Bill from NYC

Why stop a losing trend, right?

No offense taken; I appreciate the dialogue. Actually, I think that we are on the same page. Fitz put up some OK numbers with a less than distinguished wr corps. He would, imo, strongly benefit from help at LT, and they need to improve the situation at Center. The bolded is where we disagree. Imo Andy Levitre is a top quality LG.

SO true Dan!!! There were many times where the Bills had 1 or 2 professional level blockers on their entire roster. And, a number of factors now enter into the equation: 1) This is now a passing league. 2) The Bills play outdoors, in the elements. The running game will ALWAYS matter more to the Bills than it does to dome, or hot weather teams. I will never back down from this stance. 3) Fred Jackson sees a hole better thsn any RB we have fielded since Thurman Thomas. Spiller gets by on pure speed, and needs more room. This requires power blocking on the right side. We have more of this now than we have had in how long? A good, healthy LT would make this a MUCH better team. Pears/Hairston are more than we have fielded at RT in decades. That said, we lack pass rush and credible LBs. Improvement is a tall order, but I have my fingers crossed that Nix bases this draft/FA period on making this a stronger team, rather than selling tickets. We will see.

Because he played at Notre Dame, he will come with a ready made fanbase. And Spartacus is correct in that Brandon can market a wideout big time. The problem is that while profits may rise, there is no pass rush and a possible void at LT.

Tough to say CB, but I did see some good things from Urbik at RG. He is certainly strong enough to play center. Not sure about the agility, so it's hard to make a pertinent comment. Btw, I focus on the OL WAY more than most viewers when I watch games, and find that the hardest player to see on TV is the Right Guard.

Sadly, this is a tough post to argue with.

I didn't post this to try to sell the Bills OL to anyone. And, the lowest ratings I gave were to the spots that you mentioned (LT and C). The good news is that it is no longer the weakest unit on this team. This alone is amazing for the Bills. Remember Marcus Spriggs? Greg Jerman? Jerry Ostroski? Duke Preston? Urbik is better than the 48 million dollar Dockery, and Pears is better than the 25 million dollar Langston Walker. Does this stop me from wanting a standout talent at LT? Of course not. But, LB is a big problem too imo. Other than Barnett, who is on the wrong side of 30, what LB do you like on this roster? Sheppard? He really needs to show more. In summary, if the Bills can grab a franchise LT in round 1, this is obviously a good thing. He wouldn't have to be Orlando Pace/Anthony Munoz either in order for this to be a good pick. A LT at the talent level of a Brad Hopkins or Tarik Glenn would be a great thing. But if a top LT isn't there, they better do something about LB/DE. Again, jmo.

OK, here we go..... RT:Pears/Hairston This is the most interesting position on the Bills OL imo. In an interview, Marcel Dareus said that he thought that Pears belonged in the probowl. I disagee, because he had some rough outings. But, he also had some good games. He looks like a much better run blocker than pass blocker, but this isn't uncommon for a RT. He is very strong, and 29 years old. Hairston has the potential to be better than Pears. He is a big, aggressive blocker, and imo projects to be a very good RT. Grade: B+, although some of this is based on potential. RG:Urbik/Rinehart Urbik surprised me. He seemed to find angles and provide holes for Jackson. He isn't super agile, but he's strong, and I sense very coachable. Rinehart seemed to be a capable backup. Grade: B Looking fairly solid, if unspectacular. OC: Wood/Brown Wood sure looked good for a few games, no? He plays hard, and is a tough guy, as well as a skilled, experienced Center. The problem is, there is no reason for me to believe that he will be consistently healthy after his serious injuries. Could he surprise us and play 16 games? Yes, but the odds get worse with each injury imo. Colin Brown was a pleasant surprise, and did OK as a backup. But if I was GM, I would try to address this position at some point. Is Vlachos coming out? Grade: C Could go much higher if Wood can stay on the field. LG: Andy Levitre: Andy seems to be an almost perfect OG for today's game. A converted LT, Levitre is very agile and is a good pass blocker. And, he's no slouch in the running game. What else is there to say? Grade: A- Probowl talent imo, and I would give him an A if he was just a bit stronger on running plays. LT: Bell/Hairston: I see that some are concerned about a LT prospect (Adams?) doing 19 reps with 225 at the combines. As I recall, Bell did 9. That said, his agility is beyond dispute, and sometimes he can compensate, especially on upfield blocks, on which he gets a running start. If he could consistently stay healthy, I would think that he would be a slightly better than average LT. But that's a huge "if." Here is another one.....if he was very highly regarded around the league, we would hear his name every day on Sirius, and teams would offer him a Jason Peters contract. Or, the Bills would use the tag on him and try to negotiate a long term deal. Hairston filled in as well as one could ask from a rookie. Grade: C Obviously, this would be higher with a consistently healthy Bell. A few notes: 1) The Bills can actually run right. This has not been the case in many years. 2) Sorry, but count me as one who thinks that Fitz gets the ball away quickly. This imo factors large in terms low sack totals. 3) None of the above players are old, which is obviously good news. 4) If the Bills lose Bell, AND they think that they can find a very good LT in this draft, they would be wise to take him, because there is no other way to get one. If they keep Bell, and draft a LB or DE, this could work, but we will have to keep our fingers crossed that Bell will not be carted off yet again. Just my passing, off season "thoughts."

I am not in favor of drafting DeCastro. Would I be if I somehow knew that he would be as good as John Hannah? Probably, but that is a huge reach. The Bills OL, as much as I have complained about it for well over a decade, is not as bad as it was. In fact, I was thinking of devoting a post to rating them position by position. There are still question marks imo, but OG doesn't look so bad. As to where you and I differ, is wrt defensive style. I like attack defenses. Watching Aaron Schobel drop back into pass coverage used to turn my stomach. I want the Bills to be aggressive on offense and defense. They have a HUGE hole at LB. They need pass rush from the DEs, and LT is still a question mark, which could soon get worse if Bell signs on with another team. Levy/Jauron would have looked at this and signed a defensive back. I hope Nix doesn't.

John Hannah was. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hannah_(American_football)

I like this post quite a bit (not surprised). The only thing I would like to add to it is that imo, under NO conditions should they waste another early pick on a RB or DB. The Bills do not sign (generally speaking) marquee free agents. Their best resources are their draft picks, and let's be honest, this is a franchise that REALLY needs to click when they step up to the podium. I truly hope that they can keep SJ, and prevent the need for a wr in round 1. I think that if we lose him, the need for flash and ticket sales will weigh heavy. This of course is jmo. If they do things right and get lucky, I can actually see the possibility of a wild card. How cool would that be?

I don't focus on him being injury prone. I look at the fact that he fails to make plays. He has been all but worthless since he has been drafted. This draft is said to be deep in DTs. If Troup is cut, it won't upset me a whole hell of a lot, ya know?

I am a huge Crimson Tide fan, and have watched a whole lot of Dre Kirkpatrick. I like the kid a lot, but he would be an absolutely stupid draft selection for this team. The Bills have but 1 proven linebacker on the entire roster. Upshaw and Hightower are both going to be stars in this league imo. And, the Bills could (assuming they had a partner) trade down and select Hightower. Kirkpatrick would flounder in the secondary with no pass rush, and the Bills have none. Is he good? Yes, but it wouldn't matter on the Bills, and btw I'm not crazy about the off field problems. Now, could the Bills be stupid enough to draft another defensive back at number 10? One would have to look at Whitner and McKelvin and say yes. The good news is that Nix wasn't there for these idiotic decisions. We have seen, year after year, how focusing on the secondary and rbs, while neglecting the front 7 and the OL, results in loss after loss. How you could want to continue to do so is beyond my comprehension. Sorry.

Trade back 7 spots. Get an extra 3rd in 2012 and a 1st in 2013. Draft Hightower. Am I dreaming? Yes. Agreed. Flashy first round receivers sell tickets.

Imo the focus is that he is the first respectable TE on this roster for many years. He isn't great, but I am afraid to see the team with a complete void at yet another position. It used to be that way at RG, and now the lb corps is all but shot.

Not sure if I agree with this. But, to do so would probably require the use of the #10, and we have huge problems at the LB position and pass rush to also address.

The above is not totally accurate. I think that Bell is adequate/good on the rare occasions on which he is healthy. And I will answer your question. He is worth what a team will give him. Dick Drawn coinned the phrase, "Jennings ala Cart" due to his numerous injuries, and I repeat, Jennings was better than Bell. He, despite the chronic injuries, got a huge contract from the 49ers, and this was some time ago. Teams want a solid LT, and they will pay. Someone (imo) will make Bell a huge offer. The Bills will not match it because they think Hairston is a LT. Btw, I do not. I hope I am wrong, but I project him to RT (and a very good one). I am unable to visualize him as a top LT, but that's merely my opinion. What is Bell worth? 4 or 5 million per season, but watch and see. He will get at least 7, but not from the Bills. JMO, and you did ask.

Fina was small and conparitively weak for a LT. Bell, while more talented overall than Fina, has the same problems. This is why he is constantly hurt. Jonas Jennings was better than both of them but was even more frail than Bell. Bottom line? Jason Peters was better than the 3 of them combined. Your memory is incorrect. Fina was shot even before he left Buffalo. He did nothing for Arizona. Nothing at all. At that point, he was more concerned with cooking/restaurants than football. In his prime, he wasn't much. If you want to compare him to someone, picture a low rent Jeff Backus.

This is wonderful news. God bless.

Mr. Wilson recently stated that the Bills need receivers. Now it at least appears that SJ is going to walk. A flashier, faster wideout will sell more tickets in the short term. Do you still think that Mr. Wilson has no say in the first round?

Remember Mr. Wilson's comment about Fitz "needing receivers?" He is seemingly not impressed enough to even franchise SJ if this article is true. You and I predicted a long time ago that the Bills would use the first round pick this year on a wide receiver as I recall. It's making sense now, no? Perhaps this situation will serve as food for thought for those who doubt that Mr. Wilson, even at his age, really does get involved with first round selections.

Nix said that he had "multiple offers in every round" to trade down in 2011. I am GUESSING that he might have been able to obtain an extra 1st round pick for 2012 in doing so in round 2. I am not being critical of him either btw. Maybe he looked at the 2012 draft and wasn't so impressed. We will never know. If his strategy is to always stay put, so be it. But like any other draft strategy, one has to be correct, especially on a team like the Bills, where management doesn't seem to provide them with the money to sign too many expensive free agents.

Very true.

Of course, we need to wait for free agency to unfold, but at this point I tend to be on the same page as you. In a tradedown scenario, I would toss Donta Hightower into the mix. I am a long time Alabama fan, and I have watched this kid for years. He has a chance to be as good as Patrick Willis imo. I want a pass rusher/LT/QB as much as anybody on this board, but Hightower and additional picks would be a steal for our beloved Bills imo.

LOL! No, I think it's me not making myself clear. Imo, Richardson will be picked somewhere around #9, just like Spiller. Although he has never played a professional down, I am of the opinion that he will be a clearly superior player. He is bigger, stronger, a better blocker, hard to tackle, a better receiver imo, and not that much slower. Richardson is a complete player, not a situational player. And given the above, I still wouldn't want Richardson at #9. I think the Spiller pick was a huge mistake, but this is merely my opinion.