ChanOverChin

Yolo, I thought the same thing as soon as I saw that. Greene is the typical "ground & pound" type RB that Ryan likes. I believe he ran for over 1,000 yds in both '11 & '12 so the guy ain't chopped liver. McCoy/Jackson/Greene/Williams at RB w/ Felton/Dixon at FB. That's a terrific group. Dixon can actually play RB/FB and even some HB in Roman's scheme. He makes the team though because of his ST prowess and leadership ability.

Gotta love Rex. He's a straight shooter. It's nice to have him on our side. He's the best HC we've had since M. Levy. Given time, he may surpass Levy.

My 53: QB- EJ, Cassel, Tyrod RB- Shady, Fred, Boobie, Karlos FB- Felton WR- Watkins, Woods, Harvin, Hogan, Goodwin, Easley TE- Clay, O'Leary, Gray OT- Glenn, Henderson, Cyrus, OG- Miller, Incognito, Urbik, Richardson C- Wood DE (or OLB)- Mario, Hughes, Wynn, Lawson, Buchanan DT- Kyle, Dareus, Charles, Bryant, Carrington LB- Brown, Bradham, Powell, Randell CB- Gilmore, McKelvin, Darby, Robey, Brooks, Cockrell S- AW, Graham, Duke, Rambo K- Carpenter, Gay LS- Sanborn P- Schmidt Notes: 1. Hogan is a virtual lock to make it. Big strong WR who catches everything in sight and is only getting better. Contributes on ST. Bills coaches love him. 2. Buchanan over Steward because he is the hybrid type that Rex covets. No substitute for long and athletic. 3. Gay proves to be too valuable to cut. Making the opposing team go 80 yds for a TD on a regular basis esp. against this Bills D is a very wise move and it saves wear and tear on many of the ST guys. 4. Cockrell over Meeks because Rex needs the cover guys and depth at CB. 5. B. Brown is the odd man out because of the talented backfield. I can see him being traded at some point. Rex no like him. 6. Richardson, Gray, O'Leary, and Carrington are on thin ice. Bills may pick up a vet OG to supplant Richardson. They may also add a vet TE to replace Gray or O'Leary.

I expect the Bills to sign Mathis. There was a rumor that Phily was trying to trade him to Buff during the draft, but then the Bills opted for Miller. Now Mathis is available. He is the type of OG that Ryan needs. He is better than Incognito and Miller. The Bills could cut OG C. Williams (making $3.35M) and sign Mathis to around $3.5M to $4M w/ guaranteed money. New starting O-line: Glenn/Incognito/Wood/Mathis/Kouandjio OR Glenn/Incognito/Wood/Mathis/Henderson OR Glenn/Miller/Wood/Mathis/Kouandjio OR Glenn/Miller/Wood/Mathis/Henderson. That's some big improvements to the O-line. Watch for TE Vernon Davis to be cut as well. You just know that Roman will want to pick him up.

Simms is a great kid and probably an improvement over Tuel, but he's not going to make this team unless there is an injury to one of the top 3 QBs. Manuel will surprise many on this board and be the opening day starter. Why you say?? Because offers the highest upside. Now that he has a high quality, proven NFL OC to work with, who will help to put him in a situation where he can succeed, he will finally be able to show what he can do.

Expect Glenn to move to OG if Henderson and Kouandjio prove to be worthy OTs. It is GREAT NEWS to hear that the new coaching staff believes enough in both Henderson and Kouandjio to make them the starting LT and RT respectively. When Glenn was drafted many scouts thought he was best suited to play OG. Both H & K are more athletic than he is. The bottom line is that our O-line will be greatly improved if we can afford to put Glenn at OG. The possible starting O-line for the "Ground and Pound" Bills: Henderson/Incognito/Wood/Glenn/Kouandjio Henderson/Miller/Wood/Glenn/Kouandjio Henderson/Incognito/Wood/Miller/Glenn. I think Kromer is serious about moving Henderson to LT because of his excellent size, reach, and athleticism. Wood will be the OC. I expect Glenn, Incognito, Miller, Kouandjio to fight for the other three spots. Urbik will be the backup OC (and a backup OG). Richardson and T. Chandler will likely fill spots 8 ad 9 on the O-line.

Manuel will be the starting QB...put it on the board......yessssss. As a baseball announcer famously said. Manuel will start because: 1. New coaching staff will go with the player with the greatest upside. They will believe that they "can coach him up". That will be true to a certain extent because the new coaching staff on offense is far superior to the previous staff. Roman will run a much more QB friendly offense (i.e. require easier reads and easier throws) and put the ball in his stud RB's hands a great deal than what the novice Hackett did. 2. Manuel has all of the measureables - height, athleticism, speed, quickness even leadership abilities. He just needs someone to believe in him and to support him. He needs an OC who will play to his strengths. 3. If I'm the new coaching staff I've got to see what Manuel can do because he has the best potential for the greatest improvement. He is capable of producing somewhere in between Kaeperneck and Newton, given the right set of circumstances. With the plethora of talent that the Bills have accumulated on offense Manuel only needs to distribute the ball in a smooth efficient manner and let the likes of McCoy, Watkins, Harvin, Clay, and Woods do their thing.

The comments by Bradham and Jax have been overblown. Taylor is too short and doesn't read defenses well enough. I expect Manuel to get the first shot as the starter because he has all of the physical tools. He has the most upside. He just needs the right system and play calling to play to his strengths. Taylor is just a tease. Roman will use Manuel's athleticism to make him effective and efficient. The Bills have so many weapons on offense now that the QB just needs to be able to get the ball into the hands of guys like McCoy, Watkins, Harvin, Clay, Woods, Jackson, Goodwin and let them make the big plays. Manuel needs to be aggressive and he needs to run the ball this year when the opportunity presents itself. It's total BS to think that Manuel will not be in a Bills uniform this year like has been rumored. Roman's schemes and play calling will help Manuel to succeed immensely.

Simms is definitely better than Tuel and Rex knows what he can do. That being said, I don't think he poses much of a threat to our top 3 QBs. I think there's a very good chance that Manuel becomes the starter w/ Cassel as the primary backup. Yes, it's exciting to think of what Taylor can do, especially with him being such a dangerous runner, but ultimately his main flaw of not being able to read defenses adequately will show through. Simms will be retained as the #3 QB only if the Bills decide that they want or need to save cap room by releasing one of the top three.

This is a smart move. Graham is one of the top 4-5 DBs on the roster. If he proves that he can adapt to the S position then our defense will be all the better for it. He's very good at reading the QB and making a play on the ball. For that reason I can see him playing the starting FS position with A. Williams as the starting SS. I still see D. Williams (who could be in for a breakout season in his 3rd year as a pro) getting his fair share of playing time. There's no doubt that with Gilmore, McKelvin, Darby, Robey at CB the Bills can afford to move Graham to S in an attempt to get their best players on the field as much as possible. I think Graham is a better player than D. Williams, especially in coverage.

Bills were fortunate to get Harvin. Just having him on the field will open things up for the other skilled position players.

Yes. He reminds me of someone else. Thanks for finding that one single error for me. No other comments/added value?? It'll come down to Brown vs Dixon at some point. Brown is a better RB I believe, but he has a fumble history, which Ryan really doesn't like. Dixon can play RB/FB/even some TE, but his true value is on ST and as one of the team leaders. I think all of that far outweighs keeping a 4th string RB. I have no doubt that Ka. Williams will surpass Brown on the depth start very quickly.

Looking at this current roster there will be some tough cuts for sure. What's interesting is that the new coaching staff has given certain players a new lease on life. As of today (5-22-15), this is who I would project to make the final 53 man roster: QB (3): Cassel/Manuel/Taylor - All three appear to be capable guys. We shall see what happens. RB (4): McCoy/Jackson/Ka. Williams/Wilkins - I believe B. Brown will be cut or traded. Wilkins makes it over Brown because of his versatility and ST prowess. Williams looks like a real stud to me. FB(1): Felton - Connor has a shot because of his ST ability. TE(3): Clay/O'Leary/Gray - This is one of our weaker positions. It's been rumored that TE Vernon Davis may be a surprise cut. If he becomes available, look for Roman to want to scoop him up. WR(6): Watkins/Woods/Harvin/Hogan/Lewis/Easley - Goodwin has a great shot to make it. However, he has proven to be injury prone/fragile, which works against him. Hogan beat him out last year and Lewis is a potential star from what I have seen of him. O-line(9): Glenn/Incognito/Wood/Miller/Henderson/Kouandjio/Urbik/C. Williams/Richardson - Rumor has it that OG E. Mathis may be cut. If so, the Bills may pick him up and drop either C. Williams or C. Richardson. K/P/LS/KOS(4): Carpenter/Schmidt/Sanborn/Gay - Carpenter becomes even more valuable with the new extra point rule in effect. Gay has greatly helped the Bills to #2 overall on ST. DT(4): Dareus/Ky. Williams/Charles/Bryant - Carrington has a real shot because of his ST ability. UDFA J. Hamilton has a shot as well. DE(3): Ma. Williams/Hughes/Wynn - C. Reed and Br. Johnson could stick as well. LB(6) - P. Brown/Bradham/Powell/Lawson/R. Johnson/Steward - Steward is iffy right now until he proves himself, but the Bills need him for added LB depth as well as his ST ability. CB(6) - Gilmore/McKelvin/Darby/Robey/Brooks/Cockrell - Of course, Graham can play CB as well, but with the solid depth at CB and the weaker depth at S he may be moved to S permanently. S(4) - A. Williams/D. Williams/C. Graham/B. Rambo - Meeks and Ladler are in the mix. I'd rather see the Bills keep Cockrell (2nd year R4 CB) and move Graham to S than drop Cockrell and keep Meeks (R5) or Ladler. Let me just say, that I don't think that Whaley and Ryan are done tinkering with this roster. I fully expect them to bring in more players. Keep an eye on former NYJ players S Lawan Landry and DT K. Ellis as possible adds at some point if the price is right. Your thoughts??

.....regarding the status of RB Bryce Brown. Brown is not participating in voluntary workouts. Ryan publicly called Brown a fumbler and that he wasn't even going to learn his name until Brown proved otherwise. Now we hear that Asst. HC A. Lynn thinks the Bills could use another vet RB to add to the RB group that they currently have. First of all, I thought it was unfair of Ryan to call brown a fumbler. He fumbled one time last year when he was hacked/stripped near the goal line vs KC on a beautiful long run. Had he scored that TD the Bills probably would have won that game. Me thinks there is a definite riff between Ryan/his coaches and Brown. Suffice it to say, Brown is probably not going to be with the Bills for very long.

It's simply ridiculous to write off manuel like this. Give the guy a freakin' break. He's working hard to improve himself. He deserves a fair shot to compete for the starting job. I think the starting QB position is completely up for grabs. Cassel is a former Pro Bowl player who has done very well in the right setting (i.e. when paired with a good surrounding cast and a very good OC), which I believe is what he has in Buffalo. He's a very smart, engaging guy. He's more athletic than most give him credit for. He beat out T. Bridgewater in Minnesota, helped the Pats to an 11-5 season. He has started almost 100 NFL games and is in his tenth NFL season. For those reasons he's the favorite. Manuel just needs to play with more confidence. He has all of the physical attributes to succeed. I think he needs to allow himself to be more mobile. He can run so he should incorporate that more as part of his game to give opposing teams something to think about. He could be very successful in Roman's scheme. If you're a true Bills fan you should be rooting for this guy because he has the most potential of the three top QBs on the roster. He has a great attitute and a willingness to lead. I think he just needs the right coach to believe in him and set him up to succeed. I definitely don't see the Bills cutting him or giving him away for a late round pick if he doesn't end up being the starter this year. That would be very stupid. Taylor is just an outstanding athlete. Truly outstanding. Think Michael Vick in his heyday, only right handed. Watch some tape on him at VT. He's the best athlete on the field in every game against the highest level of competition. He can beat you with his feet for sure. He has a strong arm and can throw accurately on the run. In fact, what he often likes to do is to make it look like his going to take off and run, but then throw the ball as he approaches the LOS. The main question is, how well can he read NFL defenses?? Ray Lewis said that Taylor was the steal of the Ravens' draft the year that Taylor was drafted. He was never going to surpass Flacco and his mammoth contract in Baltimore. People may not want to hear this, but I think we may be looking at a three headed monster in Buffalo at QB. I can see all three guys playing this year. The preseason games will determine who starts the season. It would be great if it were Manuel and he turned out to be our franchise QB.

Dixon is too much of a leader on this team to be cut. He's also a difference-maker on ST. He's a virtual lock to make the team for those reasons. B. Brown is the guy who is in jeopardy........and he's a pretty darn good player. Ryan is already down on him. I think McCoy is a lock and so is Felton and likely Dixon. Jackson could be in jeopardy because of his age. 34 is crusty old for an NFL RB. However, I think he makes it this year and is the primary back behind McCoy. I think Ryan likes big backs like Ka. Williams so Williams will likely make it. B. Brown would seem to be the obvious man out. I expect him to be either cut or traded.

When you see the speed that this big man has it is impressive. In his rookie year he's probably just a short yardage back in addition to being a great ST player. Watch the tape. This guy was a very nice pick in R5. The link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_AP6G4jlE. The KO return shows you the speed that he has.

Barring injury I think they all just might make it. CB Darby - I think he'll eventually rise to the #3 CB on the list behind Gilmore and McKelvin. That might force the Bills to consider Graham as more of a safety because he's too good to not have on the field. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 10. OG J. Miller - The Bills love his size and strength and ability to finish. He may not start right away, but he'll be in the mix at OG behind possibly Incognito and C. Williams. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 10. RB K. Williams - Watch some of this guy's highlights. Not only is he big for a RB, but he's very fast. I expect him to make his mark as a rookie on ST though. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 9. LB T. Steward - Very fast and athletic, but is raw. His only chance is by contributing on ST. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 7. TE N. O'Leary - He looks more like a FB to me when you look at his body type, but he knows how to get open and has great hands. He's also very, very tough. Because the TE depth is weak he's almost a shoe-in. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 8. WR D. Lewis - This guy may turn out to be the steal of the draft. He's tall, lanky, and very fast. He's a real weapon versus smaller defenders. He's not well known because he played for little known Central Arkansas. There were scouts that considered him to be a R4/R5 pick. If the Bills keep 6 WRs (which they are prone to do) it will be a battle between Goodwin, Lewis, and Hogan for two spots because you know that Watkins, Woods, Harvin, Easley are likely to make the final roster. Goodwin's speed is enticing, but his durability is a big question mark so I could definitely see Lewis beating him out. I think hogan has the edge on both of them because he has proven to be a reliable possession type receiver and a good contributor on ST. On a scale of 1 to 10 (regarding his chance of making it with 10 being the best chance) - 7. It would be hard to knock our 2015 draft if all six drafted players make the final roster, especially with how deep it is at most positions. You thoughts??

It doesn't happen often, but there's a chance that one or more of the Bills' UDFAs will make the final roster. I think the guys that have the best chance include: 1. DE C. Reed - Projected to be a R5 pick, he has good size, can get to the QB, and played against tough competition. 2. AJ Tarpley - Not big but very smart. He's a two year captain who played at Stanford. The Bills are a lil short-handed at LB. 3. OT T. Chandler - He's book-end big and the Bills only have three viable OTs on the roster from last year. They would certainly love to have a fourth. 4. DE A. Hudson - He's small, but quick & fast and can get to the QB. He also played against some tough competition. Ryan likes guys who can rush the passer. Your thoughts??

Dareus, K. Williams, M. Williams, Hughes, McCoy, Clay, Harvin, Watkins. That's quite a list.

If the Bills can woo LT L. Collins that would really be huge. Count him as part of this draft and that's a pretty damn good draft. Kiper doesn't like our draft because we didn't draft B. Petty in R2. He wasn't selected until R4....and Grayson and Mannion were both selected ahead of him. Give me a break!! If Collins is signed I predict the following starting O-line: LT Collins, Incognito, Wood, Glenn, Henderson. I don't think Miller will be ready to start right away. Having young guns like Miller, Kouandjio, and Richardson as backups bodes well for the future. OG C. Williams could surprise and start at LG as well. People forget that he only played three games before he got hurt. I think the jury is still out on him. OG/OC Urbik is not a starter in my mind, but could be a valuable backup because he can play OC. That may be the only reason why he makes the final roster.

If there is a player available at a certain position at #50 other teams will call the Bills and they will offer draft picks to move into that position. There will still be a lot of very good players available at that point. The reason I think the Bills need to consider trading down is because they really only have TWO premium picks in R2 & R3. Walking away with another pick in R3 or R4 via a trade down would net us another potential contributor THIS YEAR. TE Bennett is being offered in trade. So is Mathis. Both can be had fairly cheaply for later round picks rather than using those picks on players that won't likely make the roster this year anyway. I'd rather have Bennett and Mathis THIS YEAR than use the picks to pick up draft picks for NEXT YEAR. How about we try to do our best to win THIS YEAR???

They will seek to obtain a player at everyone of the positions I mentioned............you watch and see. OT is a MUST. TE is a MUST. QB is a need, but they probably can't get a franchise guy so why not take a chance on a guy like Mannion. DT is a need in Ryan's defense. The Bills will go with 5 DTs on the final roster. OLB/DE hybrid is a need in Ryan's defense. S is a need, but not a MUST, especially if D. Williams shows improvement.

It's not necessarily the round that the player is drafted in but the position in regard to making this year's Bills team. For example, I could a R5 TE making the final roster........or even a R5 LB. Not gonna happen at CB though. I would use the R6 and R7 picks as part of trade scenarios like I demonstrated above for the mere fact that the odds are long for players drafted that late to make the final roster. Although, you never know. OT S. Henderson was a R7 pick last year and he not only made the team, but started every game. Guys can drop into the later rounds for lots of reasons. Do you know that one scout told me that 30-40% of the players in this year's draft smoke pot.......regularly??

With only two picks in the first four rounds it makes the most sense for the Bills to trade down to acquire more picks. They need to fill several positions - one maybe two OLs, one maybe two TEs, a DT, an OLB/DE hybrid, a S, and Santa even a QB would be nice. That's 8 players with only 6 picks. Not gonna happen without some guts & creativity. Whaley is a dealer (which I love) and which I think is the best way to obtain what you need more readily. Expect to see him trade down multiple times to acquire more picks and then use those picks to maneuver his way into filling the team's potential needs. It's a lot cheaper in the short run to fill backup roles with draft picks than having to pay vet FAs, plus you have that "potential high reward" on your side. Potential Whaley moves considering that there are some pretty good vet players available via trade: 1. Trade R2 (#50) + R6 for later R2 + R3 + R5. 2. Trade R3 (#81) + R7 for later R3 + R4 + R6. Bills picks(8): R2,R3,R3,R4,R5,R5,R6,R6. R2: OT R3: TE C. Walford R3: OLB/DE hybrid R4: DT R5: S R5: Trade for vet TE Mart. Bennett (Chi.) R6: QB S. Mannion R6: Trade for vet OG E. Mathis (Phily) Here's to Whaley and the Bills having great success the next few days.