Bills biggest immediate "need" ?

[papazoid]

obviously this team has many many needs....but in my opinion, the single greatest need based on who is currently on our roster is OLB. i'm not saying thats who i pick in first round, i'm just sayin that is our weakest position. Kelsay is horrible. Merriman is damaged goods and probably will not play much this season. Moats has upside as a situational 3rd down blitz guy, but has not shown me anything on 1st and 2nd downs stopping the run or covering backs. it's possible the bills go OLB first round and DL in second because of depth in this draft.

 

if it was me picking, based on this years players and how i think the draft will fall, i am picking best avail DL in first (Dareus or Fairley) and best avail QB in second (we have no one backing up Fitz). i do not see a OLB (von miller) worthy of the third overall pick.

[Pete]

OLB, DE, ILB, CB, TE, RT, QB. I too would rank OLB #1 need and am ok if we draft Von Miller. We need pass rushers and players that can stop the run. Front 7 all draft weekend long!

[DrDawkinstein]

Agreed!

 

Around week 5 of this season, I remember thinking to myself "I hope there is a Demarcus Ware/Terrel Suggs in this draft so we can take them early". Alas, I dont believe there is a clear cut dominating OLB worthy of the #3 pick.

 

Miller has the numbers, but not the size or technique. Quinn has the size and technique, but is a mystery since he sat out an entire season.

 

OLB is our biggest need, assuming Merriman does not come back. If Merriman can come back, between him and Moats, Im happy with the OLBs. But thats a big IF right now.

[K-9]

Four new LBs. Any way you want to position them. My preference would be for an OLB in the Bennett mold but we're very bad up the middle as well and you have to be strong in the middle of your D.

 

The jury is out on Edwards and Carrington as both showed glimpses but nothing consistent. So a couple DEs would be nice as well.

 

The Bills simply don't have enough good players. They could throw a dart at a spinning position board to figure out what position to pick and they'd STILL help themselves.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Edited March 10, 2011 by K-9

[H2o]

Agreed!

 

Around week 5 of this season, I remember thinking to myself "I hope there is a Demarcus Ware/Terrel Suggs in this draft so we can take them early". Alas, I dont believe there is a clear cut dominating OLB worthy of the #3 pick.

 

Miller has the numbers, but not the size or technique. Quinn has the size and technique, but is a mystery since he sat out an entire season.

 

OLB is our biggest need, assuming Merriman does not come back. If Merriman can come back, between him and Moats, Im happy with the OLBs. But thats a big IF right now.

From all I have been reading and hearing it seems that Robert Quinn, Brooks Reed, and Justin Houston are in that mold of Suggs/Matthews/Ware. I'm really starting to like Brooks Reed from watching highlights and looking at his 10-yard split time @ 6'3"/263 lbs. Houston is another guy I really like.

[nucci]

Agreed!

 

Around week 5 of this season, I remember thinking to myself "I hope there is a Demarcus Ware/Terrel Suggs in this draft so we can take them early". Alas, I dont believe there is a clear cut dominating OLB worthy of the #3 pick.

 

Miller has the numbers, but not the size or technique. Quinn has the size and technique, but is a mystery since he sat out an entire season.

 

OLB is our biggest need, assuming Merriman does not come back. If Merriman can come back, between him and Moats, Im happy with the OLBs. But thats a big IF right now.

Agree also but I was going to say Bennett/Talley.

[DrDawkinstein]

From all I have been reading and hearing it seems that Robert Quinn, Brooks Reed, and Justin Houston are in that mold of Suggs/Matthews/Ware. I'm really starting to like Brooks Reed from watching highlights and looking at his 10-yard split time @ 6'3"/263 lbs. Houston is another guy I really like.

 

I love Houston, but fear he will be gone in the 1st round. If we were to able to pull off a Dareus/Houston, or even a Newton/Houston draft, Id be ecstatic. Im so-so on Reed, mostly because I havent seen much of him to this point.

 

Agree also but I was going to say Bennett/Talley.

 

Those work as well. Throw in a Bryce Paup while we're at it!

[Thoner7]

Its gotta be ILB. At this point I don’t believe we have a single one under contract. Poz didn’t sign his tender, and was used outside for the alst half of last year. Davis was on a one year deal last year I believe, Ellison wasn’t retained (thank God) And Ayodele was also on a one year deal I am pretty sure. Even if we did have all those guys under contract ILB would still be our weakest position.

 

OLB is much stronger. To the OP – Moats was our 2nd best player to finish out last season behind only KW. Moats played great vrs the run and as a pass rusher. He has cemented himself as a full time starter in my mind. Maybe not on the right side, if we add Houston or Quinn perhaps, or if Merriman comes back strong, but absolutely on the left. I really liked him in that Sam Over front last year. He was great.

 

After him we have Merriman (who is a big ? but at least he is under contract) and Batten from last years draft. You could even argue Kelsay is gonna play some OLB. He sucks something awful but again he is under contract. That’s 4 OLBs under contract and ZERO ILBs by my count.

 

Unfortunately this isn’t a strong LB draft in general. Im sorry but Von Miller is not worth a top 10 pick, and Quinn didn’t even play this year which is really going to hurt us. ILB is even worse than OLB. Too bad we are gonna add another bust to our resume.

[Chandler#81]

Pass rush. DE or OLB. FA or Draft.

[tombstone56]

WHILE DAREUS is a lock for top 5 imo.BROOKS REED has gone up to high 2nd now PHIL TAYLOR a late 1st ,, my hope was a trade down a few spots and getting enough to get Taylor and Reed ,using a lower first for Jordan or Watts , Dareus isnt going lower than 5 .Also on my wish list RICK STANZI,JOHN MOFFIT,COLIN MCCARTHY.!

[NewEra]

Is "franchise QB" considered a position? I vote that.

[freester]

Its gotta be ILB. At this point I don’t believe we have a single one under contract. Poz didn’t sign his tender, and was used outside for the alst half of last year. Davis was on a one year deal last year I believe, Ellison wasn’t retained (thank God) And Ayodele was also on a one year deal I am pretty sure. Even if we did have all those guys under contract ILB would still be our weakest position.

 

OLB is much stronger. To the OP – Moats was our 2nd best player to finish out last season behind only KW. Moats played great vrs the run and as a pass rusher. He has cemented himself as a full time starter in my mind. Maybe not on the right side, if we add Houston or Quinn perhaps, or if Merriman comes back strong, but absolutely on the left. I really liked him in that Sam Over front last year. He was great.

 

After him we have Merriman (who is a big ? but at least he is under contract) and Batten from last years draft. You could even argue Kelsay is gonna play some OLB. He sucks something awful but again he is under contract. That’s 4 OLBs under contract and ZERO ILBs by my count.

 

Unfortunately this isn’t a strong LB draft in general. Im sorry but Von Miller is not worth a top 10 pick, and Quinn didn’t even play this year which is really going to hurt us. ILB is even worse than OLB. Too bad we are gonna add another bust to our resume.

 

Agreed. ILB is the greatest need. Buddy has already stated that he is pleased with out OLB. He is also pleased with our DT. We may be able to pick up the ILB from the packers Nick Barnett who will be cut.

[Maddog69]

Is "franchise QB" considered a position? I vote that.

I agree 10000000%

[yungmack]

Is "franchise QB" considered a position? I vote that.

Do you happen to see one in the draft this year? I don't.

[NewEra]

Do you happen to see one in the draft this year? I don't.

 

Another know it all. Every gm in the world would love to know what you know, I'm sure.

 

Btw the question of the thread was " what's the bills biggest immediate need?". Easy answer IMO.....a franchise qb.

Edited March 10, 2011 by NewEra

[Chas56]

Our biggest need is ILB, but the players that will be there at #3 are DT, DE, S/CB, QB, WR, and OLB. What to do, what to do . . .

[Armchair GM]

This is a catch 22....we absolutely need run support, whether it be DL, DE or ILB...BUT, we also desperately need a pass rucher, DE or OLB. Unfortunately those are two roles that don't play off one another that wel...get a good pass rusher, they'll just run the ball more...get a good run stuffer, they'll throw more. In the second part of the scenario, pass rush will improve by default due to the increased numbr of drop backs/attempts. Given the depth of both in this draft, we should be in pretty good shape...figuratively anyway.

[Hplarrm]

Do you happen to see one in the draft this year? I don't.

Agreed. I also agree with the idea of picking either DL stud with our overall #3 (though our immediate needs are so large adequate) but disagree with the idea of spending a 2nd on a QB who at best is going to sit on the bench this year in the 2nd.

 

There simply is no very good potential for a reasonable bet for any of the QB prospects to be much more than a speculative project who merits a early pick. I think folks like Ponder, Mallet, Kapernick, etc MIGHT turn out to be good pros, but none of these are such a sure thing that they merit the Bills passing on a DL, OLB, or an OL guy they should be able to develop at least into a quality back-up in a year or two of training.

 

Its a 50/50 crapshoot that even the #3 pick will be a starter after the end of his first year. It is possible but gets less and less probable and possible as the rounds go up whether we get any contribution out of the pick. A QB taken is pretty much guaranteed to be a project his first year contributing little or likely nothing. This also is probably ls likely his second year for any of these individuals talked about.

 

Our immediate needs dictate that we not roll the dice on a QB prospect until round 4 or later.

[JohnC]

Its a 50/50 crapshoot that even the #3 pick will be a starter after the end of his first year. It is possible but gets less and less probable and possible as the rounds go up whether we get any contribution out of the pick. A QB taken is pretty much guaranteed to be a project his first year contributing little or likely nothing. This also is probably ls likely his second year for any of these individuals talked about.

 

Our immediate needs dictate that we not roll the dice on a QB prospect until round 4 or later.

 

When the Packers drafted Rodgers and he sat for a few years did they get a return on that pick? I would say so. They won a SB because of him. When the Chargers drafted Rivers did they get an immediate return on him? No they didn't. He sat for at least a couple of years. Now he is one of the best qbs in the game.

 

It doesn't matter who the Bills take with their first round pick and what positon the player plays as far as the impact on the success of the team. The Bills are not going to have that good of record next year. Odds are better they will lose more than they will win. That isn't being negative; that is being realistic.

 

The Bills are in the process of rebuilding a depleted roster. It is going to take at least another few years and drafts to have enough talent to be a serious team. The process could be accelerated with a more aggressive approach in free agency. That is not going to happen with this organization.

 

Look back and see which teams have been in the playoffs for the past few years. Almost all the participants had upper tier qbs. In my view it is better to get that high caliber prospect on the roster sooner rather than later.

Edited March 10, 2011 by JohnC

[jumbalaya]

obviously this team has many many needs....but in my opinion, the single greatest need based on who is currently on our roster is OLB. i'm not saying thats who i pick in first round, i'm just sayin that is our weakest position. Kelsay is horrible. Merriman is damaged goods and probably will not play much this season. Moats has upside as a situational 3rd down blitz guy, but has not shown me anything on 1st and 2nd downs stopping the run or covering backs. it's possible the bills go OLB first round and DL in second because of depth in this draft.

 

if it was me picking, based on this years players and how i think the draft will fall, i am picking best avail DL in first (Dareus or Fairley) and best avail QB in second (we have no one backing up Fitz). i do not see a OLB (von miller) worthy of the third overall pick.

The single biggest need is beef on both lines