Let's Get Some Bang for Our Bills

by ForeignArrow on Apr 21, 2009 1:47 PM EDT Comment 13 comments

I've been avoiding making a mock draft up til now because things change so much and it just seems a little tired. But it's NFL Draft Eve all week and everyone's dying to open their presents. What are we gonna get?!!

Well, the Bills are in quite a pickle this year. There are several positions that need up-grading and some need numbers AND up-grading.

1-11-Michael Oher, LT, Ole Miss. I just don't see Andre Smith being there at 11, so unless the Bills trade up to get him... Oher is good value for the pick and it's a must to snag him because the drop-off between he and Britton is appreciable.

1-28- Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee. I don't like the pick, but Buffalo's staff will be stoked to find him here because they will be able to unload Kelsay if he is. I don't see many teams ahead of us that would go with Ayers over other DE's. I think Larry English will also be available here, but it's obvious who the Bills like more. A trade-up for Brandon Pettigrew is absolutely necessary if the Bills want him because he ain't getting past the Falcons at 24 and might go as early as the Eagles at 21.

2-42- Max Unger, OL, Oregon. It cannot be over-stated how valuable Unger's versatility is. If any part of the interior line experiences a defection, Unger can slide right in there. This is the perfect spot for Unger to go as far as value goes.

3-75- Fili Moala, DT, USC. It came down to Moala and Magee. Moaloa is more of what the Bills are looking for: a complete DT. And I do believe he'll fall to the 3rd round with guys like Ziggy Hood and Ron Brace and Jarron Gilbert going ahead of him in the 2nd.

4-110- Chase Coffman, TE, Mizzou. Coffman is as good of a receiving TE as you'll find in this draft, but he's in the 4th round because he's not a great blocker. He shows a willingness to block and maybe with some strength and coaching he will become better at it.

4-121- Kaluka Maiava, OLB, USC. A lot of people say of all the Trojan LBs he looks the best on film. His only downside is he's about the same size as Kieth Ellison, the very player we're trying to upgrade. The difference is he plays much better than Ellison. He excels in space and coverage. At the very least he will provide invaluable depth at a violent position, not bad for a 4th rounder.

5-147- Louis Vasquez, OG, Texas Tech. Similar to Brad Butler in that he is not the most athletic cat in the junkyard but he is the meanest. Is probably being down-graded by scouts for playing in a passing system.

6-183- Otis Wiley, S, Michigan State. Athletic and talented safety that had an excellent senior year. Developmental prospect with the size to play SS.

7-220- Brannan Southerland, FB, Georgia. A very complete fullback and a good short-yardage runner. Excellent special teamer as well.

Well, these are my predictions. The most likely things to change the Bills' draft would be a trade for Pettigrew (which I think is likely) and a trade for Brian Waters including Roscoe Parrish and a later pick (which I also think is likely). Both trades would likely eliminate Max Unger, Robert Ayers, and Chase Coffman from my mock..... wich is fine with me if the Bills pull those 2 deals off. It would look something more like:

1a. Oher

1b. Pettigrew

2. Larry English

4a. Chris Baker

4b. Maiava

5. Vasquez

6. Wiley

7. Southerland

Poll

Grade my Mock

A

9 votes

B+

13 votes

B

17 votes

B-

9 votes

C+

2 votes

C

5 votes

C-

3 votes

Dee duh dee

6 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

This FanPost was written by a registered user of Buffalo Rumblings. Its views do not necessarily reflect the views of Rumblings' editorial staff, but are just as valued as our own.

0 recs | Comment 13 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

i

don’t see any way Ayers is available at #28. The most likely scenario I see if Buffalo wants to get it’s 2 top guys is to draft one at #11 and trade from #28 up to say #22 to get their second guy. That could land Oher/Pettigrew, Ayers/Pettigrew, Pettigrew/Matthews, etc….I think if they stand pat at #28, they’ll be left having to take Max Unger

MARVelous - "I went from America's team to North America's Team" Terrell Owens

by MARVelous on Apr 21, 2009 2:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Who's taking

Ayers before 28? And if Ayers isn’t there it’s likely Maybin or English will be. Everybody and their mother is switching to a 3-4, so there aren’t many fits for Ayers outside of Buffalo, maybe Tampa (but they seem desperate to get a QB). The Redskins need a DE, but they have a huge crush on Sanchez. The Eagles could use a DE but not as much as a RB or a TE. The Falcons would also take Pettigrew over Ayers or the next best DT after Raji because their interior needs help badly. That’s really it for potential places for Ayers to land. And it blows my mind that Ayers is a 1st-round consideration in the 1st place. So I don’t know what Kool-Aide everybody’s drinkin, but I don’t want any of it.

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Apr 21, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Houston, Washington, Tampa Bay, Detroit or even Atlanta or Philly. I would say the odds are much less than 50/50 that Ayers is available at 28. What makes Ayers so likely to be taken is the fact that he can fit into so many positions. All the teams I listed would be looking at him as a left defensive end in a 4-3 front, but he could also contribute on the right side on run downs and could be converted by a team like Denver or Baltimore to play in a different kind of scheme. It’s not that unlikely that he is gone, but thinking he will be there is optimistic.

It’s really the only problem I would have with this mock is that the four players the Bills take after Oher are all at best 50/50 to be available. There is no way that every one of Oher, Ayers, Unger, Moala and Coffman are all available where you have Buffalo taking them and I would bet that at least two are off the board when Buffalo picks.

Partially because of that and partially because I really like the players you have Buffalo taking, this is a dream mock.

I think if Buffalo takes Ayers I would like to see them look for a speedy RDE in the later rounds.

I’m glad to see that you included Maiava. I think we all get way too caught up on size around here and tend to blame Buffalo’s problems on being too small when we are actually an average sized 4-3 defense (maybe even bigger than average).

by kaisertown on Apr 21, 2009 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Availabiltity

is a crapshoot. But I think Ayers’ value has been inflated lately for a reason unclear to me. Think about it, where did he come from? People talked to some NFL scouts who were high on him and so begins the legend of Ayers. For all I know they want scouts to create smoke and mirrors to take the hype away from a different prospect. I watched Ayers in college and he’s really had an unremarkable collegiate career. He was just the best player on a Tennessee line that wasn’t too flashy. In my world, you need to muster more than 3 sacks as a senior to be a 1st rounder.

My point is, I think people are over-valuing Ayers and underestimating the fire sale there is going to be on OTs. What are teams going to value more, an unproductive DE or any one of the top 6 OTs? There’s a chance that Britton and Beatty will also go in the 1st. A team would have be in dire need of a DE to take Ayers earlier than late in the 1st.

And all the mentioned teams to be potentially interested in Ayers, are nowhere near surely going for DEs.

Moala would be the least likely one to be available because there isn’t much separation between DT prospects after BJ Raji other than style of play. As for Coffman, he is about the same prospect as Martin Rucker was who also went in the 4th.

"I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I would die for your right to say it."

by ForeignArrow on Apr 21, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You said the same about my mock too,

but isn’t that what the Bills should be doing is looking for value?

"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker

by Joe P. on Apr 21, 2009 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

More draft picks please.

Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67

by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 21, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sure, but you can’t pick players who aren’t there. I liked your mock and I like Arrow’s, but at some point someone has to point out that it simply cannot happen. I guess it’s time for me to start to encourage everyone to do a real time draft with Buffalo’s picks. I would love to see how everyone solves all of Buffalo’s problems without some nice preconcieved plan.

I should also point out that I thought your draft is much more realistic than this one. The odds of Ayers being there at 28 are 50/50. Unger is at best 50/50. Moala is probably less than 50/50 and Coffman is less than 50/50 as well.

by kaisertown on Apr 22, 2009 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's all good kaisertown

I admit my mock was a little optimistic. Hope for the best, plan for the worst :-)

"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker

by Joe P. on Apr 22, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really Marv????

don’t see any way Ayers is available at #28

Here is one way.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2009matt.php

"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker

by Joe P. on Apr 21, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here's another

28. Robert Ayers

Same thing for all intents and purposes!

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 21, 2009 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and gah!

New England got Everette Brown and Miami got Aaron Maybin in that scenario! NOOOOOOO!!!

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 21, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I differ a little

I can see Oher, Ayers, Unger, and Coffman. I rally think we could have two more starters in the 4th and 5th round , that would be Nic Harris – OLB – Oklahoma – played safety in college and love to hit and would put Ellison to the bench and Courtny Greene – SS – Rutgers – safety that loves to play in the box and would put Ko to the bench and Donte to a more natural position of FS,

Fat, Drunk, & Stupid is No way to go through life.

by Deadpool71 on Apr 21, 2009 7:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why does everyone love this Nic Harris guy?

He didn’t play OLB in college and he is one of the least athletic prospects available, based on his workout numbers. This guy not only wouldn’t start, but he’s struggle to make the team.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Apr 21, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs