Grade the Bills overall draft

[Ozymandius]

Chris Ellis - (C- ) (6'4", 263, 4.71) I think this says it all. Charged with obstructing an officer in late September 2006 and Virginia Tech suspended him for the Georgia Tech game as a result. Underwent shoulder surgery to repair torn labrum in right shoulder in 2003, slowed by shoulder injury during 2006 season, he missed 2007 spring practices after undergoing shoulder surgery and his durability is a concern. This kid has bust written all over him. He might be another Steve Entman who had a lot of talent but was out of league quickly due to injuries. At best he projects as a situational pass rusher and I think more should be expected of a 3rd round pick. Linkage

 

Actually, an effective situational pass rusher would be well worth a 3rd round pick. Want to get off the field on 3rd downs? Get a good pass rush. In actuality, Ellis played the run well enough in college (especially backside pursuit) to at least hope that he could one day be a starter even.

 

Derek Fine - (A+) (6'2", 251, 4.849) 'Nuff said. This is the FB they need.

 

Except that the Bills picture him as a TE. http://www.buffalobills.com/blog/index.jsp?post_id=3384

[Steely Dan]

How about subtracting KC's best player, which is how they got those extra picks and seemed to have such a good draft. If we would have traded Jason Peters we could have had a better looking draft on paper, too.

 

 

 

I think you've hit on something here. We could trade our best 2 players each year and get some great draft picks. That way we could win the draft every year!

 

 

Actually, an effective situational pass rusher would be well worth a 3rd round pick. Want to get off the field on 3rd downs? Get a good pass rush. In actuality, Ellis played the run well enough in college (especially backside pursuit) to at least hope that he could one day be a starter even.

 

 

 

Except that the Bills picture him as a TE. http://www.buffalobills.com/blog/index.jsp?post_id=3384

 

I disagree. The third round should pull out a starter or a guy eventually capable of becoming a starter. My main concern with him is his injury problems. I'll bet dollars to donuts that he has a shoulder injury this year.

 

Well that changes the grade then. They already have an above average blocking TE that size on the roster. I highly doubt this guy can supplant Royal.

[obie_wan]

I wouldn't say it's HUGE when you have Bell who can play LT

 

I really hope that front office does not think that a 7th round project is the answer THIS year at LT.

[Ozymandius]

I gave it a B.

 

Some of the picks people have an issue with, I actually like.

 

- I like Chris Ellis, as I thought we needed to add a passrush prospect.

- Even though Fine is white, he has some upside as he performed well at the combine in quickness drills. He was a team captain and good intangibles guy.

- I like Corner because our zone scheme could use some guys with good hands and ball skills. I think Cover 2 teams should use mid-round picks like this for their corners, and I would've been okay even if he were the only corner we drafted.

- Omon could be a steal. I like getting players who thoroughly dominated and might be underrated because of weak competition.

[Ozymandius]

About Omon, I also subscribe to the theory that if a player has a long youtube video, he must have some talent.

[DrDawkinstein]

I really hope that front office does not think that a 7th round project is the answer THIS year at LT.

 

no, they probably think the guy they have groomed for 3 years and re-signed to a contract is their answer at LT

[Joe Miner]

I'm really struggling to see how this was a good draft for the Bills.

 

We start off by picking an undersized returner that played against weaker competition in college who we HOPE will be able to come in and replace a first year starter by injury in Greer.

 

Next we draft a tall receiver with decent speed who runs poor routes and has trouble getting off the line. Two important areas for a receiver IMO.

 

Then we draft a walking suspension at DE instead of addressing a serious area of concern at TE.

 

Then we draft another DB who is a project, instead of addressing a serious issue of concern at TE.

 

The we draft a slew of ST'ers and future practice squad players, and probably some who will never make it that far.

 

We went into the draft with glaring holes at WR, TE, , CB, C, backup O-line, backup D-line, and backup LB. We tried to address 2 out of the first 3, but I'm not sure we really came away with sure things at either position.

 

I'm skeptical our #11 CB will be that much of an improvement over the CB's we already have. It seems like we drafted a McGee clone.

 

I'm very skeptical that more than 1 or two of these guys will be productive starters for the Bills in 3 years.

 

My gut feeling is the the Bills FO dropped the ball in this draft.

[ieatcrayonz]

I grade it a C. No, a B. No, a CB. That's it. It was a CB draft.

[UticaBill]

Some questionable choices considering the needs and stated wants, but they also did fine some players, so it still makes us better... and deeper.... so I'll give it a B that little stumble in rds 4-5 can make it a B+ or a B- depending how they work out.

 

Hardy will be the #2, but somehow I think Josh Reed will be the better receiver this season at least.... and there is no vertical TE to stretch underneath... but that DEFENSE looks all shiny and new!

[DrDawkinstein]

I grade it a C. No, a B. No, a CB. That's it. It was a CB draft.

 

 

when crayonz is making the most witty posts, you know its draft day

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

I really hope that front office does not think that a 7th round project is the answer THIS year at LT.

Peters is the answer at LT remember. Bell would be a good bach up.

[Brandon]

They went into the draft with four major needs and filled three of them with very good prospects in the first three rounds. McKelvin and Hardy obviously should start soon, but I feel Ellis also has the talent to develop into a quality starter as well. Unfortunately, I think that the fourth major need, a quality receiving TE who could provide Edwards with a target deep over the middle, was the biggest need on the team and I'm skeptical of the player drafted. They also failed to acquire a secondary need, that of a replacement for Fowler. I like the remaining day 2 picks quite a bit. Failing to fill the biggest need this offseason cuts them down quite a bit. I give them a C for addressing need, A for acquiring talent.

 

Overall, its a B/B+ kind of draft, at least on paper.

[Jerry Jabber]

I wish we could have picked up one of the top TE's in the draft, but we had other pressing needs, and I feel we accomplished those by picking up McKelvin & Hardy. We needed help in the red zone, and having a 6'6" WR to throw to will definitely help out. I still think Schoumann has potential, and would like to see more of him. If Robert Royal can't pull it together this year, then I would like to see him out of here. I'm glad we picked up a DE in the 3rd round, I haven't been thrilled with Kelsay so hopefully he'll have some competition now.

[AKC]

I would have liked to see a higher TE taken....but other then that I thought we drafted very well.

 

It remains a hole- and I think there's plenty of evidence that we won't get to the top before we add a talented TE- but we would not be realistic expecting to be a dangerous playoff team this year.

 

Overall I'd say that #1 we didn't fall for making the terrible error that drafting a #11 WR would have been, and we will improve our third down defense by sitting down the worst of our 07 corners one way or another on that crucial down. Help at CB will end up giving our pass rush package that extra half second that disrupts the opposition, and that leaves us crossing our fingers that our thinnest roster spots outside of TE (OL/S/DT) don't suffer a key injury. We got a little better in FA, and we got a little better over the weekend. A healthy season could give us some promising progress against a very weak schedule.

[Lurker]

It remains a hole- and I think there's plenty of evidence that we won't get to the top before we add a talented TE- but we would not be realistic expecting to be a dangerous playoff team this year.

 

Overall I'd say that #1 we didn't fall for making the terrible error that drafting a #11 WR would have been, and we will improve our third down defense by sitting down the worst of our 07 corners one way or another on that crucial down. Help at CB will end up giving our pass rush package that extra half second that disrupts the opposition, and that leaves us crossing our fingers that our thinnest roster spots outside of TE (OL/S/DT) don't suffer a key injury. We got a little better in FA, and we got a little better over the weekend. A healthy season could give us some promising progress against a very weak schedule.

I have pretty much the same view...especially the part about a healthy season.

 

The day one picks should be immediate upgrades, and I'm particularly happy about getting Hardy. Ellis should help the pass rush rotation and the ST should be better. But the whole house of cards could collapse if we get hit with the injury bug on the O-line. Dr. Cappuccino better have a few more miracles up his sleeve.

 

'A' for day one, 'C-" for day two...

[Horus]

I'm really struggling to see how this was a good draft for the Bills.

 

We start off by picking an undersized returner that played against weaker competition in college who we HOPE will be able to come in and replace a first year starter by injury in Greer.

 

Next we draft a tall receiver with decent speed who runs poor routes and has trouble getting off the line. Two important areas for a receiver IMO.

 

Then we draft a walking suspension at DE instead of addressing a serious area of concern at TE.

 

Then we draft another DB who is a project, instead of addressing a serious issue of concern at TE.

 

The we draft a slew of ST'ers and future practice squad players, and probably some who will never make it that far.

 

We went into the draft with glaring holes at WR, TE, , CB, C, backup O-line, backup D-line, and backup LB. We tried to address 2 out of the first 3, but I'm not sure we really came away with sure things at either position.

 

I'm skeptical our #11 CB will be that much of an improvement over the CB's we already have. It seems like we drafted a McGee clone.

 

I'm very skeptical that more than 1 or two of these guys will be productive starters for the Bills in 3 years.

 

My gut feeling is the the Bills FO dropped the ball in this draft.

 

 

They went into the draft with four major needs and filled three of them with very good prospects in the first three rounds. McKelvin and Hardy obviously should start soon, but I feel Ellis also has the talent to develop into a quality starter as well. Unfortunately, I think that the fourth major need, a quality receiving TE who could provide Edwards with a target deep over the middle, was the biggest need on the team and I'm skeptical of the player drafted. They also failed to acquire a secondary need, that of a replacement for Fowler. I like the remaining day 2 picks quite a bit. Failing to fill the biggest need this offseason cuts them down quite a bit. I give them a C for addressing need, A for acquiring talent.

 

Overall, its a B/B+ kind of draft, at least on paper.

 

 

see Im not the only one that thought this way..I might have over-reacted..no I say I did over-react...I would have graded this much higher if they had just taken Rucker or Finley in the 3rd...I think its just because Ive been waiting for years for Buffalo to take a quality TE and they keep letting me down..I figured this would be my year...lol

 

I change my grade to a B+/A-

[Spiderweb]

Those of you who say we didnt need DB's after picking McKelvin......obviously Jauron wants bodies so he can go into camp/preaseason, then come out with the best defensive backfield he can possibly field....

 

 

Bottom Line we got beat on to many 3rd and longs....and we needed to sure up our secondary...

 

with McKelvin and Corner we now have enough there to come outta camp with a very solid secondary....

 

Most of the issues the Bills had with third and long (obvious passing downs) was the frustrating lack of a decent pass rush. As it's been already said many times, check out the Giants as to what an effective pass rush can do for you. It seems that even though the Bills have had one of the All-Time great pass rushers (BRUUUUUCE!), it seems the Bills still don't give this part of the game anywhere near enough attention. Nothing beats third and long like a ack by the Bills "D".

 

Pickings were slim at DE, but I did have hope.....

[Steely Dan]

when crayonz is making the most witty posts, you know its draft day

 

Did you actually read that?

 

Peters is the answer at LT remember. Bell would be a good bach up.

 

I think he'd be a better Mozart up.

[In space no one can hear]

Draft Grade for Buffalo?

 

First Day = A

 

Second Day = F

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

Draft Grade for Buffalo?

 

First Day = A

 

Second Day = F

I was not an F today. We got a lot of depth now and we basically rebuilt our special teams which some of you see to forget is one of our units. C at worst. I'd say solid B.