My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

[DraftBoy]

DE Mike Montgomery
OLB Michael Boley
FS Sean Jones
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

We get a guy to start opposite Schobel who is good v. the run and pass. Boley is a stellar OLB who was nicked up this season causing his value to drop, he is every bit as good as Crowell if not better. Sean Jones has an injury history but finally got healthy and as starter for Cleveland and he has come up big the past 3 years. Fitzpatrick is a younger veteran player who we know is smart and can win games if need be. He won't threaten Trent but he will provide slight pressure on him to step up his game.

I feel as though these four signings put us in perfect positions heading into the NFL Draft where we still need to add players at;

OLB, DE, DT, WR, TE, SS, OG, OT, and OC. But we are in a much better position to have flexibility in April rather than being constrained by our need to find immediate starters. This way we don't have to pray players like Curry or Orakpo fall to us and we are in a much better position, imo.

[Mitchell55]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

Montgomery has only 1 season with over 1.5 sacks. Also he has played at least 8 games each year. Boley would be a minor upgrade over ellison. Id replace Boley with Crow/Dansby and replace Montgomery with Kabeer/Berry.

[Jeff1220]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

You sure you don't want to add a new mock draft in here just for the heck of it?

[Mitchell55]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

You sure you don't want to add a new mock draft in here just for the heck of it?

Oh my bad, I forgot Im not aloud to comment on peoples mocks.

[Mahdi]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

DE Mike Montgomery
OLB Michael Boley
FS Sean Jones
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

We get a guy to start opposite Schobel who is good v. the run and pass. Boley is a stellar OLB who was nicked up this season causing his value to drop, he is every bit as good as Crowell if not better. Sean Jones has an injury history but finally got healthy and as starter for Cleveland and he has come up big the past 3 years. Fitzpatrick is a younger veteran player who we know is smart and can win games if need be. He won't threaten Trent but he will provide slight pressure on him to step up his game.

I feel as though these four signings put us in perfect positions heading into the NFL Draft where we still need to add players at;

OLB, DE, DT, WR, TE, SS, OG, OT, and OC. But we are in a much better position to have flexibility in April rather than being constrained by our need to find immediate starters. This way we don't have to pray players like Curry or Orakpo fall to us and we are in a much better position, imo.

Man what is your obsession with big DE that dont get to QBs... Our problem last season was not run defense it was pass rush. Our run defense suffered from being on the field too long because we couldnt get to QBs.

Montgomery will not help this defense one bit.

Boley (if Crowell isnt signed) is a good choice as is Sean Jones who would be a huge upgrade at SS and Whit moves to FS.

I really hate the Montgomery signing though. He has 5 sacks in 4 seasons, he's slow and doesnt make impact plays in the passing game. How does getting him fix our biggest problem?

[clumping platelets]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

[jamze132]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

DE Mike Montgomery
OLB Michael Boley
FS Sean Jones
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

We get a guy to start opposite Schobel who is good v. the run and pass. Boley is a stellar OLB who was nicked up this season causing his value to drop, he is every bit as good as Crowell if not better. Sean Jones has an injury history but finally got healthy and as starter for Cleveland and he has come up big the past 3 years. Fitzpatrick is a younger veteran player who we know is smart and can win games if need be. He won't threaten Trent but he will provide slight pressure on him to step up his game.

I feel as though these four signings put us in perfect positions heading into the NFL Draft where we still need to add players at;

OLB, DE, DT, WR, TE, SS, OG, OT, and OC. But we are in a much better position to have flexibility in April rather than being constrained by our need to find immediate starters. This way we don't have to pray players like Curry or Orakpo fall to us and we are in a much better position, imo.

You just added 3 guys that will improve our defense but no one to improve the offense? So you are saying that we shouln't go after Birk or Brown to play C?

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

Oh my bad, I forgot Im not aloud to comment on peoples mocks.

I try not to comment on butchering of the English language here because I am horrible at it, but my eight-year old just read this and asked me what is wrong with this person?

[methos4ever]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

1. DE Montgomery and DT Cole, Packers - Sanders knows their worth in a one gap system and they can be had relatively inexpensively, with the impending switch to a 3-4 for the Packers.

2. If we cannot get Cole, DE Igor Olshansky, Chargers - Played at DT at Oregon, and at 6'6 307ish can be a replacement in the rotation for either McCargo or Mace. He and the Chargers haven't seen eye to eye since Castillo's extension and our new national scout Nix drafted him. Shouldn't be a bank-breaker.

3. Matt Birk, Vikings or Jason Brown, Ravens - Birk would be a safer choice, as with his weight loss this season to be more mobile Brown lost stability against the more stout NT of the AFC North. If we get Birk, we can draft a guy like Eric Wood later in the process; if we get Brown, we can get a guy like Cecil Newton late as a swing man.

4. Amani Toomer, Giants or (if/when released) Tory Holt, Rams - Route runners who may have lost a step, but have enough left to mentor the wideouts and be a security blanket for Edwards in the short/intermediate game.

[DraftBoy]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

Montgomery has only 1 season with over 1.5 sacks. Also he has played at least 8 games each year. Boley would be a minor upgrade over ellison. Id replace Boley with Crow/Dansby and replace Montgomery with Kabeer/Berry.

So let me get this straight, you want to replace a young DE who just began to emerge (in his first season as a starter) and go with two over the hill guys who will cost more (in Berry) and have longer injury issues (in KGB). Yea I dont understand that.

If you think Boley is only a minor upgrade over Ellison, then you haven't seen Boley play before. In 2007 Boley had 109 tackles, 93 Solo, 3 Sacks, 2 INT's and 9 PD's. He was injured almost all over 2008 but played in all 16 games despite that. Boley had less tackles than Crowell in 2007 (Crowell had 126 total tackles, but only 86 Solo), Crowell also had 2 sacks, 2 INTs, and 5 PDs. Ellison started 2 more games as a starter had the same amount of tackles in 08 and 1 less INT. And he was by far more healthy than Boley this past year.

[DraftBoy]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

Man what is your obsession with big DE that dont get to QBs... Our problem last season was not run defense it was pass rush. Our run defense suffered from being on the field too long because we couldnt get to QBs.

Montgomery will not help this defense one bit.

Boley (if Crowell isnt signed) is a good choice as is Sean Jones who would be a huge upgrade at SS and Whit moves to FS.

I really hate the Montgomery signing though. He has 5 sacks in 4 seasons, he's slow and doesnt make impact plays in the passing game. How does getting him fix our biggest problem?

Big DE's who don't get to the QB? Im glad you can base that off of 8 total games started...He only beat out a once premier pass rusher for a starting spot. Obviously that doesnt mean anything though. Aren't you one of those guys who wants us to take DE just because we need one? And since you advocate taking a guy like Orakpo and Brown who are deficient against the run. You need a DE opposite them who can play both the run and pass and force the issue, which is exactly what Montgomery brings. At 25 he is just starting to realize his potential and would be a great addition and could help to bring a rookie along.

I dont understand the mentality that we only need DE's who rush the passer, if they suck against the run (which btw ours do) we will still be susceptible to being burned on draws and other plays that will take full advantage of DE's. We need complete players not just specialists.

In Montgomery's 8 games as a starter he recorded 31 tackles, 22 solo, and 1.5 sacks. Kelsay had 47 tackles, and 2 sacks in 16 starts, and Denney had 58 tackles and 4 Sacks in 11 starts. Montgomery allows you to dump Kelsay who is a waste of space, move Denney back to your #3 or #4 DE. And draft a high round rookie to play the opposite side or be the top rotational DE depending on Schobel's health. Montgomery is the perfect fit for our defense opposite a pure pass rushing DE.

[DraftBoy]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

You just added 3 guys that will improve our defense but no one to improve the offense? So you are saying that we shouln't go after Birk or Brown to play C?

I dont see either as realistic options at this point. Brown will get top money as the top FA OC and I dont know that Baltimore will let him get away and Birk will want to play for an immediate contender at his older age. Why would he play for us?

[methos4ever]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

I dont see either as realistic options at this point. Brown will get top money as the top FA OC and I dont know that Baltimore will let him get away and Birk will want to play for an immediate contender at his older age. Why would he play for us?

One thing that would help us with Birk is that he values helping in the community, as well as his leadership. Paying 4-5 mil a year for two seasons won't hurt either!

If he wouldn't show up, we have (as you know) a ton of guys in the draft we can get and have start from day one with (gulp) Preston as a possible FA backup...

With regard to Boley, I like him a lot and provided his legal issues are in the past, Buffalo is one of the few places outside of Atlanta that has the special needs centers necessary for the care of his son, who has a developmental issue of some sort.

[Mahdi]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

Big DE's who don't get to the QB? Im glad you can base that off of 8 total games started...He only beat out a once premier pass rusher for a starting spot. Obviously that doesnt mean anything though. Aren't you one of those guys who wants us to take DE just because we need one? And since you advocate taking a guy like Orakpo and Brown who are deficient against the run. You need a DE opposite them who can play both the run and pass and force the issue, which is exactly what Montgomery brings. At 25 he is just starting to realize his potential and would be a great addition and could help to bring a rookie along.

I dont understand the mentality that we only need DE's who rush the passer, if they suck against the run (which btw ours do) we will still be susceptible to being burned on draws and other plays that will take full advantage of DE's. We need complete players not just specialists.

In Montgomery's 8 games as a starter he recorded 31 tackles, 22 solo, and 1.5 sacks. Kelsay had 47 tackles, and 2 sacks in 16 starts, and Denney had 58 tackles and 4 Sacks in 11 starts. Montgomery allows you to dump Kelsay who is a waste of space, move Denney back to your #3 or #4 DE. And draft a high round rookie to play the opposite side or be the top rotational DE depending on Schobel's health. Montgomery is the perfect fit for our defense opposite a pure pass rushing DE.

First of all im not in the opinion that our DEs suck against the run. Schobel is actually solid against the run and Kelsay and Denney are average run defenders. If you noticed, the Bills D allows a very low ypc in the first 2-3 quarters of the game. But since we always manage to keep teams in the game or we are usually trailing, they have to face opposing rushing games all day which eventually leads to big runs.

My hope is that Schobel returns to form and we compliment him with a pure pass rusher that will leave Schobel singled up and give Stroud and Johnson more chances to make plays up the middle. Denney is our 3rd DE and hopefully Ellis develops.

If we can get off the field on 3rd down when we know teams are throwing our rush yards against will decrease dramatically.


A player that is really intriguing to me right now is Philip Hunt out of Houston. I can see him being a steal in the second round. I have a feeling that cat is going to be a big riser after the combine.

[DraftBoy]

Re: My Four Realistic FA Options that will make this team better immediately

First of all im not in the opinion that our DEs suck against the run. Schobel is actually solid against the run and Kelsay and Denney are average run defenders. If you noticed, the Bills D allows a very low ypc in the first 2-3 quarters of the game. But since we always manage to keep teams in the game or we are usually trailing, they have to face opposing rushing games all day which eventually leads to big runs.

My hope is that Schobel returns to form and we compliment him with a pure pass rusher that will leave Schobel singled up and give Stroud and Johnson more chances to make plays up the middle. Denney is our 3rd DE and hopefully Ellis develops.

If we can get off the field on 3rd down when we know teams are throwing our rush yards against will decrease dramatically.


A player that is really intriguing to me right now is Philip Hunt out of Houston. I can see him being a steal in the second round. I have a feeling that cat is going to be a big riser after the combine.

So your entire solution is to hope a guy who is 33 returns healthy with nobody behind him to back him up if he doesn't return or is just getting worse with age? That's your plan for our Run D at the DE position? And the fact that I don't have enough finger and toes to count the amount of time Denney and Kelsay got so far upfield on a run play that it left a gaping hole speaks to their run D ability. I understand you see more value in some of the players than I do, but to rely on what we have when the issue still exists makes no sense to me. Sorry Im not a big fan of that.

Also its going to be tough for the cat to be out of the bag after the combine, since Hunt won't be at the combine. He was not invited. He is a 4th Round prospect at this time not a 2nd rounder.

Here is an official list;

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=169624