Buffalo Bills 2010 NFL Draft Preview: Hope Springs Temporarily

The NFL Draft is the summit of football, where most teams have optimism for at least a day. This year it’s three days of hope, although the optimism will diminish with analysis and reality.

That is especially true if you are a fan of the Buffalo Bills. No team has embraced mediocrity more, and the uninspiring choice of Chan Gailey as head coach points to another season of painful television viewing.

At least every game is on at the same time (unless you live in Arizona then ignoring daylight savings time messes with the game times).

The Bills definitely need to draft based on need, and this will serve as a guide to the needs of a team that has made few off-season transactions while teams like the Dolphins and Jets have made leaps in terms of talent acquisition. At least Bills fans can root for a lockout next year.

Come opening day, Bills fans will be there cheering for hopefully some new blood, like a Jairus Byrd was last year. Here is the breakdown of the Bills by position:

Quarterback – NEED – Trent Edwards reminds me of Miguel Cotto. He could still be successful at a lower level, but he will never be what he could have been because he’s been hit in the head one too many times.

Sadly, Trent has become the poster child of mediocrity in Buffalo, and starting him this year would be a step backwards, even if a lot of his troubles are not his fault.

Brian Brohm is an unknown. Ryan Fitzpatrick shouldn’t start in this league. The Bills desperately need a QB to step up and be the face of the franchise. He doesn’t have to be a first-rounder, but he has to be the clear future of the team.

Running Back – NEED – Fred Jackson turned into a gem who can carry the ball a good amount in a two-back rotation. I just can’t see the Bills wanting to keep Marshawn Lynch around, and there is no depth after that.

Maybe one of the guys brought in can become a Fred Jackson-like surprise, but they definitely need another talent back there, probably in the later rounds. I like how the Bills went Dan McGwire by picking up Walter Mendenhall.

Wide Receiver – NEED – The TO experiment was a disaster, as it completely killed the development of Stevie Johnson and James Hardy. Both of those guys needed reps and were mostly relegated to the bench.

The Bills have no leader for the No. 2 and No. 3 receivers currently, and need to draft a playmaker. If the Bills are serious about avoiding players with conduct issues, they may struggle to find a star receiver, since apparently most receivers are absolutely crazy.  It doesn’t matter who is the QB if no receivers can get open.

Tight End – LOW PRIORITY NEED – They probably still need a TE, considering the Bills go through eight tight ends a year because of injuries, and Derek Schouman is coming off a serious injury. Shawn Nelson showed flashes of being a playmaker last year, but they could use a TE. As you will see in this analysis, if they draft a TE he better be a star.

Offensive Line – NEED – Before I analyze the offensive line, something else about the Bills should be reviewed.

Strength and Conditioning – NEED – The amount of injuries the Bills have had over the last few years is idiotic. People who were selling insurance ended up as quarterback protection for the Bills. The key to a really good offensive line is continuity, and even if the Bills draft a OT in the first round, something has to be done to improve his chances to stay healthy.

Eric Wood will be an interesting case to see if he can recover from his leg injury, and Levitre and Bell will need to develop more in their second year of the NFL. The offensive line isn’t as bad as everyone makes it out to be if they stay healthy, yet they still need a tackle.

Defensive Line – NEED – The Bills need a pass rusher, especially with Aaron Schobel’s retirement in play. The Bills have a lot of bodies in the defensive line, but the question of any of them getting to the quarterback stands out.

Aaron Maybin was drafted as that rusher last year, and now the Bills changed to a 3-4 defense and once again need a defensive end. They may also need a nose tackle since Kyle Williams as a starting nose may not be a strong fit.

Linebacker – NEED – The roster currently lists 12 linebackers, although nine of them will be injured by opening day. In order to successfully run a 3-4, the linebackers have to be strong and durable and make plays.

When the Bills went on their Super Bowl runs, they had Bentley, Conlon, Talley and Bennett. Maybin might fit better as a linebacker but they still need a playmaker here. The Bills rarely draft top-notch linebackers and Posluszny was the one recently and he always gets injured.

Defensive Back – NOT A NEED – Shockingly, the Bills have one position they don’t have to focus on in the draft. The corner and safety depth and talent is pretty strong.

Of course the Bills always draft at least two corners, since you can never have enough secondary help. Since the Bills need about 20 other players, maybe they can skip a defensive back one year.

RECAP

With a first-time older GM and Nosferatu still owning the team, draft day holds a much greater chance of drafting an Erik Flowers or John McCargo instead of the next pro bowl star.

Bills Fever is running crazy. Enthusiasm is tough considering how the Sabres are blowing their series right now. Give it your best shot Buffalo fans, break out the Whammy Weenies and pray the Bills brass follow my advise (although if they did all the time they would have had Duke out before the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament, sometimes my predictions stink). My advise on the other hand is razor sharp.

Who should the Bills draft at No. 9? In reality, the Bills should trade down, maybe with the Giants, and get more picks. A lot of experts are stating this is a deep draft and the Bills should use that to their advantage.

If the Bills do stay at No. 9, they should do something crazy. Pick the best guy at a position. I’m tired of them picking the second best pass rusher, or second best safety because they perceive that as their biggest need.

They basically need everything. Don’t pick the fourth best tackle at No. 9. Don’t pick the second best QB especially if he is from California and all Cali QB’s bust in

Buffalo.

Pick the best NT or LB. If the Bills pick Dan Williams, they can have a Williams duo like Minnesota. If the Bills pick Rolando McClain, they get a big-time linebacker from Alabama. The last time the Bills got one of those (via trade), it worked out pretty well for them.