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Buddy has shown some skill this offseason at dealing with Free Agency - something I was very worried about after last season. Turns out he was just waiting for the right players, and for the right maturity level of the Bills. Now he is putting it all together - and I agree, he should be recognized thus far as one of the best acting GM's. And, I believe the draft is his real talent. Our team has gotten much younger, and much BIGGER since his arrival. Even our backups - on both lines - are big, capable guys who can play! Another awesome thing - Doug Whaley. He's learning from Nix, and no doubt has a considerable hand in all this. He is going to bring new vitality to the organization when his time comes, and he'll be able to come in and continue with what has been started. This defense - with the right luck, maybe another LB'er or playmaking CB - could be really special!

I don't know enough about college footbll to make any real predictions about which players will go where after round 1. I can predict, though, a certain tendency on Buffalo's part: the Bills are looking for impact, FIRST and foremost, in their first two picks. They want that impact to be at a position of weakness, and they would love for that player to be in a position that is hard to fill through other channels - QB, DE, WR, and I say the excellent LB's - they seldom hit the market. A very good LB is kept. Teams just don't let the leaders of their defenses go, unless they are too old to merit one final, expensive, long term contract. If Buffalo could land the type of linebacker in round 1 that could man the line for 8 years, and be a force, they'd jump at it. The question is, is there a player that fits that type coming out? I think LB is seen as a position of need for Buffalo - but only the great linebacker. Dave Wannstedt doesn't want to assemble a mediocre defense. You can hear him reference the defences he's coached in the past - they are all good defenses with great players. He's going to want to have a great linebacker to lead this defense. That you haven't heard him talk much of it could indicate they're trying to keep that "need" low key. Or, maybe he sees Sheppard and Bennett as good enough. We'll see. I think we do need another good linebacker, another good cornerback, and if a very good DE were available - just like the above LB - they aren't going to pass on that impact type of talent.

I respect your post - and I understand your thinking. However, there's no denying Detroit's number one reciever is Calvin Johnson. Buffalo's number one reciever last year was Stevie Johnson. The number one reciever will get the ball thrown to him more often - at times even if he is covered more than other options. And, it is often the case that a team has a second wideout who is considered better than all the others - either faster, or has the ability to get open and catch the ball. I agree that to number them doesn't really mean what it used to, but there are still TYPES of wideouts that a team looks for. You want to have, in my opinion, ideally, four wideouts, or five even, who are all fast as can be, tall, and tough, with great hands. New Orleans is unique, in my opinion, over the last few years, in that their recievers are so good and similar that no one or the other was really a number one or two. In that offense your post holds true. But, in Buffalo's, Stevie is the number one. Fitz will look to throw to him more than any other reciever - even if he is covered more (and, that is one of the problems with Buffalo's offense, IMO - they're too predictable at times, with where they're going with the ball). I think Nix is trying to gather as many of the tall, fast, sure handed receivers as possible to have that type of offense, but as it stands now, if a rookie, or if Easley comes out and tears it up this year, showing tremendous skills, I would be we'll still see Stevie as the go-to guy more often than not.

And another thing: there are other positions the Bills will certainly want to add dynamic greatness to: LB, QB, CB, WR - if there were an exceptional talent there (like a LB who could take the defense on his shoulders and lead - a Patrick Willis type player) they'd grab him.

I agree that LT makes sense. There is a lot that goes into these types of choices. I think it is often overlooked as a real motivator for 1st round choices: certain positions, hard to fill positions of real significance on an nfl roster, are way, way cheaper to fill via draft than in F.A. - QB, LT, DE, CB - these are the four that usually fill up the top of round 1. Not only does a team get a young talent to develop in their system, but they get that roster spot filled without having to pay market value. Compare a team that has filled it's QB, DE, and CB/LT positions in the draft to a team that has filled those spots in F.A. - one team will have a great team with cap room to spare, and the other will be like the Redskins - constantly trying to get creative with money. I think the Bills really try to fill those expensive positions through the draft to avoid having to compete with the market. And, if you go by that strategy, LT makes a lot of sense for our first pick, or CB, depending on the talent available.

As much as we could use a LT at #10 in the draft, I've been wondering about the linebacker position. Namely, we've invested so much these past few years in 3-4 linebackers; so, how will this translate? Surely our D-line will now be one of the best in the league, and our secondary should be fine (drafting another corner to finish the lot is also a real possibility), and Bennett and Shepphard are good enough to play, but what of the guys like Moats, Batten, and White? Where are those guys going to fit in? And, every great defense has a really great linebacker coordinating things. Do we have a linebacker that can be great? I don't think so - and that is why drafting a linebacker with our first pick doesn't seem totally out of the question, if the Bills believe he can be their leader and make this defense great.

It's an interesting thing to ponder: How good is Merriman at 70%? Or 80%? Is he better than anyone else we have in those instances? Maybe for recognition. What I'm leading up to is: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcel Dareus are going to be taking up blockers. Mario and Kyle are going to have a C, LG, and LT plus a running back, probably, back to help. That leaves a RG, RT, and TE for Dareus and Merriman. My guess is the opposition will give the double towards Dareus - he's just too good, and going into year 2 with all the experience he's had, plus a season of conditioning - HE IS GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT BETTER THAN KYLE WILLIAMS BY THE TIME HE IS DONE DEVELOPING!!! - Merriman is going to be left more or less with a RT or TE to contend with, in most cases. If Merriman is as good as he is most often considered (and, wouldn't he have been every bit as highly regarded as Mario Williams when Merriman was in his prime?) then even not at 100% he should be good enough to beat a one on one most of the time. That's all we need.

I don't think anyone can doubt that the Bills will pick any other position than LT with their first pick, unless a very talented player drops unexpectedly - an elite CB, perhaps. The way I see it, though, is that adding Mario Williams gives Buffalo a defense that is now lacking only another great DB and maybe another LB, depending how they use the players they have from last year. Still, their secondary would probably hold up fine as is, with Florence, Williams, Byrd, and Wilson. Adding a elite CB would make our secondary and our D-line elite, and would make us a very, very difficult team to play against. But, I just think that after watching our offense falter last year, one thing that seemed to cause us real problems with our passing game falling apart was Fitzpatrick getting pressured too early. Two things made our passing game fall apart (three - if you count injuries): Our recievers weren't getting enough separation off the line, and that was disrupting the timing of the routes, and that disruption caused Fitz to hold the ball a little longer; however, the line, due to injuries, wasn't holding up as well and Fitz was being pressured or hit and making poor throws. So, you add an elite LT to our line, and then Hairston can go to RT, Wood, Levitre and Ubrik in the middle, with Rhinehart as backup - that line is a very good O-line. Now our running game will be excellent with that line, and our passing game - if our defense is a top ten defense - doesn't have to be great. Fitz could be a game manager, or, at least, he wouldn't have to be trying to win games all the time, coming from behind, etc. - and that would make the whole offense better. So - it's LT with our top pick unless an elite CB drops.

Thank you for mentioning Carrington - I've had the same thoughts, namely, "why is no one talking about this kid?" He is very big, but quick enough to be a better pass rusher than Kelsay, I'd say - and, more stout against the run. If we are stupid enough to let him go, a team like the Jets would make him into a top end in a year or two. I say let this kid play!

Yeah - if this happens (at least, Williams) then it just goes to show Nix has the power to really spend when he sees fit - and, last year he knew the team wasn't ready to truly compete, and the best pieces were not there, etc. Not that he could foresee this, but I've got to believe Wanny and Nix and Gailey were thinking this for months, and carried that money over from last year to make this work. Excellent. Nix is turning out to be a very shrewd GM. He got Stevie Johnson for much less than he would have on the market - a few million less a year, I'd say, than a team like Washington would've given him. He's managed to keep the good players, make them happy, and now he's gearing up for a real run. Our young players got a lot of experience these past two years - guys like Aaron Williams, Searcy, Shepphard, and Carrington - who I really hope we keep (I think he'd be a force on the other end of the line, opposite Williams) - all got a chance to get their NFL feet under them, so to speak. Add a few more early round NFL ready players - and a few gems in the later rounds, as we're coming to expect from these guys, and our team will be as able as any to compete for a playoff spot. By the way - we land Mario, and are able to secure a LT with our first pick, a shutdown LT, then our offensive line suddenly is one of the best in the league, to go with two very exciting running backs... and we're going to be trouble for opponents! And, we're a young team! Would a D-line of Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcell Dareus, and either Carrington/Rookie (maybe Coples?) be as good or better than any in the league, including Giants, Lions? Potentially 3 pro-bowlers!

Mario, Kyle, Dareus, and whoever - a rookie, Carrington, Merriman - it would still be one of, if not the most impressive fronts in the NFL - perhaps 3 of 4 probowlers!!! And, playing next to each other could only make it easier for each other! That would certainly make life easier for the rest of the 7 defensemen behind them. Wow! This would make taking the best OT in round one a no-brainer! We have a Pro-bowl quality C and LG, not to mention very decent RG/RT. You take a first round, top tier LT, move Hairston to RT, and our O-Line becomes one of the best in the NFL. One player in F.A., one draft pick, and our lines go from mediocre to excellent! AFter that - either Fitz tears it up this year or we finish off the rebuild with a first round QB next year.

We have the cash to go after anyone - even Mario Williams. It is up to Buddy Nix to figure out where to spend the money to, in the end, strengthen our team the most. It's very similar to the argument about trading up for a QB like Griffin, or using that pick to aquire a bunch of lesser picks - which is a better strategy? Right now we're capable of going all in on one or two F.A.'s, or we can bring in a handful or more of less coveted players - and, there's always one or two lower level guys who just need the right opportunity to turn into the next big player. We'll have to see - that is part of the fun!

Arizona is set to have one of it's wideouts hit free agency - I believe his name is Early Doucet? Anyway - I think he'd be the perfect pickup. That kid can run. And, he can catch in stride. As for good Free Agent pick-ups: we need to get a good QB in here to compete with Fitz. Either an early round QB who has promise, or a F.A. QB who can play, because it is very troubling - and it should trouble all Bills fans - that the Bills had so little faith in any of their other QB's last year that they let Fitz play hurt, knowing how limited he was, and knowing he was losing us games. Still - they preferred that to what they had on the bench! What is the sense of having a second string QB if you won't play him? I say dump some of those 3-4 million dollar contracts that have been given out over the last few years to guys who don't really contribute that much, and throw together a decent offer for a QB who can give us hope if Fitz falters. Orton, someone mentioned - sure, he's a good example.

Well, there are plenty on here who agree that Nix is doing a good job, and plenty who disagree, who think he is out of his depth, and that Wilson is a cheap old bugger. I think of it like this: there are 32 teams in the NFL, some of which are very big spending teams, and many of which are considered legitimate teams (as opposed to Buffalo, which has a reputation for being a bit of a joke these past few years). Now, take a team like Washington - they've spent how much more money than us, and they've hired how many TOP GM or NFL Personnel people? Or Dallas. Or any of a number of teams these past 10-15 years other than Pittsburgh or New England or Indy. Those three have been good consistently - Indy because of Manning and the wise old Polian, Pittsburgh because of the Program itself, and N.E. because of Brady and Bellicheck. The Bills haven't spent as much - but are not the cheapest in that timespan. Nevertheless, Buddy has made as many mistakes as a lot of GM's that would come much more highly regarded. I think he is doing fine. He's made mistakes, but he has also brought this team from a mess to a team that is now on the verge of being serious. We're close to the playoff hunt - this year, hopefully. We're no longer a defense that is small and weak. We have a defense that will (I bet you) be tough this year, and not easily pushed around. Sure, we're not loaded with the best talent, and he has let some positions go for a few years - but it isn't a plan for one year - he's been saying 3 years, and after this year we'll finally see. Give it this year, and then we can decide.

Washington is going to go after him hard, per ProFootballtalk.com. I'm not on board with spending 10 million or more a year on a reciever - a reciever to split the #1 role with Stevie Johnson, when there are other very good recievers out there to be had in the draft, or in F.A. (I really, really like Early Doucette? out of Arizona as a very good #2 reciever for us, probably at 4 million to 5 million a year - he's fast as can be and he can catch in traffic and on the move). Think about it! Going after Vincent Jackson would be saying we'd be willing to spend about 70% of what it'd take annually to land Mario Williams!!! on a Reciever!!! I'd be much, much happier getting Mario and drafting a good wideout or someone like Early from Arizona, than the other way around.

I wanted very much to be a Nix fan because I liked his personality and because I just wanted to have a good GM - and, so far, I like his moves mostly. There are a few I do question - especially his choice of who to pay, and his and Gailey's tendency to go after guys they are familiar with (as if they don't trust their scouts enough to find better talent elsewhere?). Now, though, this far into things (two years) - I'm optimistic that at least Buddy is putting together a good team, albeit slowly, from the lines out. That is why I have a real hunch their first two picks will be an OT with their first, and a DE with their second - which, if the DE was good enough, could put their lines in place for the next few years. Add a skill reciever, maybe a QB with potential in the draft, and another rushing linebacker and this team is capable of going toe to toe with a lot of teams. I like that they brought the money from last year over to spend - it could prove to be very wise, letting young guys get valuable game experience last year, while also waiting for the right talent at the right time - we're closer to being ready now than last year. We'll have to see how it all pans out. I think Fitz contract might hurt this team and Gailey if he turns out to be too inconsistent. I mean, at the very least, if Nix and Gailey really want to show everyone they are ready and serious about the playoffs, then they've got to have a second QB that can play, and push Fitz, and maybe be better. It's time to draft a talented young QB.

I just don't see Vincent Jackson coming to Buffalo. For one, he's been offered, so the rumor is, somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 million a season from SanDiego - or, they're willing to go there for his services. The same source said (Profootballtalk) Vincent was interested in staying in SanDiego, to such a degree that he'd be willing to give them a discount. None of that bodes well for Buffalo. Instead, I could see Buffalo going after a different available WR - one good enough to merit 4-6 million a year, one who would complement Stevie (unless they see Stevie as a #2 wideout, in which case they might find paying a #1 8-10 million a year as acceptable). But, that I doubt. If they're looking for a great reciever - one better, or with more potential than Stevie, then they'll look for him in the first round of the draft. My bet is that they find a good F.A. wideout in the area of 4-6 million a year, someone who can be a legitimate #2, and they hope guys like Nelson, EAsley, and Jones, all together, make a good enough WR group that defenses won't know where to look. And, I like that idea. If they're going offense with the first pick - I think it'd be O-Line. A LT. You do that, and they get that good WR to go with the rest of the guys, and maybe even a good pass catching TE, and our running game and passing game improves - that would put the offense in the top 10. Spend picks in the remainder of rounds on defense - with the exception of a TE, maybe - and bring in a FA linebacker or pass rusher, as well, and this team, as long as Fitz can get the job done consistently, is a playoff/wild card team.

Hey - nice post! I love your reasoning, although I think it is a bit of a generalization, and I think it's tough to see any one team designed in a way that would make it a good match against all types of opponents, overall, if I were a GM I'd build a defense keeping what you said in mind. Here is how I'd do it: I'd have two very large and agile DT's in the middle (Williams wall in Minny, the Bills D of ten years ago, the Ravens superbowl team). I think that having two guys in the middle that can more or less eliminate inside running, and also collapse the pocket from the interior, automatically makes the rest easier. That is where I'd start. I'd make the rest of the front seven as fast and able to get to the QB and sideline to sideline as possible - looking for the big guys who are special and who can run as well. You shut down the inside run, you cover the outside runs and have the speed to cover tight ends and get to the QB, and the corners - as was eluded to - should be able to do the rest. I would love it if the Bills got themselves two elite pass rushers - coupled with Dareus and Williams, that would be a Offensive Coordinators nightmare!

I think it's pretty easy to say who the Bills will pick at 10: the BPA at a position of need. These guys (Nix, Whaley, Gailey) aren't in a hurry - as evidenced by the last two years. They are going to look at the areas they deem need improved (likely LT, OLB, CB, WR, QB, and DE) and they are going to look at the players available at those positions - I'd guess QB, LT, DE get the first priority, only because they are so hard to find good players at - but, if the WR, OLB, or CB available is looking like a regular pro-bowler/game changer, and the LT/QB available is looking like a starter for 10 years, but not an all-pro, then they go the all-pro route. I believe that is what Nix has been politely saying all these past weeks. They aren't going to pick a DE just because there is a DE available at 10 that the pundits have deemed "best", when they might consider a 2nd round DE to be just a little less talented; whereas, the WR or CB availabe - a position of less immediate need, but nevertheless a position of need - is truly great in potential, they're going to pull the trigger on the guy who gives the most dynamic potential to this team. I think that is what we can expect with the first pick - unless they can garner a trade down a few spots. After that - in rounds 2-4, they'll address DE, OLB, WB, and the OL. That's my guess.

Ha - that's funny - that he's worried a listener might change the station! There are no other sports stations for me to listen to when it comes to Buffalo sports! If there were, there'd be a lot fewer people listening to these guys! That answer is a load of crap. I live in Jamestown NY, about 65 miles south of Buffalo, and am a Bills fan, and there is no other station to turn to listen to Bills news/talk. And, as far as that goes, even during the peak of the Football season (I include Combine and draft as very big football times) there is often a great deal lacking in what these guys cover. I know covering a losing, cheap team for 20 years must be challenging - but, what makes it worse, IMO, is that he appears to be "above" sports to a great degree. He seems to look down on sports and the followers of sports - fans - as if they were all uneducated, unreasonable, boring people with nothing new to say. I think they could do better when it comes to pure sports coverage. A little optimism - a little "what if the Bills did this", or, "How could we do it better" kind of thinking is what a lot of fans want to hear most of the time, IMO. And politeness. I believe being polite to people is a true sign of intelligence. The opposite takes no discipline or restraint.

I agree that Buffalo will take the BPA if that player is at a position that is of relative need - Tackle, DE, LB, CB, QB, WR - and, I think it is Buddy's philosophy that you don't reach, rather, you take the BPA at positions of need, and, you weigh the tape much more than the combine. As other people here have posted - Buddy will build a team well through the draft given enough time. One thing only that bothers me about Nix - and this is contingent on what happens with guys like Troupe and Carrington - you don't build a team through the draft if you switch systems two years into a regime, especially after going heavy on that side. Carrington and Troupe - the guys he's invested so much in over the last few years, have to have a place in Wannstedt's new system. I hope they do, too, because I think they have talent and potential, and I'd like to see a Big 4-3, especially on the line.

The truth as I see it (could be proven wrong at any moment) is that Buffalo will not land a truly elite QB unless: They get lucky and find one late that everyone else has passed over They trade a ton to get a high draft pick and get one of the top college kids They trade to aquire an aging vet who is being replaced elsewhere Until we get an elite QB, if we want to win doing something else, then we'll have to surround whichever QB we have with a good cast. So, it makes sense.

I remember reading Chris Brown, I think, or maybe it was BuffaloRumblings, list the carry-overs and their new positions in the Wannstedt defense, and Carrington was listed as the last guy on the depth chart at DE - and I couldn't believe it! I mean, I know he hasn't shown brilliance or been really consistent, but he wasn't asked to be doing the same things a 4-3 DE would be doing, and I for one thought he passed the eye test very well. I'd be shocked if we let him go without giving him a real chance, because if we do another team like the Jets will end up with the next "out of nowhere" player that we couldn't utilize. As for Troupe - I think 4-3 tackle would be much easier for him, and if he can stay healthy, I think we're set at the tackle position. In fact, I'd love to see Carrington on the RDE spot, making it a very beefy 4-3 line, and a speedster at the other to get after the QB. I really would like to see a bigger version of the 4-3, at least as far as the D-line is concerned, to enable the linebackers to go a little freer about.

I also wouldn't read a lot into the extra pick comment - he's merely saying you can never have enough picks. Especially considering their philosophy, and their only real chance at making this team relevant again - drafting. You're seeing a lot more teams going that route lately, because it's just becoming obvious, the only way to keep a team good without losing a lot of consistency is by drafting and keeping the developed players (Green Bays model comes to mind as a recent example). Anyway, I'd bet Nix would trade down if the guys he really wanted weren't there at 10. I mean, there are probably only a handful of players projected to be there that could be predicted as being real pro-bowl potentials. I'm keeping in mind this is the first year with Whaley having a whole season to prepare for the draft, and the whole group - a group that is really quite respectable - that are doing the scouting and even the Free Agency. This is the year Nix and Whaley and Gailey make the moves to solidify a competitive team. They're gearing up for it. They're rolling over the unspent cap, they're trying to sign their own, and they've got a plan in place. For me, this is the most exciting time of the year, football-wise, as I've come to be so let down by December...

Nick Foles or someone else - there are too many QB's in this year's draft for the Bills to walk away from it without having found a QB who generates some interest and who has some potential. There are a handful of QB's that could go anywhere from the top of round 2 to the mid rounds who could end up like Dalton, which is to say, a very capable starter, if not an all star.