ChanOverChin

Whaley has done a great job rebuilding the Bills' roster, but I hope he doesn't think that he's done. Some interesting things could shake out with the UDFAs that we sign (although I think if any of them make the final 53 man roster they will mostly be ST/depth players). The position that Whaley didn't address at all that I thought he should have is a 4-3 DE. We have Mario Williams, Wynn, Hughes, and Lawson. Williams and Wynn has the body type to play the 4-3 DE position, but Hughes and Lawson don't carry the weight that is needed to defend the run. In R3 of the 2014 Draft, DE Crichton was taken one spot in front of the Bills' R3 pick, which is a shame because I think Whaley may have jumped on him at that spot. Instead, the Bills selected ILB P. Brown, who was a good pick, but he's not going to help us much at DE. I think we have a definite weakness at one DE position at this point and there doesn't appear to be a lot of options to fill this need. Dallas' DE Anthony Spencer is a FA so he is a possibility. Where do you think our biggest weakness is at this point??

I did the same. The Bills actually had Watkins rated #1 on their board, slightly ahead of Clowney, and they got him at #4. SI had Clowney at 7.40, Robinson/Watkins at 7.20 in their ratings as the top 3 players in the draft.

I appreciate the posting of the article. Give the Bills a lot of credit for making this move. What they usually do is sit back on their heals and take the leftovers. It's apparent from what I've read and heard from inside the Bills' war room that they would have drafted TE E. Ebron had they stayed at #9. So you're looking at the difference between what the two would offer. I think Watkins will make everybody else better because he will commend the double teams and the opposing team's best cover guy. The guy that has to be smiling from ear to ear is Manuel. Let's get him a solid RT in R2 and then I think we're looking at some significant improvements on offense.

The future picks were given up for a reason......Whaley believes that the Bills can win NOW. That's why we he made the bodacious move to trade up to get Watkins and why he wasn't willing to give up picks this year. The hope is that the Bills' 2015 R1 pick will be a late pick next year. I really like the move. Watkins gives us an elite offensive player for opposing teams to deal with. I expect ou r next three picks to include an OT/DE/RB. I reported the day before the draft that the Bills were very serious about trading up for Watkins and #3 or #4, but so many blew it off as another rumor. Beerball in his infinite wisdom, even sent me a warning for starting such a thread, and then closed the thread. I had also mentioned that the Bills would seek to trade St. Johnson......in order to try to recoup some of their losses from the Watkins trade, plus now with Watkins in the fold, they will have a lot of money tied up at WR. I don't see the Bills just giving Johnson away........say for a R3 pick or lower. They would have to get atleast a R2 pick to make any trade. I'd actually like to see the Bills keep Johnson at least for one year to see how good the offense can be with the likes of Watkins/Johnson/M. Williams/Woods can be with Jackson/Spiller in the backfield. Watkins and Williams are both huge upgrades over what we had last year and watch out for Woods because he's got the talent to be even better than Johnson. If Johnson can stay healthy he could have a big year because now teams will have to matchup their best DBs on Watkins and Williams, which will pair Johnson against much weaker competition than he's used to facing. TE Moeaki is another guy to be excited about. He was a very good player with KC before the injury. He may be the reason why the Bills don't select a TE within the next three rounds.

There's a good chance that the Bills make a trade in R1. If they trade up to #3: WR S. Watkins If they trade down to #13: TE E. Ebron If they stand pat at #9: OT T. Lewan

This isn't just a rumor. The Bills are actively seeking to move up into the top 3 so that they can select Watkins. Now whether they are willing to give up the compensation that it takes to do so is something altogether different and that may preclude the deal from happening. I would think that true Bills fans would want to know this information. It's much more fun to B word and moan....I get that.

NFL Network (I. Rappaport) and others are reporting just recently that the Bills are seriously seeking to trade up to #3 overall, which is where they feel they need to be to select WR Watkins because they believe that he has the size and explosive playmaking ability to make them a playoff team in 2014. Their plan is to not give up the farm to make such a trade up, however, so whether that trade actually occurs is anyone's guess. Keep in mind that Detroit is hoping to be able to do the same. If Watkins is able to be obtained in the abovementioned scenario then it becomes very likely that the Bills would attempt to trade WR S. Johnson for a late R1 pick in the 2014 draft (or whatever they can get). The Bills would essentially be swapping Johnson for Watkins. They feel there is a great need for a big receiver who is technically "always open". They appear to be sick and tired of Johnson's antics. Adding Watkins would give the Bills this receiving group: Watkins/M. Williams/Woods/Goodwin/Graham plus Easley/Barden/Hogan/Kaufman. Whether you like to hear about this stuff or not it's currently in the works. If nothing else, it gives you a lot of insight as to what the Bills view as their top priority in this draft. They would obviously prefer to acquire a playmaker at WR than at TE or using their R1 pick on an OT. It's all designed to help Manuel realize his potential. My guess is if the Bills are able to pull this off to acquire Watkins then they will select an OT with the next pick that they have available.

"The board is a fixed object. It also has equations .If this happens X then this is the answer = . its when the trades start popping and phones a ringin it gets hairy . I guess my point is .. Our Boys have already decided . and there is more than one board by the way. " - 3rdand12 C'mon, man. I know you don't seriously believe that horseshiite. Just as one example, when there's a run on a certain position, does that affect their already decided board?? The board is used as guide. What realistically happens is that when it's time for the Bills to pick they will have narrowed their pick down to a handful of players. They will discuss each player at length and then make their choice via consensus, but the consensus will be guided by the GM. They will not select somebody that the GM doesn't like. They will not necessarily select the highest rated player on their board every time for various reasons.

"Those conversations & decisions are all made when the draft board is formed. That's the way that it really works despite what the movie Draft Day portrays. Kevin Costner does not stand up and make some bold declaration in front of a room full of minions." I haven't seen that movie so I'm not sure what you're talking about. "The work is all done in advance (sorry to disappoint). There are never these big dramatic moments when someone makes a bold decision against the group. They have already decided what they would do when presented with a particular situation. " Really?? Never?? No disagreements?? You are really drinking the Kool-aid now my friend. Let me ax you serious question, do you think the Bills made a wise move in drafting Manuel in R1 last year when they could have waited until this year to draft a better prospect??

McShay is a horrible source. Never believe a word he says.

BB, that's great because I want to be there when your 6 yr old repeats what you've said here in front of your wife. I can hear the 6 yr old now.........WTF......WTF.....WTF............WTF..................WTF. Honey, it's time for bed. WTF!! Honey, do you want milk with your cookies?? WTF. Dear, please clean up your room. WTF!!

BB, what does WTF stand for then?? At least admit when you're wrong. I always get the sense that you're shouting when you post. KJ, sorry that's a BS answer. They're not going to necessarily take the next guy on their board. What if it's a QB?? You said yourself that you believe the Bills are "all in" on Manuel. The answer is that somebody will be forced to take the bull by the horns and make a decision for the team. In that sense, it's really not a "group" decision, now is it?? That somebody will be the man with the most clout

I would be very surprised to see Whaley select Manziel based upon what he has said and based upon the investment that the Bills have made thus far in Manuel. I've only pointed out the obvious that Manziel is a player worth considering because he is believed to be better than Manuel and because what Manuel has done thus far has not been enough to go "all in" on him. It is the easiest way to go for Whaley, however. I remember this board when it was Rob Johnson vs Doug Flutie. Nobody wanted to believe that little Flutie was better than that jacka$$ Johnson. We all know how that turned out. It is long-time NFL personnel man, G. Brandt, plus Aikman and Gruden who have staked their reputations on Manziel. If you have a bone to pick give them a call.

I don't harbor any ill will towards anybody who disagrees with me. I actually enjoy the banter back and forth. I do have to wonder why Beerball is always dropping F-bombs on me though. LOL I'd just like to know from the group who honestly are sold on the Bills' supposed "collaborative approach to everything", what happens when it's R2 and the clock is ticking down to zero???? Whaley likes a WR, Bandon likes an OT, Marrone likes a DE, and Monos likes a LB. How do they decide on which player to choose??

I feel like if the Bills trade up to #3 overall it will be for a playmaker.........Mack/Clowney/Watkins/Manziel. It will be for one of these 4 guys. Gil Brandt's updated top 10 includes Manziel/Mack/Clowney/Robinson as his best 4 players. Wouldn't it be something special if we could get Clowney or Mack at #3 overall?? 1. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M Previous rank: 1 Manziel (5-foot-11 3/4, 205 pounds) is a unique athlete who produced 10,000 yards of offense in two seasons with the Aggies. I had his 40 timed at 4.56 seconds at the combine. He's a very smart player and has great vision at quarterback. 2. Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo Previous rank: 3 Mack (6-foot-2 5/8, 251 pounds) is the real deal. He broke Kansas City Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson's NCAA career record for forced fumbles. In 2013, he had 10.5 sacks and three interceptions and was especially impressive against Ohio State in the season opener, posting nine tackles and 2.5 sacks. He ran a hand-timed 4.62-second 40 at the combine and posted a 40-inch vertical. 3. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina Previous rank: 2 Clowney (6-foot-5 1/4, 266 pounds) did not play well in his last season, but he has great talent and is an outstanding athlete with speed -- he was clocked at 4.47 seconds (hand-timed) in his combine 40. 4. Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn Previous rank: 4 A third-year player, Robinson (6-foot-5, 332 pounds) played guard in high school in Louisiana and redshirted in 2011 before starting 24 games the past two years. He ran the 40 in 4.84 seconds (hand-timed) and had 32 reps in the bench press. 5. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M Previous rank: 5 Matthews (6-foot-5 1/2, 308 pounds) stayed in school for his fourth year and learned the left tackle position. He can also play guard or tackle and is a good pass blocker. At the combine, he ran a hand-timed 4.91-second 40 and had 24 reps on the bench press. 6. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson Previous rank: 6 Watkins (6-0 3/4, 202 pounds) is a very strong receiver with great speed -- he ran a hand-timed 4.34-second 40 at the combine. He had a great first year in 2011, when he had 82 catches and 12 TDs and averaged 25 yards per kickoff return, then missed three games in an up-and-down sophomore season. The highlight of his 2013 campaign -- in which he had 101 catches and 12 touchdowns -- was a 16-catch, 227-yard performance against Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. He finished his college career with 240 catches. 7. Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M Previous rank: 7 Evans (6-foot-4 3/4, 231 pounds) is a mismatch for cornerbacks. Watch his game against Auburn, in which he had 11 catches for 287 yards and four touchdowns. He's a very good athlete who played basketball in high school. He has outstanding hands and great upside. He needs to work on his route running, and I believe he'll learn. 8. Blake Bortles, QB, UCF Previous rank: 8 Bortles (6-foot-5, 232 pounds) has emerged as a top QB prospect after receiving only two offers out of high school, including one from Purdue, which recruited him as a tight end. He completed 68 percent of his passes last season, with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has great upside but needs to work on his footwork and mechanics. 9. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan Previous rank: 9 A fifth-year player, Lewan (6-foot-7 1/8, 309 pounds) didn't play as well in 2013 as he did in the 2012 season, which ended with him holding his own against Jadeveon Clowney in the Outback Bowl. He does things very easy and has the strength to play left tackle, but he's a better run blocker than pass protector. He ran a 4.85-second hand-timed 40 at the combine. 10. Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State Previous rank: 11 At 6-0 1/2, 205 pounds, Gilbert is a big corner but also a very fast one who can flip his hips to run with fast receivers. He ran a hand-timed 4.35-second 40 at the combine. He played better in 2013 than in 2012, posting seven interceptions. He averaged close to 26 yards per kickoff return last season.

Yes, you have buy-in, but my point is that when the decision was made to draft Manuel in R1 Nix was the GM and Whaley was under him. I'm just saying that in that scenario Nix forged a plan and asked the group to go along with it. They eventually went along with it because it seemed plausible. it's exciting to think that you have finally found your franchise QB. But once again, that DOES NOT mean that Whaley would have done the same thing had he been the GM and not Nix (i.e. the man with the most clout). I've coached AAU basketball at the HS level for 20+ years as both the head coach and as an assistant. As the head coach, I make all of the major decisions 9i.e. what defenses to play, what type of offense to run vs man and vs zone). My assistants only offer their opinions to help where they can with those decisions. As an assistant I'm essentially in the same boat as the assistants that work with me. I offer what I can, but I essentially go along wit what the HC wants. In other words, ultimately there is ONE man who makes the final call, especially if there are disagreements on the way to move forward in the room. It's good to offer opinions even if they are contrary to others, but once the final decision is made the group supports that decision. That's essentially what the Bills have done.

.....the Jaguars spot at #3 overall for a "bargain price" according to NFL Network. Who do they want that badly?? It could be Robinson/Watkins/Mack..............but what if it is Manziel????

If it was a collaborative decision then it was not necessarily Whaley's decision. That has been my point all along. He might have ultimately said okay just to get along or felt that it wasn't a bad move, but maybe not the one that he would have made had he been the high man on the totem pole. From my experience of being in business with high level people, things might be presented as a "group decision", but ultimately when the final decision has to be made the man with the most clout usually seeks to influence the group the most. That is what I am saying here. Remember that drafting Manuel in R1 was NOT a no-brainer. The move that the Bills made was viewed by many/MOST as a big reach.......almost a desperation move to acquire a potential franchise QB. Most people viewed Manuel as a R4 pick who needed several years to develop and even then there was no guarantee that he would be a full-fledged NFL starter. Of course the Bills are going to say to the public that ALL of their decisions are determined by a consensus. But the bottom line is that someone in the room is charged with making the final decision and that person is typically the GM. I would venture a guess from what I mentioned above that not everyone agreed that the Bills should draft Manuel in R1.

KJ, The same principle applies though. When you make a decision as a "group" somebody in the group has more clout and that person usually gets their way. Would you not agree with that or do you believe that everyone in the room has an opinion that has the exact same clout as the others?? The boss or the head man never tries to influence the others. At least you agree with me that Whaley was the low man on that totem pole.

Actually K-9 I just pasted the first thing I saw from your link. You posted it man. Did anybody bother to tell Nix that he was a lame duck GM for the last several years while Whaley was getting his ears wet?? See if you understand where I'm coming from. CEO/President/Vice President are charged with hiring a very important person in their organization. They need this guy to turn their organization around and rise above their competition. They meet as a group. They discuss everything about the candidate, pros & cons. They put him through a fitness test. They put him through an IQ test. He's not as highly thought of as some of the other candidates who have more refined skills. Everyone in the room states their case as to whom they would hire. The CEO makes his case very adamently and says this is who we're going to hire because this guy has the most potential, he's got good character, he's hard-working, he's polite, he's well-spoken. They hire the guy that the CEO likes and when questioned publicly everone in the room states that it was a "group decision". Does that then mean that the President and Vice President highly endorsed the hired candidate as THEIR candidate?? CEO = Nix President = Brandon Vice President = Whaley

"It’s a quarterback-driven league," said Whaley. "Our main focus is making sure E.J. progresses." Most mocks have the Bills taking a tackle at pick No. 9, but a North Carolina TE Eric Ebron would make sense as well. Buffalo has the roster to make a playoff push in 2014 if Manuel takes a leap forward. Based on his rookie-year performance, we're not overwhelmingly optimistic. Apr 26 - 9:17 AM That's good news for Manuel. I'm not sure that it's good news for Bills' fans (i.e. putting your eggs all in one basket and hoping for the best). Knowing that there are doubts about Manuel "making that leap" it only makes sense to bring in competition for him. If both work out the Bills win. Worst case scenario: the Bills trade one of them and likely get more than they gave up for him. If only one works out, the Bills win. They finally find their franchise QB. If Manuel doesn't work out, the team is right back where they started, more years wasted, more years not having made the playoffs. Whaley likely out of a job.

I believe that Nix had more say in the drafting process in 2013 than many on this board believe that he had. Was Whaley involved in the decision-making, absolutely he was. But for whatever reason you want to attach to it (be it that Whaley was too green or not knowledgeable enough or just not ready), the Bills were not ready to give Whaley full authority as GM when they first brought him into the fold several years ago as their "GM in training". Nix was the man during those years. Nix turned out to be a lousy GM IMHO. Does he know football?? Yes. Was he successful in competing with his NFL counterparts while he was Buffalo's GM?? Not very well. it takes a certain amount of savvy and expertise to be a successful NFL GM and Nix just didn't have it. Good scout. Not cut out to be a good GM. I do have high hopes for Whaley though because of the training that he received with a very successful organization like the Steelers. The connections and contacts/friends that he made with the Steelers will be of great benefit to him as well. I do think that it's a reach to say that Whaley was running the 2013 draft while Nix was the Bills' GM. There's certainly no proof of that. if you saw the cuts to the Bills war room it was Nix who was consulting with the group, directing conversations, and making final decisions. Whaley was in the background with all of the others.

Nix made the claim publicly that it was HIS intention to draft a QB of the future as the team's GM before he retired. Did he not make that claim or am I simply making that up?? MOST of the NFL experts and commentators at the 2013 draft thought that Manuel was a fairly large reach in R1, did they not?? Many of you are telling me that you think that Whaley was really making all of the decisions for last year's draft and that Nix was simply his puppet. That seems a little far-fetched to me. As I watched the Bills' war room as the 2013 draft progressed, it was Nix who was standing up in front of everybody in that room and directing the entire show. Whaley was somewhere in the background, probably taking notes.

Beerball, why do YOU have to be the be all end all of this topic?? YOU don't know anymore about the Bills' inner circle than anyone else on this board. I would certainly HOPE that Whaley was on board with the decision to draft Manuel in R1 last year (as the first QB taken), but we may never really know that answer. He's certainly not going to come out publicly at this point and say that Manuel wasn't his first choice. That would be ludicrous. The bottom line is that Whaley knows that he only has about a three year window to prove himself as the Bills' GM or he will be replaced (and that it's possible that he may never be given an NFL GM opportunity again). In essence, his CAREER is tied to Manuel's level of success at this point. That's how BIG all of this is. I hope you get that. Knowing that, do you think he's been around long enough to at least hedge his bet??

"WTF does it matter?" Beerball, you sound like H. Clinton. It could matter bigtime because if Whaley (who is now completely in charge of personnel decisions) wasn't totally on board with Manuel being the team's franchise QB then he may be willing to consider more seriously his other options at QB beginning this year. When you consider that Manuel would be considered by some to be the 8th best QB in the 2014 draft class then maybe it would be wise to acquire somebody better if the opportunity presents itself. We're only talking about the team's franchise QB here. "WTF does it matter?"