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2009
NFL Draft Needs - Buffalo Bills
by Gregory Cox
Senior Writer
4/21/09
Picks (9): 11, 28, 42, 75, 110, 121, 147, 183, 220
Offensive Line – If
this line does not get their stuff together new wide receiver Terrell
Owens will turn radioactive running routes as Trent Edwards is throwing
the ball away. The latest news is their disgruntled left tackle Jason
Peters being traded to Philadelphia. Starting left guard Derrick
Dockery was released after two seasons. Seth McKinney (Browns) has been
signed to compete for that starting spot and also has experience at
center where he spent his collegiate years. That could come in handy.
Center Melvin Fowler was beaten out by Duke Preston during the season.
Now both are gone and Geoff Hangartner (Panthers) was signed to start.
Cal’s Marvin Philip, a former sixth round pick by the Steelers, is the
backup. The shuffling inside seems to be enough of an upgrade although
a late addition at guard would not be surprising. The bigger issue is
at tackle. Langston Walker is not exactly a standout starting on the
right side. It appears they will need to grab a left tackle prospect in
the first round and take another shot later looking for a backup.
Defensive End – Fans
certainly view this as a dire need and the statistics back them up.
There are two issues I see beyond the obvious lack of a pass rush. Can
Aaron Schobel recover from his foot injury? How much of an impact is
last year’s third round pick Chris Ellis going to make? The team might
feel differently than fans and analysts projecting not only an early
addition, but a first round pick. Because the team runs a 4-3 defense
some of the top rookies will not fit into their plans. It is going to
be interesting to see how the Bills attack this problem, but
indisputably their pass rush is sorely lacking.
Outside Linebacker (weak) – Angelo Crowell spurned the Bills to
sign with the Bucs after missing 2008 with chronic knee problems. The
good news is that Paul Posluszny put up 110 tackles in the middle after
playing only three games as a rookie in 2007. Kawika Mitchell did his
job on the strong side despite playing for his third team in as many
seasons. For now Keith Ellison is the weak side starter. It would be
smart business to draft someone to press him for that honor. Even
better would be selecting a player capable of filling more than one
role just in case the injury bug strikes one of the other starters.
Tight End – Robert Royal was third on the team with 351 yards
receiving. The arrival of T.O. at wide receiver should push a lot of
passes outside to a suddenly solid group of players – at least on
paper. Therefore I’m not even sure the team cares if Derek Fine goes
into the season as their #1 at the position. As a rookie taken with a
supplementary fourth round pick out of Kansas he caught 10 passes. I am
not suggesting he is the next big star of the league, but when the
offense is spreading the ball to Owens, Evans, Reed and possibly a
healthy Hardy how important is a receiving tight end? There is a chance
the Bills are not as anxious as most assume they are to jump on this
position early. If a player capable of blocking and receiving well
enough to be on the field for a lot of plays is on the board when they
pick certainly the war room will discuss it. Otherwise, the priority
might shift down to the later rounds or even not at all.
Defensive Tackle – Picking up Marcus Stroud (Jaguars) paid
dividends in 2008 and he has just signed a two year extension. Trying
to dump first round bust John McCargo off on the Colts was a good idea
too. Obviously the failed trade illustrates he is not exactly
considered a future star. The run defense has been below average the
past four seasons. At the very least their rotation needs a boost
because allowing well over 4 yards per carry year after year does not
work. If someone crosses their path in the draft capable of pairing
with Stroud this might be a surprise pick fairly early. Establishing
better play on the interior of the defensive line certainly will help
the cause of pressuring the passer on the outside.
Running Back – This was not a consideration until Marshawn
Lynch joined a growing group of players expected to be disciplined by
Roger Goodell for various transgressions. I have this strange vision of
Goodell’s office and players waiting outside in a long line. It’s like
grammar school all over again and he is the principal. Lynch’s
suspension (just announced at 3 games) opened the door for backfield
mate Fred Jackson to complain about his low salary. Overpaying him
makes no sense, but he has at least a little bit of leverage thanks to
Lynch. The team’s response to this drama could be selecting a running
back late in the draft or signing a rookie free agent. Another wise
alternative would be drafting a relatively sleek fullback capable of
carrying the rock occasionally. I recognize the team signed veteran
Dominic Rhodes recently, but he is 30 and over the past four seasons
has averaged just 3.52 yards per carry. If a better option is around
late in the draft the team might strike and later cut Rhodes.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 7 rounds
Gregory Cox's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 6 rounds
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