LancasterSteve

BINGO !!!! I remember Buddy Nix telling us at the Bills PreDraft breakfast that his philosophy was to always take the best player available in the first round when asked about Brian Bulaga and that the Bills had TWO offensive linemen rated high enough to be considered with thier 9th overall pick. Of course he didn't name names but did't take much to figure out that he meant Okung & Williams, both who were off the board when the Bills picked at 9. Spiller hands down was the best player avilable. Period. Very solid pick. I know you agree PTR but to others just imagine if stutter step was our No. 1 back this opening day instead of CJ. He even makes the gun shy Edwards look decent so far....hope he keeps it up. The past incompetency for 10 years of reaching for players is what doomed this team to the failures that we have all seen. To those of you screaming that the Bills didn't go after an offensive tackles in FA...WHO? Its not like going to the five and dime and picking up a couple. With no collective barginning agreement there were fewer players that were able to test the FA waters. If Buddy Nix had felt there was a tackle he could bring in and be an upgrade over what we had he would have done it IMO. I checked out the FA list when it came out. LT's.....crickets. To the sky is falling crowd. Print out a roster of the 4 Bills Super Bowl teams and see how they were built. Six years of good drafting, a handful of free agents and one very good trade made the core of those teams. I trust that in three years Nix will have the Bills as one of the power brokers in the NFL once again.

Color me happy that Buddy Nix is running the show and has the gonads to standup the Ralph's bean counters in Detriot. One, two, three years down the line the warm bodies taking up roster spots will be history. Nix knows talent, but rebuilding an extremely talent deprived team will take time.

why would any Bills fan pick the Home Opener weekend to go away? Ha-ha...you know I kept asking myself the same queation for the '71 home opener as the ship I was on was docking at Gitmo for a 11 week "visit"

Thanks Jack, good stuff Tim Russert was right. This will be my 48th year watching my Bills at home, first at the old Rockpile and then at RWS after a hitch in the US Navy. Always hopeful with many bumpy years along the way. Many years a season ticket holder (club seat holder since they were built)even the eight or so years I worked for the Bills durring their Super Bowl run. Quite a ride and cherish the memories like gold. Always hopeful, always proud, forever a fan of the Buffalo Bills

and DE Walt Patulski...1st overall or WR, Perry Tuttle or DT Phil Dokes. All first rounders...all busts. That's been the trouble with the Bills drafting over the years, too many misses or many players that do stick are average to below average talent wise. Except for the years Bill Pollian was the GM building the Super Bowl teams, Ralph Wilson has come up snake-eyes with the GM's he has hired. Bob Lustig-friend of Wilson's; Stew Barber- former player...in over his head as was Pat McGroder another Wilson friend to a star turned dim in Tom Donahoe to a public relations guy in Russ Brandon who was also out of the league of NFL General Managers. Or nice guy Marv Levy for that matter. I have hope with Buddy Nix, another GM from the Bill's family tree (only ones that were not are Bill Polian & Donahoe); but jeezee he is 74. How long can he take 12 hour days?

Every team will look "solid" when they play the Bills this year. 10+ years of suckitude.

Yep

Thanks Ken, the All-American Football Conference holds a special place in my heart from the stories my father and uncles would relate back in the 50's. It was sometime after 1960 when Ralph Wilson and the American Football League brought back professional football to Buffalo and Western New York, that my father told me how much it hurt to witness the end of pro football in Buffalo when the AAFC folded. Many Thanks for preserving our proud football heritage here in Western New York when men did really play for "the love of the game".

The coaches decided to leave the LT open this year; said they can get by with what they have. "Our best player at LT is 'emptiness' " said Nix

Naw, the Bills will need it for a QB

Congrats. Bio from the War Room at the Sporting News; Arthur Moats OLB, James Madison War Room analysis Strengths: Is well-built. Plays with intensity; is always around the ball. Consistently makes big plays, including tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Tight ends have difficulty blocking him one-on-one. Shows good instincts. Plays with natural leverage. Is good getting off blocks and making tackles all over the field. Has the bulk to take a consistent pounding. Weaknesses: Is a 'tweener, a college defensive end who must move to outside linebacker. Must improve agility to be effective in in coverage. Lacks great lateral speed. Tackling technique must improve. Tends to use shoulder tackles, knocking targets down rather than wrapping up. Has limited range against the run. Bottom line: Moats will be a solid small-school pick who could become a good linebacker if he can make the transition quickly. He is disruptive, a good pass rusher who be sound against the run. Coaches must focus on his open-field play. He also could become a rush end. Moats will be a solid mid-round selection and could develop into a starter. Vinnie Iyer analysis The Bills continue to find pieces for their new 3-4 defense. They're hoping Moats, a fine pass rusher, can make two successful transitions, both from a small school to the NFL and from end to outside linebacker. Measurables: DRAFTED! Buffalo Bills Round 6, Pick 9 Overall grade: 5.9 Position rank: 18 Blitz/coverage: 13 Pursuit/tackling: 19 Run/pass recognition: 18 Versus inside run: 20 Versus outside run: 19 ARTHUR MOATS MEASURABLES Height: 6-0 Weight: 246 40-yard dash: 4.67 10-yard dash: 1.62 20-yard shuttle: 4.38 60-yard shuttle: Broad jump: 10-2 225-lb. bench: 24 3-cone drill: 7.23 Vertical jump: 36 Wonderlic: 20-yard dash: 2.68 Adjustment with lateral speed is a big ? so is how he reacts to plays standing up and shedding blocks in space

Well Brady was a sixth round pick....just saying. Anythings possible. I look at our current QB's and rate them as minus 3, minus 2 and zero on a tens scale. If Brown can play at plus 1 level, he'll be better than the three pretenders we have now. Buddy Nix has a good eye for talent, that I know and trust his judgment. The rebuilding of this team will take at least four drafts, maybe more even with free agency. The 1990 super bowl team began their rebuild with the drafting of Jim Kelly in 1983. Every draft after the Bills added more pieces to the puzzle. Ten years of pi$$ poor drafting will take time to correct. Maybe a FA here and there but until this team has a winning attitude, Buffalo is not going to be a landing spot for many higher tier free agents. Good draft after good draft is what's needed.

10 years of bad drafting will cause any team to have more holes than a pound of swiss cheese. We finally have a GM in quite a while that knows talent. IMO it will take at least 4 years to right this ship.

You are correct, no Cam Thomas. Tebow is #67 No Colt McCoy either which is no big suprise here. I thought that #8 was a little high for DT Dan Williams.

FWIW here is Rick Gosselin's top 100, no first round mock draft yet http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...00.3f50970.html

If true this team is in really tough shape if Maybin flops. Another possible bust, another young immature kid who drank the kool-aid of coaches and agents telling him he is all-world. He has a ten cent mind. Just another dumb jock coming from football U This was Jauron's pick all the way. Just sickening how this a$$ ruined the Bills but that's what happens when no "real" football men are running the show instead of a second rate marketing guy who never made a good football personnal decision in his life..in cohotts with treasurer Jeff Littman Someone asked where Maybin ranked in the 2009 draft: Ourlads Guide: 11th best DE (third round grade of 7.98 on a tens scale. ProFootball Weekly had the tidbit: comes from a program that producing too many pass-rushing busts. Needs to mature both Physically and mentally. Lacks functional strength to disengage blocks and is too easily erased from the line of scrimmage. Gets knocked around too easily in the treanches. Undisciplined.. Summary a little better: Ran in 4.9's at the combine (slow?) and did not lok as athletic as he did during the season. However he is a major-league pass-rushing talent with natural ability that cannot be taught. An unrefined talent in the early stages of maturation.. Might not provide nstant returns, but if he learns to handle the extra weight (added for the combine), is able to pick up on the mental aspects of the game and refined his pass rush ability, he could be a force. A lot of if-comes have to fall in place. Will he follow religiously the diet and conditioning program the Bills give him!! Does he have the disire to improve his game, watch film, break down plays where he was out of possion for example

Depends: Ourlads http://www.ourlads.com/nflmockdrafts/?id=56 lists Bulaga as the 6th best player in the whole draft and second behind Okung in LT rankings. Info in their draft guide not online. Nolan Nawrocki from Pro Football Weekly and their draft guide has Bulaga rated as the second best LT in the draft and seventh best player in the draft. Bulaga's arm length is adequate but what makes him stand out is his quick foot work. Plus he has a mean streak which I like. I don't think he'll last until our pick.

FWIW Buddy Nix really does like CJ Spiller. Maybe Nix sees similarities with Thurman Thomas...don't know. Lynch'es bus has left town and older running backs can break down and like all players hit a wall. Personnally I hope it's an OT but Nix comes from the late John Butlers' school of thought, that in the first round you draft the best player available on your draft board.

Ourlads for the best player evals. In their mock draft they just slot players based on their rankings, not based on team needs. A player with a 1st round grade should be drafted in the first round; 2nd round,3rd round and down the line the same slotting of players. Their website: http://www.ourlads.com/ and as others have stated Pro Football Weekly's draft guide(the book) also has indepth player write-ups, with more small school prospects than most. The Sporting News "Draft WarRoom" online also has good player evals but take their mock drafts, just like most with a grain of salt. No GM is going to tip his hand on who he would like to draft. If only our airports had security like NFL draft warrooms. So if you hear some talking head like Kiper saying he "heard this" or "heard that" just do like I do; I scream at the TV and tell him to pound sand

I'll be sure to ask Gailey about Tebow at the coach'es breakfast for club seat holders in the morning. More questions will follow if allowed. New format so don't know yet how the Q&A will flow. Hope Buddy Nix is there; I would like to bend his ear also. Good guy and fun to talk with.

Jay that guy is a bad dart thrower even for the brushback Plus he was probably drinking at the time

we don't have enough fire power anyway to trade up even if we traded all our draft picks. First pick= 3000 points 9th pick= 1350 points. Difference 1650 points. All our draft picks point value added up doesn't even come close. Draft value chart- http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/news/story?id=2410670 But living in a fantasy world works or some I guess

Good post Joe.....I agree this team has so many spots that need a major upgrade especially both lines, WR and LB that to either reach in the draft for a QB or trade for a dog killer who had good wheels and nothing else is just silly talk. The instant gratification crowd never ceases to amaze.

Sporting News has Jonathan Crompton 6'3 222#, Tennessee as the second best QB. Never saw him play but they rate him over Clausen, Pike etc. Maybe someone here saw him play Jonathan Crompton QB, Tennessee War Room analysis Arm strength: Can make all passes when he strides into his throws and uses good technique. Can fit the ball into tight spots with good zip and accuracy. Will hit receiver on "deep skinny post" route between cornerback and safety. Also shows good arm strength on the move and when he cannot reset his feet. Arm is strong enough, but not a big-time gun. Accuracy/delivery: Surprises with improvement over his junior season, when accuracy and production were inconsistent. Is now accurate on all passes, with touch or zip. Holds the ball high in the pocket. Has a quick and compact delivery; gets rid of the ball quickly. Can stride into throws, but tends to stay a bit upright and doesn't bend knees well enough. On quick-hitting passes, shows quick delivery and footwork to drop back, plant foot and drive into the pass. Is effective throwing slant passes on target. Can make tough throws accurately even when rolling left and throwing against his body. Field vision: Consistently sees the field well, which helps him to make good decisions. Usually is good at going through his progressions; finds open receiver or returns to safety value. Isn't confused in reading the defense and identifying correct receiver. When out of the pocket, keeps head up and scans field to find an open target. Will at times stare down his primary receiver, allowing defenders to break and close on his passes. Running ability: Is a good athlete who can make plays with his feet. Won't be a big-play running threat, but will avoid sacks and can scramble for first down. Knows when a hole opens while he is dropping back. Won't hesitate to run. Intangibles: Made great strides starting in 2009's Week 5; looked like a new quarterback. Fit well into Tennessee's pro-style offense. Was tough and surprisingly poised in the pocket. Appears comfortable throwing the ball away to avoid the sack, but at times is late in doing so. Bottom line: Crompton made a major turnaround in his senior season. He has an exciting future because of improvement in his mechanics, accuracy, consistency, decision-making and overall production, showing that that he can learn and should be able to continue to improve. Crompton will be drafted later than we have him rated, but he should develop into a good starter. It is important for him to go to a team with a quarterback coach who teaches fundamentals. Crompton stepped up when he got his chance at the Texas vs. The Nation practices, showing a live arm and was by far the best QB all week. He was quick getting rid of ball and accurate on all types of throws all week. Career statistics Passing Rushing Team Cmp. Att. Pct. Yds. Avg. TD Int. Rat. Att. Yds. Avg. TD '06 Tennessee 31 66 47.0 401 6.1 4 2 111.9 16 46 2.9 0 '07 Tennessee 7 12 58.3 97 8.1 1 2 120.4 4 0 0.0 0 '08 Tennessee 86 167 51.5 889 5.3 4 5 98.1 37 107 2.9 2 '09 Tennessee 224 384 58.3 2800 7.3 27 13 136.0 44 100 2.3 1 Totals 348 629 55.3 4187 6.7 36 22 123.1 101 253 2.5 3