Round 7, Pick 220: ELLIS LANKSTER, CB, West Virginia

[bladiebla]

anyone seen Kennard Cox lately?

 

He's on the Jags active roster.

[Kingfish]

John Parker Wilson, or the QB from Purdue. Or, any OT or DT selected after we picked. That question is a moot point imro. I don't get paid to scout. I pay to go to RWS and watch the Bills lose because of dumb moves.

 

Because we all know that there is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge difference between an OT/DT taken in the 7th round and an OT/DT signed as an UDFA.

[LabattBlue]

That's why I said DB's throughout My Post genius...DB = Safeties + Cornerbacks...Let Me know if this is getting too tough for you to follow and I'll slow down a bit...

 

Now go back to sleep...

 

And btw...You have taken over as My "least favorite Poster" on this Board...And it's not even a close contest...You are so ultra-obsessed about what others write, and the opinion of others, it's a complete and total joke...You care more about what others think than you do about what the Bills are actually doing...Welcome to ignore...

[Bill from NYC]

Because we all know that there is a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge difference between an OT/DT taken in the 7th round and an OT/DT signed as an UDFA.

 

If everything is a reach at that point, why not reach at a position of need? It worked with Darrick Holmes. I was not the only one to notice this pattern of idiocy.

[Haven Moses]

Bill, I normally agree with you but:

 

I love all this "depth" we have at CB.

 

Greer left

Youboty blows

Corner was a 4th last year.

McGee is on the last year of his contract.

Both our safetys were arrested in the off season.

 

I have no problem taking a flyer on a DB.

 

I guess nobody remembers the Pats going 4 wide on us practically the whole game?

[MikeSpeed]

Exactly...But it's actually worse than that...

 

There are 4 Starters at DB on every NFL Team which is exactly 18.18% of Starters...

 

Since Ol' Dead Dick has come to town The Buffalo Bills have Picked 34 times in 4 Years...With those 34 Picks they have drafted 10 DB's...That's almost 30% of their Draft Picks at DB...They have Drafted a DB in the 1st Round two out of those four Drafts...In Rounds 1-4 The Bills have Drafted 6 DB's over the last 4 Drafts...Keep that in mind when you remember they had a street Free Agent Starting at SS in 08...

 

And so on, and so on...

 

Now if this was a Team that was constantly getting beat by the Pass because their DB's can't cover it would be one thing...But this is a Team on Defense that has continuously been beat in the trenches, not in the Secondary (with the possible exception of 2007 when Injuries in the Defensive Backfield were just crazy)...The Bills get almost no pressure on opposing QB and while it's nice that they took Maybin, why not take a chance on one more guy who has Pass Rush capablities at the expense of a DB on Day 2? Just for the heck of it...

 

More than anything the need to Draft 3 more DB's in 09 proves beyond a shadow of a doubt The Bills have done a piss poor job of Drafting DB's in the previous 3 years...It's a lot of wasted Picks...And if you think these late Round Picks can't pan out well along the interior lines check out the Bills Depth Chart at O-Line in 09...Especially on the Right Side where they are expecting a 5th Round Pick to Start at RG and a 7th Round Pick to Start at RT...One of their Starting DT's is a 5th Round Pick...A Starting LB is a 6th round Pick...It is possible...When you're not obsessed with Drafting DB's that is...

 

Thanks a lot.

Now I'm really depressed!

[Alphadawg7]

That's why I said DB's throughout My Post genius...DB = Safeties + Cornerbacks...Let Me know if this is getting too tough for you to follow and I'll slow down a bit...

 

Now go back to sleep...

 

And btw...You have taken over as My "least favorite Poster" on this Board...And it's not even a close contest...You are so ultra-obsessed about what others write, and the opinion of others, it's a complete and total joke...You care more about what others think than you do about what the Bills are actually doing...Welcome to ignore...

 

I know you said DB's the whole post moron, thats why I addressed it because you are a complete fool to lump them all into one category and whine about it. YOU lumped them all into ONE category, even guys who wont be playing in the defensive backfield like N. Harris. Youre complaing is about us taking DB's, well we needed a Safety when we took Whitner and really needed a S when we took Byrd, who was the second rated FS prospect on most peoples boards...yet you complain about it because you consider it the same type of position as a CB by lumping them all into one category. I say again, its like calling all TE and WR just Wideouts...its absurd.

 

CB and S are comepletely different positions, and positions OF NEED on this team when we drafted Whitner and Byrd...but you just like to whine and manipulate the info to make it look worse than it is by lumping in players like Whitner, Byrd, N. Harris, and such as just DB's so you can complain about DJ...so lame and clear indicator of your limited knowledge of football...

 

I could care less if you dont like my posts, really...was I suppsed to be sad about that? What shall I ever do now? I mean seriously, who the hell wants to keep reading your cry baby, the sky is falling, doom and gloom crap anyway...On the eve of a great weekend for Buffalo with a tremedous draft you are still complaining...lame...and I get on posts like yours because is so tiring to sit here every time something good happens for this team people like you just find new ways to B word about it and find doom and gloom in it...if its so miserable, root for someone else, because its time the fans GOT BEHIND THIS TEAM as they have made some really good moves and seem to be headed in a very POSITIVE direction...

 

Go get the sand out of your vagina already or move on...

[Bill from NYC]

Youre complaing is about us taking DB's, well we needed a Safety when we took Whitner

 

Sure....we also needed a Center (Nick Mangold), a Guard (Davin Joseph), a Right Tackle (Jeremy Trueblood), a DT (Ngata), etc.

Instead, we used the first 5 PICKS, including the #8 overall on a decent safety, a bad DT, a shaky, fragile cb, and a safety who all but sucks. 5 picks on 4 players, 3 of them defensive backs. Oh.....and 2 of them were arrested.

 

If you choose to justify this mess with "need," go right ahead. If you think that the 06 draft was good, you should make your case for that as well. What I am missing is the part where posters on this board are mandated to agree with you, or anyone else who chooses to praise this disaster.

[Ramius]

If everything is a reach at that point, why not reach at a position of need? It worked with Darrick Holmes. I was not the only one to notice this pattern of idiocy.

 

What exactly is the difference between a 6th/7th rounder and a UDFA? There's none. Take the 2 guys we just signed as UDFAs, the OL and the DE. If we had drafted them in rounds 6 and 7 and had signed the 2 CBs as UDFAs, would that have made the draft better? Our team would sure look exactly the same.

 

I'm not defending the front office for making those picks, because i didn't like them and thought it was a tad ridiculous, i'm simply saying that it doesn't matter.

[Kelly the Dog]

What exactly is the difference between a 6th/7th rounder and a UDFA? There's none. Take the 2 guys we just signed as UDFAs, the OL and the DE. If we had drafted them in rounds 6 and 7 and had signed the 2 CBs as UDFAs, would that have made the draft better? Our team would sure look exactly the same.

 

I'm not defending the front office, i'm simply saying that it doesn't matter.

 

Ultimately you're right, it doesn't matter. The draft should be graded, if we must grade, on the top 3-4 rounds, IMO. Hell, first rounders are flyers.

 

But it's also simultaneously stupid to draft too many DBs when we have holes everywhere, IMO. Clearly, the front office thought the CBs had a better chance of making the team, and we better snap Harris or The Lankster up before another team drafts or signs them. There is no way both of them make the team and very likely that neither of them do.

[Bill from NYC]

What exactly is the difference between a 6th/7th rounder and a UDFA? There's none. Take the 2 guys we just signed as UDFAs, the OL and the DE. If we had drafted them in rounds 6 and 7 and had signed the 2 CBs as UDFAs, would that have made the draft better? Our team would sure look exactly the same.

 

I'm not defending the front office, i'm simply saying that it doesn't matter.

 

There isn't much of a difference in terms of how they are regarded in terms of talent.

 

Ramius, we picked before the Colts. We took another freaking db; they took Curtis Painter, the qb from Purdue. If Manning gets hurt and Painter plays as much as 1 good game, his trade value will be huge. You and I have discussed this time and again. Look at Hasselback!

Or, OT is not a strength of this team. Why not take a shot at one? Did we really have to finish the draft with dbs?

 

Btw, this wasn't a bad overall draft. I am absolutely thrilled that they took Wood and Levitre. Frankly, I never imagined that they would do something so sensible. I am still in shock that they didn't grab Jenkins. I guess they figured that taking the 5th db of the second round with the 10th pick was enough......for a while.

[Ramius]

There isn't much of a difference in terms of how they are regarded in terms of talent.

 

Ramius, we picked before the Colts. We took another freaking db; they took Curtis Painter, the qb from Purdue. If Manning gets hurt and Painter plays as much as 1 good game, his trade value will be huge. You and I have discussed this time and again. Look at Hasselback!

Or, OT is not a strength of this team. Why not take a shot at one? Did we really have to finish the draft with dbs?

 

Btw, this wasn't a bad overall draft. I am absolutely thrilled that they took Wood and Levitre. Frankly, I never imagined that they would do something so sensible. I am still in shock that they didn't grab Jenkins. I guess they figured that taking the 5th db of the second round with the 10th pick was enough......for a while.

 

I understand what you're saying, and i edited my original post, because i didn't agree and thought it stupid to leave some good QB, etc prospects on the board. But we signed a handful of OL and DL as UDFAs, so it ultimately doesn't matter. I'm more concerned with rounds 1-3 (and the 4th somewhat), because thats usually where the talent is.

 

The beginning of this draft should set this team us for the future. And on the bright side, when we go 5-11 and dickie is finally canned, Maybin can probably move to OLB if the new coach wants to run a 3-4. None of the top picks we had are "specific scheme" players, so they should be of good value to the new coaching staff in 2010.

[bills44]

Ramius, we picked before the Colts. We took another freaking db; they took Curtis Painter, the qb from Purdue. If Manning gets hurt and Painter plays as much as 1 good game, his trade value will be huge. You and I have discussed this time and again. Look at Hasselback!

Or, OT is not a strength of this team. Why not take a shot at one? Did we really have to finish the draft with dbs?

 

First, if Manning gets hurt, I would imagine that the Colts will have Sorgi play QB, not Painter.

 

Regarding Hasselbeck, he never started a game in GB. He went 13-32 for 155 yards. My guess is that Holmgren was familiar with Hasselbeck from his days in GB, and wanted him in Seattle.

[Bill from NYC]

First, if Manning gets hurt, I would imagine that the Colts will have Sorgi play QB, not Painter.

 

Regarding Hasselbeck, he never started a game in GB. He went 13-32 for 155 yards. My guess is that Holmgren was familiar with Hasselbeck from his days in GB, and wanted him in Seattle.

 

Rob Johnson? QBs are always a hot commodity. It doesn't take long for them to have big value. And, 3rd string qbs DO take the field every year, no?

 

My point was clear. There was no reason sane reason to continue to stockpile defensive backs.

[Alphadawg7]

Sure....we also needed a Center (Nick Mangold), a Guard (Davin Joseph), a Right Tackle (Jeremy Trueblood), a DT (Ngata), etc.

Instead, we used the first 5 PICKS, including the #8 overall on a decent safety, a bad DT, a shaky, fragile cb, and a safety who all but sucks. 5 picks on 4 players, 3 of them defensive backs. Oh.....and 2 of them were arrested.

 

If you choose to justify this mess with "need," go right ahead. If you think that the 06 draft was good, you should make your case for that as well. What I am missing is the part where posters on this board are mandated to agree with you, or anyone else who chooses to praise this disaster.

 

Its easy to criticize now, but at the time both Youboty and Ko were considered great values where we drafted them, and were positions of need too. In fact, they were probably amongst the highest graded players left on their draft board at the time they drafted them.

 

So, its easy to say "they play in the defensive backfield" and they havent done much...well, you can say that about every team who have players they took that havent worked out. Truth is, Youboty actually looks promising, in fact, all of you are screaming about us taking a DB in this years draft because we HAVE Yobouty, so maybe that pick wasnt so bad after all...yet, you are using him as another source of your complaint.

 

So how can people be mad we drafted him because he was a DB, and yet at the same time say we shouldnt have drafted one this year because we have him? If people are so enamored with him, they should be saying that it was a good pick when we took him...truth is about him is that he has shown promise, but injury issues and lack of in game time have put question marks on him, so why not take someone who was graded a 3rd rounder in the 6th round as some insurance...

 

And lets all be honest...we have only ONE DB on this team that has proven anything...seriously...just McGee...Leodis has lots of promise, but hasnt had to start a whole season, so the jury is still out. Behind him, we have Florence who got torched all year at CB, so if Leodis or McGee go down we are screwed. Youboty is hurt all the time, and Corner has promise but is still grossly unproven.

 

So considering we play the Patriots twice a year who have like 50 recievers, dont you think is smart to take such a highly graded DB in the 6th round who has a FAR better chance to make our squad than most of the people remaining in the draft and was probably the highest graded player on our draft board?

[Bill from NYC]

Its easy to criticize now, but at the time both Youboty and Ko were considered great values where we drafted them, and were positions of need too. In fact, they were probably amongst the highest graded players left on their draft board at the time they drafted them.

 

So, its easy to say "they play in the defensive backfield" and they havent done much...well, you can say that about every team who have players they took that havent worked out. Truth is, Youboty actually looks promising, in fact, all of you are screaming about us taking a DB in this years draft because we HAVE Yobouty, so maybe that pick wasnt so bad after all...yet, you are using him as another source of your complaint.

 

So how can people be mad we drafted him because he was a DB, and yet at the same time say we shouldnt have drafted one this year because we have him? If people are so enamored with him, they should be saying that it was a good pick when we took him...truth is about him is that he has shown promise, but injury issues and lack of in game time have put question marks on him, so why not take someone who was graded a 3rd rounder in the 6th round as some insurance...

 

And lets all be honest...we have only ONE DB on this team that has proven anything...seriously...just McGee...Leodis has lots of promise, but hasnt had to start a whole season, so the jury is still out. Behind him, we have Florence who got torched all year at CB, so if Leodis or McGee go down we are screwed. Youboty is hurt all the time, and Corner has promise but is still grossly unproven.

 

So considering we play the Patriots twice a year who have like 50 recievers, dont you think is smart to take such a highly graded DB in the 6th round who has a FAR better chance to make our squad than most of the people remaining in the draft and was probably the highest graded player on our draft board?

 

It is about history and philosophy. This board was screaming for Ngata. I personally was not, preferring Joseph, Mangold and Trueblood and posting it. The idea of reconstructing a 5-11 team starting with the secondary is idiotic. It will never work.

 

Now, before this is construed as me stating just how much I know about personnel, be advised that I thought Rob Johnson would be a great qb. I also thought that Pat Williams might very well have been washed up when we didn't re-sign him. It is fun to make predictions and talk about the views of others wrt the Bills. That's why we are here, but again, you don't rebuild a non-talented football team starting with the secondary. It isn't possible.

 

A team starting from scratch needs a quarterback. Then, they need people who can block, tackle, rush the opposing quarterback, and stop the other team from running the football. In 06, the Bills were going with an inexperienced JP Losman who was playing behind garbage. Truthfully, I never thought he was any good, but what did Levy/Jauron do for him? They concentrated on the secondary, turned down multiple trade down offers (according to Marv on Sirius), and even traded away a day 1 pick.

 

At least in this draft, they brought in Levitre and Wood. These guys should make an immediate impact on the Bills ability to run. This will help Trent, and even the defense by keeping them off the field.

That is a healthy start to building a football team.

[Alphadawg7]

It is about history and philosophy. This board was screaming for Ngata. I personally was not, preferring Joseph, Mangold and Trueblood and posting it. The idea of reconstructing a 5-11 team starting with the secondary is idiotic. It will never work.

 

Now, before this is construed as me stating just how much I know about personnel, be advised that I thought Rob Johnson would be a great qb. I also thought that Pat Williams might very well have been washed up when we didn't re-sign him. It is fun to make predictions and talk about the views of others wrt the Bills. That's why we are here, but again, you don't rebuild a non-talented football team starting with the secondary. It isn't possible.

 

A team starting from scratch needs a quarterback. Then, they need people who can block, tackle, rush the opposing quarterback, and stop the other team from running the football. In 06, the Bills were going with an inexperienced JP Losman who was playing behind garbage. Truthfully, I never thought he was any good, but what did Levy/Jauron do for him? They concentrated on the secondary, turned down multiple trade down offers (according to Marv on Sirius), and even traded away a day 1 pick.

 

At least in this draft, they brought in Levitre and Wood. These guys should make an immediate impact on the Bills ability to run. This will help Trent, and even the defense by keeping them off the field.

That is a healthy start to building a football team.

 

 

Hahahaha, count me in with the group that thought Rob Johnson was going to pan out and that Pat Williams was on the downside of his career. I didnt think he was washed up, but didnt think he had a lot left...I was very wrong.