Ozymandius

That reminded me of this short SNL clip of Fallon interviewing her: http://kontraband.com/show/show.asp?ID=1127 I laughed.

True. I still wouldn't give up a first day pick, though...

For comparison's sakes, Mike Pucillo is getting paid the same amount this year: http://www.nflpa.com/Members/playerProfile.asp?ID=33197 Of course, the bonus could affect how we view the contract.

I didn't expect any more than that. Two mediocre to poor players.

That would be overpaying. I'm sure you've seen the value draft picks carry. Javon Walker for a second rounder? Eric Moulds for a fifth? Terrell Owens originally went for a second rounder to the Ravens when he was a 49er? No need to package anyone. If we were really interested in Lelie, give the Broncos a sixth rounder.

IMO, our "quarterback of the future" is currently some other team's backup QB right now, likely a mid round pick or free agent with upside that is getting groomed behind the starter. Think Schaub or the ideal prototype, Matt Hasselback. We'll trade for this player in two years giving up a first or second rounder once Nall and Losman have failed.

I think we're settled at DT from the regime's perspective. I think they don't mind at all starting the season with Trips/McCargo and Anderson/Williams as the DT rotation.

We already signed Martin Nance...

Nobody said anything about 16-18. We're talking specifically about 14 (Philly) and 15 (Denver) because those were the two teams reported to be trying to trade with us. It matters that the Ravens had Ngata targetted instead of Whitner because that means that Whitner would likely have been available at 14. Like I said before, we need to stop looking for validation. Accept that the Bills chose Whitner at #8 and live with it.

I'm not saying you're lying. I'm saying since you heard it second-hand, whoever heard it first-hand must've misunderstood what Billick was saying.

Exactly

I straight up do not believe Billick said it. I don't know of any coach or GM that would publicly state that he did not get his first choice. Plus, I believe Ngata was their first choice. Here's a link to a Baltimore Sun columnist blog suggesting that Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens were glad that Oakland and Buffalo took safeties because that meant they would have a good shot at Ngata. http://blogs.baltimoresun.com/sports_custo...meanwhile_.html

So Brian Billick publicly stated that if Donte Whitner had been available at 13, he would have drafted him over Haloti Ngata? I'm going to need to hear a clip to believe that.

No, we should rebuild the offensive line and then begin to think about taking a QB in maybe two or three years. A QB will fail unless he has the infrastructure in place to succeed like what Carson Palmer and Big Ben had. Here are things we have to add/develop before we can think about grooming a QB with success: - good offensive line that can runblock and not leave the team in third and long too often - proven #1 WR... Evans may get there soon - proven safety blanket / red zone threat... Tim Euhus? Martin Nance? - a defense that can stop people so the offense won't constantly being playing from behind against passrushes that sell out to beat up on our young QB

Yeah, we need to stop this obsession with the Ravens and Whitner. Let's shut up about it immediately. It has NEVER been shown nor will it EVER be shown that the Ravens preferred Whitner over Ngata, so we should stop looking for it. Does anyone REALLY think that: (1) Any coach or GM would publicly state that he preferred another player over the one he drafted? Billick would never say that. (2) Ngata wasn't Baltimore's #1 choice after Ray Lewis' offseason complaints about not being protected enough? If you believe (2), you should not believe (1). Repeat: there will never be proof that the Ravens would have drafted Whitner had the Bills traded down past them. (There will never be proof that they wouldn't have drafted him either) The Buffalo Bills drafted Donte Whitner at #8 overall. While I seriously doubt that he would have been taken before 14 by another team had we not drafted him, he's going to be a good player and possibly great. Unlike many players in the first round, he doesn't have a high bustability factor so he should at least be good. Let's live with that and stop being sissies looking for validation from Detroit or Baltimore or some other team.

Sep 10 @New England - LOSS Sep 17 @Miami - LOSS Sep 24 N.Y. Jets - WIN Oct 1 Minnesota - LOSS Oct 8 @Chicago - LOSS Oct 15 @Detroit - LOSS Oct 22 New England - LOSS Nov 5 Green Bay - WIN Nov 12 @Indianapolis - LOSS Nov 19 @Houston - WIN Nov 26 Jacksonville - LOSS Dec 3 San Diego - LOSS Dec 10 @N.Y. Jets - LOSS Dec 17 Miami - LOSS Dec 24 Tennessee - WIN Dec 31 @Baltimore - LOSS 4-12

True. I want to see what Matt Leinart does under pressure.

Good point, I removed him.

Ditto, except for the letting him go UFA part. I wouldn't sign him long-term this year. I hope he plays great in 2006 and I tag him again and get a first rounder for him. Why not just sign him long-term next year? It's an option but I don't think we can afford to pay him top cornerback dollar and still build the lines, especially since Whitner will already get top 10 dollars in this draft.

Two really bad assumptions by me. (1) that Marv won't play draft "games" with the media ( http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3743 )... TOTALLY WRONG, and (2) never seriously thought we'd draft a safety

At least 7? Nah. Two or three of them will probably bust, one will probably have a career hampered by injury, but this was a great draft. and there are more close-to-sure-things than usual in this year's first round. The odds are helped out dramatically by a tremendous top of the draft this year.

Below is a list of first round draft picks that should at least be good even if they don't become great. How do you determine that kind of thing? I think six factors are important: (1) The position they play. There will be no QB's on this list, for example (2) Injury history/potential (3) Did they make a lot of plays in college, or were they drafted more on measurables/potential? (4) Work ethic (alleged, from news articles and coaches quotes) (5) Size/speed for their position (6) Did they look good because they played on a great team, with great teammates? The List --------- 1. Mario Williams 2. Reggie Bush 4. D'Brick 5. AJ Hawk 6. Vernon Davis 7. Michael Huff 8. Donte Whitner (if he stays healthy, he'll make plays all over the field) 17. Chad Greenway 18. Bobby Carpenter 21. Laurence Maroney 23. Davin Joseph 24. Johnathan Joseph 29. Nick Mangold That's 13 players total, or less than half the first round, who are very likely to at least be good players in this league. I consider the other players to have decent to good bustability factors for one reason or another. Why doesn't John McCargo make the list? He's a good prospect and was NOT a reach but he's still a defensive tackle (a high bust position), he had that stress fracture in the foot, and while he made plays in college, he was not consistently dominant and we're drafting him partly on his potential (extreme quickness off the snap).

By the way, I've read in several places that the Bills were very interested in RB Derrick Ross before the draft. Let me go ahead and make a prediction that he will be a UDFA signing by us. If I'm right, you can start looking at me as an insider source along the lines of Soprano.

Just bookmark this link (they update fairly often): http://www.draftdaddy.com/features/2006_AFC_UDFA.cfm

Brick was injured for two games last season.