how do you feel about Taylor Mays/Rey Maualaga (sp?)?

Or, and this is quite possible, do you think either/both of them will be gone before we are picking anyway?

I’m really hoping that we can snag Matt Birk away from Minn and address our D-Line in the draft. Your point about Stroud needs to be taken seriously because what happens if he gets hurt? exactly…not very good.

So we definately need DT, DE and LB on defense. Also – Raji and Cody would be just great for us and would probably be almost immediate impact players.

If we go defensive backfield the first pick I will be very unhappy. I’m guessing they won’t do that – if they do then they obviously will never learn.

Maybe Fewell needs better players – I think he has shown that he will try and bring pressure and mix it up if he has too. I’m still not sold on Fewell – but if he gets playmakers and shores up that D-Line – everything magically gets better.

We drafted this kid last year and got put on IR before the season started, I thought he had a lot of upside, but I may be wrong…any thoughts on he would impact our defence?

Isn’t that guy supposed to be the third DT behind Stroud and Williams. While I admit I haven’t seen him make a lot of huge plays like Williams and Stroud, he has seemed serviceable in reserve.

I’ve seen a bunch of people write that it is easier to find talent for a 3-4 now. What is the logic behind that?

A 3-4 requires a dominant NT to be a dominant unit and those are pretty tough to come by.

Inside linebackers have to pretty big considering they have to take on guards with regularity. Go to a draft site and look at the player rankings for middle linebackers and see how many of them are big enough to man the middle in a 3-4. Scott Wright has 20 ILBs listed and only 6 of them weigh more than 240 lbs.

There are only a handful of teams that run a 3-4 in college so every defensive player you draft has to learn an entirely different scheme from what they have done their entire football lives.

Drafting a speed rusher tweener DE like Selvie or Brown probably looks like a lock to be an NFL stud, but look at Vernon Gholston. 3-4 teams have to convert DEs to outside linebackers where their job is entirely different. Covering tight ends and running backs when you weigh 250 pounds can’t be easy and learning where you have to be in zones is something a lot of players who played with a hand on the ground in college never figure out.

Lombardi wrote about this recently. No matter how good you are at a position you keep stock piling at that position because in the NFL contract disputes, injuries and bad season just happen. No matter how stocked we think we are at CB we need more. And we need a ton of help on the DL. I like how we develop OL like Butler, Peters and now Demetrius Bell. My hope, is that we could do the same on the DL but guys like Bryan and Mace don’t seem to be long-term solutions. I’m so pissed that McCargo trade didn’t go thru cuz that would have been an extra valuable draft pick. Now we have no extra picks this draft.

We need a C and TE offensively and maybe a veteran WR. But defensively is where our priorities should be I agree. Getting bigger up front and having some playmakers to get after the QB I think will do wonders for what I think is one of the more talented secondaries in the league depending on what happens with Greer. McGee, McKelvin, Whitner, Scott, Youboty, Corner…..I like it.

A couple of additional comments:

• The DB’s have been playing way too soft…with the speed at CB, I’d like to see them in tighter coverage and be more physical in jamming the receivers at the line.
• I’ve made no secret of my preference for the 3-4, but kaisertown makes a good point regarding the difficulty finding the dominant NT. But the Bills have managed to scrape up few good ones over the years so I’m sure that this could be overcome if the Bills really want to move in this direction. The question is whether Perry Fewell and the HC are willing to commit to a change defensive strategy. It seems as though they have begrudgingly come to the conclusion—that in some areas—bigger is better. However, their approach seems like more of the trial and error variety, with the emphasis being on error. Realistically, I see them getting a little bigger, but only one maybe two players a year.
• As much as I want a dominating defense that could make-up for the Bills offensive anemia, the front office cannot neglect the glaring needs on the offensive line. The Peters issue must be addressed and we need a competent FA center or a high draft pick that could be starting by game 3.
• Does anybody else see the irony in a team with largest mountain of offensive man-meat in the league, also having a complement of relatively scrawny men, not named Marcus Stroud, on the other side of the ball? This truly baffles me.

That’s what would be nice for Christmas. Totally agree that we MUST get bigger. Whenever I watch the G men I am very envious of their size. With the addition of Stroud and Mitchell it looks like OBD has finally learned their lesson. So I would expect that they will not be drafting any more smurfs on the line. If that is so, Selvie and Everette Brown will not be considered. I do agree with your thoughts on another dominant DT. That would take pressure off the DE’s.
I like the idea of moving Poz to the outside, his natural position. Then we would target a big ILB. Guess I’ll have to take a good look at that crop.
I also like the idea of moving McGee (if Greer stays) to the inside to play the slot receiver. At least let him play close to the line. In the short time he was allowed to do that, he looked like a MUCH better CB.
To me, the key is balance, both offensively and defensively. We are in the middle of the pack defensively now but our offense continues to be puke. Since 2003, our offense has ranked 30, 25, 28, 30, 30, and this year 24. It is easy to say that given the talent on O we should rank higher, but it is what it is and it is puke. So, much as we could always use more big bodies on D, this year we need offensive infusioin. Big time. I am sure, if DJ is back that, being the defensive minded coach that he is, the D will not be neglected in the draft.
I think the size issue is the most important one for us now. If DJ returns then Fewell will return and we will play a 4-3. And I do not think Fewell has a versatile mind so we will never have the different looks that NE has with Perry. I think our defensive stats would improve nicely if we played our DB’s closer.
There are four good centers this year but only one true stud that stands out above the rest. I have read on more than one site that at times Luigs gets manhandled in tight quarters and does not have decent lower body strength. At this point, if we make yet another bonehead move in the draft and do not take Mack, Eric Wood would be a better pick that Luigs.

Once again thanks to the guys at National Football Post: http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2008/12/nfl-draft-top-20-small-college-prospects/

Some of these guys I have actually heard of, and all will be 4th round or later types with a couple sneaking into the 3rd in key positions.

CB Domonique Johnson (6-2/190), Jackson State
The Buzz: Johnson, who began his career at Missouri, is this year’s version of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – a tall, lean corner from the FCS level (i.e., Division I-AA) with excellent ball skills and knack for the big play. Johnson lacks the same type of awareness in man coverage as Rodgers-Cromartie, but he has a similar skill set and the upside to warrant a first-day pick.
—— He won’t be on our team at all, but its nice to know if DJ feels his oats and wants another CB, we can get another guy who will need time to develop, YAY. But a kid to keep an eye on anyway.

DT Louis Ellis (6-2/312), Shaw (N.C.).
The Buzz: Ellis was a big-time prospect out of high school who signed with Mississippi State but had academic trouble. He’s an explosive athlete who makes a living getting off the snap and penetrating into an opponent’s backfield. Ellis is a gifted athlete who was timed in 4.94 in the 40. He has dominated his level of competition – NCAA Division II – despite seeing consistent double teams. Ellis should see his stock rise with a strong showing in the postseason and could improve significantly on his late-round grade.
—— On the small side I admit, but a monster penetrator would be nice, and he is a good athlete. I haven’t heard anything about him being a troublemaker or football stupid either. Just seems to suffer from being at a big time school and not paying attention to his stuides. No word out there at all about lack of motivation, could be a great rotational guy.

DT Sammie Lee Hill (6-4/328), Stillman (Ala.)
The Buzz: He’s a massive nose tackle prospect who has good athleticism and quickness for his size. Hill has the body control to move laterally as well as hold the point of attack against the run. He’s a developing pass rusher who has the physical attributes to become an every-down lineman.
—— If we want to run a 3-4 at times, or just stone wall a team’s run game, here is our boy. If we want a guy to be a Stroud replacement in a couple of seasons, this kid might be it or you. He is big, fast and NASTY, (nice interview with him here: http://www.nfldraftblitz.com/sammieleehillinterview.htm). Needless to say, I WANT THIS KID.

DE Lawrence Sidbury (6-3/265), Richmond
The Buzz: He’s a strong, good-looking end who has quick feet and body control on his pass rush. Sidbury re-directs quickly in space and may be best-suited to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
—— If we want to go 3-4 part time, and have a pure rusher late in the draft, would he satisfy some people?

LB Jason Williams (6-1/236), Western Illinois
The Buzz: Williams is a thickly built outside linebacker who has the frame to play inside. He displays good pop as a tackler, but his best attribute is his sideline-to-sideline speed. Williams has great range on the outside, with the burst and speed to track down the ball in pursuit. He’s an ideal "Cover 2″-type linebacker.
—— Hmmmm, fast, likes to hit, and could get bigger? He would move Ellison back in the depth chart quickly if he comes here.

DT John Faletoese (6-2/295), UC Davis
The Buzz: He’s an explosive, penetrating tackle who has the burst to shoot gaps inside and get after the quarterback. He has a motor that never stops, and he fights like a dog in the run game. He will scrap and claw for every inch. He reminds some scouts of Bills DT Kyle Williams.
—— Hmmm, whats not to love? We could always use another guy like Kyle in our rotation, but kid needs to bulk up some more, he barely outweighs me, though in his case, its muscle!

S Dre’Mail Hardin (6-0/195), Stillman (Ala.)
The Buzz: He’s a physical safety prospect who reads and reacts quickly. He’s at his best at the line of scrimmage attacking downhill versus the run. He’s a physical tackler who takes good angles, but lacks great closing speed and range in the secondary. Hardin plays at one speed and lacks the straight-line speed to handle the centerfield-type role at the next level.
—— Not the best of the small school guys, but he could be a decent 3rd or 4th S. But we already have a big hitter in Scott, so I would pass on him, unless it was the 7th round or something.

IMHO…….this will NOT happen until either Dick Jauron changes his persona……or we get a new coach that instills this……

because this team will continue to take the form of its “fearless” leader until then……

I agree with everything except for who we draft first (haha) but I most definitely agree with you that we need to get more aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. You know my position on the 3-4 so I won’t waste keystrokes but I must say you point about changing the “mindset” is great because that’s exactly the thing that kills us. We are so affraid of giving up big plays that we let them happen in front of us and we never get off the field and we give the opponent hope & momentum. We need to just mix things up & get aggressive and move around (stunts or showing different looks) – predictability is our worse enemy.

Apparently Cody hasn’t filed the paperwork to go pro…..or something along those lines

here that the Bills need an upgrade in DEPTH and SIZE. I agree, trade Kelsay, too much money, little production and little guy. I don’t see the Bills acquiring any more DTs in the offseason, as they have 3 “legitimate” players in ‘their" minds. However, I think they go linebacker or defensive end. They will definately go front seven on D, so don’t get your hopes up on a first round center or TE.

If the Bills want to make the playoffs next year, they MUST obtain a veteran FA DE. They must have someone who can rush the passer and knows NFL offensive lineman techniques, while playing at a very fast pace. CHRIS CANTY. Can u tell I love this guy?

P.S. I told everyone last year that the Bills would draft a CB. what happened??

P.P.S. This year I am undecided, check back in a couple of months. (Love the LB’s)