My problem with Huff, and the 8 slot.

[makbeer]

Quite simply I think this guy is a reach at #8. He's got talent, and he's a ball hawk - but he's not that typical SS that can help with run support in the trenches.

 

If you watch his college tape he does a LOT of arm tackling - at 208 LBs you're not going to successfuly arm tackle many NFL players.

 

I think he might even project more to a NFL FS than a SS, given his lack of size - he's also a natural cover safety, which is a role normally provided more to the FS.

 

Sure in our supposed cover 2 scheme we're switching to, having a SS with cover skills would fit - but if you thought a 1-armed Milloy missed some tackles in the run game, wait til you watch Huff try and bring his college tackling style to the NFL.

 

The real problem is he might be the only legitimate need pick available when #8 comes up on the board - Da Brick will be gone, Mario will be gone, Hawk will be gone and if we sign Pickett we have no need to draft Ngata.

 

I think Davis is a bit of a bad pick as well, considering we invested a 3rd in Kevin Everett last season and he's projected as a receiving TE and hasn't had a chance to develop. Not to mention dropping a #8 pick on a TE. There are no WRs worth a #8 pick, either.

 

After Brick none of the OL are worth #8 (maybe 1, more on that later), we don't need a RB and we won't draft a QB even though if Cutler or Leinart were still on the board I'd want them over JP. So where does that leave us?

 

It's almost as if Huff will fall in to our laps as a pick out of necessity, and honestly as a NFL SS, I'm basically as excited about Greg Blue from UGA than I am about Huff - and Blue can be had in late round 2, early round 3.

 

I guess you could say I'm a bit frustrated with the #8 hole right now, not quite high enough to get the guys I -really- want (Mario or D'brick) and too low to be worth picking out of need.

 

Personally I hope we trade up to get Brick, but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong, I think Huff will be a player in this league, I just see him as a bit overrated as a SS and I question his ability to handle the physical aspects of the position.

 

As a bit of a throw-it-out-there idea, the two players that intrigue me other than Huff, since he's a reach anyway (imho) is Mathias Kiwanuka - the guy is a pure pass rusher, something that would be really nice to have in our division, but I see him as a mid round pick, not top 10. Another dark horse candidate at #8 could be Winston Justice from USC, he's been rising a bit and I'm hearing rumblings he could be at a top 10 pick level and is easily the 2nd best OL in the draft behind Brick.

 

Thoughts?

[Bill from NYC]

Thoughts?

629249[/snapback]

 

Great post!!! Other than wanting Cutler, I agree with every word.

 

The Bills are a cold weather team that can't stop the run and has no blocking. The last thing we can afford is a db at #8.

[JinVA]

It's almost as if Huff will fall in to our laps as a pick out of necessity, and honestly as a NFL SS, I'm basically as excited about Greg Blue from UGA than I am about Huff - and Blue can be had in late round 2, early round 3.

629249[/snapback]

Totally agree with this statement. Great post, welcome to The Wall.

[R. Rich]

Quite simply I think this guy is a reach at #8. He's got talent, and he's a ball hawk - but he's not that typical SS that can help with run support in the trenches.

 

If you watch his college tape he does a LOT of arm tackling - at 208 LBs you're not going to successfuly arm tackle many NFL players.

 

I think he might even project more to a NFL FS than a SS, given his lack of size - he's also a natural cover safety, which is a role normally provided more to the FS.

 

Sure in our supposed cover 2 scheme we're switching to, having a SS with cover skills would fit - but if you thought a 1-armed Milloy missed some tackles in the run game, wait til you watch Huff try and bring his college tackling style to the NFL.

 

The real problem is he might be the only legitimate need pick available when #8 comes up on the board - Da Brick will be gone, Mario will be gone, Hawk will be gone and if we sign Pickett we have no need to draft Ngata.

 

I think Davis is a bit of a bad pick as well, considering we invested a 3rd in Kevin Everett last season and he's projected as a receiving TE and hasn't had a chance to develop. Not to mention dropping a #8 pick on a TE. There are no WRs worth a #8 pick, either.

 

After Brick none of the OL are worth #8 (maybe 1, more on that later), we don't need a RB and we won't draft a QB even though if Cutler or Leinart were still on the board I'd want them over JP. So where does that leave us?

 

It's almost as if Huff will fall in to our laps as a pick out of necessity, and honestly as a NFL SS, I'm basically as excited about Greg Blue from UGA than I am about Huff - and Blue can be had in late round 2, early round 3.

 

I guess you could say I'm a bit frustrated with the #8 hole right now, not quite high enough to get the guys I -really- want (Mario or D'brick) and too low to be worth picking out of need.

 

Personally I hope we trade up to get Brick, but I doubt it. Don't get me wrong, I think Huff will be a player in this league, I just see him as a bit overrated as a SS and I question his ability to handle the physical aspects of the position.

 

As a bit of a throw-it-out-there idea, the two players that intrigue me other than Huff, since he's a reach anyway (imho) is Mathias Kiwanuka - the guy is a pure pass rusher, something that would be really nice to have in our division, but I see him as a mid round pick, not top 10. Another dark horse candidate at #8 could be Winston Justice from USC, he's been rising a bit and I'm hearing rumblings he could be at a top 10 pick level and is easily the 2nd best OL in the draft behind Brick.

 

Thoughts?

629249[/snapback]

 

 

Not bad.

 

Greg Blue, though, is more like his former teammate Thomas Davis: great in run support, but a liability to some degree as a cover man. Huff is more balanced than that.

 

Kiwanuka wouldn't be a bad option in a trade down, but I sure hope we'd target Tamba Hali first if that's the route we're taking.

 

Overall, I'd still like to see Huff drafted, but if we can move up to get either Williams or Ferguson w/out really screwing ourselves for the rest of the draft, I'd love to see it happen. Otherwise, I'd like to see us trade down and target a pass rushing DE like Hali, or even an interior OL (that would mean trading down to the later part of the round to get someone like Max Jean-Gilles or even Nick Mangold, who I still think may be around in the 2nd...but better safe than sorry I suppose).

[makbeer]

I actually like Kiwanuka better than Hali as a pass rusher, but I see where you're going as Hali is definitely better as an every down player and we'd probably need to sub Kiwa out on run downs.

 

I agree also that Huff wouldn't be terrible, and I wouldn't be upset to get him - it just seems like it's a bit of a stretch at 8.

 

thanks for all the comments guys. =)

[ans4e64]

if you like huff and you know he will be a good player, than he or anyone else is not a reach at ANY spot. about huff and the run, i could be wrong but i got the impression that in the cover 2 the safeties are going to play back anyways, and that wasnt their main priority, so switching from a lawyer milloy run stopper to a michael huff playmaker seems the way to go. i could be wrong about the 2 deep i dont know.

[cantankerous]

I agree with everything you said, very well put.

[makbeer]

if you like huff and you know he will be a good player, than he or anyone else is not a reach at ANY spot. about huff and the run, i could be wrong but i got the impression that in the cover 2 the safeties are going to play back anyways, and that wasnt their main priority, so switching from a lawyer milloy run stopper to a michael huff playmaker seems the way to go. i could be wrong about the 2 deep i dont know.

629397[/snapback]

 

I think he'll be a good player but at 8 I feel like we could be getting a difference maker in the trenches where games are won and lost on a consistent basis. We have playmakers in the secondary already imho.

 

You're right about the cover 2 with safeties back, but they still do support the run. Tampa Bay with their great defense, which was classic cover 2, used John Lynch as a SS remember, and he's not a good cover guy at all - but he dominated in the run game and intimidation. Huff won't intimidate imho.

[The Hornell Kid]

Thoughts?

629249[/snapback]

 

can i get the Cliffnotes version of that message

[makbeer]

can i get the Cliffnotes version of that message

629471[/snapback]

 

Read the first line of the post.

[frogger]

Remember this name, Anthony Smith He is roughly the same size as Huff, but when I saw him play last year, I thought Brian Dawkins. I would go as high as the 2nd round to get him, but I feel he would be ideal as a 3rd rounder. He hits hard and tackles well. and he covers as well as any corner in this years draft. His number don't lie, 71 tackles, 8 PBU and 6 ints.

 

The problem with Blue is he is slow of foot, (4.75 40 time) however I think he'll be good in the cover two where his responsibility is to just hit.

 

I think the seperation between Huff and Smith, Bullocks, Simpson, and Bing are closer than, the seperation between Davis and the rest of the field, and Williams and the rest of the field.

That is why I would take Mario or Vernon.

[BobbyC81]

As a bit of a throw-it-out-there idea, the two players that intrigue me other than Huff, since he's a reach anyway (imho) is Mathias Kiwanuka - the guy is a pure pass rusher, something that would be really nice to have in our division, but I see him as a mid round pick, not top 10. Another dark horse candidate at #8 could be Winston Justice from USC, he's been rising a bit and I'm hearing rumblings he could be at a top 10 pick level and is easily the 2nd best OL in the draft behind Brick.

 

Thoughts?

629249[/snapback]

 

 

Yes, I was just thinking about DE. Schobel is solid but the Bills could use more of a difference-maker. Now they wil lhave to contend with Culppepper twice a year. I get sick of Brady just sitting there in the pocket with all day to throw and pick the Bills defense apart. A DE that gets the other teams attention and one that could even get pressure against double teams like Bruce used to.

[JinVA]

That is why I would take Mario or Vernon.

629507[/snapback]

I would agree with this but the signing of Royal makes me think they're not targeting a TE and I just don't see Mario falling to us.

[makbeer]

Remember this name, Anthony Smith He is roughly the same size as Huff, but when I saw him play last year, I thought Brian Dawkins.  I would go as high as the 2nd round to get him, but I feel he would be ideal as a 3rd rounder.  He hits hard and tackles well.  and he covers as well as any corner in this years draft.  His number don't lie, 71 tackles, 8 PBU and 6 ints.

 

The problem with Blue is he is slow of foot,  (4.75 40 time) however I think he'll be good in the cover two where his responsibility is to just hit.

 

I think the seperation between Huff and Smith, Bullocks, Simpson, and Bing are closer than, the seperation between Davis and the rest of the field, and Williams and the rest of the field. 

That is why I would take Mario or Vernon.

629507[/snapback]

 

Blue ran a 4.4 at his pro day and his football speed is actually very good. I saw the 4.7 speed also on a lot of sites, the 4.4 did surprise me.

 

I'll take a look at Smith as well thanks for the heads up on that.

[makbeer]

I would agree with this but the signing of Royal makes me think they're not targeting a TE and I just don't see Mario falling to us.

629519[/snapback]

 

Yeah Royal as the blocking TE and Everett as the receiving TE I'd assume is our projected setup.

[Stiffler]

Thoughts?

629249[/snapback]

 

The Bills should hang on to the #8 and see how the first picks play out. If Mario, Brick, and Hawk are all gone, then I absolutely would trade down. Anything else would be a reach. The key to drafts is getting steals (Brick or Hawk would be steals for us), and not reaching (Huff, Davis, etc.).

[R. Rich]

Blue ran a 4.4 at his pro day and his football speed is actually very good. I saw the 4.7 speed also on a lot of sites, the 4.4 did surprise me.

 

I'll take a look at Smith as well thanks for the heads up on that.

629536[/snapback]

 

 

Pro day stats are not very reliable. Blue's playing speed isn't very impressive, even though his instincts and hitting ability are. Like I said, he reminds me of Thomas Davis, though I think Davis is a much better blitzer than Blue.

[Like A Mofo]

The Bills should hang on to the #8 and see how the first picks play out.  If Mario, Brick, and Hawk are all gone, then I absolutely would trade down.  Anything else would be a reach.  The key to drafts is getting steals (Brick or Hawk would be steals for us), and not reaching (Huff, Davis, etc.).

629555[/snapback]

 

 

Here is another key: If Mario, Brick, Hawk, and Davis are gone...what team will WANT to trade up with Buffalo? Maybe in another good case scenario for Buffalo...if one of these players happens to slip to 8, the Bills can also field offers from other teams and STILL move down and get more picks etc to have an even better, deeper draft to fill the many needs this team has.

[nonprophet]

if you like huff and you know he will be a good player, than he or anyone else is not a reach at ANY spot. about huff and the run, i could be wrong but i got the impression that in the cover 2 the safeties are going to play back anyways, and that wasnt their main priority, so switching from a lawyer milloy run stopper to a michael huff playmaker seems the way to go. i could be wrong about the 2 deep i dont know.

629397[/snapback]

If you're playing Cover 2 and your safeties are routinely tackling the RB, you're losing the game.

[Astrobot]

I'm wondering if frogger means Anthony Smith from Syracuse.