Bryan Bulaga competing for starting job...

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Frankly we needed another gaurd more than we need a fourth running back.

More credibility suicide. Fudging facts doesn't strengthen the argument. It weakens it. Spiller is not a 4th running back. Not even in your universe. And you know it.

 

I wasn't too concerned with the Bills drafting him this year. I was screaming for the tackle at number 11 in last years' draft. Now that Maybin is having trouble beating out a journeyman OLB recently cut from the Dolphins to start this training camp, I'm really pissed the Bills didn't "reach" for Michael Oher, who seems to be settling in rather nicely for the next 10 years or so in Baltimore these days. Let's see, Oher at LT and Wood at LG or even Center would look really nice right about now, wouldn't it?

That's fine Billsphan.

 

Just remember that Oher is not an established left tackle. He struggled on the left side last year although he was very solid on the right side.

 

I agree that he'd have been a better pick than Maybin and I agree that this will be borne out over time.

 

I hated the Maybin selection too. For the record, I wanted to draft Robert Ayers (a natural 4-3 end) who Denver continues to try turning into a 3-4 linebacker.

 

But Oher hasn't yet established himself as a left tackle.

 

As for Bulaga, I didn't want to draft him. For the record, I wanted us to draft Brandon Graham, the Michigan pass rusher. Counter to most mock drafts, I had him ahead of Derrick Morgan and in fact, he was drafted ahead of Morgan.

 

I believe that a team cannot have enough pass rushers. Ever.

 

But unlike with Maybin last year, I'm fine with the Spiller pick.

[JohnC]

When did "getting value at nine" take precedence over building a winning football team?

 

You build a winning football team by getting the best value when you draft. If a player is ranked 7-10 compared to a player ranked 20-25 when you are drafting at nine then you usually go with the higher ranked player. The best drafting teams don't reach; they pick the best talent and then build their roster with the better players. That is how Ozzie Newsome does it at Baltimore, Polian at Indianapoli, Ted Thompson at Green Bay and most long term successful franchises do it. I'm not suggesting it is an absolute rule but it is a general rule which is followed by most successful organizations.

[joejoebills]

No shame in that…a rookie with a chance to start on the offensive line. Even if he was drafted as a tackle and they want to convert him to guard. After all, Rueben Brown was an All-American tackle at Pitt before an excellent career as an NFL guard. But Bulaga will remain a backup at left tackle while competing for the starting job at left guard. And apparently the Packers feel comfortable with the declining Mark Tauscher at right tackle. So Bulaga will learn two positions but he won't become a swing tackle, like many teams use.

 

"Bulaga had only worked at LT thus far in his first NFL camp, but he began rotating with Daryn Colledge at LG on the No. 1 line. After practice, Head Coach Mike McCarthy said Bulaga had earned the right to compete for the starting LG position…

 

With Bulaga getting work at LG, Allen Barbre was working with the backup units at LT."

 

http://blog.packers.com/2010/08/09/monday-practice-report-2/

 

http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/art...c4-6d766561b203

 

It will be interesting to see how this year's 22nd pick develops in light of the many posters here who thought we should have drafted him.

Perfect!!! lets trade marshawn, a 3rd and a 5th for him.

[John from Riverside]

Ok so for those who were pining away for this guy as our left tackle does anybody give a moment of pause to this?

 

They are going to play him at guard......we have guards....wont we dont have are legit left tackles which are extremely hard to come by.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

When did "getting value at nine" take precedence over building a winning football team?

 

In his own mind, tennesseeboy > Buddy Nix.

 

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[tennesseeboy]

More credibility suicide. Fudging facts doesn't strengthen the argument. It weakens it. Spiller is not a 4th running back. Not even in your universe. And you know it.

 

 

That's fine Billsphan.

 

Just remember that Oher is not an established left tackle. He struggled on the left side last year although he was very solid on the right side.

 

I agree that he'd have been a better pick than Maybin and I agree that this will be borne out over time.

 

I hated the Maybin selection too. For the record, I wanted to draft Robert Ayers (a natural 4-3 end) who Denver continues to try turning into a 3-4 linebacker.

 

But Oher hasn't yet established himself as a left tackle.

 

As for Bulaga, I didn't want to draft him. For the record, I wanted us to draft Brandon Graham, the Michigan pass rusher. Counter to most mock drafts, I had him ahead of Derrick Morgan and in fact, he was drafted ahead of Morgan.

 

Ahhh..once again a misreading. I said he was a fourth running back. We have three. Adding one more makes him a fourth. Where he will be on the depth chart is up to him and the coaching staff. We are not that deep on the offensive line...by a long shot.

 

I believe that a team cannot have enough pass rushers. Ever.

 

But unlike with Maybin last year, I'm fine with the Spiller pick.

[tennesseeboy]

Ah...a misreading...I said he was a fourth running back. Which he is. We had three before he signed. He was the fourth. Where he shows up on the depth chart will depend on his play and the coaching staff.

[Lurker]

When did "getting value at nine" take precedence over building a winning football team?

When did "drafting for need" work better than BPA....

[Nanker]

Bulaga has short arms for an OT.

It's no surprise he's being worked out at G.

[JohnC]

When did "drafting for need" work better than BPA....

 

You are right. Drafting for need over drafting BPA type of thinking got us Hardy in the second round. Sometimes the BPA and drafting for need blend together. When they overlap and you have a choice then address the need. The Bills addressed another need when the traded a pick to move up to get McCargo? How did that work out?

 

In the long run filling your roster with the best players you can pick will serve you well. Reaching for picks to address needs is one of the reasons why the Bills have been mediocre for a very long time. If you can't learn from your mistakes then you can expect to continue to flounder.

[sharper802]

If it was good enough for Brad Butler then why criticize? Get the best 5 on the field. Not uncommon at all to move to guard. Take Leonard Davis. He was a relative bust at LT for the Cardinals and now one could argue he is the best guard in the NFL.

[sharper802]

Bulaga has short arms for an OT.

It's no surprise he's being worked out at G.

Careful there are plenty of posteres here that want Levitre and his T Rex arms at LT....

[C.Biscuit97]

If it was good enough for Brad Butler then why criticize? Get the best 5 on the field. Not uncommon at all to move to guard. Take Leonard Davis. He was a relative bust at LT for the Cardinals and now one could argue he is the best guard in the NFL.

 

 

Butler was 5th round pick. Bulaga was a 1st rounder. You don't see the difference? I honestly was on the Bulaga bandwagon before the draft and think he will be a very good guard. But the question many people had and the Bills must have is whether he was a LT. Apparently, he's not at this point.

[Thurman#1]

It's amazing that some, merely to discredit a player, will determine the success or failure of a players career based on their rookie season or where they play in camp. The Packers are a proven organization and believe Bulaga is a able to play LG now. I highly doubt they think he can't play OT down the road, especially considering their other options are Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton.

 

Jairus Byrd had a statistically fine season with those 9 INT's. But it's the 2nd year and beyond that tell the story. Will Byrd be exposed for his poor run defense and tackling or improve? Will he be fortunate to play Jake Delhomme and a mistake prone Mark Sanchez every season or learn from experience? Let's see what players do when teams have film on them. Then, we can declare them outstanding players.

 

 

 

IMHO, one reason they're putting him at LG instead of RT is because the experience he will gain there is more transferable to LT. His first step on pass pro and his hand work won't be mirror images of LT, they will be close to the same as an LT.

 

If Bulaga turns out to be an above-average LT in this league, even starting next year, IMHO, it will not have been a good idea to pass on him. We'll see, and in the meantime, I'm hoping Spiller will be terrific.

[Thurman#1]

That's how you build a winning football team. If you keep reaching to fill holes then those holes always end up with poor solutions. If you draft the best player available even if it is a strong position then your team gets the most value. You want the best players you can get, not the best of a bad bunch because your guys might be worse.

 

 

Great. Then you think we might see more first-round RBs in Buffalo over the next few years, hunh?

[Thurman#1]

When did "drafting for need" work better than BPA....

 

 

When did factoring both into your decision work better than purely BPA or purely drafting for need?

 

Most of the time.

[BobDVA]

Instead of what if's, I think at this point in time, I am going to root for Bell to be a good LT.

[Thoner7]

Butler was 5th round pick. Bulaga was a 1st rounder. You don't see the difference? I honestly was on the Bulaga bandwagon before the draft and think he will be a very good guard. But the question many people had and the Bills must have is whether he was a LT. Apparently, he's not at this point.

 

Ill post it again because no one seemed to acknowledge it before, but FWIW, Bulaga took 100% of his reps as the backup LT in the Packers intersquad scrimmage Sat (I watched it twice on NFLN). I am not sure where the article got its information, but even if he does start at LG good for him. He will eventually replace Mark Tauscher - a very very good long time LT

 

I really liked Bulaga in the draft and wish we took him. He looked good in that scrimmage too. I think it could become another Oher situation where he really is not a "reach" in hindsight. But even if he is only a G, we need a G too! (because wood moves to C)

[FLFan]

People will haul out any arguement to justify their belief the Bills should have reached for a LT prospect rather than draft a player at 9 who is much more likley to help them this year. There is a reason Bulaga fell so far in the first round. As for the Bills, he did not fll a need nor was he the BPA. Time will tell how all these picks pan out, but this guy would have simply duplicated skills the Bills already have - not worth a first round pick for them. The tackle situation will resolve itself in time, and this will take more than 1 year.

[Thoner7]

People will haul out any arguement to justify their belief the Bills should have reached for a LT prospect rather than draft a player at 9 who is much more likley to help them this year. There is a reason Bulaga fell so far in the first round. As for the Bills, he did not fll a need nor was he the BPA. Time will tell how all these picks pan out, but this guy would have simply duplicated skills the Bills already have - not worth a first round pick for them. The tackle situation will resolve itself in time, and this will take more than 1 year.

 

Are you talking about Bulaga or Oher?