Looks like the bills made a smart pick this time

I think Byrd WAS drafted to start. Maybe not by week one, (especially after he missed some of training camp with injuries) but as soon as possible. Byrd has done an outstanding job getting after the ball with 5 picks in the last three games, good for second in the league.

If I am not mistaken, I think your setting the bar too low. Leonard didn’t ever lead the league with four interceptions, he has four interceptions in his entire 5-year career. He only had two interceptions, both in his third year, while with the Bills. I am kind of surprised you see his best asset as run support. While he has made some good tackles, he has been in the wrong spot on several long runs. His weaknesses in run support are something I am willing to put up with in order to get his playmaking ability on the field.

I think it is way too early to start talking about the failed careers of James Hardy and Aaron Maybin. BIG recievers always take longer to develop. TO had 35 catches his rookie year, Steve Smith had 10 catches, Hines Ward had 15 catches, Chad Ochocinco had 28 catches. Just take it easy on the kid. Give him time.

Same with Maybin. The kid is VERY RAW. We all knew that. He was never gonna be a star rookie. The kid has incredible abilities. Let him learn how to use them.

Why hate on Ellison? I am all about finding a replacement for him but not off of this roster. Ellison is the best option we have right now. He is dependable. He isn’t a stud, but he gets his tackles, and there is something to be said for a guy that is always wrapping up the ball carrier. He isn’t great in pass coverage, and he isn’t a sack threat, but we could do worse. By the way, he currently leads the NFL in tackles.

As much as thic coaching staff messes up, even cagey Dick Jauron won’t be stupid enough to pull Byrd from the lineup. Whitner will play SS and Byrd will be set, hopefully for years to come, at FS.

Leading the league in the NFL doesn’t make you good? I disagree. There is a lot of talent in this league and that stat means something. I am by no means saying that Ellison is amazing or a sure fire starter in this league. I just think, that on this roster, with what we have as options, he is the best choice. I really like Bryan Scott and what he allows us to do with tight ends, but he hasn’t showed me that he can be a starting linebacker in this league.

I totally agree with you that there are players that will come into this league that need very little time to make an impact. We see that every year. Orakpo is doing a very good job, on an already amazing Redskins defense. I don’t know if Maybin or Orakpo is going to have a better career, and I don’t know which one we should have picked. Knowing what I know now, I still don’t know.

As far as whether drafting “raw” players at 11…I see your point. I think there would have been other teams who would have picked him in the mid-first. When does it become okay to take a raw player with great potential? Maybe the FO knew what we didn’t want to believe, that we were going to suck this year so he would have time to develop, because we weren’t competing for anything.

He improved his tackling abilities this week as well it seems.

This guy is gonna be awesome :)

come on man. People who say players need to develop are wrong because some players are good right away? Thats like saying it took Eli a few seasons to develop so therefore anyone who says players can be good right away is wrong. IT DOES TAKE MOST ROOKIES TIME TO DEVELOP. no one ever said rookies are never good right away, just look at Marshawn. But for every Jairus Byrd there are Cedric Bensons, Drew Brees, Eli Manning. If you want to cut rookies after their first year well then I’m just speechless. Mario Williams was considered a bust for two years while everyone ridiculed Charlie Casserly for taking him over Reggie Bush. I guess development worked out pretty good there.

I hope he’s not the next Jim Leonhard. In three years with the Bills JIm had 2 INTs and only started 7 games.

Another Ellison sucks and Maybin is a bust post. What else can be said.

Both guys were served as back up safeties and were not intended to start

Byrd was going to start all along – not to start the season because he’s green – but he was going to be on the field and playing significant time from the second we drafted him. Kids a playmaker – and ummm he’s so far doing a decent job of proving that. This team needs playmakers instead of mediocre talent.

The Bills had obvious needs at O-line and pass rushers that I thought this pick was absolutely horrible

lol – 3 out of their first 4 picks were O and D linemen. You might not like the choice of Maybin – but he’s a pass rushing DE.

Also – while you may think the pick was horrible you have to think of it from a drafting perspective. Drafting for need will leave players on the board that are better players – clearly they had Byrd ranked higher on their board than Brown or whoevers name you want to throw out there – which is why he was picked. (and not too shabby thus far)

and will probably bench Byrd in favor for Scott

not a chance – all 3 will play. remember – starting isn’t everything – it’s all about the packages. You don’t have to start to play 90% of the snaps in a game.

I don’t think a team would have picked Maybin over Everette Brown, and he fell to the second.

why? how do you know what NFL teams would do?

Brown got picked where he got picked because he wasn’t as good as some of us thought. Mock drafts are just that – mock – Mayo wasn’t projected to go to the Pats but he did.

Jim Leonhard has 3 INTs in his whole 5 year career. In 2007 he had 2. I would hardly call that a ball hawk.

No question, Byrd is the starting FS from here on out, unless he completely regresses but after seeing the showstring tackle yesterday – I am pretty confident that he is on the right track. I also really like his demeanor and the fact that he is quite humble. His bloodline is great and you can tell that he has been brought up right, great job Papa Byrd!

Jim Leonhard had his best season lining up next to Ed Reed and looking at Ray Lewis in front of him. Last time I checked the Bills have no one near the accomplishments of Reed and Lewis. Byrd is the most pleasant surprise of the season.

Couldn’t you at least look up Leonhard’s stats before making false claims about him leading the league in INT’s? He has FOUR career INT’s, too.

Leonhard was an undrafted FA that was in his 3rd season when he came to replace an injured Ko Simpson. Byrd was drafted to eventually be our starting FS, though it’s happened a little sooner than expected.

There is so much to touch on here.

Byrd proves it does not take “years” for players to develop in this league

poz said it best with the Eli Manning comparison. Also, different positions develop differently. Safeties regularly walk into the league and contribute right away. Defensive ends and wide receivers typically don’t.

Tall WRs take more time to develop than the smaller quicker ones do. And you can’t list a bunch of WRs taken in the first round this year as evidence that Buffalo should have been able to find an instant contributer in the 2nd round last year. Some smaller players did well as rookies last year (Eddie Royal, DeSean Jackson), but the taller guys are still developing (Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly, Jerome Simpson). The 2007 draft had a handful of taller WRs taken in that 2nd-3rd round range who didn’t contribute anything at first, but are breaking out this season (Mike Sims-Walker, Sidney Rice, pre-IR Laurent Robinson). The taller guys take time and if you don’t give it to them, you could regret it.

Though he hasn’t made great plays on the interceptions, he finds himself in the right spot at the right time consistently. Thinking back to the Jim Leonard safety days, I could only think of what happened to Leonard and how similar these guys started.

How has Byrd not made great plays on the interceptions? His diving pick last week was incredible. You can’t expect every play to be highlight reel worthy. He’s had a couple fall into his lap, but he’s made great plays on the ball this year too.

Leonhard and Byrd have nothing in common. Leonhard was undrafted and didn’t intercept a single pass in his first two years in Buffalo. He never lead the league, nor was he ever even close to doing so. He has 5 INTs in 64 career games (counting the playoffs) and hasn’t even played the same position in NY or BAL as Byrd does. The comparison doesn’t make any sense at all. It wasn’t poor coaching to not start the very mediocre Leonhard and it wasn’t a bad decision to let him walk away in FA (the Bills didn’t cut him).

Both guys were served as back up safeties and were not intended to start

Everyone has already disputed this, but I want to throw the stat out that I always use to debate the Byrd as a backup points. Ko Simpson had 66 tackles last year and Buffalo had three safeties finish in the top 55 among safeties for the most tackles. Common sense dictates that since we had three safeties play a significant role last year and Byrd replaced and upgraded one of them, that the Bills plan all along was to play all three safeties. Who cares whether or not Byrd was supposed to start, it should be obvious that Byrd was always going to play and play a lot.

This coaching staff however fails to recognize talent and will probably bench Byrd in favor for Scott

I can’t imagine what it must be like to be so down on the Bills and their coaches that you assume every decision they make is going to be wrong. I don’t know how anyone could ever get to where you must be.