Other DT options if Buffalo doesn't get Stroud

[Forward_Lateral]

Who's out there, FA wise that's worth a damn at the DT spot?

[TacklingDummy]

Larry Tripplett

[patmoran2006]

Fred Smerlas

[yordad]

Yeah, I say we bring Tripplett in for a visit.

[raphael120]

(insert guy who comes on the cheap, that is a backup but comes with hopes of doing good once put in a starting role in Buffalo)

[don137]

Rod Coleman has not been signed yet but I thik Carolina and Tampa are going after him..

[The last buffalo fan]

Mike Williams

[Romes]

Darwin Walker

[kernowboy]

Jimmy Kennedy

Though more likely lots of further interviews for up to a dozen DT draft prospects.

[Ickybaluky]

Probably the best names out there are:

Grady Jackson (Jax) - Old, fat guy who can still stuff the run but can't play a lot because he is too out-of-shape

Russell Davis (NYG) - Was a decent player against the run with ARI a few years ago, but has struggled with injuries in recent seasons. He may be done.

William Joseph (NYG) - First round bust out of Miami, but looks the part. Will probably never live up to his draft status, but someone will give him a shot.

Brian Young (NO) - Was a pretty good player for the Rams and Saints, but he struggled with a knee injury last season. Fits the Bills defense.

Chuck Darby (Sea) - Fits the Bills defense (played it in Tampa) because he can penetrate inside and disrupt. Not real big and is coming off a Patella tendon injury.

Ellis Wyms (Sea) - Another former Tampa defense veteran (he replaced Booger McFarland for Tampa before signing with Seattle last year). Quick, undersized penetrator who is probably a rotational guy. Can apply some pressure on the QB, but doesn't hold up well inside.

Tyler Brayton (Oak) - Tall, DE/DT tweener who Oakland would like back. Former first round pick is athletic, but doesn't have the pure pass rush skills to play outside or the bulk to hold up inside. Still a versatile guy who can rotate and help a team. A bit of a loose cannon, he once got so angry with Jeremy Stevens he kneed him in the groin during a game and attacked Randy Moss after confronting him about lack of effort (he tackled Moss in the trainers room, and Moss hurt his back). Both guys probably deserved it, though.

There is one intriguing RFA:

Colin Cole (GB) - Green Bay tendered him at the 2nd round level, but they think very highly of him (enough to deal Williams) as a rotational DT. GB signed off the Vikings PS, and he developed into a pretty solid inside player. He has good size and strength to hold up inside, and is a good athlete (very good HS wrestler). Plays the run well. He ended up on IR last year with an arm injury. As a plus, he was born in Toronto, although he moved to FL as a kid.

A 2nd may be tough to swallow, but Cole is young and does a good job inside against the run. He would probably come off the field on passing downs, but he could be had for much less money than what the top DT's are making.

[kernowboy]

Based on that list you'd probably say Joseph unless Robertson gets cut.

The fact that Joseph got beaten out by R4 Cofield doesn't bode well.

[Ickybaluky]

Jimmy Kennedy

I should have mentioned him as well.

FYI, though, Chicago owns a negotiated Right-of-First-Refusal on Kennedy, so they get a chance to match any offer he receives.

[Nighthawk]

There are no other DT worth a s**t. If this falls through, the Bills will yet again, suck against the run.

[Meathead]

yo mama

[Ickybaluky]

The fact that Joseph got beaten out by R4 Cofield doesn't bode well.

I don't care where he was drafted, Cofield would beat out a lot of guys. He is a good player. No shame there.

[Forward_Lateral]

Did Booger sign anywhere?

[Ickybaluky]

Did Booger sign anywhere?

No.

[raphael120]

Unfortunately, there are still plenty of teams ahead of us that will most likely take the top 2 DT's....

[Forward_Lateral]

I'd take Booger as a stop gap, and draft a DT early in the draft.

[kernowboy]

I don't care where he was drafted, Cofield would beat out a lot of guys. He is a good player. No shame there.

Exactly so if Modrak & Co have their act together, there is no reason we cannot draft a DT to contribute from Day1

In fact I think we could do a lot worse than getting someone like Dre Moore or Trevor Laws in R2, followed up by DeMario Pressley or Frank Okam in R4 ... maybe with a little massaging of the draft order.

They couldn't be worse than what is left in FA, and could impress

[DraftBoy]

I think Kennedy, Joseph, and Robertson are our best shot

[Ickybaluky]

Exactly so if Modrak & Co have their act together, there is no reason we cannot draft a DT to contribute from Day1

In fact I think we could do a lot worse than getting someone like Dre Moore or Trevor Laws in R2, followed up by DeMario Pressley or Frank Okam in R4 ... maybe with a little massaging of the draft order.

You can still sign a FA and draft a guy. Cofield was a great pick, but the draft is a crapshoot. You don't know how they are going to work out.

Counting on a draft pick to contribute is silly, since it is an iffy proposition. The year Cofield was taken, he was the 8th DT selected. The DT taken just before him was Domata Peko (CIN). The DT taken after him was Orien Harris (PIT). You guys picked Kyle Williams 10 picks after Cofield was selected. One of the reasons the Giants took Cofield was because William Joseph wasn't developing.

It is a crap shoot. You still need to fill holes, and a big, inside guy is one of the biggest the Bills have. You can sign or trade for a proven vet, and still address the position in the draft.

[seanbillsfan]

jeff wright

[Ickybaluky]

Another guy I left out is Kevin Carter. He has played the Tampa-2 a great deal in both Tampa and St. Louis. He is getting older, but he can still play and would come much cheaper. A good stopgap option if the position is addressed in the draft.

I always liked the guy. He is a real good player who can hold up inside and rush the passer some (100 career sacks).

... and Young re-signed with New Orleans, so he is off the market.