Whom have we really lost?

[JPFBillsFan]

Step back and look at it...
a) we traded away a cancer or a cancer waiting to happen whom didn't deserve what he was asking for, and was never thankful for what we did by drafting him and paying him to sit his first year
b) we let go of a aging tackling machine whom didn't help us with run defense and has never really stepped up when we needed it (pitts game from a couple years ago)
c) we lost a guy whom thinks he's the best at his position, whom said he would leave for money and really didn't want to be here unless his demands were met

we've added a legitimate LG whom teamed with Jason Peters will protect JP's backside for years to come, we added a little known RT/RG in Walker whom could be turned into a legitimate offensive linemen. We brought back most of our Free Agents.

in conconclusion we are 3 solid draft picks away from having improved from 7-9 to 9-7 or better with some luck that we didn't have last year.

Things are getting awfully exciting at OBD!!!!

[EDS]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

I am still scratching my head on the Langston Walker contract.

I also think that Fletcher gets a bad rep around here. He was one of the Bills best defenders over the past few years and one of the real leaders of the defense. I am hopeful that the remaining players can step up.

[Don't Panic]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Both good posts... our moves are a wash until draft day. If we plug in the key holes on the defense, we are a better team. I, too, am still scratching my head over Walker, but at this point we have to hope that he proves worth the investment. Fletcher was a great guy/player, but OBD felt we needed a change. I'm OK with that, so long as someone with equal talent (who may be a better fit) is brought in.

[patmoran2006]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Both good posts... our moves are a wash until draft day. If we plug in the key holes on the defense, we are a better team. I, too, am still scratching my head over Walker, but at this point we have to hope that he proves worth the investment. Fletcher was a great guy/player, but OBD felt we needed a change. I'm OK with that, so long as someone with equal talent (who may be a better fit) is brought in.

Better team when?

Do you expect a ROOKIE to come in and do what fletcher or clements have done? Even if the guy(s) is talented and becomes a good player, it aint gonna be in 2007.

Which without directly saying it, your yet another person on here looking forward to 2008 in march of '07.

Your a cool cat, I'm not dissing you personally.. But even while a good draft may add talent on defense; its not going to make them any better than they were in 2006; and that's sad becuase we werent good enough in 2006 anyway.

[Don't Panic]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Better team when?

Do you expect a ROOKIE to come in and do what fletcher or clements have done? Even if the guy(s) is talented and becomes a good player, it aint gonna be in 2007.

Which without directly saying it, your yet another person on here looking forward to 2008 in march of '07.

Your a cool cat, I'm not dissing you personally.. But even while a good draft may add talent on defense; its not going to make them any better than they were in 2006; and that's sad becuase we werent good enough in 2006 anyway.

I expect the CB position to have a minimal drop-off, the LB position to have a better fit for the scheme, and the O line to be significantly better. Add in the development of guys like McGee (who had a bad year), Losman, McCargo, Whitner, Simpson and Crowell and you have a 9-7 team. One thing that cannot be understated about this D - it is not a complex scheme at all. The learning curve is extremely quick and the key ingredient is speed. That menas a guy like Willis (or Okoye) CAN step right in and do some damage. I just looked up. The sky is definitely not falling. And while I defer that I am looking at 2008 (for a Super Bowl run... which is the only thing that counts), I think 2007 can be a productive year that gets us one step closer to that goal.

Let me put it this way - would you be happy with our season if we made the playoffs and lost in the Wild Card round? I think that is a distinct possibility if we draft well, and I think that is a decent leap from last year.

[patmoran2006]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Yes, I would be happy.. but there is no way its going to happen.

Our defense and our offense are both average-maybe even below average.

Pick one unit and do EVERYTHING you can to make it dominant.

Do you want a Raven's defense that will always keep you in the game? or do you want a Colts offense that can outscore anybody ?

There is no wrong answer-- and IMO, our offense is alot closer to being top of the league than our defense.

Our offense has an above average OL, a really solid Left side of the line, one of the top 5 WR's in football and a big riser at QB.

What it also has is a pure backup RB currently starting, and a host of **** WR's that would be lucky to be a #4 on most teams. and our TE is so inconsistent its sickening.

So for that reason, I'd be looking at RB and WR right away on draft day. You get a legit #2 WR and an upgrade over Willis (and I think Lynch is instantly) at RB and this offense can be one of the best in football.

Meanwhile, if Marv really did his job last year and the young guys (WHitner, Simpson, McCargo, Williams) developed and do their job; then our defense is good enough to bend but not break on some opponents.

I NEVER said ignore the defense: I think two perfect cover two guys are there in FA right now who could improve the unit tommorow... Cato June and Ian Scott. If nobody wants June, he's too expensive, he's a druggie blahblahblah there are other decent LB's out there (Mitchell for one).

no rookie is going to make this defense much better or much worse than it is right now.

But a guy like Lynch will make the offense better from the second he's drafted.

[Earthquake Enyart]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Do you actually believe the crap that you write?

[Don't Panic]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Do you want a Raven's defense that will always keep you in the game? or do you want a Colts offense that can outscore anybody ?

There is no wrong answer-- and IMO, our offense is alot closer to being top of the league than our defense.

I want a team that is balanced on BOTH sides of the ball, and the only way to get that is to build it through the draft. You're trying to make us instantly competitive all at once by becoming dominant on one side of the ball. I fell like if you get Lynch and say Bowe, you've added two key pieces, but we're still far from the best D in the NFL. Let It Grow, brother! Give it time, be wise about adding pieces, and we'll get there.

[Jan Reimers]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

If you kind of step back and look at this thing objectively, Marv, Dick and the boys have - in one season, 2 FA periods and 1 draft - completely rebuilt the 0-Line, improved parts of the D, cleared the deck for improvements at LB and RB, and brought a young QB to the point of stardom.

We have 4 picks on the first day of the draft to fill some holes with younger, better players, even if we don't do anything else in free agency.

I'm very satisfied with the progress so far, and looking forward to another good draft.

[patmoran2006]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Someone tell me the harm that would occur to this team if we drafted Lynch at 12 and then traded into the late first round like last year and added Sydney Rice

[kernowboy]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

My concern about Lynch is he is poorer than some one the 2008 class, and we can get buy until then.

If we can I would look to pick up Okoye in R1

I would be delighted with Leonard in R2 ... we get pick a smaller back in 2008 and Leonard can easily be a Mike Alstott, Jerome Bettis type runner for us.

If we were going to move up, I'd like to see us put our two R3 together and see if we could nab Anthony Gonzalez would would be the perfect compliment for Evans.

On Day2, I would make every effort to get Zac DeOssie would could be a legitimate MLB on our team

Four starters, dealing with 4 principle needs.

[JPFBillsFan]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

I like Rice, but we need a LB more so than a #2....if it were Ginn Jr than I'd be more inclinded to accept it.....

We may be able to find the next Colston later on day 2

[Jan Reimers]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Someone tell me the harm that would occur to this team if we drafted Lynch at 12 and then traded into the late first round like last year and added Sydney Rice

Sounds great, but there's that pesky little problem at LB - we are thinner there than WR.

[Earthquake Enyart]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Sounds great, but there's that pesky little problem at LB - we are thinner there than WR.

Same with CB

[kernowboy]

Re: Whom have we really lost?

Zac DeOssie, great combine, rising, probably available for us at the start of Day2, 6ft4, 250lbs, a 40 time of 4.62yds ...

Leaving us the chance to go DT, RB and WR on Day1 - anyone arguing against Okoye, Leonard and Gonzalez?