Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 In 2010, the Buffalo Bills laid claim to the worst run defense in the NFL. Opponents trounced all over the Bills averaging 169.6 yards per game and totaled 18 rushing touchdowns (T-5th worst in NFL). On the flip side, the Bills defense was 3rd best in passing yards allowed per game (192). When looking at the Bills draft following this past weekend you can see the Bills draft focus was improving that run defense with the selections of Dareus, Sheppard, White and Jasper. Looking at the other picks however, the Bills drafted 3 defensive backs, is that right? Fans are scratching their heads wondering why former Buffalo Coach, Dick Jauron was making picks in the Bills' war-room. This wasn't the case, as the 192 passing yards allowed per game was very deceptive. Let's break it down... The Buffalo Bills' pass defense allowed only 192 yards per game, 3rd best in NFL. Only had to defend against 473 passing attempts, the 2nd least in the NFL to the Raiders. Allowed 28 passing touchdowns, T-6th worst in NFL (Worst TD:ATT ratio, 1 TD for every 17 passes thrown). The secondary only got their hands on 11 balls thrown by opposing QBs, T-4th least in NFL (actually, only 9 INT came from secondary, 1 from Davis and 1 from D. Edwards). Opposing quarterbacks enjoyed a 92.6 passer rating, on average against the Bills. There was no pressure for opponents to throw the ball around because the run defense was so bad; teams were able to control the game clock weekend-in and weekend-out. The Bills' run defense was so bad, Joe McKnight rushed for over 150 yards! In combination with the bulleted points and the uncertainty the surrounds who from the Bills' secondary will be around next season, it is quite obvious why the Bills drafted 3 defensive backs, including 2 of their top 4 selections. Aaron Williams is physical corner who can jam opposing receivers on the line of scrimmage and also has the ability to come in cornerback blitzes (he knocked out Sam Bradford out on a corner blitz in 2009). He has the ability to also play free safety but Buffalo has an above average FS in now third-year player Jairus Byrd. Aaron Williams also has special teams ability to be added to Bruce DeHaven's squad, as he blocked five kicks in his career at Texas. The only knocks on Aaron Williams is the concussion he suffered when he was hit by fellow teammate Blake Gideon on a scary collision, as well as his top-end speed being slower than ideal. As long as Williams isn't covering a burner on a deep out or fade every snap, there will be no concerns here. Williams will be starting in the Bills' secondary sometime in the upcoming 2011 season. Da'Norris Searcy was one of my favorite players going into the NFL draft this weekend. He wrongly had to sit out for the first three games of the 2010 season, but played very well for a good secondary and recorded 4 INT in the 9 regular season games he did play in. Searcy is most comfortable playing strong safety, often in the box, but also has the ability to play cornerback. For a guy who is about 5'11" and 220 pounds who is running in the 4.5s, we will see the Bills having a guy they can finally match up against opponent tight ends and on occasions the slot receiver. My belief is that Searcy can be plugged into the starting SS position right away and will save the Bills $6-8M per year by letting former first-round pick Donte Whitner walk in free agency. I know its not proper to let a guy go that easy after their rookie contract, but Whitner has been only slightly better than average in his tenure with the Bills and is asking more dough than the Bills are willing to bake for him. Justin Rogers is another favorite of mine who played at a smaller college program for the Richmond Spiders. Unlike Searcy however, Rogers is best equipped playing in zone packages and will likely be a depth corner for a secondary which will be completely revamped from last season. Rogers is a smaller than the other DBs drafted by the Bills (5'10" - 180 pounds), but he is also the fastest of the bunch, running in the low 4.4s and posted a 6.69s 3-cone time. Rogers also has big time return ability and will be able to contribute on special teams allowing other guys to focus more on their primary positions. Earlier I had mentioned the abysmal state of last year's run defense. It was an obvious focal point of this draft to make a statement to the NFL that we will no longer tolerate being a doormat for opposing running backs. Marcell Dareus will beef up that defensive front. Dareus is a guy whom the Bills can build their defense around (although I don't think that would be the case with Michael Jasper, the Bills' last selection, as you may need more than 10 other players to fit around him). Humble Marcell was thought of by many top draft analysts to be the best player in the entire NFL draft, and the Bills were somewhat surprised when he was still there at number 3. He is an explosive and powerful presence who will demand two blockers. Dareus, alongside Kyle Williams, will open up opportunities for Bills' linebackers to thrive and create plays at the second level. Dareus is a very versatile defender who can play anywhere on the defensive line in any type of front. Let's jump on the big fella from a little college called Bethel University (as long as he's not jumping on you, it's all good). At 6'4", 375 pounds, Mount Jasper (Leslie Michael Jasper) is only a fraction of himself from January when we weighed a whopping 448 pounds! Warning: bad pun alert: Bills' scout Matt Hand surely has his hand in on this selection, as he had been following Jasper since late into last summer, early fall. It was the Buffalo Bills who had the most interest in the big man and it was also the Bills who had asked him to shed the pounds. Surprisingly for a man of Jasper's size, he is plenty agile and moves really well. He can play two-gap allowing more versatility in the defensive front-seven to make more plays. Things such as a 32" vertical jump, 9'5" broad jump put Jasper up there with some of the more athletic ends and outside backers in this years draft class, but those guys were without the addition 100-200 pounds Jasper has. It would be interesting to line Jasper on one end of a line, and practice squad nose-tackle Kellen Heard on the other. It may seem like a long shot for Mount Jasper to make the 53-man squad but I spoke with a friend of a friend yesterday evening and he assured me that LMJ will continue to work his butt off, shed some more extra pounds, and continue to get stronger, faster and more explosive and will do whatever it takes to be the Bills' starting nose guard. LSU linebacker Kelvin Sheppard was not only on the Bills' front office radar, but of many of the fans as well. Nix and co. didn't shy away from the fact they had high interest in him either. He was coached by the Bills during the Senior Bowl and they were very pleased with what they saw out of the kid. Assuming the Buffalo Bills resign Paul Posluszny, Sheppard should challenge Andra Davis for a starting spot inside, unless fan-favorite Danny Batten has something to say in it. Sheppard is a good size for the 34 inside and is a hard hitting, run stopping, tackling machine, posting triple digit tackles the last two seasons at LSU. Even if he doesn't win the starting role out of camp, look for Sheppard to be used often in rotation with some of the other guys. Chris White seems to be more of a special teams player than someone who will come in to challenge for any sort of starting role. Barring multiple injuries, we should see White making tackles primarily on special teams. White plays a little high and would be a liability dropping back into coverage schemes or into zones. Despite his 6 sacks, he isn't a pass rush specialist, he just excels at hitting his gaps when called or on instincts. White's biggest pro is his sure-handed tackling, but unless he improves everywhere else, he may not have a chance to show it. The Buffalo Bills addressed the offense on two of their nine picks this past weekend, none of which being a franchise quarterback (Newton was gone by no. 3 and Ponder/Locker were gone by no. 34 eliminating any opportunity for the Bills to draft a quarterback). Don't fear Bills' fans, next years quarterback class is a whole league ahead of this years (Luck leading the charge, along with Foles, Cousins, Jones, Barkley in no order after Luck). C.J. Spiller will welcome a familiar face this off-season, as fellow Clemson Tiger Chris Hairston became the Bills' fifth pick in the 2011 draft on Saturday. He played a lot of left tackle at Clemson but projects to be a right tackle at the next level, good thing for the Bills because Erik Pears is really the top-flight guy over there. Hairston is a very smart player whom seldom makes mental mistakes. If he can work on his agility and bending better at the knees and improving some footwork, he may have a future at left tackle. For now, he should be able to crack the often-porous offensive line of the Buffalo Bills at right tackle. Johnny White is a could-be gem that the Bills selected in the fifth round of this past weekend's NFL draft. He does not have breakaway, home-run threat speed, but he is a versatile, all-purpose back. He has bounced around to a few positions, filling many voids for the Tarheels over his years at UNC. But, White is a running back, true put and forth. He is one of the top 5 one-cut runners in this draft, quite even top 3. He doesn't have the wear and tear of a typical college back, as he's only seen about 240 touches on the ball out of the backfield. He is always falling forward at the end of his runs resembling that of ex-Bill Marshawn Lynch. White has good hands and is an excellent option at the check-down coming out of the backfield. He is a solid pass protector (better than C.J. Spiller in that area), shows good patience in the run game, but explodes through the hole as soon as it opens to him with his keen ability to make the cut and accelerate right through the hole. When Fred is gone, Spiller and White will have the ability to be one of the league's top rushing tandems. The Bills did really well in this draft, and the fans should appreciate the scouting and selections made by the staff. This will be a completely different team than last year (in particular on defense) with all of these new additions, along with the addition of Coach Stache Wannstedt. I am giving the Bills an A for this years draft, as I would have liked them to have added a tight end in there somewhere (particularly in place of Chris White), which would be my only complaint of the draft. Looking forward to a great 2011 season, and you should be too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McD Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice write-up; too bad most "professional" writers don't have the ablity to breakdown the Bills' true needs compared to the "truth" of last season. Numbers don't always tell the story here and the additional secondary picks were definitely a need. Now... find a TE and a QB in FA (whenever we have it) to help fill those other big needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice write-up; too bad most "professional" writers don't have the ablity to breakdown the Bills' true needs compared to the "truth" of last season. Numbers don't always tell the story here and the additional secondary picks were definitely a need. Now... find a TE and a QB in FA (whenever we have it) to help fill those other big needs. I think we will try to sign a top-flight tight end (Miller), and then just some guy or two to be training camp/practice squad QBs (ala Scott Tolzien). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slcbillsbacker Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hey Aloha, thanks for that re-cap...it was (IMHO) spot on and the best thing I'd read all weekend. Until the news flashed our boys got Osama! Go Bills and God Bless the USA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Hey Aloha, thanks for that re-cap...it was (IMHO) spot on and the best thing I'd read all weekend. Until the news flashed our boys got Osama! Go Bills and God Bless the USA! Ha, can't disagree with that last part. God bless America! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice write up. I love the draft as well. Go get a starting TE and backup QB in FA and I'm happy. If somehow we could sign one of the better OTs in FA, we'd have one less guy to draft next year. The future looks much more promising after this draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Thanks for putting the effort into that analysis! Do you not see a little bit of John Holecek in Chris White? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mob16151 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Good write up. The only thing I disagree on is about White. I feel like White has a legitimate chance to be a 2 down IL in the 3-4( In the Andra Davis model). The kid is a thumper and he's not afraid to stick his nose in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Nice work, OP! Only a work stoppage could dampen my enthusiasm! Oh, wait. nevermind.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 (edited) A little utopian there aloha. Maybe being in paradise has swayed your thinking. You act like we hit on 9 pro bowlers. Edited May 2, 2011 by Joe_the_6_pack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizell Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 good write-up. i'm most interested in how searcy does, as i had written him off as JAG (just another guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 A little utopian there aloha. Maybe being in paradise has swayed your thinking. You act like we hit on 9 pro bowlers. Not to rag on ya Jt6pack, except for Dareus (where it is deserved) Aloha seems to be saying just that we made about 5 solid picks with potential to see the field or even crack the starting line up to make us a better team defensively this season. Two guys are correctly identified as likely special team contributors until/unless they develop. One is identified as a long shot to make the team, with potential if he continues to work hard and improve. Aloha goes a little over-the-top IMO about Johnny White, but for a late round pick, the kid seems to have that effect on people for some reason. Do we need a little calibration here at TBD if a positive spin that correctly uses phrases like" seems to be more of a special teams player than someone who will come in to challenge for any sort of starting role" "contribute on special teams" "challenge for a starting spot inside" "should start sometime during 2011" "should be able to crack the often-porous offensive line of the Buffalo Bills at right tackle" is characterized as "act(ing) like we hit on 9 pro-bowlers" Isn't that just what should be expected of a draft on a rebuilding team with needs across the board so it's not so hard for a drafted player to be an improvement? 1-2 players who should start immediately or almost immediately, 2-3 players who should challenge for a starting role sometime during the next season, 1 potential sleeper (J White), a couple of special teamers, and a Dark Horse with big upside? That's what I read about. Aloha, thanks for the recap. Nice analysis of why the Bills secondary is a bigger need than it seems from the stats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Good write up. The only thing I disagree on is about White. I feel like White has a legitimate chance to be a 2 down IL in the 3-4( In the Andra Davis model). The kid is a thumper and he's not afraid to stick his nose in there. Meh, I could easily be wrong but with poz, Davis, sheppard and batten I don't see how white will see much playing time. He plays a little slow, although he takes a good angle on the ball. So, like any player drafted, he's got a chance, and he has a much better chance if poz is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 Not to rag on ya Jt6pack, except for Dareus (where it is deserved) Aloha seems to be saying just that we made about 5 solid picks with potential to see the field or even crack the starting line up to make us a better team defensively this season. Two guys are correctly identified as likely special team contributors until/unless they develop. One is identified as a long shot to make the team, with potential if he continues to work hard and improve. Aloha goes a little over-the-top IMO about Johnny White, but for a late round pick, the kid seems to have that effect on people for some reason. Do we need a little calibration here at TBD if a positive spin that correctly uses phrases like" seems to be more of a special teams player than someone who will come in to challenge for any sort of starting role" "contribute on special teams" "challenge for a starting spot inside" "should start sometime during 2011" "should be able to crack the often-porous offensive line of the Buffalo Bills at right tackle" is characterized as "act(ing) like we hit on 9 pro-bowlers" Isn't that just what should be expected of a draft on a rebuilding team with needs across the board so it's not so hard for a drafted player to be an improvement? 1-2 players who should start immediately or almost immediately, 2-3 players who should challenge for a starting role sometime during the next season, 1 potential sleeper (J White), a couple of special teamers, and a Dark Horse with big upside? That's what I read about. Aloha, thanks for the recap. Nice analysis of why the Bills secondary is a bigger need than it seems from the stats. Good post and thank you. Right on with my thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Good post and thank you. Right on with my thoughts The thing I find interesting is I am hear a lot of "what about the offense" after this draft.... Folks....what about the offense? - Stevie Johnson came in last year and tied Bill Brooks TD record. We have in essense what is a rookie draft pick coming in with Marcus Easley (I am wondering where Easley would have gone in this draft), David Nelson came in last year and was MORE then solid, Our running backs are set (even though we did take what is considered the most underrated RB in this draft, Lee Evens is still here, We drafted a RT with a lot of potential. This is the thing......we had a ton of draft picks in this draft and still could have used some more......so the bills did the LOGICAL thing (by the way....isn't it nice to see them do the RIGHT thing for a change in stead of getting cute and drafting all over the place from small schools and hoping that they reach their "potential" they drafted from big time schools and took players with size....how nice) We wont be picking in the top 10 next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-No Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 We wont be picking in the top 10 next year Don't underestimate us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 We wont be picking in the top 10 next year As long as we don't have pick no. 11 again! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Meh, I could easily be wrong but with poz, Davis, sheppard and batten I don't see how white will see much playing time. He plays a little slow, although he takes a good angle on the ball. So, like any player drafted, he's got a chance, and he has a much better chance if poz is gone. It would seem to depend on several things: 1) Rap I heard on White is that he is a bit under-conditioned. If he really turns it on the rest of the off-season, maybe drops the body fat and ups the muscle just a bit, could improve his speed. Send him to that Solus place to train with Jasper Better yet send him to "Don Beebe's House of Speed" 2) How will White stack up against Batten? We've never seen Batten play LB much less ILB - he was an end in college, right? 3) Will Poz and Davis stay healthy? 1) White can control. 2) we shall see. 3) Has this ever happened before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha22 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 It would seem to depend on several things: 1) Rap I heard on White is that he is a bit under-conditioned. If he really turns it on the rest of the off-season, maybe drops the body fat and ups the muscle just a bit, could improve his speed. Send him to that Solus place to train with Jasper Better yet send him to "Don Beebe's House of Speed" 2) How will White stack up against Batten? We've never seen Batten play LB much less ILB - he was an end in college, right? 3) Will Poz and Davis stay healthy? 1) White can control. 2) we shall see. 3) Has this ever happened before? You can't teach speed, but maybe he can get faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockinon Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 (edited) Don't underestimate us. He isn't. And Aloha, very nice write up. Edited May 2, 2011 by Rockinon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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