BigAl2526

Ideally, that's what Beane would hope to do. The tight cap forced him to make some tough choices on where to spend, presumably based on the availability of potentially impactful free agents and the positions they pay. Yours is a valid position. Beane apparently disagreed.

I can't believe that Beane thinks Jackson can hold down the starting CB job across from Benford. He was limited in the amount of free agent dollars he had to spend, and made the choice to hand a sizable contract to Joey Bosa and several moderate contracts at other positions of need. He's going to draft a CB he thinks can be a decent starter.

Honestly, I find it more cumbersome to have one thread that ends up having 70, 80 or 100 pages to wade through. I actually like separate threads on the various sub- topics that make up our pre-draft conversation. That way I can look for the sub-topics I find more interesting, rather than look through one interminable thread looking for the interesting stuff.

A slower version of Cole Beasley? I'll stick with Shakir. If I were a receiver running in the range of 5 seconds, I would probably just put in a job application at the local Piggly Wiggly.

It matters more in man coverage than in zone. It doesn't matter going against every receiver, but the margin for error shrinks for a CB when he is slower and/or smaller. Thomas is not the slowest CB in the draft, but if skill set is similar, or course you pick the guy who is faster and more athletic.

At the moment, it looks like the odds are better for Grant to be the Bills' pick than any other player. As we all know, that can and probably will change over the next five weeks. I would be happy with Grant.

Well, Cook is under contract for the 2025 season. I suppose that Beane's options are to cave and sign him for a big money deal now, try and trade him (assuming there is a team willing to risk that Cook will accept what they are willing to play, or let Cook play out his rookie deal in hopes that Cook doesn't hold out or become locker room poison. If Beane goes into the draft without being relatively certain about Cook's future with the team, I assume he will draft a running back.

I don't have any information on which to evaluate him as a player, so I'll take Gunner's word for it that he's terrible. It is interesting, however that he has good measurables, or did coming out of college. Besides being big, he has long arms, big hands and ran a 5.15. His production has been underwhelming to say the least. So, would there be anything a great defensive line coach could get out of him or is he stuck in mediocrity.

Do you mean "Pastor?" I'm available. I have 40 years experience.

I think that since we're now talking about electricians, EMTs and firefighters instead of Free agents, this thread has about run its course.

The question is whether or not the league's salary cap will outpace what fans/advertisers are willing to play for the product. When might that day come?

You didn't like the fact that Buffalo passed on a Porsche and drove off in a Ford?

Harmon, Nolen and Alexander are all more generally regarded as 3 tech guys. Williams is too, at least somewhat, but he has 20 -30 lbs more weight that might make a move to 1 tech more desirable. He tests well too. Grant in the first and Collins in the second are not impossible, but I don't think the Bills would do it. I think Williams is something of a reach at #30. I don't think the Bills would pick him there. They could trade down to the top of the second and still do it if they wanted IMO.

Say it's your turn at the draft. You have one player on your board that is graded quite a bit higher than anyone else available, but his is not at a position of need. Then you have a 4 or 5 players graded similarly behind him. Everyone in that group is at a position of either minor or major need. Ideally, you find a trade partner that allows you to move down a few spots. You then get a player you need and you are keeping to your BPA philosophy.

If you're picking a guy in the first round, you generally want as close to you can get to a complete skill set and some traits that are at least close to elite. Ideally, it is at a position of need, or at least at a position where the draftee would be an immediate and significant upgrade. That's why I'm not especially interested in a 3 tech in round 1. That includes Walter Nolen and Derrick Harmon, both of whom I like, just not so much for the Bills. As the draft proceeds, you're less and less likely to get a complete prospect. He is going to lack several physical traits (from among size, speed, agility, arm length, strength, endurance), a complete skill set (tackling, pass rush ability run defense etc.), college production and/or experience. You may pick a guy who has the physical traits you like and gamble that you can coach his skill set up and make him a productive player. Or, you may pick a guy that has the physical traits and was productive at a small school, hoping he can make the leap to the NFL. Or you might pick a guy that is undersized and short armed but tore it up as a player in a big time college football program. Late in round one, Kenneth Grant is the only defensive tackle I'm seriously interested in. He was not as productive as his teammate, Mason Graham, but he oozes traits and it might be that some of the discrepancy in production is due to the roles each player was asked to play. For the Bills, I think the hope is that Ed Oliver's production will soar if they can line him up to a beast like Grant at 1 tech. In round 2 I like Alfred Collins. Deone Walker is loaded with physical traits like Grant but has a bunch of technique issues that need to be cleaned up. I'm not averse to drafting him if the Bills think they can coach him up, but at the very least, it might take some time. Tyliek Williams is the same way, except it's more of a case (as Gunner points out) he just doesn't produce much in pass defense. The question is, would Ed Oliver produce more next to Tyliek Williams than he does next to Daquan Jones.