BobChalmers

Sweet - so now you get to declare who is mid-level vs. top-tier after the fact in order to call them liars and whine about it no matter what happens? Maybe we should make that list up front - seriously - add to this list with who is/isn't good enough: Who's a good enough pass rusher for you? Mario Avril? Just got tagged Mathis? Freeney Calais Campbell tagged Abraham (really old) Vonnie Holliday (ARZ) - DE Kroy Biermann (ATL) - DE Cory Redding (BAL) - DE Israel Idonije (CHI) - DE Victor Adeyanju (CIN) - DE Frostee Rucker (CIN) - DE Derrick Harvey (DEN) - DE Jason Hunter (DEN) - DE Tim Bulman (HOU) - DE Jamaal Anderson (IND) - DE Tyler Brayton (IND) - DE Jeremy Mincey (JAC) - DE Matt Roth (JAC) - DE Wallace Gilberry (KC) - DE Kendall Langford (MIA) - DE Phillip Merling (MIA) - DE Igor Olshansky (MIA) - DE Mark Anderson (NE) - DE Andre Carter (NE) - DE Shaun Ellis (NE) - DE Eric Moore (NE) - DE Jeff Charleston (NO) - DE Turk McBride (NO) - DE Dave Tollefson (NYG) - DE Jarvis Moss (OAK) - DE Trevor Scott (OAK) - DE Victor Abiamiri (PHI) - DE Juqua Parker (PHI) - DE Aaron Smith (PIT) - DE Raheem Brock (SEA) - DE Anthony Hargrove (SEA) - DE Jovan Haye (TB) - DE Dave Ball (TEN) - DE William Hayes (TEN) - DE Adam Carriker (WAS) - DE Kedric Golston (WAS) - DE Marcus Benard (CLE) - DE - Restricted Clifton Geathers (DAL) - DE - Exclusive Rights Will Tukuafu (SF) - DE - Exclusive Rights C.J. Ah You (STL) - DE - Restricted Michael Bennett (TB) - DE - Restricted Who's a good enough WR for you? Is VJ good enough? Colston? Bowe? Garcon? Meachem? Manningham? Lloyd? Wayne? There's a serious question as to whether there will be ANY top-tier pass rushers available at all in FA, btw. I suppose we can blame Nix for that.

I was pretty clear about it but you didn't read it apparently. IF Nix doesn't come through - I'll be in line with everyone else ripping him for BS-ing us. All I'm asking is for some evidence Nix won't do what he says before insisting he won't based on a lot of stuff that doesn't apply. Got ANY???

Franchise him at the OLT rate??? Dear God NO. I like him a lot - more than most on this board, but because of his health there's no way he rates that kind of cash, and I seriously doubt anyone else is going to pay him a number anywhere near that. Frankly, what team would be stupid enough to give him any money up front at all??

Their history is no evidence of anything here because Buddy, Chris Brown, and everyone else acknowledge their history. They are explicity and clearly staing that they are deviating from their history for this one season. You are calling them liars with no basis. Now, if you can find me where in previous seasons Buddy Nix said they were going to go aggressive on FA and didn't, accuse away. And, as I've said - if they don't really do it this season, then we should all be calling him out. In the meantime - this is just the same tiresome "we live in Buffalo, we suck" whining with nothing to back it up. Yeah - and the DE spot is going to be tough. It's a bad year to need that position. I can't imagine bringing in a FA DE this season without "overpaying" given how bad the prospects look in the draft. Having said that, they may just do it - we'll see. I'm just glad my son's new SJ #13 jersey of last year isn't already wasted! Yay for five more years of use. (He's in college now so it should continue to fit)

NO - BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR FELLOWS HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY IMPLYING NIX IS A LIAR WITH NO EVIDENCE. It's not quite as bad as the idiots here who like to mock him for his age, or his southern accent, but it's pretty tiresome. Move south - get some sunshine, a better economy, and a brighter outlook. You can live down here near DC and hear how people whine about an owner who blows all his draft picks and cap space chasing big name veterans instead - great change of pace. None, except for the fact that they've stated repeatedly that for this season they intend to make an exception to their usual practice. Yawn yourself.

I still wouldn't expect thre DE or LB in the first - there just doesn't seem to be anyone there who looks like value for the #10 spot. I have a good feeling about Ingram - maybe they'd go that way - but I'd be pretty nervous spending a #10 on a "maybe" when there are still "for sure" OT's to be had. FA will drive a lot, obviously - but I get the sense they are goilg to go all out to sign Mario or Avril or someone like that. The 2nd WR Buddy's been talking about since January seems like a strong FA possibility too - there are still a bunch out there. If they manage to get that top pass rusher in FA, it will be OL or DB in the first probably - depending on who falls, of course. AND he also says THIS YEAR they will spend hard on FA's - but there are still a pile of doom-and-gloomers here who will refuse to beleive it. Watch them bring in Mario Williams and the losers here will complain Buddy and Ralph OVERSPENT on a guy with injuriy history!

The same thing Nix has been saying for the last two months but people all over this board have insisted on ignoring it. As many times as I've repeated myself on this - I'm going to add this here as it's on topic: Nix (and now Chris Brown aka OBD mouthpiece) have no reason to lie or even exaggerate about this. Why would they want to set high expecations for fans well before the FA period starts, only to piss everyone off when they don't back it up. We can't tell from what they've said just how much they are willing to (over)pay for top FA's this season, but it's clear they intend to go hard to get the guys they need. I would have to assume it's Stevie plus a pass rusher and maybe another WR depending on where the passrusher leaves them financially. They'll get the second passrusher they know they need in rounds 2-4 of the draft (probably in the form of multiple prospects). People here will no doubt contunue to whine "Ralph is cheap" "Buddy is old" "the Bills never get FA's" ignoring both the Dockery/Walker/Tripplett year and everything Nix and now Brown have said. They've been on about it here for months - really tiresome. Makes me glad I no longer live in Buffalo I guess. I will be starting an "Apologize to Ralph and Buddy" thread here the day after FA starts. I hope it's busy!!

OK - one more time because you apparently weren't paying attention when Buddy spelled this out quite plainly: - they don't usually spend big on FA - previously and in future seasons they have not/will not be focused on FA but instead build through the draft - THIS season they DO intend to spend big/be aggressive in FA - starting right when the period opens - they intend to re-sign Stevie if they can - if they do re-sign Stevie, they will still go all out to bring in another top guy - if they can't sign Stevie they intend to bring in TWO TOP WR's Nix has said all of this in the last two months, and it does him zero good to be lying about it. If they don't do it, rag on Nix mercillously and call him a liar - because he'll deserve it. In the meanwhile, what possible justification is there to call him a liar now??

Like getting Williams, but the point of this thread is that neither Coples or anyone else at DE is a good enough bet to justify a #10 pick. If they go pass rusher in round one, they should trade down first to do it.

In other words, using it in this discussion is utter bunk. Thank you. I don't see much in Pears either - except a big contract extension the Bills just gave him last year. Those here who expect Hairston to take over at RT this season can forget it. Nix - as with many things this off season, has been perfectly up front about the situation... Paraphrasing Nix only a little: 1. "Bell's very good IF he's healthy - but so far he's not been healthy enough." 2. "You can always use more help at Offensive Tackle" and "you can move Tackles to Gaurd if you have to". 3. "We're going to draft another tackle." He's also said what the analysts have said - in spite of the fact that he and Gailey know pass rush is the #1 need - the pass rushers in this year's draft don't justify high #1 picks. There's a good chance they take an OLT if one they like is still there. If they let Bell walk (though they won't if they can keep him for cheap) then I'd say the odds are VERY high they go OLT in the first round.

Noticed that too. I'd be sorely tempted (were I at OBD) to stick out the 3-4 another season.

Jackson, Bowe, Colston,... Maybe Garcon, Wayne... It's a long list. Fair enough - if we believe that take on Wallace then it's a no-brainer. As for Evans, broken down or no, he completely stopped fighting for the football (IE "playing big") when Losman left. His play on Revis (Revis' rookie year) is so memorable in part because it was so incredibly rare.

I suppose the folks in KC, San Diego, New Orleans, New England - they all suck too and/or are micromanaged by their cheap owners, blah blah blah which explains why NONE OF THEM HAVE RE-SIGNED THEIR BIG NAME FA WR'S EITHER??? Nix absolutely decides how the money is spent. I'm sure Ralph sets the budget - but I am equally sure that budget has already been laid out for Nix and he's making his statements and plans knowing what money he has to work with. Nix has been totally upfornt on this: They aren't usually big players in FA. They won't generally be so in the future. However, THIS YEAR - and ONLY this year (as it stands now) they intend to play big. He said it clearly. It makes perfect sense. It fits with all the facts and history of the team. Hopefully this year Nix's management team does a better job of spending the money than the earlier team did on Dockery/Walker/Triplett the last time they thought they were close. Why would anyone think that Nix lying now - at this point in the process - would do him any good at all?

He wasn't even the #3 when the Bills let him go for a 4th round pick. He was at best #4 - that's why they didn't want him. Gailey (and I) would both rather have Stevie, Nelson, and Roscoe on the field before we got Evans out there. A healthy Easely probably pushes him even further down the lineup. And that's before Nix adds whoever he has said he intends to add to the WR corps this season. So, no. If he'd like to come back as a minimum-wage #6 WR I guess he'd be OK. I'd rather have him than Jones.

Typical mindless Bills-fan-self-hate. 31 teams absolutely care what Nix is thinking, and #11-#32 in the draft order care a whole lot. Bizarre that you can think that. Nix has been quite up front about his intention to be very aggressive in free agency this year specifically. Yes - he said not most years, but YES THIS YEAR he intends to dive right in at 12:01 when the FA opens and get after the guys they think they need.

A broken down Lee Evans doesn't fit any offense. It's not a "scheme" thing, it's a "no longer has starter talent" thing. See how well he fit in the Ravens' offense this year? A BIGGER Lee Evans isn't Lee Evans anymore. A bigger YOUNGER Lee Evans is what's called a superstar NFL WR. Having said that - WR is awfully deep this year, expecially with all the FA's - I don't think I'd give a #10 overall for one I wasn't thinking was the next Calvin/Andre/Fitzgerald.

Nix has made been absolutely EXPLICIT: THEY WILL BE AGGRESSIVE in FA THIS YEAR. I don't understand why noone wants to believe him - he's been point-blank up front about this for months now. He's going hard after difference makers starting at 12:01am when FA opens. He just spelled it out again today. He said they haven't in the past - and won't most of the time as a general rule - but will do so this year. Because they think they are that close to being a playoff team. They intend to re-sign Stevie AND add another stud WR - he's already said that mroe than once now too.

Sorry - that's simply false. I can just about gaurantee you any offers the Bills have extended to Stevie and his agent expire when FA begins. Once he tests the open market - if the best offers are less than what the Bills have already offered, they will lower their offer too. They are also just as likely to spend their money elsewhere on a bumper crop of FA WR's. They've already said publicly if they lose Stevie they'll go get TWO top WRs. That's why SJ and his agent are negotiating with the Bills now. Their current offers are the proverbial "bird in the hand". That bird flies when FA starts.

Right - Matthews' article correctly descibed the cost as TWO #1's and TWO #2's. Too rich for my blood. It's worth it ONLY if RG3 is a total beast. He looks good for sure, but if he's anything less than a regular pro-bowler it's a disaster. Meanwhile, the Bills would still need two more pass-rushers and another WR and probably another OT. I suppose if they break the bank bringing in Mario Williams, Vincent Jackson, AND re-sign Stevie it's a good move...

Yes - Benson is old and unexplosive. Will Richardson still be there at 10 though? Adding a 2nd high pick makes up for the drop from 10 to 17, of course. We're not talking about trading down with the Bengals for free, obviously. You should avoid any job involving statistics, btw. 9 being 77% of 16 is not at all the same thing as 9 being "77% of the talent". The talent in the draft is all 200+ picks. The point value chart referenced above does a good job of assessing where the "talent" is. It is not arbitrarily only in the first 17 picks as you are mangling the math to assert. When none of your needs line up with the talent level of the guys coming out, moving down (or up) is the ONLY intelligent thing to do.

Losman/Evans was a perfect fit - not sure how JP is an excuse for anything for Evans. Lee was fine, but he was a speed only guy who doesn't bring a lot to the table if he isn't the fastest guy out there. Ravens fans here are loving him - not. I make a point of thanking them for the free draft pick anytime they bring up the Ravens season.

Upshaw is THE name the NFLN guys are all saying is doing horribly in the Combine. He really looks like he has no NFL position. Too small for the DL - especially since his only pass-rush move is to bull-rush, and he's not remotely agile enough for a LB. Maybe he's a gamer who can just play, but his measurables and athleticism look SO bad he's probably dropping right out of the 1st round.

They know they don't need a QB nearly as much as half a dozen teams who will pay them a king's ransom in draft picks for the chance to get RG3.

They run the option at GT. Noone gets catches. I bet Gailey will take him with a late 3rd or early 4th if he can. Mayock thinks he's going to be someone's late draft steal - Gailey might not wait for that.

Interesting thing about the Coples/Peppers comparisons - wasn't Peppers a near-bust early in his career? Even if we get a guy who can become the next Julius Peppers, do we want one who's going to take 3+ years to get there? Agree as has been stated - Nix hates 1-year wonders. Makes the OT's and/or maybe Courtney Upshaw look more likely? Also - did you see the NLFN guys raving about WR Hill from GT with his 6'4" height and 4.36 speed? Gotta wonder if Gailey's going to reach a little to get him - maybe in the 3rd. Mayock thinks he's going to be somebody's late draft steal.