2003Contenders

That term West Coast offense gets thrown around so much these days that I am not sure that many of these pundits even know what a TRUE West Coast Offense is. Considering the plan of having a rhythm passing game where Trent is asked to make quick decisions, get the ball out of his hand quickly on 3 and 5 step drops -- and to have a heavy emphasis on the SHORT passing attack, I can see where the West Coast Offense conversation is coming from.

Rock Cartwright

I hope this is sarcasm. It's now become pretty evident that it was Ralph who made the decision to go with RJ over Flutie. As for Wade being in the hot seat in Dallas because of Garrett looking over his shoulder, note that it was the Cowboys' OFFENSE that melted down at the end of last season and cost them in the playoffs.

Let's also remember that the Whitner pick was in many ways a symbolic one. It was the first draft selection of the new (i.e post-Donahoe) regime. Marv wanted to put a stamp of consensus on this team, and I really do believe that the selection of Whitner was the one pick that EVERYONE could live with. That is, there were some in the War Room that liked Ngata and others who didn't. There were some that REALLY wanted us to trade down -- and others that didn't. Selecting Whitner with that pick was a move that everyone in that room was willing to accept and endorse at that time. From that standpoint, I believe that the pick was a successful one, and it has helped to foster a management style that has continued even after Marv left the team. The days of Donahoe's micromanaging are over.

It seems that every other rookie has been referenced in some manner or other in OTAs, but I haven't heard a peep about Ellis. Anyone know how he looks?

I would expect more from you that this, obie_wan. While it is true that we have no way of knowing how well Hardy will translate to the NFL, the fact remains that he was drafted to provide us with more of a redzone presence. So, while it may be true that this projected 40 catches may not dwarf the 51/35 you cited from Reed and Parrish respectively last year, the reality is that much depends upon the manner in which Hardy is used. For example, how many TDs did Reed and Parrish score last season? Since I expect Hardy's primary focus to be in the red zone in his rookie season, there is a good chance that 20-25% of his catches could result in TDs.

It may also have been JP's best game as a pro. At least it was his best in 2007.

Agreed. I remember that draft very well. Flowers was a late riser whose stock shot up thanks to the Senior Bowl and great workout numbers. However, he was not productive at all in college. That pick certainly went against the grain of what the Bills normally did (and still do). Tillman was a real reach. We absolutely needed to come out pf the draft with a quality DB, and Butler elected to jump in at the end of a run, rather than taking the BPA. I have to admit that I was excited about the Moore pick, because he had been such a sack-master at VT. I'm not sure if his off-the-field problems were what ultimately did him in -- or if he was just too small to play in the NFL. Black was one of those "I'm smarter than everyone else picks" because there were plenty of other more productive WRs on the board at the time; another case of drafting a guy based on a great 40 time that hadn't shown that he could play football.

I look at it this way. McGee and Greer remain incumbent starters. McKelvin replaces Webster (Regardless of how well the rook plays, I call that an upgrade, since Webster was on IR virtually all of last year. If he catches on quick, he moves Greer to nickel.) James replaces Thomas (Upgrade) Youboty and Corner duke it out for the 5th spot (Both COULD make it if Youboty shows anything at all.) Cox is probably destined for the practice squad, depending upon the outcome of Youboty vs. Corner. If McKelvin is everything the Bills believe he can be, then I have to say that I REALLY like the foursome of McGee/McKelvin/Greer/James in dime situations.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Anthony Thomas released after the season? If nothing else, maybe Omon can fill that role.

In fairness, Mort was not critical at all of the McKelvin pick.

Schefter just reported that the Ravens are still trying to work out a deal with the Rams to move up to 2.

I guess the Skins were so impressed with Malcolm Kelly after all.

Why do the Cowboys want to move him?

Well, he did say he was 80% certain DE.

I thought Evans was signed through 2009.

Pass on Huard. The last time he started a game in Buffalo, it led to his coach, Jimmy Johnson, afterward crying, "They kicked our ass!"

In the old days, I think it was Butler, largely because Berman was always such a friend to the Bills. TD was less inclined to share his thoughts with Berman -- but occasionally would throw his buddy Mort a bone. It was, in fact, Mort who reported the McGahee surprise pick. You are right that Berman did refer to the Whitner pick as a curveball -- but he failed to actually identify the pick ahead of time. Looking back, predicting a curveball wasn't such a huge prediction. The first 6-7 picks that year pretty well went true to form. There was no consensus pick at 8, although many pundits had us taking Ngata.

Agreed. We have to trust the powers that be at OBD -- and the information that they have taken in from the scouts. They have already gone on the record saying that they will not reach for a player at #11. Thus, if they take a receiver (Thomas or whomever) we have to take it on good faith that they had him rated higher than some of the other players we have all been clamoring for in that spot. Based on what Modrak said last week (and he usually is NOT one to spread misinformation), and assuming no one like Gholston unexpectedly drops, I suspect that the Bills will take McKelvin if he is there at 11. If he's not there, who knows? Of course, Modrak's saying that McKelvin was a top 10 player probably is an indication that he expects him to be drafted before 11.

It does remind me a bit of what happened last year. Remember that Lych was ranked by most as, like, the #17 or so pick overall -- and some pundits (like McShay) mocked the Bills for "reaching" for him at 12. If the Bills really do like Thomas that much, even if he is ranked #16-20 by the "experts" -- I REALLY do not see taking him at #11 as that much of a reach.

Interesting that he ranks Harvey so highly.

Even if OBD were serious about trading for Chad, I seriously doubt that it would take more than a 2nd rounder to get him -- and maybe not even that much, given the bridges he is starting to burn.

Your memory serves you correctly, Simon. It was indeed the elder Boston who refused to throw the flag on that infamous play. Say, we're looking for a big, physical WR... LOL... Just kidding.

The way I see it, barring something really crazy happening, the following 7 players are definitely coming off the board before our pick (in whatever order): J Long, G Dorsey, V Gholston, C Long, S Ellis, D McFadden, M Ryan. That would mean that only 3 other players will come off the board, meaning that the Bills probably have their next 4 rated to ensure that they don't reach at that position. Of course, none of us know what kind of draft grades they have assigned to players, so it is only our own best guess how they have them ranked. Modrak admitted that McKelvin was a top 10 player, so he obviously would appear on that last of 4. The question is: who are the other 3? I would submit, perhaps Rivers, Albert, and Harvey are the other three.

I believe that Trent's mature demeanor would allow for him to handle a competition (granted, one tilted in his own favor) from JP for the starting job. So I wish people would stop whining about how a competition somehow compromises his position as a leader for this team. The Brady/Manning argument is just silly. Of course, these guys also have to play at their peak level to fend off competitors for their starting job. It's just that they are so good that no other competitor ever gets close. JP has skills, but I just don't believe that he is ever going to be consistent enough over the long haul to be a good starting QB in the NFL. Obviously, there isn't a high demand for him around the league, and if he does leave, he won't be finding a starting gig elsewhere either. The sooner he comes to peace with his destiny, the sooner he will realize that there is a place for him with the Bills -- and that he can make plenty of money (some of the top backups are making $3 M per year now), keep his nice house -- and even become a fan favorite. After all, Frank Reich (and to a certain extent AVP) remain beloved figures in Buffalo.