BillsVet

Pat Williams was a UDFA. Ergo, you can find All Pro caliber DT's without spending draft picks on them. It goes for every position.

Bowers will probably need microfracture surgery, so I'm not crying because he wasn't the pick. The major issue I have with Nix, et al is their team-building philosophy remains off. They don't draft OT's high. They see the TE position as a blocker, despite most franchises looking for receivers who can block, and finally they use too many resources on skill guys. We'll agree to disagree.

Do you really want your DB's making a lot of tackles? Strong tackler or not, you don't take CB's in the 2nd round to play in run defense.

There will be a UFA period, and I realize there's a drop off at CB in this draft. But I'm not concerned about pass defense when teams eat up the clock and stuff it down the heart of the defense. Furthermore, there's a reason the CB's get beat up in Buffalo, and it's because they're playing run support more often than not and getting nicked up doing so. Yeah, McGee's regularly hurt, McKelvin isn't living up to his draft selection, Corner is a nickel/dime guy, and Florence is probably gone. Still, it's a matter of what killed me, and it wasn't other teams passing on that defense. I'm not killing the player, but the point is he doesn't help the run defense.

Moses' brother was named Aaron.

When teams don't throw on you because they can pick up 200 yards rushing with Joe McKnight.

You might be able to stomach a CB if they are active in free agency and acquire a TE, ILB, OLB, and OT. If they duck UFA, it's going to be another luxury pick, despite the need being there.

Who, one year (so far) wonder Jairus Byrd?

They had to improve their front 7, particularly the LB's and they go CB. Guess that means Asomugha is out of the mix in UFA, right?

The Bills have invested heavy resources into their DL and need to improve elsewhere as well. Bowers was rumored to require microfracture surgery and while that's not concrete, there are other options available at 34 like...Kyle Rudolph who might finally give the offense a player who can run the seam.

This year, the pick of the litter isn't all that special. Newton is a complete project who'll need 2 seasons minimum and Gabbert has too many negatives to be a top 3 pick. Of all the years to have a high pick and need a QB, this one isn't it.

Makes one wonder why John Guy got the ax after the 2009 season and Modrak remained. Both were hired long ago by a GM who's not in the NFL. Both were promoted to VP after the 2008 season, and of course both had equally bad records in their side of the personnel house. I get the impression the major reason Guy was fired was because fans had learned his name and knew how bad the pro personnel side of the house had been of late. Perhaps if enough people complain about Modrak, RW and his marketing people will sense an opportunity to satisfy the fan base by cutting the Director of Amateur Scouting.

Not all positions are equal in terms of value. Guards and safeties are, for the most part, easier to find than OT's and pass rushers. And for as good as it seems Levitre and Wood appear to be, they were 2 of the highest drafted interior OLineman in the 2009 draft. The Bills will get credit for a solid draft when they begin filling the marquee positions of QB, OT, and pass rusher, 43DE or 34OLB, with outstanding players. In the past 11 drafts they haven't found one guy who could play any of those 3 positions. Fine guard and safety play does not make up for it, especially when those guys are found with high picks. Draft value isn't something the Bills have mastered, let alone finding talent high and low.

This concept that finding a few late round guys who became marginal to above average starters makes up for 1st/2nd round busts is laughable. Yes, they found Kyle Williams and he partially makes up for the failure of John McCargo. But playoff caliber teams find a Williams in the 5th AND outstanding players in the first and second. It's why Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and New England are regularly in the post-season and Buffalo languishes in the doldrums with no elite talent. Rarely are teams finding elite players in rounds 4-7 or in UDFA. Buffalo has 1 Pro Bowl appearance out of their 10 1st/2nd round selections from 06-09. While the book isn't closed on the 09 class, that's an extremely poor record for a team that relies more heavily on the draft because of their market size.

This is the same person who ordered Wade Phillips to start Rob Johnson in a playoff game because the QB beat Indianapolis in a near meaningless finale. I thought April fools was on the 1st. It's well known that RW wanted Lynch badly as well. Do you work for the team or something?

Sam and Wills are not taken 2nd overall in the NFL draft because it's terrible value. I don't think Miller is Denver's pick for this reason, and they've got Dumervil and the underachieving Ayers to be their DE's in that 43. It's also poor value to take 5 technique's 3rd overall, especially when you just drafted 2 Dlineman with high picks a year ago and signed another for decent money. If the Bills take a Cam Jordan at 3, they're not getting value. The NFL places a premium on QB's, pass rushers, and OT's. Cam Jordan is a fine player, but he's not going to be pressuring QB's like Von Miller does from the ROLB position in a 34. Right now, if Dareus isn't available, the pick should be Miller.

Clearly you're a conspiracy theorist. There's little to no evidence that's ever been the case.

If the Bills elect to take Gabbert third, I would hope they make a point of giving him the tools to succeed. At this point in a unique offseason, they have no designated starter at RG and a complete black hole at RT, the second most important line position. From a skill position perspective, the receivers and backs seem adequate, but a young QB should have a TE capable of making teams pay down the seam. Merely drafting a QB doesn't mean the position is finished from a personnel standpoint.

I think RW trusts Nix, but as an owner (in concert with senior finance types) he's looking at the team marketability factor as well. Buddy Nix, OTOH, is a scout who's looking at the players probably without the thought of marketing the team. This is not an argument based in absolutes, as is so often portrayed by RW apologists, but somewhere in between. This time, with the 3rd overall pick, I'd trust Nix before RW because I do not agree that they have to take a QB like the owner does. And if Nix takes a QB, there'll be suspicion that RW influenced the pick. Based on the owner's personnel moves like ordering RJ to start in the MCM game and signing TO, can anyone blame those people for thinking that? It's ironic on TBD that many drown out the voices who believe the origin of most problems at OBD is the owner. The record speaks for itself, and I'll refrain from listing it. But as much as it's wrong to say "RW makes all the picks" it's also incorrect to mention that RW allows his people do the jobs they're hired for. After all, he admitted the drafting is terrible and did nothing about it save hiring Nix who was not allowed/did not re-order a scouting department which consistently failed going back to 2002.

Completely missed the point as usual. It doesn't need to be a QB selection for RW to have "involved" himself in the decision making process. After all, Jerry Sullivan has mentioned that RW wanted Lynch in 2007 (cue the Sullivan rant) and I'm sure that's not the only instance he's been immersed in a draft pick. But because it's someone saying something negative about the Bills, it's wrong and we conflate the argument.

The only question is when RW orders Nix/Gailey to play the highly paid rookie. Seriously, Buffalo going QB will raise questions about who's really making picks at OBD. Then again, as long as RW owns the team that suspicion will always be present. Kinda like drafting a RB 9th overall and then putting 2 bad to mediocre OT's in front of him, right? Taking a QB means investing serious resources into the OL, likewise with drafting DB's: they need people in front of them, and Buffalo is so busy fixing a myriad of problems, they don't fix one side of the ball nor build a team.

Yep. Merriman is getting 2.5M guaranteed in 2011 and Kelsay inked an extension paying him 28M over 5 years. Sure, CK probably won't play out that deal, but using the 3rd pick on Von Miller means a lot of money is tied up in the OLB position. The ROLB is typically the pass rusher (going against a LT) and it'll be interesting to see who starts there. If Buffalo takes Miller, he needs to start from Day 1 at ROLB, although who plays LOLB is anyone's guess. Merriman and certainly Kelsay couldn't cover a TE to save their life.

Four teams in 3 seasons tells me all I need to know. Journeyman type who should be a backup.

(3) Von Miller (34) Christian Ballard (68) Lance Kendricks