Buffalo Rumblings Community Needs List - Offense
by Brian Galliford on Jan 7, 2009 3:30 PM EST
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PrintThe Buffalo Bills should induct the Buffalo Rumblings community into Ralph Wilson's vaunted "inner circle" straight away. Seriously, as we've broken down the Bills roster and started putting together our prioritized needs list, I've been astounded at the level of participation and the quality of discussions that we've had. There have been disagreements, but each and every one of us has the team's best interests at heart - can the same be said for the inner circle?
We have now broken down every offensive player and position, and with some heated debates and community polls tossed in, we're ready to unveil our Offensive Community Needs List. You may not agree with all of it and I may not agree with all of it, but the inner circle likely agrees with none of it.
What follows is our prioritized needs list - and feel free to continue to debate it if you wish; by all means, this thing isn't set in stone - and the players that we have split up categorically. There were a few surprises, which I'm certain we'll discuss as well. The results!
Buffalo Rumblings Community Needs List - Offense
1. Receiving Tight End: Honestly thought I'd be overruled on this one, but at time of press, this community is voting 60-40 in favor of tight end being Buffalo's top priority offensively. The polls are by no means closed, however, so if you disagree, go vote and leave your opinions!
2. Center: Buffalo has a gaping hole on the interior of their offensive line, and Duke Preston clearly can't fill it. New blood is needed, and whether it's in the form of veteran or rookie, that blood needs to start ASAP.
3. Veteran Wide Receiver: Our receiver production is lacking despite the fact that there is some talent at the position. The consensus (barely) amongst Rumblers is that a veteran that can push for the starting job - with Bryant "Panda" Johnson as the favorite - would be a welcome addition to this offense.
4. Veteran Backup Quarterback: Good news! J.P. Losman has played his last game in Buffalo! Better news! We're going to have a better backup quarterback in 2009! But we still need to do the getting, and the consensus is that signing a veteran is the best approach in doing so.
5. Reserve Center/Guard: The majority of this community voted to re-sign Duke Preston - I was surprised too - so we've only got one reserve interior lineman on the menu here. This particular position seems likely to change depending on how the need at center is handled.
6. Blocking Fullback: If Buffalo plans on featuring the power running offense that they should be featuring in 2009, they're going to need a guy that can remove linebackers from holes - but only after the holes are created. Therefore, this should be a priority, but a low one. Bigger fish to fry.
7. Viable Third Running Back: I'm fairly certain that I'm the only person that isn't comfortable with Xavier Omon here, but nobody seemed upset with the notion of having a running back on the list, so it stays for now. I still maintain that finding a third back that contribute could be an underrated benefit to this offense, and I'm not certain Omon can be that guy.
Again, this list remains fluid, so if you're still feeling the need to try to get a position moved up or down on the list, have at it. Keep in mind that it's a community arrangement, however, so your arguments will have to be persuasive!
Player Categorization
Extendables: Players that the community have deemed worthy of contract extensions.
- QB Gibran Hamdan (RFA), RB Fred Jackson (ERFA), OT Jason Peters (potential holdout), OT Kirk Chambers (UFA), G/C Duke Preston (UFA)
Expendables: Players that the community have deemed expendable, whether on the merits of terrible play or contract status.
- QB J.P. Losman (UFA), FB Corey McIntyre, TE Robert Royal (cut?), OG Jason Whittle (UFA), C Melvin Fowler (UFA)
Apathetics: Players that the community, by and large, doesn't give a rip about, because they're bubble players and spot contributors at best.
- QB Matt Baker, RB Bruce Hall, WR Justin Jenkins, WR Felton Huggins, WR C.J. Hawthorne, TE Jonathan Stupar, OT Jonathan Scott, OT Chris Denman, OG Brandon Rodd
Keepers: Players that the community believes will stay in Buffalo, whether it be on their own merit, on the merits of common knowledge, or on the merits of exorbitant contracts.
- QB Trent Edwards, RB Marshawn Lynch, RB Xavier Omon, WR Lee Evans, WR Josh Reed, WR Roscoe Parrish, WR Steve Johnson, WR James Hardy, TE Derek Fine, TE Derek Schouman, OT Langston Walker, OT Demetrius Bell, OG Derrick Dockery, OG Brad Butler
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whoa whoa whoa!
how did fullback drop to number 6!
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
Partly due to the voting that went down yesterday – it finished fourth in voting out of five areas – and partly due to the fact that large percentage of commenters expressed yesterday and today the desire to get two interior offensive linemen, because of our sore lack of depth there.
Feel free to start promoting FB to move up the list, though. :)
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 7, 2009 3:56 PM EST up reply actions
that I will
I will indeed be pushing for greater FB support, of course, the tight end vs center debate kept me distracted enough all day that I’ll be staying at the office till 8 tonight. So I will be chiming in often.
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
If it's my needs list:
1. Receiving Tight End (I’d love to see them draft a big TE in the first round)
2. Center (This low only because I know we can draft one of the top three guys still in the second round or address it through F/A)
3. Veteran Backup Quarterback (Official driver of the Charlie Batch Bandwagon)
4. Blocking Fullback ( I don’t think this is a necessity – go with Jackson and Lynch as the split backs and go single wing on their butts faking handoffs all over the place and messing with the linebackers instead of knocking them out of holes)
5. Veteran Wide Receiver ( I like our staff, honestly. I am a fan of the Evans/Reed/Johnson-Hardy combo)
6. Reserve Center/Guard (Resign Preston is fine with me)
7. Viable Third Running Back (Omon could be this guy. I doubt it but he could be this guy.)
I think I'd have to agree
Veteran WR would be higher for me if not for the fact that I think a good receiving TE would take care of some of the deficiencies that we would also use a veteran WR to address.
Center definitly #7
Duke Preston will not be a weak link in the O-Line next year. With his attitude, size, speed and a year under his belt, Preston will vault to one of the better Centers in the NFL. TE should be the main focus in this list. However, unless we get lucky in the draft, I don’t see a major change at TE.
Either you’re related to Duke Preston, you’re kidding, or you’re trying to stir up a reaction. Either way, wow. Just wow.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 7, 2009 4:25 PM EST up reply actions
yeah — i’m not too sure on this one. We’ll let Ron from NM take this if he wants to. He’s got more ammo than I do
Maybe now you'll never slime a guy with a positron collider
by J2 on Jan 7, 2009 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
If you are serious...
I admire the size of your cojones, lol. And I respect your opinion. I think he’d make a decent back up (at G and C), and hopefully when a new C is brought in it’ll push Preston and make him even better.
My list is:
0) Winner Attitude, well said by J2
1) ReceivingTE
2) Center
3) QB
4) WR
5) FB
6) Reserve RB (Maybe)
I Agree with Mr Galliford about a TE over a Center in our Priorits
I wasn’t that high with a #2 QB, but I read some sources who said maybe Trent is considering a surgery. http://www.salsports.com/TrentEdwardsInjury.htm
I am no a Trent hater, on the other side , I still think he can be our franchise QB. But we have to think about the possibility of the guy could be a injury prone, and hardly could play all season. I really hope it won’t happens, but he need a plan B for sure ! Or anyone wants to see another QB who can’t protect the ball, like JP ? I don’t !
TE, TE, TE
Much Like Kurupt’s clamoring for DE since this site initiated, I have been hoping for that magical pass-catching TE to done a Bills uniform. The Derek Fine pick baffled me last year, but Ron has alerted all of us to his professional blocking skills that raise his value substantially. However, now with Edwards entering his 3rd year and his supporting cast virtually the same as 2 years ago, how can we deny this kid some weapons to have a chance at stardom? I am convinced that drafting a top 4 pass-catching TE would really help out this offense. Gresham may be a pipe dream, but others exist in Pettigrew, Coffman, and Cook from SC as well as a few other “projects.” And when I talk TE, I don’t mean a total package, I mean a stricly receiving guy. You can mold a guy into a “decent” enough blocker. I’d have to put TE 1A and Center 1B. Let’s just hope OBD thinks along these same lines for once
MARVelous
I like
the idea of a pass catching TE, but I’m not sold. The Redskins and Chiefs are prime examples of top notch TE teams that go no where. (I had Cooley on my Fantasy roster). I think an exceptional TE makes a very good offense, exceptional. But it doesn’t transform an average team.
I guess I see the TE position more about smarts than athleticism. A smart TE can find holes downfield all day. If Fine can combine his very good blocking with soft reliable hands (and Schouman too) we don’t need too look far. I watched Cooley a lot this season and it was more about his wiley smarts than anything else. He played mind games with the defenses, such as selling a block and slipping out into the flat and then there were times he just flat out dominated with athleticism. But he seems to know when to use different aspects of his arsenal. I think for a cold weather out door team, a speedster may not be the most useful.
My pick for number one need is veteran QB. I feel like we can win with the team and coaching staff we have. I think we are that good and are maturing. What we need is a veteran QB that can win game 2-3 games when Edwards is out or in relief of Edwards. I think we want someone that has starting chops and that we could almost flirt with the idea of him starting but not quite. I like a lot of the names out there. I’m fine with Batch, but I’m big on Ramsey and Boller.
I also have had some mushrooms and am entertaining the thought that Preston may be a serviceable and worthwile starter going forward. I think we should bring in a FA center veteran to push him.
I want whatever you are on.
No Preston. Big on Ramsey and Boller? For what? Do they have special teams skills because they sure ain’t QBs.
Agree - need a TE
I think a good TE can be the key the Edwards’ development, as has been stated. Think about a TE that can be a good possession receiver, going for the quick outs and 7-8 yard slants. These are the bread and butter of how a decent number of teams march down the field.
How many times have we all seen what can best be described as questionable play-calling by Jauron & Co? I’m thinking of all those 3rd and Longs where the call was a draw play to Marshawn, or a bobbled pass well behind the first down marker.
We need a guy who acts as a safety valve in a way. And I don’t mean just a check-down target, but a guy you can throw to when Trent’s having a rough start and needs to find his groove. Chris Cooley was mentioned, and he sort of fits what I’m talking about, but I guess in my head I’m envisioning someone more like Randy McMichael, Rickey Dudley, Kyle Brady, Bubba Franks, or Wesley Walls — a big target that can be easily found.
needs list
It seems that tight end has officially become the front running favorite in this community for our top need. Since I can’t convince you folks otherwise I have to at least fight to push fullback up the list!
1.) Center – An aging, smart veteran who can play would be ideal for a young offense, quarterback, running back, and inexperienced coordinator. Unfortunately I’m starting to get the feeling that both Saturday and Birk will be resigned, I was scared away from Meester by a poster who noted that he is considered at fault for the Jags o-line collapse this last season, and Jason Brown looks too good for the Ravens to dare release. If this is the case I think Alex Mack has to be the target for this franchise. If we get a center our o-line is complete and we can start focusing on skill positions. I really believe that with a lane opening center our running game can make Buffalo competitive in any AFC East game, a division in which we were 0-6 last year.
2. Tight End – If we grab a veteran center to start immediately, Gresham may have to be the pick in round 1. If we draft Mack, no big loss as I think Chase Coffman will be available in round 3 and will be a great pass catching threat. We do not even know if Gresham is the best tight end prospect with Pettigrew looking mighty talented. Either way, we need a receiving threat and both Gresham and Coffman look enticing.
3. Blocking Fullback – Come on guys! If we are going to shore up our interior with a veteran or with Mack lets round it out and pick up a beast of a blocker for Marshawn. Why not take a weakness and it turn it all the way around into a strength? Many here say they want toughness and attitude on this team. A road-grading center + Marshawn Lynch + bulldozing fullback + Buffalo = TOUGH TEAM. Road-grading center + Lynch + Jackson + Edwards + bulldozing fullback + Buffalo + pass catching tight end = TOUGH TEAM TO BEAT. If we address center, tight end, and fullback as our top three need we have immediately turned this team into one that was getting cute in 08 to one in which you HAVE to stack the box against on defense but you are still scared to because a young, accurate, cerebral QB is zinging it to hi tight end, Jackson and Lynch all day when you do.
4. Back up QB – Charlie Batch isn’t anything special enough to put this higher on the list. We’ll find somebody.
5. Reserve Center/Guard – our o-line had too many guys missing time that made us hurt last year not to get deeper and better along the interior line.
6. Veteran Wideout- If we’re going to put tight end so high on this list then we have to drop the veteran wideout down. If we get a playmaker at tight end and grab a fullback and center which can make us a hardnosed running team then we should be fine with Reed, Evans and a developing Johnson and Hardy.
7. Viable 3rd running back – this is not hard to find
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
I am still pretty high on Meester. He had a serious strain in his biceps that required surgery. He had the surgery in mid august and the injury was considered to be about a 10 week injury. The team’s plan was to have him return to the starting lineup after their week 7 bye, but when he returned to practice on October 10th (far from 100%), the Jags were already so beat up on the interior line that they had no choice but to play Meester way before he should have been back on the field. Meester had to play all season long between Uche Nwaneri and Dennis Norman.
Despite the terrible guards he had to play between Meester and the Jax running game improved down the stretch when Norman and Nwaneri started to gain experience and Meester worked his way back to 100% and got his rythym back. If we shouldn’t hold Peters’ bad start against him since he held out, we certainly can’t hold Meester’s bad start against him due to injury, rust and being surrounded by bad lineman.
Here are MJDs and Fred Taylor’s combined production in their last 5 games.
wk13 – 21 carries for 118 yards against Houston
wk14 – 25 for 108 in a tough game in Chicago
wk15 – 12 for 48 at GB got down early and really threw the ball all game long
wk16 – 20 for 91 against Indy in a game where Indy was healthy and needed a win.
wk17 – 23 for 78 – It was at Baltimore in a game the Ravens needed to win to make the playoffs.
interesting point
Its a pretty solid point that if we are going to give Peters a pass we should be giving Meester one too. I was unaware that he was rushed into the lineup and that does make sense given the amount of injuries their line suffered. I mean, there has to be a reason why he stuck in Jacksonville for nine seasons right? This was also the first year in a while in which he missed time due to injury.
An interesting link by the way: http://profootball.scout.com/2/818120.html
Scout.com claims that the Vikings have shown little interest in re-signing Birk. This is news to me and very exciting news at that.
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions
Switch backup QB and full back and I am in!!!!
Who the hell am I kidding, I am in either way!!!!
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
yes Joe!
Let the revolution begin!! With you on board nobody can stop the fullback train!
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 7:44 PM EST up reply actions
Did you see LSU’s fullback in the Chick-Fil-A bowl ? A kid named Quinn Johnson. He was extremely impressive. Funny how he is not listed in the top 5 but he really looked good. I would not mind at all picking up a guy like him and I am certain that we would not have to waste a pick on him.
Too bad we didn’t pull the trigger last year for Owen Schmitt
BEAST MODE, During the week plan on it & on game day thrive on it!
GO BILLS!
Section 336 Row 13
i know deep down
you want this Buffalo team to be a cold weather, smash mouth, punch you in the face, run it up the gut, mean streak offense. Center, Tight End, and Fullback…..it can be done!
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 7:48 PM EST up reply actions
Now that is what I am talking about!!!!!!!!
When I think of the Bills being that team, it really gets my juices flowing!!!! Kind of like that scene in “Top Gun” when they are watching the jets dogfighting “This is giving me a …………..”. Then I remember that Dick Jauron is our head coach. It is kind of like when your getting your groove on and your mother calls and leaves a message on the answering machine. It just wrecks the mood :-)
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
You should change your user name to “Joe Awkward”. :)
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 7, 2009 9:35 PM EST up reply actions
i
love the enthusiasm of
Why not take a weakness and it turn it all the way around into a strength? Many here say they want toughness and attitude on this team. A road-grading center + Marshawn Lynch + bulldozing fullback + Buffalo = TOUGH TEAM. Road-grading center + Lynch + Jackson + Edwards + bulldozing fullback + Buffalo + pass catching tight end = TOUGH TEAM TO BEAT. If we address center, tight end, and fullback as our top three need we have immediately turned this team into one that was getting cute in 08 to one in which you HAVE to stack the box against on defense but you are still scared to because a young, accurate, cerebral QB is zinging it to hi tight end, Jackson and Lynch all day when you do.
MARVelous
the
enthusiasm stems from the fact that it is actually doable all in one off-season! Let’s grab a Lorenzo Neal and a free agent smart veteran and then draft Gresham and make everyone happy! Happiest of all would be Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch, its a three way combo that instantly makes their lives easier and gives Turk a chance to prove that he wasn’t a moron after all. It may not makes us elite in one offseason but it sure will makes us a tough and competitive in every game. With a winner like Trent I like those odds!
By the way: Mangini just signed a four year deal with Cleveland
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 6:06 PM EST up reply actions
we think alike about FB
Neal or Richardson are both available I believe. These are tough, proven, leadership-quality-veterans that can open holes and impart their wisdom to the Bills’ young RB’s!
I'd love to get Richardson or Neal on a one year deal
but they are nothing but stop-gaps.
by MattRichWarren on Jan 7, 2009 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
agreed Buff and MRW
but I think Neal has done wonders for the Ravens pounding running game and look at what Tony Richardson did for Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. He should get a fair share of the credit heaped on Alan Faneca! As Buff pointed out they can impart wisdom to our young team while opening holes and as you noted we can develop a FB underneath two modern legends at the positions
Kawika Mitchell is a leader. He will help this young team develop.
by poz on Jan 7, 2009 7:47 PM EST up reply actions
How I look at it
Center/Receiving TE for me are really 1a/1b- It ALL depends on what the Bills do in FA, if we get a vet, Center falls behind TE. If we don’t, then it stays ahead of TE for me due to the 3-4 Ds we play against all the time.
Vet WR I think can shift anywhere between 3rd and 7th for me depending on what happens with TE. Right now I still think having a true #2 or almost #1 is critical to Trent having a better year. A 4 WR set of say, Lee, St. Johnson, Panda and Reed would look mighty good.
FB I think we need this to truly become a cold weather punch ’em dead team. There are some decent prospects in this years draft who should be around in the 4th-6th round area.
Backup QB Charlie Batch or BUST!
Reserve C/G Depends on what the Bills do with C back up at 1a. If we get a FA center and draft a kid, then we could skip this entirely. If we only draft or get a FA, then we should probably resign the corpse of Preston, he at least can play guard unlike Fowler.
3rd RB I think is perhaps the least important right now, we can always pick up a FA or a UDFA after the draft if the team feels Omon can’t get the job done, easiest to fix.
Now if only this gopher could play DE, we would be doing better, I mean, who couldn't play better than the corpse brothers Kelsay and Denney?
I think C number 1
It all starts with the line, and to me, the center is the leader of the line, even if the left tackle is the “star”. I also think that it will help spear head a better run game, which in turn start to help other problems. They got taller WRs who are rooks and “should” develop, a rookie TE who should gain about 10 lbs of muscle is a good blocker and has decent hands and then we need to see the QB take the next step. And frankly, I don’t care if the back up QB is starting caliber, Trent is either the starter or he isn’t, and if he isn’t, like in Tennessee, I want someone who can make this team click down the stretch, if we see such a thing.
The Bills CAN win every game
Trent is the starter
but with his history he’s the starter for 15 games, max. I am a huge supporter of the guy but he gets dinged up easily.
by MattRichWarren on Jan 7, 2009 10:03 PM EST up reply actions
The "Great TEs are harder to find than great Centers" argument got me curious
For me, Hall of Fame inductees would be the gold standard to see if this was true, so I went to
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/positions.html
I did not count pre-modern era players because they do not differential between Ends, TEs, and WRs. In the modern era, there are 7 TEs and 6 Centers. Draw your own conclusions.
"The Bills have no playoff aspirations"
Great list!
I am going to put Pass Rushing DE over all of this though. I think that is priority #1 for the draft, and getting a TE/WR via FA is the better option
Defense Wins!!!!
Bills need a lot more help on the defensive side and a great defense can make up for an average offense, can you say Titans and Ravens.
Bills were towards the bottom in both defensive and offensive statistics.
You cannot have enough good defensive linemen. And by that, I mean good one’s, not the average football players the Bills have.
Get over there fascination drafting defensive backs.
Tom Modrak is a clown – Bring back Polian, please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
What does Tom Modrak have to do with anything? He preferred Ngata to Whitner, and he preferred Cutler to both of them. Putting the blame on the wrong guy, my man.
We’ll get to the defense soon enough. This was about the offense…
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 9, 2009 3:36 PM EST up reply actions
Well said
Modrak did well in Pittsburgh & then in Philly. He’s always been a good soldier here in Buffalo and has never had final say although he is responsible for the actual board that had Whitner & McCargo quite high. That being said, I still prefer Whitner to the other safeties from that draft (Allen, Bullocks, Manning or Harper) and the drop-off at DT was even worse (Dvoracek, Wrotten). So there’s no way to be mad at Modrak if he wasn’t the guy with the final say.
Do you know if Modrak has final say in the draft this year?
BEAST MODE, During the week plan on it & on game day thrive on it!
GO BILLS!
Section 336 Row 13
I don’t know that yet, but hope to find out for sure sometime before the draft.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Jan 9, 2009 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
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