Opinions so far

[billybob]

1. As of now Dockery is the only step forward the Bills have made in the offseason everything else has been a step backwards or treading water.

 

2. Langston Walker will be an excellent indicator to how smart the Bills front office is - most average people who have watched Walker play thinks he sucks - the Bills talent evaluators saw something else- so Langston better be pretty good cause if you're being paid to pick talent and you can't do it as good as the fans then you should get your butt fired.

 

3. Trading Willis was the right thing to do but it's crazy to think it makes the Bills better this year- oh and I was a little more excited when it was a 2nd and 5th instead of the 3rd and 7th with a 3rd next year.

 

4. ditto London and Nate- had to let them go but it doesn't make us better this year.

 

5. If a team moves up to get the Bills pick at 12 I think the Player it will be for is Ted Ginn - his kick returning ability will be very attractive to some teams.

 

6. People down grade WRs but Calvin Johnson is the most complete WR I can ever remember and you'd have to admit Evans, Parrish, Johnson would have to be one of the scariest set of receivers for a defensive coordinator to game plan for.

[Horus]

I agree with 1 - 4 but would lke to add my own opinon as well

 

 

my 5 - I think people are worrying a little to much about the CB position...Youboty was a top 5 CB in last years draft...some people either forgot this or arent careing much about that...i think to many people are worrying about his slow start and lack of production last season...I think Youboty will be fine as a replacement to Clements..Youboty will have 1 full season with this coaching staff and 1 full season with these bills players and 1 full year to read and understand the bills defensive playbook..how can that not be better than a top 5 rookie in this years draft with no nfl experience and no time with the bills coaches and players at all.

[JAMIEBUF12]

i look at it like we really only lost nate clements.we knew we could not afford nate.this is why marv had the forsight to draft a cornerback last draft(ashton youtboy).before the off season started marv also said they preferred a attacking linebacker.they said london fletcher did not fit this role.sounds to me like the bills are clearly going to draft a line backer.signing three offensive lineman on the first day of free agency showed me that marv was serious about building our line.he did say that was a priorty right after the season finished.so it shows marv is a man of his word.marv then goes out and rids the bills of that jackass willis and gets three draft picks for him.that was genious.yes it did create a new hole on the team.i feel they saw enough of willis last season to know his full potential would never be realized in buffalo.marv was shrewd and moved on.besides nate and london this team has signed almost every one of our own free agents.this has not been accomplished in a long time.it shows us that the players like being on the bills.this is a team on the rise and it is being rebuilt properly.go marv and go bills in"07

[Special K]

my 5 - I think people are worrying a little to much about the CB position...Youboty was a top 5 CB in last years draft...some people either forgot this or arent careing much about that...i think to many people are worrying about his slow start and lack of production last season...I think Youboty will be fine as a replacement to Clements..Youboty will have 1 full season with this coaching staff and 1 full season with these bills players and 1 full year to read and understand the bills defensive playbook..how can that not be better than a top 5 rookie in this years draft with no nfl experience and no time with the bills coaches and players at all.

 

 

I'm glad to see I am not the only one who feels this way.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

I like Youboty's potential. That being said, I also like the potential of a LB'ing corps of Ellison, Crowell, and a fully-recovered Spikes, John McCargo coming back from injury, and Kyle Williams after bulking-up. That doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it happening.

[JoeF]

Interesting post.

 

So if you look at it on the surface..There is no way you could state at this point that we will be better. Losing Clements, Fletcher-Baker and Willis -- arguably our two best defenders and one of the few offensive weapons we have there is no way.

 

But take a look deeper....

 

1) Improving LG gives us an awesome Left Side of the offensive line-one that can be relied upon to get push and protect JP's blind side at a higher level.

For the pass--it means more time and JP improved his accuracy immensely last year--he is only going to get better with more time. For the run--we got overwhelmed a lot on 3rd and short the last seven years--while we won't convert every third and short now--I bet our total conversion rate increases by 10% from this years 31.7% to around 40% that's more time on offense, that's less stress on the defense.

 

-We were the third worst O in the NFL last year--6th worst running and 5th worst passing--I think despite the loss of Willis we improve markedly next year.

 

-Another fact--the games Anthony Thomas started--he had more average yards -- 84 per game-- than Willis' average for the games he started--77

-On Walker--I agree with you that he is a risk and that the pro scouting team and McNally must see something we don't--but look at what McNally has had to work with--he has led the development of Peters, made Gandy play the best football of his career, prepared a rookie to play last year and basically evaluated Williams as a lost cause--we haven't given McNally much to work with--but he has gotten a lot out of it. Walker only has to be better than our RT's last year for the line to improve--that is a pretty accomplishable task.

 

2) On D-- we were mid tier last year...we will suffer with the loss of the Clements and Fletcher-Baker--my biggest worry about corner is McGee, not the loss of Clements. He was very shaky last year--however he was also gimpy all year with hammy, shoulder and ankle issues.

 

We prepped for this loss of Clements last year by drafting better coverage safetys and Youboty. Plus a shutdown corner is not critical in cover 2 where you almost always have Safety help deep..we will be hurt--and won't have the flexibility to man up all the time -- but the system and Whitner and Simpson's logical improvements help mitigate this some...plus the draft will yield something here.

 

On Fletcher Baker--believe it or not -- I am less worried about losing his talent than his leadership...I think we will make more mental mistakes because #59 is not there--we need Crowell to step up and lead...be the coach on the field.

 

I think we slip on D--but I am hopeful that McCargo and Youboty make the slide a small one. Plus I have confidence we will find talent in the draft on this side of the ball -- why--well Kyle Williams, Ko Simpson and Keith Ellison are pretty gosh darn good players and they were 5th, 4th and 6th round picks respectively last year.

 

3) We still have field changing, reliable and talented special teams.

 

Its not totally lost--I want to see the 8 new Bills we get at the end of next month...but my biggest concern is Fletcher's leadership--its the most important loss of the off-season to me.

[Horus]

yes you see thats why i propose we pick the players I have chosen for the bills ... 1st round we grab Paul Posluszny LB, this guy is top 5 LB and is being compared as the next, dare I say it..Teddi Bruschi... how can you not be good being compared to the football god of gods...2nd round we pick Antonio Pittman RB awsome RB and good Receiver... 3rd round we grab Daymieon Hughes to solidify the CB position and add depth or take over for mcgee if he seems to faulter...a backfeild of Brian Leanard with Pittman and A-Train would be real nice too so we take Brian Leanard FB with our last 3rd pick........

 

ok so anyways i dont wanna turn this into another draft thread..lol..

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

I like Youboty's potential. That being said, I also like the potential of a LB'ing corps of Ellison, Crowell, and a fully-recovered Spikes, John McCargo coming back from injury, and Kyle Williams after bulking-up. That doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it happening.

I really think Youboty could be a great CB if we give him the chance to start at CB. Not #1 but #2. Well actually it's whoever is faster, McGee or Youboty. At the #1 CB position you need to be fast to keep up with some teams #1 WR.

[BuffaloBilliever]

I only read #1, and I don't agree.

 

A MLB will be a step forward, Youboty was drafted knowing that Nate was leaving, and McCargo wasn't drafted for no reason... Opinion so far? Marv and Ralph know what they're doing, and they'll follow through until Kiwaukee's billief follows through.

 

Playoff contenders this year, who gives if they lose wild card round, ticket sales will be up.

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

I only read #1, and I don't agree.

 

A MLB will be a step forward, Youboty was drafted knowing that Nate was leaving, and McCargo wasn't drafted for no reason... Opinion so far? Marv and Ralph know what they're doing, and they'll follow through until Kiwaukee's billief follows through.

 

Playoff contenders this year, who gives if they lose wild card round, ticket sales will be up.

And we stand a better chance at staying in Buffalo.

[billybob]

say what you want about London and Nate and I agree that for the Long term not signing them is the right thing to do - but the Bills got 13 interceptions last year and 7 of them came from Nate (3) and London (4) of those 13 ints two were returned for TDs London 1 Nate 1- Maybe the Bills will be better in 2007 but for now it's all based on hope- we hope McCargo's foot heals and doesn't keep getting injured and that McCargo gets that chubby body in better shape- we hope that the Bills are right about Langston Walker and that everybody else is wrong- we Hope that Spikes and Crowell come back strong from injury or that we draft a stud LB- we hope Youbooty is the real deal at corner back- we hope our run game is strong or that we get another receiving threat so Evans isn't tripled covered every down.

[Captain Hindsight]

i look at it like we really only lost nate clements.we knew we could not afford nate.this is why marv had the forsight to draft a cornerback last draft(ashton youtboy).before the off season started marv also said they preferred a attacking linebacker.they said london fletcher did not fit this role.sounds to me like the bills are clearly going to draft a line backer.signing three offensive lineman on the first day of free agency showed me that marv was serious about building our line.he did say that was a priorty right after the season finished.so it shows marv is a man of his word.marv then goes out and rids the bills of that jackass willis and gets three draft picks for him.that was genious.yes it did create a new hole on the team.i feel they saw enough of willis last season to know his full potential would never be realized in buffalo.marv was shrewd and moved on.besides nate and london this team has signed almost every one of our own free agents.this has not been accomplished in a long time.it shows us that the players like being on the bills.this is a team on the rise and it is being rebuilt properly.go marv and go bills in"07

thank you. this ones on me

[Koufax]

Yeah, we are worse at RB, and that is something we will have to address, but the line, QB, and receivers have to be considered better through the upgrades and the maturing of young players. If we get another good back to go with A-Train (doesn't have to be Peterson/Lynch, but that's a possibility), I really have a tough time seeing how our offense is not clearly going to be better.

 

Do you not think this line is better?

Do you expect less from JP behind a better line?

Do you not expect Evans to be better, and his attention drawn to open things up more for Price/Roscoe/Reed?

Do you not expect the year of playing together in a new offense to not yield better chemistry and results in general in the passing game?

Do you not expect our tight ends to be better weapons since they won't have to stay in and help Pennington every down?

 

So I think without any more additions we are a better offense, and that we will add a RB on draft day 1 that will make the O a no brainer.

 

 

Now on to the D.

I think that our ends are pretty much the same, but none of them should be expected to fall off dramatically. In year two of the system we could even expect some improvement.

 

I think our D-tackle rotation is better adding McCargo in, getting Kyle into year 2, Triplett in his prime, and a full year of Hargrove over Tim Anderson. But I think we will also likely add another presence in the draft, and this could go from slightly better to much better (Okoye and McCargo added to last year's tackles?)

 

I think our LB play is the biggest unknown. But we didn't get great play last year, and it won't take much to improve. Crowell over Fletcher (if we don't draft Willis), is a big unknown, but I was disappointed with London last year and think this could end up being an upgrade. Spikes 2007 over Spikes 2006 is a no brainer for anybody who understands achilles injuries, not to mention being sidelined/hobbled with the hammy too. No guarantees here, but I think that if we keep him Spikes will make a greater contribution next year than last. The downgrade if we don't add anybody is moving from Crowell to Ellison, but really I don't see Ellison-Crowell-Spikes as a big step down from Crowell-Fletcher-Spikes. But adding someone would be nice.

 

Safeties should clearly be better in year 2 of the system, and I think that will help offset the clear downgrade at corner. As many, I have high hopes for Youboty, and don't understand why a top corner from last year with a year of experience is thought so lowly of while unknown draft prospects are supposed to be the answer. McGee struggled last year, so either he takes a step forward or he loses his spot to KT or a draft pick. Nate played great last year and I think we will get less out of our #1 corner whether Youboty or a draft pick, but I think the other three parts of our secondary will take a step forward to help offset that loss as a unit.

 

So without any draft picks I think we are better on O (even with A-Train getting all the carries), and break even on D. Add in four day 1 picks including an impact starter at #12 and I think there is no way we aren't a better team.

 

But after that optimism:

 

1) I'm disappointed about the Walker signing. I expect him to certainly be better than Pennington and an improvement. But I have doubts that he can be $25 million than the better of Pennington and Butler, and would have rather seen that money shown to June or someone else. I do trust Marv and McNally with these evaluations, so will keep my fingers crossed.

 

2) I think we lost on the Willis deal for 2007. A happy healthy Willis playing for a contract and then walking is clearly more value than a low #3 pick (because the 7th is worthless and next year's pick can't play for us this year). We clearly gain on this deal for 2008-2010 when those picks could contribute while Willis would have been gone for nothing. But still it is a blow, and one that could alter our draft and affect our ability to get better elsewhere.

[BillsVet]

All I can think of is we're taking a step back to take two steps forward. I like Dockery and to a lesser extent Walker. Making your offensive line better is the right move to take. Skill positions other than QB don't require big time picks all the time. But, you've got a WR in Evans who is the real deal. Opposite him there's a mix of several similar players. At RB you're going to have a committee and that isn't something I'm keen on, but they don't have much choice either. Defense is probably the name of the game in the draft again.

 

On defense, we're hoping the young guys get better. Plain and simple. For guys drafted in the first or second that's fine. After that I'm concerned. Sure, we've got guys in the past from later rounds who performed, but the odds are against low round picks.

 

On the DLine, we've got bodies at DT, but quality is another question. DE seems to be the foundation of this defense. At LB we're woefully thin, and should Spikes get the boot, even more. The safeties both have 1 year experience and the corners are shaky at best. Youboty/K. Thomas aren't big names while McGee had a rough 2006 campaign. Not saying you need name CB's, but I'm not comfortable with a 7 year veteran who's never started before and a super-rookie who has minimal experience no matter how high he was ranked last season.

 

I don't like speculating about 2007 this early, but getting guys from the 07 draft to start appears the only option at certain positions. I can see a CB being taken, but I'd spontaneously combust as would many other fans.

 

One thing I don't like is people asserting that we can find a RB in round 3 or 4 who can share time with A. Thomas and provide an adequate running game. That's more wishful thinking. Backs look good behind good lines, but they still need to see their blocks and get past the LOS. That's the hard part.

[Yasin's BILLS]

6. People down grade WRs but Calvin Johnson is the most complete WR I can ever remember and you'd have to admit Evans, Parrish, Johnson would have to be one of the scariest set of receivers for a defensive coordinator to game plan for.

Calvin Johnson would definately be a nice pick, but you don't want another wide reciever controversy if we do get him between him and lee evans, lee evans should remain as our number 1 guys for many years.

[Flbillsfan#1]

Who is to say how good Nate or London will play in 07? They are both a year older, and have signed fat contracts. We will see how motivated they are next year. Many people posting on this board assume they will be better than there replacements, not me. I also think it is a safe bet the Bills will have better production at runningback & QB behind a vastly improved O-line.

[Yasin's BILLS]

Who is to say how good Nate or London will play in 07? They are both a year older, and have signed fat contracts. We will see how motivated they are next year. Many people posting on this board assume they will be better than there replacements, not me. I also think it is a safe bet the Bills will have better production at runningback & QB behind a vastly improved O-line.

The way ive always seen it money doesn't play for you, you have to play for the money. Nate Clements is overpaid says he's the best in the league but i think theres better corners than him that should be making that kind of money but probably don't want to. London Fletcher on the other hand deserves that kind of money, he's been a hard working underrated, and under appreciated line backer if theres anybody in this league should be making a lot of money it should be london. We have improved our line this year in the line and Im happy and I think we will be fine no matter what people think if they think were doomed, and we win games there going to be feeling disgusted.