Blokestradamus

Add Ogbah to the list. I bloody well hope not though! @Rand_Getlin I'm told Oklahoma State DL Emmanuel Ogbah has already visited the #Bucs and #Bills, and will be visiting the #Texans soon.

Just watched Brown vs TB from Week 1 last season. I can see the appeal. Obviously, coverage is the big plus. The guy can move but he's not blisteringly fast. Recognition skills are there. Against the run, he's assignment-sound but he's not a playmaker. Kinda just crashes into lead blockers but haven't seen him shed someone at/near the LOS and make the tackle. I'll keep trawling through as I get the time but first impression is that he could be a decent stopgap. Certainly not enough to put me off drafting another LB high.

Tyrod is selling a pretty sweet #TyrodTime t-shirt. Part of the proceeds going to the US Fund for UNICEF. Good on him. http://tyrod5taylor.com/store/

Is "2016 Pro Bowl Quarterback" a power move against the FO? My column:

Glenn is with SportsTrust, who also handle Kyle Williams. Gilmore is with Jason Chayut, the agent that influenced Deion Branch to holdout in 2006.

Scott made more of himself than I think most people would've expected. I've not been shy in voicing my opinion on his talent level but it was never personal. He's a great guy with a beautiful family and I wish him and Alissa all the best for the future. I hope that I have what they have some day.

If the idea (for the sake of a hypothetical scenario) is to draft a couple of linebackers (one 'thumper', one cover LB) and have them playing specific packages, I agree that Reggie is a pointless pick at 19. With teams not being in base packages more than 50% vs any given team, a 1st on a bit-part player is reckless. Same way that giving a Spikes type of LB anything more than vet minimum is. There's obviously different opinions on Reggie at play here and, to a greater extent, what constitutes a true 3-down LB. At the heart of it, it's a philosophical discussion. If we're just going to end up butting heads over this, I'm happy to drop it and agree to disagree.

There's about a dozen guys that might be on the board at 19 that I'd really like and could be solid contributors early on. They would have to really screw up to make me unhappy with their 1st rounder this year (Nkemdiche/Conklin types). While this class doesn't have many elite calibre players, I think you can get scheme-specific guys (especially on the DL) of some quality in the 4th-5th rounds. Hell, there's a couple of guys that'll probably be UDFA's who could make the Bills DL rotation.

I'm aware of the trends but I don't think that it's always the right way to do things. Bill Belichick just got himself another decent blocking TE and we're starting to worry about the pass more? Bill is gonna change the game (yet again). The bigger part of my frustration is that you're not asking linebackers to perform multiple moves. Smart players can read a route as its being run and adjust accordingly, smart players can notice trends in film prep and know what's likely coming. The best coverage linebackers aren't just athletic, they also have really high football IQ's. Last year, my top coverage LB was Eric Kendricks and he ran a 4.61 in Indy. Enough straight line speed that got combined with incredible play speed. For the most part, the biggest mismatches on a football field are mental and not physical. Smart players should never go out of fashion. If the league wants a guy like Ragland to drop to the 2nd and I can get a stud in the 1st too, that's fine with me. When they start putting Deion Jones and Eric Striker at LB and constantly get gashed up the middle for 5-6 yards, I'll have a quiet chuckle to myself. Just because the NFL does it, doesn't make it either right or smart.

Maybe I just have a higher value on linebackers than most but I see value in a guy like Ragland that early. Even if Reggie Ragland doesn't improve one iota in the NFL, I think he's a top level ILB for a long time. If I'm drafting a linebacker in the 1st, it has to be a guy that I feel is proven. I have a level of comfort with Reggie that I don't have with Lee. The NFL doesn't guarantee development so give me a guy that's 'NFL ready'. My philosophy is that you draft good players whenever you can. Ragland isn't the only guy that I love at 19 but he's certainly high on my board. Without good LB play, your defense doesn't stand a chance. This isn't me saying that Darron Lee can't become a very good player but I feel that people have willfully overstated his technical ability because he runs fast. I gave him a 3rd round grade in January knowing he would probably run a sub 4.5 time. I feel that there's a dropoff past Jack/Ragland (Jaylon Smith pre-injury too) and that does play on my mind a little. I do like guys later in the draft but I'm not sure they can be impact starters in their rookie year. If the team signs Bruce Carter then maybe I'll let LB drop down my priority list a little but, for now, I can't let one of the top guys get away.

The big toss-up is Ragland vs Lee with this class. Ragland is the smarter, cleaner technical player. Lee is the athlete. The way I look at them, there's only one clear cut 1st round pick and it's not Lee. Potential means that they have to figure it out still. I know what Reggie is and I'm comfortable with him playing the majority of snaps. I think there's a mass disconnect between what linebackers are asked to do and what people think they're asked to do. It's like with Paul Dawson last year. He ran slow as **** at the Combine but he's still smarter than 19-20 guys on the field at any given point. Those smarts give him the headstart and it's the same with Ragland. Lee runs 4.47, Ragland runs 4.72. If Reggie sees the play develop 0.25 seconds faster than Lee, where's the difference in 'play speed'?

It's pretty obvious that anyone with a 1st round grade on Ragland doesn't see him solely as a run stuffer. If Ragland is limited, Morrison has no place in the NFL.

He's immense fun to watch because he plays like his hair is on fire. Just way too limited. His off-field resume is even better. Punched a bouncer after giving him the 'Don't you know who I am? I AM ANTONIO!!' speech. Arrested for barking at a police dog, resisting arrest in the process. Has a tattoo that says 'Don't trust me'.

I will die on this particular hill with you, 1billsfan. Athletic ability does not equal good in coverage. Being smooth in your drops does, being exceptional at processing the play does, being disciplined to your assignment does. Reggie Ragland is a 3-down linebacker in this league and any other. You can take your fast 40 time and shove it up your arse, Darron Lee!

And people think Reggie Ragland is a phone booth LB?

I wouldn't use anything but the 6th round compensatory pick. I'm fine with a Carpenter/Gay combo if there's no way to get the right man at the right price. Notable guys on the market (probably in the too expensive range) - Josh Brown (83.7% FG rate, meh touchback leg), Greg Zuerlein (78.2% FG made, coming off an awful 2015, decent touchback leg), Randy Bullock (80.6% FG made, meh touchback leg). Only guy that might've come minimum salary cheap is Kyle Brindza and he ruptured his Achilles a few weeks ago. Won't be back to the game before October. It's slim pickings out there at the moment. Maybe that changes as rosters get cut down in preseason. Dan's guaranteed money is $1.075m. Cutting him saves about $1.5m. Why wouldn't you 'waste' a pick on a guy that can be an impact starter? That frees up a roster spot AND saves you money in the process.

He was a hard arsed negotiator that always got every penny he could for his clients. Truly exceptional in his field. There's more than a few relieved front office personnel today. I think that's probably the ultimate respect they could show him. My condolences to his family.

If there's something I'm not aware of in terms of diagnosis, please enlighten me. I did read something abut tau proteins but I've really not seen anyone expand on that theory to this point. At the core of it, every team and the league in general should do everything humanly possible to protect players (even if it's just from themselves).

If his next thread topic isn't "BRAAAAAAINS", I'll be devastated.

I shall have to refer to you as 'The Cat' from now on.

You do know how they test for CTE, right?

It's always fun to see what other people think 'small schools' are. Matt Johnson is a fun QB to watch. Played in an Art Briles inspired system under Dino Babers (who was Jimmy Garoppolo's HC at EIU). Had a great sophomore year, got injured in the 1st game of 2014 and missed the rest of that season. Throws a gorgeous deep ball. Not a guy I'd draft but I'd love to see him make a PS somewhere. Also the owner of a great beard.

It's the reason I'm so interested in drafting the right kicker this year. It'll make both of them expendable. Sadly, there's only 3 guys in the draft that I think fit the bill. One of them is being talked up as a Day 2 pick. Unless they find a way to add a kicker, I think they have to carry both. Can't suffocate on D if you're giving teams easy yards on ST.

It's actually increased the need for Jordan Gay, if anything. No longer will kickoff men be asked to exclusively boom touchbacks but kick off with direction and hangtime as well. Jordan Gay does that better than most in the NFL. Then again, Danny Crossman is a moron and will probably waste him regardless.

Exactly. Where I'd take a kicker this year (6th round comp pick), his entire 4 year deal is less than Carpenter's 2016 cap hit. Cap hit doesn't rise above $565k for the duration of the rookie deal and less than $100k in guaranteed money if he flounders.