Is the rap on Marshawn Lynch fair or unfair?

[Tipster19]

Tipster...

 

I absolutely agree with you that Marv likes to biuld in the trenchs....but I would also agree that he has DONE THAT.....

 

McCargo, Williams, Fowler, Pennington, Butler last year

 

Trade for DT, and 3 new O linmen this year

That is definatley a focus on the lines that we have been crying for......

 

I think that the bills would like to get Turner if he can be had for the right price......but I also think that they would love to have Lynch or Peterson.....

 

There does appear to be some good linebacker options in the 2nd round (or trading up into the first) and lets not forget June 1st cuts.......

 

 

Hey John from Hemet, nice to hear from you. Everything that you said is spot on except I really don't believe that Peterson will even be close to being there at the 12th pick. I would not be disappointed nor against us picking Willis with the #12 pick because I do believe that a LB is a big need for us and a defensive player is the way to go. At the same time I do believe that we would have a tremendous opportunity to be able to take a D-Lineman that would really be a special player for us for many years to come, this year included.

[Sketch Soland]

Ol' Marshawn loves his Momma.

 

We shall give him a check mark in the character book for that.

[The Dean]

Ol' Marshawn loves his Momma.

 

We shall give him a check mark in the character book for that.

 

 

As long as he doesn't love her a little too much

[Tipster19]

Hey The Dean, what the hell is that all over your face??!!!

[Sketch Soland]

Hey The Dean, what the hell is that all over your face??!!!

 

Marshawn's Momma!!!

 

OH SNAP!!!

[The Dean]

Hey The Dean, what the hell is that all over your face??!!!

 

It happened after reading one of LSI's more bizarre posts. I'm seeing a doctor about it tomorrow...should clear up.

 

Thank you for your concern.

[Fewell733]

Didn't they get that in the Trade for TKO?

 

I would say they got another 3 technique guy to rotate with Triplett. They have McCargo and Williams as the one technique guys and Anderson is still around for now. Anderson isn't going to stay around though so I think bringing in another DT late who might be able to actually play may be a good idea.

 

 

Also, yeah I don't buy the stuff about Lynch's bad character - though the gf thing obviously looks a little bit sketchy.

[Tipster19]

It happened after reading one of LSI's more bizarre posts. I'm seeing a doctor about it tomorrow...should clear up.

 

Thank you for your concern.

 

 

I'd be careful, that splooge looks like some kind of alien. Get a poker red hot by sticking it in the fireplace and try to burn that crap off your face before it stick it's tail down your throat.

[The Dean]

I'd be careful, that splooge looks like some kind of alien. Get a poker red hot by sticking it in the fireplace and try to burn that crap off your face before it stick it's tail down your throat.

 

 

I think it EXPLODED out of the head...not just stuck on. (Or the jokes not that funny. Work with me here.)

[Pyrite Gal]

I would say they got another 3 technique guy to rotate with Triplett. They have McCargo and Williams as the one technique guys and Anderson is still around for now. Anderson isn't going to stay around though so I think bringing in another DT late who might be able to actually play may be a good idea.

Also, yeah I don't buy the stuff about Lynch's bad character - though the gf thing obviously looks a little bit sketchy.

 

I think one of the big keys to making the DL effective (particularly in a Cover 2 scheme where the DTs are required to penetrate a lot to blow up running plays) is that none of the the DL players can be type cast as using a particular technique all (or even most) of the time and actually are able to flip-flop and play each other's positions and roles on a significant number of plays,

 

I think in general, this is part of the reason has been pretty effective and why we see a trend away from the huge run pluggers of the big Ted model DT and generally away from the 3-4 to a D style where both DTs are roughly the same size and smaller as the DTs begin to look more like the DEs in terms of size and the level of athleticism.

 

I think a player can still be legitimately labeled a 3 technique or some other specific style of play or technique because that may be his best use and how he is employed in the base D.

 

However, if a player is used the same way almost exclusively and allows the opposing blockers to study all week to stop a single style or technique employed by a player then that player will likely be neutralized.

 

The zone blitz was very effective when LeBeau first unleashed it because the blockers could not predict where the blitz would be coming from and they might even assign two blockers for a pass rushing DE, only to have him drop back into short zone pass coverage, while the LBs relieved of coverage duty zipped in to blitz while one or two blockers were simply standing at the LOS with nothing to do as they watched the DE fade back into coverage.

 

Offenses adjusted to the zoneblitz and were able to pick it up (I think this was part of the reason there were two very good seasons by this Jerry Gray led team but he stuck with what was successful too long and particularly division opponents who had seen our tendencies four times in games caught up with what we were doing and creamed us).

 

The Cover 2 (and the hybrid known as the Tampa 2 which is the style we play) is the current rage in this league which always imitates success. It tends to fool opponents using a different style but getting the same results as the zone blitz by using the DTs to penetrate and have the athleticism of a good DE.

 

I think that we fans are overemphasizing whether a DT is a 3 technique guy or something else because really the DTs can and do play each other positions (for example, last year McCargo was Tripletts back-up while in the current depth chart he is backing up the RDT instead.

 

In the end, we are gonna rotate all 8 DL players and we will see folks like DEs Denney and Hargrove lining up as DTs from time to time as we seek to make our D more effective.

[Koufax]

Sorry, I disagree. If Carriker is there, we take him.

 

Do you think Carriker is a better football player than Willis? Obviously LB is a bigger hole, so if we were to take Carriker instead it would because the difference is clear and significant.

 

I still like Willis at #12 more than anything else. I think CB and DT are luxury picks that we can consider in the 3rd, but our top two needs are LB and RB, and the only reason I go away from those is if someone much higher on our draft board is available at another position. I don't consider drafting a CB or DT in the 1st because of need, only because they are the absolute best player available. Only LB and RB get any need bump in my mind.

 

Lynch and trading up for a late round 1 LB could work, but I'm not as sold on Lynch as Willis right now as becoming an outstanding football player.

[Ball'n]

Do you think Carriker is a better football player than Willis? Obviously LB is a bigger hole, so if we were to take Carriker instead it would because the difference is clear and significant.

 

I still like Willis at #12 more than anything else. I think CB and DT are luxury picks that we can consider in the 3rd, but our top two needs are LB and RB, and the only reason I go away from those is if someone much higher on our draft board is available at another position. I don't consider drafting a CB or DT in the 1st because of need, only because they are the absolute best player available. Only LB and RB get any need bump in my mind.

 

Lynch and trading up for a late round 1 LB could work, but I'm not as sold on Lynch as Willis right now as becoming an outstanding football player.

 

I would rather have Peterson or Turner than Lynch. That being said I understand why many want Lynch. He is the most complete back comming out of the draft. He has size, some speed, hands, and doesn't get taken down that easy. Willis is has freakish talent and should be good no matter what team he goes to. I wouldn't be disappointed with either of them.

[Pyrite Gal]

Do you think Carriker is a better football player than Willis? Obviously LB is a bigger hole, so if we were to take Carriker instead it would because the difference is clear and significant.

 

I still like Willis at #12 more than anything else. I think CB and DT are luxury picks that we can consider in the 3rd, but our top two needs are LB and RB, and the only reason I go away from those is if someone much higher on our draft board is available at another position. I don't consider drafting a CB or DT in the 1st because of need, only because they are the absolute best player available. Only LB and RB get any need bump in my mind.

 

Lynch and trading up for a late round 1 LB could work, but I'm not as sold on Lynch as Willis right now as becoming an outstanding football player.

 

I like Willis also and will be happy if we pick him IF we decide Willis can start at SLB and we actually start the vet Crowell at MLB.

 

The word I hear is that Willis is a good enough player that he has shown at earlier points in his career the ability to fill the slot last occupied on the Bills by TKO.

 

If we believe he is good enough to do this (some disagree like Kiper and have him as a very late 1st rounder at best, but other seem to feel he is a stud and have advocated even trading up to get him from SF) then I say pick him and we go with an LB triumvirate of Willis, Crowell, and starter last year Ellison. The back-ups would be Wire at Will, Haggan at Sam and actually current #2 of the depth chart DiGregorio and Willis learning to make vet reads duking it out for back-up if necessary.

[The Dean]

I like Willis also and will be happy if we pick him IF we decide Willis can start at SLB and we actually start the vet Crowell at MLB.

 

The word I hear is that Willis is a good enough player that he has shown at earlier points in his career the ability to fill the slot last occupied on the Bills by TKO.

 

If we believe he is good enough to do this (some disagree like Kiper and have him as a very late 1st rounder at best, but other seem to feel he is a stud and have advocated even trading up to get him from SF) then I say pick him and we go with an LB triumvirate of Willis, Crowell, and starter last year Ellison. The back-ups would be Wire at Will, Haggan at Sam and actually current #2 of the depth chart DiGregorio and Willis learning to make vet reads duking it out for back-up if necessary.

 

Just an update. Yesterday, Kiper named Willis as a "stock rising" player and named the Bills as a possible team interested.

[Pyrite Gal]

Just an update. Yesterday, Kiper named Willis as a "stock rising" player and named the Bills as a possible team interested.

 

I think this is great as long as we are confident he can play well at SLB and break into being our eventual longtime hero at MLB when he gains vet experience.

 

If we start him as the MLB I will still be hopeful, but mostly fearful as I suspect most OCs will relish the opportunity to try to fool a rookie into taking a step back on surprise running plays and even worse take a step in as the Bills ask him to be aggressive on surprise passing plays,

[Mickey]

They Bills have a need at DT? They have 4 on the roster, one was a 1st rounder last year who missed most of the year after an injury (and apparently it was fixed right this time so he shouldn't re-injure it) and have tendered another DT and a DE that could play DT if needed. I think DT isn't on the radar when it comes to 1st day picks.

 

RB and LB are the needs. CB is not a huge hole, sure upgrading from McGee would be nice, but that doesn't make it a need. They have a replacement for Clements that they found in the draft last year (Youbouty) so picking a CB in the 1st would be more of a luxury pick. The have 3 TE's, Royal (who they are big on) and Cieslak (who they also like and is versatile enough to also play FB) and Everett who has not shown the team anything, hardly a pressing need.

That could change in a hurry if Okoye or Branch falls to them. Not likely that either would or that we would take one but it would be tempting. Being on the roster and being any good are two different things. Williams is an overachiever but even at that, he is no better than average. Anderson isn't even that. We were close to the leagues worst against the run and most of that was due to problems at DT and MLB. That is why Fletcher is gone and why we traded for one in the Spikes deal. Tripplett was a huge disappointment. So what you have is awful (Anderson), average (Williams) a disappointment (Tripplett), potential (McCargo) and a decent but not great vet (Walker). Not exactly a murderers row is it? If either Okoye or Branch falls to us, I wouldn't at all be shocked if we took him.

[Mickey]

The biggest drawback for me in taking a RB in the first rd is that we still have other issues to resolve aka LB, CB, and even DT. That's why trading for Turner without

involving our 1st rder is attractive for me. If that can happen then we can use the 1st rder for defense. Drafting Lynch kills that thought.

Yeah but who says we have to take a RB in the first round if we don't trade for Turner? This draft has lots of good backs. Turner himself was a 5th rounder. Pittman, Bush, Irons, etc, we have a good shot at landing a very good prospect at that position in the second. I especially like Pittman. With 4 picks in the top 100, I see no reason why we couldn't take Willis in the first, providing he is still there at 12 (he is moving up the charts as it is), and then get a good RB in the second and decent prospects at CB, DT, G or even TE with those two third rounders. The only thing that screws that up is some crazy trade for Turner. We don't have to have that guy, we just don't.

[Mickey]

No, what I am saying is that for this year, what the Bills have does not require immediate upgrading. The DT's have only had one year to play in the new system with the new coaches. A DT might be needed next season if McCargo re-injures himself, or Triplett is proven as a complete bust. What are they going to do with this new DT from the draft? they can only hold so many players on their roster, and I doubt they keep more then 4 DE's and 4 DT's

 

As of right now, the lines seem to be set, if it doesn't workout, next offseason will be used to address it. This year theres too much to fill in other positions like LB and RB to use a pick on a luxury

Yes, they had only one year but boy it was a lousy !!@#$!@#$#!@$ year. The DT's were pretty awful, there is no sugar coating that fact. If Okoye or Branch should, by some miracle, fall to us at 12, we would have some very tough decisions to make. I know I wouldn't want to have to pick between Willis, Okoye and Branch.

[The Dean]

Yes, they had only one year but boy it was a lousy !!@#$!@#$#!@$ year. The DT's were pretty awful, there is no sugar coating that fact. If Okoye or Branch should, by some miracle, fall to us at 12, we would have some very tough decisions to make. I know I wouldn't want to have to pick between Willis, Okoye and Branch.

 

 

I'm pretty sure Branch won't be on their board. But, I could be wrong.