The best Connor Byrne article I've ever seen . . .

[Orton's Arm]

He has cornerback as our fourth-most glaring need:

4. Cornerback:

 

The corner position is certainly a need for the Bills, but the idea it's a weak link is false. In fact, starters Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer had fine campaigns in '07, proving themselves as ballhawks (35 passes defensed), playmakers (six interceptions) and solid cover men (each gave up only 5.0 yards per completion). The duo managed to do all that with a horrific front seven which couldn't generate any pressure on opposing quarterbacks in front of them. Common sense says that when a D-line and the linebackers behind it are unable to create any push, QBs are awarded increased time to stand in the pocket and search for receivers, and said wideouts are given more of an opportunity to break away from defensive backs and find openings. Heck, even the likes of Champ Bailey can't cover receivers forever; eventually, there's a breaking point. With that said, can the Bills upgrade over McGee and Greer? Absolutely. But it definitely shouldn't be thought of as the franchise's biggest defensive priority. If the Bills are going to take the draft route to find a corner, they should grab someone who possesses good size and a physical edge (McGee and Greer don't) and can enter the fray immediately as a nickel CB. Iowa's Charles Godfrey might be a nice fit.

[Chilly]

Byrne, like most people arguing that CB is not one of the top 3 needs, ignores the contribution that Bills' CBs make to run-support

[Mike formerly from Florida]

He has cornerback as our fourth-most glaring need:

 

 

I've been saying this very thing for weeks, but I know nothing about football.

[tombstone56]

FINALLY A INFORMED LUCID THOUGHT!!!

[Rubes]

"The best Connor Byrne article I've ever seen" is almost like saying "The best episode of food poisoning I ever had..."

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

"The best Connor Byrne article I've ever seen" is almost like saying "The best episode of food poisoning I ever had..."

 

LOL

[Dr. Trooth]

Byrne, like most people arguing that CB is not one of the top 3 needs, ignores the contribution that Bills' CBs make to run-support

 

Bingo... you're one of the few that get it. Byrne's an a$$wipe that has a lower IQ than 90% of the "boarders". The other 10% not only read his stupid sh--, they brag about it.

[lets_go_bills]

It's true. In the Cover-2 you need a good D-Line. They pressure the QB and take pressure off the CBs. It all starts in the trenches.

[eball]

"The best Connor Byrne article I've ever seen" is almost like saying "The best episode of food poisoning I ever had..."

The guy definitely has diarrhea of the keyboard; I mean, do we really need a new (uninformed) Bills' blog entry EVERY day?

[scribo]

I agree with Connor on this, and I don't think our corners are bad in run coverage. That said, I am still hoping the Bills swap the #11 pick with Philly for #19 and Lito Sheppard.

[Tim Anderson's Lunch Pail]

Byrne, like most people arguing that CB is not one of the top 3 needs, ignores the contribution that Bills' CBs make to run-support

 

Well that's all well and good, but if you are looking for a CB to help us improve against the run, it won't be one of the top three CBs likely to selected around 11.

[Chilly]

Well that's all well and good, but if you are looking for a CB to help us improve against the run, it won't be one of the top three CBs likely to selected around 11.

 

Which is why I'd prefer Cason

[Tim Anderson's Lunch Pail]

Which is why I'd prefer Cason

 

Yeah, so hopefully we can land him in the second round. From a sheer athletic standpoint, I would like McKelvin. Jenkins doesn't fit what we're doing, and Rodgers-Cromartie is too raw for my tastes. I guess that leaves Cason and Flowers as second rounders to help against the run, and Charles Godfrey, Terrell Thomas and Tyvon Branch as possible third rounders. I would be happy with any of the latter five corners.

[Orton's Arm]

"The best Connor Byrne article I've ever seen" is almost like saying "The best episode of food poisoning I ever had..."

That's funny.

 

I agree that Byrne is at the bottom of the totem pole amongst sports writers. But even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then; which is exactly what Byrne did with his article. He asserts that we have more pressing needs than CB: at the WR position, at the C position, and at DE. I'd have a very hard time arguing with that. The Bills desperately need a WR to start opposite Evans, they don't have a center, and last season, the front four did little to put pressure on opposing QBs. The cover 2 is heavily reliant on getting good pressure from the front four; so an upgrade at LDE would go a long way to making this defense better.

 

If anything, I was a little surprised Byrne listed CB as a bigger need than TE. Jabari Greer is better at CB than Robert Royal is at TE.

[Bill from NYC]

Byrne, like most people arguing that CB is not one of the top 3 needs, ignores the contribution that Bills' CBs make to run-support

 

Good point. Let's use our best assets to shore up our run defense via the cornerback positions.

 

Posts such as this are starting to make me re-think my position. Thanks for this.

[Chilly]

Good point. Let's use our best assets to shore up our run defense via the cornerback positions.

 

Posts such as this are starting to make me re-think my position. Thanks for this.

 

Sarcasm is a useful tool, especially when its used to deflect instead of address the point, such as in your post Bill.

 

In the Bills scheme, much of the time its the CBs who are responsible for run support outside of the tackles. Given the lack in depth in the backfield, and not having very many good run-stoppers at CB, it is necessary to acquire one.

 

If you would prefer to continue thinking that we didn't have issues with RBs running to the outside last year, feel free, but that was a major weakness on this team.

 

(By the way, it is also debatable to claim that the draft is a better asset than FA, but I digress)

[robertpaul49]

Yes, run support is a major reason to draft a cornerback high in the first round.

[Bill from NYC]

Sarcasm is a useful tool, especially when its used to deflect instead of address the point, such as in your post Bill.

 

In the Bills scheme, much of the time its the CBs who are responsible for run support outside of the tackles. Given the lack in depth in the backfield, and not having very many good run-stoppers at CB, it is necessary to acquire one.

 

If you would prefer to continue thinking that we didn't have issues with RBs running to the outside last year, feel free, but that was a major weakness on this team.

 

(By the way, it is also debatable to claim that the draft is a better asset than FA, but I digress)

 

C'mon.....tell me you didn't know it was forthcoming. Here ya go...

 

1) Your post, while not 100% invalid, is a reach and a half. Cornerback ranks just ahead of QB in terms of building a rushing defense.

 

2) Once, I bought a Samsung TV. It sucked, and I will not buy another one. I am sure there are good ones out there, but I refuse to make the same mistake twice. The Bills keep repeating the same mistakes, and losing.

 

3) The 07 draft was a breath of fresh air, but my confidence that they will not revert back to their stupid ways is not high.

 

4) Free agency is where you fill holes. Teams rarely get their most important players, such as QB, LT and DE via free agency. The draft is where foundations are built. I would rather see the Bills draft big guys, rather than defensive backs, only to let them walk just the second they can. First round corners are a luxury that otherwise solid teams can afford. The Bills? Please.

[Chilly]

C'mon.....tell me you didn't know it was forthcoming. Here ya go...

 

I did, but had to give you some sh-- for it.

 

1) Your post, while not 100% invalid, is a reach and a half. Cornerback ranks just ahead of QB in terms of building a rushing defense.

 

Not really. There were a large number of runs last year that the CBs were responsible for but didn't stop.

 

I feel we've upgraded the run stopping ability on the inside significantly. The next step is to address the outside, and our largest weakness in this part of the game is the CB position, who weren't very good run stoppers last year.

 

2) Once, I bought a Samsung TV. It sucked, and I will not buy another one. I am sure there are good ones out there, but I refuse to make the same mistake twice.

 

Depends. Which company did you buy it from, and which technology was it? Samsung makes a number of TVs branded by other companies.

 

The Bills keep repeating the same mistakes, and losing.

 

The mistake the Bills kept making was drafting DBs while not addressing the lines, I do agree with you there. However, they are now addressing the team as a whole, upgrading every position, including the OL and the DL. As a result, one of the current weakest points on this team is at CB (yes, even weaker than DE, DT, or other positions where depth is needed). As a result, it is not hard to justify taking a CB in the first round this year, especially if one is rated highly on their draft board.

 

4) Free agency is where you fill holes. Teams rarely get their most important players, such as QB, LT and DE via free agency. The draft is where foundations are built. I would rather see the Bills draft big guys, rather than defensive backs, only to let them walk just the second they can. First round corners are a luxury that otherwise solid teams can afford. The Bills? Please.

 

Which, of course, are where the Bills already have 3 players that we aren't talking about replacing, and need depth more than anything else. But alas, this idea that the Bills should neglect a position where they need a starter at for a position where depth players or role players are needed is wrong. The Bills need to solidify the starters, and then build depth. The idea that the CB position is a "luxury" is one I wholeheartedly don't agree with.

[Orton's Arm]

Which, of course, are where the Bills already have 3 players that we aren't talking about replacing, and need depth more than anything else. But alas, this idea that the Bills should neglect a position where they need a starter at for a position where depth players or role players are needed is wrong. The Bills need to solidify the starters, and then build depth. The idea that the CB position is a "luxury" is one I wholeheartedly don't agree with.

There's a difference between depth on the DL, and depth at, say, OL. With the way the Bills rotate their defensive linemen throughout the game, your starters and backups will each see a lot of snaps. But your backup center probably won't see the field unless the starter goes down. If both your LDEs are on the field for a roughly equal number of snaps, does it really matter a whole lot which one has the "starter" label?

 

The Bucs won the Super Bowl based primarily on their defense; and Simeon Rice played a very important role in that defense. The Colts won the Super Bowl because they finally got their act together on defense. Dwight Freeney's play was a big part of the Colts' ultimate defensive success. The Bills should be (and probably are) open to the idea of using an early pick to add a similar player.

 

Conversely, the Bills have a track record of not giving extensions to their first round CBs. Using a first round pick on a guy, at any position, who's expected to be a "first contract and out" type guy is a luxury this team can't afford. Taking a CB in the second round--as you suggest--makes more sense.

 

I'll agree with you that CB is a need. But is it really a bigger need than TE, C, or #2 WR--three positions at which the Bills lack a starting-caliber player?