Last Guy on the Bench

I think it is just that past champions don't automatically qualify after 60. You can qualify at any age if you meet different criteria (e.g., 10 ten in British Open the previous year, major winner in previous 5 years, certain world rankings or money list rankings, etc.).

Where do these persecution complexes come from? There isn't one issue on this board that doesn't have a substantial number of people on both sides of it. That some people disagree with you (maybe even vociferously) doesn't mean the debate has been quashed. In this thread alone, five people posted before you agreeing with the original poster's worry about DT. Do a poll and I'll bet you find lots of people would like to shore up that spot. How have these concerns been halted? Who is this imaginary mob that is defining the "program"?

Well, you should give it "top story" billing, because it is the most revealing piece on the Bills to come out in a while. Thanks for writing it.

Lori, I enjoyed your booster club piece. Tons of interesting info and well written, of course, as usual. (BTW, am I blind or is it not linked on the TBD front page? I actually stumbled onto it from a link on BZone.) I was amazed at how forthcoming and coherent Brandon was. He usually drives me crazy with his deadpan, say-nothing, man-in-the-gray-flannel-suit speak. Secrecy is a WAY overrated commodity in the NFL. Over the long run, I think you build a stronger organizational culture - and that culture includes fans and media, of course - by being relatively transparent, honest, and human. Don't need to give the gory details, but understanding and feeling like part of the team's process is important for coaches, players, reporters, and fans alike, each in their own ways. Anyway, Brandon shocked me with his willingness to describe some the Bills' off-season high-jinks in detail. It was great. Was he drinking? Was his demeanor different than normal? What did you make of it? I'll be happy not to have a Robo-GM (sorry, Robo-COO). [Edit: Whoops, just saw the long thread about Lori's article. Don't know how I missed it. Mods, feel free to merge this into that or close it or delete it or whatever.]

I just took my own advice and emailed Simmons the following: Bill, Best burgeoning nickname for a 2009 NFL draft pick? Easy. The Bills' new guard/center Eric Wood: http://media.scout.com/media/image/57/578379.jpg Soon to be known as, 'Bad Santa': http://unrealitymag.com/wp-content/uploads...ld_actors_3.jpg The only gift you'll get from him is a stack of pancakes and an ass whoopin'. (Slogan courtesy of PromoTheRobot at twobillsdrive.com.)

Nice. That's an even better description. Print it.

Agreed. 'Bad Santa' is a fantastic nickname. The visual comparison to the kid is phenomenal, so you have the good inside joke reference going. Plus, it works on its own for a mean old offensive lineman - he's the opposite of jolly and instead of giving you stuff, he takes all your favorite sh*t away and leaves you weeping like a poor little Who from Whoville (I'm talking to you Kris Jenkins and Vince Wilfork). Best nickname ever. Someone should send it with pics to Bill Simmons, and we can make it stick nationally (Now let's hope he doesn't suck.)

Clearly he'll start on defense (safety), offense (qb and rb), and special teams (punter). We can probably go with a roster of only 20 or 30 guys this year as long as one of them is Byrd. Should save some money. Maybe the Bills will lower ticket prices. The Byrd effect. What are you worried about?

I know everyone in the NFL was good in High School, so it doesn't mean much, but this made me laugh: "At Clayton High School, to merely hint that the Missouri 4A Offensive Player of the Year played a large role in leading the Greyhounds to the 2004 state championship would be a gross understatement. He willed the school to a 13-1 ledger as a quarterback, safety, wide receiver and on special teams to aid the march to the Suburban East Conference title. "Byrd ranked fourth in the state in scoring (158 points), as he rushed for 1,480 yards (seventh in the state) while averaging 8.76 yards per carry and scoring 26 touchdowns his senior season. In addition, he passed for another 1,038 yards (65-128) and 13 scores. "On defense, Byrd was afforded first-team All-State accolades as his team's second-leading tackler, posting 71 stops (60 solos) along with seven interceptions (fifth in the state), three sacks and two fumble recoveries. He completed his "total package" with six catches for 125 yards (20.8 avg), 10 kickoff returns (30.1 avg), 15 returned punts (13.3 avg), in addition to punting the football 18 times for a 37.6-yard clip." nfl.com profile The punting is my favorite part. He can join Dick Jauron in the All-World High School Hall of Fame.

I think that was absolutely my favorite Bills sight of the last ten years. He was an outrageously consistent tackler, and yet it still sort of caught me by surprise every single time he came up and knocked one of those big suckers down with such nonchalant authority.

I'm staring right now at the PFW draft mag, and Jairus Byrd is rated 2nd. They may have changed their rankings later online, but in the mag, Darius Butler is rated 8th.

Pro Football Weekly has him rated 2nd at CB behind Jenkins: "Could bring great value as a short-area, press-zone corner, but is tough, smart and athletic enough to project to safety and could eventually develop into a ballhawk on the back end. Intriguing versatility and pedigree add to his value. He should develop into a solid No. 2 corner or potential free safety and could bring additional value as a returner." He's only a Junior and he has 17 freaking picks.

OK, I'll give you QB is harder to predict. But I think you either take a REALLY safe solid guy (e.g., Pettigrew) with the 11th pick, or you take someone who has an all-pro upside but a few question marks. I don't see that upside with Orakpo, and I think he's pretty risky too. But what the hell do I know? Maybe he'll be a hall of famer.

Love it. He's the only one with the athleticism to have a chance at being a special player. Rak is strong, but lumbering, and I think NFL tackles will eat him up. Maybin may take some time to develop, but he's a good roll of the dice. And he's not a one-year wonder. A guy that did nothing during his career and then had a great senior year is a one-year wonder. A guy who puts up the numbers Maybin did (in the way he did) early in his college career is a POTENTIAL a-list player. DE is the worst position to try to figure out in the first round, but I like this.

PFW has him ranked #1 over Robinson, Urbik, and Johnson. "Converted left tackle who lacks the size and arm length desired on the outside and projects to the left guard spot at the next level. Is very smart, quick and strong-handed and his best pro position might be at center. However, Levitre has never played the position in college and could take some time to get adjusted to snapping and stepping. Possess the toughness and versatility so highly desired by teams and should be able to start at any of three interior line positions from Day One, although a move to center could require a longer adjustment period."

Here are some more scout comments. These rankings are quite a bit different than many of the mocks. I got this link off a post on the bb.com message board. Scouts eye view on spartannation.com

And those guys are all DL (Gholston was). DL is a total roll of the dice in the draft. That's why as much as I'd like to see us grab a pass rusher in the 1st, I think it might be wiser to go for Pettigrew or one of the offensive linemen. Safer picks. Then maybe take a run at a pass rusher in the 2nd.

These quotes aren't from PFW staff (i.e., Nawrocki). They're from scouts. (Doesn't make them true, though, and I totally agree that Mayock seems to be the most reliable guy overall when you look at eventual pro performance. If Ralph hired him tomorrow to run the team, I'd be happy.)

No problem. I don't follow college ball, so I love reading pre-draft stuff (even if most of it turns out to be horseshite) and always appreciate it when people post it on the board. Maybin is scary but intriguing for sure. Cushing and Jackson don't excite me too much, but it seems as though they are likely to be pretty solid players, so I wouldn't complain if either of them were the pick.

For sure. And even if the comments were consensus, that wouldn't make them right, as evidenced by all the busts and mis-drafts there are every year. Just some stuff to add to the mix. Myself, I'm increasingly sold on Pettigrew. Seems to have very low bust potential and will strengthen the offensive line and the intermediate passing game. The comment about Maybin intrigued me, because it was so strong. Comments about him seem to be all over the place, so who knows? The Raji comment was also strong (negatively). A lot of his positive hype seems to be coming from senior bowl practices. Anyone here watch a lot of BC during the year? If so, do you agree with the comment that he never dominated in actual games?

Good take. I wouldn't mind picking him up in the 2nd or 3rd. The PFW draft mag says he was one of the biggest babies ever born in Louisiana - 15 pounds 14 ounces. My condolences to his mother's cervix.

Here are a bunch of scout comments on various players of TSW interest from PFW's pre-draft issue (not the same same as their draft mag). No link, 'cause you only have access if you subscribe or got their draft mag. So I typed some of them up, 'cause I thought they were interesting. They are anonymous, so take them for what they are worth, but it's nice to hear some unvarnished opinions. Some of them are surprising. -- “Pettigrew is not fast, but neither is Jason Witten and all he does is get open. Do you think he would have lasted to the third round knowing what we do today? Pettigrew can block and he can catch and he will play a long time in the league. This guy can dominate when he wants to dominate.” “We respect what Jared Cooks is – a vertical guy that can stretch the field and develop in the passing game – but he is a not a true tight end who is going to be able to play honestly on the line of scrimmage and block anyone. He can fly, no doubt. No one has better timed speed, but he does not play fast, and he is never going to play big in the run game. I don’t know how much he is going to be able to contribute right away.” “Duke Robinson is a talented player. He is just lazy. I don’t like his worth ethic and mental stamina to be able to play and finish games. Weak-minded guys always struggle.” “Herman Johnson is a monster. He is so naturally big he will find a place to play in the league. He has the body type you like at right tackle, but I don’t think he has enough quickness to survive outside.” “All-star games should never hurt players as a rule of thumb, but I have a hard time getting over the way Max Unger struggled at the Senior Bowl. He got knocked around too much for my liking.” “I liked Kraig Uribk better at tackle than I did at guard. He’s got the size and the feet to play outside. He looked more natural there to me. I thought he underachieved this year. You wish he played more nasty inside, but he does not show a lot of nastiness.” “B.J. Raji is a dog. I hope he goes in the top 10. You show me one game he dominates.” “I love Robert Ayers’ versatility. He can play on his feet – even if he is not great at it yet – and be like a rush linebacker. He can put his hand in the dirt and be a five-technique and rush off the edge. But he is a one-year starter that had 3 ½ sacks as a senior. His instincts are off. I’d love to have him, but at the right price. You can have him in the first round.” “I wish we had a shot at Aaron Maybin. He’s the most athletic of the pass rushers in this draft. He is so athletic he can be anything you want him to be.” “Tyson Jackson is the most versatile defensive end in the draft. He has been very durable. He’s not flashy, but he has started 3 ½ years in the Southeastern Conference. He will be a damn good pro.” “I don’t know where you play Michael Johnson. He does not play the run well enough.” “To me, the guy that was most disappointing was Rey Maualuga. He misses tackles, takes bad angles and then he will turn around and make a big hit. He will get better. He has impact value. But he reminds of The Boz. He was surrounded by a ton of talent on a great defense. It’s sick how much talent they have on that group. He really benefited from all the talent around him.” “James Laurinaitis is very steady and had good inside slip quickness. He plays hard, but he’s not a great athlete, he’s not fast and he’s not a good take-on linebacker.” “Larry English had eight sacks in the MAC conference. Put Brian Orakpo in there and he has 20. It’s all relative, but I have a hard time getting excited about English. Put on the Senior Bowl tape and show me what he does in one-on-one drills. He is just a guy.” “I don’t care what the stopwatch says – Brian Cushing can run. That’s the last thing I’m worried about. Now everyone wants to compare him to Bobby Carpenter, but Carpenter never made a play on college film. He was a height-weight-speed tester with a daddy that played in the NFL. Cushing may not be great in coverage, but he can do it.” “I was surprised at how tight Aaron Curry looked opening up his hips at his pro day . . . He has some tightness.” “Brian Orakpo looked tight as a drum in his pro-day workout.” --

No, they play at McGill U.'s rickety old stadium. The atmosphere there is pretty mellow compared to an NFL game, but it's still a fun time.

I didn't watch him all game, but I did focus on him now and then, including some of the running plays, and he looked pretty good to me. I saw more problems at right guard. But again, I only stared at the O-Line for a handful of plays. Regardless, I'd give him a game ball, 'cause he subbed for a starter and anchored an O-Line that gave Trent time to eat a sandwich and read the newspaper every time he dropped back to pass. Duke held up nicely.

No doubt about Trent and Mitchell. But I'm tossing one to Jason Peters, Duke Preston (WTF???!!!), and Donte Whitner as well.