Bills 2012 Depth Chart Preview

[Nick Heightz]

QB:

Fitzy

A developmental QB taken in 5/6 round

 

RB:

Fred AND CJ (get them both involved)

 

WR:

Bowe

Stevie

Marcus Easley

David Nelson

3rd round pick Tommy Streeter

 

OL:

LT Bell/Hairston/Draft pick

RG: Levitre

C: Wood

LG: Urbik

RT: Pears

 

Defense 4-3

 

DE: 1st round pick: Coples/Upshaw/Melvin Ingram

DT: Dareus

DT: Kyle Williams

DE: Alex Carrington

 

LB:

OLB: 2nd round pick Ronnell Lewis/Lavonte David

ILB: Kelvin Sheppard

OLB: Barnett/Merimann (who knows what he will bring)

 

Secondary

CB: Terrence McGee/Florence

CB: Aaron Williams

Nickel: Leodis McKelvin

S: George Wilson

S: Jairus Byrd

 

K: Rian Lindell

P: Moorman (last year), draft one in a late round

 

KR: Justin Rogers

PR: McKelvin

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I have no guess on alignment or FA/draft priorities, but but Barnett is your starting MLB in a 4-3. And it's not even debatable.

[GOBILLS78]

I would be surprised if McGee's back.

[bowery4]

I have no guess on alignment or FA/draft priorities, but but Barnett is your starting MLB in a 4-3. And it's not even debatable.

 

 

Agree with that and McKelvin is going to be replaced, sounds like.

[mountainwampus]

I like it except the WRs. Easley hasn't shown much and I wouldn't bank on him. I'd like to see Nelson higher on the chart (2nd or 3rd). Perhaps Hagan has a future here? How about Roscoe?

 

I especially like that you excluded Spencer Johnson and Kelsay

 

Also, DON'T FORGET BRYAN SCOTT. He's a freee agent. Hope they don't let him go.

Edited January 10, 2012 by mountainwampus

[snamsnoops]

Didnt Chan say we are sticking with the 34 even with Wanny as the D coach?

[T master]

Mcgee is gone unless they can get him for the absolute rock bottom price for depth purposes only , but then the first time he gets hurt he's history but i just don't see him coming back because of Buddy trying to get the team younger with less injuries & unfortunately Mcgee doesn't enter into that conversation !!!

 

SEE YA Terrence !!!!!

Edited January 10, 2012 by T master

[BringMe]

I was thinking maybe they would put merriman at DE and let him do what he did best and rush the passer

[Maddog69]

My Dream scenario would be:

re-sign Stevie

we get our starting LT in Rd1 (Reif would be awesome)

sign a FA WR (Bowe, Colston, Meachum, etc)

Sign a pass rush DE in free agency (Avril, Mathis, etc

Draft a CB in Rd2-3 and draft 3 DE/LB pass rush guys and hopefully one of them works out.

[BobChalmers]

Didnt Chan say we are sticking with the 34 even with Wanny as the D coach?

 

He did? Source?

 

I'm all but certain they are going 4-3 based on Nix's comments that he is looking to upgrade the pass rush with a DE. That's not what DE's do in a 3-4.

 

I like it except the WRs. Easley hasn't shown much and I wouldn't bank on him. I'd like to see Nelson higher on the chart (2nd or 3rd). Perhaps Hagan has a future here? How about Roscoe?

 

I especially like that you excluded Spencer Johnson and Kelsay

 

Also, DON'T FORGET BRYAN SCOTT. He's a freee agent. Hope they don't let him go.

 

Spencer is a fine backup 4-3 DT - his actual position.

 

Kelsay will be in the mix at DE if they go 4-3.

 

You don't want to bank on Easley - but believe that Chan is still really hoping he can come through.

 

They also love Donald Jones for some reason - I just don't see it, but they do.

 

Agreed on McGhee - too bad, he's been a good player - but too old and injury prone now.

 

McKelvin might stick as a s/t guy if his price is low enough.

 

My Dream scenario would be:

re-sign Stevie

we get our starting LT in Rd1 (Reif would be awesome)

sign a FA WR (Bowe, Colston, Meachum, etc)

Sign a pass rush DE in free agency (Avril, Mathis, etc

Draft a CB in Rd2-3 and draft 3 DE/LB pass rush guys and hopefully one of them works out.

 

Nix actually has me believing that's his plan.

 

Here's hoping he pulls it off.

 

Hard to believe KC will let Bowe get away - I've been assuming Vince Jackson is their target - assuming Merriman and Nix have a good relationship there they think they can exploit.

Edited January 10, 2012 by BobChalmers

[snamsnoops]

Finally, the Bills plan to stick to a 3-4 defense. There's been a lot of talk in Buffalo since the team fired former defensive coordinator George Edwards. Nix said the 3-4 is not as big an issue as people think. Buffalo's priority in the offseason, according to Nix, is to continue to add more players to fit the 3-4 scheme.

 

 

Sorry Nix said it not Chan!

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast

 

 

My guess is they stay with the 34 and mix in the 43! Hybrid

Edited January 10, 2012 by snamsnoops

[mountainwampus]

 

Spencer is a fine backup 4-3 DT - his actual position.

 

Kelsay will be in the mix at DE if they go 4-3.

 

You don't want to bank on Easley - but believe that Chan is still really hoping he can come through.

 

They also love Donald Jones for some reason - I just don't see it, but they do.

 

 

Agreed. Spencer and Kelsay would make good backups at their natural positions.

 

Also, not sure why so much love for Jones. He had that one good game vs NE. He seems like a speedy guy that probably impresses at practice, though, I think he lacks natual WR instincts. He lets the ball come to his chest instead of reaching out and catching with his hands. When he HAS extended for the ball, they were dropped. Had some good over the shoulder catches against NE, but Fitzy's not the best at placing balls over the shoulder. They need WRs that can catch Fitzy's hard-to-catch, wild & quick bullets.

[BobChalmers]

Finally, the Bills plan to stick to a 3-4 defense. There's been a lot of talk in Buffalo since the team fired former defensive coordinator George Edwards. Nix said the 3-4 is not as big an issue as people think. Buffalo's priority in the offseason, according to Nix, is to continue to add more players to fit the 3-4 scheme.

 

 

Sorry Nix said it not Chan!

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast

 

 

My guess is they stay with the 34 and mix in the 43! Hybrid

 

Am I the only one who listened to the entire Nix press conference and heard absolutely nothing of the kind?

 

I heard him say it's not a big deal - he did not say which way they were going as a bsae defense. ESPN was reading waaaay too much into that.

 

They need WRs that can catch Fitzy's hard-to-catch, wild & quick bullets.

 

Which (not in so many words, of course) is exactly what Nix said. Guys like Calvin Johnson who are still 'open' when they are covered.

 

Jones is a nice guy to have on your roster at #5 WR. He's not big, not espeically fast for an NFL WR, nor does he have great hands. Maybe he runs great routes - but it hasn't shown up in games yet.

 

You could see from Easley's brief preseason appearance why he has Gailey excited for his potential. Jones I don't get. Fortunately, Nix wasn't sounding satisified with Jones as a starter.

[snamsnoops]

Am I the only one who listened to the entire Nix press conference and heard absolutely nothing of the kind?

 

I heard him say it's not a big deal - he did not say which way they were going as a bsae defense. ESPN was reading waaaay too much into that.

 

 

 

Which (not in so many words, of course) is exactly what Nix said. Guys like Calvin Johnson who are still 'open' when they are covered.

 

Jones is a nice guy to have on your roster at #5 WR. He's not big, not espeically fast for an NFL WR, nor does he have great hands. Maybe he runs great routes - but it hasn't shown up in games yet.

 

You could see from Easley's brief preseason appearance why he has Gailey excited for his potential. Jones I don't get. Fortunately, Nix wasn't sounding satisified with Jones as a starter.

 

Maybe so, but this is the only place i have read\heard of which D alignment they will be focusing on. I really think nothing is set in stone as of yet. Maybe FA n the draft will help them decide or show which way they r heading.

[MikeSpeed]

Doesn't seem like we upgrade much with the OP's roster. I'm not saying I can do better I'm just afraid that we are counting on the IR returnies to win us 4 more games next year. And why isn't anyone as concerned about Woods history of injury as they are Bell's or McGee's? Woods is on IR almost as much as Bell.

The upgrade that I think will matter most is at DC.

 

Living in SC I would love to see Ingram in a Bills uni.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

And why isn't anyone as concerned about Woods history of injury as they are Bell's or McGee's? Woods is on IR almost as much as Bell.

I'm sure they are just as concerned about Wood.

 

However Wood is still under contract and Bell is a soon-to-be UFA.

 

But I'm very concerned about Wood. This last injury happened on a very innocent looking play where you would not expect an injury to occur.

 

 

[Just in Atlanta]

Like all of it, but we need to draft an OLB in the first or second, regardless of scheme.

 

Think V. Jackson has a shot coming here. Don't know about Bowe--did he play under Gailey?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Nix wasn't sounding satisified with Jones as a starter.

 

Yeah thank goodness. I am totally on board with the notion bigger faster wr's will bring up fitzs play. If all he needs to do is get it out fast and somewhere near the target he can manage to do just fine. In fact with Cham ball I'd love to see two big fast outside wr's and Stevie in the slot on a nickel back or lb.

[BobChalmers]

Maybe so, but this is the only place i have read\heard of which D alignment they will be focusing on. I really think nothing is set in stone as of yet. Maybe FA n the draft will help them decide or show which way they r heading.

 

I agree we'll learn more from the draft/FA.

 

OTOH, ESPN is daily proof you don't need to know what you are talking about to be a sportswriter.

 

The team has the transcript on their page - here's the part about defensive alignments:

 

On if he prefers a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive look:

 

I knew you guys were going to ask that so I looked at the stats of how much we played a four-man front this year and it was 47-percent of the time. Forty-seven percent of the time we were in nickel, and when we were in nickel we had four down linemen. I watched, all of us did, the playoff games. I watched Houston and Wade Phillips is probably the granddaddy of the 3-4 right now and they played at least 50-percent of the time they had four down linemen. So I’m not so sure that it matters. I think Dave’s (Wannstedt) expertise is more 4-3, but again you’re talking 50-percent of the time we’ll be in that and 50 percent of the time you may be in a three-man rush. And you’re blitzing some. So, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as everyone wants to make it. I know that the one thing that I said before and I think that’s true is that you need to get players that are playmakers and put them in a position where they can play. Now I know that sounds simple but that is the key to it. You take a guy like Von Miller. If you’re a 4-3 team and you put Von Miller down in a three-point stance and have him set the edge on the running game and make him a three-down player it’s not what he does best. So you’ve got to move him around and he’s a pass rusher. I’m just using that (as an example).

 

On how he said last year that his scouts take into account playing a 3-4 or 4-3 defense:

 

How do you guys remember all of that? Do you write that down somewhere? Everything you say a year from now you bring it up? That is true. I did say that. Let’s look at it this way. The guys we drafted this year: Marcell Dareus can play in any defense. He’ll play. Aaron Williams is going to play no matter what you do. Kelvin Sheppard can play in either defense. Da’Norris Searcy is going to play. The other fourth-rounder was OT Chris Hairston, so all of our draft picks this year will fit either defense. And I think again as an outside backer you want a guy that’s 6-4 or 6-5 and in the 255-260 range. In a 4-3 those guys are defensive ends. If he is that size and he can rush the passer he can play in either one.

[bowery4]

Finally, the Bills plan to stick to a 3-4 defense. There's been a lot of talk in Buffalo since the team fired former defensive coordinator George Edwards. Nix said the 3-4 is not as big an issue as people think. Buffalo's priority in the offseason, according to Nix, is to continue to add more players to fit the 3-4 scheme.

 

 

Sorry Nix said it not Chan!

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast

 

 

My guess is they stay with the 34 and mix in the 43! Hybrid

I read that link earlier on ESPN but

To be honest there is a transcript and I watched it through once. I really don't think he said what they were going to run , just said it wasn't important and we would try to get players to rush the passer

 

Here is that portion of it.

 

I knew you guys were going to ask that so I looked at the stats of how much we played a four-man front this year and it was 47-percent of the time. Forty-seven percent of the time we were in nickel, and when we were in nickel we had four down linemen. I watched, all of us did, the playoff games. I watched Houston and Wade Phillips is probably the granddaddy of the 3-4 right now and they played at least 50-percent of the time they had four down linemen. So I’m not so sure that it matters. I think Dave’s (Wannstedt) expertise is more 4-3, but again you’re talking 50-percent of the time we’ll be in that and 50 percent of the time you may be in a three-man rush. And you’re blitzing some. So, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as everyone wants to make it. I know that the one thing that I said before and I think that’s true is that you need to get players that are playmakers and put them in a position where they can play. Now I know that sounds simple but that is the key to it. You take a guy like Von Miller. If you’re a 4-3 team and you put Von Miller down in a three-point stance and have him set the edge on the running game and make him a three-down player it’s not what he does best. So you’ve got to move him around and he’s a pass rusher. I’m just using that (as an example).

 

On how he said last year that his scouts take into account playing a 3-4 or 4-3 defense:

 

How do you guys remember all of that? Do you write that down somewhere? Everything you say a year from now you bring it up? That is true. I did say that. Let’s look at it this way. The guys we drafted this year: Marcell Dareus can play in any defense. He’ll play. Aaron Williams is going to play no matter what you do. Kelvin Sheppard can play in either defense. Da’Norris Searcy is going to play. The other fourth-rounder was OT Chris Hairston, so all of our draft picks this year will fit either defense. And I think again as an outside backer you want a guy that’s 6-4 or 6-5 and in the 255-260 range. In a 4-3 those guys are defensive ends. If he is that size and he can rush the passer he can play in either one..