but if they don’t draft or acquire a talented C, they failed. I would draft the big kid from Oklahoma whom i will be watching closely on Thursday, and they should then either trade back in the first or early second, or just wait for their place and take the best C available who might still be Mack. Nothing wrong with developing a rookie C and I also think almost anyone is an upgrade over what we have so instead of grabbing a FA for a ridiculous amount of $, they should just draft someone.
I still don’t understand why people don’t value a C higher than they do.

I understand where your coming from Brian. As far as

When I say “receive priority”, I simply mean that the Bills should focus more time, attention and cap dollars on finding a tight end.

I don’t like any of the TE’s in FA. Bringing in a rookie TE, is tough, because the learning curve is pretty steep. But the one thing I like about rookie TE’s that are pass-catchers, is that they aren’t asked to reinvent the wheel. They are asked to use their basketball frames and get open, especially in the red zone. John Carlson, went to a Seattle team without Hasselbeck most of the year and had 55 catches, 627 yds, 5 TD’s. Dustin Keller had 48 grabs, 538 yds, 3 TD’s. Greg Olsen had 39 catches, 391 yds, 2 TD’s in his rookie campaign. Zach Miller had 44 catches, 444 yds, 2 TD’s in friggn Oakland in his rookie year and 56 catches, 768 yds, 4 TD’s in his 2nd year.

What I’m saying is if you find the right guy, even in an offensive challenged set up like we have in Buffalo, the guy can still come in and grab an average of 40 balls, 10 yds a catch and a 2-5 TD’s. That was what we had hoped from Hardy. Imagine, now you draft Gresham if he is available, add that kind of threat to Buffalo’s passing game, and imagine what it would do to Evans, Reed, St. Johnson, and maybe even James Hardy?

I still contend that drafting a TE at #11, one as good as Gresham will have the biggest single impact that any pick at #11 could have. I know DE help is crucial, but signing a vet, and grabbing a guy in Round 2 would still allow us production.

The Center position has numerous options and adding a veteran of the caliber of Matt Birk, who I know very well here in Minnesota, who is a class A character guy, would really shore up that OLine. Center is crucial, but in no way should we use a 1st round pick and prolly not even a 2nd round pick on a center when there are so many other options out there. Sure we can take a TE in rounds 3-5 as well, but the skill level and natural atheltic ability won’t be even close to a guy like Gresham

I disagree, especially with a draft that is very deep in tight ends this year. They can get Mack or Luigs in second round. To dispute your claim, the Bills had Kent Hull and no superior TE during Super Bowl run. The Giants, Panthers, Arizona, etc., do not have exceptional tight ends.
You mention the following: Take a look at some of today’s best NFL tight ends. Names like Crumpler, Heap, Winslow, Witten, Clark, Gonzalez, Gates and Cooley are most often associated with good tight end play <> Of those, Crumpler is aging TE, Winslow was hurt most of the season, Gates was also injured all year. And those teams also have exceptionally good offensive lines.

Grisham, Pettigrew, Coffman, Cook will all go in first 1-2 rounds.

But there are other good Tight Ends available in 3-5 rounds:
James Casey, Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson, Shawn Nelson, and Bear Pascoe from Fresno State who is a good darkhorse pick.

If the Bills chose to fill these positions through the draft, my priority would be TE, DE and then C. With that said, I’d go with the best available player among those three areas as the top pick. I’d hate to see the Bills reach for the top TE if he’s not special.

I contend that this team will need to be thinking about playoffs two years from now and should plan accordingly. Not to say that the team can’t be improved in 2009, but a 9-7, 8-8 or even 7-9 record against improved competition—they will have a significantly difficult schedule next year—would be a step forward. This means that whomever they draft should make a contribution when it matters most. I suspect (and hope) the Bills fill one of these positions through free agency, leaving the other two for the 2009 draft.

I’ve been researching TE’s taken in mid-rounds the last few years, and I just see a dramatic drop off after the top 2-3 pass catchers. We don’t need another Derek Schouman or Derek Fine. Fine has turned out to be an exceptional blocker, smart, hard working player that will hopefully only get better. We can FIND blocking TE’s, but what people fail to realize is that our WR corps is just not cutting it. We don’t have the playmakers we need.

There are ways to get another Center. The draft is deep this year at Center. Free Agency will determine what are first 3 rounds positional wise will have to be. Matt Birk is a guy I would love to see in a Bills uniform. While he isn’t as dominant as he once was, he would bring veteran leadership and productivity to the Center position. Then you can also draft a guy to groom in the later rounds.

Look, there are no FA TE’s. We can trade away valuable draft picks. We can’t continue with Robert Royal and the Derek’s. We can’t count on James Hardy for anything next year. We desperately need help for Trent. We have to use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a TE IMO

We can trade away valuable draft picks

We CANT trade away valuable draft picks….i meant

So what is the best strategy for that? Best player available within the positions of need. If the best plaer available is DE, I want that. I want impact, and if our guys in charge (ugh!) have a plan, then we could get it all.

I think the argument could be made that getting the type of TE we need will cost more money and a higher draft pick then an upgrade at center. Good centers can be found later in the draft. Jamey Richards was a 7th round pick by the Colts and when Jeff Saturday was hurt he was starting for the Colts. Not saying hee was as good as Saturday but he was starting for a play-off team as a 7th rounder. There are plenty of centers that can be had in this draft as 2nd day picks, all of whom are probably better then Dookie right now. Elite pass catching TEs… not so much.

I believe we need a playmaking TE, but I think the C is far more important. In order to have any kind of running game, everyone up front needs to hold their own. When NT’s in the 3-4 defense (especially) are busting plays up in the backfield it screws us two ways. 1st, our running game suffers (as it did early in the year), and secondly you can’t have a play action game without running the ball. I believe when the running game is working, the TE doesn’t have to be a stud. I think if we could pull Birk to play C for us, it would solidify our OL and it would mean that we would have options for upgrading our TE.

the KC and Denver games we ran play action a ton. That was when we ran the ball effectively as well. That’s Trent’s ideal game plan. Start off running short passing game, and open it up to play action, screens etc as the game goes on. He does so much better when he is in play action compared to straight 5-7 step drops and fire. So yes, improve Center, but more importantly, get a difference maker at TE, so when we do run PA, it is much easier for Trent

yes, but we have many ways to address the center position. FA and the rounds 2-4 of the draft. Whereas TE, you can only address that in the 1-2 round of the draft. No one respects our passing game because all they do is double Lee and stack the box and dare us to run. We still ran the ball fine with Preston the last 6 games of the year. TE is more of a PRIORITY as Brian stated. Look at the cold weather teams. Pitt has Heath Miller and Spaeth, Balt has Heap, NYG have Boss, NYJ have Keller, look what Carlson did in Seattle, what Winslow does in Cle, Scheffler in Denver. We have no resemblance of a pass-catching TE. With a) our WR corps so bad and b) the Way Trent Edwards plays QB we must significantly improve the TE position if we are to improve as an offense.

No one is saying we don’t need to address the Center but there are a variety of ways to address C, while there are only the 1-2 rounds of the NFL draft to address TE

Well, actually I tend to agree with you Brian, although as you pointed clearly, we still need to address the center-position as well. I think a guy like Matt Birk would be the perfect center for us to get in FA. He’s tremendously intelligent, has been to the Pro Bowl, can hold his own against big cloggers and is a true veteran, who can anchor an O-line. As far as TE’s go, then we would need to trade back in to the first round of the draft, because DE is – and there’s no discussion in my opinion about this – going to be the first round pick. Maybin would be the perfect fit, although I don’t know if he’s going to skip his last year at Penn State to come out early. Otherwise, Brian Orakpo (who remains my favorite) and Everette Brown are the two other DE’s, who at this deserve to be mentioned in the early part of the first round, in which we are drafting. Orakpo would give you the by far biggest talent, though Brown has more experience at DE and is perhaps not as raw as Orakpo.

My ideal Off season would have this look:

1. Resign Crowell

2. Sign Matt Birk

3. Draft Brian Orakpo

4. Trade up and get Jermaine Gresham

5. Sign Reggie Williams from the Jaguars (has tremendous potential, is a phenomenal blocker and is a terrific red zone target)

6. Re-sign Jason Peters and Fred Jackson to long term deals

with all of that.

My view is OBD will take a DE. So we hope to get a Vet Center via FA.

Either way LB, DE, C, TE will all be the first positions addressed via FA and the draft. Hopefully grabbing two in FA and 2 in the first 2 rounds of the draft

there is no reason they can’t bring in a vet C, DE, LB. But that would make too much sense

all ive heard here in MPLS is that Birk will not be resigned. With all the big money they spent last off-season on Jared Allen, Berrian, and Madieu Wiliams they won’t be throwing money around again. Birk loves MPLS as he grew up here, but he will go for one last payday. If we outbid other teams we will get him. He’ll be 33 next July, and can easily play for 2-3 more years.

In my opinion, the AFC East dictates our answer… Divisional foes all play 3 – 4 defenses, against which the Bills did not play well. Proof? 0 – 6! The Bills need a potentially dominant center to deal consistently with monster NT’s like Wilfork and Jenkins.
How far down the seam will a TE get if Wilfork is throwing elbows at our QB’s knees?
If the TE has to stay at home blocking because the G has to help the C does it matter how fast he is or how good his hands are?
And if Mt. Jenkins can clog up the whole interior of the line by himself, the TE is just gonna be running into extra coverage anyways.
The Bills need an excellent – very good C if they want to be competitive in the division!

Gresham is a beast, and has looked spectacular when I’ve seen him this season. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him when he plays my Gator’s this Thursday. That being said, he’s a luxury I don’t think the Bills can afford. If he is drafted 1st Rd, a C must be chosen 2nd… and where does that leave the pass-rush?

The key word though is “consistency”. That’s only going to come with a very good C.

You sure do know how to stir up a hornet’s nest Brian. This is a lively debate and I wanted to do some research before weighing in.

The center position is deep but falls off after the first three (Mack, Unger and Luigs). If I am reading you correctly you want a TE in the 3rd. No later. I agree. C and DE should command the top 2 picks. Before you control the passing game you must control the line of scrimmage. I do think Trent likes the TE more than our coaches. I will use Fine as an example. His number is called as the #1 or #2 receiver in one game and the next game he all but disappears. Turk does not usually call for the TE to be 1st or 2nd choice in the pass plays. Yet Fine has shown good receiving skills. So if we are to emphasize the TE more our coaches have to call his number more as a primary receiver.

If you count the TE as a lineman then there are 6 linemen. If one bad apple spoils the barrel (as we have seen) then one out of only 6 has a greater impact on OL suckitude. I watched Marshawn time after time slide along the line looking for a hole because the primary hole was plugged. Because we play in Buffalo we MUST emphasize the running game first (which our coaches have not learned yet). In that regard the center is more important.

In free agency I would not go for a 33 year old. Unless his asking price is really low which I doubt. Indy will probably keep Saturday. Both of those men have had great careers and will be looking for their 3rd and final contract. I’d much rather spend money on an up and comer/starter. Meester is also over 30. If we go for a FA the price better be right. If we do not land Mack, either Unger or Luigs will need time before starting. That would be the only reson to take a vet over 30.

If the priority is to take a C in the first 2 rounds then we will land one of the three good ones. I also want a GOOD one, not a serviceable one.

If we go TE in the third, we could land a good one. I agree the best TE’s go in the first. I take the long view here and am looking at 2-3yrs down the line. No way we make the playoffs next year, so think ahead. Take a look at the forest and not just the trees. That said, and addressing the lines this year, I would take the best available TE in the 3rd this year and hope he pans out. If he does, great for us. If not, I would take the best TE we can with our #1 pick in 2010. That’s where we could land a true impact player.

Possibly available TE’s in the third this year include James Casey, Rice (he’s rising up the boards. Very versatile, plays hard and already above average blocker. My favorite. 6-4, 240-245, 4.66. And Shawn Nelson, Southern Miss 6-5, 242, 4.60. Beckum will be there in the third too but he is light.

When we feel good about our lines we can then spend a top pick on a TE.

This post is a godsend. Jermaine Gresham please!

I did not have time to read the other posts and I don’t have time to write my whole answer either. I looked at this on my lunch hour and it really bugged me that you position facts to suit your purpose Brian. Let me start by pointing out that you are implying that TE’s are hard to find which is totally false.

Sure a few good TE’s were chosen in the first round like Dallas Clark at #24 (2003) and K Winslow II at # 6 (2004) but al lot of great ones were also taken in later rounds like:

Crumpler Rnd2 #33 (2001)
Eric Johnson Rnd7 #224 (2001)
McMicheals Rnd4 #114 (2002)
Jason Witten Rnd3 #69 (2003)
Shiancoe Rnd3 #91 (2003)
Donald Lee Rnd5 #156 (2003)
Ben Troupe Rnd2 #40 (2004)
Chris Cooley Rnd3 #81 (2004)
Bo Scaiffe Rnd6 #179 (2005)
Fasano Rnd2 #53 (2006)
Klopfenstein Rnd2 #46 (2006)
Scheffler Rnd2 #61 (2006)
Owen Daniels Rnd5 #98 (2006)
Kevin Boss Rnd5 #153 (2007)

Another important fact is that there have been some busts over the past few years with TEs chosen high in the first round like Vernon Davis, Marcedes Lewis, Ben Watson, Daniel Graham, & Jerramy Stevens – all of whom are definitely not worthy of a round 1 pick. Guys that are not considered difference makers!

You talk about our 1600 rushing yards but what you fail to mention is how bad we were in red zone production. We were able to move the ball up to the redzone quite easily what we were not able to do is put it in once we got into the redzone. Now our idiot OC was much to blame for this but I suspect that our inability to move the ball effectively on the ground on med-short yardage situations was the main reason why he kept going to the shotgun in the redzone. I intend on looking into the breakdown of our med-short yardage situations and see how our production stacks up against a team with a REAL center. I know that our ave per carry in those situations is close to 3y whereas teams with dominant Centers are over 4y, which is huge in taking pressure off of a young QB. If we are not able to pound the ball in short yardage situations, there is very little opportunity for real play-action, which in my opinion is way more important for taking pressure off of our young QB.

When the only way a team can stop your running game is to commit 8 guys in the box, your young QB will look much better. Today, teams can stop our rushing attack with 3-4 guys while keeping 7-8 guys in coverage which is way more damaging for our young QB than not having a pass-catching TE.

More to come..

all those guys you mention made it but not many had the impact that a lot of the top tier TE’s have from day 1. You can say all you want about Vernon Davis but his numbers are pretty good. I just don’t understand how people don’t realize this team needs playmakers so badly. No one on the Bills is a real big time playmaker. Sure A dominant Center is nice, but that’s not going to solve everything. We just need to upgrade that. We need another weapon on offense, and it is perfectly obvious that TE is that huge gaping hole. Our WR’s are lackluster and rely too much on Lynch and Jackson. Adding a TE who can get open not just on downfield stuff but consistenly beat LB’s and Safeties on ins and curls and work the middle of the field would just be glorious!!!!! ESPECIALLY IN THE FRIGGN RED ZONE which is where the money counts. Come on your telling me you guys don’t want a big time playmaker at TE like Gresham and then an upgrade at Center??? Your kidding yourselves if you think running out Evans, Reed, Parrish, ACL’d-Hardy, Royal, Fine is going to get it done. Absolutely not going to cut it

I doubt that ARI will tender Pope that high and I’ll grant you that Eric Johnson is quite fragile.

Nobody is talking about it but if the new GM in KC is more receptive to deal, there is still a remote chance that we could get Tony G in a Bills uniform.

Of course, I’d rather have both….but between the two I’m pretty much always going to default to the line position when it’s a question between a lineman or skill player. Besides, the TEs weren’t killing anywhere near as many drives as the Cs were.

but what do you think of a vet FA signing? Matt Birk, Saturday or Meester? Any of those make you happy?

And Ron, can you tell me how much better Preston is than Fowler at Center? Is it any kind of signifigance? I’m too lazy too search for your end of the year numbers right now