ChanOverChin

Finley is well worth a look see if he's ever cleared to play again. He suffered a very serious injury and may not play this year at all or will need significant time to recover. I agree that Moeaki could be a real nice player for us. Chandler is dependable. Smith is a great blocking TE. Gragg has potential. Caussin is camp fodder. At 6'-6', Finley would give Manuel a nice big target to throw to.

It's SPILLER TIME!! With this being Spiller's contract year, much better players around him, the coaches now familiar with him, and an increased role in the offense, expect CJ to have a big year for us this year. He is a touchdown just waiting to happen.

Only time will tell, but our draft sure looks promising on paper. Watkins could be a top 5 WR....as a rookie. Kouandjo/Richardson/Henderson all had potential R1 grades. P. Brown is a big/strong/physical ILB and Cockrell was dominant against all-star competition, doing a great job vs stud WR M. Evans. Add in M. Williams for a R6 pick and that appears to be a pretty good haul. On defense, we added DE Wynn/ILB Spikes/OLB Rivers/CB/S Graham/S Ladler. On offense, we added RB. Brown/RB Dixon/TE Moeaki/WR R. Barden/OG C. Williams/OT Hairston/QB Guiton. On ST, we added K Hopkins (kickoff specialist). We also added an experienced NFL HC in J.Schwartz and two offensive minded coaches to help Hackett with the offensive game plan and to develop Manuel. I think we could be two players away from making the playoffs on a regular basis: We need at least one more ptrue 3-4 DE to play in Schwartz's defensive scheme and we need a franchise QB. Hopefully, the latter is already on the roster.

I'd certainly like to see that from Richardson, but if I'm being realistic that seems a lil far-fetched to me at this point. I see the Bills starting Glenn/CW/Wood/Urbik/Kouandjo to start the season, barring injury. I do think that Richardson is better than most Bills fans know. There were some scouts who had a R1 grade on him. He has been likened to SF's huge vet OG Tupati, which is saying something because he is a dominant player. I have high hopes for him.

Just did.

No Saint, Spiller didn't exactly have a great year last year, now did he?? Watkins is a rookie, even though he was a very high pick. I'm not saying that what I posted was rocket science, but it does have a great sense of logic to it. On a site where you have people posting that Woods is going to be our best receiver this year (check out the WR poll thread), I think it does merit pointing out. Besides, I think many Bills fans have left Spiller for dead. You're going to see a much different, much more highly motivated player this year. Hopefully, he avoids the injury bug. Many people think F. Jackson is the #1 RB in town, but I predict that won't be the case this year.

On this topic you clearly take a slap to the face....and like it!! Several of the other posters have rightly taken you to task on this issue. If you profess to be so knowledgeable then post like it. Me: 1; You: 0. Don't look now, but your smug a$$ already has some catching up to do. :}

I'm glad you'd like Manuel to be one of the two best offensive players. Who wouldn't?? But what you want and what is more likely to be the case are two different things.

Have another chicken wing John......and don't talk with your friggen mouth full!! Do you actually watch football or do you just have you lil sis explain it to you?? Have you seen the type of 4-3 defense that Schwartz ran in Detroit the last three years?? Let me help you out. It was nothing like the 4-3 defense that Pettine ran last year. Pettine is a blitzing maniac. Schwartz.....not so much. And before you say, "Well, that was with Detroit".......and then wipe your saucy fingers on your nice checkered-pattern white sweater-vest, just keep in mind that Schwartz is going to run what he's been successful with in the NFL, not what somebody has been successful with.

This is going to be Spiller's year. At age 33, Fred will take a back seat. Spiller is in his contract year and he's going to be looking to prove that he's worth the big money. It's going to be the Watkins/Spiller show fellllllaaaaas!! BTW, there's a new DC in town in case you've been sleeping under a bucket of wings. He doesn't coach the 4-3 the same way that his predecessor did.

I expect them to be WR Watkins and RB CJ Spiller. It's up to OC Hackett to get the ball into their hands as much as possible and any way possible. Watkins is going to really open things up for the other Bills' skill position players. He will make Manuel's job easier by turning safe, short passes into big plays. Spiller is due for a big year and I think this is the year for him with it being his contract year. Hackett should know how to best use him now after coaching him for a full year. He's finally healthy after playing through the high ankle sprain last year so I look for big things from him this year. BTW, a big year from these two guys should result in a big year from Manuel, especially if Watkins and Spiller can turn safe plays into big plays. Link: http://fansided.com/2014/05/26/nfl-rumors-buffalo-bills-give-c-j-spiller-bigger-role/#!QTgOB. A bigger role for Spiller could make for a very exciting year for Bills fans.

<p>I see the Bills going with: SS A. Williams/FS C. Graham OR SS D. Searcy/FS A. Williams. I prefer the former because I believe that you have to find a way to put your best players on the field.</p>

It will be Watkins for sure. He's going to certainly have the most opportunities.

Seriously??

I expect the Bills to make a move for a DE. If Whaley wants to win now he will need to make this move. Ideally, you'd like to have a 4-3 DE be at least 265 lbs. Hughes and Lawson both weigh less than that. Whaley will have to do what he has to do. That could mean a vet player for a DE or a draft pic for a DE. Guys who could be expendable: OT Pears/OT Hairston/RB F. Jackson/WR TJ Graham/WR Easley/WR R. Barden. Don't forget that as has been stated in the link that I posted above Miami's current GM did NOT draft Jordan and doesn't have near the faith in him that his predecessor did. Whaley pulled off a player for player deal last year that paid huge dividends. I look for him to do the same this year.

Jordan is not as highly regarded under the new Miami GM. I think he could be had for a R3 pick. Miami may consider trading for a player as well much like when Buffalo traded Sheppard for Hughes. Miami needs help on the O-line and I expect the Bills to have some very good expendable players at that position. Graham is more likely to be picked up by the suddenly trade-happy Whaley. He would be a nice bargain for a R4 pick.

When you take a close look at Buffalo's roster, which is deep at most positions, a 4-3 DE is certainly not one of them. Typically a 4-3 DE needs to be a bigger guy because he's going to be going up against an opposing OT vs the pass and the run. We have Ma. Williams at one DE position, which is outstanding, but who's going to man the other DE position?? We have M. Lawson at 240 lbs, J. Hughes at 250 lbs, and Wynn at 285 lbs. Lawson and Hughes are both very good players. Lawson is better suited to playing LB because he's only 240 lbs and won't hold up well vs 325 lb OTs. Hughes is a designated pass rusher, but won't be especially effective vs the run either. There's no guarantee that Wynn will even make the team. Trying to acquire a high quality DE at this point won't be easy, which is why I was surprised that Whaley didn't at least draft a DE in R3 or R4 in this year's draft. . Two potential DEs are expected to be available this off-season and Whaley just might be interested at Schwartz's behest. The two are B. Graham and D. Jordan. See link for more info: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000353281/article/10-summertime-trade-candidates. Remember that Whaley could view this year as his one and only opportunity to prove to new Bills ownership that he should be retained as the team's GM.

Regarding Simms, obviously he wasn't a great player in the NFL, but he did play in the NFL for eight years as an NFL QB so he knows the game and he knows what the players go through. I have often found that it is the lesser players (i.e. the non-stars) that make the best coaches/analysts. That's because they had to study harder and prepare better just to be able to be on the field/court/etc. Simms comes off as a very bright guy in the interview. One of the biggest things that I took from the interview is that Simms said that he remembered what a huge improvement he was able to make as an NFL QB from year one to year two. He said that he became so much more comfortable with everything that he was able to just be calm and play the game. He said that he expects Manuel to be able to make the same leap this year now that he is a second year player. The other thing that really stood out to me was how much he absolutely raved about Watkins. Best offensive player in the draft. Going to be better than Julio Jones/AJ Green/etc. That's really saying something.

Have you heard Simms' take on the Bills' 2014 draft and the Bills in general?? He has a very positive outlook on the team and the moves that have been made within the last two years. Take a listen: http://www.buffalobills.com/media-center/audio/Chris-Simms--The-Bills-are-on-the-Verge/30386bed-3446-4fc3-9b46-79a51f14e5fb.

Whaley has made moves like this could be his last year as the Bills' GM........and it could be when the new owner is ushered in. He has been awesome. When he realized he couldn't fill a position via the draft (i.e. RB) he traded for it. He has made one good move after another.......even getting rid of SJ and his huge salary/baggage. The team could still use a better vet backup QB, another solid DE, and a big, athletic target at TE, which I hope he'll still consider. But overall, he has done an awful lot in just one year to greatly improve this team.

I love what Easterbrook had to say about the Watkins pick. Watkins is going to put us back on the map. Whaley has done what so few Bills' GMs have done......and that's wheel and deal. You have to be confident in your knowledge to be able to do that. Trading our R2 pick (#41) for the #44 pick and a R5 pick was a great move. We still got our starting RT for now and the future AND we got another player who could eventually be a starter for us. This is the kind of thing that the Bills were just not willing to do in the past. Teams like Seattle, NE, and SF do it all the time and that's a big reason why they are where they are.

Because the Bills have gone "all in" on EJ Manuel I think it merits this discussion. He will likely make or break us this year. Finish this sentence: EJ Manuel had a successful 2014 season because..................... Is it because he had great stats this year (i.e. 25 to 10 TD/INT ratio, throws for 3700 yds, and runs for 2 TDs, with a 97.5 QB rating) or would you be more giving and still hold him in high regard if he had a so-so stat year, but the Bills somehow made the playoffs based upon his ability to limit the number of big mistakes??

Only the top 51 saaries count against the cap. I think we're in good shape at LB. Spikes is a difference-maker at MLB. Alonso slides over to the weakside and he too can be a difference-maker. Both are impact players. The wild card is Rivers, but he has the size, strength, athleticism to be a very good stronside OLB. He is a former top 10 pick. Then you've got Bradham, R. Johnson, and T. Pollard as backup option at OLB and P. Brown as the main backup option at MLB, although he can play the stronside position as well. This is a very capable group. The problem with Lawson and Hughes is that they are undersized against the run. Schwartz will need to hid that deficiency if the Bills don't bring someone else in. WE may see Dareus play DE at times to guard agains the run and have Branch take his position inside. It just would've been nice to have brought in an all-around DE to play opposite Ma. Williams so that opposing offenses can't key on him. I'm anxious to see what Schwartz's plans are for this group. Pettine's scheme had worked quite well.

John, I have high hopes for Moeaki, who could become the starter at TE if he can get all the way back to where he was prior to the injury, bu that may be asking a lot at this point. I'd rather see the Bills stick with Pettine's version of the 3-4 from last year, but I'm sure that Schwartz doesn't know how to run that defense. I expect that we'll see much more of a standard 4-3 defense from him, which means that the front four will be a big key to our success. I hope we don't play the 4-3 like Wannstedt did because that was pathetic.

Hughes/Lawson could be a big weakness vs the run on 1st/2nd down. They're just not big enough to go against 325 lb OTs/OGs in the run game. They will get run over. They will do fine in obvious passing situations. The Bills need to recognize this deficiency and do something about it before it gets exploited to the hilt. The good news is that they have filled most of their other needs very well. They could still use more speed at TE (preferably a veteran) and one would assume that Graham takes over as the FS with A. Williams as the starting SS. I'm also surprised that the Bills feel like they're fine at QB after the debacle that was their QB situation last year. Manuel needs to stay healthy and really make a strong leap forward this year for the Bills to have a chance to make the playoffs. Talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket.