Bye Week Boredom

[Tolstoy]

I recognize that the season is only half over, so please don't get on my case for speculating about the Bills' needs next year. In fact, what looks like a need, now, might turn out to be a strength if a player develops in the next 8 games (e.g. Roscoe Parrish, K. Everett). Conversely, what looks like a strength could also look like a need (e.g. linebacker).

 

Having said that, the Bills seem to have so many weaknesses right now that I am not sure what their #1 draft priority is. Which position is in the worst shape, has the least prospect of player development, and the worst chance of being addressed through free agency?

 

Here is my pick: Defensive tackle (which is depressing, seeing as how we have drafted for this position in recent years)

 

My reasoning: depsite the need to upgrade the O-line, defense is more important than offense. Also, I think the prospect for player development is better on the O-line than on the D-line.

[CoachChuckDickerson]

If TD doesn't take a friggin lineman (either offensive or defensive) with his 1st and 2nd picks this year he deserves to be insert unpleasant action here. Enough of the playmaker best available BS. The best available LINEMAN is the only thing we should be looking at.

[Albany,n.y.]

I'd draft a LT, not a DT. Look at available free agents. DTs are available every year if you're willing to pay the going rate for upper echelon DTs. LTs are franchised and almost never hit the free agent market. We need a top LT, and it looks like the only way to get one is grow your own-through the draft. That's also usually true at QB, although a QB can be obtained in trade more often than a LT can. Be very wary of giving up an early rounder for another team's backup who has played well in limited action. Over the years teams have given up high picks for the likes of original mid-late round draftees like Matt Robinson (Denver from Jets), Rob Johnson , and last year Miami gave what turned out to be a very high 2nd for A.J. Feeley, who has already been jettisoned.

When you have as many holes as the Bills do, you can rebuild quickly if you're willing to put a plan together that recognizes which positions can be filled by free agents and which position must be filled in the draft. LT is one position that must be filled in the draft.

Therefore, with a rich LT draft, the Bills must go LT in the 1st round. If a decent DT is left in the 2nd draft him, but first, look to the free agent market to upgrade the D line.

I also think we have to get JP at least 4-6 more games this year, because if he doesn't show more than his 1st 4 games, the team better be willing to get a new QB of the future ASAP.

[Bear]

We should have a pretty low pick, and that pick should be a LT. I don't really know, but from I hear everywhere there are lots of Olinemen available this year, and some very high talent ones for early round 1.

 

LT in round 1. Guard, DT and depth for the lines over the next 4 picks. I think Preston moves to Center.

[Mark VI]

Actually, DT UFA's look to be pretty slim this year. I remember Daninator posting a list and no one of quality was on it.

 

Has to be a OT or DT. The only exception would be if Reggie Bush fell into our slot and that's a longshot.

[justnzane]

DT.

Sam is 32 years of age, and Anderson/Sapp/Edwards/Bannan are scrubs.

I don't think yoiu can go any other position(maybe a Tackle)

496141[/snapback]

 

Albeit Edwards wasn't great or bad, i'd take him/anderson/sape over bennie anderson. he has been god awfulif they keep teague i could see preston playing LG and you'd want to draft a LT from there (or a C/G if you want to move teague back to his natural position). as bad as the D-line is, if the offense could move the ball with the line blocking like possessed madmen, the d wouldn't look so bad

[colin]

the big thing is how much adding a guy can provide.

 

removing 2 big men (big pat who is very good, edwards who is ok) has destroyed our D line. adding in 1 or 2 big men will bring us way back up, so the immediate impact of a DT is greater than an LT IMO.

 

i have been wondering about our roster, i think we will make some FA splashes this offseason.

 

1. i could see milloy and london getting the axe, they are not what they were before.

2. i could see us having crowell at WILL and Spikes at MLB, we may or may not remove posey but he does the dirty work and angelo and tko are play makers enough.

3. I think we might go after a top flight D line FA, if any DTs or DEs are available we might throw some cash at them and bring out D back up to super goodness.

4. The more i think of it the more it seems that we will tag and trade clements for a 1st.

 

so for the draft i expect us to have 2 first rounders, and take the highest ranked DT or LT available (at least one of the best of either will slip to us) first, and prolly the best upside having corner/fs (that one guy i think from va tech who is a FS/corner might end up being another sean taylor). this should let us land interior linemen and linebackers in the 2nd and 3rd rounds (2 3rd round picks should land us something good).

 

i am hopeful that TD can manage to sign a big FA or 2, restructure Moulds and Williams and get a good combination of new blood.

 

i think the LG from seattle is a FA and would look nice in blue, but it would cost us about $5+ per year for him, although he is awesome (michigan guy, hutchinson i think).

 

if TD thinks he can find value at corner, and we have 5 first day picks (2 3rds, 1 2nd and 2 firsts) we might land 2 or 3 big men, 1 corner and 1 LB/strong safety. i think we should be able to get a strong safety who is an immediate pick up over milloy in the 2nd round.

 

 

we have the potential to really upgrade this team in the offseason.

[justnzane]

the big thing is how much adding a guy can provide.

 

removing 2 big men (big pat who is very good, edwards who is ok) has destroyed our D line.  adding in 1 or 2 big men will bring us way back up, so the immediate impact of a DT is greater than an LT IMO.

 

i have been wondering about our roster, i think we will make some FA splashes this offseason.

 

1.  i could see milloy and london getting the axe, they are not what they were before.

2.  i could see us having crowell at WILL and Spikes at MLB, we may or may not remove posey but he does the dirty work and angelo and tko are play makers enough.

3.  I think we might go after a top flight D line FA, if any DTs or DEs are available we might throw some cash at them and bring out D back up to super goodness.

4.  The more i think of it the more it seems that we will tag and trade clements for a 1st.

 

so for the draft i expect us to have 2 first rounders, and take the highest ranked DT or LT available (at least one of the best of either will slip to us) first, and prolly the best upside having corner/fs (that one guy i think from va tech who is a FS/corner might end up being another sean taylor).  this should let us land interior linemen and linebackers in the 2nd and 3rd rounds (2 3rd round picks should land us something good).

 

i am hopeful that TD can manage to sign a big FA or 2, restructure Moulds and Williams and get a good combination of new blood.

 

i think the LG from seattle is a FA and would look nice in blue, but it would cost us about $5+ per year for him, although he is awesome (michigan guy, hutchinson i think).

 

if TD thinks he can find value at corner, and we have 5 first day picks (2 3rds, 1 2nd and 2 firsts) we might land 2 or 3 big men, 1 corner and 1 LB/strong safety.  i think we should be able to get a strong safety who is an immediate pick up over milloy in the 2nd round.

we have the potential to really upgrade this team in the offseason.

496151[/snapback]

 

 

the only problem i have with this is that we either have wire or a rookie at strong or posey or stamer/haggan/rookie/low priority FA or at the Sam position

[colin]

true dat

 

i am thinking of the best outcome of what i think is likely to happen.

 

if crowell and spikes are in there (crowell is gonna be very good IMO, and spikes at MLB is scary) a young guy with upside could just role play and not be exposed IMO.

 

we will need a new SS if milloy goes, so he might stay a year while we groom a new guy, but if we lose clements we could sign a decent SS for a couple bucks a year (2 or 3 mill should get us a guy who do things milloy can't anymore) and with a new DT or 2 our line play improvement would more than make up for our loss in secondary.

 

i should add the caveat that under no circumstances should wire be on the field unless a team is kicking.

[Pete]

DT round one

OL round two

LB round 3

CB round 3

[Rico]

If picking #1 through #10 (or so) in the 1st round,

Just say NO to giving another MW-type contract to another unproven OL,

take best DT available or trade down.

[Brandon]

As you can see, I'm really, really, REALLY bored today, so here's how I see the Bills offseason needs position-by-position:

 

QB

I give this position rather poor marks this season, but at the same time, I expect no major changes. Losman will probably be the opening day starter with Holcomb returning as the backup. There will be no major need of a QB in the 2006 offseason, but if Losman struggles or does not play in the remainder of this season, expect the Bills to draft a QB in the R3-5 area as a contingency plan should Losman continue to struggle or if he recieves no playing time.

 

RB

No need. McGahee, Williams, Gates and Shelton are all under contract for 2006.

 

WR

This could get interesting depending upon Moulds' situation. If he is released, the Bills could go into 2006 with Evans, Parrish, Aiken and Smith as their WRs. Josh Reed is an unrestricted FA and I don't expect them to make a major effort to resign him. If Parrish can play the #2 WR position, the Bills are OK, but if not, they may find themselves in need of another starting WR. The good news is that they can probably find a decent veteran WR in FA if necessary. Still, a mid round draft choice here is not something I'd rule out.

 

TE

This position largely hinges on the recovery of Kevin Everett. If Everett appears as though he'll be 100% for 2006 and the Bills think he can be a top tier NFL TE, then we're likely set at the position. If not, TE could become a major need, and it would not shock me to see them draft Marcedes Lewis with one of two likely first round picks (more on that later). The Bills still have major issues scoring TDs in the red zone and another weapon, particularly at this position, would be a welcome addition.

 

OT

The Bills are better off here than they're given credit for. Gandy is not an all pro LT, but he's a capable starter and though I'm sure they'd like to do better, he's good enough that the Bills don't have to burn a high pick on the position if they don't want to. Mike Williams is a solid starting RT, but his contract is a cause of concern and while I expect him to be on the team for 2006, you never know. At any rate, I expect them to draft an OT somewhere in the middle rounds, if for no other reason than to improve depth.

 

OG

Big problems here. Bennie Anderson is a good straight ahead run blocker, but otherwise he struggles. Villarrial isn't bad, but he's not that good either, and he is getting old and has missed significant playing time this season. The Bills could use two new starting Gs. Duke Preston has played fairly well as a rookie at RG in relief of Villarrial, but the question is whether the Bills see him staying there or eventually being their starting C. Rookie 6th rounder Justin Geisinger might also figure into the equation, but the Bills will probably need to find at least one starter here in FA or in the first three rounds of the draft next year.

 

C

The bad news? Trey Teague is a borderline starting C. The good news? He's also an unrestricted FA, so this is as good a time as any to upgrade the position (and I don't think Teague will be back). Duke Preston could be the answer here, though its possible the Bills want him to be an OG instead. Depending upon Preston's situation, this could be anything from a low need to a high need in the upcoming offseason and could necessitate a high draft pick.

 

DE

As bad as the guards on offense, possibly worse. Schobel is a middle-of-the-pack starter and not a consistent threat off the edge, even when blocked one-on-one. They need a better player here, especially considering Schobel's cap impact. I had high hopes for Kelsay after watching him this preseason, but he's totally disappeared. Denney is an unrestricted FA and I expect his situation to be much like that of Josh Reed; he probably won't return. Both starting positions need an upgrade, which is very depressing given that the Bills have invested 3 2nd round picks and a lot of cap resources into the DE position. The lack of production from the starters has forced the Bills to blitz heavily to get pressure on opposing QBs, exposing the secondary, a situation which opponents have taken advantage of repeatedly. DE is a major need, worthy of even a high 1st round pick, but given their investment at DE, it wouldn't suprise me to see them all but ignore it and I think that would be a major mistake.

 

DT

More problems. Sam Adams is as good as any DT in the game...when he wants to be. Unfortunately, he's also getting old. Ron Edwards is a decent starter, but can't stay healthy. He's also an unrestricted FA after the season and with his injury history, the Bills may not make an effort to bring him back. Tim Anderson has shown me why he was inactive most of his rookie year. Bannan and Sape may stick around as backups (Bannan is a FA), but I'd be stunned to see the Bills go into '06 with either starting. This is another major need and I expect the Bills to take a DT in the first two rounds.

 

OLB

Takeo Spikes may have been the best OLB in the league before that achilles injury. Now? Who knows. Jeff Posey is an OK player, but with Spikes' injury status, another playmaker at OLB would be nice. Crowell hasn't done anything in very limited action to convince me that he's that kind of player, but much like Posey, he doesn't seem to be a detriment to the defense, either. If a Pro Bowl caliber player is available in the first round, by all means, draft him. Otherwise, I don't think the OLBs are in dire shape.

 

MLB

Everyone seems to bash London Fletcher, but I think he's a pretty good overall player. He's not that good against the run straight at him, but plays the run to the sidelines well and has good coverage skills. That said, he's also on the wrong side of 30 and entering into the final year of his contract. Not only that, but his biggest weakness, the run up the middle, is precisely where the entire Bills defense has struggled. First three rounds on this position.

 

CB

I think Nate Clements is one of the top two or three CBs in the league. I also think the next eight games will be his last in a Bills uniform. He'll be designated the Bills franchise player and I fully expect the Bills to trade him for a 1st and some change. Terrence McGee is a very good CB and I don't think there will be a major dropoff between he and Clements. The #2 spot, will be a concern, however, and the Bills will likely need to burn a 1st or 2nd round pick on the position. Kevin Thomas is a FA and given his injury he may not return. Greer and King look like good nickel CBs.

 

S

Both Milloy and Vincent are better than they're given credit for, but then again, both are old and both count an awful lot against the Bills available cap space. It would not suprise me to see both return, nor would it suprise me to see both gone. I expect that any potential replacements would be FAs, though there's a good chance they'll pick a S in the middle stages of the draft to develop for the future.

 

K/P

Moorman is the best punter in the league as far as I'm concerned. I can't argue with Lindell's production this season, but I have to admit, he makes me nervous every time he attempts a FG. I fully expect him to return unless he has a miserable finish to the '05 season.

[BB2004]

I recognize that the season is only half over, so please don't get on my case for speculating about the Bills' needs next year.  In fact, what looks like a need, now, might turn out to be a strength if a player develops in the next 8 games (e.g. Roscoe Parrish, K. Everett).  Conversely, what looks like a strength could also look like a need (e.g. linebacker).

 

Having said that, the Bills seem to have so many weaknesses right now that I am not sure what their #1 draft priority is.  Which position is in the worst shape, has the least prospect of player development, and the worst chance of being addressed through free agency?

 

Here is my pick: Defensive tackle (which is depressing, seeing as how we have drafted for this position in recent years)

 

My reasoning: depsite the need to upgrade the O-line, defense is more important than offense.  Also, I think the prospect for player development is better on the O-line than on the D-line.

496117[/snapback]

 

I think the LT position is our biggest priority. But DT would be fine to if there's a player worth taking. Center would be a third option.