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A fully healthy Pears is an above average RT. Hairston is strictly average. If the 2011 Pears is back, we'll be very solid at OT overall.

There is a 0% chance that the Cardinals, or any NFL team, have Matt Cassell on their radar as anything other than a backup. Let's not get our hopes up here. I guess there is a small chance the Cards go into the season with Kolb as the starter & Cassell as the backup. Which would be good for the Bills, but no way they see Cassell as a starter.

Austin is an ideal fit for what we need at WR 1B, in my opinion. A guy who can stretch the field across from Stevie and make plays in the open field. He has not lost a step, that is ridiculous. He's had some injury issues, but nothing major. Hopefully that just makes him affordable. He's a better fit here than Jennings or Bowe, that's for sure. The only question is can we afford him. If he gets cut, we'll be bidding against several teams. The Bills getting Austin would be almost too perfect for it to actually ever happen.

Peter Warrick looked even better with the ball in his hands, and he also lacked the hands & route-running skills a top WR prospect should have. But he was a "playmaker", so he got drafted in the top-5. Once in the NFL, it became obvious that even elite open-field moves alone are not enough to make it in the NFL. And Warrick had MUCH more college success than Patterson. Unfortunately, there is no position in the NFL called Playmaker. Patterson has bust written all over him if he goes in the top half of the 1st. He's going to get so much hype, that he'll be drafted way too high and be expected to produce right away. He is a project and needs a few years to develop.

True, in that highlight film, Patterson does appear to jump off the screen. The problem is that most of what he's doing in it does not require the skills of a WR. He can run in the open field as good as anybody I've seen the past few years, but he's lacking in actual WR skills. Patterson is a poor route runner and has below average hands, there's a reason why his highlight is filled with KO/Punt returns and Running plays. Body-catching the majority of passes on your highlight reel isn't a very good sign that you're NFL-ready. Patterson is not even the best Tennessee WR in this draft. He is a project, and would no way be ready to contribute the first year, except on returns. I doubt anybody drafts a project in the top half of Round 1, even the Bills.

I can't see Cordarelle Patterson going anywhere near the top-10. As explosive as he looks on returns and in the open field, he's as raw as James Hardy was coming out- as far as actual WR play, like running routes and getting open. His highlight films are just him body-catching balls while wide open and taking it to the house, or returning punts for TDs. NFL teams aren't that stupid, and will view him as a high upside project.

I live in Chicago, and saw a lot of Knox. There is NO WAY Knox is a WR1, and I'd be reluctant to even call him a WR2. Yes, he was the Bears' WR1 for a year, but that was by default because they had literally nothing else at WR- similar to Miami rolling out Hartline as a WR1 last year. Knox is Donald Jones with speed and return ability.

Not so much loyalty by Driver, as it is the Packers organization's loyalty to him. Driver has been GB's WR5 for the past 2 seasons. I doubt any other NFL team would've let an over-the-hill WR5 stick around at the bottom of the roster despite not even playing special teams. Kudos to the organization.

Boldin is not the type of WR the Bills need. He is a possession WR with a similar skillset to Stevie, though Boldin is definitely more physical. We need a Torrey Smith-type WR to stretch the field and compliment Stevie, not another Stevie. Boldin is also in decline mode, despite coming alive for 2 of his 3 playoff games this year.

Wow, VERY impressive on the highlight reel. I hadn't seen much footage of him, but I can't remember ever seeing a WR prospect that electric in the open field. Well besides Peter Warrick, but he was a midget.

I'm also not from WNY, and I always rent a car when I visit for games. If you take a cab to the game, what would you do with your luggage while you're at the stadium? Rental car gives you a place for your luggage, a base of operations for tailgating, many more options for food/entertainment, and an easier time in general. Car rental will probably cost much less than your weekend cab total anyway.

Tim Hightower is out there. He's better than Choice or White IMO.

Mark Anderson. He'll be our only DL getting consistent 1-on-1 matchups and is likely to end up with more sacks than Mario because of it. He may be the least deserving among the D-linemen, but if he has 13-14 sacks, he'll be the one going to Hawaii. I also think there's a chance both Byrd & Wilson make it. Wilson made a name for himself last year & gets voted in if he has another year like it, minus injury. Byrd's name is already out there from his rookie year.

Let's not forget that Clay Matthews & Brian Cushing were also considerations over Maybin...

As athletic as he is, I'm concerned about how little separation he has in the majority of those highlights. Seems like he relied on superior athleticism in college, which is much harder in the NFL. When I watch Floyd's highlights, he makes the same type of spectacular plays I see from Hill, but Floyd gets a lot more separation from DBs.

Meachem is a solid WR, and not just a go-route speedster like Lee Evans. Meachem was the sole WR on the field in the Saints' jumbo/run packages for the past 3 years, the guy can block.

Love it!

I really think Mario Williams will go to a 4-3 team, which means the Pats are a very real possibility. Williams was elite as a 4-3 DE, but he was OK at best in his few games as a 3-4 OLB last year. The Texans really didn't lose anything when he went down, and Brooks Reed will be even better next year, so they'll probably let Williams walk. Don't put it past the Pats to spend for a top FA, they spent a ton to bring in Roosevelt Colvin a few years ago.

The Pats are going to the playoffs any way you slice it. If they can help keep the Jets from contending for a Wildcard, that helps us.

Garrison Hearst Ahman Green Pats traded a 2nd & a 7th for Welker.

I agree with this. We didn't get to see what Davis is capable of as a 3-4 ILB last year due to the injuries, he's solid. You just don't want him in there on 3rd & long.

Williams excels at slot coverage. You can count on him to be predominantly the nickel/slot DB.

Aaron Williams specializes in slot coverage. Now that Florence is back, he & McKelvin have the outside while Williams gets the slot guys. I'm optimistic, but have a hard time seeing him keep up with Welker...

I'm in Chicago too. It should be very easy to get cheap tickets to the preseason game. Bears season tix holders had to pay full price for the preseason games, and are not happy about it. If they can recoup 40-50% of that, they'll be happy. Plus nobody cares about preseason, so they're options to sell are limited. If you go the stubhub route, you'll be looking at near face value. Outside the stadium before the game, you should find somebody selling in the $25-30 range.

Dareus will have the most impact, but it won't be quantifiable as stats. The Bills' Run D should be much better, but Von Miller's 8 sacks will overshadow Dareus's superior season in the eyes of most media/fans.