Okoye

[zevo]

Smart, educated, young, huge upside, strong work ethic, and a major area of need for the Bills.

[Nanker]

So he's definitely NOT going to be a Bill come April.

 

Too bad. He's got lots of potential and whatever other team gets him, I'm sure he'll be a keeper.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

Im all for drafting dts but all in all this is a sh------- dt year. Okoye is an intriguing prospect but at now 287lbs is he willing to get back up to 300-310 range and is he worth 12th overall? As of now I'd say no and still would be in more favor of drafting patrick willis.

[Nanker]

Im all for drafting dts but all in all this is a sh------- dt year. Okoye is an intriguing prospect but at now 287lbs is he willing to get back up to 300-310 range and is he worth 12th overall? As of now I'd say no and still would be in more favor of drafting patrick willis.

 

Gee, I dunno. 19 years old and 287 lbs. I wonder if he'll EVER put any pounds on. By the time he retires from the NFL he might get up to 298 - do ya think?

[Pyrite Gal]

Im all for drafting dts but all in all this is a sh------- dt year. Okoye is an intriguing prospect but at now 287lbs is he willing to get back up to 300-310 range and is he worth 12th overall? As of now I'd say no and still would be in more favor of drafting patrick willis.

 

I think this is also an issue, but one he should be able to get over in exchange for multi-millions he will get.

 

The question IMHO is more one of can he rather than will he. Is he that much more comfortable at 287 that if he got up to a little bit over 300 is he going to feel logy enough and also lose a little bit of that edge that it triggers other issues in his game so he gets pushed around and exploited?

 

Who knows, outside of his own mind and the NFL professionals who over time have developed a sense of how much weight gain a particular frame can handle and still perform exceptionally well (gosh I miss Rusty Jones, our old strenght and nutrition guy who helped Bruce Smith get down into the 280s and still maintain extraordinary strength).

 

As far as Willis, picking him makes little football sense to me, as my sense is that this D wouldtake a step backward in production with a rookie manning the key and diverse performing MLB role in our Cover 2.

 

I'm not saying that rookies cannot play MLB at a starting level right out of the box, but it seems to me that in our Tampa 2 version of the Cover 2, the MLB is asked to perform like a DT in plugging holes against the run, but also like a safety in deep pass coverage as our MLB divides the field in thirds with the two safeties in passing situations.

 

Willis is a very talented player as evidenced by his receiving the Butkus award as colleges best LB. However, this is also thought to be a fairly weak crop of MLBs and the highest I have seen any pundits place Willis is in the 15-20 range of potential draftees (maybe we can trade down and still get him) with some ranking actually listing OLBs Poluszny and Timmons as better prospects.

 

Its not that Willis will not be a better hitter and even faster (though I have not seen anything tangible to indicate this is true) than Fletch. Its simply that I do not think a rookie will be able to diagnose plays and not get fooled badly a couple of times (with an enemy TD the likely outcome if he takes a step in expecting a draw play on third and long and instead a speedy WR runs a post pattern through his zone) as he learns to read NFL play development like Fletch who watched a decade worth of NFL plays which I would guess played a key role in his leading the NFL in intercepts by an LB.

 

I think the best analogy to what life with Willis starting for us at MLB will be like is for the most part like the path JP took when he assumed the QB position. He was an outstanding athlete, but as things got more complex and opponents got tape on him to figure out how to exploit him, it got really ugly for a while and the faint of heart fans were ready to throw him under the bus.

 

It will not be the same as QB is actually much more difficult to absorb than MLB, but given that it is the MLB or either safety who tend to call D signals in the NFL if only because they are back far enough to see the whole field and near or in the middle so everyone can hear them yell a switch, given not only will Willis but the second year Whitner and Simpson not be there yet as signal callers.

 

The Bills would likely have to do something like have an off back like TKO or Crowell (likely Crowell as he has done this before as back-up MLB, and TKO will need to worry about his ongoing rehab rather than worry about everyone else) call the signals.

 

My sense is that given that there is no guarantee how long Marv and most of all Ralph will be on this planet, I doubt they will want to go through the painful learning experience even a talented Willis is likely to have if thrust into the Tampa 2 MLB role.

 

What makes more sense to me at replacing Fletch is:

 

1. Play Crowell as your starter and try to sign FA MLB Briggs.

2. Play Crowell as your starter and draft Poluszny or Timmons.

3. The best thing would be if what is happening is actually that Ralph and F-B are pulling a game on the rest of the league and have already agreed to an extension that fits our budget and actually are conspiring to make all think we are going to be MLB focused in the draft.

 

In this bizarre fantasy (wishing does not make it real and even I do not believe this) F-B even hires Drew R. to make the discord look real and he gets his agent cut for merely doing due diligence and helping sell the ruse.

[Phlegm Alley]

I'm sure Tenneseeboy is loving the article on the front page. He does sound like quite the prospect being one of the 3 captains on the team as the youngest invitee ever in the history of the senior bowl.

 

He could be the Tommie Harris of the defense and open things up for the guys on the outside. You're right: he does need to put on a few pounds but the guy is still a teenager. I'm sure he would be able to put on a few pounds in the pros.

[tennesseeboy]

Right now Okoye is a no-brainer, clearly the best player at our position of most need. He can and has played very well at the 310 range and has slimmed down to be looking good. I remember one other defensive lineman we put a first round on who never really did much in the NFL until he lost some weight...and I think we are all pretty happy with Bruce Smith.

 

Things might change leading up to the draft. Depending on free agency moves (Bills leaving and new folks coming) our needs might change. Okoye will be a major improvement for some team like Ngata was. We'll just have to see if he's the guy for us. No doubt in my mind that right now he is the best use of our number one pick.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Right now Okoye is a no-brainer, clearly the best player at our position of most need. He can and has played very well at the 310 range and has slimmed down to be looking good. I remember one other defensive lineman we put a first round on who never really did much in the NFL until he lost some weight...and I think we are all pretty happy with Bruce Smith.

 

Things might change leading up to the draft. Depending on free agency moves (Bills leaving and new folks coming) our needs might change. Okoye will be a major improvement for some team like Ngata was. We'll just have to see if he's the guy for us. No doubt in my mind that right now he is the best use of our number one pick.

 

Is there any concern that he's too raw?

 

I hate the idea of taking a DT so high--there's usually a steep learning curve at that position and the last few years have seen an abundance of first round DT busts (e.g., Ryan Sims, William Joseph, etc.).

 

I don't want to go after a young guy with huge upside; we already have that with McCargo.

[RayFinkle]

Okoye, all signs point to yes.

Isn't the Nigerian Nightmare a bit old at the point?

[tennesseeboy]

Is there any concern that he's too raw?

 

I hate the idea of taking a DT so high--there's usually a steep learning curve at that position and the last few years have seen an abundance of first round DT busts (e.g., Ryan Sims, William Joseph, etc.).

 

I don't want to go after a young guy with huge upside; we already have that with McCargo.

Whooaaaaa...this isn't McCargo. He successfully played the defensive line for Louisville at 16! He's smart and coachable, and has gotten light years better each year he has played. There is no reason to assume he won't develop in the NFL. He also has a maturity (excellent student...mature individual) that would allay fears of his going off the deep end in the NFL...although you never really know.

[Fewell733]

when I heard about his weight I automatically assumed that we would pass because we were looking for a bigger guy to replace Anderson. However since the guy has really shown that he's a force on the field with amazing character and smarts, he'll be tough to pass up.

 

Also remember that after the draft last year the coaches said that they thought McCargo would be able to play both DT positions with time. Also it's possible that they think that a run stuffer upgrade from Anderson will be not too difficult to grab in FA - 1st - since it'll be easy to upgrade from Anderson because he's so bad; and 2- those kind of players are not quite as pricey as the athletic freak type DT's.

[inkman]

...he going to feel logy enough...

You, my wife and my mother-in-law are the only one's I've ever heard (or read) that use this word.

[Ray]

If he is thought to be the best DT in the draft he will certainly be gone by 12 so it would be a moot point---I think he is gone before the Bills pick. If he is there, then it's a no-brainer.

[inkman]

...helped Bruce Smith get down into the 280s and still maintain extraordinary strength).

I thought Bruce played @ 264.

[obie_wan]

when I heard about his weight I automatically assumed that we would pass because we were looking for a bigger guy to replace Anderson. However since the guy has really shown that he's a force on the field with amazing character and smarts, he'll be tough to pass up.

 

Also remember that after the draft last year the coaches said that they thought McCargo would be able to play both DT positions with time. Also it's possible that they think that a run stuffer upgrade from Anderson will be not too difficult to grab in FA - 1st - since it'll be easy to upgrade from Anderson because he's so bad; and 2- those kind of players are not quite as pricey as the athletic freak type DT's.

 

the only peolpe looking for a big fat "run-stuffer" to man the middle are the fans on this board.

 

This defense is predicated on speed. The Bills need a better player than Anderson, not necessarily a bigger player.

[inkman]

1. Play Crowell as your starter and try to sign FA MLB Briggs.

All indications are pointing toward the Bears resigning Briggs. They have nearly as much cap space as Buffalo.

[bobblehead]

All indications are pointing toward the Bears resigning Briggs. They have nearly as much cap space as Buffalo.

 

 

Problem is, everyone has as much cap space as Buffalo.

[Fewell733]

If he is thought to be the best DT in the draft he will certainly be gone by 12 so it would be a moot point---I think he is gone before the Bills pick. If he is there, then it's a no-brainer.

 

The pundits view Alan Branch as the top DT in the draft. He's kind of in the John Henderson mold and will almost certainly be a top 10 pick, maybe top 5. So Okoye will very likely be there at 12 (also the fact that he's a smallish DT and only 19 could scare some away)

[obie_wan]

I think this is also an issue, but one he should be able to get over in exchange for multi-millions he will get.

 

The question IMHO is more one of can he rather than will he. Is he that much more comfortable at 287 that if he got up to a little bit over 300 is he going to feel logy enough and also lose a little bit of that edge that it triggers other issues in his game so he gets pushed around and exploited?

 

Who knows, outside of his own mind and the NFL professionals who over time have developed a sense of how much weight gain a particular frame can handle and still perform exceptionally well (gosh I miss Rusty Jones, our old strenght and nutrition guy who helped Bruce Smith get down into the 280s and still maintain extraordinary strength).

 

As far as Willis, picking him makes little football sense to me, as my sense is that this D wouldtake a step backward in production with a rookie manning the key and diverse performing MLB role in our Cover 2.

 

I'm not saying that rookies cannot play MLB at a starting level right out of the box, but it seems to me that in our Tampa 2 version of the Cover 2, the MLB is asked to perform like a DT in plugging holes against the run, but also like a safety in deep pass coverage as our MLB divides the field in thirds with the two safeties in passing situations.

 

Willis is a very talented player as evidenced by his receiving the Butkus award as colleges best LB. However, this is also thought to be a fairly weak crop of MLBs and the highest I have seen any pundits place Willis is in the 15-20 range of potential draftees (maybe we can trade down and still get him) with some ranking actually listing OLBs Poluszny and Timmons as better prospects.

 

Its not that Willis will not be a better hitter and even faster (though I have not seen anything tangible to indicate this is true) than Fletch. Its simply that I do not think a rookie will be able to diagnose plays and not get fooled badly a couple of times (with an enemy TD the likely outcome if he takes a step in expecting a draw play on third and long and instead a speedy WR runs a post pattern through his zone) as he learns to read NFL play development like Fletch who watched a decade worth of NFL plays which I would guess played a key role in his leading the NFL in intercepts by an LB.

 

I think the best analogy to what life with Willis starting for us at MLB will be like is for the most part like the path JP took when he assumed the QB position. He was an outstanding athlete, but as things got more complex and opponents got tape on him to figure out how to exploit him, it got really ugly for a while and the faint of heart fans were ready to throw him under the bus.

 

It will not be the same as QB is actually much more difficult to absorb than MLB, but given that it is the MLB or either safety who tend to call D signals in the NFL if only because they are back far enough to see the whole field and near or in the middle so everyone can hear them yell a switch, given not only will Willis but the second year Whitner and Simpson not be there yet as signal callers.

 

The Bills would likely have to do something like have an off back like TKO or Crowell (likely Crowell as he has done this before as back-up MLB, and TKO will need to worry about his ongoing rehab rather than worry about everyone else) call the signals.

 

My sense is that given that there is no guarantee how long Marv and most of all Ralph will be on this planet, I doubt they will want to go through the painful learning experience even a talented Willis is likely to have if thrust into the Tampa 2 MLB role.

 

What makes more sense to me at replacing Fletch is:

 

1. Play Crowell as your starter and try to sign FA MLB Briggs.

2. Play Crowell as your starter and draft Poluszny or Timmons.

3. The best thing would be if what is happening is actually that Ralph and F-B are pulling a game on the rest of the league and have already agreed to an extension that fits our budget and actually are conspiring to make all think we are going to be MLB focused in the draft.

 

In this bizarre fantasy (wishing does not make it real and even I do not believe this) F-B even hires Drew R. to make the discord look real and he gets his agent cut for merely doing due diligence and helping sell the ruse.

 

1. Bruce played at a weight in the 260's.

 

2. No matter how long your response, your logic on not drafting a top flight MLB remains completely without foundation.

 

Just because it may be a difficult position to master is no reason to avoid drafting a fine player. With the lack of quality free agents, good drafting is the only sure way to get the studs you need.

 

In fact, based on last year's ignoring trades to draft Whitner at a high priority position, makes it even more likely that the the Bills will spend a high pick on their hand picked replacement at MLB -just because it is so important a position in the cover -2.

[Fewell733]

the only peolpe looking for a big fat "run-stuffer" to man the middle are the fans on this board.

 

This defense is predicated on speed. The Bills need a better player than Anderson, not necessarily a bigger player.

 

Very true. When I was picturing a cheap replacement for Anderson I was picturing somebody like Kyle Williams - strong and tenacious guy, but somebody that doesn't have freakish measurables.