This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

[BillsFever21]

Just because we drafted Dareus, Williams and Sheppard doesn't mean our defense will all of a sudden be decent let alone good.

These guys are all rookies and even if they do pan out it will take some time with them. Then with DL like Dareus they usually take at least a good year before coming into form. He isn't an D. Suh.

In the meantime we will also be losing some veteran players on a Defense that wasn't very good to begin with. If these guys pan out and perform decent their first year it could be slightly improved but will still be bad.

If these guys end up being busts or if Darius is just a marginal player then it will take even longer. Even with them guys, if they succeed in the NFL, we will need more then that to make this defense any good.

All I know is we better not need to draft a DL for years to come or it will be another blunder for our draft(s). We drafted two guys last year in the first few rounds and a Top 3 pick this year along with having Kyle Williams. If these guys fail our team will be set back even longer.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Holy doom and gloom Batman!

[BillsFever21]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

No just stating reasoning. Some think just because we draft some defensive players that our problems are all of a sudden solved. Even if these guys pan out they will not be great in their rookie seasons.

With how bad our D was last year and how many needs we had it's just going to take more then a few rookies who haven't played yet to proclaim our defense fixed and ready for the big time.

[SquishDaFish]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

I bet anything our defense improves

[Bangarang]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

It's hard to imagine our defense being as bad as it was last season.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

No just stating reasoning. Some think just because we draft some defensive players that our problems are all of a sudden solved. Even if these guys pan out they will not be great in their rookie seasons.

With how bad our D was last year and how many needs we had it's just going to take more then a few rookies who haven't played yet to proclaim our defense fixed and ready for the big time.

Perhaps you'd feel better if the Bills simply forfeited all their picks.

Top 10 reasons the D is improved over 2010
1) Dwan Edwards isn't injured
2) Andra Davis isn't injured
3) Shawne Merriman isn't injured
4) Terrence McGee isn't injured
5) Danny Batten isn't injured
6) Alex Carrington is in his 2nd year
7) Arthur Moats is in his 2nd year
8) Torell Troup is in his 2nd year
9) Marcel Dareus is on the team
10a) Kelvin Sheppard is on the team
10b) In addition... Several other 2011 rookies should be able to contribute
10c) There's still free agency
10d) There's still opportunity to trade

[BillsFever21]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Not saying it won't improve but it still won't be good. It's not hard to improve on a Defense that ranked almost last in most categories.

Our defense can improve some next season and still be bad at the same time. That is how bad our defense was to begin with.

Even if Dareus turns into a Pro Bowl type of player, get another starting caliber player out of the rest and maybe some depth with others we will still need some tweaks and other additions to make this defense GOOD not just BETTER or AVERAGE.

Face it we still need help in the secondary and especially at LB. Even if Dareus ends up good we need some other last year rookies on the DL to step up and be productive starters. As of right now we don't have any major pass rushers.

We're still short on starting caliber DB's too unless McKelvin steps up. Sure our defense will improve some next season. Not hard to improve on the worse but to be realistic it is going to be 2012 before we can hope to really reap any rewards we hopefully end up having.

If our defense goes from 31st to a Top 20-25th next year does that mean it's good? Sure improved but far from good.

Until we can get a Defense at least in the Top 15 that can put pressure on the QB, create TO's and hold teams to under 20 points a game you can't consider it a good defense. I don't see all that happening in just one season with a few rookies.

[ublinkwescore]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

I think we'll be a lot better actually. and will get better and better each week.

[BillsFever21]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Perhaps you'd feel better if the Bills simply forfeited all their picks.

Top 10 reasons the D is improved over 2010
1) Dwan Edwards isn't injured
2) Andra Davis isn't injured
3) Shawne Merriman isn't injured
4) Terrence McGee isn't injured
5) Danny Batten isn't injured
6) Alex Carrington is in his 2nd year
7) Arthur Moats is in his 2nd year
8) Torell Troup is in his 2nd year
9) Marcel Dareus is on the team
10a) Kelvin Sheppard is on the team
10b) In addition... Several other 2011 rookies should be able to contribute
10c) There's still free agency
10d) There's still opportunity to trade

Edwards isn't anything special

Davis is a dime a dozen

Merriman has to prove he can stay healthy and be his pre-steroids type of player again

McGee will get injured again. He does every year anymore. Just another year older.

Carrington and Troup hasn't shown they are starting caliber players yet

Moats is average at best.

Batten is a rookie coming off an injury. Wasn't even a major draft choice to begin with.

Like I said, of course it will improve some but it doesn't mean it will be good. Do you really see this as a Top Tier type of defense next season? Not going to happen that soon.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Gotta start somewhere... I can actually hope for top 20 or so.

[BillsFever21]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Of course you have to start somewhere. I would take Top 20 next year too but that still isn't a good defense. It's improved but still far from good.

I'm speaking to some who think we are going to be the next Ravens/Steelers type of defense all of a sudden. It's going to take hitting on these players just to be average let alone a Top defense.

[BillsFever21]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

It's the same type of people who thought we would automatically be better next year because we had a new coach, Edwards was another year along in the process, etc.. We see how that worked out.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

I think I'm starting to get your point... Your OP came across as we're F'd... At least to me.

[madness]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

Teams almost always improve in their 2nd year of a new scheme. I'm not expecting leaps and bounds but I do expect our run defense to the break the top 30.

[TigerJ]

Re: This Defense Will Still Be Bad Next Season

I thinnk Dareus is going to make a positive contribution to the defense next season. Alabama's program is closer to and NFL program in terms of sophistication and conditioning than just about any other college, and Dareus might have been the best defensive player in the nation. Sheppard is also pretty close to being NFL ready, though he's not nearly the impact player Dareus is. Buffalo is also going to get much more of a contribution this season From Troup, Moats and Carrington than they did last season. They won't be losing in vteran presence nearly what they will be gaining from that group of five players. For that reason, I expect Buffalo's defense to be quite a bit better. They won't be elite, but they might be up close to the middle of the pack.