The reason we 'reached' for Whitner

[YardRat]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/teams/report/BUF/9435918

Buffalo allowed a whopping 48 pass plays of 20 or more yards, and their last-place rankings on third down and in the red zone were mainly the result of being burned through the air at critical junctures.

Improving the secondary was a prime consideration this off-season for new general manager Marv Levy and coach Dick Jauron, who added six new players to the mix: free agents Matt Bowen, Kiwaukee Thomas and James Bethea and draft choices Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Ko Simpson.

They join a list of returning players that includes starting corners Nate Clements and Terrence McGee, free safety Troy Vincent and reserves Jabari Greer, Eric King, Rashad Baker, Rob Lee, Coy Wire and Jim Leonhard.

The key upgrade is at safety.

Whitner, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, will replace Lawyer Milloy at strong safety, giving Buffalo a big hitter with speed and more versatility in implementing schemes. Simpson and Bowen add depth to the position.

As good as Milloy was, the four-time Pro Bowler had slowed down considerably.

After analyzing game tape of last season, new Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could sympathize with what predecessor Jerry Gray was up against.

"As I looked at it last year, Lawyer was always sitting in the box," he said. "Looking at it, that's an eight-man front, maybe they're going to blitz. Now we're interchangeable. (Whitner and Simpson) give us flexibility. Both guys can cover. From a look, disguise (standpoint), we've gotten better with those additions."

[Night Train]

People have to realize that Milloy was NEVER a cover safety in his life. He was a in-the-box safety who played like a 4th LB. He never had speed. When asked to drop back and cover, he was out of his element. He had to go this off-season, once the Cover 2 was announced.

Whitner and Simpson both have great speed and cover ability. The age of the hybrid safety has arrived.

[John Doe]

That could be why Clements had to play 10 yards off the reciever that he was covering.

Nobody had his back.

[jamze132]

That could be why Clements had to play 10 yards off the reciever that he was covering.

Nobody had his back.

He won't need to anymore. He can bump the receiver off his route and in turn allow more time for the D-line to get penetration.

[ICE74129]

So instead of getting Bunkley to stop the run and pressure the passer, we get a Safety? Its the LINES that make for a better secondary. But hey, Come september it will all play out.

[MikeInRoch]

Yeah, if we had Bunkley, we could put college players back there and be ok. Because all that really matters is the line.

[Mr. Pink]

It's a combination of the two....more pass rush and consistent pass rush helps the secondary as does players that fit your system. Thing is with a more consistent pass rush you can have average NFL safeties and be ok. If you don't have an adequate pass rush, you can have steve atwater and ronnie lott back there and it wouldn't matter.

[patmoran2006]

I agree with "Fun"..
It goes hand in hand, a better pass rush makes a secondary better.

However, I agree with the Whitner pick and this is the biggest reason why:

I think the Bills will have a better pass rush this year. Tripplett and McCargo in passing downs will be much better than Anderson/Bannon/Adams. They're strength is getting after the quarterback. Couple that with the hopeful/expected return of Spikes and I think our pass rush will be much improved over last year.

However, the weakness/question is going to be being able to contain the run on first down. No defense can be consistently effective when they're facing 3rd and 2, 10 times per game.

Whitner from everything I've seen and heard is an outstanding cover safety. Along with a new scheme in the secondary, I think the pass defense will be much improved.

And again, when teams have to pass, the combo of Triplett and McCargo is an upgrade over the DT's who played here last year.

[Don't Panic]

This was my favorite quote from the article:

"Clements, Buffalo's franchise player, is on board for one more season and likely won't be retained beyond 2006 given the money involved. Youboty has the potential to take his place in the starting lineup, and Simpson will eventually supplant 15-year veteran Vincent, who will be a good mentor."

Not that I'll be entirely thrilled to see Clements go, but this is a sound plan both logistically and financially and it puts our secondary in a very good position for the long-term. I esspecially like the Vincent-Simpson tutoring situation. Is there a better tutor out there for a young, talented safety?

[justasportsfan]

So instead of getting Bunkley to stop the run and pressure the passer, we get a Safety? Its the LINES that make for a better secondary. But hey, Come september it will all play out.

we got McCargo. What is it you don't understand?

[patmoran2006]

In his book, McCargo doesnt even count because he's not going to "start".

For someone who "knows so much about football", he fails to understand that the Bears and Colts have such effective front fours because they ROTATE their DT's in and out of the game.. Larry Tripplett technically wasn't even a "starter", yet no problem was had when the Bills signed him.

McCargo is the 2005 Tripplett version of the Colts.. Whomever doesnt see that needs to open up their eyes.

[justasportsfan]

I will take Modraks, Levy's and Jaurons decision over Ice's any day.

[patmoran2006]

I just find it partially humorous and partially annoying/hypocritical that I lost count on how many times the "levi jones" name was thrown out there as a "reach" yet when its the BILLS that defy conventional widsom on draft day the pick gets blasted.

Levi Jones = reach who turned out to be a steal, no?
Dwight Freeney= reach who turned out to be a steal, no?

Why not Whitner?

[acehole]

So instead of getting Bunkley to stop the run and pressure the passer, we get a Safety? Its the LINES that make for a better secondary. But hey, Come september it will all play out.

This is very true...but the opposite is also true.....it is called a coverage sack. If nobody is open Shobel and company have more time to get to the qb.

[GarnOFreak]

One thing to consider is the cap. we could sign nate long term this year or still use that money to grab a decent priced DE/DT to bolster pass rush ability next year. You have to honest and say we're in a rebuilding process again(at least to a point it will take at least this year and next before we have people set to man the schemes we want to have here). The have addressed the secondary and middle of the defense this year. Next year will probably be aimed at the outside/ pass rush area moreso than this year was(unless we get a diamond in the rough to step up from no where or the Cover 2 turns Kelsay/Denney into a force).

Still just wondering if the 295 pounders are now what we want to aim for DT players, why not move Denney over to the DT rotation? There was an article(I'm sure most have read) about the suggestion of moving Posey to DE to help the Passrush as well as all the signings we have done of little known players.

p.s. never realized that Mark Word(DE from Cleve) had 8 sacks in 2003 and 4 more in 2004. was he a situational pass rusher because he was in 16 games both years and the tackle totals were really low.

[John Doe]

I esspecially like the Vincent-Simpson tutoring situation. Is there a better tutor out there for a young, talented safety?

There may well be. A former all-pro saftey named Dick Jauron.

[feelthepain]

You're better off sacking the QB with the front 7 then you are trying to land shut down CB's and probowl S's. I don't understand the thinking of the Bills draft, they could have landed Bunkely with their first pick and Winston Justice with their second and still gotten their latter picks they have now and it would have been a much better balanced draft and they would have had probabbly a top five draft, instead they get players that are good players, but waste so much future potential on players they reached for and overpaid to get.

[patmoran2006]

Is John McCargo a bum who can't get to the quarterback? Am I missing something?

[John Doe]

You're better off sacking the QB with the front 7 then you are trying to land shut down CB's and probowl S's. I don't understand the thinking of the Bills draft,

The Bills drafted 2 quick defensive linemen and signed another in free agency. The pass rush should be a lot better because of it.

... instead they get players that are good players, but waste so much future potential on players they reached for and overpaid to get.

The Bill's draft is all about future potential. All the top picks were underclassmen that would probably have been drafted even higher next year if they would have stayed in school.

I don't get your points at all.

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

I have had enough of these dolphin fans coming on here busting our draft when theres is nothing to cheer about. Jason Allen? I wouldn't be that excited over this guy. The reciever you got is ok, but nothing special. We picked up 5!!!!! potential (and most likely) defensive starters within two years. We werent going to win this year so why not build the nucleus of a strong defense this year then maybe focus on the O next year and things are looking way up. Rod Wright is a big sissy ass if you watch any of his games with Texas. He may have been worth a 7th rounder, but there is a reason he slipped to the 7th round.