Been giving this a lot of thought....and I am a OL guy and

[lacoy38]

not me. I would not draft a QB until we drafted/signed 2 DTs, LB and NT(real DT, LB and NT- not tomato cans). Do you think Bradford would of played well last year for us? Our lines are in shambles. We have been neglecting to fix them since the superbowl years. And Fitzpatrick, Trent, and Brohm is serviceable until the lines are fixed. Bradford and Clausen are not franchise QBs IMO.

 

And for the 1,000th time-

ALWAYS DRAFT THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE NOT FOR NEED!

what if the qb is the best available, not sure if thats the case w/bradford or clausen, but what if?

[Bill from NYC]

Jauron should have drafted for the O line his first year as HC instead of his last,he was hell bent on drafting for the defensive secondary. If they had drafted O line the last four years, the Bills might just have an line similar to the NY Jets.

 

Can you imagine what Jackson and Lynch could do with that NY Jet O line to block for them, not to mention the QB would actually have some time to throw.

Thanks for a great post.

 

This time of the year, people have just watched the superbowl and seen all the qb hype, so as the draft approaches, they put other important positions aside and think almost entirely about getting a qb. This is a constant. ICE actually knows football. Deep down he knows that the Bills suck because they are small and weak, but he too is seduced to this one position alone.

 

You are SO on target about Jauron and Levy. In their limited football minds, the secondary is the most important unit on the field. Levy hired this moron because they share the same loser philosophy. In 06 (the first of their 4 sorry years) they turned down multiple offers to trade down from number 8. Levy said this on Sirius radio. They could have drafted Davin Joseph or Nick Mangold AND gained an extra 2nd round pick, but these sub-par football men insisted on Donte Whittner. This was their first draft move, and a telling sign of things to come. At the time, the OL was even worse than the secondary, but they couldn't see the importance and dedicated the rest of this, and other dismal drafts to the defensive backfield.

 

Time flies, and today there are thousands of younger Bills Fans who don't even know what a strong OL looks like. Bell actually has support on this board; some even call for putting him at RT, where he would be the smallest, weakest RT in the NFL, perhaps even Div. 1 college.

The Bills absolutely must bite the bullet and draft blockers early and often. On the defensive side, they need guys who are big, strong and can make plays, such as Rolando McClain. Until they build this team to suit the climate and the community, they will continue to lose. It really is that simple, and thanks again for a great post!

[DarthICE]

IF he falls to us at 9

 

There is just something about him I really like.......Sam Bradford is my guy.

 

Then we look at a guy like the OT from USC in the 2nd round.

 

He wont be there but if he is, then you must take him. If not, I trade DOWN and pick up a NT or LT later in the first.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

<-----Take a long look at my avatar and notice the hole Thurman Thomas had to run thru, It is one of the reasons as to why the Bills were so dominate in the early 90's. Bill Polian built a solid O line that had mostly the same players for years, it is called "continuity".

Something Dick Jauron was clueless about because the players on the O line changed every year under him. This last year he changed every player at every position, and traded away the only good player and pro bowler on the line. That is the reason the Bills had the worst O line in the NFL in 09.

 

The Bills under Jauron and Mularkey tried to "fix" the O line by bringing in high priced free agents and for whatever reason they didn't pan out. Whether it was the poor conditioning, the injuries, the rookie O line coach. Free agents tend to get "Paid" and then slack off, at least the Bills O line players did.

 

Jauron should have drafted for the O line his first year as HC instead of his last,he was hell bent on drafting for the defensive secondary. If they had drafted O line the last four years the Bills might just have an line similar to the NY Jets.

 

Can you imagine what Jackson and Lynch could do with that NY Jet O line to block for them, not to mention the QB would actually have some time to throw.

 

Yeah, but he built the line AFTER he had Jim Kelly, RIGHT?

[Pete]

Players I would rather the Bills draft then Bradford or Clausen:

Suh

McCoy

Berry

White

Davis

Bulaga

Hayden

Morgan

Pierre-Paul

McClain

Spiller

Iupatti

Weatherspoon

Okung

Williams

[PDaDdy]

IF he falls to us at 9

 

There is just something about him I really like.......Sam Bradford is my guy.

 

Then we look at a guy like the OT from USC in the 2nd round.

 

 

No self respecting OL guy would say this!!! LOL.

 

I love pre-combine speculation as much or more than the next guy but where we go in free agency and post combine evaluation will really be the final say on what we do. IMHO there is absolutely 100% no freakin way we can go into next season without a new LT, NT and RT. THESE GUYS ARE NOT ON THE ROSTER TODAY!!!! Any of those positions that we don't have addressed by the draft we need to get in the draft and make them our #1, #2 and #3 picks respectively.

 

I would REALLY hate it but if worse came to worse with an improved line we could let our current QBs duke it out for the starting job. Gailey is supposed to be an offensive genius and has gotten more with less at the QB spot in the past.

[JPS]

This is like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Franchise QB....Offensive Line... Duck Season...Wabbit Season. They will take the BPA in a position of need. Since the Bills have 4 major areas of need, they will have plenty of options at 9.

 

If they trade up, I'll put my foot through another TV. Thank you Donte Whitner, and Thank you John Fina.

[PDaDdy]

You can fix the other stuff while the QB sits a year, etc. Get a QB in here as soon as possible. Even if they spend a first pick on a quarterback THIS YEAR, we are still likely gonna have to sit through watching one of those "serviceable" QB's this coming season.

 

 

Other than Phillip Rivers name the last QB that was drafted in the top 9 spots that sat for a year or 2? In todays NFL if you make that kind of money YOU PLAY! Period. One rule that is pretty much law is that "money" plays!!! We don't want to turn qa promising prospect QB into a Joey Harrington or David Carr!

[bills in va]

not me. I would not draft a QB until we drafted/signed 2 DTs, LB and NT(real DT, LB and NT- not tomato cans). Do you think Bradford would of played well last year for us? Our lines are in shambles. We have been neglecting to fix them since the superbowl years. And Fitzpatrick, Trent, and Brohm is serviceable until the lines are fixed. Bradford and Clausen are not franchise QBs IMO.

 

And for the 1,000th time-

ALWAYS DRAFT THE BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE NOT FOR NEED!

Your draft strategy sucks! So if the best player on the board in round one is a safety, you'd take him instead of the best OT left? Your strategy is seriously flawed, glad your not our GM. If we are stacked at a position, like safety, and we have no tackles, then you would take another safety?

[Thoner7]

This team needs 2 NT (one back up) and two OT (both starting caliber). Thats if we assume Williams and Stroud can play DE with Johnson and Denney as back ups. Thats a fairly large assumption. We are not going to put that all together in one offseason so we can take whoever we want. But if its QB he better not see the field this season - I dont want him injured.

[PDaDdy]

You guys are F'ed in the head to want another new QB to get pummeled around before he can even learn the system.

 

First it was Bledsoe the Vet...then J.P. the 1st rd draft pick... then Trent Edwards, the guy who Bill Walsh stated would be a very good QB... AND THE BILLS HAVE RUINED HIM!!!!!!!!

Then it was Fitz the vet, then Brohm the Packers practice squad guy.

 

Don't you guys get it... the ONLY way the Buffalo Bills will ever be decent on offense is to build a great O line! The ONLY way to build a great O line is to start with the most important position LEFT TACKLE, then right tackle, then another guard.

 

I's be willing to bet that once Chan Gailey takes a hard look at what he has for O linemen he will draft to fill those positions, at least I hope so.

 

 

I agree, obviously, with the get the o-line in place first. The problem with the get the SUPPOSED franchise QB first crowd is that they all pretty much 100% say let the guy sit on the bench while we put together the line later. To which I always reply THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN TODAY'S NFL ANYMORE. Rookie QBs drafted that high WILL PLAY!!!!! Behind out current terrible line THEY WILL GET KILLED AND RUINED JUST LIKE THE LAST ONES!!!

[bills in va]

I hope we take a OT in the 2nd and bring in a free agent like L. Jones

Levi Jones? I watched every play last year for the Redskins. He sucked....Nothing left in the tank. He got beat like a drum and looked worse than Mike Williams. If Levi Jones is your answer to fix our OL woes, please get a frontal labotomy and start watching curling reruns on sundays.

[PDaDdy]

THis is a bit disingenuous. It's not like winning a super bowl is the ONLY measure of a good QB. The first round is the MOST LIKELY place to find a franchise QB.

I agree that, if they don't feel that one of this years crop is a "franchise QB" it would be foolish to spend the pick on him. BUT to say that we need to "fix the O-line BEFORE we draft a QB" is silly. The guy can sit for a year, and it will....AHHHHHHH! I've already posted this. If it isn't CLEAR by now, it's all just j3rking off.

 

Think what you like.....

 

 

Said this before show me the last rookie QB drafted in the top 9 spots, not counting Phillip Rivers, who has sat a year!!!!!! Beuhler?....Beuhler? If we get a QB at 9 he will play and he WILL get killed.

[PDaDdy]

Can you imagine what Jackson and Lynch could do with that NY Jet O line to block for them, not to mention the QB would actually have some time to throw.

 

 

I have been waiting a LONG time to see something like this my friend. A LONG time.

[PDaDdy]

Yeah, but he built the line AFTER he had Jim Kelly, RIGHT?

 

 

Nope. Almost the same time actually. Jim Kelly went to the USFL. By the time he played his first game for the Bills we had the basic components of that monster line that took us to the superbowl I believe.

[John from Riverside]

This is like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Franchise QB....Offensive Line... Duck Season...Wabbit Season. They will take the BPA in a position of need. Since the Bills have 4 major areas of need, they will have plenty of options at 9.

 

If they trade up, I'll put my foot through another TV. Thank you Donte Whitner, and Thank you John Fina.

 

I would actually take a young John Fina on this team right now.....

[PDaDdy]

This team needs 2 NT (one back up) and two OT (both starting caliber). Thats if we assume Williams and Stroud can play DE with Johnson and Denney as back ups. Thats a fairly large assumption. We are not going to put that all together in one offseason so we can take whoever we want. But if its QB he better not see the field this season - I dont want him injured.

 

 

Pipe dream buddy. If we draft a QB at #9 ....he starts sometime this year. Money plays!!!

[Pete]

Your draft strategy sucks! So if the best player on the board in round one is a safety, you'd take him instead of the best OT left? Your strategy is seriously flawed, glad your not our GM. If we are stacked at a position, like safety, and we have no tackles, then you would take another safety?

as opposed to your draft strategy. Um lets see. We had the #4 pick overall in the 2002 draft and needed offensive tackles. Using your strategy- that justified drafting Mike Williams or Bryant McKinnie. Use my strategy you have your choice of Ed Reed, Albert Haynseworth, John Henderson, Dwight Freeney- whomever is highest rated on our board. I think your draft strategy sucks. Checkmate

[John from Riverside]

My strategy is actually the best player at a position of need not just the best player.......

 

Mike Williams was one of the all time flops.......I am not scared to take another OT high just because of him.

 

I just really like Bradford....to me he looks like a leader.....he was ultra productive in college....he has a quick release...he is extremely accurate.......

 

Its a gut feel

[Fan in Chicago]

as opposed to your draft strategy. Um lets see. We had the #4 pick overall in the 2002 draft and needed offensive tackles. Using your strategy- that justified drafting Mike Williams or Bryant McKinnie. Use my strategy you have your choice of Ed Reed, Albert Haynseworth, John Henderson, Dwight Freeney- whomever is highest rated on our board. I think your draft strategy sucks. Checkmate

 

I don't agree. In this draft, would you draft a WR, DB or RB if a player at that position is best available ? Your philosophy would make sense for a team that has been consistently drafting well and is indifferent to positional needs. We have so many critical needs on the lines and at the QB position that we cannot afford to blindly go best-available.