WhitewalkerInPhilly

i would be thrilled. if he can start at fs, i love our db situation.

here's hoping he's not there when we play the browns

I would care about this, if I thought that Kiper's opinion equaled or exceeded that of the fortune cookie I got on Friday. Fortunately, I don't trust him beyond being a spokesman for Chia Pet.

They keep saying that, but the last three Super Bowl winners have had stout run games that started clicking around playoff time: Bradshaw and Jacobs for the Giants in 2011, Ray Rice for the Ravens in 2012 and Marshawn Lynch (where do I know that name?) for the Seahawks in 2013. We just need the passing game to get us there.

I do think that Woods would be better in the slot, but he could be a good #2. That said, Williams has put up a lot of production. If he is going into the slot, I would imagine that it's because his size and jump ball ability would make him win most matchups against a safety or NB.

CJ had his best year when we ran out of the spread. With our new draft picks, he should have improved run blocking too. Am I crazy, or might we have a pretty damn good offense this year?

Interesting to hear. From what I hear, he could play either SLB, where we currently have Rivers or MLB, where we have Spikes. He seems to fit the mold of run thumping SLB and MLBs that I'm guessing Schwartz wants.

Considering the very real changes to our WR group this offseason, and especially over the past three days, I've been thinking about how we indeed to use our new lineup. Rob Quinn is a writer who I really like, because he is good with X's and O's and breaking down concepts. Going off of the scheme's that we started with last year, and looking at our current group, here's a guess of some of the things we might do. So, who do we have as our top 5 WR: Sammy Watkins: our new WR, he has great speed, shiftiness and versatility but should be expected to make some rookie mistakes.Can play outside or in the slot. Mike Williams: Our new acquisition from Tampa, most of what I have seen from him has been as an outside WR. He's a little slower than Watkins, but is a bit heaver, taller and has a truly impressive vertical (36.5") and has a knack for coming down with jump balls that should have been INT's. I project him being our #2. Robert Woods: Woods is the guy with whom EJ had the best chemistry with last year. His play is most similar to Stevie Johnson and I think he was the real reason the Bills considered Stevie expendable. He’s a great route running, and can be #2 receiver if necessary, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his true calling was the slot. Marquise Goodwin: The man is an absolute burner (4.27s 40 time). He has great speed to take the top off a defense, but he also has skills to work with cushion when CB’s play off when they worry about his speed. He also has been used as a gadget player and a kickoff returner. TJ Graham: Even faster than Goodwin, he can take the top off a defense on deep routes. 11 Personnel (3 WR, 1 TE,1RB) The idea is to create routes that let EJ do a quick progression on whether the outside CB plays close, or players off. If the CB plays close, it opens up a deep corner route for the TE (or the slot WR as the case may be). If the CB plays off, it opens a snag route for the outside WR. In this case, the slot WR runs a slant while the other outside WR runs a go route while the RB is a check down. According to Quinn, this is a "triangle", and you can have an incredible number of variations. In this case, if the defense rolls over extra defenders, it should create man to man coverage for the outside receiver. So, how might this shake out with our people? TE and RB are pretty close guesses. Moeaki, if healthy, sounds like a good option for the deep downfield pass but Chandler could likely do it as well. CJ is best in space and with a WR to block for him there's a good chance he gets a head of steam. Stevie was the slot receiver in this diagram up above. With him gone, I can easily see Robert Woods, EJ's favorite target from last year running the slant. Watkins, with his speed and shiftiness is great with yards after catch, so I could see him running the snag route. On the outside, you could put Goodwin to take the top of the defense, or use Mike Williams if you think that you can win a jump ball on a deep route in 1 on 1 coverage. 4 WR, 1 RB Keeping with the concept of the snag route, and integrating it into a 4 WR vertical base, Quinn drew up something like this: Goodwin and Williams could be the best choices on the outside. Goodwin is capable of taking the top off the defense, forcing them to roll over a deep safety to support or leaving him in man-to-man. Watkins would be lining up against a team’s NB, a matchup he is very likely to win. Woods, if ignored, can probably win is matchup as well while Spiller or Freddy gets the ball in space. These are good articles to check out and I would love to hear about other ideas that fans would have: http://forgedinbuffa...s-passing-game/ http://forgedinbuffa...passing-attack/

Oh, I fully agree. I just don't think the model of QB stability that we should be basing ourselves around should be the Jets, as the previous poster had. In fact, they are a case study of reactionary QB acquisition. Sanchez took them to two AFC championship games, but was very clearly not taking them over the hump. So in 2012, they brought in Tim Tebow. Tebow got relegated to a Wildcat QB. In 2013 Tebow was gone. They took Geno in the second round and danced around the issue of who would start through the entire training camp, even as it looked obvious to outsiders that even though Sanchez actually looked decent, Geno was the starter in the mind of the staff. Geno went on to have a turbulent year, at times looking really, really good...and at times he got absolutely mauled and was repeatedly benched. Now, in 2014, Geno has been named the starter...while they brought in Mike Vick, who the Eagles offloaded to prevent a QB controversy of their own. Vick has a history of looking just good enough to think he can do something special, and then becoming a turnover machine right before he gets injured. While things might play out well...I personally doubt it. They've been trying slot machine a starting QB, and now in their third year I don't think anyone is saying that they are particularly better off at QB.

I think most fans are too. Weren't people on this board screaming last season that Thad was the better QB and should have been the starter?

I'll admit, I think they gave up a ton for Sammy Watkins, and I don't like that, but there is plenty to love about everything else. For all my misgivings about how they got Watkins, he seems like a very good bet that he can play. Trading Stevie (while I love the guy and wish him the best of luck), removes any potential d*ck measuring contests about who is the #1 WR. It's Watkins. I love Cyrus as a RT upgrade, and with the hopeful future nickname of Kujo. Spiller loves his runs to the outside, and this looks like his specialty. I really love the pick of Ross Cockrell. I can see him possibly being our starting FS this year, or giving us the flexibility to move Corey Graham there. I honestly thought Cyril Richardson would go in the third, so getting him in the 5th seems like a steal. Overall, the O-line looks completely revamped. Not sure about our 7th round guys, but they're typically depth anyway. Perhaps I should also include Mike Williams here, since we did spend a 6th round draft pick on him. I can say that from what I have seen, Williams can almost certainly do so. I've posted this highlight reel from 2012, his best year, previously but I went back and took another look: Not only does he catch the ball away from his body, he uses every inch of a 36.5" vertical leap to do so (compared to Watkins' 34") Yeah. With a 6th we took a veteran with measureables strikingly similar (slightly bigger, slightly slower (~.1s 40 time)) to Sammy Watkins.

Because the Jets have such an incredible recent stretch of handling who is going to be their apparently starter without creating any QB controversy.

Oh, I completely agree. People were saying that he was going to be gone in round 3. I just think it's worth noting that Walter is full of Sh*t.

Of course, Walter gave us a B- for that pick. Because he always hates our picks.

Don't worry, someone will find filling all major holes and picking up a dynamic talent at WR will piss off someone. While we are betting the farm on Watkins, I like how our O-line looks, love our RB's, love our WR group and am indifferent about our TE's. That sounds pretty promising.

I burst out laughing. But yeah, I feel a hell of a lot better with pears, Williams and Richardson duking it out at guard. With Cyrus likely to start at RT, this is looking like a very, very strong line.

Or, you know, a possible starting FS.

I love it. He sounds like someone we could have slide in as nickel or dime player with the size to shift an outside CB if necessary. Mayock seems to think that if he puts on some weight, he has the size and ball skills to the a FS. Either way, I'm feeling a lot more solid about our DB group for a very, very solid looking defense.

Look I like fitz. but i will say that i would rather face him than bridgewater.

I don't think the Johnny Football acquisition was a bad one. I honestly thought they might do it at 4. But assuming that their GM didn't know until right before round 2, when presumably he had his gameplan, JM doesn't really have anyone to throw to. Of course, the suspension could be overblown and I have a sneaking suspicious that Groban will be back in November, but man, you have to help a young QB out, as we know from experience.

Pettine mentioned it in an interview right before they picked up Spikes: http://www.wgr550.com/pages/18588029.php?contentType=4&contentId=14876121 And to be fair, he said "hybrid role" In the 4-3 under, which is pretty much what the Bills played last year a base, and what we likely will do again, Lawson player primarily on the line. 4-3 under is basically a 5-2 front, so if they want to use him that way, I don't mind. Alternately...I know some people might not want to hear this, but if the Bills were to adopt the Wide 9, that's a situation that lets smaller, speedier DE's to thrive. Lawson is a lot like Hughes, only he's a better edge setter against the run. He played DE in college, so I'm not worried.

Makes sense. He could compete for a spot at SLB, over Rivers and is a good backup if Spikes A) stinks or B) winds up being really, really good and leaves next year.

Talking TE Does anyone think niklas might slide to us

i like the pick. he's a big bruiser, the line got solidified

yeah, they're multiple picks back. they really don't have the timing down.