Cheddar's Dad

looking at Buffalo's starting lineup, can anyone argue that LG Legurski and RT Pears are the lowest graded starters on the team. These two are bad players. TE Chandler is a good player. It should be obvious to every Bills' fan that replacing Legursky and Pears should be Buffalo's first two priorities. TE is not a priority although it would be nice, but not essential, to get another good one. Therefore, Buffalo should select either Kouandjio or Lewan for RT in the 1st., and either Richardson, Jackson, or Martin for LG in the 2nd. Buffalo can, then, fill other positions of lesser need depending on best player available. That would be smart drafting.

nfldraftscout.com nfldraftdog.com gbnreport.com

As a follow-up; one player I'd be interested in scouting (if I were Whaley) is C.J. Fiedoricz, the 6'6", 265 lb TE from Iowa. As an Iowa player, you just know he can block well. He had 26 receptions this past year and a team high 6 TDs (red zone baby) including a game winning TD in OT vs. Northwestern. Fiedoricz could well be there early in the 3rd.

OK. I'm answering your call Dibs. The OP included links to Ebron and Amaro. Clink on those links and you see that Ebron is ranked the 26th. overall best player in the draft and a late 1st or early 2nd rd. pick. Amaro is ranked 130 and considered a 4th rd. pick. If Buffalo got him in the 4th, that would be cool. Buffalo picks 10th as of now. Buscaglia (the writer for wgr55.com) shows Chandler as Buffalo's 20 best player based on his performance this year. He ranks Pears at 32 and Legurski at 36. Considering that there are 22 regular starters means that Buffalo has 10 backup players that perform better than Pears and 14 that perform better than Legurski. Clearly LG and RT are greater needs than TE and should get priority over TE in May's draft. Since top offensive tackles usually are selected before top guards, I would select OT in the first and G in the 2nd. Personally, I'd like Kouandjio in the 1st and Yankey in the 2nd. That would give Buffalo a top O-line to protect EJ, give him additional time to find our receivers and open holes for Freddy and C.J. Our D id pretty good. Our O needs help and our O line needs it the most. Regarding TE, Buffalo traditionally wants it's TE to be able to block as well as catch. Ebron and Amaro, as of now, are not blockers. They are not Gronks. Gronk, in fact, does not appear to be in this draft. I would take a long look at the TE that are 6'6" or taller and at least 265 to 270 lbs., have shown they can block and evaluate them for catching ability. Then draft accordingly but not until the 3rd. Rd.

If you page down on the TWOBILLSDRIVE home page, I think you'll find it. You can also go to BUFFALOBILLS.COM and watch a video of Stevie talking about it.

3. Where have you found Hernandez's IQ scores?? Hernandez had a rep in college regarding gang membership. That is why he lasted till the 4th round of the draft. I recall a story when, during his rookie year at training camp, Hernandez asked Welker about something. Welker brushed him off in a way Hernandez did not appreciate and Hernandez then threateded to kill Welker. In recent years, however, Hernandez, according to Kraft, seemed to straighten his life out. I don't know how that was measured. Maybe he spent more time with team mates. Maybe he got involved with charity organizations. Whatever it was, it was sufficient to cause Kraft and Belichick to believe he had changed and was trust worthy and that resulted in a large new contract. If you want to know the extent to which Kraft and Belichick came to trust Hernandez check out the size of that contract. I have an acquaintance who has been married for 30 some years to a man who travels a lot. My acquaintance recently discovered that her husband, for several years, has been having an affair when he is out of town. It was a shock, a complete surprise. People can successfuly lead double lives for some time until they do something that leads to discovery of the truth. Sad but true. Was my acquaintance fooled because she's dim witted? She has an extremely high IQ and a photographic memory. It can happen to anyone. 4. I think you misinterprete the situation with Marrone and the Williams absence. That's easy to do since some in the media thought he seemed a bit thin skinned and said so on TV and in print. Looks like you ate it up. I don't think Marrone is thin skinned. I think he was somewhat unprepared to answer specific questions about Williams and didn't want that short lived inability to turn into a major distraction. He learned from that incident. You may have seen that, at his most recent after game interview, he had an assistant stand by to answer injury questions that Marrone may not have been fully briefed about. 5. Again, I disagree. I was in the Pittsburg area last month. The Steelers were losing and there was talk that Rothlisberger was not preparing himself well enough. Rothlisberger replied that no one knows how much time I spent preparing for games. I thought, that's not true. It is often said of highly accomplished players that they are the first in the training facility in the morning and the last to leave at night. People notice that. It's an observable thing. Teams insert different plays into their game plan each week based on scouting reports and game film study. Players are then expected to know their responsibilities relative to the new plays. If a player enters the practive field and doesn't know those rsponsibilities, teammates and coaches notice that perhaps that player didn't take the time to study before he came to practice. That an observable thing. Nothing subjective about it. That player was'ne ready for practice. One final thing. Why do you think Stevie will be cut? You keep going back to that. He's not having a great year and is working on a large contract. But with having to work with two rookie QBs and a third that was 3rd string with Detroit at the start of this year. Team management will. I think, cut him some slack.

Give him a break. He's in Siberia.

Question 1. Maybe yes. He's dealing with a lot of young men and trying to develop team first attitudes. Lining up in standing formation with one's helmit in a certain hand, when done by all team members, is an indication of a well drilled unit. Question 2. Certainly not but he would look out of sinc with his team mates. Question 3. No. He didn't know. I think Hernandez had Belichick and Kraft completely fooled. Statement 4. I don't think Marrone is insecure about anything. Marrone is the product of having worked for 5 prominant head coached on the college leve; Jim Donnan, Georgia, Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee, Barry Gallup, Northwestern, Bill Schmitz, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and George O'Leary, Ga. Tech. He worked under two prominant head coaches at the pro level; Herm Edwards and Sean Payton. The coaching principles is has implemented with the Bills are based on all that he learned throughout his coaching career. Commitment to team, discipline, and professionalism are not subjective. If you've joined the work force, I'm sure you've seen these types. Type one is the guy who is very talented mentally. He is assigned to work on a project and is nearing completion. But he has taken longer that his boss might expect. He watches the clock and when it hits 5PM, he is one of the first out of the door. He could have stayed and worked a little longer but took the attitude that it can wait for tomorrow. Then there's the guy that doesn't have the mental talent of the first guy but he makes up for it for staying later and working harder and he gets his project finished before the first guy. Committment to team, self discipline, and professionalism are things that supervisors objectively see on a daily basis.

I would add one more thing. There is a story in the news this morning about the death of Stevie's mother and how Marrone, upon learning of her passing, spent hours talking with Stevie and giving him the choice of whether or not to play on Sunday. Stevie described it as a kind of father to son talk. Marrone a tyrant? Doesn't look that way to me.

What is his way and does it have anything to do with personality? Or is it about work ethic, commitment to team, and professionalism, coach and player traits that Marrone knows can produce winning teams. If you want to call that "personality" you're way off base. Has there ever been a winning coach that has not valued those traits. If you say Marrone's looking for those traits equates to his personality, then I would say that Lombardy, Belichick, Knoll, and all of the SB winning coaches were "infected" with the same personality. Why in the world should that worry you or any Bills fan???? Regarding concern that Marrone has his team stand at attention during the singing of the national anthem. How silly is that. Isn't that a sign of professionalism and team discipline? Isn't that attending to every detail. Conversely, figeting around and not attending to the singing of the national anthem is a sign of lack of personal discipline and perhaps, disrespect. Look around you at the next game. Not only do people stand at attention, many of them hold their hands over their hearts and sing. I must say that as a Viet Nam era vet, having gone through military style discipline training, having had friends die in that war, I am among those that stand and proudly sing. Belichick prohibits players from airing dirty laundry about the Patriots. He demands discipline and if he does not get it, that player is usually gone. Isn't that a little like what Marrone and Brown are saying and don't you really think that's a good thing???

Please tell me where Brown ever said that TALENTED guys have to be let go because they don't match Marrone's personality. That bad reading is yours. There are players on this team that lack the talent to be part of a championship team. I think that is what Brown was talking about. It's not about matching Marrone's personality. Its about getting talented players that have top grade work ethic and show complete dedication to TEAM. Marrone is not looking for mini Marrones. He wants to see Fred Jackson style work ethic and dedication at every starting position on offense and defense. The idea of purging S.J. and C.J did not come from Brown. It is speculation found here posted by fans who are frustrated and angry and have no idea of what Brown was talking about. How would you feel about malcontents who are malcontents because they lack the talent to perform as Marrone wants them to perform. Wouldn't you want them replaced by players that do have the talent to satisfy Marrone. Or would you prefer that Marrone retain those players and continue to field a bad team? Brown never said we are getting rid of good players in favor of players that will do as Marrone says. That, again, is you bad interpretation. Marrone is the Head Coach paid to field a winning team. He has a philosophy of how to build that team and he knows the kind of players and what talents they must have to help him do that. Cutting players that don't have the talent and/or attitude to contribute to winning is what building a winning team is all about. Give him a chance to build that team.

Or, maybe; 1. He wants to cut players that he thinks can't cut it and and can be replaced with more talented players and 2. He never sent Brown to pre-announce anything and your assumption that he did is nothing more than your asumption. In fact your thoughts here are all nothing more than your assumptions. I can't believe what some write here. Because you think that is what happened under Jauron and Gailey, the same will happen in year three under Marrone??? I know. It just came to me. Lets have an undiciplined locker room.

Has he done that?? With what player? If you worry about things that may never happen, you'll get grey hair before turning 18. Brown referenced the WR from Tennessee (name I can't recall this moment) as someone Marrone released because he wasn't a team player and, possibly, because of a bad work ethic. That player appeared in a game last week and caught two TDs. Is it posible that, having been cut by Buffalo, that player got religion with Indi and that cutting the player was good for the player? Or maybe that was a one time occurance. Maybe, if it doesn't work out for that player, he becomes toxic to team chemistry? Can't we just wait and see with him? Lets not create perceived problems with Marrone that may not exist.

Getting rid of your best players to prove a point????? Where did Chris Brown, or Marone, or Whaley or anyone ever said that??? Buffalo is 4 and, well you know. That suggests to me that there are players on this team that arn't good enough. Maybe the reason is that they have insufficient talent. Maybe their work ethic in not ideal. Maybe they're a locker-room discontent. Before complaining about Marrone, don't you think we should give him a chance to make his changes? Give him a chance to bring in his type of players, upgrade the personnel to be more in line with his idea of what the team should be?? Then, after evaluating the results at the end of next year, decide whether criticism is warranted???? Making it work with the players you have may not be possible. Do you really want to se some of the same players on this roster next year (Legurski, Moats, Pears for example.)??? Every good coach adjusts his roster to get his type of player. Marrone should be given the chance to do the same.

Just to set the record straight; Bill Belichick brought in Chad Johnson, gave him a 5 Mil siging bonus, and cut him the next year. He brought in Corey Dillion in a trade with Cinci. Gave Cinci a 2nd rd. pick. Dillion, rumored to be a problem in Cinci, gained 1600 yards running in 2004, his first year in New England. Injuries hurt him after that and Belichick cut him in 2006. Randy Moss was acquired from Oakland for a 4th rd. pick. While in Oakland, Moss made his famous "I play when I want to play" remark. Moss was quite successful in New England where be became a team player for Belichick never making any or his, it's all about me, comments. Albert Hayneswortyh was acquired from Washington for a 5th rd. pick. Belichick gave him no guaranteed money to sign hoping that would motivate Haynesworth. It didn't. Haynesworth was cut the next year.

A passing league no doubt? Many think it is. But SD ran the ball on Denver's defense. Running led to the win. TV analysts highlighted a key player in that successful run offense, specifically, rookie right tackle D.J. Fluker, selected by SD in the first round of this last draft. It's not old school if it works and making it work means getting top offensive linemen early in the draft. Buffalo could have that same type of offense if it would just commit to building that line. Such a line would help E.J., C.J., S.J., T.J., Freddy, Scotty, and Marquise. Cyrus Kouandjio, another Alabama tackle, is rumored about to declare for the draft and the consensus is that he is better than Fluker. Forget tall wr, te, olb and all the rest and get Kouandjio with that first rd. pick.

You want to draft a tall WR or rush LB in the first two rounds after witnessing the Tampa game? Talent like Spliier, Jackson and whatever wr or te drafted in the first two rounds are and would be wasted if we do not address the O-line early. Waiting until the 4th round to draft an o-linemen is a little like waiting to draft a qb in the 6th hoping he's a second Brady. The longer you wait the slimmer the pickins and that applies to all positions regardless of what you might read from other posters here.

I would not trade Stevie. I see him as a valuable and reliable, (in spite of recent mishaps), player like Edelman or Amendola. I would love it if the Bills drafted Alabama tackle Kouandjio with it's first pick. But I don't think that will happen chiefly because I don't think Whaley and the boys are smart enough to make that happen. I think Buffalo's first pick will come down to a choice between Mike Evans, Khalil Mack, and Eric Ebron. I think one of the top rated guards like Yankey, Richardson, Martin and Arkansas center Swanson, who can play guard, will be there early in the second simply because there are a few good ones and one or two is sure to slip to the early second round. That will fill the need at LG. That means that Buffalo must scout the RT and G candidates very carefully because they will need to find a RG and RT and things get very iffy beginning with the third round since the best will have been taken. I also agree that Buffalo needs to draft a runner, preferably a talented big one. The theory of how to develop a team for Buffalo, going back to 1960, has always been to develop a strong running game for late in the year when the weather is bad and passing becomes more difficult. (Note how New England always reverts to it's running game when it's passing game is not clicking. And they do it successfully because of a strong offensive line.) Buffalo has had that from time to time. We have two guards in the NFL Hall of Fame. But that theory seems to have been misplaced by the "this is a passing league" theory. And that is the reason for all of the years when Buffalo has been bad enough to have a top ten pick. The team needs to get back to the proposition that moving the line of scrimmage forward with powerful and athletic linemen wins football games.

Ah, what??

There's no hope for you at all.

Yo Bandit. You and San Jose; youse guys are brothers, right??

Ok. Lets get a Gronk. Where's the Gronk store?? Gronk is the type of player that may come along once every 20 years. This year there's likely 90 TEs in the league but only 1 Gronk. You sound like you're quite young. Maybe if Buffalo uses all seven picks on TEs for the next 20 years the team might come up with the next Gronk. You may be around to see it. I likely will not be and that will be a good thing because I won't have to read your "we need a Gronk" rants year after year for the next 20. Meanwhile, there will be astute GM that build solid O-lines and win SBs during the next 20 years while Buffalo continues to draft for Gronk.

No. Eveyone makes mistakes.

From what I've seen of him focusing on his blocking just because you mentioned it Bandit, I would say if you like his blocking your standards are pretty low. Right now he's a large WR. Maybe he'll learn to block in the pros but he gives me the impression he doesn't like to do it.

Same basic O line? Permit me to assist FTL; Last year McKinnie played very well at LT. Where is he now? Dealt to Miami. Center Birk retired and was replaced by Gradkowski. Oher played LT and RT last year. This year he is playing so badly speculation has it he will be released. Osemele was a quality RT last year. Don't know what happened to him this year. Don't think he's on the roster. Injured?? RT play was so bad they traded for Monroe, a player not considred indispensible by, was it Houston??Those are very significant O-line changes and go a long was in explaining the huge drop in rushing performance.