Sup with all the position conversions?

[Mr. Miyagi]

So we drafted a center (Wood) to play guard, a tackle (Levitre) to play guard, a CB (Byrd) to play safety, and now a safety (Harris) to play OLB?

WTF are we doing? Are we so smart or are all these college teams so dumb?

[Jan Reimers]

So we drafted a center (Wood) to play guard, a tackle (Levitre) to play guard, a CB (Byrd) to play safety, and now a safety (Harris) to play OLB?

WTF are we doing? Are we so smart or are all these college teams so dumb?
It's very New Englandish, which is a good thing.

[kid mickey]

I think the Bills are doing a pretty good job with this draft. I am only leery about the first pick Aaron Maybin. I hope he comes in and is a solid player for us, but at the same time only one year of college production is scary. Every other pick though is looking really good. Every other guy has been doing it consistently for four years.

[realdealryan]

Easy.

The college game is different.

There is more than one kind of defense and offense; each requiring different capabilities.

Versatility is value when players get injured (Coy Wire at LB a few years back).

[ArcticWildMan]

Wood will eventually play center. He'll play guard his first year to get his feet wet and slide over to center in year 2 or 3.

[billsfanone]

Do any of them ever work out? I'm thinking not a lot aka Coy Wire.

[X-Era]

Do any of them ever work out? I'm thinking not a lot aka Coy Wire.

Hmmm... ever heard of Jason Peters, he played TE at Arkansas.

Obviously, the Wire issue could happen. We will just have to wait and see.

[Buddo]

Lots of them do work out, and not just for the Bills.
From college to the pros is a very large 'step'. The pro game also pays an awful lot different schematically. Players need different attributes to play some of the positions in the pro game. Quite often, some of the attributes that guys have, will translate to a different position.
Its also fair to say, that in many instances, guys who are inherently 'good footballers' will need to make positional changes, to actually see the field in the NFL, simply because one aspect of their physical attributes doesn't quite come up to 'scratch'. Decent college tackles, regularly end up as decent NFL guards. A lot of that is down to agility and footwork. Pro Tackles need agility and footwork, pro guards, not so much.
Corners who aren't quite so quick, will often end up as safeties. Receivers in the NFL generally have 'elite' speed, and a corner has to be able to run with them.
McKelvin, for example, is a 4.3 40 guy. There's a lot of difference between 4.3 and 4.6 over 40 yards.

[Mitchell55]

NE does it every year

[sdbillsfan2]

I don't understand it either. If we needed a guard , then draft a guard, and refine his skills.Same with every other position.
Why try to re invent the wheel?
Listen , We all know Dick Jauron may not be here after this season, but I sure hope the next coach doesn't have to untangle a mess so deep ,that in 5 more years we're still rebuilding.

[cocamide]

We drafted athletes. They should be smart enough to fill many roles.

[jamze132]

Just because a guy played LT at college doesn't necessarily mean the guy is going to be effective at the next level. LT is a pretty important position in the NFL.

[Pinkerton Security]

isnt Levitre a guard, or was he a tackle in college?

[The Spaz]

isnt Levitre a guard, or was he a tackle in college?

Levitre played both in college. Most likely to play guard here.

[Tatonka]

we got guys who have the skills to play the positions we drafted them for.

wood going to guard is NOT a big deal at all. Nor is Levitre going to Guard. both have clearly demonstrated that they can do it and have done it in the past.

Byrd and Harris knew all along that they were going to be moved. at the college level, they were good enough, but in the pros, you look at their key skills and you put them in the best spot for success.