chris hairston

[oldno711]

interesting read...and if our front office shares the same sentiment regarding his potential at left tackle, we could be in for an interesting (best player available/impact-driven) draft...

Buffalo Bills: Chris Hairston Has Chance to Shine at Left Tackle

A lot of folks—both fans and draft experts—presume that just because the Buffalo Bills (http://bleacherreport.com/buffalo-bills) lost Demetress Bell in free agency that the team is going to spend its 10th overall pick in 2012 on a left tackle. However, the Bills may already have Bell’s starting replacement in Chris Hairston (http://bleacherreport.com/chris-hairston).
With their first four picks in the 2011 NFL (http://bleacherreport.com/nfl) draft, Buffalo selected defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, cornerback Aaron Williams, middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and strong safety Da’Norris Searcy. The first three of those players will be defensive starters in 2012, while Searcy provides valuable depth to a quality safety group.
If you ask me, that’s a nice looking four rounds of drafting.
But the Bills weren’t done finding starting-caliber players. They used their second fourth-round pick, acquired from the Seattle Seahawks (http://bleacherreport.com/seattle-seahawks) in the Marshawn Lynch trade, on a hidden gem, former Clemson left tackle Chris Hairston. By shipping Lynch to clear up a crowded backfield, the Bills may have actually found their left tackle of the future.

more... (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1133809-chris-hairston-has-chance-to-shine-at-left-tackle-for-the-buffalo-bills)

[jpdex12]

Good read, thanks.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Good writeup. I'm down with that.

[TedMock]

Anybody who knows me knows that I was happy with the Hairston pick last year, but I was not happy because I thought he was a steal future left tackle. I honestly like(d) Hairston as the future right tackle. He may still be that. He was thrust into the lineup as a rookie and forced to play LT. I was not thrilled. At times he held his own. More often he did not, but rookies on the OL have a learning curve. I am not opposed to having him sit in as a stop gap on the left an ultimately being on the right and I do not think the team is either, and for that reason alone I do not see a tackle as our pick. Having said that, IF he plays on the left and ends up settling in well, we are in great shape.

Pears is adequate on the right, but not great which is why I would like to see him as a swing guy down the road. Pears has played well as a pass blocker and below average as a run blocker. He shields okay, but gets zero push. At least that was the case last year.

I still say we draft a left tackle this year, but not in the first round. In fact, I always say LT, QB and CB should be drafted somewhere every year. LT's can move to the right and inside if they prove to be valuable there. It's far easier to move left to right or inside than it is from elsewhere on the line to the left tackle spot. The old cliche' is especially true in todays NFL regarding CB's - you cannot have enough decent CB's. As for QB's, I am all for continuing to search for a diamond in the draft. Well, at least until we have to take one early.

[Night Train]

His issue coming out of Clemson was his stuck in mud movement off the snap. Slow as hell. Did our outstanding OL coach, Joe D improve him enough in that regard ? Once he gets his hands on guys, he seems to eliminate them.

Still, the depth chart shows a crying need for LT/OT depth so 1-2 picks this draft seems to be a lock. Competition is always a good thing, especially at such a critical position. Levitre having to fill in spoke volumes.

I like Hairston and root for the guy.

[better days]

Great read. I have been saying unless the Bills can draft Kalil, Hairston will be the starting LT no matter who the Bills draft so it would be stupid to waste the #10 pick in the draft on a guy like Reiff that may be no better than Hairston.

[X-Era]

His issue coming out of Clemson was his stuck in mud movement off the snap. Slow as hell. Did our outstanding OL coach, Joe D improve him enough in that regard ? Once he gets his hands on guys, he seems to eliminate them.

Still, the depth chart shows a crying need for LT/OT depth so 1-2 picks this draft seems to be a lock. Competition is always a good thing, especially at such a critical position. Levitre having to fill in spoke volumes.

I like Hairston and root for the guy.I still think Hairston has a chance at LT and I think the Bills do too. But I agree with what your saying; we don't have depth or a solid enough starter at LT to ignore the position in the draft.

People tend to overlook his numbers which were actually pretty good:

<table class="shsTable shsBorderTable" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr class="shsColTtlRow"><td style="width: 9%" class="shsNamD">Year</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNamD">Team</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">G</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">GS</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">Pen</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">Yds</td> <td style="width: 10%" class="shsNumD">False Start</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">Holding</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">Sacks Allwd</td> <td style="width: 9%" class="shsNumD">Yds</td> </tr><tr class="shsRow0Row"><td class="shsNamD">2011</td> <td class="shsNamD" nowrap="nowrap">Buf</td> <td class="shsNumD">13</td> <td class="shsNumD">7</td> <td class="shsNumD">3</td> <td class="shsNumD">20</td> <td class="shsNumD">2</td> <td class="shsNumD">1</td> <td class="shsNumD">4.00</td> <td class="shsNumD">37.00</td></tr></tbody></table>
I think those numbers compare nicely with a solid starting LT in this league. Yes, we all saw some lapses where he got beat. But it really wasn't very often and many times against many great pass rushers he did his job well.

Personally I'm not convinced there is a top 10 LT outside of Kalil. However, I think theres a big drop off for LT's after you get through Reiff and Martin. And both Reiff and Martin may end up in mid to later round 1 instead of top 10 or 15.

So it's a quandary as to what we should do. I would like us to get some FA insurance like Marcus McNeil but we may not have the cap room anymore to do it.

My guess is we pencil in Hairston as our starting LT and add a mid-round OT who could be a swing tackle type. My hope is that Hairston develops further and becomes a solid but maybe not great LT.

[Patti120]

Hopefully he can man the LT spot but depth is a HUGE concern there given that the injury bug seems to get our team each year and because he's not a tried and tested sure thing. As much as I like Levitre, he has no business at LT so we've got to get some depth there. Whether it's a reach at 10, somewhere else in the draft or someone else that we pick up, we've got to address it somewhere.

[better days]

I still think Hairston has a chance at LT and I think the Bills do too. But I agree with what your saying; we don't have depth or a solid enough starter at LT to ignore the position in the draft.

People tend to overlook his numbers which were actually pretty good:

<table class="shsTable shsBorderTable" cellSpacing="0"><tbody><tr class="shsColTtlRow"><td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNamD">Year</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNamD">Team</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">G</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">GS</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">Pen</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">Yds</td> <td style="width: 10%;" class="shsNumD">False Start</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">Holding</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">Sacks Allwd</td> <td style="width: 9%;" class="shsNumD">Yds</td> </tr><tr class="shsRow0Row"><td class="shsNamD">2011</td> <td class="shsNamD" noWrap="nowrap">Buf</td> <td class="shsNumD">13</td> <td class="shsNumD">7</td> <td class="shsNumD">3</td> <td class="shsNumD">20</td> <td class="shsNumD">2</td> <td class="shsNumD">1</td> <td class="shsNumD">4.00</td> <td class="shsNumD">37.00</td></tr></tbody></table>
I think those numbers compare nicely with a solid starting LT in this league. Yes, we all saw some lapses where he got beat. But it really wasn't very often and many times against many great pass rushers he did his job well.

Personally I'm not convinced there is a top 10 LT outside of Kalil. However, I think theres a big drop off for LT's after you get through Reiff and Martin. And both Reiff and Martin may end up in mid to later round 1 instead of top 10 or 15.

So it's a quandary as to what we should do. I would like us to get some FA insurance like Marcus McNeil but we may not have the cap room anymore to do it.

My guess is we pencil in Hairston as our starting LT and add a mid-round OT who could be a swing tackle type. My hope is that Hairston develops further and becomes a solid but maybe not great LT.

My hope is the Bills can trade down & draft Reiff in the teens or twentys where he should be drafted.

[ThunderGun]

It would be great if we actually saw some benefit to running Lynch out of town.

[Bill Cody]

The same question about whether Hairston is a LT in the NFL is being asked about Reiff. If you draft Reiff at 10 you need to be confident the answer is "yes". I don't believe a RT is worth the 10th pick especially on a team with as many holes as ours. So is Reiff a LT? You tell me.

[TigerJ]

I think Hairston has a chance to be a solid left tackle, but he does need to overcome the "slow feet" issue. I don't know the extent to which Buffalo's strength and conditioning program might address an issue like that, and I'm not sure the Bills do either. It's because of that uncertainty that I think Buffalo must address left tackle in the draft. I don't think they necessarily have to draft a left tackle who can start from day one, because Hairston will be that guy at least this season. I believe they need to draft a guy who could step in if Hairston goes down with an injury, and who has enough upside to possibly start midway through the season if Hairston struggles.

[MattyNH]

I think it is possible the Bills would pass on an OT in round one but they will be getting one fairly early IMO. At the least they need a swing tackle. We have to remember that Levitre can play LT when needed too.

[MattyNH]

My hope is the Bills can trade down & draft Reiff in the teens or twentys where he should be drafted.

I would love this.

[OpIv37]

I'd love for Hairston to become a solid starting LT, but I just don't see it yet and I don't like taking the risk.

We lacked OL depth last year and we already lost Bell. At the very least, we need a backup G/C who can play both and a true backup T so we don't have to rearrange the whole OL because of one injury.

[justasportsfan]

one can only hope that with a full OTA and camp, Hairston will play better. I am tired however with "hopeful" players or players with POTENTIAL like Hairston, Jones, even Easely etc. Time to plug in proven players if we are to make the playoffs this year. If these potential players end up playing better than our proven players in the course of the year then that would be a awesome, but enough of this already. Time to take out the pats 2X this year.

[OpIv37]

one can only hope that with a full OTA and camp, Hairston will play better. I am tired however with "hopeful" players or players with POTENTIAL like Hairston, Jones, even Easely etc. Time to plug in proven players if we are to make the playoffs this year. If these potential players end up playing better than our proven players in the course of the year then that would be a awesome, but enough of this already. Time to take out the pats 2X this year.

yeah, every year since I joined this board, someone in the off-season says we'll get better through "player improvement," particularly players going from first year to second year.

So far, it hasn't happened. Well, to be more accurate, it hasn't happened on a scale significant enough to improve the team and lead to wins. Certainly, some individual players have improved (Fred Jackson and Kyle Williams come immediately to mind, Spiller seems to be headed in the right direction).

But, I digress... OL depth was an issue last year and I think it's a mistake to rely solely on improvement to try to fix it.

[X-Era]

I think the Bills may lean toward most bang for the buck at 10. I think this would be a different discussion if there was a sure fire starting LT type prospect at 10. But since there really doesn't appear to be, they may go playmaker. That could be a CB or WR. There's thoughts of Blackmon dropping though I still don't see him dropping to 10. But theres also talk of Floyd rising after his great pro-day. Both CB's in Kirkpatrick and Gilmore may be considerations but both seem more to be late 1st rounders. With Floyd on the rise and already being talked about as a possible top 15 guy, the notion that he's the pick is growing IMO.

Personally I wouldn't mind it. I think he's a rugged possession type with very good speed as well. He brings physicality which is what we were looking for. Obviously I'd love to land Blackmon but I just don't think he can drop that far.

[X-Era]

yeah, every year since I joined this board, someone in the off-season says we'll get better through "player improvement," particularly players going from first year to second year.

So far, it hasn't happened. Well, to be more accurate, it hasn't happened on a scale significant enough to improve the team and lead to wins. Certainly, some individual players have improved (Fred Jackson and Kyle Williams come immediately to mind, Spiller seems to be headed in the right direction).

But, I digress... OL depth was an issue last year and I think it's a mistake to rely solely on improvement to try to fix it.Why? I mean Peters went from being a TE to a pro-bowl caliber LT. Bell went from a late round pick to being considered a solid starter at LT. But, Hairston, with solid starts under his belt, can't become a solid starting LT?

If you meant that we really don't see a player go from backup to solid starter in one off-season I'd agree.

[mayotm]

yeah, every year since I joined this board, someone in the off-season says we'll get better through "player improvement," particularly players going from first year to second year.

So far, it hasn't happened. Well, to be more accurate, it hasn't happened on a scale significant enough to improve the team and lead to wins. Certainly, some individual players have improved (Fred Jackson and Kyle Williams come immediately to mind, Spiller seems to be headed in the right direction).

But, I digress... OL depth was an issue last year and I think it's a mistake to rely solely on improvement to try to fix it.I think a vast majority of us agree that OL depth is a concern. I think the question is if there is a prospect at 10 that is a significant upgrade over Hairston. If not, I think they'll wait a round or two before taking a tackle. I think the coaching staff may be higher on Hairston than some of us fans. What they do at 10 will give us an indication of what they think of Hairston.

[X-Era]

I think a vast majority of us agree that OL depth is a concern. I think the question is if there is a prospect at 10 that is a significant upgrade over Hairston. If not, I think they'll wait a round or two before taking a tackle. I think the coaching staff may be higher on Hairston than some of us fans. What they do at 10 will give us an indication of what they think of Hairston.I agree on the coaching staff being high on him. If memory serves they left Hairston as the starting LT even when Bell was back healthy. They then switched back in the last few games.

[OpIv37]

I think a vast majority of us agree that OL depth is a concern. I think the question is if there is a prospect at 10 that is a significant upgrade over Hairston. If not, I think they'll wait a round or two before taking a tackle. I think the coaching staff may be higher on Hairston than some of us fans. What they do at 10 will give us an indication of what they think of Hairston.

I don't disagree, but let's put it this way: if there is a solid starting LT prospect at 10, I home they don't pass on him cuz we have Hairston.

I'd love to get a solid starting LT, move Hairston to RT and use Pears for depth at T. We'd be in good shape if we could somehow pull that off.

[OpIv37]

Why? I mean Peters went from being a TE to a pro-bowl caliber LT. Bell went from a late round pick to being considered a solid starter at LT. But, Hairston, with solid starts under his belt, can't become a solid starting LT?

If you meant that we really don't see a player go from backup to solid starter in one off-season I'd agree.

I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying I'd like to see the Bills have some kind of strategy for the OL that doesn't depend on it happening because it isn't inevitable.

[X-Era]

I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying I'd like to see the Bills have some kind of strategy for the OL that doesn't depend on it happening because it isn't inevitable.I agree with that premise... I'm always clamoring for solid vet depth. Adding anyone outside of Kalil is really only adding more potential. Hell even Kalil hasn't played an NFL down. In this case a guy like McNeil would be a starter or at the very least rock solid depth. Money is probably the issue.

[Ed]

I think a vast majority of us agree that OL depth is a concern. I think the question is if there is a prospect at 10 that is a significant upgrade over Hairston. If not, I think they'll wait a round or two before taking a tackle. I think the coaching staff may be higher on Hairston than some of us fans. What they do at 10 will give us an indication of what they think of Hairston.
Absolutely. The same way they were a lot higher on Pears and Urbik last season than any of us were. They also didn't have any problem sticking with Bell at LT a couple years ago despite the fact that he was still raw and inexperienced.

I don't think the Bills will go LT at #10 for the simple fact that Reiff or Martin won't be the highest rated player on their board at the time. I think they like Hairston as a starter, but will look to draft a LT in the 2nd-3rd round that can come in and compete with Hairston and provide depth.

[ParanoidAndroid]

I think that if this offense is to take a step forward, they have to be more dominant on the edges. Neither tackle spot offers what the interior does. Wood and Levitre are looking like future pro-bowlers. Urbik seems to be developing nicely.
Hairston has a chance and Pears is adequate, but that's just not good enough.
I would not mind if they sacrificed a couple of picks to do for the tackle position what they did for the guard spot when they selected Wood and Levitre. The dilemma might be that they lose the opportunity to improve significantly at LB or CB. However, I think the D-line will do well to hide any deficiencies there.
Now that we have a D-line that might end up deserving of a nickname, it's time to look to the other side of the ball.
Get those front 5 set already! We've been waiting 12 years for an O-line.

[ddaryl]

Hairston deserves the chance to compete.

I just hope we aren't satisfied with our OT's on the roster right now and look to bring in some top talent to push Hairston and/or beat him out.

we have 3 OT on the roster right now. All 3 as of now are depth... Hairston may develope into a starter. Pears is OK but we can do better. Don't know much about Sam young though

<table style="width: 357px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name">Hairston, Chris (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Chris-Hairston/192733a0-4670-4e2e-854b-5a8557a5e37d) </td> <td class="col-position">LT</td> <td class="col-height">6-6</td> <td class="col-weight">330</td><td class="col-bd">22</td><td class="col-exp" rel="02"> 2 </td> <td class="col-college">Clemson</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name"><table style="width: 420px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-even loop-last"><td class="col-name">Young, Sam (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Sam-Young/8ffa8d12-3853-493d-bd99-ce535844cbea) </td> <td class="col-position">RT</td> <td class="col-height">6-8</td> <td class="col-weight">316</td><td class="col-bd">24</td><td class="col-exp" rel="03"> 3 </td> <td class="col-college">Notre Dame</td></tr></tbody></table></td> <td class="col-position">
</td> <td class="col-height">
</td> <td class="col-weight">
</td><td class="col-bd">
</td><td class="col-exp" rel="02">
</td> <td class="col-college">
</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 489px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name">Pears, Erik (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Erik-Pears/f7e4c223-efbf-433c-a3f8-2744e68ed5da) </td> <td class="col-position">RT</td> <td class="col-height">6-8</td><td class="col-weight">316</td><td class="col-bd">29</td><td class="col-exp" rel="05"> 5 </td> <td class="col-college">Colorado State</td></tr></tbody></table>

I hope to see a OT in the 1st couple of rounds and another value pick up later on in this draft

[Crisis]

He's being groomed for Philadelphia's left side.

[Ed]

Hairston deserves the chance to compete.

I just hope we aren't satisfied with our OT's on the roster right now and look to bring in some top talent to push Hairston and/or beat him out.

we have 3 OT on the roster right now. All 3 as of now are depth... Hairston may develope into a starter. Pears is OK but we can do better. Don't know much about Sam young though

<table style="width: 357px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name">Hairston, Chris (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Chris-Hairston/192733a0-4670-4e2e-854b-5a8557a5e37d) </td> <td class="col-position">LT</td> <td class="col-height">6-6</td> <td class="col-weight">330</td><td class="col-bd">22</td><td class="col-exp" rel="02"> 2 </td> <td class="col-college">Clemson</td></tr></tbody></table><table><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name"><table style="width: 420px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-even loop-last"><td class="col-name">Young, Sam (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Sam-Young/8ffa8d12-3853-493d-bd99-ce535844cbea) </td> <td class="col-position">RT</td> <td class="col-height">6-8</td> <td class="col-weight">316</td><td class="col-bd">24</td><td class="col-exp" rel="03"> 3 </td> <td class="col-college">Notre Dame</td></tr></tbody></table></td> <td class="col-position">
</td> <td class="col-height">
</td> <td class="col-weight">
</td><td class="col-bd">
</td><td class="col-exp" rel="02">
</td> <td class="col-college">
</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: 489px; height: 24px;"><tbody><tr class="loop-odd"><td class="col-name">Pears, Erik (http://www.buffalobills.com/team/roster/Erik-Pears/f7e4c223-efbf-433c-a3f8-2744e68ed5da) </td> <td class="col-position">RT</td> <td class="col-height">6-8</td><td class="col-weight">316</td><td class="col-bd">29</td><td class="col-exp" rel="05"> 5 </td> <td class="col-college">Colorado State</td></tr></tbody></table>

I hope to see a OT in the 1st couple of rounds and another value pick up later on in this draft
I think it's highly likely we'll draft 2 OT's unless they have plans to add some veteran depth, but there doesn't seem to be much out there right now. With 10 picks they can draft 2 OT's and still get 2 CB's, 2 LB's, 1 WR, 1 TE, 1 QB, and still have one pick left over.

[BertSquirtgum]

Hairston's backup is in the middle of this picture.

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5906/55945510150760909070659.jpg

[X-Era]

Hairston's backup is in the middle of this picture.

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5906/55945510150760909070659.jpg

I see little chance of Jasper playing OT to be honest.

[BertSquirtgum]

He's in damn good shape for a big man.

[kingJofNYC]

Being in shape doesn't mean he has the skills it takes to play tackle, or any offensive line position for that matter.

[Extremebillsfan247]

interesting read...and if our front office shares the same sentiment regarding his potential at left tackle, we could be in for an interesting (best player available/impact-driven) draft...

Buffalo Bills: Chris Hairston Has Chance to Shine at Left Tackle

A lot of folks—both fans and draft experts—presume that just because the Buffalo Bills (http://bleacherreport.com/buffalo-bills) lost Demetress Bell in free agency that the team is going to spend its 10th overall pick in 2012 on a left tackle. However, the Bills may already have Bell’s starting replacement in Chris Hairston (http://bleacherreport.com/chris-hairston).
With their first four picks in the 2011 NFL (http://bleacherreport.com/nfl) draft, Buffalo selected defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, cornerback Aaron Williams, middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and strong safety Da’Norris Searcy. The first three of those players will be defensive starters in 2012, while Searcy provides valuable depth to a quality safety group.
If you ask me, that’s a nice looking four rounds of drafting.
But the Bills weren’t done finding starting-caliber players. They used their second fourth-round pick, acquired from the Seattle Seahawks (http://bleacherreport.com/seattle-seahawks) in the Marshawn Lynch trade, on a hidden gem, former Clemson left tackle Chris Hairston. By shipping Lynch to clear up a crowded backfield, the Bills may have actually found their left tackle of the future.

more... (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1133809-chris-hairston-has-chance-to-shine-at-left-tackle-for-the-buffalo-bills) I don't think many of us think they will draft a LT, but more of a thought that the possibility is greater without Bell in the fold here. No one really knows what direction this team is going in with the 10th pick or we wouldn't even have a need for this conversation. JMO

[justasportsfan]

yeah, every year since I joined this board, someone in the off-season says we'll get better through "player improvement," particularly players going from first year to second year.

So far, it hasn't happened. Well, to be more accurate, it hasn't happened on a scale significant enough to improve the team and lead to wins. Certainly, some individual players have improved (Fred Jackson and Kyle Williams come immediately to mind, Spiller seems to be headed in the right direction).

But, I digress... OL depth was an issue last year and I think it's a mistake to rely solely on improvement to try to fix it.


bring in a proven player and make Hairston beat him. Don't bring in an unproven player who can push another unproven player (Hairston) . We screwed up by getting rid of Lee who may not have played like a no.1 under Gailey but depending on Jones to play no.2 was a failed experiment. Jones should have beaten Lee before we got rid of Lee.

[YardRat]

I'm in the camp, and have been since first seeing him play at this level, that Hairston will do fine at LT and don't agree that he's only a fit on the right side. I'm OK going into this season with him being the starter. That being said we definitely need depth, someone that can step in and play preferably (a vet) and if there were a no-brainer starter-quality LT available I wouldn't be opposed to bringing one in.

[Goobylal]

bring in a proven player and make Hairston beat him. Don't bring in an unproven player who can push another unproven player (Hairston) . We screwed up by getting rid of Lee who may not have played like a no.1 under Gailey but depending on Jones to play no.2 was a failed experiment. Jones should have beaten Lee before we got rid of Lee.
Evans didn't fit the Bills' system so that's why they moved him. Easley was supposed to be the number #2 WR until he had the heart condition. Given Evans' poor season, the Bills made the right move getting something for him when they did.

As for Easley, he should be improved this year. I'm not ready to call him injury prone because the heart condition was a freak thing and the knee injury was just something that happened and could have happened to anyone. The good thing this year is he will be a year further removed from the knee injury. I don't see wide receiver as a pressing need, i.e. a first round pick.

[justasportsfan]

Evans didn't fit the Bills' system so that's why they moved him. Easley was supposed to be the number #2 WR until he had the heart condition. Given Evans' poor season, the Bills made the right move getting something for him when they did.

As for Easley, he should be improved this year. I'm not ready to call him injury prone because the heart condition was a freak thing and the knee injury was just something that happened and could have happened to anyone. The good thing this year is he will be a year further removed from the knee injury. I don't see wide receiver as a pressing need, i.e. a first round pick.


Even if Lee didn't fit the system he was way better than anything at no.2 especially Jones. I didn't make a big fuss about their trading Lee because I could see what Chan was trying to do. Problem is, he failed by trying to put a player they "hoped" could do better than Lee instead of plugging in a player who could prove to be better than Lee.

I was very high in Easely myself. Just tired of putting our hopes on someone like him who hasn't done anything compared to a fragile Parrish in terms of seeing the field.

The reason why the Pats are always dangerous is because they always have players who actually produce instead of players who they HOPE can produce.

I was okay with putting players we hoped would pan out last year. This year is the 3rd year of the Nix experiment. Time to put up or shut up.

[Sportsuser101]

If we didn't have Hairston I truly believe they would have re-signed Bell. I feel that the FO believes Hairston is their starting LT. That is why I think they draft Floyd at #10 if he is there. I do like Reiff but it seems like Reiff is more of a RT which is fine but at #10 it might be a stretch to use that high of a pick on a guy who is not protecting the QBs blind side. Our offensive line was actually good last year. Sure we could use depth but I would be fine with our offensive line starters. I really hope we grab Floyd and give Hairston the LT nod.

[djjimkelly]

there is no need to draft a position we already have better at.

im for a 4th or 5th round LT again this season not a 1st unless kalil somehow drops to 10

[Goobylal]

Even if Lee didn't fit the system he was way better than anything at no.2 especially Jones. I didn't make a big fuss about their trading Lee because I could see what Chan was trying to do. Problem is, he failed by trying to put a player they "hoped" could do better than Lee instead of plugging in a player who could prove to be better than Lee.

I was very high in Easely myself. Just tired of putting our hopes on someone like him who hasn't done anything compared to a fragile Parrish in terms of seeing the field.

The reason why the Pats are always dangerous is because they always have players who actually produce instead of players who they HOPE can produce.

I was okay with putting players we hoped would pan out last year. This year is the 3rd year of the Nix experiment. Time to put up or shut up.
Evans didn't produce last year, and ended-up dropping the biggest pass of his career/life. He was an after-thought in the few games he DID play, and it wouldn't surprise me if his career was over. So getting a 4th for him was a great move.

Easley looked good and was being groomed for the #2 job. And had he not had the "heart condition," he'd have been a good #2 WR. But the Bills can't predict the future.

[justasportsfan]

Evans didn't produce last year, and ended-up dropping the biggest pass of his career/life. He was an after-thought in the few games he DID play, and it wouldn't surprise me if his career was over. So getting a 4th for him was a great move. . I know he didnt do anything for the ravens but he produced here even under Gailey and with Fitz. Like I said I had no problem with letting him go as much as others here . Who knows if he would have been injured here if he stayed. I'm almost sure he would have been more productive than Jones. Jones as Lee's replacement was a failure. No more depending on experimental players like Jones. Time to make the playoffs


Easley looked good and was being groomed for the #2 job. And had he not had the "heart condition," he'd have been a good #2 WR. But the Bills can't predict the future.
I was very high one Easeley but if you're going to blast Lee for last years nos, at least he made it to the field on a regular game. Even made catches in the playoffs. No more depending waiting on players like Easely. I am so done with waiting on guys like him and Parrish. If Easely actually beats a proven player, good. Otherswise I'm done hoping .

[Goobylal]

I know he didnt do anything for the ravens but he produced here even under Gailey and with Fitz. Like I said I had no problem with letting him go as much as others here but using. Who knows if he would have been injured here if he stayed. I'm almost sure he would have been more productive than Jones. Jones as Lee's replacement was a failure. No more depending on experimental players like Jones. Time to make the playoffs


I was very high one Easeley but if you're going to blast Lee for last years nos, at least he made it to the field on a regular game. Even made catches in the playoffs. No more depending waiting on players like Easely. I am so done with waiting on guys like him and Parrish. If Easely actually beats a proven player, good. Otherswise I'm done hoping .
Let me ask you this: in hindsight, if you could do the trade over again, would you, knowing what you know? I certainly would. Evans is done and the Bills got a 4th rounder out of Baltimore. At least Easley still has a potential future.

[better days]

Let me ask you this: in hindsight, if you could do the trade over again, would you, knowing what you know? I certainly would. Evans is done and the Bills got a 4th rounder out of Baltimore. At least Easley still has a potential future.

But what do you REALLY know in hindsight? Evans was injured AFTER the trade that sent him to the Ravens. If he was not traded, it is possible he would not have been injured in Buffalo & he could have had a great year in Buffalo.

[Goobylal]

But what do you REALLY know in hindsight? Evans was injured AFTER the trade that sent him to the Ravens. If he was not traded, it is possible he would not have been injured in Buffalo & he could have had a great year in Buffalo.
By the same token, had Evans not been traded, Easley's "heart condition" may not have manifested itself. Presumably it was something he's had most of his life, and it didn't show up until last year.

All we can go by is what actually transpired. Evans is no spring chicken and his play had been declining for years. The odds of him getting hurt wherever were high. The Bills saw a chance to get a pick for him and took it, and it turned out to be a great move. Furthermore, I doubt Evans' presence on the field would have significantly changed the outcome of the season, given all the other injuries.

[better days]

By the same token, had Evans not been traded, Easley's "heart condition" may not have manifested itself. Presumably it was something he's had most of his life, and it didn't show up until last year.

All we can go by is what actually transpired. Evans is no spring chicken and his play had been declining for years. The odds of him getting hurt wherever were high. The Bills saw a chance to get a pick for him and took it, and it turned out to be a great move. Furthermore, I doubt Evans' presence on the field would have significantly changed the outcome of the season, given all the other injuries.

Well, with Nix as GM making the picks, I am happy to have that 4th rnd pick. I just hope Nix finds someone as good as Hairston again.

[justasportsfan]

Let me ask you this: in hindsight, if you could do the trade over again, would you, knowing what you know? I certainly would. Evans is done and the Bills got a 4th rounder out of Baltimore. At least Easley still has a potential future.

thats a hard question. Since Evans was injured I would have. Without Evans' injury , I wouldn't. I agree that Easely may still have potential and once again, I'm tired of waiting for that potential to become a reality. We could be waiting for Easely to do something like we waited for Parrish. We need proven players to produce is we are to make playoffs . The goal is to win a sb and potential won't get us there. Potential is good in the 1st year od rebuild, Nix can no longer depend on it in his 3rd year.

[justasportsfan]

By the same token, had Evans not been traded, Easley's "heart condition" may not have manifested itself. Presumably it was something he's had most of his life, and it didn't show up until last year.

All we can go by is what actually transpired. Evans is no spring chicken and his play had been declining for years. The odds of him getting hurt wherever were high. The Bills saw a chance to get a pick for him and took it, and it turned out to be a great move. Furthermore, I doubt Evans' presence on the field would have significantly changed the outcome of the season, given all the other injuries.

I don't have a problem with the trade, I have a problem plugging in players we're depending on who have done nothing at this point of the rebuilding process.

[Goobylal]

I don't have a problem with the trade, I have a problem plugging in players with depending on players who have done nothing at this point of the rebuilding process.
The Bills were doing pretty well until the injuries hit. Maybe if they had kept Evans and he had stayed healthy, it would have helped with the depth at WR. But there were problems elsewhere that sunk the Bills' season. Furthermore, I don't think that Evans ever fit Gailey's offense, so getting something for him and getting a move-on on the future was a good idea.

[justasportsfan]

The Bills were doing pretty well until the injuries hit. Maybe if they had kept Evans and he had stayed healthy, it would have helped with the depth at WR. But there were problems elsewhere that sunk the Bills' season. Furthermore, I don't think that Evans ever fit Gailey's offense, so getting something for him and getting a move-on on the future was a good idea.

I agree with this but the time has come where woulda ,coulda,shoulda is over. Time for Nix to show us the baby. No more depending on experiments like Jones , Hairston and Easley to take us to the next level. We need proven players to take us there.

[better days]

I agree with this but the time has come where woulda ,coulda,shoulda is over. Time for Nix to show us the baby. No more depending on experiments like Jones , Hairston and Easley to take us to the next level. We need proven players to take us there.

Well, Nix did get us a couple proven players for the defense. I'm pretty happy with that.

[justasportsfan]

Well, Nix did get us a couple proven players for the defense. I'm pretty happy with that.

I agree and this is where I hope he does the same at LT instead of depending on Hairston who IMO is an experiment at this point. If it's true that Fitz's crappy 2nd half performance was due to an injury, we may very well see another performance like that if no proven player will protect his blind side .

The scary part is that right now we don't have a proven Qb backing him up again. We could very well end up having the same result offensively. If Fitz gets injured again because we put an experiment at LT , it can no longer be used as an excuse by Nix.