Willis to Bills in first round is far from a sure thing

[Don't Panic]

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/2007/04/bills_interest_in_willis_may_b.html


Willis can certainly attack, but that still doesn't mean he's No. 1 on the Bills' list. The team stunned the football world by selecting Whitner so early last April, and lightning could strike twice this month. For there's a good chance Levy will take another linebacker at 12th overall, such as ex-Miami Hurricane Jon Beason, former Penn State Nittany Lion Paul Posluszny or Florida product Brandon Siler.
Beason's name has been mentioned several times lately in connection with the Bills, but past incidents involving him lead some to wonder if he has the character to fit Levy's plans. Posluszny, on the other hand, isn't the most talented LB, but he won the Butkus Award in 2005 and has earned a reputation as a very hard worker. Finally, there's Siler, who many believe will be a late first-round pick. However, the same was said of Whitner last April, and everyone knows how that turned out.
The point is that Bills fans shouldn't necessarily expect an obvious choice in the draft's first round. If it's Willis, Buffalo will be in good shape. At the same time, though, it might not even be a linebacker. Bottom line: Prepare for a curveball. In over a year as the Bills' G.M., Levy has thrown plenty.


Interesting... the more names being floated, the better it is for us, but I'm still sold on Willis being the guy. Granted, its almost as much as I was sold on Ngata being the guy last year, but it still makes the most sense to me. The possibility of the Levy curveball is laways there, but I can't see him passing on a guy like Willis if he's there at #12. If we do go Beason or Poz, it better not be at #12.

[evol4276]

unfortunately im expecting to see it curve again

[Night Train]

You can't control what happens in front of you, unless you trade up. In this Draft, only WR Calvin Johnson is worth a trade up and that's not happening.

Also, everyone assumes we'll get multiple phone calls once we're on the clock at #12, for a trade down option. That's NOT a given. Be ready for any situation.

The Bills have to be true to their draft board and get a good talent.

[patmoran2006]

The reason why Marv threw a "curveball" last year was because the Raiders hit his fastball when they took Huff.

If the Raiders would've taken Leinart or Cutler like they obviously should've; We'd have Huff and nobody woulda been talking about "reaches". For the record, I'm not saying Huff had a better rookie season then Whitner either; I'm just saying nobody woulda been calling the pick a "reach"

This year, I think if Willis is on the board its a no brainer. If he's gone.. Yikes, I dont know.. I really hope they trade down this time for another LB. There's no reason to take the 2nd LB at 12.

[Saratoga Slim]

"Beason's name has been mentioned several times lately in connection with the Bills, but past incidents involving him lead some to wonder if he has the character to fit Levy's plans."

what's that all about? I hadn't heard anything along those lines. anyone have any details?

[HHURRICANE]

The reason why Marv threw a "curveball" last year was because the Raiders hit his fastball when they took Huff.

This year, I think if Willis is on the board its a no brainer. If he's gone.. Yikes, I dont know.. I really hope they trade down this time for another LB. There's no reason to take the 2nd LB at 12.

Great post Pat!!!!

1) If was Huff had been there at #8 the Bills would have taken him, no doubt. Whitner was and is a good player so it worked out.

2) I'm sick of overachieving players. We just got rid of Fletcher for basically the same reason. So would you draft Poluszny when he is missing some of the physical gifts?

I am of the mind set that if you have a gifted athlete, who has the drive to be the best, that's the guy you want. Look at Jason Peters. He was drafted because of his physical gifts and look at how he's turned out.

[Tatonka]

The reason why Marv threw a "curveball" last year was because the Raiders hit his fastball when they took Huff.

If the Raiders would've taken Leinart or Cutler like they obviously should've; We'd have Huff and nobody woulda been talking about "reaches". For the record, I'm not saying Huff had a better rookie season then Whitner either; I'm just saying nobody woulda been calling the pick a "reach"

This year, I think if Willis is on the board its a no brainer. If he's gone.. Yikes, I dont know.. I really hope they trade down this time for another LB. There's no reason to take the 2nd LB at 12.

actually.. i dont know that the bills wanted huff.. i distincly remember a few days before the draft seeing marv on the bills view and his quote was something along the lines of "we really like a guy who people may not expect".

i think whitner was their guy all along.

[Don't Panic]

actually.. i dont know that the bills wanted huff.. i distincly remember a few days before the draft seeing marv on the bills view and his quote was something along the lines of "we really like a guy who people may not expect".

i think whitner was their guy all along.

I agree... we were taking Whitner even if Huff was there. Now, will the same thing happen this year? Tough to say... one thing I know is that Marv and Co.'s draft board probably looks a lot different from the ones being floated around here. As it should... after all, these guys do do this stuff for a living (as oppsoed to many of us, who just wish we did this for a living).

I guess we'll have to listen to what Marv has to say leading up to the draft, and then try to decifer smoke from truth. The question remains, who fits the profile of this year's Donte Whitner?

[gr8slayer]

:offair:

[justasportsfan]

actually.. i dont know that the bills wanted huff.. i distincly remember a few days before the draft seeing marv on the bills view and his quote was something along the lines of "we really like a guy who people may not expect".

i think whitner was their guy all along.
this looks more credible than the other speculative post.

[patmoran2006]

LMAO.

Huff was not only ridiculously regarded as a more physical player.. But he's so good in coverage teams considered drafting him as a CORNERBACK instead of a safety..

But you guys keep telling yourself the Bills were taking WHitner even if Huff was there.. LMAO

[patmoran2006]

this looks more credible than the other speculative post.
Coming from someone who admits they never even heard of Whitner; the 8th pick of the draft. You did hear of Huff because he was EASILY the top rated defensive back in the draft which "concidentally" he DID go first.

[justasportsfan]

Coming from someone who admits they never even heard of Whitner; the 8th pick of the draft. You did hear of Huff because he was EASILY the top rated defensive back in the draft which "concidentally" he DID go first.
that's not the point MR. Knowitall. You talk like you really knew what was going down and yet have NOTHING other than your SPECULATION. Let's not forget that he was highly regarded by Fletcher too. While it's neither here nor there what Tatonka acutally posted has more weight than anything you posted.

Would you be surprised if the bills went for Beason instead of Willis? I wouldn't.

For your future information , it's common knowledge that teams have some players ranked higher than other teams.

[Ed]

Look at Jason Peters. He was drafted because of his physical gifts and look at how he's turned out.
Actually, Peters wasn't drafted at all. We signed him as a FA after the draft. Pretty amazing that an undrafted TE became one of the better LT's in all of football in just a couple years.

As for the article, I can see us taking Beason at 12 and wouldn't be upset, but Siler?

[patmoran2006]

I never said the Bills wouldnt take Beason..

But they aint taking him over Willis if he's on the board.... (Of course, at BZ if Willis is gone and we take Beason at least 30% of the people on here will think we had him ranked higher than Willis anyway)

and it doesnt take a "knowitall" to know that.

Taking Beason over Willis is like taking Ginn over Calvin Johnson

[Ed]

I never said the Bills wouldnt take Beason..

But they aint taking him over Willis if he's on the board.... (Of course, at BZ if Willis is gone and we take Beason at least 30% of the people on here will think we had him ranked higher than Willis anyway)

and it doesnt take a "knowitall" to know that.

Taking Beason over Willis is like taking Ginn over Calvin Johnson
I don't know, they might really want to keep Crowell at MLB. Maybe they like the combination of Crowell in the middle and Beason on the outside better then having Willis man the middle and Crowell stay on the outside.

[patmoran2006]

willis can play the outside too

[The Spaz]

LMAO.

Huff was not only ridiculously regarded as a more physical player.. But he's so good in coverage teams considered drafting him as a CORNERBACK instead of a safety..

But you guys keep telling yourself the Bills were taking WHitner even if Huff was there.. LMAO

You have inside sources on the Bills draft board? Do tell...:up:

[patmoran2006]

It doesnt take "inside sources"

What GM is going to ever say " well we wanted someone more but he was gone so we had to take this guy"

There was a reason Huff was a Top 10 pick everywhere and Whitner wasnt.. He was universally regarded as the best DB in the draft; and that's why he went first..

LOL only on this board was Whitner the pick ahead of Huff..

Fans woulda had Marv's head if he reached for Whitner and left Huff off the board; and everybody here knows it.

And thats NOTHING against Whitner; he's looking he will be a very good safety..

[ShadowHawk7]

This is good. The less the football world expects us to pick a player, the more likely we are to pick them. I want the media to stop talking about Willis going to us, so Marv thinks he'll trick everyone by taking him.
Hah, just a joke, but I just want Willis in a Bills uni.

[justasportsfan]

You have inside sources on the Bills draft board? Do tell...:up:
None/zilch/nada unless you count the other voice in his head as being a credible source.

[HAMMER]

LMAO.

Huff was not only ridiculously regarded as a more physical player.. But he's so good in coverage teams considered drafting him as a CORNERBACK instead of a safety..

But you guys keep telling yourself the Bills were taking WHitner even if Huff was there.. LMAO

This post is a big douche.

[patmoran2006]

None/zilch/nada unless you count the other voice in his head as being a credible source.
at least I heard of the guy you're defending.
http://www.k-read.net/Pepline/Pepline_coupon-poms.jpg

[patmoran2006]

This post is a big douche.
Your right...

I forgot what board I am on..

"The Bills had Donte Whitner ranked ahead of Michael Huff the ENTIRE time and we're taking Whitner ahead of him if or if Huff wasn't on the board"

I'm sorry.

[justasportsfan]

at least I heard of the guy you're defending.



I've already claimed or admitted I don't watch college football . Unlike you, I'd rather keep my mouth shut about it than yap as much as you do only to change your mind about it like 100X . You've already predicted that the bills will draft every draft pick that has a 1st rd. grade.

If I want to know about the draft , I'll read posts from posters like draftboy , tat, Ingtar, mystic, tiger,etc,et,c befoer I listen to you because you switch all the time whether it's the bills or draft.

It's really hard to take any of your posts seriously because I don't know at what point will you change your mind.

Poz sucks, no he doesn't ,yes he does, no he doesn't.

The bills are most likely to drat this, no that, no this....

I would appreciate it if you let us know which voice in you head is posting for the day so we know who we're talking to and understand if a post is a flipflop. :D

[mayotm]

Pat, how many of Willis' games did you see last season? What about Beason? How much film have you seen on them? Before Willis had such an impressive workout in his pro day, many "experts" had him late in the first round. Now your stating how insane it would be for the Bills to take Beason (or anybody else) over Willis. It's entirely possible that the Bills and other teams don't have Willis graded as highly as others do. All the teams have far more information on players than the media does. Most of us who are fans are simply re-stating the opinions that we hear and read throught the media. The consesus certainly seems to be that Willis is the best LB in the draft. However, personally, I'm not going to pitch a fit if the Bills go in another direction. I feel that I'm a very knowlegable Bills fan and NFL fan in general. However, I'm not arogant enough to think that I know more than the people running the front office.