silvermike

What did the Eagles get? That should set the bar on trading up.

At what point is it clear Thomas would have been a reach at 11? By pick 20? By 2010?

I guess if you figure we were going to take a WR and CB - is McKelvin/Hardy better than Thomas/Flowers?

It's not a reach - McKelvin was the top CB prospect and one of the better overall players in this draft. Just, is it a need?

Is there any chance the Patriots move up here and grab Dorsey? That's the last thing we need.

Why would you think that anything in the Buffalo News is a sign of greater intelligence rather than lesser?

Mostly, Rosenhaus gives teams problems when he signs players who have existing contracts. When he signs a contract with you, he's usually pretty good about it. Usually.

Read the directions: It GIVES you Russell Maryland. I'd've had 16 otherwise.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=307&p=1 I got 17.

And Kelsay and Schobel are at best, 3-4 linebackers. You need a ton of talent on the line to run a good 3-4. The Bills needed Bruce, Hansen, and Ted Washington to run it well, and the Pats need Warren, Seymour, and Wilfork to run it well.

I'm not sure I get the ploy - if the Bills were on the fence about Thomas, they wouldn't pass figuring they could get him in the second round; they'd pass knowing that he was gone to another team.

We should use the draft chart to our advantage and trade down for a 3rd and every 7th round pick the Chiefs will have for a hundred years.

If the Rams are talking to any prospects right now, it's illegal until Miami signs Long (or whomever).

I like Sherman's trade idea - get'er done.

A good 3-4 doesn't work because it has great linebackers, it works because it has a great defensive line. Having two DTs on the field covers up the weaknesses either would show on the field alone. You can have a weaker LB on the field in the 3-4 than in the 4-3.

Best case scenario - you trade down in the first round to load up on premium, day one picks, and then trade up on day two to make sure you hit all of your diamonds in the rough if it's looking dicey.

I'd say this really sounds like high time to trade down, but increasingly, I don't think it's possible. Who's going to be on the board at #11 that someone is totally desperate for? The QBs aren't there anymore (it's just Ryan at that level, and he'll be long gone), and then it's a longshot.

Don't laugh at your own title twice. It's just weird.

Okay, now I'm just confused.

For the premature exits: If we stayed in our lanes and Ronnie kept his eyes on the ball, how far would those teams have gotten?

What great d-lines has he been responsible for? The Chiefs were pretty lousy, we were worse, and he came from the Bengals. Ugly.

Using only UFAs from the past few years, build a playoff-caliber defense under the salary cap.

The Bills did have a crummy pass defense, but the best way to improve the secondary is to improve the pass rush. Time and time again. Eventually, the WR will break free from the corner and the DE will get to the quarterback. You have to make sure the latter happens first.

I think it's very unlikely that we can get something for Losman that's more valuable than his work as a backup QB who's at least marginally familiar with the system. He'll leave for nothing after next season, of course, but I'd say we have a better shot at replacing him in '09 free agency than we do through a second day pick in the '08 draft. The Bills really don't need more mid-round draft picks - we're fine with role-players and backups. We just need a few more stars.

Technically, it IS possible to make the playoffs in the NFL without getting past the Patriots. Though admittedly, it's tougher if we can't win either of those games. As far as the Jets go, they've made some moves that excite people in February without exciting them in December. Lots of older players to come in and learn a new system as their bodies start to turn, all without addressing their most pressing need at quarterback. Miami, well, yes, they do have Bill Parcells, but while the Tuna is talented, he's not magic. He's also relatively hands off in Miami - he's not their coach, and the Tuna the GM still has a few question marks - bringing in Vinny and Drew in Dallas before getting lucky with Tony Romo, etc. In any case, that was a terrible team last year; they've got a long way to go before they scare me. 8-8 would be a disappointment this year - the team is improving from a youthful, injury plagued season and STILL got to 7-9. Welcome to the Stadium Wall.