Matt in KC

Fantastic! I'm thrilled they're focusing on speed and conditioning. No amount of coaching by our opponents can fully overcome that. I also like the competition. They're doing several things at once: strengthening, bonding, instilling competitive culture, recognizing and rewarding winning. Also, the cross-team bonding will really help if we hit a string of losses, where the team communcates and pushes each other, but is less likely to demonize the others groups when they struggle.

My ranking:Worst Pat Williams Winfield Ted Washington Greer Fletcher Levitre Least worst

But of course you'd also have to throw in the picks we got for Lynch: Chris Hairston and Tank Carder (who while we let him go was a legitimate shot at a position of need). I loved rooting for Lynch and the punishment he'd lay on defenses (same as Henry). But, they needed a plan in case he was suspended for a year. I likely would have dealt him too. It's just a question whether they got fair value and if it was the right call to take a RB high in the next draft. Who do you prefer at the time of the 2011 draft? Spiller, Chris Hairston, and a 5th round LB prospect (2012) Marshawn Lynch (one poor decision from a long suspension), and Dez Bryant (with some character questions) These were two separate decisions; 1) Let Lynch go 2) Select CJ #9. While I agree with letting Lynch go, I think CJ was just a decent choice. I'd generally prefer proven QBs or freak linemen that high, though we really did need a playmaker on offense. Sorry for the tangent. Go EJ! I'm as excited about him as I've been for any new QB on the team (since JP Losman )

I don't think he went on IR his rookie season; he just missed the last game after taking a vicious shot to his ribs in a blow out loss to the Pats. I don't think that plus having a torn ACL two seasons later makes him injury prone, it just confirms that anyone can and will get hurt if hit hard enough and in sensitive areas. But whatever... I wish Nelson well, but likely will be too preoccupied with our own set of WRs to follow his progress on the Browns. It's going to be fun to watch Da'Rick and our other young receivers battle for a spot on the team and playing time!

How was he injury prone? He got nailed in the opener and missed the season with a knee injury. He played every other game for the Bills since college. I consider injury-prone to be the guys that get hurt or can't heal after no or little contact, more than just one time. I think the Woods just moves better off the field.

Sanders has never faced real NFL defenders and is coming off surgery to both hips. We spent too many years with crappy o-lines. I know guards are supposedly easy to replace, but I am concerned. If we run a fast offense it will really help, but I don't see who we're going to play. I was unimpressed with Sam Young and Colin Brown last year.

Best Bills UDFA mentions: House Ballard (11th round seelction) - If you're going to ask about "ever," you have to count the old guys that were drafted after the 7th round to level the field. Jason Peters - Definitely the best Practice squad player in Bills history

I hope they really focus on conditioning as well. I'd like to see an up-tempo offense that defenses just can't keep up with on a given play, due to raw speed, and through a drive, due to conditioning. There is no amount of preparation other teams can do that will allow them to beat those advantages outright. I hope to see teams calling time out just to catch their breath.

What makes you think he didn't come back from the future to make his post? Of course he can't admit that because it would really scrrew up the timeline....

Nice summary. Guard is the position that really screms out to me first, then CB. We have a lot of guys in the secondary who will continue to get better, so I count guard as more pressing. I'm really high on Brooks and hopeful he comes on strong at CB this year. Other than that, I'd say we're still too thin at TE. Let's say we want to run a couple two TE plays in the opener against the Patriots... I think lack of healthy talent is going to dictate what we run, which is the definition of a weakness.

Yes, I think Buddy steps down in the next month, if not the next week. And I really like Buddy, and think he's been good for the organization

And with the third pick (Jordon to Miami), everyone is eliminated... We'll have to see who gets closest overall... 2 right answers?

I completely agree. It sounds like the coaches want up-tempo attacking players. It's not just about getting players that grade high according to a generic cross-team scorecard of some type. We need to find players we're comfortable can contribute to the specific team we're building. And I agree, the focus on the first round is overblown. I think it's mostly driven by the mass-media reductionism to scale the stories to what a casual fan can understand or cares about. But, for the professionals, I think the 2nd-4th rounds are where they really earn (or fail to earn) their money. There is significant talent still available if youcan find it. After every draft I feel like everyone knew about the first rounders, but maybe our scouts found another gem like Kyle Williams or Terrence Mcgee later in the draft.

QB - Geno Smith - Bills WR - Cordarrelle Patterson - MN Vikings TE - Tyler Eifert - Bears OT - Luke Joeckel - KC Chiefs LB - Dion Jordan - Eagles

I was just going to look that up! The alarm and Gable yelling "Dive! Dive!" is something I still think of every time I see a submarine. ------- I just watched part of a bad sub movie called Below. It's on my DVR, so I'll probably get to the ending some sad night where I have nothing else recorded. Critic Lou Lumenick from the New York Post sums it up pretty well: A substandard attempt to outfit a World War II submarine with every haunted-house cliché known to man and filmmakers. The positive spin from Entertainment weekly (posted on Meta-critic): In the handsome, haunting submarine thriller Below, the usual perils of deep-sea maneuvers are heightened by psychic unraveling. Sorry, this is the exact opposite of what was requested, but I thought I'd offer it in case anyone tries to rank the movies suggested to give us a little more range....

I like the attempt to analyze. Thanks! Why did you stop at pick 23? I just pulled more data for the discussion, below. It looks like there are an additional 10 picks for the good teams and 5 for the bad teams in the first round. 2012 29 - Vikings - Harrison Smith (S) 2011 27 - Ravens - Jimmy Smith (CB) **First 2 picks of the 2nd round the Pats and Bills took CBs 2010 27 - New England - Devin McCourtney (CB) 32 - Saints - Patrick Robinson (CB) 2009 25 - Dolphins - Vontae Davis (CB) 2008 25 - Cowboys - Michael Jenkins (CB) 2007 24 - New England - Brandon Meriweather (S) 2006 24 - Bengals - Joseph (CB) 31 - Seahawks - Jennings (CB) 2005 29 - Colts - Marlin Jackson (CB) 2004 25 - Green Bay - Carroll (CB) 28 - Panthers - Gamble (CB) 2003 28 - Tenessee - Woolfolk (CB) 30 - Chargers - Davis (CB) 31 - Raiders - Asomugha (CB extraordinaire) 2002 24 - Ravens - Ed Reed (FS extraordinaire) 26 - Eagles - Lito Sheppard (CB) 27 - 49ers - Rumph (CB) 2001 24 - Broncos - Middlebrooks (CB) 26 - Dolphins - Fletcher (CB) 28 - Raiders - Gibson (SS) 2000 24 - 49ers - Plummer (CB)

You are awesome, Mrags! I never doubted you. You always nail these things. You. Da. Man. hey, do you think I could borrow $20?

2009: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/87186-tomcats-3rd-annual-draft-contest-win/ Your 2011 link has links to the earlier years, including 2009.

I hope the gay catholics in Oregon move to another state! Huh? What does that even mean? I can understand understand "fruit" etc. as a euphemism for gay, but have no idea what that quote means

So, let's say for the sake of argument, as has been suggested in recent posts: 1. Being gay is a choice 2. Anal sex is icky and unnatural 3. Gay people are self-loathing, narcissists and/or have daddy issues 4. Gay people do or don't want to raise children 5. the player thinking of coming out is pushing an agenda or just wants the spotlight for whatever reason Even assuming all of those things, shouldn't gay players still be allowed to be open? Shouldn't we encourage them to be open about who they are? After all, we support heterosexual players regardless of whether 1. they chose to be hetero- or not 2. they engage in anal, oral, nostril, or whatever kind of sex 3. they are self-loathing, narcissists and/or have daddy issues 4. they do or don't want to have or raise children 5. other players sought the spotlight or acted sexually irresponsibly What are the dissenters saying? Gay people should not be open in football or elsewhere? Because....?

I would completely respect a Buffalo Bills player for coming out. Unfortunately, the first player will draw a lot of attention, which could be a significant distraction. Hopefully a player comes out, then is followed quickly by a handful of others on other teams to diffuse the atttention.

Wikipedia on Flour transition to Flower City: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Rochester,_New_York#The_Flower_City

___http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mHmuoRvdukM

I can't speak for Canks, but this was sarcasm. I created an amalgam of the Buddy phone call responses and applied it here. (I just don't think sarcasm is as funny when you have to put up a big sign saying it's sarcasm.) I don't think the accent was very good, but our minds really want to connect the pictures to what we're hearing, like with Morgan Freeman.

Wow! This is really embarrassing for Manning and the Broncos organization. Someone is in serious, I mean serious, legal trouble for recording this message and airing it without permission! If this is real, do you guys realize how F#$%ed Manning is? The entire NFL now knows what he is thinking behind the scenes. They know for sure now how the Broncos don't know who to draft etc.. I think it's really interesting to hear how NFL QBs talk to each other in private, both this clearly crosses a line....