Mock Draft Munching

[Pyrite Gal]

i think its safe to say that anyone picked in the front half of the draft(maybe even the entire first round) should be expected to step in and start.

 

Who expected Whitner to step in and start 16 games? much less Simpson in the 3rd become a full-timer.

 

Willis has his own set of pro's over F-B. I would bet that he could come in and start and we wouldnt see that much drop-off. especially if our DLine plays better in front of him, and we keep Nate and hold on to a Top 10 pass D.

 

some stumbling will be there, he might even be a bust, thats the chance in every pick though. right now the kid is on a roll. i say draft him and start him.

 

(or okoye)

 

I hope you are right if we end up opting for Willis. However, I think obie wan made the key point in that the MLB play is critical to the functioning of the Tampa 2 as the MLB divides the deep zone coverage of the field into 3 with the safeties. This mandates that our MLB have the physical ability to both tackle at the LOS like a DT (Willis seems to be well qualified to do this from what I see) but also play deep cover over the middle like a safety (Willis also seems to have the speed and the coverage ability to do this well one on one though no one has presented any indication such as word his college was HC'ed or DC'ed by a former pro and that they played a bunch of zone that would be that the assertion he can be a Tampa 2 MLB is more than simple hopeful thinking).

 

I think there are several relevant points here in terms of the chances of us choosing Willis and then how it will work out if we do:

 

1. In the absence of any presentation of objective information or some indication that Willis more than a very physically talented player the thought we would pick him seems to be based more on wishful thinking than any objective analysis or thinking. Having more than fact-free opinions is not required on TSW but it is nice to be educated by these posts.

 

2. I agree that players simply need to develop and no one should expect a rookie to produce like a vet such that one never drafts a rookie. However, there is a difference between drafting a talented rookie and hoping/expecting/requiring him to start immediately at a demanding position like SS and an even more demanding position like MLB in a Tampa 2. I could easily see the Bills being quite happy getting a player of the skill level of a Willis. However, I do not see them having a lot of our D scheme depend on this rookie performing like a vet in the critical position.

 

3. I do not see the Golden Boys Marv and Ralph being willing to commit to undergoing the ups and downs of a critical player on the D (and I would say THE most critical player) going through a learning curve of undefined length which which may well mortgage the whole season even if he turns out to play forever at MLB for the Los Angeles Bills.

 

4. The only suggestion which seems rational for the Bills replacing an F-B who walks would be to shift Crowell to MLB which means you more likely replace him by trying to sign a Briggs or the next FA down from him if we cannot pry this FA away from the Bears or if one wants to draft a replacement you go with OLBs Timmons or Poluszny rather than Willis.

 

Some folks have said I repeat the same thing and this is true because I almost always am responding to same dramatic declaration that we should pick Willis and start him at MLB and none of these folks have presented much in terms of their wishes and dreams and few objective indicators of how long they think his learning curve will be how, how many games they think we may lose while he learns and why old fogies like Marv and Ralph would be willing to risk 07 results for possible future gains.

 

In addition, though the thought of taking Willis is rooted in the likelihood we are gonna have to replace FA Fletcher, it also has been rooted in a presentation that he tackles player too deep in our backfield. Maybe this is true, but folks should realize that this is happening because our DTs allow too many runners to get to the second level where the LBs are playing unless they are shotting the gap. Also, on plays where the LB does have run stopping duty, F-B hitting people in the backfield is at least in part due to how the DC is lining him up to play as he also has coverage duties.

 

They might argue that the problem is not where he is told to line-up but that he is not fast enough to plug the hole or too weak or "light in the pants" to tackle charging RBs. However, the stats do not seem to indicate this at all as F-B has been credited with a Bills leading number of tackles year and year out and that his tackles run 2:1 solo versus alone which does not indicate that he merely grabs on to folks ankles and because he is so weak or below weight he needs help bringing players down.

 

I hate to rain on folks parade and i hope I am wrong but if we draft Willis as our starting MLB then the likelihood is wait for the 2008 season before we win tons of games and do well.

[DrDawkinstein]

ugh

[Git'er Done]

I keep posting this, and it's probably annoying but.....The Bills will draft a JUNIOR with thier first pick. They are the prime guys, and the Bills are building with youth. The first 4 picks last year were JUNIORS. Willis is not a junior.

MARK MY WORDS

[obie_wan]

I keep posting this, and it's probably annoying but.....The Bills will draft a JUNIOR with thier first pick. They are the prime guys, and the Bills are building with youth. The first 4 picks last year were JUNIORS. Willis is not a junior.

MARK MY WORDS

 

Okoye is not a junior, but he's younger than the junior's anyway.

 

so he's the guy.

[DrDawkinstein]

Okoye is not a junior, but he's younger than the junior's anyway.

 

so he's the guy.

 

lol, very good point

[Git'er Done]

lol, very good point

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah.....I'm well aware of that fact (check my previous postings) I knew someone was gonna point that out . I think most people would get my point.

And Sidney Rice is a Sophomore....