Dose of reality

[T-Long]

Now with Butler retiring, I can not see the Bills doing anything other than draft a tackle at 9. I think Meredith could handle the RT spot, but this team is now in DIRE need of a blind-side guy. I was all for a QB, or even McLain at #9, but not anymore.

Still in shock Butler retired!

[SABURZFAN]

what a difference a year makes. Peters, Walker, and Butler made T one of the better positions this team had per position. now they have Meredith, Bell, and ..... uh..... can i get some help here? :baghead:

[Mitchell55]

We got ta sign a T

[Night Train]

Brad Butler was a backup level player and little else. He will not trigger any panic moves.

[T-Long]

Brad Butler was a backup level player and little else. He will not trigger any panic moves.
Butler is the best tackle we had, so yes, panic has set in.

[Mitchell55]

Brad Butler was a backup level player and little else. He will not trigger any panic moves.



Merideth, Chambers, Bell are PS players tho

[Night Train]

Butler is the best tackle we had, so yes, panic has set in.

Meredith instantly played better at RT, which made Butler an overpaid backup.

I already knew he couldn't play Guard at all, watching him from my seat in the stands playing the part of a swinging door. There was a reason they drafted Wood & Levitre.

I never understood the attraction. Ever.

[better days]

If a Tackle WORTH the #9 pick is there & a QB is not, they will draft a OT. If however the QB is there they draft the QB. They can get a tackle in rounds 2-4. It is STUPID to draft for need ignoring value.

[DraftBoy]

I agree with both setiments here, Butler was a good assest to this team just because he could play 4 of the 5 line positions but was not good enough at any of them to be a starter. I thought Meredith was already better than Butler in what limited time he had last season.

[SABURZFAN]

If a Tackle WORTH the #9 pick is there & a QB is not, they will draft a OT. If however the QB is there they draft the QB. They can get a tackle in rounds 2-4. It is STUPID to draft for need ignoring value.


there isn't a QB in this draft worth the #9 pick overall. JMO

[streetkings01]

If a Tackle WORTH the #9 pick is there & a QB is not, they will draft a OT. If however the QB is there they draft the QB. They can get a tackle in rounds 2-4. It is STUPID to draft for need ignoring value.Wouldn't drafting a QB be a need since we still need a QB? Better value would be to draft a tackle since we still have Edwards, Fitz and Brohm on the roster.......Gailey has been known to get the most out of his QBs!

[better days]

there isn't a QB in this draft worth the #9 pick overall. JMO

You may be right, I don't know. I will leave that up to Buddy & the boys to decide. If there is no QB or OT worth #9, I would hope they could trade down a little & get more picks. God knows the Bills could use them.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I don't see were "reality" comes into play. I don't think this forces the Bills hands AT ALL. Butler was average at best and injury prone. I am bummed he pussied out on football but he is far from irreplaceable. I am fine with Merideth at RT or Levitre at RT and Incognito starting. There are many options available.

We can easily grab an LT in round 2 if Mclain or one of the QBs are available at 9.

Before you jump down my throat I wouldn't be pissed if we grabbed an elite LT in the first, just saying it isn't a given IMO...

[THATHURMANATOR]

there isn't a QB in this draft worth the #9 pick overall. JMO
Not even Bradford?

[better days]

Wouldn't drafting a QB be a need since we still need a QB? Better value would be to draft a tackle since we still have Edwards, Fitz and Brohm on the roster.......Gailey has been known to get the most out of his QBs!

You want to draft for VALUE at a position of need. QB is definitely a need. The Bills have Edwards, Fitz, & Brohm on the roster. The only one of those three that MAY be worth a damn is Brohm, we already know the other 2 are CRAP.

[casdhf]

If there's a top 15 talent there, we should jump. But what if the top guys are all gone? I'm not sure we should pass on a guy just to reach for a 20-30 level OT.

[madness]

This doesn't change anything. When #9 comes around Nix will take the highest guy on his draft board.

[better days]

If there's a top 15 talent there, we should jump. But what if the top guys are all gone? I'm not sure we should pass on a guy just to reach for a 20-30 level OT.

There will definitely be a player worth the #9 pick there. The question is will he be a player the Bills need or say a cornerback that they don't really need. If that is the case I hope they can trade down.

[THATHURMANATOR]

If there's a top 15 talent there, we should jump. But what if the top guys are all gone? I'm not sure we should pass on a guy just to reach for a 20-30 level OT.
I am in complete agreement. :beers:

[TigerJ]

I was already of the mindset that all things being equal the Bills would be better off drafting a tackle in round one. There was no one on the roster that we are sure can play left tackle at an adequate level. I don't scrutinize individual play like DraftBoy and some others around here do, so I can't say what Meredith or Bell can do at right tackle. I think they're athletic enough, and with another training camp, I suspect one of them can probably step in at right tackle and we'll be OK.

It's still possible, depending on the way the draft falls, that Buffalo will draft something other than left tackle in round one. If that happens, I think a starter can probably be found in round two, but the safer route is obviously to fill this critical need sooner rather than later.

[jimbohastle51]

Butler is the best tackle we had, so yes, panic has set in.
On the good side there are alot of as good if not slightly better cheap vet options available this off season. Tra thomas, pashos, shaeffer, mcintosh, ect... Any of these guys would fit they profile of the free agent types nix said he would only be interested in (middle guys) and they all have some degree of risk with them which will also make them cheaper. A vet tackle is a must in free agency regardless of the draft now, i would just expect a jon runyan type (vet league min guy) compared to marcus mcniel (best available, and most expensive)

[SABURZFAN]

You may be right, I don't know. I will leave that up to Buddy & the boys to decide. If there is no QB or OT worth #9, I would hope they could trade down a little & get more picks. God knows the Bills could use them.


that's what i'd like to see. this team has a lot of team needs. an extra pick or two could help.

[streetkings01]

You want to draft for VALUE at a position of need. QB is definitely a need. The Bills have Edwards, Fitz, & Brohm on the roster. The only one of those three that MAY be worth a damn is Brohm, we already know the other 2 are CRAP.We know that Fitz and Edwards can win in the NFL, regardless of how you feel about them they both have won in the NFL. Brohm is a bum QB that gets a ton of love just because he isn't the other 2......we need to fix this oline first before we start worrying about a QB!

How many QBs over the past 10 years have we drafted, signed or traded for? Bledsoe, Losman, Holcomb, Edwards and Fitzptrick.......what has been the common denomintor with all these QBs????? They all played behind piss poor olines.......we need to build the oline period!

[streetkings01]

If we build the oline first then we have the luxury of putting a servicable QB behind it and get some production.........you cant put a servicable QB behind a garbage oline and expect some good results.......it wont happen!

[Mahdi]

there isn't a QB in this draft worth the #9 pick overall. JMO
If Bradford shows off a healthy and live arm at his Pro Day he has the potential to be a top 5 pick.

He would have went #1 last year had he come out. He is a smart QB and can make all the throws, I would just like to see him put on some weight.


For me though, I want a top prospect at #9 that has very few holes in his game and to me assuming Suh, McCoy, Okung, Berry, Morgan, Haden and Bradford are gone the only players I would take at #9 are Bryant, Graham and MAYBE Bulaga. But to me Bryant and Graham are prospects with few or no holes in their game that become PBers in the NFL.

When was the last time our first round pick ended up in the Pro Bowl?

[better days]

We know that Fitz and Edwards can win in the NFL, regardless of how you feel about them they both have won in the NFL. Brohm is a bum QB that gets a ton of love just because he isn't the other 2......we need to fix this oline first before we start worrying about a QB!

How many QBs over the past 10 years have we drafted, signed or traded for? Bledsoe, Losman, Holcomb, Edwards and Fitzptrick.......what has been the common denomintor with all these QBs????? They all played behind piss poor olines.......we need to build the oline period!

We DO NOT KNOW that Trent or Fitz can win in the NFL. Neither has won anything except a few games against some POOR teams.

Brohm was a much better QB than both those two in College & so far has not had a chance in the NFL, that is the reason he is getting the love. We do not yet know about him. We do know that both Trent & Fitz SUCK.

Yes the O-line has sucked & it will be fixed, but the real common denominator is the poor coaching. That has already been fixed.

In todays NFL with the recent rules changes & the fact they rarely call holding you can't win with a serviceable QB. By winning, I mean going to the playoffs & competeing for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.

[Mahdi]

We know that Fitz and Edwards can win in the NFL, regardless of how you feel about them they both have won in the NFL. Brohm is a bum QB that gets a ton of love just because he isn't the other 2......we need to fix this oline first before we start worrying about a QB!

How many QBs over the past 10 years have we drafted, signed or traded for? Bledsoe, Losman, Holcomb, Edwards and Fitzptrick.......what has been the common denomintor with all these QBs????? They all played behind piss poor olines.......we need to build the oline period!
Winning a game here or there does not constitute as "Winning in the NFL"

And to add to that, it was rarely due to an exceptional performance by Edwards or Fitz that we won a game.

[THATHURMANATOR]

If we build the oline first then we have the luxury of putting a servicable QB behind it and get some production.........you cant put a servicable QB behind a garbage oline and expect some good results.......it wont happen!
I disagree with this statement.

I feel that a Good QB can make a bad O line look good.

I don't feel that a Good OLine can make a bad QB look good.

[Ickybaluky]

When was the last time our first round pick ended up in the Pro Bowl?

2008 --> Lynch.

[Ed]

I really don't think Butler retiring changes much in our approach this off-season. I mean was it even a given that he would have started at RT? He suffered a torn ACL this past season and Meredith looks like he could be a better player then Butler. Even if he's not, and with free agency being thin, would it really be that hard to find an adequate veteran replacement? I actually wanted to see an upgrade at RT before Butler even made his announcement.

Plus, if you read the statement from Buddy Nix, I didn't get the sense at all that the Bills care that he's retiring. All he said was that he has a bright future and wished him well. Don't you think if it was a player they actually cared about he would have said something a little different, like "he was a good player and this is a loss for us..." or whatever. So I really don't get the sense that our draft plans will change. If we do draft an OT at #9 it will be a LT for sure, so RT really doesn't even come into play in the discussion.

[streetkings01]

I disagree with this statement.

I feel that a Good QB can make a bad O line look good.

I don't feel that a Good OLine can make a bad QB look good.An oline helps a QB build confidence and knows that he's going to have time to make plays thus making him a better QB. Which NFL QB now not named Peyton Manning has made a bad oline look good? When you get pressure on Brady he sucks and when you get pressure on Warner he's a turnover machine......give those guys a good oline and time to throw and you get MVP type performances!

Look at Matt Cassel......when he was with the Pats and had solid protection he was a very good QB.....now look at him on the Chiefs with no protection! Look at Jay Cutler when he was on a Broncos team with a very good oline, he was a Pro Bowler........now look at him on the Bears with no protection.....INT machine. Both those guys are good QBs playing with a bad oline.

[Mahdi]

2008 --> Lynch.
K, as an alternate, but he is by no means a top 5 RB in the AFC.