how to rebuild a franchise....

[nateodoms'bff]

Do you try and make one side of the ball better than the other, or do you slowly add players to both sides and hope that coaching and potential can get you wins?

As I see it, the only way to build a team through the draft is to make one side of the ball as good as you can and add quality depth at the best position available.

As an example; This years draft as i see it can play out a few ways. IF C.J. Spiller is available at the #9 pick and the Bills decide to take a guaranteed weapon for the offense, this is the only pick that makes sense. However if the Bills want to add more picks, then trading this pick to the 49er's and getting their 2nd and 4th in return makes sense. With the #13 pick, the Bills could then take Brandon Graham DE/OLB Michigan. Adding Graham as an OLB opposite of Aaron Maybin, would make this defense stout against the run, and give them an incredible pass rushing duo on the outside. This would free up Poz and Mitchell and Davis to take control of the middle of the field. With one pick, the single greatest problem plaguing the Bills over the past 5 seasons is solved, run defense. Anyone who has watched the Bills consistently over the past decade knows two things have plagued this team, poor QB play and poor run defense. Brandon Graham fixes that.

With the two 2nd round picks, the Bills can address both sides of the ball. With the first pick, taking Terrence Cody or Cam Thomas, whichever is available. I would prefer Cody, but I doubt he will still be on the board. The Bills have some big bodies on the roster presently, and the idea of having Williams or Stroud play the NT is a decent stop gap, a true block gobbler is needed to anchor this line. Williams is best suited as a DE, IMO as is Stroud. Adding either Thomas or Cody gives the Bills some versatility and different looks in the front 3. With the 49ers pick, the Bills should take Demaryius Thomas. He is a Gailey Guy. He has great hands, great speed, long arms, and tremendous physical ability. He is a younger version of T.O. He would obviously need some time to develop, but having his college coach as his pro coach, I feel would accelerate his development tremendously.

Over the remaining rounds i feel like the Bills can do a few thing that could bolster their depth. Trading away Fred Jackson for a 3rd round pick this year, and replacing him with Dexter MacCluster in the 3rd is a solid swap of contract age and talent. With the second 3rd adding O-Line depth is a necessity. A versatile player who can play any of the interior positions or even RT would be great. Beyond that, adding any player to help this team get better is worth it.

Awaiting the grilling for trading Fred Jackson...

[buffalobillsfan95]

trading jackson kinda makes sense because he showed he can run even with a ****ty oline , if we do trade him(i hope we don't) this would be the year to get the most value out of him

[kernowboy]

Winning teams are built in the trenches. You start with the OL and the DL.

On the OL we are missing the bookends, and we have no-one on the roster that can be considered an adequate starter at LT.

On the DL we are missing a genuinely talented NT.

There is no reason for the 49ers to move up for Spiller. Jacksonville, Miami and Denver have bigger needs than Spiller. And they wouldn't give a 1st, 2nd and 4th do so - at most we'd get their 1st and 3rd

Graham is a decent enough player but its equally likely that Hughes, Sapp, Kindle, or Misi could make the transition to OLB as effectively if not better.

Trading Jackson makes no sense. Unlike Lynch, he has played better, and is not a suspension risk. He is also older and possibly would get us less in return. Trading Lynch to someone like the Seahawks for their No60 gives them a starting RB which they don't have. We can pick up a backup RB likes James Starks on Day3. McCluster is way too small to carry the load if Jackson or Lynch went down at only 5ft9 and 170lbs.

Demaryius Thomas is interesting as a big receiver but is slow, and offers nothing more than Hardy and Johnson. Too much is made of coaches drafting former players. It doesn't happen in the real world. Shawn Nelson is quicker and could easily fulfil the role A better selection would be someone like Naaman Roosevelt available much lower and just a quick. He could easily develop into a slot receiver. A better selection might be Rob Gronkowski who is a true TE - Nelson really is all about potential with only 6 catches as a pro and he could also line up as a slot receiver with the more rounded TE in Gronkowski lining up here. And most top teams carry two very good TE.

I haven't seen where you deal with the OL - LT is a desperate need.

Your draft lines up as

1. Graham
2. Cody or Cam Thomas
2. Demaryius Thomas

I'd go

1. Campbell LT
2. Hughes OLB
2. (Seahawks) Joseph NT
3. Gronkowski TE

with the rest of the draft being

4. Lane DE
5. Peters DL
6. Starks RB
6. Tykyshovnytsky OL
7. Roosevelt WR
7. Harewood OL

[kernowboy]

And there is no such thing as a GUARANTEE in any draft whether its the 1st or 252nd pick

[NOT THE DUDE...]

if you have a good qb and a really good pass rush, then everything else tackes care of itself for the most part. those are the 2 most important things....

[kernowboy]

if you have a good qb and a really good pass rush, then everything else tackes care of itself for the most part. those are the 2 most important things....

unless the QB is on IR because he had no pass protection and the DE is exhausted because the offence cannot give the defence a rest.

[yomommabilly]

This franchise will be rebuilt when Ralph Wilson and his clown cronnies are all gone. Until that time comes, we are what we are and thats not a very respected team by any means.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

unless the QB is on IR because he had no pass protection and the DE is exhausted because the offence cannot give the defence a rest.

dude all u need is a oline like what green bay or pittsburgh have.... with a good qb and great pass rusher you will win 10 games 90% of the time...

[NOT THE DUDE...]

the best example would be if you put aaron rodgers on our team and then added jared allen, we would win 10-11 games easy...

[kernowboy]

Except Rogers would be killed by the second series. Clifton might be old and slow but Bell is a joke at LT

And Allen is good because the Williams boys give him the opportunity to play, making sure he isn't double teamed.

The last time I checked football was a TEAM game.

[nateodoms'bff]

its easy to say that winning teams are built in the trenches.

I am one of the few people on these boards that feels that the OLine is not that bad. When you look at the nightmare scenario that Jauron and Company created last season, its not hard to see why the OLine failed. When you add to that equation the fact that our strength and conditioning coaches have been abysmal for years, its not hard to see why there were so many problems. The issue is not size or ability, its coaching and scheme.

The true problem with the Bills is that there are no true playmakers, on either side of the ball. You can draft Trent Williams or Brian Bulaga, or Bruce Campbell(who by the way has bust work out warrior written all over him) you run the risk of reaching based on need, instead of taking a dynamic player who can make a difference on the field. Brandon Graham is that type of player. The 3-4 defense is designed to open up the linebackers to make plays. We have no one to make those plays. Adding dynamic guys with size, speed and power, this team has a better chance of shutting down the Patriots, the Jets, and the Dolphins, all of whom have gouged the Bills on the ground over the past 5 seasons.

As for trading Jackson, he is 29 at the end of his RFA years, and will want a big contract, but will be on the wrong side of 30 at the start of next season. Trading him while his stock is high to a team like the Texans who are a running game away from being a contender for the AFC title. Fred Jackson gives a team like that an immediate upgrade as an every down back who can move the pile and catch the screen and pick up the blitz. McCluster is a dynamic play maker, who is not an every down back, but is a weapon. Gailey can make the most out of weapons, and will create plays around guys like him. Adding a guy like Legarrette Blount in the 6th or 7th round would be a great addition to this team. His on field issues aside, he made great strides to get back on the field last season, and played well in the PAC-10 championship game. RB's in the draft are a dime a dozen, but having one on your team that can get your running game over the hump is crucial. The Bills are lucky to have two guys on the roster that can do that. Trading the one that has the most value, and will want a contract is the smart business move for this team.

[kernowboy]

Campbell has bust work out warrior written all over him only because he prepared for the combine.

Many scouts were praising Campbell and saying he had great feet, pass protection ability and attitude, long before he ever lifted a weight or ran the 40 in Indianapolis.

And you are confusing Jackson with Lynch - it is Jackson who has the long deal $7.5m over 4 years signed last year - it is LYNCH who becomes a RFA at the end of this coming season and who will want a big deal

Blount is a shocking character risk, Houston have Steve Slaton who was injured last season but ran for over 1,250yds as a rookie.

And Vernon Gholston was more productive statistically than Graham was coming out of college and look how easy he has made the transition to a 3-4 OLB

[nateodoms'bff]

Campbell has bust work out warrior written all over him only because he prepared for the combine.

Many scouts were praising Campbell and saying he had great feet, pass protection ability and attitude, long before he ever lifted a weight or ran the 40 in Indianapolis.

And you are confusing Jackson with Lynch - it is Jackson who has the long deal $7.5m over 4 years signed last year - it is LYNCH who becomes a RFA at the end of this coming season and who will want a big deal

Blount is a shocking character risk, Houston have Steve Slaton who was injured last season but ran for over 1,250yds as a rookie.

And Vernon Gholston was more productive statistically than Graham was coming out of college and look how easy he has made the transition to a 3-4 OLB

I stand corrected, I was under the impression that Jackson's contract was up as I thought he only signed the tender offer. And I also thought that Lynch's rookie contract was 5 years not 4. Either way, I still feel that trading Jackson is the right move. He has the most trade value, and in my opinion Lynch has more upside.

As for Campbell, every major scouting organization has made the same knock on Campbell. That his effort on the field is inconsistent. When he plays to his level, he is remarkable, but when he doesnt feel challenged or is over matched, he tends to quit. I can see him playing that way for the Bills against the Miami, New England, and Jets defense. I know that my football IQ comes into question when I dont think that taking an offensiv tackle is the best thing, but I feel like those are the picks that are highest risk reward, and at this stage of rebuilding, the Bills need guys that can change games, not need to be coddled into playing up to their potential.

[SirMcGee]

the best example would be if you put aaron rodgers on our team and then added jared allen, we would win 10-11 games easy...

Yea and then we can trade a couple first rounders for Adrian Peterson. Trade Marshawn Lynch and Lee Evans and a couple future 2nd rounders for Jake Long. Then we can trade away Trent Edwards straight up for Vince Wilfork. We'd be awesome.

[nateodoms'bff]

Campbell has bust work out warrior written all over him only because he prepared for the combine.

Many scouts were praising Campbell and saying he had great feet, pass protection ability and attitude, long before he ever lifted a weight or ran the 40 in Indianapolis.

And you are confusing Jackson with Lynch - it is Jackson who has the long deal $7.5m over 4 years signed last year - it is LYNCH who becomes a RFA at the end of this coming season and who will want a big deal

Blount is a shocking character risk, Houston have Steve Slaton who was injured last season but ran for over 1,250yds as a rookie.

And Vernon Gholston was more productive statistically than Graham was coming out of college and look how easy he has made the transition to a 3-4 OLB

Oh, and if you follow PAC-10 football, you'll know that Blount worked harder than any other player on the Oregon football team to stay in shape. he was at every practice, sat in every team and positional meeting, and studied film. All this from a kid who was suspended for the season. What he did against Boise State was stupid, and selfish and short sighted. All things he has owned up to. But he is not a character risk. He will be a productive player in the NFL. As for Steve Slaton, he had a great rookie season, and his second season he looked average at best. His season ended in injury, and there are a lot of concerns in houston regarding his return. Slaton is not a banger. He is a speed guy much in the way of Reggie Bush or Darren MacFadden. He is not an every down back, which he showed with the injury issues last season.

[kernowboy]

I stand corrected, I was under the impression that Jackson's contract was up as I thought he only signed the tender offer. And I also thought that Lynch's rookie contract was 5 years not 4. Either way, I still feel that trading Jackson is the right move. He has the most trade value, and in my opinion Lynch has more upside.

As for Campbell, every major scouting organization has made the same knock on Campbell. That his effort on the field is inconsistent. When he plays to his level, he is remarkable, but when he doesnt feel challenged or is over matched, he tends to quit. I can see him playing that way for the Bills against the Miami, New England, and Jets defense. I know that my football IQ comes into question when I dont think that taking an offensiv tackle is the best thing, but I feel like those are the picks that are highest risk reward, and at this stage of rebuilding, the Bills need guys that can change games, not need to be coddled into playing up to their potential.

I actually heard that he plays with a very nasty edge, exceptional feet and great pass protection almost instinctive but has been plagued by a series of small niggling injuries which have held him back, a result of previously poor conditioning which should be easy to fix. I have heard that Anthony Davis was the one who quit.

As for Lynch if he played 4 years out of a 5 year deal (07, 08, 09, 10) it would make him an RFA at the end of next season, wanting a big deal. For me Lynch will never fulfil his potential and actually now plays like he wants out of Buffalo and a new start.

[ParanoidAndroid]

You don't lose yopur head and think you can get everything in one offseason. You don't pay more attention to any position more than any other as far as need goes. You grab hold of any opportunies to make your team better at whatever position on whatever side of the ball..... little by little.

[Night Train]

football is a MADDEN game.

This is how they read it, Kern.

[jamze132]

A key to building a franchise is to not hire a retired x-coach to be the GM or an unsuccessful nerd from an Ivy League school to be an NFL head coach.