Bill from NYC

Im inclined to agree. Remember, Bryce Paup was a 6th round pick from a small school. It's great to have extra late round picks imo. True, they have less time to prove themselves, but once in a while you can stumble into a gem.

Astro, is the TE from Bama coming out? He is huge, and gets open. He didn't get a lot of plays his way because of the tons of talent on that offense, so his numbers will not indicate his capabilities. A player like this could be a 4th round gift imo.

Dareus. He was top notch with no outside pass rush, KW hurt, and playing nose. He may now draw single coverage on some plays. He is going to crush pople imo.

Donte might have been the dumbest pick in the history of this franchise. The 2006 draft was loaded, absolutely stacked with talent, and a ton of it was at positions of huge need for the Bills. The Bills are only just starting to get over this debacle. Drafts such as 2006 are franchise killers. Donte wasn't a value pick, nor was he good enough to fill a need. And, he held out to boot. That draft was just a mess.

No, and perhaps I am failing to get explain myself properly (what a surprise lol). Last season, pass rush was the biggest problem. R.Rich and I would spend hours after games complaining about it. The OL wasn't as bad as it had been for a long time, but it wasn't as good as the sack stats would indicate. I am 100% sure that Gailey, one smart dude, had to adapt to problems on the outside. Now, the pass rush looks very good. A LT as good as a healthy Jason Peters would, at the very least in theory, improve the play of Fitz, the running game. and afford the Bills more time of possession. This is not to mention that we often play in the elements, where a bruising ground game is vital. I hope we can fill this hole Doctor. We just might be on the cusp of great things!!!

I couldn't agree more Promo. I see the term "draft value" often used by fans as an alibi of sorts to justify a dumb selection by a GM. Forget about Brady.....Bryce Paup was also a 6th round pick. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Would he have been a "reach" in the first round? No, because he played up to it. In essence, Paup was a "steal" in that draft. I'm with you on "value," but there are lots players who I would label a "steal."

Obviously, so did Peters. I think that this is a geat example of exactly why these guys sometimes hold out. When he was traded, he was the best player on the team. And I know that they had re-worked his contract, but he was making less than, and lining up with Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker, 2 players who were horrible. Don't get me wrong, the Bills have made some great moves of late. Mario and 2 men from Bama on that DL are gonna kick some serious ass. But if they had a LT who could play as well as a healthy Jason Peters, I would be going to a playoff game in January. I hope they can fill this void.

Hey, feel better brother! Good luck and may God bless!!!

Generally speaking, I agree with you about a Guard at 10. The only time I would be in favor of this would be if a team didn't have any credible starters at this position, AND you truly believe you will be getting a long term probowl player (Faneca, Hutchinson, Hannah, Little, etc.). The Bills have been, but are not currently in this position. As for corner at 10, this would be a mistake imo. We have a gaping hole at LT, a truly hard position to fill. The Lions just gave Backus another 10 million, and he is fairly average, and not young. LT is a very bad place for a void. I don't want to get into a situation like in the 90s, where the Bills had a great defense, but were weak on the offensive front. Wood works hard, but I for one don't trust him to stay healthy, although Colin Brown didn't look bad. The same can be said about Bell, even if the Bills do re-sign him. And I find it strange that nobody seems to want a free agent LT with starting experience. Fitz is not a star QB. You have said this many times. A good LT would be a HUGE help to him and make his job a lot easier. The Bills helped their defense immensly, including the secondary. With Williams and Anderson rushing the passer, the secondary should instantly improve. I'm all for a solid DB in rounds 3-7. Sure, let's go. Maybe even in the second, but the Bills OL is not a finished product. And btw, LB, if left alone, could also be a weak spot.

Really? Who was the last LT drafted in the first round by the Bills? Wait, I know....John Fina in 1992, with pick #27. You are correct that the Bills, especially when Levy was involved, squandered the resources they did use on the OL. Then, when we had a very good LT, they refused to pay him, and traded him away. And Btw, Woods is a center, and Williams was a fat right tackle. They were drafted between 2002 and 2009. During that span, 5 of their first round picks were either DBs or RBs, and one of those seasons they had no first round pick. That season, their first selection was Parrish in round 2.

Sure. Let's just hope that they click. Because if they do, we can go places imo.

If the Bills draft, and click on a top LT, it would be monumental. This is a team who has historically squandered it's best resources on defensive backs and running backs, the results of which were of course losing football games. This is beyond dispute. Now, their biggest needs are LT, LB, and back-up QB. Having the #10, and additional late round picks, we could get lucky and fill these needs. This would, imo, make us a playoff team. The above said, I am pretty sure that the #10 will be a wideout. We shall see. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If not the 2010 draft, which one would you call below average, or even bad? I really liked the 2011 draft, but would consider 2010 to be flat out putrid. If it took Nix a year to hit his stride, or if there were "other" factors involved in 2010, so be it. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good thread, but I wish it had a different title. Obviously, none of us have the ability of a man who came up under Bear Bryant, and has made a living at it for generations. As for Martin, I trust your judgement. This is not a run of the mill fan site imo. There are, and have been, posters who REALLY put a lot of time into this, and are as close to being "experts" as one could be. You and I drank ber with them; you know who I mean. Having read your posts, met you in person, and knowing what part of the country you live in, I lend much credence to your judgement about Martin. It tells me that you have a very good chance of being "right" about him. Some call him soft and want to re-sign Bell, but I remind all that even in a disappointing workout, Martin more than doubled Bell's bench press (20 reps vs. 9). I think that we both agree that a LT at 10 need not be an all time great. A solid 10 year starter is worth his weight in gold. While I do NOT put myself in the class of the "experts" here, I watch every Bama game I possibly can, and here are some random thoughts: 1) I like Barron more than Kirkpatrick. He covers like a blanket, has soft hands, and hits like a truck on running plays. Dareus was quoted as saying how Bama plays the run first. 2) Upshaw is going to be a top OLB in a 3/4. Can he play DE? Probably, but I am less sure, so he would be a riskier early pick in a 4/3 imo. 3) Hightower will be an actual star MLB or ILB. He is a VERY hard hitter, and when I first saw him, I thought he was a safety. He seems to have gained weight and strength as he aged. When he blitzes, look out. Having said all that, Martin at #10 would be fine with me, as long as you say so.

Ken Norton Jr. was a second rounder. Does he count?

Big Ted Washington! Wade had coached him in Denver.

The last time we brought in 2 players who offered solid front 7 help in free agency was 1995. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Buffalo_Bills_season Btw, it worked. They even had a good draft that year. We advanced in the playoffs. What went wrong? 1) Bruce caught the flu before the Steeler game. I had the same one; it was deadly. There was NO possible way he could have played. 2) Kelly was getting old. 3) Their best blocker was a rookie left guard. My point? This team really can contend. What they CANNOT do is bust out in the draft. Look what happened in the next few drafts after 95..... http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/teams/bills Right now (imho), the Bills are in a position to put together a very good roster. Looking at the team, they have solved their biggest weakness (pass rush). If healthy, they will have a VERY good defensive line. Imo, Dareus is going to be a beast. What a great kid! He is a disciplined, well coached, very talented player, and he will thrive with pass rushers surrounding him. And, he will make their jobs easier. Now, where are our weakest positions? 1) LB 2) LT 3) WR 4) BACKUP QB With the #10 and an extra 4th, it would seem very possible to strengthen these weaknesses. I haven't been as pumped about this team in many years. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bryce Paup was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. C'mon, please.....

Same with Upshaw. I heard Wanny say it on Sirius. He said Upshaw would line up with "a hand on the ground."

They really do. And even more important is the fact that that bad ones LOSE you football games. Players such as Greg Jerman, Marcus Spriggs, Corey Loucheiy, and a litany of other horrid OTs on this football team have lost the Bills game after game after game for a generation. Can you possibly disagree with this?

Thanks! It is very hard to place value on some of these players, but Revis is a great example. The man is great at what he does. But if he was on the Bills making 15 million and sucking away cap space, I make the case that there would be no way we would have signed Mario. The Jets had to re-negotiate with Sanchez just to stay under the cap. This after a very disappointing season. But, Jet fans can sit around and say, "Revis is great." As far as a possession wr vs. a franchise LT, I will always lean towards the franchise LT, if only because they are so hard to get. He wouldn't have to be Ogden/W. Jones/Pace either. A Glenn/Hopkins/Light would suit me just fine. And LTs are the easiest players to keep. Their tag price is lower than that of corners because linemen are lumped in together for some reason. And drafting dbs in round 1, only to let them walk, is a recipe for failure. One created by the Buffalo Bills. Again, jmo.

Absolutely not, at least not with the #10. Remember, we just used a VERY early #2 on a corner. Look at the jets if you will.....They are paying Revis almost as much as we will pay Mario. The results? No playoffs, and they had to extend Sanchez, a so-so qb at best, to do so. Dick Drawn explains it better than me. In 4 or 5 wide sets, even a "shut down corner" only covers one receiver. But, today teams go with 4 or even 5 wide sets. Corners were never a good idea to build a team around. Now it makes even less sense. As for us, we have (imho) but one credible LB on the team. That would be Barnett, who is on the wrong side of 30. And, we have an obvious need at LT. If Nix/Gailey loved Bell, he would be signed. And if GMs around the league believed in him, he would have a 75 million dollar contract. One of the very best posters on this board (John C) hates me for it lol, but I would love to see them trade down just a few spots and draft Hightower. But Martin would make me just as happy, and Upshaw would be great as well. Jmo.

Matt Light was a second round pick, and is still kicking ass 11 years later. Now. I urge you to examine the first round picks of the patsies since they picked Light. http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/teams/patriots How many would you rather have than Light? My point? Light would have been worth a #10. Do you think that the patsies, as great as Brady is, would have enjoyed the same success with Langston Walker, Greg Jerman, or Bell on a gurney playing LT? I make the case that this would be an impossibility. I also once again bring up the dirty little secret of playing in the elements. This winter was great, but how about next season, and the one after that. I have been to games at RWS where passing was all but out of the question, and 2 of our divisional opponents play in the cold as well. Even in this new passing league, running will always mean just a bit more to the Bills than it does to most other teams. Exceptions? Sure, the Packers. Farve could throw through a tornado, and Rodgers looks like he will be in the hall of fame. This post is not to dismiss yours as rubbish. You DO raise some valid points. I just think that it isn't as simple as you present it, and I believe that a top quality LT would be a HUGE boost to the Bills.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13995/kelvin-sheppard I hope you are right AJ, but imo he was far from impressive last year. He obviously needs to make some plays.

Very good post! The Bills OL, while not great, is much better than it has been in years. Fitz and the 3 step drops were part of this, I agree. Jackson also enters into the equation. He sees a hole very quickly and is strong enough to get through it. But not to be overlooked was the play of the Guards. Levitre, as I have said many times, is an ideal Guard given the rule changes. He is a fine pass blocker. Both Urbik and Rinehart also held up well. Before this season, when can you remember the Bills having 2 good Guards? I remember when Bledsoe was here and we had a good RG for 8 or so games (a free agent from the Bears, can't remember his name), but his body fell completely apart and then he was awful. Hairston gained much needed experience, and Pears was at least average. Bell? He is good (not great) when he plays. Often he is able to make up for his lack of strength (which was always a problem) with his better than average agility. If he walks, there will obviously be a need at LT, and these guys are extremely hard to get. But I fear that even if he stays, he might not be strong enough to hold down the position without getting hurt yet again. LT will be a tough decision for Nix.