We stacked interior OL

[Magox]

First of all, don't mistake this for negativity, it's not. I think it's generally silly for people like ourselves to second guess people who do this for a living and are without exception, workaholics.

 

That said, as much as I like the day one results, why did we stack interior O-line? After last year we let Dockery, Whittle, Preston, and Fowler go. We added Hangartner and McKinney in free agency. We then drafted Wood, a center/guard and Levitre, a college tackle who everyone is projecting as a guard. In other words, they're both essentially guards right now. Add them to Brad Butler and you have 5 interior linemen for 3 spots with Bell and Chambers also mentioned as possible interior options. Do you think this was a sound roster strategy?

 

I ask because we could have stacked pass rusher instead by adding Everette Brown or Connor Barwin atop Aaron Maybin when we picked at #42. Last year the Jaguars drafted Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, pass rushers, in the first two rounds. I like the Jairus Byrd pick but personally would have been thrilled to take Brown or Barwin. I understand that it's somewhat redundant but Barwin could have also possibly filled our need at linebacker. He was a very athletic tight end and as such it seems to me that in addition to being an excellent pass rusher that he would have no trouble learning to be a good coverage linebacker. It seems that by stacking Maybin with Brown or Barwin along with Schobel, the Bills would have had a great chance to become a great pass rush team.

 

I guess the real question is whether anyone thinks we should have taken Everette Brown of Connor Barwin instead of Jairus Byrd.

 

Thoughts?

First I would like to say that the draft picks of Levitre and Woods was huge. These guys could end up being probowl gaurds and centers and shore up our interior line for the next 10 years. I loved these picks, I love the committment of beefing up the trenches, which is where it is won at the end of the day.

 

Regarding Byrd, I was initially surprised and disappointed when I heard his name, but then after reading up about him and what other "draft geeks" had to say about him, this guy is considered a good value pick and could end up being our starting safety.

 

Could we have drafted Barwin and Brown, absolutely, but maybe the Bills had him graded as a better pro prospect than these guys, it may have been simply staying true to their board.

 

The Maybin pick is an interesting one, he could end up being the best DE to come out of this year's draft, he has the ability to maybe become an NFL sack leader some day.

[atlbillsfan1975]

Butler will be starting on the line. He was a very good performer. He does have shoulder problems, which is never good for a lineman. He has good feet and is very smart and strong. He could definetly make the switch to tackle.

Woods is going to start day one from center.

Walker will play one of the tackle spots.

Hangartner plays one of the gaurds.

Bell/Chambers fight it out for the other spot.

Depth/Backups

Levitre is allowed to develope into a gaurd this year, seeing some playing time.

McKinney is a very solid back up.

Bell/Chambers will be your back up tackle.

I think the Bills are going to rotate guys in and out a lot. Keep them fresh and let young guys progress and get playing time. Think about it, if you can rotate guys and they are quality players, you can wear down Dlineman even faster. Dlines rotate all the time, to keep their legs fresh. It looks to me as if the Bills are going to do the same thing...atleast for this year.

[colin]

You answered your own question. Those guys sucked. The best on that list was Dockery, and he was lazy, fat and slow.

 

As for you other question, of course we shouldn't have taken another corner (or safety) with the #10 in round 2. That was simply paying the Bills Fan dues and a tribute to the idiocy of Jauron.

 

That said, this was a great draft for the Bills imo.

 

so if he is a day one starting safety and comes up with picks and big plays, that's idiocy?

 

they went big time on interior blocking this off season, and i think they love bell and think he is ready right now to start. we'll see tho, they prolly think they can get a vet to play tackle if they need one for a year, with bell on the come up.

[Sisyphean Bills]

The Bills may address TE and LB today. OL, DL, DB's are all

pretty stacked (not saying with talent ). WR,

QB also.

 

LB may not be a high priority also as I see us starting

Mitchell, Poz and Bowen, got plenty of backups.

 

TE needs to be addressed, but I can't expect a starter

in the 4th round. There is even Sheffler if traded by

the Broncos.

 

May just draft "best available" at this point.

QB wouldn't be a bad move. Fitzpatrick doesn't give me a warm fuzzy. He led the Bengals, who have talent at WR too, to the all-time single season worst passing attack (according to Jon Gruden). (Maybe they liked the way he checked down? )

[bbfan54]

Alot of people might not like Kelsay and Denney but they would most likely be better next year than any rookie the bills could draft in the second round. Moreover, they still have Chris Ellis who they drafted last year in the third round. You really can't keep more than 5 DEs so you would have to cut Ellis and basically say he was a bust.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Alot of people might not like Kelsay and Denney but they would most likely be better next year than any rookie the bills could draft in the second round. Moreover, they still have Chris Ellis who they drafted last year in the third round. You really can't keep more than 5 DEs so you would have to cut Ellis and basically say he was a bust.

I disagree with your last statemtent. If we had drafted Everette Brown or Connor Barwin at #42, we could do several things. Barwin projected also as a linebacker which is a need of ours. As a very athletic tight end (4.60 forty) I think he'd be able to play in our scheme and replace Keith Ellison. He'd help our pass rush and address a different position than Maybin.

 

Maybin played predominantly LDE in college where Everette Brown played RDE. They could both be used simultaneously.

 

As far as cutting players, the Bills could cut Copeland Bryan to make room for another defensive end. And if the rumors of the Bills shopping Kelsay are true they could possibly dispose of him for next to nothing to clear a roster spot for two rookie pass rushers. We still have Denney to play the role of solid, unspectacular DE.

[Spiderweb]

Wood I think plays the center position from day one with Harngartner playing guard.

 

Harngartner plays center (his experience as a pro will count heavily). Wood may be the

Bills cneter down the road, but unlikely it will be from the get go.

[spartacus]

Harngartner plays center (his experience as a pro will count heavily). Wood may be the

Bills cneter down the road, but unlikely it will be from the get go.

 

Bills are going nowhere in 2009.

 

they should play Wood at C and let him develop from day 1.