patmoran2006
04-13-2010, 08:57 AM
Unless you’re the New York Jets and Santonio Holmes falls from the sky into your lap, the rest of the NFL front offices and coaching staffs are firmly entrenched and focused on the upcoming draft. Buddy Nix, Tom Modrak and the rest of the Buffalo Bills brass are working meticulously on their final board, making that list and checking it twice.
This is annually the time of year when free agents who’ve actually performed in the league and weren’t gobbled up in the first month of shopping season are forced to wait impatiently for their phone to ring. In many ways after years of service, it’s like waiting to be drafted all over again.
Take former Bills receivers Terrell Owens and Josh Reed. Quite obviously they are talented enough to find employment, yet with barely a week before the draft remain with no team to play for. Neither guy is ready to retire and become the next analyst for ESPN- Albuquerque, so they wait… and wait… and wait.
The reason is quite simple; teams today would rather draft the next Owens than pay the current one. Sure, you never know what you’re going to get when you turn the slip in to whatever league official rattles off his name, but while you already know what Owens brings (or at one time brought) to the table, you just may be drafting the next, younger and cheaper Hall of Famer.
Fret not for the remaining NFL free agents lacking a job. The list, which at first glance looks rather impressive on paper, will be getting phone calls, making visits and signing on the dotted lines not long after the draft. Teams that don’t get the prospects at the positions they were hoping to address will turn back to the veteran talent pool to complete their rosters going into training camp.
Buffalo is no exception. It doesn’t take Peter King or Chris Collinsworth telling you the club has more holes to fill than one weekend of drafting players is capable of delivering. When all the selecting is done in New York City April 22-2,4 Nix will retreat to his office, figure out where the team is in most dire need of help at, and begin the process of filling out the first roster he can put his own stamp on as the team’s general manager.
Like him or not, give Nix credit for not being afraid to take chances. He’s already sighed Cornell Green, who demonstrated a fondness for mop handles in recent past. He gave Dwan Edwards noticeable money when Baltimore and Denver didn’t offer contracts. He was on the phone with Andra Davis’ agent just hours after the Broncos cut him.
In other words, don’t put anything (good or bad) past him. He does what he thinks is best.
Here’s a list of five notable players the Bills could target in the coming days and weeks after the draft if they fail to properly address the positions at Radio City Music Hall.
Justin Fargas (Running Back): If the Bills end up trading Marshawn Lynch as I’ve reported and anticipating them doing sometime between now and draft weekend, the team could look for a veteran backup presence behind starter Fred Jackson. With other glaring needs to fill first, mainly a left tackle who can block, someone to throw the ball, size at the defensive tackle and perhaps another pass rusher, I don’t see running back being a priority anytime early.
Fargas was cut in part because the team already has running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush but equally because the Raiders didn’t want to pay him a $1.7-million roster bonus. As a 30-year old, Vargas hasn’t attracted any attention as a potential starter, but could be a good replacement for Lynch in a capacity that’d see him get 7-10 carries per game.
Fargas ran for 491 yards last year on 129 carries (3.8 average) and is two years removed from going over 1,000.
Chan Gailey has made it public he’d like to draft a scat-cat type of back. That can still happen. They could still use Fargas as well.
Gerald Warren (Defensive Tackle): Let’s get two things out of the way immediately; no I’m not in love with the Oakland Raiders and yes I do understand Warren’s NFL career has been a colossal bust.
I do however think Warren could bring value to the Bills in a rotational role. No matter how the team spins it on how they plan on using Kyle Williams in their 3-4 defense, he’s too small to take on blockers at the nose and he’s going to get swallowed up like the ocean. Assuming he’s not traded (I still don’t buy he won’t be) to a team his skill set is better suited for, Williams usefulness will come mostly via the pass rush on obvious passing downs or in certain hybrid looks.
Warren would be a better option as a first and second down lane clogger in the traditional mode of the 3-4. His numbers in Oakland are mostly forgettable; 77 solo tackles and four sacks in 44 games, but nose guards typically don’t put up attractive looking statistics.
At 6-4 and 333 pounds Warren is physically imposing. He may be more bark than bite at this point, but if the Bills fail to land a big run stuffer in the draft he’s the best option out there. If you’re worried that Williams can do the job, you should take a gander at what’s currently behind him on the depth chart. Warren could help.
Javon Walker (Wide Receiver): No, seriously…. I am NOT in love with the Oakland Raiders!
Gailey has already discussed (barring a draft selection of Jimmy Clausen) that an open competition at quarterback at this summer. While it’s not nearly as talked about, who that quarterback will throw the ball to after Lee Evans is correspondingly mysterious.
Stevie Johnson had two catches last year and James Hardy had one. Roscoe Parrish had three grabs when he wasn’t watching games from the press box as a healthy scratch. The Bills recently signed Chad Jackson, who was out of the league last year. At present time one of these guys will start alongside Evans.
Sure, Hardy is a former second round pick who thanks to his ACL and Owens has barely scratched the playing time surface, but I can’t fathom the Gailey being completely sold on him taking his game to a starting level based on no body of work.
Much like the running back position, I don’t anticipate a wide receiver being drafted very high. The Bills may be best served to bring in another veteran to openly compete for a job and of the candidates out there, Walker has the most talent.
I don’t need to be reminded that’s been a train wreck on and off the field in recent years. He had no catches in three games last year, 15 in a half season in 2008 and a whopping 26 the year before. To say the Raiders got poor value on the six-year, $55 million deal Walker cashed in on is an understatement of epic proportion… and we won’t even scratch the off-field stuff.
Walker didn’t mince words either in a recent interview with TheFootballGirl.com when it came to the Raiders. He thinks they held him back.
“When I was in Denver, I performed, When I was in Green Bay, I performed. So now that I’m in Oakland, I can’t perform?” Walker said in the interview. “Like all the sudden, my talents were just taken away from me? I never really got an opportunity. I never got a fair chance. I’m not the first athlete who went into Oakland, and all of the sudden, it looked like his talent had disappeared.”
He’s done next-to-nothing since 2006-07, when he grabbed 69 balls for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns with Denver. His best year was 2004-05 with Green Bay when he set career-highs with 89 catches, 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
For Buffalo it could be a low-risk, high-reward kind of deal similar to the one they signed Jackson to recently. Perhaps Walker really is a shell of his former self, in which case not much was risked. But if he could even come close to getting back to his level of three, four years ago it could be a move that pays huge dividends for the club. At 31-years old he’s not exactly a fossil either.
There are other notable names at the position still on the market, including Kevin Curtis, Laveranues Coles and gasp… Owens, but Walker could be a better fit than any of them if the team chooses to add one more candidate to the mix, and I think they will.
Chester Pitts (Guard): There is already interest in the former Houston Texan. He’s visited Detroit, San Francisco and Seattle since free agency started. When healthy, Pitts is a solid guard that at age 30 is definitely still starting material.
But therein lies the problem; he’s not healthy. Pitts had micro fracture surgery in his knee and may not be able to resume football related activities until late May or June.
Assuming he gets a clean bill of health the Bills should consider him. Pitts could provide valuable depth at both guard spots or even start should the team eventually decide to move Eric Wood to center, something that could happen if Brian Brohm wins the quarterbacking job.
Buffalo showed immediately when free agency began they want someone for that role, as evidenced by Wade Smith being the first player brought in for a visit.
Of the many flaws that riddled the 2009 Bills, the single-biggest was a lack of depth in the offensive line. Once starters began to go down the unit basically became a surface. Buddy Nix showed recently he’s not afraid to dole out money for formerly injured players (see Dwan Edwards) and if he checks out Pitts would be a sound investment as well.
He’ll cost more than the league-minimum Pitts has reportedly been offered by other teams pre-draft, but in my opinion he’s well worth it.
Derrick Burgess (DE/LB): The New England Patriots free agent is almost certain to remain free until after the draft because his position is ridiculously deep on hybrid defenders with similar qualities. But make no mistake about it; he’ll be gone shortly thereafter. If the Bills go with a quarterback and offensive line help early they could be among the teams interested, at least they dang well should be.
Burgess had five sacks for New England last year, two of them coming against Buffalo. At 6-2, 260 pounds he could ideally start on the opposite side of Aaron Maybin should Aaron Schobel retire. He’d probably be better against the run than any outside linebacker the Bills currently have, and he did have three of his five sacks last year over his last four games to show he can get after the passer as well.
Bill Bilicheck maintains he’s still interested in bringing him back…which is all the more reason for the Bills to sign him away.
First and foremost Buffalo will look to solidify their pass rushing through the draft. It’s starting to get beat like a dead horse here, but the Bills have a lot to address and only so many picks to do it in. They’re not going to get everything they hope for in a single draft. They will definitely go defense on at least two to three of their first five picks, but I can’t help but think the defensive line will be prioritized over linebacker.
One more thing— Burgess is a former Oakland Raider. Maybe I really am in love with them after all.
This is annually the time of year when free agents who’ve actually performed in the league and weren’t gobbled up in the first month of shopping season are forced to wait impatiently for their phone to ring. In many ways after years of service, it’s like waiting to be drafted all over again.
Take former Bills receivers Terrell Owens and Josh Reed. Quite obviously they are talented enough to find employment, yet with barely a week before the draft remain with no team to play for. Neither guy is ready to retire and become the next analyst for ESPN- Albuquerque, so they wait… and wait… and wait.
The reason is quite simple; teams today would rather draft the next Owens than pay the current one. Sure, you never know what you’re going to get when you turn the slip in to whatever league official rattles off his name, but while you already know what Owens brings (or at one time brought) to the table, you just may be drafting the next, younger and cheaper Hall of Famer.
Fret not for the remaining NFL free agents lacking a job. The list, which at first glance looks rather impressive on paper, will be getting phone calls, making visits and signing on the dotted lines not long after the draft. Teams that don’t get the prospects at the positions they were hoping to address will turn back to the veteran talent pool to complete their rosters going into training camp.
Buffalo is no exception. It doesn’t take Peter King or Chris Collinsworth telling you the club has more holes to fill than one weekend of drafting players is capable of delivering. When all the selecting is done in New York City April 22-2,4 Nix will retreat to his office, figure out where the team is in most dire need of help at, and begin the process of filling out the first roster he can put his own stamp on as the team’s general manager.
Like him or not, give Nix credit for not being afraid to take chances. He’s already sighed Cornell Green, who demonstrated a fondness for mop handles in recent past. He gave Dwan Edwards noticeable money when Baltimore and Denver didn’t offer contracts. He was on the phone with Andra Davis’ agent just hours after the Broncos cut him.
In other words, don’t put anything (good or bad) past him. He does what he thinks is best.
Here’s a list of five notable players the Bills could target in the coming days and weeks after the draft if they fail to properly address the positions at Radio City Music Hall.
Justin Fargas (Running Back): If the Bills end up trading Marshawn Lynch as I’ve reported and anticipating them doing sometime between now and draft weekend, the team could look for a veteran backup presence behind starter Fred Jackson. With other glaring needs to fill first, mainly a left tackle who can block, someone to throw the ball, size at the defensive tackle and perhaps another pass rusher, I don’t see running back being a priority anytime early.
Fargas was cut in part because the team already has running backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush but equally because the Raiders didn’t want to pay him a $1.7-million roster bonus. As a 30-year old, Vargas hasn’t attracted any attention as a potential starter, but could be a good replacement for Lynch in a capacity that’d see him get 7-10 carries per game.
Fargas ran for 491 yards last year on 129 carries (3.8 average) and is two years removed from going over 1,000.
Chan Gailey has made it public he’d like to draft a scat-cat type of back. That can still happen. They could still use Fargas as well.
Gerald Warren (Defensive Tackle): Let’s get two things out of the way immediately; no I’m not in love with the Oakland Raiders and yes I do understand Warren’s NFL career has been a colossal bust.
I do however think Warren could bring value to the Bills in a rotational role. No matter how the team spins it on how they plan on using Kyle Williams in their 3-4 defense, he’s too small to take on blockers at the nose and he’s going to get swallowed up like the ocean. Assuming he’s not traded (I still don’t buy he won’t be) to a team his skill set is better suited for, Williams usefulness will come mostly via the pass rush on obvious passing downs or in certain hybrid looks.
Warren would be a better option as a first and second down lane clogger in the traditional mode of the 3-4. His numbers in Oakland are mostly forgettable; 77 solo tackles and four sacks in 44 games, but nose guards typically don’t put up attractive looking statistics.
At 6-4 and 333 pounds Warren is physically imposing. He may be more bark than bite at this point, but if the Bills fail to land a big run stuffer in the draft he’s the best option out there. If you’re worried that Williams can do the job, you should take a gander at what’s currently behind him on the depth chart. Warren could help.
Javon Walker (Wide Receiver): No, seriously…. I am NOT in love with the Oakland Raiders!
Gailey has already discussed (barring a draft selection of Jimmy Clausen) that an open competition at quarterback at this summer. While it’s not nearly as talked about, who that quarterback will throw the ball to after Lee Evans is correspondingly mysterious.
Stevie Johnson had two catches last year and James Hardy had one. Roscoe Parrish had three grabs when he wasn’t watching games from the press box as a healthy scratch. The Bills recently signed Chad Jackson, who was out of the league last year. At present time one of these guys will start alongside Evans.
Sure, Hardy is a former second round pick who thanks to his ACL and Owens has barely scratched the playing time surface, but I can’t fathom the Gailey being completely sold on him taking his game to a starting level based on no body of work.
Much like the running back position, I don’t anticipate a wide receiver being drafted very high. The Bills may be best served to bring in another veteran to openly compete for a job and of the candidates out there, Walker has the most talent.
I don’t need to be reminded that’s been a train wreck on and off the field in recent years. He had no catches in three games last year, 15 in a half season in 2008 and a whopping 26 the year before. To say the Raiders got poor value on the six-year, $55 million deal Walker cashed in on is an understatement of epic proportion… and we won’t even scratch the off-field stuff.
Walker didn’t mince words either in a recent interview with TheFootballGirl.com when it came to the Raiders. He thinks they held him back.
“When I was in Denver, I performed, When I was in Green Bay, I performed. So now that I’m in Oakland, I can’t perform?” Walker said in the interview. “Like all the sudden, my talents were just taken away from me? I never really got an opportunity. I never got a fair chance. I’m not the first athlete who went into Oakland, and all of the sudden, it looked like his talent had disappeared.”
He’s done next-to-nothing since 2006-07, when he grabbed 69 balls for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns with Denver. His best year was 2004-05 with Green Bay when he set career-highs with 89 catches, 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
For Buffalo it could be a low-risk, high-reward kind of deal similar to the one they signed Jackson to recently. Perhaps Walker really is a shell of his former self, in which case not much was risked. But if he could even come close to getting back to his level of three, four years ago it could be a move that pays huge dividends for the club. At 31-years old he’s not exactly a fossil either.
There are other notable names at the position still on the market, including Kevin Curtis, Laveranues Coles and gasp… Owens, but Walker could be a better fit than any of them if the team chooses to add one more candidate to the mix, and I think they will.
Chester Pitts (Guard): There is already interest in the former Houston Texan. He’s visited Detroit, San Francisco and Seattle since free agency started. When healthy, Pitts is a solid guard that at age 30 is definitely still starting material.
But therein lies the problem; he’s not healthy. Pitts had micro fracture surgery in his knee and may not be able to resume football related activities until late May or June.
Assuming he gets a clean bill of health the Bills should consider him. Pitts could provide valuable depth at both guard spots or even start should the team eventually decide to move Eric Wood to center, something that could happen if Brian Brohm wins the quarterbacking job.
Buffalo showed immediately when free agency began they want someone for that role, as evidenced by Wade Smith being the first player brought in for a visit.
Of the many flaws that riddled the 2009 Bills, the single-biggest was a lack of depth in the offensive line. Once starters began to go down the unit basically became a surface. Buddy Nix showed recently he’s not afraid to dole out money for formerly injured players (see Dwan Edwards) and if he checks out Pitts would be a sound investment as well.
He’ll cost more than the league-minimum Pitts has reportedly been offered by other teams pre-draft, but in my opinion he’s well worth it.
Derrick Burgess (DE/LB): The New England Patriots free agent is almost certain to remain free until after the draft because his position is ridiculously deep on hybrid defenders with similar qualities. But make no mistake about it; he’ll be gone shortly thereafter. If the Bills go with a quarterback and offensive line help early they could be among the teams interested, at least they dang well should be.
Burgess had five sacks for New England last year, two of them coming against Buffalo. At 6-2, 260 pounds he could ideally start on the opposite side of Aaron Maybin should Aaron Schobel retire. He’d probably be better against the run than any outside linebacker the Bills currently have, and he did have three of his five sacks last year over his last four games to show he can get after the passer as well.
Bill Bilicheck maintains he’s still interested in bringing him back…which is all the more reason for the Bills to sign him away.
First and foremost Buffalo will look to solidify their pass rushing through the draft. It’s starting to get beat like a dead horse here, but the Bills have a lot to address and only so many picks to do it in. They’re not going to get everything they hope for in a single draft. They will definitely go defense on at least two to three of their first five picks, but I can’t help but think the defensive line will be prioritized over linebacker.
One more thing— Burgess is a former Oakland Raider. Maybe I really am in love with them after all.