn't necessarily disagree even.) The deal with WR though is that there is a wide-range of body types and athletes that can be highly successful at the position. There have been slow guys, quick guys, world-class sprinters, big guys, tiny guys, smart guys, some "not-so-bright" guys, ... a lot has to do with the player's internal make-up and drive to succeed as well as the team as a whole.

 

They may be all over the map but finding all those HoF guys is indeed the tough part. The Bills have 1 (Reed) in 50 years of existence. There are many 1st and 2nd round busts at WR.

 

Intelligence is key in todays game because, as you said, passing has become the focus and WRs are in demand and defenses are complex. Which lends credence to my statement that is it easier to find a good RB than a good WR in today's game.

[starrymessenger]

No way to Stallworth. Personally I agree with many posters that I would rather see our young wr's get their chance to see what they can do. But if we are looking in free agency than Chris Chambers or Malcom Floyd could be decent targets

Chris Chambers NO. Malcolm Floyd ABSOLUTELY. However I also agree with the posters who would like to give our young wideouts and tight end a chance to play.

[Buffalo 66]

Ok, I'm gonna stick up for Stallworth here because the comparisons to Vick, and the rest are just ridiculous. First off Stallworth never lied to the Commissioner's or anyone elses face regarding the accident. He called the police and ambulance for the guy and stayed there until the authorities arrived. Also, while he was drunk, Mr. Reyes (victim) was illegally crossing a major causeway that was poorly lit. Unlike guys like Lynch, Jones, and Vick Stallworth didn't run, didn't lie, and didn't try to cop out. He plead guilty to his crime, gave up his driver's license for life in Florida, and served his time. He has no other history of run ins with the law or anything like that so to lump him in with the thug moniker is wrong in my opinion.

 

Now, that said, let me tell you why I don't want him in Buffalo. One, he has a history of hamstring problems and he rarely plays all 16 games in a season and his stats are quite underwhelming. Two, he is still under contract with the cleveland browns after signing a 7 year deal prior to the 2009 season meaning we would have to trade for him because I doubt the Browns are going to release him and pay him all that cash while getting nothing in return.

If I hit someone while drunk and killed them, regardless I would be looking at a minimum of 20 years in federal prison.

[DrDawkinstein]

If I hit someone while drunk and killed them, regardless I would be looking at a minimum of 20 years in federal prison.

 

no you wouldnt. not under the same circumstances as this accident. and not if you were a first time offender, like stallworth.

 

how much time did the guy from the bills game get? 3-9 years. and he hit 7 people. while fleeing from the police!

[Sisyphean Bills]

They may be all over the map but finding all those HoF guys is indeed the tough part. The Bills have 1 (Reed) in 50 years of existence. There are many 1st and 2nd round busts at WR.

 

Intelligence is key in todays game because, as you said, passing has become the focus and WRs are in demand and defenses are complex. Which lends credence to my statement that is it easier to find a good RB than a good WR in today's game.

You can find a WR in a variety of ways. That is different than saying it is a position that is easy to assess. I meant the former, but probably wasn't clear enough. Take Demaryius Thomas for example. He's a good WR on a team that runs the ball most of the time. Will he be a great Pro? Can he adapt to a Pro offense? I think so, but only time will tell.

 

Using the Bills as a frame of reference would probably lead one to the conclusion that finding great football players at nearly any position is impossible. A team that has missed the playoffs 33 years out of 50 has a lot of lean years to look at.

 

Part of the problem for the Bills in recent years is lack of a plan. The Bills have gone from the shake-n-bake offense of Flutie, to smash-mouth, to West Coast, to Killdrive, to Loads of Mularkey, to Air Martz, back to West Coast, to No Huddle (and I probably missed a half-dozen or more) ... with all the changes, how the !@#$ is a scout supposed to find WRs that actually fit the offense? There is no offense, so the task is an exercise in futility.

[bananathumb]

Let see here, in no particular order we need the following:

 

QB, Left OT, a giant run stuffing Nose Tackle, DE's that can play a 3-4, Linebackers that can run and tackle, a backup RB to replace Lynch, and WRs to replace TO and Josh Reed.

 

Buddy better hit the Free Agent market hard because this list will take 3 drafts to fill. Open the wallet Ralph.

 

 

 

That's exactly the menu that Buddy needs to order up.

 

He might get one of two of those needs filled in the draft, but unless Ralph says yes to FA bucks, poor Buddy is gonna wish he'd stayed a scout.

[Gabe Northern]

why not just give the young guys we have a shot.

 

Stevie Johnson performs when given the opportunity. Use our free agent dollars to sign Levi Jones, as we should have done when the decision was made to part with Peters. The guy played well for the skins down the stretch.

[Bob in STL]

You can find a WR in a variety of ways. That is different than saying it is a position that is easy to assess. I meant the former, but probably wasn't clear enough. Take Demaryius Thomas for example. He's a good WR on a team that runs the ball most of the time. Will he be a great Pro? Can he adapt to a Pro offense? I think so, but only time will tell.

 

Using the Bills as a frame of reference would probably lead one to the conclusion that finding great football players at nearly any position is impossible. A team that has missed the playoffs 33 years out of 50 has a lot of lean years to look at.

 

Part of the problem for the Bills in recent years is lack of a plan. The Bills have gone from the shake-n-bake offense of Flutie, to smash-mouth, to West Coast, to Killdrive, to Loads of Mularkey, to Air Martz, back to West Coast, to No Huddle (and I probably missed a half-dozen or more) ... with all the changes, how the !@#$ is a scout supposed to find WRs that actually fit the offense? There is no offense, so the task is an exercise in futility.

 

Actually WR is one of the better stories in Bills history. On the positive side we picked up Lofton, a HOF guy, from waivers. Tasker was a waiver pick up. We traded for Rashad and for Frank Lewis. Billy Brooks was a decent FA pick up. We have drafted some greats too like Jerry Butler, Eric Moulds, JD Hill, Bobby Chandler, Don Bebee, Lee Evans, Marlin Briscoe and Haven Moses. Heck, throw in Glenn Bass was Elbert Dubenion too.

 

Offensive Gaurd is another strong area. Billy Shaw and Joe D are in the HoF. Jim Ritcher and Rueben Brown were great. Reggie McKenzie too.

[SawchukBills]

I would love to see us bring in a solid #2 (Chambers, Walter) but this would just lead us to another season of "what about Hardy/Stevie" or "give Hardy/Stevie a chance to prove themselves before calling them a bust".

[Mr. WEO]

Didn't we have "2 #1 WR's" this year? How did that work out?

 

That kid from Texas (Shipley) would be a nice pickup--he's got great hands.

 

Sure our QBs are lame---but look at the catches some of these other WRs are making in the playoffs.

 

We've got no one who goes after the ball.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Actually WR is one of the better stories in Bills history. On the positive side we picked up Lofton, a HOF guy, from waivers. Tasker was a waiver pick up. We traded for Rashad and for Frank Lewis. Billy Brooks was a decent FA pick up. We have drafted some greats too like Jerry Butler, Eric Moulds, JD Hill, Bobby Chandler, Don Bebee, Lee Evans, Marlin Briscoe and Haven Moses. Heck, throw in Glenn Bass was Elbert Dubenion too.

 

Offensive Gaurd is another strong area. Billy Shaw and Joe D are in the HoF. Jim Ritcher and Rueben Brown were great. Reggie McKenzie too.

I guess I'll count you as a convert then.

 

The line you bolded in my post said "recent years." The offense in recent years has been poor on average. The year with Bledsoe, Price, Moulds, Riemersma, Centers, etc. was an anolomy. That offense was dismantled the next season. Lee Evans really hasn't posted impressive numbers other than the one year with JP Losman as the starter.

 

The point remains uncontradicted that the Bills haven't developed much in the way of WR talent recently. Moulds and Price were drafted by John Butler, last millenium. After that, you got Lee Evans and then guys like Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, and James Hardy.

[lets_go_bills]

Donte Stallworth anyone?

 

Personally, I think it's okay to overlook the need at WR because the needs for a QB, O-Lineman, D-Lineman, and LBs take precedent IMO.

 

The Bills' situation at WR is interesting to me. Evans is a starter (duh). Steve Johnson looked promising and I was excited about his development last year and unfortunately he was relegating to riding the pine all year. Hardy hasn't been given a fair chance and I haven't given up on him. Physcially, he's a specimen; tall, basketball player. I want to see what he can do going into camp healthy. Nothing is guaranteed, but both Johnson and Hardy should be given every opportunity to earn a starting spot. Could make for an interesting and exciting battle.

 

A wait-and-see approach is most appropriate because Free Agency looms and who knows what'll happen.

[daveydanceswithwolves]

Ok, I'm gonna stick up for Stallworth here because the comparisons to Vick, and the rest are just ridiculous. First off Stallworth never lied to the Commissioner's or anyone elses face regarding the accident. He called the police and ambulance for the guy and stayed there until the authorities arrived. Also, while he was drunk, Mr. Reyes (victim) was illegally crossing a major causeway that was poorly lit. Unlike guys like Lynch, Jones, and Vick Stallworth didn't run, didn't lie, and didn't try to cop out. He plead guilty to his crime, gave up his driver's license for life in Florida, and served his time. He has no other history of run ins with the law or anything like that so to lump him in with the thug moniker is wrong in my opinion.

 

Now, that said, let me tell you why I don't want him in Buffalo. One, he has a history of hamstring problems and he rarely plays all 16 games in a season and his stats are quite underwhelming. Two, he is still under contract with the cleveland browns after signing a 7 year deal prior to the 2009 season meaning we would have to trade for him because I doubt the Browns are going to release him and pay him all that cash while getting nothing in return.

 

+1

[daveydanceswithwolves]

we are gonna lose reed so there goes our slot. draft jordan shipley 4th round?

we need a number two. bring up hardy or johnson.