Turbosrrgood

Ebron is nice player but he's a bit overrated at TE IMO. He's not Vernon Davis, he's not particularly big, and he didn't run a 4.38 he ran a 4.6. Keep in mind he rarely even played as a TE, most of the time he was split out as a WR anyway. He may go in the first, but I'd be shocked if he went in the top 10. Furthermore that doesn't seem like the type of guy Marrone really wants. Judging by what the Bills did last year, they need a true INLINE TE. Something Ebron simply is not. Just look at Gragg, despite looking pretty good in his tiny amount of snaps, Marrone wanted nothing to do with him because he felt he could not be an inline TE. He said as much in the preseason as well. Luckily there are plenty of talented TE's in this draft, my favorite by far is ASJ. He has the receiving skills of Ebron (not as fast, but much bigger, and better hands), but is a very good INLINE TE with good blocking skills. Next on that list would be Niklas, who is one of the best blocking TE's to come out in a few years...and he's probably at least as good as Chandler catching. Guys like Ebron and Amaro could be very effective for certain teams (NE, NO for instance), but don't seem like they fit in with Marrone/Hackett's style as they are one dimensional.

I believe where he's lined up is as important as anything else...Most of the time he wasn't even playing TE, he played as a WR. For coaches like Marrone/Hackett this is very important since they love the power run game. They barely even looked at Gragg because he was a similar type of player that is used more like a WR than an inline TE. I like Ebron, but I'm skeptical that the Bills are even interested.

Sure, no reason not to look at him as a UDFA. I just remember one point early at Oregon they kept touting him as being an NFL bound star. He then proceeded to be mediocre on a dominant offense. Being a coke head doesn't help.

I hate metrics because people generally jump to conclusions based solely on numbers (unofficial numbers at that)...However in this case these metrics basically reinforce my opinions of these players. ASJ has long been my favorite TE in this draft, due to his great all around catching ability while also playing a more traditional TE role (inline, blocking, ect). Guys like Ebron and especially Amaro are mostly just receiving threats. If the Bills can't get ASJ, Niklas would be a great fit in the 3rd as well with his good blocking abilities and chandler like pass catching ability. Fiedorowicz would similarly be a good fit in the 4th or so, for the same reasons. Not a Lyerla fan...Hugely hyped up, mostly disappointed on the field. Read the tweets in response to that, seems to be debunked.

Sure, if he's there at 9 he'd be a great pick, but he will likely go in the top 3, so don't get your hopes up. No way we trade up for a guy we don't need.

Everyone looks good in college, that's why they are drafted...However many don't pan out. They used him heavily in pass rushing situations, but he's not a 3 down player...That's the issue many have with him.

Exactly, if he plays for us this year...there will be no releasing him as he'll simply be a UFA.

I don't think the Bills would or should (simply due to lack of value) trade him...However how can you say he's not a one-hit wonder as if it's fact? In his first 3 years of his career he had a total of 5 sacks...So his one year under Pettine (who is no longer here) is the norm, and the first 3 years are the oddities? I think for many people that is the real question...Was it just one great year because of a system that utilized him heavily? Or has he truly developed into a real pass rushing talent? It's all opinion at this time.

I generally agree, except I certainly don't think anyone is talking about cutting him.

Yes it's true. The Bills tried to sign Carrington in October, but failed. They immediately thereafter extended branch. Sure they could still reach an agreement with Carrington, but it seems far less likely now. Interesting to note, they supposedly made multiple offers to Carrington. This seems to indicate a serious offer to resign him, not just a quick shot at signing him on the cheap. http://www.buffaloru...ton-jairus-byrd

The Bills tried to resign Carrington during the season, and failed...They then immediately extended Branch instead...Seems unlikely to me that Carrington resigns at this point. I do like Carrington though, and certainly wouldn't mind it if he did.

I don't think we will trade Hughes, I hardly think he would draw much with only this year remaining on his contract and one decent year of production. I also don't think he will end up being resigned. I think he's been way over hyped, and at best matches this years production and at worst fizzles out. Either way I see this as his last year as a Bill (If he does great he'll want FA, if not the Bills won't want him). His 10 sacks were nice, but I see him as a Mark Anderson type. A guy capable of good sack numbers in the right situation, but not a great overall talent.

Damnit Yolo, you beat me to this. This is one of the most amusing things I have ever seen.

Urbik and Legursky had this to say on the subject https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0KYh4J2trE

No, for a couple of reasons. 1) He would probably cost more than he's worth and more than what the Bills would want to spend 2) He's considered a pretty good LT, and we already have one of those. I highly doubt he's willing to go be a RT somewhere, especially on the Bills. I DO think we should target a RT in FA, and not the draft though. There are plenty to choose from too, all of whom would be big upgrades over Pears/Hairston. My favorites are Strief, Collins, Howard. Collins could be considered at LT for some teams, but I think Strief and Howard are purely RT's and would be perfect for us. My concern with replacing the RT is that people don't realize that Pears was actually a pretty good pass blocker, he was just terrible at run blocking. The last thing we want to do is try to "upgrade" RT, and actually give EJ even less pass protection. This is why I think the Bills need to target a proven player in FA, not the draft.

This is fun, you not only call out someone else's comprehension, but also your own.

I'm baffled by this thread. First, let's forget the whole "incident" last year for a second. Martin was mostly terrible for dolphins, and was basically considered a bust by fins fans BEFORE the **** hit the fan. So no team should want this guy as a starter just from a talent perspective. He is NOT better than Pears. Secondly, this guy is a spineless coward who certainly doesn't seem to have what it takes to fit into an NFL locker room. The fact that most of the Dolphins players backed Incognito in this whole thing suggests it was more than just "bullying", and that Martin may have been the real locker room distraction. Thirdly, does he even want to play? Sounds like he might be looking to cash out and retire without having to play. No thanks! I would like to see an upgraded RT via FA, but one that would actually help the team. Guys like Strief, Collins, and Howard will all be available, and would be very nice upgrades...Without the BS emotional issues.

I'm not expecting Moorman to be the punter for the Bills either, but really, what's the point of resigning him? The only thing he proved this year is that he can no longer perform at an NFL level, so why waste the effort? Driesbach isn't really important on his own IMO. It's the continuing series of decisions (or lack of decisions) that Marrone has been making. Obviously this is mostly opinion, but I'm not liking what I have been seeing.

I'm starting to grow disheartened with the way Marrone is doing things. He keeps his buddy Crossman, and resigns Moorman (Yes, more of a GM thing but he must have a say)...Two of the worst at their duties last year. He cuts Driesbach, which on the surface certainly seems reasonable, but it screams of scapegoat to me. Certainly LB play was a big part in the poor run defense this year, but Pettine and Marrone still need to be first and foremost in tackling those issues. What bothers me most is that Driesbach said Marrone always agreed with everything he said, so if he was the problem why didn't Marrone step in? When Marrone took over he specifically said that he wasn't going to just let his coordinators do the work, and that he would be involved in all 3 aspects of the game. If he ignored one of the bigger problems for the Bills all year, that's concerning. If the Bills go out and hire a highly respected coach to replace him, it may soften my tune, but I'm skeptical.

Well I think Marrone put himself in this position by hiring a "buddy", that didn't have a great resume. Had he hired someone based purely on professional credentials and the results were the same, I don't this would be much of an issue this year.

The above statement suggests maybe you are misunderstanding some of the issues people have with retaining Crossman. The way I see it, it's not this years results alone that are the driving factor here. It's this years poor results, combined with Crossmans overall very poor track record, combined with the fact that he was seemingly hired mainly because he was a "friend" of Marrone's. The ST's were flat out dreadful, it's especially concerning when you have one of the best PR's in the league, who could do absolutely nothing this year under Crossman. Same goes for the poor kick coverage despite Easley being extremely good on ST's. The pressure is coming from a lot of different places, not simply the statistical end result this year. There are valid reasons to believe that Crossman isn't the best man for the job, and Marrone's personal relationships may be harming the team. Having said all that, I absolutely did not expect him to get fired this year, so it was no surprise to me. I will go on record that I had, and still have doubts about the Crossman hiring in the first place.

He's been in the league 4 years, how much time does he get to fix his problems? I'm not necessarily anti-Spiller, but it's something of a quandary as he obviously has amazing skills but has struggled to produce regularly with them. Also factoring in is his inability to stay on the field, whether it's due to injury or getting "winded".

Yeah I saw that. Despite the supposed work ethic concerns, I think we absolutely need to retain Dareus. He's a monster, and if this is the type of year he has when he's not "trying" imagine what he can do when motivated. Sticking with that draft, they should extend AW now while he's affordable. If he plays as well next year as he did this year, he could be due for a hefty contract. He was very good when not making stupid penalties IMO. The Spiller/FJ situation will be interesting. It depends who else is added to the roster I guess, I can certainly see FJ being resigned on the cheap as he will Ralph WIlson's age in RB years. I think the odds are against us keeping Spiller, but who knows. I'm betting Hughes will test FA if he has another big year, but I think his talent is overrated. The 10 sacks are nice, but he is one dimensional and is thriving of Pettine's system. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Bills go after a guy like Barr (if he's there), who is a better pass rusher, and certainly a better overall LB. I compare Hughes to a Mark Anderson. He can rush the passer well in the right system, but isn't necessarily a great talent.

I'm willing to give Hackett the benefit of the doubt in many categories, but not for running TJ Graham out there play after play, despite failure after failure. The other thing that bothered me was not designing pass plays for CJ. They were way too few and far between.

Perhaps this will help - http://www.buffalobi...60-e4d6f2965158 But the list of his ST's units says it all...A history of terribleness. 4 of his last 5 years his teams have finished 29th or worse...At least he's consistent.