2009 NFL Draft Reaction

-Coast

The Bills entered the draft with glaring needs all over the place. Defensive end, outside linebacker, tight end, interior offensive line help, safety, offensive tackle, among others. They made an attempt to take care of some of these, but possibly their biggest need, outside linebacker, didn't really get any attention.

I cannot stomach the thought of seeing Keith Ellison starting at outside linebacker this season. He is terrible. I don't need to see him getting steam rolled by Sammy Morris on 3rd and 2. He is a smurf out there and never makes a play ever. He is a huge liability on our defense and I think everyone realizes that, except our front office and coaching staff. The Bills brought in some scum bag linebacker named Pat Thomas this offseason...no idea who he is and don't really care. The Bills drafted a safety from Oklahoma in the 5th round, Nic Harris. He is 6'3 232 pounds and is projected as a linebacker. Is it too crazy to say that he is the current front runner to start at outside linebacker? I would much rather have him lace em up over KE. Ellison is 6'0 229 pounds as a comparison.

The Bills do have some alternatives still available at OLB. Derrick Brooks is on the market. Dude is old as dirt but would easily be a more viable option than any other bums we have. He has a lot of experience, not to mention a super bowl ring. Also, Seattle released Leroy Hill whom they franchised earlier this season. He is young and good...had 86 tackes in 13 games last year and is only 26 years old. The only problem is that he got arrested in January for marijuana possession and may get suspended...but what the hell, he will fit right in with the rest of the convicts on our team. The best option for the Bills right now is to pick up Brooks and hope Nic Harris can be a sleeper.

The Bills tried addressing their need at defensive end in the first round. Aaron Maybin better be a straight up beast. The last time the Bills drafted a d-end in the first round, his name was Erik Flowers and he was bust city. What a bum he was...we cannot afford that to happen with Maybin. I am real concerned though. Maybin only started 10 games in college...he is only a red shirt sophomore. He did have 12 sacks last year at PSU and hopefully will be a breath of fresh air compared to our other D-ends who don't care about sacks and don't think they matter. Hopefully Maybin is just a beast and that overshadows his lack of experience. He is also small at 249 pounds...and is a pure speed rusher. Seems like another small fast dude that will fit in with Jauron's scheme. I hope he puts on about 25 pounds of pure muscle in the next month. I think the Bills should cut Kelsay if they can't trade him, which they won't be able to. Who in the right mind will give anything for a terrible player making $5 million per year? Cut his ass, shit him outta here. I don't want Maybin as a situation pass rusher...the dude was the 11th pick in the draft. Plug him in there right away and let him play, he can't make our d-ends worse. Schobel, Maybin, Denney, Ellis...those should be the D-ends week 1.

The Bills didn't draft a left tackle in the first round thank God, I would have blown a gasket. The Bills were without Peters week 1 last year and it might have been their best complete game all season. F-Peters, I love the draft picks we made on the interior of our line. Eric Wood will start right away, he has to. You don't draft a guard/center in the first round and then have him on the bench. He started 49 games in college, was twice first team all big east...so not only is he a beast, he doesn't get hurt. I love the pick and he will start right away...not sure if he will play center or guard but we'll see. The Bills also traded up into round two to pick Andy Levitre...a first team all pac 10 performer. He also doesn't have injury issues and played a lot of games at all line positions in college at Oregon. He also should start right away. I actually don't hate our line right now. I love Brad Butler and he played RT in college so why not give him a shot at RT on Sundays. Move Hangartner to left guard, with Wood at center and Levitre at right guard and go with Walker on the blind side. Let these guys gel together, they are all young and will get better. Picking up Levi Jones is also a rumor...I say F it...go with the young guys. Levi has been injured for like the last 4 years.

The Bills drafted a tight end in the 4th that seems like he could be a beast. He is Shaun Nelson and he is 6'5 245 pounds. He ran a 4.6 40 and could be a huge threat in the passing game. He also needs to learn how to block, but honestly I don't give a shit if he can block well if he can run a 25 yard seem route and actually draw attention. We haven't had a good tight end in a decade...and we haven't made the playoffs in that amount of time. There is a correlation...good teams have good tight ends, the Bills have been a bad team and have tight ends named Euhus, Cieslak, Fine, Shoumann, Neufield, Brady, Campbell...omg terrible. Plug this dude in the starting lineup from day 1 too...seriously, what do we got to lose?

The most surprising pick of the day was Jairus Byrd at 43. I was flabergasted. A cornerback with our first pick in the 2nd round...I was about to b line it to Radio City and crack some skulls. I held off and then thought about the pick more and still did hate it...unless he can turn into a safety right away. The dude is a ball hawk. 17 picks in his career. I think Whitner has 2 as a Bill. The Bills had a million more needs this season than corner...although they did need a safety and I guess it is possible he could even compete back there to start. I say...plug him in...what the hell...Whitner sucks anyways, Brian Scott isn't good, George Wilson is pathetic, John Wendling can jump really high but will never sniff the field except on special teams. Also, odds are we will lose McGee next year so if he can play, he might be opposite McKelvin. Either way, bad pick, it doesn't change my opinion. Three OLBs were taken in the 2nd round after Bird. Maybe the Bills were targeting USC's Maualuga who got taken at 38 was being targeted...we'll never know...who knows what Russ Brandon is thinking.

Here is my projected starting lineup if the season started right now...

QB-Edwards
RB-Lynch (Jackson week 1...Lynch's appeal will reduce suspension to 1 game)
FB-McIntye? (did we really re-sign this dude? he seems useless)
WR-Evans
WR-Owens
TE-Nelson
LT-Walker
LG-Hangartner
C-Wood
RG-Levitre
RT-Butler
(this is a 100% complete O-line overhaul, not a single player returning to start at the same position as in 2008 and I love it)

LE-Maybin
RE-Schobel
DT-Stroud
DT-Williams
LOLB-Nic Harris
MLB-Poz
ROLB-Mitchell
CB-McGee
CB-McKelvin
FS-Whitner
SS-Scott

I want to see as many rooks on the field as possible...

Bills final draft grade: B...could have been higher if we didn't draft Bird, but a B is a B none the less.