Steely Dan Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Linkage The Bills added eight new players to their roster over the weekend but in doing a recount, I come up with 12. That's because Buffalo selected four players that played one position in college but project to play another one in the NFL given what scouts think about their size and skill sets when playing a child's game against bigger, faster, stronger men. Advertisement It means centers and tackles will be guards, cornerbacks will be safeties and safeties will be linebackers. And what if Eric Wood, Jairus Byrd, Andy Levitre and Nic Harris can't successfully make these transitions? Can they play their old positions at the NFL level? Well ... The versatility in these drafted players is nice for depth, like having four more players on the roster. But it's a big risk. The Bills haven't had this many projects since they renovated Ralph Wilson Stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Going from center to guard, tackle to guard, and CB to FS isn't exactly difficult. Now moving from safety to OLB is a risky move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanInSouthBuffalo Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 If you watch the Bills scouts talk about these players many of them have ALREADY played these second positions. Sure the NFL is different but they have already demonstrated they can do it at the college level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthGeorgiaBillsFan Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I agree, this is a dumb article. Going from CB to FS is a move to an *easier* position to play, as is going from center to guard. And the most recent conversion from safety to linebacker that I remember is Brian Urlacher... Good draft Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 It's not unprecedented to move positions in certain areas. OT's who lack arm length and height generally kick inside. Guys like Jahri Evans from NO and others have made the move. Cato June was a college safety, and there are CB's who don't have the speed but ball skills to play S. I'd rather not start players who are converting to another position, but Wood and Levitre knew months ago they weren't playing their college position. Byrd probably did as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The Bills have always liked to draft tackles and make them guards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cale Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I think Leo makes some valid points. I don't understand why our Bills love to take a player, change his position and then wonder why he doesn't flash the same ability that made him their pick. That being said, I think Leo would agree he's no more an expert on the draft than any of us. I've not been a fan of the FO this off season primarily with the retention of Jauron. Also the reluctance to spend money to get top notch talent. But this draft makes me think that maybe Russ Brandon is on the right track. They picked real football players at least until rounds 5-7. I don't know about you guys but this draft seemed kinda bipolar to me. Until we picked Nic Harris, I thought this was an old school Polian/Butler/Smith/Adams style draft. Makes me wonder if that was the Brandon/Nix influence. And then beginning with Harris it seemed like it was back to the "why the hell did they pick that guy" draft of the last few years. Maybe they were then throwing a bone to the coaches, particularly "I haven't met a DB I didn't like" Jauron. Based on what happened right after we kept Jauron (per Ralph's quotes), it makes me think Brandon is not a great Jauron supporter and that this draft is the new foundation of a rebuilding process. I have a strong feeling, we are gonna suck pretty bad this year. Jauron will then be gone and Brandon is gonna get in Ralphie's ear to bring in the best available coach. I hope that's Cowher. But it will probably be someone along the lines of a Mariucci or something. Though Mooch and Jauron are good friends. I also hope he kicks Guy's ass to the curb. Anyways, I still think the ship is gonna sink. But at least the captain knows it is. There's something to be said for that. C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep2evans Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 It's not like we're asking these guys to pull a George Wilson here. Corner to safefy? Center to guard? No problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Does it matter that Wood and Levitre actually played at their projected positions in the All-Star games-->that are specifically set for the purposes of the draft. Does it matter that film is available all over that shows both these guys pulling well, blocking well, etc.? The change from CB to Safety has already been addressed above = so f'ing what? The only valid point is Safety to OLB, but it's not like we don't now have 4 guys competing for that one spot. I agree, kinda stupid article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Going from college to pro, the new coaches almost start from scratch with these guys. They mess with their stances, they mess with their technique on virtually everything, they mess with their reading of defenses, they SPECIFICALLY mess with things like the angles they take to the ball or the sideline because in the pros the ball gets there faster and the players are much faster as a whole. They reteach players how to play in space, they reteach how to fend off blocks. The players they go against have 10x the amount and skill of moves versus what most of these guys are used to. Et cetera - Et cetera - Et cetera. They practically teach these guys all over again. So it's not as big a jump to change a guy from CB to FS or C to G or T to G as it sounds. Actually, it's an enormous leap, but it's just as enormous a leap for a CB in college to CB in the pros, or G to G. The whole game is different, played at a different speed, with different techniques, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Going from center to guard, tackle to guard, and CB to FS isn't exactly difficult. Now moving from safety to OLB is a risky move. Hence, the 5th round pick. Leo's spot off, as usual... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Going from college to pro, the new coaches almost start from scratch with these guys. They mess with their stances, they mess with their technique on virtually everything, they mess with their reading of defenses, they SPECIFICALLY mess with things like the angles they take to the ball or the sideline because in the pros the ball gets there faster and the players are much faster as a whole. They reteach players how to play in space, they reteach how to fend off blocks. The players they go against have 10x the amount and skill of moves versus what most of these guys are used to. Et cetera - Et cetera - Et cetera. They practically teach these guys all over again. So it's not as big a jump to change a guy from CB to FS or C to G or T to G as it sounds. Actually, it's an enormous leap, but it's just as enormous a leap for a CB in college to CB in the pros, or G to G. The whole game is different, played at a different speed, with different techniques, etc. Agreed. This is why "coachability" is an unheralded "measurable". Your 40 time doesn't matter much if you are sprinting right in the teeth of the defense, or if you are doing a brilliant job of blocking the wrong guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKOOBY Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Did no one else in the NFL draft guys that can play other positions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsaikotic Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I kinda like the idea of Nic Harris at OLB..he has the size (6'3" 234)...he's arround the same weight as Poz and Mitchell,but hes the tallest LB on the roster...he has safety coverage experience...I guess it'll be a wait and see type pf thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwws9999 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 you morons have been drinking too much kool aid. the draft sucked, we still suck on the d line and at linebacker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsaikotic Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 you morons have been drinking too much kool aid. the draft sucked, we still suck on the d line and at linebacker well I'm not going to go as far as to call you a moron like you did us, but I think your off on your statement that the draft sucked...I wouldn't give the overall A that some ppl are saying, but I think day 1 was a B+ to -A...you ever notice how most interior linemen are written as C/OG...or visa versa...playing inside on the o-line doesn't look to be all that different between the 2 positions..the main difference's are the C has to call the line duties and snap the ball..the C also has to get up and into a NT/DT face after snapping the ball...the OG gets to stand up-right a bit...both are blocking or trapping or swinging or whatever...I'm sure there are a few other small details between the 2 positions I don't know...What I do know is that Wood is being called one of the 3 best C/OG in the draft, and Buffalo got him...I've seen Levitre ranked in the top of this years OG/OT also...2 spots the Bills really needed to address on the o-line and Buffalo gets 2 guys ranked in the top 3 of both..how do you call that bad?..oh wait..you must be one of those guys where if Buffalo doesn't get the #1 rated in each pick for each position they sucked....now when it comes to Maybin, time will tell...he looks to be a great situational pass rusher...question was, was there a real pass rushing full DE coming out of this years draft?...you could say Orakpo, some say no...obviously ppl didn't see E.Brown that way since he fell so far back...Maybe next year Buffalo can get a stud DE that everyone wants...right now it's playing by comity and Maybin will excell(I hope) as a rotational DE this year...I can't say much about Jairus Byrd...hopefuly he worx out as a FS and a punt returner if Parrish gets traded or cut Day 2 I'd grade as a C+ to B..mainly because of TE Shawn Nelson...would I have liked to see Buffalo take a OLB at OLB..Yes, but if they feel they can us N. Harris as a WSLB, then I'll just sit back and wait and see...the last 2 picks is really what brings the grade down a bit..but besides T.Brady and few other great picks in the NFL..who the hell really uses there 6th and 7th round picks anyways...I see them as practice squad at best this year...but that just my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananathumb Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Roth knows nada about football. He's a hockey fanatic. Like almost every western NY journalist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rev.Mattb74 ESQ. Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Linkage The Bills added eight new players to their roster over the weekend but in doing a recount, I come up with 12. That's because Buffalo selected four players that played one position in college but project to play another one in the NFL given what scouts think about their size and skill sets when playing a child's game against bigger, faster, stronger men. Advertisement It means centers and tackles will be guards, cornerbacks will be safeties and safeties will be linebackers. And what if Eric Wood, Jairus Byrd, Andy Levitre and Nic Harris can't successfully make these transitions? Can they play their old positions at the NFL level? Well ... The versatility in these drafted players is nice for depth, like having four more players on the roster. But it's a big risk. The Bills haven't had this many projects since they renovated Ralph Wilson Stadium. Its not like asking a sports journalist to do open heart surgery, or clean the toilets for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ1 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Roth knows nada about football. He's a hockey fanatic. Like almost every western NY journalist. Only one knowing less about football at the DC is Matthews. BTW, 4 players verastile enough to play more than one position is somehow bad?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Roth knows nada about football. He's a hockey fanatic. Like almost every western NY journalist. Funny/strange that the Bills made him the lone Rochester representative on the Wall of Fame selection committee instead of Maiorana, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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