Estro Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 This years draft is rich with offensive tackles and one really good guard Branden Albert. Jason Peters is our man at LT. Langston Walker is decent and also signed a lucrative deal just a year ago so it would appear the tackle situation is taken care of. However, Langston Walker in all honesty is probably at best an average to slightly above average starting RT in this league. His pass blocking is better than his run blocking and by the start of next season he will have just turned 29. I know many offensive lineman play well into their 30's, but it seems teams are always thinking about getting younger as they should. I remember being at the Giants game this past season and watching Jason Peters go down. I am not 100% positive, but I believe the Peters injury sparked the turning point in the game. I believe we had the lead and hadn't given up a sack up to his injury. After the injury it was like watching an entirely different team offensively. Chambers struggled mightily (versus one of the best d-lines at least), but it showed how susceptible this team would be to an injury along the offensive line this season. We have virtually no depth at tackle, guard or center. With all that said I think addressing the offensive line early in this years draft would be a wise decsion. The downside is if we have a lot of other glaring holes so I'm not sure the team can draft an o-lineman that high. I really like Ryan Clady from Boise State, but I don't even think he'll last until our pick at #12. My dream scenario would be someone falls to our spot that a team in the back end of the first round covets. We could then move down to the late teens or early 20's and pick up and additional late 1st rounder or early second rounder. Under this scenario we would now have three picks in the top 41 or so picks. With these three picks we could target an OFFENSIVE LINEMAN a WIDE RECEIVER and a CORNERBACK. Here would be the candidates for each postion: O-Line: Branden Albert, Jeff Otah, Chris Williams, Gosder Cherilus, Sam Baker, Carl Nicks (obviously I left off Jake Long and Ryan Clady- assuming they won't drop to the 20's of the 1st round) Wide Receiver: Limas Sweed, Malcom Kelly, Devin Thomas, Mario Manningham, James Hardy (one of these receivers should dip until the end of the first or early second, which would be the Bills additional draft pick if they were able to trade down) Cornerback: Brandon Flowers, Antoine Cason, Patrick Lee, Reggie Smith, Tracy Porter (this would be our own second round pick #41 overall- I don't think Flowers or Cason would last this long, but if the Bills really coveted one of the two they could use their 3rd round pick to trade up and get one. So in this scenario the Bills go WR or OL with their first overall (whomever they have rated higher). Roughly 8-14 spots later (depending on who they trade down with) they draft whichever one they didn't draft with the first pick. And finally with the second round pick you take the cornerback....knowing you have your third round pick as ammunition to get up if you really want a guy who slips into the early part of round 2. My dream scenario: Pick #1: Devin Thomas/James Hardy (around #22) Pick #2: Branden Albert/Gosder Cherilus (late first) Pick #3: Brandon Flowers/Antoine Cason (late first or very early second rounder, which means we have to trade our 3rd round pick) How would you guys feel if this is where the Bills were sitting after day 1 of the draft? If you don't like it what changes would you make, and are there any offensive lineman and cornerbacks I may be overlooking?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estro Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 Of course my (DREAM) scenario requires a ton of IF's and a trade partner who would be willing to trade up and have the picks to do so. I understand that and just figured I'd bring it up myself before someone flamed me for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 However, Langston Walker in all honesty is probably at best an average to slightly above average starting RT in this league. His pass blocking is better than his run blocking and by the start of next season he will have just turned 29. I know many offensive lineman play well into their 30's, but it seems teams are always thinking about getting younger as they should. I clearly remember, after the season, a poster here linking to one of those websites that really pick apart the NFL's stats, and they showed that Lynch had the best ypc average when running off tackle to the right side. This would support the notion that Walker is actually a good run blocker, which is exactly what the word on him was when we got him. I believe the drawback to his game is that he can be beat by some of the quicker defensive ends in the passing game. So you may have that a bit backwards. And seeing as you'd hardly spend a 1st round pick on a guy you know is going to be a backup, I don't see us going tackle. Dockery is obviously going to start and from my perspective Butler did a fine job last year...maybe we could use some depth/competition at guard, but IMO that also need not be addressed on the 1st day. I'd be open to a center in the 2nd round, but unfortunately all that I've heard is that none of them warrant going until the 3rd. Still, if they do like somebody there, I'd be happy with the pick. Just one other comment...I had no interest in taking a corner on the 1st day before the Will James signing, so I'd certainly pass on them now. We have 3 rock solid corners and a young guy with potential, with 2 of those four having decent size. In all honestly I'd rather they go back to safety than add another corner on the first day. Just my (likely wrong) opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffaloed in Pa Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 No chance,that`s what you got. Big Mike Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinky finger Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Adding help to the trenches on either side of the ball is always sound, IMO. Recognizing we have needs elsewhere, I wouldn't condemn the front office for adding to the 2 most important units on the field, the OL & DL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 If they take an OL I will cry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Adding help to the trenches on either side of the ball is always sound, IMO. Recognizing we have needs elsewhere, I wouldn't condemn the front office for adding to the 2 most important units on the field, the OL & DL. Nor would I condemn. A while back someone here noted that a number of the better league OLs were comprised of those club's draft choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I think it is also likely. If we can't trade out of the #11 pick, and someone like Clady falls, he could be our pick. It is no secret that our interior needs upgrades. Nobody is sure on how the Bills feel about Brad Butler. We all thought they liked OT Pennington after his rookie season, and he didn't even make the roster last year. We will definitely take at least 2 o-lineman in this draft, IMO. We need depth in that area more than Belicheck needs a bra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGimp Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 No, all they need to do is cut all our o line and draft a bunch of big TE's and convert them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Not sure where we would select them, but I feel 1-2 linemen should be drafted every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clumping platelets Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 The OL needs a C of the future and better option at #3 OT I wouldn't be against the Bills drafting either in rd 2 Round 1 will be a WR, DB, or DL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch19079 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 A starting WR, TE, and CB are much more important than a backup ROG or ROT. When was the last time we heard the bills draft a player in the 1st that wasnt slotted to start his rookie year? (besides the injured McGahee). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 A starting WR, TE, and CB are much more important than a backup ROG or ROT. When was the last time we heard the bills draft a player in the 1st that wasnt slotted to start his rookie year? (besides the injured McGahee). Its more complicated than just what needs are the strongest. We have a lot of needs. Granted, I think WR, TE, and CB are the most pressing, but if there's no one of value at those positions and a stud o-lineman is there, you pick him and get someone else later on. It would be stupid to reach for a player at one of those positions when there's an outstanding player at another need just sitting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clumping platelets Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Its more complicated than just what needs are the strongest. We have a lot of needs. Granted, I think WR, TE, and CB are the most pressing, but if there's no one of value at those positions and a stud o-lineman is there, you pick him and get someone else later on. It would be stupid to reach for a player at one of those positions when there's an outstanding player at another need just sitting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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