Finally Some Word On McCargo--NT A Possibility?

[LifetimeBillsFan]

The Sporting News article on the BZ front page this morning is very informative and offers the first info that I have seen about how John McCargo is progressing and what the Bills may be thinking about him and the draft:

"DT John McCargo (javascript:fantasyPopup('nfl', 7775)) is close to being fully healthy from a foot injury that ended his rookie year and should be ready to participate in offseason workouts. The team's defensive line depth took a hit without McCargo, who was coming on at the time of his injury. McCargo is primarily a three-technique tackle, but the team believes he has the potential to play the nose. He can penetrate with quickness and does a good job against the run when he plays with leverage."
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=172229

Alsom regarding the draft and who caught the Bills' attention at the Senior Bowl:

"DRAFT BUZZ: DT Amobi Okoye, LB Patrick Willis and CB Leon Hall were among the players that caught the Bills' eye during the Senior Bowl. The Bills have the No. 12 pick in the draft. Each player also fills positions of need. Okoye displayed the quickness and athleticism that made him a disruptive force at Louisville. Okoye, a 19-year-old senior, plays and carries himself with a maturity that belies his age. He needs to add more bulk and strength to his 6-2, 287-pound frame, but he has great upside and would be an ideal fit as a three-technique tackle in the Bills' defense. Willis, a consensus All-American from Mississippi, capped a strong Senior Bowl week with 11 tackles in the game. He is a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with the instincts to diagnose plays and knack for finding the ball carrier. Hall, a former Michigan star, is a physical corner with excellent ball skills. He can play press coverage as well as perform in the cover 2 zone the Bills use."
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=172229

That's definitely good news about McCargo. It also is an indication that they are really considering whether he would be able handle the 1-gap spot after missing most of last season. I would suspect that they will want to see what their strength and conditioning coach says about his ability to be big and strong enough to handle the position before making any decisions about how they want to proceed in the draft.

The players that they seemed to be most interested in at the Senior Bowl should come as no surprise to those of us who have been following the team this off-season, but I still think that the direction that they go in will be determined primarily by what they are able to do in free agency.

[Mitchy moo]

Wow nice!

[jmb1099]

The Sporting News article on the BZ front page this morning is very informative and offers the first info that I have seen about how John McCargo is progressing and what the Bills may be thinking about him and the draft:

"DT John McCargo (javascript:fantasyPopup('nfl', 7775)) is close to being fully healthy from a foot injury that ended his rookie year and should be ready to participate in offseason workouts. The team's defensive line depth took a hit without McCargo, who was coming on at the time of his injury. McCargo is primarily a three-technique tackle, but the team believes he has the potential to play the nose. He can penetrate with quickness and does a good job against the run when he plays with leverage."
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=172229

Alsom regarding the draft and who caught the Bills' attention at the Senior Bowl:

"DRAFT BUZZ: DT Amobi Okoye, LB Patrick Willis and CB Leon Hall were among the players that caught the Bills' eye during the Senior Bowl. The Bills have the No. 12 pick in the draft. Each player also fills positions of need. Okoye displayed the quickness and athleticism that made him a disruptive force at Louisville. Okoye, a 19-year-old senior, plays and carries himself with a maturity that belies his age. He needs to add more bulk and strength to his 6-2, 287-pound frame, but he has great upside and would be an ideal fit as a three-technique tackle in the Bills' defense. Willis, a consensus All-American from Mississippi, capped a strong Senior Bowl week with 11 tackles in the game. He is a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with the instincts to diagnose plays and knack for finding the ball carrier. Hall, a former Michigan star, is a physical corner with excellent ball skills. He can play press coverage as well as perform in the cover 2 zone the Bills use."
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=172229

That's definitely good news about McCargo. It also is an indication that they are really considering whether he would be able handle the 1-gap spot after missing most of last season. I would suspect that they will want to see what their strength and conditioning coach says about his ability to be big and strong enough to handle the position before making any decisions about how they want to proceed in the draft.

The players that they seemed to be most interested in at the Senior Bowl should come as no surprise to those of us who have been following the team this off-season, but I still think that the direction that they go in will be determined primarily by what they are able to do in free agency.
I watched McCargo at training camp last year...quick off the ball doesn't do justice to how fast this guy is. If he stays healthy he can be a force.

[ICE74129]

I am not sold on McCargo at all. This is two years in a row on that same foot. Also he is too light in the azz to play nose at this point.

Now don't get me wrong, I would be elated if all of a sudden this Cat was 312-315, quick as hell, in great shape and could demand a double team etc. But that isn't his game. He is a 3 technique that should rotate in with Tripplet IF he can stay healthy.

I like the kid from Louisville, but I feel willis needs to be our pick at #12.

[clumping platelets]

Willis :up:

[ICE74129]

Willis :up:Thats my pick and we have seen marv with polian do ILB in the first before. he also knows how important ILB is athletic wise to playing the cover 2

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I'm beginning to believe that Willis will be the pick--for a number of reasons--too, but also can see the Bills having the same opinion of Okoye that Gruden seems to have: a top character guy who will be a real force in a couple of years who may be too good to pass on. Again, I'm not sure.

With the holes that they have to fill on defense in order to fix their run defense, I think what they are able to do in free agency will be critical (and could eliminate the need for a DT in the draft because FA DTs figure to be cheaper to sign than a top FA LB).

[jmb1099]

I am not sold on McCargo at all. This is two years in a row on that same foot. Also he is too light in the azz to play nose at this point.

Now don't get me wrong, I would be elated if all of a sudden this Cat was 312-315, quick as hell, in great shape and could demand a double team etc. But that isn't his game. He is a 3 technique that should rotate in with Tripplet IF he can stay healthy.

I like the kid from Louisville, but I feel willis needs to be our pick at #12.
The injury thing bothers me as well.

[Talk0fNewYork]

"DRAFT BUZZ: DT Amobi Okoye, LB Patrick Willis and CB Leon Hall were among the players that caught the Bills' eye during the Senior Bowl.
Means Nothing!

[Saratoga Slim]

The players that they seemed to be most interested in at the Senior Bowl should come as no surprise to those of us who have been following the team this off-season, but I still think that the direction that they go in will be determined primarily by what they are able to do in free agency.

I couldn't agree more. But I must say I'm happy to see that OBD is keying on the same positions that us arm chair guys have been pointing to.

[Tatonka]

i think anyone could have put together that list of three players the bills were looking at by just looking at our needs.

i dont think they necessarily have any more insight than anyone else.

[Romes]

Willis :up:

word

[Romes]

i think anyone could have put together that list of three players the bills were looking at by just looking at our needs.

i dont think they necessarily have any more insight than anyone else.

party pooper



:jk:

You are probably right.

[alohabillsfan]

Willis at 12 = to high. Would love to trade down and still get him but then again we did it last year with Whitner! Siler in the 2nd could still be had!

[HHURRICANE]

I have yet to understand the McCargo draft in the first place. ICE and I were both critical of Levy for going back into the 1st round to get this guy. Furthermore, we had already signed Tripplett so why would we bring a first rounder in to rotate with a guy that we paid starter money to? Did they just figure this out and this is why they are moving him to NT?

Levy had a great draft but this pick was stupid. PERIOD.

[Saratoga Slim]

i think anyone could have put together that list of three players the bills were looking at by just looking at our needs.

i dont think they necessarily have any more insight than anyone else.

I get your point that our weaknesses (and pending weaknesses i.e. Fletcher/Clements) are pretty obvious.

but Levy, Jauron and Co. do have more insight as to what they're planning to do with the guys they have. I.e. whether they're going to move Crowell to MLB, what potential they see for Ellison and Youboty being starters next year etc. Thus we could be clamoring for a new MLB out here, while at OBD they're psyched about a LB corps of Spikes-Crowell-Ellison and are only planning on adding depth at that position.

[ParanoidAndroid]

Ellison was playing well. Keep in mind he was merely a rookie and that he will likely get better. Look how long it took Crowell to show his worth. I am not going to panic if he is a starter next year, but I know he's not going to be a strength of the defense either. I think we should all be prepared for more growing pains next year. Drafting a MLB this year will allow Ellison and Spikes to rotate for a year. In 2008, Ellison will have to start when Spikes leaves unless he comes up short of expectations. There is also the possibility that they go OLB in the draft and put Crowell in the middle, but I think he will be much better on the outside.
I can't wait to see how this all shakes out.

[madness]

With the expectation that Angelo Crowell will move from weakside to middle linebacker, the Bills will need to find someone on the outside who can both tackle and cover receivers or tight ends.

I think it's pretty much a lock that Crowell will be starting at MLB next year.

[ICE74129]

I have yet to understand the McCargo draft in the first place. ICE and I were both critical of Levy for going back into the 1st round to get this guy. Furthermore, we had already signed Tripplett so why would we bring a first rounder in to rotate with a guy that we paid starter money to? Did they just figure this out and this is why they are moving him to NT?

Levy had a great draft but this pick was stupid. PERIOD.

agreed he is a 3gap guy and we desperately need a 1 gaper

[YardRat]

I couldn't agree more. But I must say I'm happy to see that OBD is keying on the same positions that us arm chair guys have been pointing to.

I think you're jumping to an improper conclusion here. How much pre-draft talk coming out of OBD last year concerned Donte Whitner?

[HHURRICANE]

I think you're jumping to an improper conclusion here. How much pre-draft talk coming out of OBD last year concerned Donte Whitner?

Teams never show their cards. We can speculate all we want but I guarantee that our pick will be someone we never talked about. It happens every year.

[jamze132]

Teams never show their cards. We can speculate all we want but I guarantee that our pick will be someone we never talked about. It happens every year.
Not this year.

[Jan Reimers]

I'd love to see Willis in the middle, with Crowell on the weak side, a healthy Spikes on the strong side, and Ellison providing quality depth and insurance for Spikes.

We need a big, playmaking, game changing MLB.

[G. Host]

Okoye, a 19-year-old senior, plays and carries himself with a maturity that belies his age. He needs to add more bulk and strength to his 6-2, 287-pound frame, but he has great upside and would be an ideal fit as a three-technique tackle in the Bills' defense.

19 year old senior? I think a 19 year old is too young and immature for NFL.

[The Spaz]

19 year old senior? I think a 19 year old is too young and immature for NFL.

Should have been the case when he was 16 as freshmen going against seniors in college...

[G. Host]

He is too big of a risk as a first round and will not develop fast enough as a lower round pick. Pure speculative player. The NFL is not soccer or basketball.

[Saratoga Slim]

He is too big of a risk as a first round and will not develop fast enough as a lower round pick. Pure speculative player. The NFL is not soccer or basketball.

Thing is he's not really a project. He's playing at a top-flite level NOW, against good competition. The fact that he's 19 is relative mainly in that its likely that he has even more upside potential than if he were 22 and playing at the same level.

[The Spaz]

Thing is he's not really a project. He's playing at a top-flite level NOW, against good competition. The fact that he's 19 is relative mainly in that its likely that he has even more upside potential than if he were 22 and playing at the same level.

Ding!:dance: