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Mock Offseason Plan

I was killing some time today, and started sketching out an offseason priority list.   Here's my plan to get the Bills back to the playoffs next year:

A. Trade a 2nd round pick, our extra 5th round pick, and JP Losman to the Lions for Roy Williams.  Williams is supposedly on the block, and while I've been wanting to see the Bills spend their top pick on a WR, the truth is that Williams is the best-case-scenario for whatever WR we draft (big smart and talented, with a nose for the end zone and game-breaking abilities). The fact is that drafting WRs is by and large a crapshoot--I don't mean in the first round, I mean drafting them period.  For some reason, there just seems to be an inordinate number of WRs that never pick up the nuances of the game.  Williams immediately becomes our number 1, and takes a ton of pressure off of Evans, letting him run free on the deep routes.  I'm curious to hear feedback on whether or not that's a reasonable offer--I can't see anyone giving up a first round pick, but this still represents a pretty good haul for the Lions pick-wise, and given that Drew Stanton is still an unknown, I can see them taking a flier on a young talented quarterback.

B. Sign a top TE--either Dallas Clark or LJ Smith.  We've got the cap room to make this happen, and again, this is a position where developing talent is kind of a crapshoot, so I don't mind paying for more of a sure thing.  Given how much Edwards loves to check down, getting him a reliable safety valve is a must.

C. Structure the draft as follows:

  1. Keith Rivers, OLB, USC.  Guy's the prototypical WLB in the draft--great coverage skills, good blitzing ability, and a bit of a playmaker streak.  Isn't bulky, but is really fast, which fits the organizational philosophy.
  2. (Traded in the Roy Williams deal)
  3. CB
  4. C (Ideally, Steve Justice from Wake Forest drops here)
  5. Huge DT--I've seen Texas's Frank Okam in this range in a few mocks
D. Sign a veteran QB as backup--no preference here, just someone who is clearly brought in to back up Edwards, not compete for the starting job.  If it happened to be someone who could mentor him, all the better.

They've got a potentially top-notch defense at that point--LBs and Safeties are the key to the cover 2.  DiGiorgio and Ellison are nice depth players, but replacement-level starters at best.  Replacing them with Posluszny and Rivers and teaming those two with Crowell will give us an elite LB corp a year or two down the road, and go a long way towards fixing the defense.  It also addresses the team's main offensive shortcomings, giving Edwards a reliable safety valve/zone busting TE, and a red zone threat go-to WR who lets Reed and Parrish play in the slot and takes some heat off of Evans.

Poll
2nd Round Pick, 5th round pick, and JP Losman to the Lions for Roy Williams. Good deal? Realistic?
Great deal. Gives the Lions a good haul, and allows us to hang onto our top pick
16 votes
That's too much to give up. Draft picks are the lifeblood of this team
10 votes
That's not nearly enough. Someone's going to offer Detroit a first round pick (which they'll promptly spend on another WR)
7 votes
Waste of time. Williams isn't a good fit, let's draft a WR.
1 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

0 recs  |  Comment 4 comments

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Off season plans
First let me say that if the Bills off-season were to go as you have laid out, I doubt to many Bills fans will argue about it. However, I have my doubts about being able to pull it off.
First - I think you're not giving up enough for Roy Williams. I don't think the Lions have any interest in Losman, so you're kind of dumping the Bills problem on the Lions, and I don't think they want to get rid of Roy that badly.
Second - (and this is just my opinion) Dallas Clark isn't leaving Peyton Manning and the Indy offense. He will take less money to stay, and the Colts will pay him because they need him. As for L.J. Smith, I'm not as sold on him as I used to be. I think this position gets filled in the draft.

As I said I wouldn't mind, I'm just not sure it will work.

Who would have thought I'd miss Pete Metzelaars?

by sireric on Jan 16, 2008 7:46 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

You filled some holes but not to much of
an upgrade.  Liek sireric wrote, not enough given up for roy and clark will get franchised.  I hate trading picks to aquire guys because you can always find gems in the draft.  Im not sold on Rivers but I will agree that we would have one hell of a LB corp.
Do you BILLieve?

by NYTXFAN on Jan 16, 2008 11:00 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Re:
If you made that trade, you'd have to sign Roy longterm as his deal runs out after next season.  Is it worth trading those picks and Losman if you don't sign Roy to a new deal? No.  And if you do sign Roy to the long deal, you can probably kiss Evans goodbye next year.  I'd rather sign a midlevel FA WR (Hackett or Wilford) and draft a rookie in the 1st 3 rounds.

LJ Smith is pure garbage and is not even worth considering, IMO.  Clark will be tagged. We need a young, talented TE to go with Royal and maybe Gaines. There are a number of athletic pass catchers in this year's draft.

I like the Rivers pick, but would still be a little hesitant about a rookie LB starting right away, but at least the talent upgrade would be huge.

I'd also rather get a FA DT who would definitely contribute right away.

~K

by Kurupt on Jan 16, 2008 1:22 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

pwillis
p willis did pretty well starting right away. seems like everybody wanted to start poz right away. i wouldn't be adverse to immediately starting whoever we take at 11.

linebackers normally adapt pretty well in comparison to lineman (see mario williams, wilfork, adams et al) and CBs (just last year revis, hall, ross), so i would rather take a LB here to fit right in than a CB or lineman that will take some time. not that the bills are going to be looking at next year as a must-win season (even if we are), but i would prefer to fill a hole with an immediate starter with the number 1.

by jmorris0823 on Jan 16, 2008 1:38 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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