Cheddar's Dad

I don't think I agree with this. No one is talking about Hernandez as being a great blocker but "experts" expect a break out year for him as an H-back type receiver. I also do not recall Sharp as a great blocker. People are not talking about TEs because there are no "traditional" great blocking and some catching TEs in this draft. But there are a number of Hernandez and Sharps out there beginning with Fleener who, I'm almost certain, will go in the first. Then there is Michael Egnew and Orson Charles. Kiper says this about Egnew; "an imposing frame (6'5", 249), athletic and extremely sure-handed. Egnew is a very good blocker down-field, but as an in-line blocker, he isn't quite as effective. He's not a traditional tight end. In time, he has the frame to carry 265 lbs. But his hands may be better than any TE in this draft. Kiper sees him as a late 2nd. or early 3rd. rd. pick. Regarding Charles; Kiper says he is a consistent threat to stretch the deep middle area of the field. He has above average hands, runs very good routes, and finds open areas of the defense. Blocking at the pro level figures to be just so-so. Kiper thinks he might be a day three selection.

So; you're as confused by Buddy's remarks as the rest of us?

I don't agree with that. Just read Buscaglia's article on WGR55 on "deciphering" Buddy Nix. Buscaglia thinks #10 could be a corner or Glenn, the college guard, for Buffalo's new LT. I think Buddy is getting to be very crafty with his remarks

There is a new video at Buffalo Bills.com wherein Buddy talks about our left tackle position and makes me think Buddy will not pick a LT at #10. He talks about Chris Hairston saying that Hairston can play the position and win. By that I think he meant that Buffalo can win with Hairston at LT. Buddy said that Hairston does not have "pretty feet" but his arm lenght is so long that he can protect the blind side. It's an interesting statement. I've been an advocate of selecting Reiff because he is such a good athlete. He is tough and determined and has played a lot of LT at Iowa. Buddy seems to be saying that Buffalo does not need that supeerior athlete. Very long arms can significantly compensate for lack of athleticism. Regarding Reiff, Doug Wiley did say the Bills think he can step in at LT and start immediately. But, on balance, I now think Buddy will look for a tackle later in the draft and #10 now looks to me as it might be Floyd or possibly Kuechly.

Just exactly what are you speculating about? That Barron is a good player. That's not speculation. That Buffalo will select BPA? When did Casserly say that? If he said that, why are they paying him to say anything? Where is the insight in that statement? I've also heard Casserly say that Barron is not in Eric Berry's class. So, what makes him the BPA at #10? If Buffalo selects BPA, I sure hope its a player at a position where we need some help.

Kiper feels the same about you. Drafting really isn't that difficult if you know the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Knowing the weaknesses, you draft a player that you think will play better than the player you now have at any position. The draftee doesn't have to be elite, just better than what you have. Getting just three or four of those players in a single draft means you've had a successful draft and you've improved your team.

I haven't seen any draft "expert" doubt that Reiff can be an effective pass blocker. The doubters seem to be posters to this site. Looking at Kiper's report and projecting who might be there if Buffalo passes on Reiff and selects a player at another position, The only player that looks like he could play LT is Jeff Allen (6-4, 307) a LT from Illinois. Martin and Adams figure to be selected between 20 and 32 and there is no guarantee that Allen will be there for Buffalo in the second. There might be a developmental type that could get experience at RT but Buffalo has Pears there and he played well last year. Would you want to see him replaced on occasion to give a kid experience? Failure to select Reiff, who all of the so called experts say is the second best LT in the draft, opens the possibility that, if Hairston, a player with very little experience, does not make it, the running game as well as the passing game will be in trouble.

Absolutely right my friend. There are those who insist on Floyd forgetting that Buffalo no longer has Bell. If Hairston fails, what then? Floyd with his 4.45 speed or any stretch the field receiver will be negated if Buffalo cannot provide Fitz with enough time to throw. It's just that simple. Unless Chan is convinced that Hairston can be effective, LT becomes the immediate need that must be filled. If Buddy selects any other positional player other than LT, it means that Chan has a conviction about Hairston, or that he and Buddy are willing to take a huge risk, or both.

In my opinion, the "hit rate" that some talk about is not relevant to any meaningful discussion regarding players. What is relevant is what is said about a player. The strengths and weaknesses of a player reflected in scouting reports, if consistent from one report to another, can help a fan determine if that player would be a good fit for Buffalo. The best example of that is the discussions that scouts have regarding outside linebackers and whether an OLB is suitable for a 43 or 34 defense. When evaluating Offensive Tackles, athletic ability, movement skills, balance and other factors need to be considered. When I started this post, I hoped to generate a discussion about Reiff, Kuechly, and Floyd. It's disappointing that some chose to, instead, mock Kiper and talk about hit rates.

Show me that 99% miss rate. If there's anything I can't stand, it's those who throw out crap without facts to back it up.

Reiff has short arms; 32.25 inches which has caused some to think he can't be a LT. Charlie Casserly likes his LTs to have at least 32.5. So, Reiff is short by 1/4 inch. Well; excuuuuuse me. But Reiff became a starting LT as a sophomore and played in all 13 games at that position. In nine of those starts, Reiff played in all offensive downs. As a Junior, he again started all thirteen games extending his consecutive starts streak to 34 games. Again, nine times he was on the field for every offensive down and Iowa's offense cranked out 475 yards of offensive against Pittsburgh and 456 in the win over Indiana. If you're a Bills fan and have experienced the revolving door at LT the past several years due to injuries, you have to appreciate Reiff's durability. The thing that stands out to me is that he has very fast feet and very good balance. If you watch him handle speed rushers you come away with the feeling he can play LT very well. But the thing that caught my attention in Kiper's write-up is what he said about Reiff's demeanor. Kiper writes - "Reiff has the mentality for the pro game; he's smart, with a great desire to dominate and take the defensive end to the ground. He plays the game with a rugged, defensive end mentality, with a no-nonsense approach to the task at end. Reiff has excellent size and is vary strong. He has that wrestling background and he loves to play, practice, and work on his game. There's not much not to like with him. Reiff is an outstanding football player and I like that he comes out of Iowa having worked under Kirk Ferentz. With his tutelage, you know that he'll be solid and reliable from a fundamentals standpoint and when you combine that with his superior athletic and physical tools, Reiff is one of the elite players in this draft". I've read other evaluations about Reiff and no one writing about him has questioned his toughness. This, to me, is important because when you get to the playoffs where everyone ups his game to the max, the toughest players usually win the contest. I see Reiff paying immediate dividends in the run game and that would be very good for C.J. and Jackson. Kiper gave Kalil a grade of 9.4. He grades Reiff a 9.3 and Martin an 8.8. I think I like this player a lot.

I've been engaged with others at this site regarding Buffalo's first draft pick and have enjoyed the debate. I've just received Mel Kiper Jr's 2012 Draft Report and thought some of you might be interested in what Kiper writes about Buffalo and some draft prospects. Regarding draft priorities, Kiper lists Left tackle, Wide Receiver, and Outside Linebacker as Buffalo's top priorities in that order. Left Tackle - Kiper references Hairston saying he viewed him as more of an option on the right side coming out of college. He now views him as a career backup. Wide receiver - Kiper sees David Nelson as the second receiver on Buffalo's roster but says he deserves to be on the roster just not in a starting capacity. Outside Linebacker - Kiper, regarding Morrison and Barnett, says he is not sold on either being a good fit in the new scheme since both have enjoyed the majority of their success in the middle but are now slated to man the strong and weak OLB positions. Looking at the players that are most likely to be available at the 10th pick, I have focused on Riley Reiff, Michael Floyd, and Luke Kuechly as possible Buffalo selections for this posting. Kiper says this about Reiff; a top ten guy in this draft. You can make the argument that he could be the top offensive tackle in the draft, ahead of Kalil, because he has the ability to project to right tackle (suggesting, though not saying) that Kalil does not have that ability. Reiff has the mentality for the pro game; he's smart, with a great desire to dominate and take the defensive end to the ground on every play. He has that wrestling background and he loves to play, practice, and work on his game. Reiff is an outstanding football player and (Kiper) likes that he comes out of Iowa having worked with Kirk Ferentz. He is one of the elite players in this draft. About Floyd; Notre Dame didn't have consistent QB play in 2011 yet Floyd still put up outstanding numbers. Kiper's one concern is that he didn't always come up big in key points of games, despite his impressive statistical totals. He'd like to see more assertiveness out of Floyd because he has a ton of ability but he hasn't yet maximized it. "There is something missing with Floyd. Yet, had he operated with the right QB, you might have been looking at a top 5-7 pick overall". Regarding Kuechly; When you talk about a tackling machine, Kuechly is the definition. His read/react ability is second to none and he is an excellent tackler. He is a complete player, recording tackles for loss, interceptions, anything you can ask for. He has gotten bigger during his career at BC and is now built like an NFL middle linebacker. He is a student of the game and acts like a coach on the field. He is certainly one of the top ten players in this draft at any position. So; who does Buddy select? Reading Kiper, I'm leaning toward taking Reiff first since Buffalo may not have a legit LT on it's roster. If he's not there, then Kuechly, and if he's not there, then Floyd thinking that Kuechly is in a class by himself, and this draft has good receivers that should be available in the second. Kiper's mock, in fact, has Buffalo selecting Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian St. in the second.

Buffalo had Nick Barnett, 6'2", 228 lbs at wlb last year. Barnett is plus 30 and was released by GB because of frequent injuries. We were lucky to have had his services for all of last year. Can we count on having that luck this coming season? Buddy said we need linebackers and more than one. Kuechly is the best cover corner in the draft and led the nation last year in tackles. Why not select Kuechly at #10 and David at #41? Suddenly Buffalo's D become very Brady unfriendly.

Ans.#1 - Block for the run and pass better than what's his name. Ans. 2 - You don't "roll the dice" with the 10th overall pick. That's how we got Maybin and his load of potential. You go for the safe pick. Buddy is not operating Vegas East in Buffalo.

Floyd will go to Jacksonville or Miami so what's plan B?

Bad post. I don't think he's talking about Glenn at all. That's just your "interpretation" because you have a crush.

I disagree. What you say may have been the case yesterday, and that's arguable, it is not the case today. Consider the contract that the Bucs just gave to Carl Nicks. Guards are valued in today's NFL and drafting a great one in the top ten gives you a ten year starter that, because of the new CBA, gets you one at a very good contract price. Will Buffalo draft Reiff because we lost Bell? I don't think so. Buddy thinks Hairston can play. He may not be polished but I can't see them reaching for Reiff if they feel Hairston can do a creditable job this year and be that polished LT next year.

Kendricks is MLB. We have one of those. We need an OLB. I like Shea McClellin and Lavonte David in the 2nd. Path To The Draft had an interesting comment last night. It referenced Chan's coaching of Calvin Johnson at Ga Tech in a discussion of Stephen Hill. I think Blackman and Floyd will be selected before #10. Would Buddy then select Hill at 10? Hill in the first and McClellin or David in the second sounds like an interesting draft.

North Carolina's coaches have been less than enthusiastic in their endorsement's of Brown and Couples. I wouldn't draft either one

Fixed it. You're welcome.

It's difficult to trade down. Martin is a 20th. or lower pick. I would not take him at 10. There is a big question if he will ever be anything other than a get in your way blocker. Players worthy of #10 are WR Floyd, G DeCastro, LB Kueckly, and DBs Kirkpatrick and Gilmore. Make your selection from those five.

Buffalo's offense was much more productive, before Fitz's cracked ribs, than San Frans'. Explain why you think it will be less productive in 2012? Our Defense, however, was much less productive than SF. Buffalo needs a DE because Anderson is a part timer. It needs an OLB because Morrison lacks speed and was an Oakland castoff, and it needs a Corner. I don't know who you want to see drafted but if it's Floyd, what exactly separates him from the WRs that will be there in the 2nd.?

On March 26, Chris Brown quoted Buddy regarding the LOT position as saying, "Chris Hairston did a good job for us and we think he can handle it. We're not concerned about it". Moreover, Mayock, last night, said that he does not see Reiff as a plug in left tackle. He will have to play RT for a year or two and then you might be able to shift him to LT. So my question is this; why would Buffalo select Reiff, with his short arms, if Reiff would not play LT immediately and if they feel Hairston, with his long arms, can play the position?

Maybe he's an ex QB because he's too dumb to play QB?

1. How many catches did Hill have? 2. You should have said; Poe didn't do anything in college either. I think everyone will be surprised how far Poe drops on draft day. 3. Fleener is a wide receiver that can block. He has excellent hands as you might expect from Luck's go to target and can make the one handed grab look routine.