Enough with this, draft a DT with...

[Adam]

Everyone knows that the DT doesn't demand an astronomical amount of money in free agency. A guy like Pat Williams only costs about $16 mill over a 4 year period. The 12th overall pick will probably cost the same amount, if not more. When you consider that player is an unproven rookie and the Bills were amongst the bottom of the league at stopping the run it makes sense to draft a player at another position and acquire the best available DT through free agency.

 

We already know that Buffalo's weakest leak on the whole team is DT and subsequently run-defense. We can't afford to make a mistake on a potentially "hit or miss" type aquisition such as a rookie DT would be. Not to pick on Okoye, but he would be the worst guy the Bills could use their 1st round pick on. He's only 19 years old. No way does he step right in and becomes the answer to our "Run D" woes. Besides, don't we already have one of those guys on our roster in Big John McCargo? Our run defense needs to be shored-up with a can't miss, bonafide gangster at DT.

 

With our 1st round pick the Bills should bring in the best available WR, MLB, CB or even TE. Those positions are in need of an upgrade but even if the Bills field the same group of guys that manned those positions in '06 it wouldn't disastrous.

 

Notice that I didn't list a offensive lineman as a possible 1st round pick. Although I wouldn't be totally against it, I feel the same way about the offensive line as I do the defensive line. Those spots are in need of an immediate upgrade. Memo to ol' Ralphie Boy. If you truly want to make the playoffs. DON'T BE FRUGAL ON OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE LINEMAN!!!!!!!

Everything is not about right now! Its about a long term plan...I couldnt care less if we make the playoffs next season.......I want a nice long playoff run!

[tennesseeboy]

Would that it were about long term. With free agency and parity long term is a three year window at most. That's why I say we have to go for the playoffs (and beyond) in the upcoming season or at worst in the season after. Wilson will die sooner or later and the team will go through a transition. The better players will consider free agency. Injuries, coaching or general manager changes make long term planning probably a thing of the past. What lineup and what changes will place in the best position to win next year? Do we try to keep Clements (big bucks!) Fletcher (pretty good) and beef up the line or draft linebackers, running backs and wide receivers and try to make do with poor run stopping and bad to mediocre pass blocking (remember some of our changes that made us look better last year such as the two tight end and moving Cieslak to fullback were strategies that minimized other offensive options and probably will not be a surprise to teams we play this year). In any event, short term or long term...our needs are in the trenches more than linebacker, receiver or running back.

[R. Rich]

Wilson will die sooner or later ...

 

Who knew?

[Orton's Arm]

I think what's being lost on some posters is the concept of building a team. That means you have many players in different stages of development. If all of your players are at the same stage of their careers and development, i.e. you say we're close now so I want to bring in all FAs that can impact the team next year. Where does that leave you in 2-3 years? That, I think, is the strong suit of Okoye. He's young and just as Triplett or whoever is fading in 2 years, Okoye will be hitting his prime.

 

You have to look at the big picture and select players in the draft and FA that fill the talent gaps next year as well as years from now. To select someone like Okoye would tell me that Marv et al. are comfortable with Triplet and McCargo next year (unless they bring in FAs as well), but more importantly it also tells me they're thinking of the future as well.

 

That's why teams like the Pats are always in the playoffs and near a Superbowl, because they draft guys that will develop into players just in time to get rid of an aging or higher priced vet. They bring in just enough FAs to keep the team moving forward each year. You have to look at the long term and short term if you want to be successful and build something.

You expressed yourself quite well here, and I agree. It's generally a mistake to sacrifice the future for the present, as TD so often did.

[DrDawkinstein]

Would that it were about long term. With free agency and parity long term is a three year window at most. That's why I say we have to go for the playoffs (and beyond) in the upcoming season or at worst in the season after. Wilson will die sooner or later and the team will go through a transition. The better players will consider free agency. Injuries, coaching or general manager changes make long term planning probably a thing of the past. What lineup and what changes will place in the best position to win next year? Do we try to keep Clements (big bucks!) Fletcher (pretty good) and beef up the line or draft linebackers, running backs and wide receivers and try to make do with poor run stopping and bad to mediocre pass blocking (remember some of our changes that made us look better last year such as the two tight end and moving Cieslak to fullback were strategies that minimized other offensive options and probably will not be a surprise to teams we play this year). In any event, short term or long term...our needs are in the trenches more than linebacker, receiver or running back.

 

 

no, this is the thinking that losing teams bought into with the Modern Era. "oh, its impossible to build a long lasting team, so lets just try to WIN RIGHT NOW"

 

meanwhile, teams like NE and Philly and Indy and Baltimore proved that you CAN build teams that will make runs year after year if you BUILD SMARTLY.

[Orton's Arm]

no, this is the thinking that losing teams bought into with the Modern Era. "oh, its impossible to build a long lasting team, so lets just try to WIN RIGHT NOW"

 

meanwhile, teams like NE and Philly and Indy and Baltimore proved that you CAN build teams that will make runs year after year if you BUILD SMARTLY.

Exactly. Look at the starters from the Bills' 2004 defense, which we kept hearing was so good:

DE: Schobel, Kelsay, Denney: all here

DT: Adams, Williams: gone

LB: Posey, Fletcher, Spikes. Status: we can't really count on any of those three to provide value next year.

DB: Vincent, Milloy, McGee, Clements: of those four, only one might be here next year.

 

Other than the DEs, there isn't a single starter from that 2004 defense upon whom we can fully rely going into 2007. Either the player is too injured (Spikes), playing poorly (McGee), or has too many non-Bills options (Clements).

 

With Bledsoe at QB and a bunch of old guys on defense, TD built a team that was designed to win now or win never. And he came up short.

[BuffaloBilliever]

Due to the pathetic amount of time I spent thinking of the Bills, I had a dream last night... someone said "Hey, there's Okoye!" and it was some flimsy, skin and bones tall white southern boy.

 

Don't know why that happened... but it got me thinkin... Plus he's my age.

[DrDawkinstein]

the WORST part is, we have supposedly been in a re-building stage. but we havent re-BUILT anything in over 10 years.

 

we just patched up here and there with useless big name signings that sold tickets.

 

hopefully with Marv, we will continue this NEW building trend.

[tennesseeboy]

sooooo...we're looking at a 5 year plan? 7 year plan? 10 year plan? Seems to me we ought to be planning to get into the playoffs...far into the playoffs next year. Maybe I'm wrong. We can hope to do that about the year JP gets into his free agent year and when WM's replacement gets up to speed. Schobel on the verge of retirement. Yup...silly me...

 

I believe the future is now and we do not need much to make a serious playoff run. But hell..let's draft a middle linebacker who isn't even in the top twenty five players and who is susceptible to getting knocked on his ass on running plays...let him develop and we'll be great in 2010! By then Okoye will be 23 and in free agency and we can get him to anchor that defensive line we never could get to stop anyone...and he'll be mature!!!

[DrDawkinstein]

its possible, with a few good moves(and luck) that we make the playoffs this year.

 

im not saying we cant be contenders for another 5 years. im saying that with the right building plan, we can be competitive this year and IN THE PLAYOFFS for the next 5 years.

 

if you really think this team is ready to go FAR into the playoffs next year, i have to wonder what team youve been watching? i think we need to shoot for a WINNING RECORD before we expect this team to go far into the playoffs. Winning record and wild card spot this year is a reasonable expectation. then we KEEP BUILDING, and can be a good playoff team for the next 5-10 years and actually have a shot at the championship.

 

your model would get us into the first round of the playoffs this year, then back to shambles within the next 2 years.

 

im tired of constantly rebuilding. JUST BUILD.

 

we've had a WIN NOW attitude and philosophy for the past 5 years. how many of those years worked out? i think its time to re-vamp the whole plan. and thats what Marv is doing.

[The Jokeman]

Ahhhh....but wasn't Flowers a biult up LB tring to play DE?

 

This is apples and oranges.....Okoye has actually weighed OVER 300 pounds and dropped weight

 

I dont know....I see Warren Sapp all over him

As much as I'd love the next Sapp, the Bills instead need a Booger McFarland. That's why I've been calling for us to sign a guy like Ian Scott (or Alvin McKinley) in free agency. As we need someone that can hold the point of a attack and let Triplett and/or McCargo go free to attack the QB. McFarland also shows that you can have a NT that doesn't have to be a 340 pound behemoth.

[LevysEraII]

When it comes to building a solid foundation for a winning team you need the draft to be your bread and butter of course, but free agency can speed up the process at the same time. If New Orleans hadn't signed Drew Brees would they have been able to go as far as they did this year?

[tennesseeboy]

I agree with you. I'm wrong. Come to think of it since we are building to win the superbowl in ten years drafting okoye sounds better as he is young enough to actually be around then. Maybe...come to think of it...we could trade all of this year's first three draft picks to someone who is foolishly thinking short term..and get four picks for next year...next year we trade the four for FIVE picks in the next year. Then about three or four years before we are going to win the superbowl we might have ten or twelve first round and second round picks! Seriously the way to win is simply to win. Get into the playoffs next year...and draft wisely to make that team better...and better. Draft the people who are going to make the team better sooner rather than later.

[TDRupp]

9. Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville (6-1½, 298) | previous: 13

A four-year veteran, and he is only 19 years old. Okoye is quick and explosive and goes all-out on every play. He is not only good at eating up space but also gets good penetration into the backfield.

Why on earth would we want to waste a pick on a guy like that?

 

 

11 picks before us so if he is considered as good as Warren Sapp (or very close) coming out of college and has better character, why would he last until #12. We need to consider other positions if the DT (or both if Marv wants Branch) we want is gone.

[DrDawkinstein]

I agree with you. I'm wrong. Come to think of it since we are building to win the superbowl in ten years drafting okoye sounds better as he is young enough to actually be around then. Maybe...come to think of it...we could trade all of this year's first three draft picks to someone who is foolishly thinking short term..and get four picks for next year...next year we trade the four for FIVE picks in the next year. Then about three or four years before we are going to win the superbowl we might have ten or twelve first round and second round picks! Seriously the way to win is simply to win. Get into the playoffs next year...and draft wisely to make that team better...and better. Draft the people who are going to make the team better sooner rather than later.

 

 

youre trying so hard to be sarcastic at times that you let your good points get lost in the mess.

 

i agree with: "Seriously the way to win is simply to win. Get into the playoffs next year...and draft wisely to make that team better...and better. Draft the people who are going to make the team better sooner rather than later."

 

but there are people we can draft and ways to go about building this team, that we can win NOW AND LATER. your model just has us winning now.

 

i agree that we can make the playoffs next year. and we can do that with a team we have from building for the future. THEN, the year after, we can be even better. THEN EVEN BETTER THE NEXT YEAR!

 

building to win now is all ups and downs, and frankly, its never gotten us to an "UP"

 

but go ahead and try to be funny and exaggerate an argument because we've already tried your way, and it failed. yes we're building for 20 years down the line, run with it...

[tennesseeboy]

11 picks before us so if he is considered as good as Warren Sapp (or very close) coming out of college and has better character, why would he last until #12. We need to consider other positions if the DT (or both if Marv wants Branch) we want is gone.

I'm afraid you are right and I suspect we might not get a chance to get Okoye. In case that happens, Branch or Blaylock or a few other options come to mind. There will definitely be a good defensive or offensive lineman available for us. As long as we address the problems in the trenches.

[DrDawkinstein]

the best part is: we agree with who we should draft and sign, and are just disagreeing with WHY we should do it.

 

lol, the internet

[Nanker]

Great! More sarcasm.

If you can't stand the cold, keep out of the igloo - move to Miami.

[tennesseeboy]

youre trying so hard to be sarcastic at times that you let your good points get lost in the mess.

 

i agree with: "Seriously the way to win is simply to win. Get into the playoffs next year...and draft wisely to make that team better...and better. Draft the people who are going to make the team better sooner rather than later."

 

but there are people we can draft and ways to go about building this team, that we can win NOW AND LATER. your model just has us winning now.

 

i agree that we can make the playoffs next year. and we can do that with a team we have from building for the future. THEN, the year after, we can be even better. THEN EVEN BETTER THE NEXT YEAR!

 

building to win now is all ups and downs, and frankly, its never gotten us to an "UP"

 

but go ahead and try to be funny and exaggerate an argument because we've already tried your way, and it failed. yes we're building for 20 years down the line, run with it...

Seriously the problem in the past for the Bills has been a "build for the future" mentality. Drafting Willis M. is an example. We had a pro-bowl back and waste a first round pick on a guy who literally can't play for at least one year and then get rid of the probowl back. We cut players and let our best players leave in free agency. What on earth makes you think we had a "win now" attitude before this? Since Wade Phillips what coach has said "we're going to the playoffs this year?" ( he didn't either...but he certainly began the season with that expectation, as did Marv before him) NONE...The problem is we DON'T have a win now attitude. I think that may change with the present administration. In my opinion they should have drafted Ngata last year, but the Whitner selection paid off...THIS YEAR as did most of their picks.

 

I think the Bills have had a history kind of like the way an admissions counselor makes love...he sits on the side of the bed and tells you how good its going to be.

As the poet says..."A man's reach should exceed his grasp..or what's a heaven for?"

 

Time to get down to business and win, baby, win.

[Nanker]

I'm becoming despondent as the thought that The Bills are simply a farm team gains traction in my belief system.