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October's Positional Needs Check


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Each month I'll do a positional assessment of what you think are the Bills'

Weakest Positions, and change our position priorities for DraftTek's Correspondents' Mock Draft.

Refer To: http://www.drafttek.com/teamneeds2009.html

 

 

Right now at www.drafttek.com, the Bills take:

RD1, #27---Sean Witherspoon OLB Mizzou

RD2, #59---Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma State

RD3, #91--- Antoine Caldwell, OC Alabama

 

Questions:

I could see the Bills saying that Fowler isn't the answer at Center, but that Preston is stepping up and Chambers is ready to step in at Tackle, and Butler's almost ready to return. Are you happy with our current positional needs at

OG--4 OT--4, OC--2 (where 1 is top priority and 4 is grab for value after round 3)?

 

The Bills may have one of the top 3 LB corps in football. Poz looks the part in the middle. Kawicka Mitchell, who just turned 29 on October 10, is a game-changer. DiGiorgio and Ellison have logged valuable playing time as starters. Angelo Crowell and Alvin Bowen are on IR. Crowell will probably not be a Bill next year, and Bowen could be the heir apparent if he recovers fully. Costanzo and Corto look like nice backups and ST guys. There's room for a sure fire OLB if Crowell is done, more likely a free agent than a drafted player because that's what Fewell and Jauron like. Besides, we have Bowen. OLB will be 4th Round in the 2009 draft. But we currently have OLB as Priority 1 at DraftTek.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Round 1: TE---Elevate TE to Priority 1

Round 2: OC---Elevate OC to Priority 2

Round 3: DE---Elevate DE from 3 to Priority 1

Round 4: OLB---Lower OLB to Priority 3

Round 5: WR---Elevate WR from 6 to Priority 4

Round 6: SS---Elevate SS from 9 to 6 (there is no difference between priority 6, 7, or 8)

Round 7: FB---Elevate FB from 9 to 6

 

Let me know what you're thinking.

Astro

Bills Correspondent, DraftTek.com

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Hey Astro. FWIW, I'd move DE right up to No. 1 need.

That's my recommendation. The reason I have him 3rd on my recommendations is that where we'll end up drafting is more rich in linebackers, so I expect an OLB to be picked up first. After I get consensus here, I'm going to change the numbers in the online draft simulator, run a custom draft simulation and report the results to you.

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To me it comes down to who's available when the trigger has to be pulled.

If we draft somewhere around 26 - 32 (oh lordy!), chances are great we won't be finding a Top 10 caliber player (duh!).

Personally, I'd make OC the top priority - regardless how Preston plays out the balance of the year, followed by DE, TE, WR and LB. The only place we've got any quality depth is at RB and DB. It takes a lot of time for WRs to develop. Might as well take one in RD 4-5. Again, it depends on who's available at the time.

 

Haven't gotten into who's going to be on the market as FAs. But I'd look for DL and LB help through that route. That has the potential to swing the priorities around quite a lot.

 

Good post. I look forward to your follow ups.

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Each month I'll do a positional assessment of what you think are the Bills'

Weakest Positions, and change our position priorities for DraftTek's Correspondents' Mock Draft.

Refer To: http://www.drafttek.com/teamneeds2009.html

 

 

Right now at www.drafttek.com, the Bills take:

RD1, #27---Sean Witherspoon OLB Mizzou

RD2, #59---Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma State

RD3, #91--- Antoine Caldwell, OC Alabama

 

Questions:

I could see the Bills saying that Fowler isn't the answer at Center, but that Preston is stepping up and Chambers is ready to step in at Tackle, and Butler's almost ready to return. Are you happy with our current positional needs at

OG--4 OT--4, OC--2 (where 1 is top priority and 4 is grab for value after round 3)?

 

The Bills may have one of the top 3 LB corps in football. Poz looks the part in the middle. Kawicka Mitchell, who just turned 29 on October 10, is a game-changer. DiGiorgio and Ellison have logged valuable playing time as starters. Angelo Crowell and Alvin Bowen are on IR. Crowell will probably not be a Bill next year, and Bowen could be the heir apparent if he recovers fully. Costanzo and Corto look like nice backups and ST guys. There's room for a sure fire OLB if Crowell is done, more likely a free agent than a drafted player because that's what Fewell and Jauron like. Besides, we have Bowen. OLB will be 4th Round in the 2009 draft. But we currently have OLB as Priority 1 at DraftTek.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Round 1: TE---Elevate TE to Priority 1

Round 2: OC---Elevate OC to Priority 2

Round 3: DE---Elevate DE from 3 to Priority 1

Round 4: OLB---Lower OLB to Priority 3

Round 5: WR---Elevate WR from 6 to Priority 4

Round 6: SS---Elevate SS from 9 to 6 (there is no difference between priority 6, 7, or 8)

Round 7: FB---Elevate FB from 9 to 6

 

Let me know what you're thinking.

Astro

Bills Correspondent, DraftTek.com

 

Sorry Astro, I disagree with this. We need another Guard, and Defensive Tackle might actually be our biggest need. McCarco sucks, Johnson is small, and although he is scrappy, Williams has "journeyman" written all over him.

Stroud is very good, but if he goes down, then what? If the Bills drafted a DT in the first round, I would consider it a very smart move.

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preston is a UFA after the year, so his play doesn't change anything for me - still a good chance he leaves........i'd still have C and TE as the two biggest priorities by a fair amount.........after that, it's a hodge podge of OLB, DT (depending on whether they keep mccargo or not), OT (chambers could leave as well), and S (who knows what they think of ko at this point)

 

i wouldn't list DE as a high priority cause i think the bills are happy with what they have........schobel, kelsey, and denney are all important locker room leaders who will be back in '09, for better or for worse..........after that, you got ellis, who the bills will need to see more of if they want to make an informed decision on his future......numbers wise, i don't see how a new DE fits in........depth would be good, but i don't see space for a top draft pick

 

WR and CB aren't on my radar given the bills depth there

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Whether he stays or goes elsewhere he sucks and has health issues, so the need would be the same imo.

 

the bills disagree on the health issues, and he saw the most snaps he's seen all year last week, so i'm not sure the bills are convinced he "sucks".........perhaps they think the trade was the kick in the ass he needed? time will tell, but there is certainly no doubt he's on a short leash and needs to make some plays over the remainder of the year to solidify his roster spot

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Sorry Astro, I disagree with this. We need another Guard, and Defensive Tackle might actually be our biggest need. McCarco sucks, Johnson is small, and although he is scrappy, Williams has "journeyman" written all over him.

Stroud is very good, but if he goes down, then what? If the Bills drafted a DT in the first round, I would consider it a very smart move.

 

 

I completely agree that the Bills should be looking for another DT this offseason, but I disagree that it is their BIGGEST need. They have one, really terrific DT, and decent depth for the #2 DT. They have no quailty TE and if Crowell leaves, no starter at the OLB spot. Depending on how Preston plays the next few games, we will know how important a new C is, too. My guess is, pretty damn important.

 

I would say that TE, OLB and Center are the biggest needs, right now. Right below that are DE and DT. Just below that is, possibly, OG.

 

Now, how they go about filling those needs is the interesting question. A-Bot suggests the OLB may already be on the team. I don't know from Bowen, so he may be right. Hell, if the Bills resign Crowell, I'll be fine with that, too. Depth is good there, so the only real need, IMO, is to nail down a solid starter.

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As a bills fan it is very distressing to watch a game and not get much pressure from the ends all game,. The Bills don't have a sack leader even in the top 30 NFL players. Joey Porter leads the NFL with 10.5 :rolleyes:

 

The Bills are currently 11th in total D. 13th against the pass and rush and 23rd in turnovers standing at -3

 

I would not be upset to see the bills go after a pass rusher (OLB or DE) in the off season,either in the draft or free agent. They need to motivate their current players somehow.

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As a bills fan it is very distressing to watch a game and not get much pressure from the ends all game,. The Bills don't have a sack leader even in the top 30 NFL players. Joey Porter leads the NFL with 10.5 :rolleyes:

 

The Bills are currently 11th in total D. 13th against the pass and rush and 23rd in turnovers standing at -3

 

I would not be upset to see the bills go after a pass rusher (OLB or DE) in the off season,either in the draft or free agent. They need to motivate their current players somehow.

 

 

I disagree that a lack of motivation is an issue, for the vast majority of the players on the Bills. I think that is particularly true of the DEs and the LBs. Their biggest challenge is health, and scheme, at the moment. A DE who is injured probably isn't going to be very effective in the pass rush. An OLB who isn't used to rush the passer isn't going to get sacks no matter how good, or motivated, he is.

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I disagree that a lack of motivation is an issue, for the vast majority of the players on the Bills. I think that is particularly true of the DEs and the LBs. Their biggest challenge is health, and scheme, at the moment. A DE who is injured probably isn't going to be very effective in the pass rush. An OLB who isn't used to rush the passer isn't going to get sacks no matter how good, or motivated, he is.

Iagee with most. Talent is the main issue. We have NO speed rushers period .

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I completely agree that the Bills should be looking for another DT this offseason, but I disagree that it is their BIGGEST need. They have one, really terrific DT, and decent depth for the #2 DT. They have no quailty TE and if Crowell leaves, no starter at the OLB spot. Depending on how Preston plays the next few games, we will know how important a new C is, too. My guess is, pretty damn important.

 

I would say that TE, OLB and Center are the biggest needs, right now. Right below that are DE and DT. Just below that is, possibly, OG.

 

Now, how they go about filling those needs is the interesting question. A-Bot suggests the OLB may already be on the team. I don't know from Bowen, so he may be right. Hell, if the Bills resign Crowell, I'll be fine with that, too. Depth is good there, so the only real need, IMO, is to nail down a solid starter.

 

 

 

When Royal plays well, and with Fine looking decent, maybe TE moves to the next category. BUT, there is no telling when Royal will look good, or if Fine is the real deal, based on one game. So, for now, I will keep TE in the first group.

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I elevated OLB to top priority on Drafttek's Online Simulator. I changed the other priorities as per my post.

Results:

1-Weatherspoon OLB Missouri

2-Pettigrew TE Okla St

3-Egboh DE Stanford

 

I elevated DE to top priority and it still waited until RD2:

1-Chase Coffman TE

2-Maurice Evans DE Penn St

3-Antoine Caldwell OC

 

I elevated OC to top priority:

1-Chase Coffman TE

2-Jonathan Luigs OC Ark

3-Egboh DE Stanford

 

 

Astro

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