John from Riverside Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 QB...Plain and Simple!! I don't care what other needs are addressed this offseason as long as there is a serious attempt by the front office to upgrade the quarterback position for the future of this team. Sure, Tyrod is a nice player but he has serious issues that need to be corrected. If he was a rookie or 1st year player, I would have hope, but he is a fifth year pro. Granted he has never started prior to this year but he makes the same mistakes as EJ or any other young quarterback with limited exposure. He has spent years learning what not to do and he does that well. He doesn't turn the ball over. The problem is, he hasn't learned how to be a NFL quarterback that can lead a team consistently. He only reads a small portion of the field at a time, he locks in on receivers far too often and he tends to have huge lapses during games to be able to utilize his primary playmakers. Tyrod probably will be our starting QB next year but he doesn't have all of the tools to be the "franchise" QB for the foreseeable future. Being fans of a franchise starved for anything resembling decent QB play, most are jumping on the Tyrod bandwagon because he's probably better in year one than everyone since Kelly, with the exception of Bledsoe. Unfortunately, the weaknesses are glaring for a guy that's been backing up for 4 years. It's time to seriously make a run at a young QB with size, smarts and strength to turn this franchise around. Christ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 (edited) 1. Nose Tackle 2. Quality Big target WR Coincidentally, when Rex took over those were what he said were the two top priorities in terms of non-QB personnel. And neither was addressed last offseason. Instead they veered off course enticed by shiny toys like Shady and Percy......dealt the pick they needed to acquire Brandon Marshall for a QB in Matt Cassel who couldn't pass most teams physical at the time.....and proceeded to waste the expensive/talented Marcel Dareus for a season without making much attempt at all to add a NT. All that being said........despite the fact that the porous D was to blame for the disappointing season.........IMO the priority next year isn't to improve the talent/fits on defense. The Bills now have a potential franchise QB in development and if resources are being conserved at all then they should be used to improve the weapons and blockers on offense. Hogan and Woods are JAGS without a QB who is willing to throw to spots, which Tyrod really can't do right now and may take a while to get comfortable doing. The big WR who can win 75% of 50/50 balls is needed. A second legit pass catching TE, so Clay can line up in backfield more and Felton can be taken off the field entirely. And a real, nifty and tough slot receiver would be nice. The OL could use an influx of athleticism, even if Incognito and Wood don't decline/regress, which they very well may at their ages. If the Bills don't make an effort to improve the players around Tyrod........teams will take the film they saw this year, adapt and slow or halt his trajectory. One of the reasons the Bills throw so many deep balls is because they know they are ill equipped for redzone offense and opposing DC are going to do work harder to make the Bills execute longer, better drives. As for the D, the thing about Rex's defense that is appealing is that it can be stocked with cheap, physically limited vets who make smart decisions just about everywhere except at the corners. For example: Don't be surprised to see an otherwise washed-up Calvin Pace playing adequately in Buffalo next season. In fact, the second biggest need on this D is probably another high potential CB. I don't like that, but it's probably the truth because if Darby or Gilmore go down next season it probably hurts more than Dareus or Hughes going down. Rex wrecked a good D but I fully expect them to be around 10th next season with health at the corners even if there is not much personnel change otherwise. It won't be exciting but I'm not sure trying to insert 3 rookie starters would be much help and the positions wouldn't be chips well spent early in the draft, IMO. Edited December 19, 2015 by #BADOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 1. Nose Tackle 2. Quality Big target WR Coincidentally, when Rex took over those were what he said were the two top priorities in terms of non-QB personnel. And neither was addressed last offseason. Instead they veered off course enticed by shiny toys like Shady and Percy......dealt the pick they needed to acquire Brandon Marshall for a QB in Matt Cassel who couldn't pass most teams physical at the time.....and proceeded to waste the expensive/talented Marcel Dareus for a season without making much attempt at all to add a NT. All that being said........despite the fact that the porous D was to blame for the disappointing season.........IMO the priority next year isn't to improve the talent/fits on defense. The Bills now have a potential franchise QB in development and if resources are being conserved at all then they should be used to improve the weapons and blockers on offense. Hogan and Woods are JAGS without a QB who is willing to throw to spots, which Tyrod really can't do right now and may take a while to get comfortable doing. The big WR who can win 75% of 50/50 balls is needed. A second legit pass catching TE, so Clay can line up in backfield more and Felton can be taken off the field entirely. And a real, nifty and tough slot receiver would be nice. The OL could use an influx of athleticism, even if Incognito and Wood don't decline/regress, which they very well may at their ages. If the Bills don't make an effort to improve the players around Tyrod........teams will take the film they saw this year, adapt and slow or halt his trajectory. One of the reasons the Bills throw so many deep balls is because they know they are ill equipped for redzone offense and opposing DC are going to do work harder to make the Bills execute longer, better drives. As for the D, the thing about Rex's defense that is appealing is that it can be stocked with cheap, physically limited vets who make smart decisions just about everywhere except at the corners. For example: Don't be surprised to see an otherwise washed-up Calvin Pace playing adequately in Buffalo next season. In fact, the second biggest need on this D is probably another high potential CB. I don't like that, but it's probably the truth because if Darby or Gilmore go down next season it probably hurts more than Dareus or Hughes going down. Rex wrecked a good D but I fully expect them to be around 10th next season with health at the corners even if there is not much personnel change otherwise. It won't be exciting but I'm not sure trying to insert 3 rookie starters would be much help and the positions wouldn't be chips well spent early in the draft, IMO. Starting to like your posts more and more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 The Bills biggest positional needs heading into the off season in order of importance: Inside LB, Offensive Tackle, Safety, DE/OLB, backup/developmental QB I don't billieve any of the positions above should be our first round draft pick, let me explain why. Insdie Linebacker - Preston Brown and Nigel Bradham have struggled this year. After an above average year for both of them in 2014, they have seemed to regress. Bradham has been awful and most likely won't be a Bill next year. Both ILBs have struggled stopping the run this year with Bradham being the worst. So what happend? The simple answer is that Bradham was NEVER a good run stopper. Last year that was Brandon Spikes' job. You will notice this year, Preston Brown is playing really tight to the line of scrimmage, like 2 yards tight. Brown plays well in space, he doesn't play well in congestion. When he's forced to play like a prototypical MLB (like Spikes), he struggles. BUT, when he plays next to a run stopping LB, Brown looks excellent. With Spikes gone, Bradham is forced to be a 3 down backer, which he is not. The only way to get the elite play out of he Preston Brown is to pair him with a run stuffing MLB. Brown cannot play in tight congested space, he doesn't read the play fast enough, and then can't react. My prediction is the Bills do not go ILB in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. I think they will let Bradham walk and sign a free agent ILB. Run stuffing LBs are not terribly hard to find, elite pass covering LBs and hybrids are less common. The Bills will go ILB in the 2nd round, who will compete with the free agent as well as Lawson and Powell. Offensive Tackle - The Bills' offensive line (as a whole) this year has been above average. The left side in particular is elite. John Miller has struggled this year, but I've seen flashes that give me confidence he will do better in the near future. I predict the Bills will select an OT in the 3rd round of the 2016 NFL draft. They will also acquire another talent through free agency to compete. SOMEONE will step up at OT next year between Henderson, Mills, 3rd round pick, free agent. I don't see the line's level of play changing a whole lot from this year, they are an above average unit and thats all we need. Safety In order for this post to make sense, I'm going to have to make an assumption that Aaron Williams will be back on the field next year. A-Will has emerged as a leader on defense, I don't see him hanging it up after this year. Corey Graham has been a god send for the Bills these past 2 seasons. He's leading the team in tackles this year and continues to play at a high level. Rambo has emerged as a real threat on defense. I'm super happy with Rambo as a backup or a starter if Williams or Graham go down next year. I predict the Bills will select a Safety in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL draft. They will most likely bring in a free agent to compete with Rambo, A-Will, Graham and the 4th round pick. We're set here. DE/OLB - This gets a little tricky, and everyone has their own opinion on Mario Williams. For the sake of wrapping up this post, I'm not going to get into cap numbers and all that. Here is what I know: The Bills WILL NOT let Mario walk unless we have a suitable replacement. IMO, Mario will stay next year. I think we restructure the contract and he stays. IF we do let him walk, you better believe its because we bring in another high profile free agent. There's a couple elite options on the market this year, we'll see what happens. I predict we select a DE/OLB in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL draft to compete. Developmental QB - The Bills might also select a DT at this stage in the draft, but lets just go with QB for now. Tyrod has been excellent this year, but as Doug Whaley said, we're still looking for competition and a future starter if Tyrod doesn't become the guy. We'll select a QB in the 6th round and DT in the 7th round. So what are we doing for the first round pick??!!! I BILLIEVE in my heart that the Bills need to go WIDE RECEIVER in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. Here's why: Speed up Tyrod Taylor's development. Tyrod has more than a few weapons on offense this year and he's done a good job spreading it around. He MUST get rid of the ball quicker next year. Lets surround him with even more offensive talent that can get an open release off the line of scrimmage for quicker throws. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm sick of watching a ****ty offense.. I WANT AN ELITE ONE!! That's right, I want to watch an elite offense as a Buffalo Bills fan. I want it, and I deserve it. I wasn't old enough to watch the K-Gun do its thing. Give me a goddamn elite offense, and if we can secure one more elite WR threat, I think we get there. Take some pressure off the run game. Its no secret, the Bills run game is what keeps us in every contest. We can't run the ball, we don't win the game, pretty simple. Do we want to bet on the fact that we'll have a run game in the top 5 of the league again next year? Nah, lets show the league that we can toss it around with the best of them. You ever wondered what the offense would look like if Percy Harvin was healthy and playing at 100% this year? This thought has blood rushing to my loins. Since Percy can't stay healthy, he will be gone next year. There are a few elite prospects in the draft that can replace him, or be even better. Who are the prospects? I see 3 guys that can make an immediate impact in the NFL. Michael Thomas (Ohio State), Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) and Corey Coleman (Baylor). These guys can fly up and down the field. I dare you to double sammy.. Tyrod will hit the deep ball on the other side. Coleman in particular is a vertical playmaker. With Tyrod getting more comfortable and better next year, Coleman could make this offense elite. GO BILLS!!!! Yeah spikes, was wondering about him a few weeks ago. If he was eliblgible to return (dont know the suspension status), and they were serious about making a run, thought they should have brought him back. Not versatile they say? Well at least he excelled in one important area, the remaining guys only look versatile by comparison because they're mediocre across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) I believe that will be the situation with Cog's; last year Todd Herremans and Evan Mathis both age comps got 1 yr/3.25/3.5 deals, I dont see Cog's breaking the bank elsewhere or leaving, he's in a favorable place for him. Both fill the #1 need right now IMO. I am 100% on board with Smith or Jack with the 1st pick, I dont think Smith will be there but Jack's injury might drop him into our range, both are the exact 3 down LB's the Bills need. LB is the #1 priority for me regarding the Bills right now. Watching jets tonight I'm not certain rex selects smith or Jack if they're available. He likes big LBs like harris and pace that are more tweener DE/LB size. I think that's why more than anything he had an agenda to part with Kiko Edited December 20, 2015 by JTSP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gun Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Man this place is funny. Seems most want 2nd year LB P. Brown replaced yet are willing to wait and hope 5th year T. Taylor develops. WTF, this has got to be the most hypocritical group ever, whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 A kicker that can do both jobs. Since neither of the teams 2 kickers are worth a dam. Draft one high. be done with it. whaley, should Ask the Raiders how drafting the polish cannon worked out for them. It should be a no brainer. A top flight middle linebacker would do wonders for the D. Although it's not in the title, how about a head coach who has a clue moreso than a mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I doubt Bills go into rebuild mode. Off season depends on players coming back from injury (Aaron Williams and Percy Harvin), leaving as FA and those cut. Bills, if they return all injured players, will need to address: OT, LB and DB. The right side of the line has been a mess. FA and draft picks have not panned out. LBs are not the type that function well in Ryan's defense, upgrade is needed. DBs needs one more CB and Safety.. They will draft a developmental QB and DL depth. TE will still be manned by Clay and crew. The Bills are a middle of the road team and to break out to the pack, they need guys who will not make mistakes. It will be interesting to see who gets shown the door. I think Mario Williams is done in Buffalo. His contract is out pacing his production. There will be a surprise or two to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Why is it assumed Marcel can't play NT? But can play DE? What did he play in pettines mostly 3-4 fronts? Pettines D was gashed vs the Run it was Schwartz wide 9 D that did BOTH get sacks AND stop the run. Dareus is a natural attack the qb DT. he is not a NT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 Pettines D was gashed vs the Run it was Schwartz wide 9 D that did BOTH get sacks AND stop the run. Dareus is a natural attack the qb DT. he is not a NT Spikes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Spikes dude runs in slow motion.....can't cover his own shadow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 dude runs in slow motion.....can't cover his own shadow. In coverage yeah, but he's a complete run stuffer up the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 1) General Manager 2) Head Coach 3) Defensive Coordinator 4) Many Positional coaches 5) Defensive End 6) Defensive Tackle (Kyle is probably done) 7) Offensive Tackle 8) Guard 9) Center 10) Linebackers 11) Receivers (need a #2) 12) Running Back for depth 13) Get rid of Brandon 14) Backup Quarterback Other than that we look OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts