Is the Bills D ready to make a stand vs. AFC East?

[SpecialK15]

Strictly talking defense here.

 

Over the last couple years (well... longer than that) our porous defense has been especially porous against our AFC East rivals for some reason or another. With the Williams and Anderson signings, are we finally ready to keep our rivals at bay? The way I'm looking at this is that CBs will look better by not having to stick to the WRs hip for 5-6 sec coupled with some new and refreshing QB pressure. QBs will scramble and be taken down or get pushed forward right into Kyle and Marcel.

 

Matt Moore looked like Tom Brady last year against us and Tom Brady was, well, Tom Brady (I'm talking wk 17 Brady). Sanchez sucks. No more Brandon Marshall, Matt Light expected to retire if he hasn't already, and Tebow has Sanchez insecure about his role (probably complaining to his parents). Do you think our defense can make a substantial jump? A jump meaning giving up, say, no more than 17 ppg? I think so, as long as we get some LB/DE depth via draft or our young guys start to step up.

[Malazan]

Strictly talking defense here.

 

Over the last couple years (well... longer than that) our porous defense has been especially porous against our AFC East rivals for some reason or another. With the Williams and Anderson signings, are we finally ready to keep our rivals at bay? The way I'm looking at this is that CBs will look better by not having to stick to the WRs hip for 5-6 sec coupled with some new and refreshing QB pressure. QBs will scramble and be taken down or get pushed forward right into Kyle and Marcel.

 

Matt Moore looked like Tom Brady last year against us and Tom Brady was, well, Tom Brady (I'm talking wk 17 Brady). Sanchez sucks. No more Brandon Marshall, Matt Light expected to retire if he hasn't already, and Tebow has Sanchez insecure about his role (probably complaining to his parents). Do you think our defense can make a substantial jump? A jump meaning giving up, say, no more than 17 ppg? I think so, as long as we get some LB/DE depth via draft or our young guys start to step up.

 

They are as ready as they can be for this season.

[billsfan89]

I would like to say yes, IF they can improve the LB core and the depth of the D in the draft. Kyle and Dareus make us tough up the middle, Super Mario and Anderson help set the edge, while Kelsay and maybe Merriman helps us get some rotation. Hopefully Troup steps up to give the middle some depth as well (Although S.Johnson and Heard could be good depth as well).

 

But once you look at the rest of the D its a crap shoot. Byrd and Wilson are a solid safety tandem while Scott and Searcy are nice depth. But the Corners are a little suspect, McGee is always hurt and old. McKelvin is wildly inconsistent. Florence is above average to average but getting older. A.Williams is young with potential but who knows.

 

The LB is a little weak as well. Barnet is a stud but getting older. Morrison is a really good backup but as a starter he leaves more to be desired. Sheppard is a lot like Williams lots of potential but who knows. The Bills need to beef up the D in rounds 2-4 there is a lack of depth at CB and LB and a lack of talent at OLB.

[DanInUticaTampa]

I hope so. Our front 4 look great. But aside from barnett, I am a little worried about the linebackers. Not saying they will be bad, but I don't thing that part of our d is a lock to be great, even with a great line in front of them

[Dr. Fong]

I hope so. Our front 4 look great. But aside from barnett, I am a little worried about the linebackers. Not saying they will be bad, but I don't thing that part of our d is a lock to be great, even with a great line in front of them

 

Having a legit front four for the first time in over a decade will make everyone else on the defense suddenly look better.

[thewildrabbit]

Can they stop the run?

 

We know the Bills will now have a very good pass rush, but this is a team that has been even worse at stopping the run then rushing the passer the last 6 years. So bad they were the worst run defense in the history of the 50 year franchise in 2010.

 

So, in order to make a stand they will need to stop the run.

 

The Jets are going back to being a run first team with Sparano calling plays and Tebow running the wildcat.

 

The Patriots just signed 2 fullbacks when they didn't even have a fullback on the roster previous to those signings, what does that tell you?

 

How long will it take the Dolphins to build a top running game if they see the Bills still can't stop the run?

[Meathead]

the only weak link in the entire starting unit appears to be morrison. this is a passing league and he is going to have to be replaced if they want consistency on every down except first and fourth

 

depth of course is where the problems remain. safety is the only place you can say they are reasonably covered. the line has some candidates but nobody has proven they can be relied up, they really need the younger players there to finally establish themselves. linebacker is a depth nightmare, i wouldnt be surprised if none of the backups (moats, batten, davis) make the team. they need at least one early round pick there and will have to come up with some more waiver wire gems to make that a season long solid unit, which is unfortunately unlikely

 

d should make major strides but linebacker is going to handicap the unit all season once the starters begin missing games

[White Linen]

the only weak link in the entire starting unit appears to be morrison. this is a passing league and he is going to have to be replaced if they want consistency on every down except first and fourth

 

depth of course is where the problems remain. safety is the only place you can say they are reasonably covered. the line has some candidates but nobody has proven they can be relied up, they really need the younger players there to finally establish themselves. linebacker is a depth nightmare, i wouldnt be surprised if none of the backups (moats, batten, davis) make the team. they need at least one early round pick there and will have to come up with some more waiver wire gems to make that a season long solid unit, which is unfortunately unlikely

 

d should make major strides but linebacker is going to handicap the unit all season once the starters begin missing games

 

This is funny, love the sarcasm.

[CSBill]

If Sheppard improves--which he should, the Defense could be elite.

 

Our DB's are good enough, and will only get better with the improved D line play.

 

The big question is the Linebacker play. Sheppard should only get better, Barnett and Morrison provide solid experiences and depth, Merriman is a wild card--X Factor, Scott is an under-rated asset, and I strongly suspect the BIlls may draft a LB in the 10 spot or sign a capable Free Agent to add depth.

 

The only disappointment has been that the younger guys Nix drafted (Moats, Batton, White, etc) have not really panned out--but maybe with another year and a better line, just maybe, we'll see real improvement this year. Anyhow, if the LBs improves, yes, it could be an elite defense, in my opinion!

[artmalibu]

If Sheppard improves--which he should, the Defense could be elite.

 

Our DB's are good enough, and will only get better with the improved D line play.

 

The big question is the Linebacker play. Sheppard should only get better, Barnett and Morrison provide solid experiences and depth, Merriman is a wild card--X Factor, Scott is an under-rated asset, and I strongly suspect the BIlls may draft a LB in the 10 spot or sign a capable Free Agent to add depth.

 

The only disappointment has been that the younger guys Nix drafted (Moats, Batton, White, etc) have not really panned out--but maybe with another year and a better line, just maybe, we'll see real improvement this year. Anyhow, if the LBs improves, yes, it could be an elite defense, in my opinion!

 

 

Moats, Batton, White all 6th round picks what do you expect.

[Chandler#81]

1333886005[/url]' post='2432705']

Moats, Batton, White all 6th round picks what do you expect.

 

And the jury's still out on these guys. I don't understand all the hate for Moats. I expect him to blossom in his 3rd year and Batton and White are hungry players who at the very least make our ST's solid.

IMO, the 3 biggest problems with the Bills D in recent years are injuries, trying to adapt to 3-4 with misfit players and an offense that -when healthy itself- can score a lot of points, turning games into track meets.

[ARMchairgm]

draft ingram at 10 and grab an athletic corner in rounds 3-4 and i think we have a top 5 d

[TheKidd]

Strictly talking defense here.

 

Over the last couple years (well... longer than that) our porous defense has been especially porous against our AFC East rivals for some reason or another. With the Williams and Anderson signings, are we finally ready to keep our rivals at bay? The way I'm looking at this is that CBs will look better by not having to stick to the WRs hip for 5-6 sec coupled with some new and refreshing QB pressure. QBs will scramble and be taken down or get pushed forward right into Kyle and Marcel.

 

Matt Moore looked like Tom Brady last year against us and Tom Brady was, well, Tom Brady (I'm talking wk 17 Brady). Sanchez sucks. No more Brandon Marshall, Matt Light expected to retire if he hasn't already, and Tebow has Sanchez insecure about his role (probably complaining to his parents). Do you think our defense can make a substantial jump? A jump meaning giving up, say, no more than 17 ppg? I think so, as long as we get some LB/DE depth via draft or our young guys start to step up.

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Mario Williams will make the Bills a lot better, but let's be realistic, not enough to over take the New England Patriots. One player can't transform one of the "joke teams" of the NFL into a contender. The Bills are very, very bad team, it's not like they already have the core nucleus and are a player or two away. The Bills have more holes than Swiss cheese. They have too many needs to become a contender in one off season. They still need a Left tackle, wide receiver, corner back, two linebackers. You can reasonably expect to fill two, or if you are really lucky, maybe three of those needs in one draft. If they have two good drafts, this year and next, they have a really good chance to be contenders in 2013. It's all up to the scouting department and the people making the picks.

I hate to say it but at this point the Pats are still the class of the eastern division. Billy B. has a dynasty over there. I hate him, he is the best in the business.

[RyanC883]

When they draft Ingram or another LB at 10, (that will be the BPA, unless they think Floyd) they will be MORE THAN ready. There ready now. And the Stash, let's not forget how good he is.

 

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Mario Williams will make the Bills a lot better, but let's be realistic, not enough to over take the New England Patriots. One player can't transform one of the "joke teams" of the NFL into a contender. The Bills are very, very bad team, it's not like they already have the core nucleus and are a player or two away. The Bills have more holes than Swiss cheese. They have too many needs to become a contender in one off season. They still need a Left tackle, wide receiver, corner back, two linebackers. You can reasonably expect to fill two, or if you are really lucky, maybe three of those needs in one draft. If they have two good drafts, this year and next, they have a really good chance to be contenders in 2013. It's all up to the scouting department and the people making the picks.

I hate to say it but at this point the Pats are still the class of the eastern division. Billy B. has a dynasty over there. I hate him, he is the best in the business.

 

You make a good point, which is why I think we should take a LB at 10, and WR later in the draft. But you are forgetting the Bills also get Kyle Williams back, and Darus, who played without ANY help on the D-line last year and had a great year.

Edited April 8, 2012 by RyanC883

[DanInUticaTampa]

If they take a lb at ten, it should be kueley. Guy isn't a super sexy pick, but it is a very safe pick and would def make us better

[sllib olaffub]

This is a good question and one I've been pondering lately.

 

First - what does the switch to 4-3 with Wanny as our coach, and the addition of Mario and Anderson do to our defensive? That is what we have to go on now. I say Wanny's approach, his system, is going to allow our players to show their talents more than we've seen lately. That means our secondary should jump up in the turnover statistics. Secondly, with Dareus and Williams in the middle, we'll likely see less of a run game success against us straight up the gut. To the outside, though? That will depend largely on how well Anderson, Kelsay, Merriman, Morrison - and whoever else they bring in do in run support. We know our pass rush is going to be excellent.

 

So, as it is now, how will offenses attack us? I'd say an offense like New England's, which has had a few years to figure this type of attacking 4-3 offense out, will go about it with - surprise, surprise, Adding blocking backs - FB's (which we know they have) and attacking the middle of the defense and screen plays, or perimeter plays.

 

I still think in order for our Bill's defense to be able to dominate we have to eliminate the weaknesses that we see and are aware of. Our LB corps is suspect. We need Sheppard to prove he's able to man that middle linebacker spot. We need an OLB to add to the starting three, even if Sheppard is good enough for the Middle spot. I think our Safeties are pretty excellent as is, with Byrd, Wilson, Searcy (who I really like) and Bryon Scott - an excellent LB/Safety option to counter the TE's.

But, our CB's are suspect. McKelvin has to be put into positions where his skill can play without having to rely on thinking too much. Otherwise, his great skillset will be worthless - and I'm pretty sure there is some DC out there who could figure out how to use him properly, so let's hope it is Wanny. Aaron Williams looks good. Corner is good, too, and Florence is reliable. That rookie from last year - Rodgers - he looked good to me, too. So, although we could stand to get another proven, lock-down corner to complement the bunch and turn it into a strength, I think we could go at it okay, WITHOUT Injuries, now.

 

To answer the question - there are still going to be ways to attack us and frustrate us. And, it is a copycat league. Look at how we got shut down on offense last year after teams figured out how to stifle our strategy. We need more playmakers in whatever mold Wanny is thinking of at LB - Unless he thinks he can use guys like Batten, Moats, Chris White as LB's - in which case we might not be as thin as we think. We'll have to see about that.

 

I say in the first 4 rounds (5 picks) we need to add a LT, WR, OLB, CB, and either a second OLB or WR. Unless there's a QB in there they really like, which trumps all other positional needs.

[TheKidd]

This is a good question and one I've been pondering lately.

 

First - what does the switch to 4-3 with Wanny as our coach, and the addition of Mario and Anderson do to our defensive? That is what we have to go on now. I say Wanny's approach, his system, is going to allow our players to show their talents more than we've seen lately. That means our secondary should jump up in the turnover statistics. Secondly, with Dareus and Williams in the middle, we'll likely see less of a run game success against us straight up the gut. To the outside, though? That will depend largely on how well Anderson, Kelsay, Merriman, Morrison - and whoever else they bring in do in run support. We know our pass rush is going to be excellent.

 

So, as it is now, how will offenses attack us? I'd say an offense like New England's, which has had a few years to figure this type of attacking 4-3 offense out, will go about it with - surprise, surprise, Adding blocking backs - FB's (which we know they have) and attacking the middle of the defense and screen plays, or perimeter plays.

 

I still think in order for our Bill's defense to be able to dominate we have to eliminate the weaknesses that we see and are aware of. Our LB corps is suspect. We need Sheppard to prove he's able to man that middle linebacker spot. We need an OLB to add to the starting three, even if Sheppard is good enough for the Middle spot. I think our Safeties are pretty excellent as is, with Byrd, Wilson, Searcy (who I really like) and Bryon Scott - an excellent LB/Safety option to counter the TE's.

But, our CB's are suspect. McKelvin has to be put into positions where his skill can play without having to rely on thinking too much. Otherwise, his great skillset will be worthless - and I'm pretty sure there is some DC out there who could figure out how to use him properly, so let's hope it is Wanny. Aaron Williams looks good. Corner is good, too, and Florence is reliable. That rookie from last year - Rodgers - he looked good to me, too. So, although we could stand to get another proven, lock-down corner to complement the bunch and turn it into a strength, I think we could go at it okay, WITHOUT Injuries, now.

 

To answer the question - there are still going to be ways to attack us and frustrate us. And, it is a copycat league. Look at how we got shut down on offense last year after teams figured out how to stifle our strategy. We need more playmakers in whatever mold Wanny is thinking of at LB - Unless he thinks he can use guys like Batten, Moats, Chris White as LB's - in which case we might not be as thin as we think. We'll have to see about that.

 

I say in the first 4 rounds (5 picks) we need to add a LT, WR, OLB, CB, and either a second OLB or WR. Unless there's a QB in there they really like, which trumps all other positional needs.

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I think our linebackers are the weak link on the defense. That is the area we have to get lucky in the draft. Hopefully we can pick up good linebacker or preferably two. Barnett is the only linebacker we have right now that is starting material. Sheppard I think is going to be a bust. Unless he can show a HUGE improvement from last year, he will be a weakness other teams will attack. Batten, Chris White, and Moats are not starting material. They would be O.K. depth but nothing more. If we get lucky and Merriman can get healthy, he would be the answer to one linebacker spot. But getting back to 100% from an achilles injury is a long shot. He would need to be 100% to stop the run, otherwise he would just be a pass rush specialist.

[Toshiero]

Strictly talking defense here.

 

Over the last couple years (well... longer than that) our porous defense has been especially porous against our AFC East rivals for some reason or another. With the Williams and Anderson signings, are we finally ready to keep our rivals at bay? The way I'm looking at this is that CBs will look better by not having to stick to the WRs hip for 5-6 sec coupled with some new and refreshing QB pressure. QBs will scramble and be taken down or get pushed forward right into Kyle and Marcel.

 

Matt Moore looked like Tom Brady last year against us and Tom Brady was, well, Tom Brady (I'm talking wk 17 Brady). Sanchez sucks. No more Brandon Marshall, Matt Light expected to retire if he hasn't already, and Tebow has Sanchez insecure about his role (probably complaining to his parents). Do you think our defense can make a substantial jump? A jump meaning giving up, say, no more than 17 ppg? I think so, as long as we get some LB/DE depth via draft or our young guys start to step up.

 

Look First off the talent will be vastly upgraded, 2nd we will have an entire offseason this year, 3rd its the Wandstedt a superbowl winning DC at the helm, not some clown castoff running our defense.

 

So simply put YES we will lay the smack down on all AFCE Candy butts barring drastic injuries this year and for many years to come. Now if we can do something on offense we will be in great shape.

[billsfan89]

LB at 10 would be a real commitment to the front 7 this off-season. Two big DE signings to aid the pass rush plus adding a LB in the first round. If the Bills drafted a CB in round 2 and another LB in round 3 the D will be stacked up and ready to go.

 

But then that leaves two huge holes on the offensive side of the ball. If I were the Bills I would invest the 10th pick on Floyd then invest the 2nd and 3rd rounders on the LB and CB side of things.

[TheKidd]

LB at 10 would be a real commitment to the front 7 this off-season. Two big DE signings to aid the pass rush plus adding a LB in the first round. If the Bills drafted a CB in round 2 and another LB in round 3 the D will be stacked up and ready to go.

 

But then that leaves two huge holes on the offensive side of the ball. If I were the Bills I would invest the 10th pick on Floyd then invest the 2nd and 3rd rounders on the LB and CB side of things.

 

 

Bottom line is the Bills have too many holes to fill to be a legitimate contender in 2012. They can't get enough players in one draft to fill all their needs. Realistically speaking, the Bills will need this year's draft and next years to fill the holes. Look for them to be a contender in 2013, if they draft well this year and next. Let's face the cold hard facts, the Pats are still going to be the class of the AFC east in 2012. The Pats will win the division in 2012 barring any major injuries. Key injuries can change things in a hurry.