I haven’t posted anything on here in a while and thus see the need to condense my blogs. Therefore, all my future Bills blogs will be going here: http://buffalo.yourhub.com/~JarkaJournal

Thus, if you would like to post on BillsDominate.com, please email me at davidjarka@gmail.com and I will try and help you out.

 Just like to say thanks to Alex for hooking me up here and to the makers of this here blog for giving me an outlet to discuss my favorite professional sports team.

Doesn’t it seem every year that the Patriots always have an extra advantage against the Bills? Well, it seems that they have…

I’m going to keep this very brief as I found an article that sums my feelings on Walsh’s tapes up fairly well, written by Pat Duffy at Buffalowdown.com, click here for that link.

Also check out Chris Brown’s blog on BuffaloBills.com for more insight by clicking here.

Here are my general thoughts on this year’s first round selections with my grade:

1.       Miami: Jake Long OT Michigan – Unfortunately, Bill Parcells knows what he’s doing in Miami. The Dolphins have had one of the porous offensive lines in the league over the last few years, and by taking Long they take a giant leap towards fixing this problem. This pick will be crucial for the development of John Beck and/or Chad Henne. Grade: A-

2.       St. Louis: Chris Long DE Virginia – Arguably the best defensive line prospect in the draft, Long will add and instinct punch to the Rams pass rush and allow them to keep Adam Carriker at defensive tackle. Dorsey was a possibility here as well but would then force St. Louis to move Carriker outside. Grade: A-

3.       Atlanta: Matt Ryan QB Boston College – This pick signals the end of the Michael Vick era in Atlanta. With Chris Redman playing reasonably well at the end of last season and with needs on the defensive line, Dorsey would make just as much sense as well. However, I cannot fault the Falcons for wanting to start a new era and fix its image. Grade: A-

4.       Oakland: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas – May be the single best prospect in the draft but slips with Miami having Ronnie Brown, St. Louis having Stephen Jackson and Atlanta acquiring Michael Turner over the off-season. Al Davis obviously sees McFadden having a similar impact as Adrian Peterson did in Minnesota, thus taking him even though Justin Fargas proved to be a productive back and still having LaMont Jordan on the roster. Defensive end was another pressing need and Gholston could have just as easily gone here after last year’s disappointing pass rush and seeing how there already is a logjam in the backfield. Grade: B

5.       Kansas City: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU – The Chiefs never really recovered from the Ryan Sims pick made several years ago so Dorsey will be looked upon to immediately remedy that area. Gholston could have went here also as they traded away the AFC’s sack leader to Minnesota. Grade: B

6.       NY Jets: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State – You would have to assume that they wanted McFadden to drop here, but the Jets still get one of the top players on the board and fill a need. Gholston will either need to be moved to outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme or bulk up and play defensive end. Grade: B+

7.       New Orleans: Sedrick Ellis DT USC – Nice move in trading up to get the man they wanted, as it looked like Cincinnati was eyeing him a pick before them. Ellis is probably the next best defender on the board at this point and a good selection for them as they could use help nearly anywhere on the defensive side of the ball. Grade: A-

8.       Jacksonville: Derrick Harvey DE Florida - Vaulted up to take him, the Jaguars feared with New England moving back they were looking to take Harvey and with Ryan going to Atlanta, Baltimore looked to drop down in the first round. I don’t feel this is as big of a reach as people think. Jacksonville realizes that if it wants to leap frog Indianapolis and beat New England that they will need to apply more pressure to quarterbacks like Manning and Brady and thus hope Harvey and be effective in this role. Grade: B

9.       Cincinnati: Keith Rivers OLB USC - No wide receivers are worthy of being taken at this point, so the Bengals turn to the other side of the ball. Rivers will move into a similar role that David Pollack had played before his career-ending injury. Grade: B+

10.   New England: Jerod Mayo ILB Tennessee - In the past, the rule is that Belichick rather collect veteran linebackers rather than drafting one high. Of course, this turns out to year he breaks the trend and takes Mayo. Don’t get me wrong, the Patriots definitely need a player like Mayo to infuse some more speed and youth to the linebacker core but his selection does break a common trend. Mayo is versatile, able to play inside or outside, and has very good speed. However, I think that New England could have moved further down in the round to pick him and also could have used this pick to take whomever they felt was the best cornerback in the draft with the losses of both Asante Samuel and Randall Gay. Grade: B+

11.   Buffalo: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy - See my previous post for my thoughts. Grade: A-

12.   Denver: Ryan Clady OT Boise State – Nice pick here to fill a need with the surprise retirement of Matt Lepsis, could have also went with Branden Albert, Chris Williams or Jeff Otah so the Broncos pick the guy who best fits into their blocking scheme. Grade: B+

13.   Carolina: Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon – I thought Rashard Mendenhall would have been a better fit for their offense but Stewart is probably the better all around player. Offensive line was another pressing need that could have been addressed here or even quarterback with Jake Delhomme’s health in question. Grade: B

14.   Chicago: Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt – Mendenhall, quarterback or even receiver could have gone here also but offensive line was a thorn in the Bears side last year, too. Grade: B

15.   Kansas City: Branden Albert G Virginia – Great value pick here as Albert was consider a legitimate top 10 pick and was a strong possibility at the five spot. Albert is probably the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson and has the ability to make the move over to offensive tackle in the pros. No defensive ends of good value at this point. Grade: A

16.   Arizona: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State – Cornerback comes a glaring need for the Cardinals again as they move Antrell Rolle to safety. Mendenhall was a strong possibility here has he seemed to fit Ken Whisenhunt’s rushing attack better than Edgerrin James has. Grade: B+

17.   Detroit: Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College – The team could use some offensive line help, but do they feel that Tatum Bell is the answer at running back with Mendenhall still on the board? This is a clear cut reach here too as he’s projected to play right tackle in the NFL and was not this highly rated overall. Detroit could have really benefited from trading down from this spot and picking up some value. Heck, at least they didn’t take another wide receiver. Grade: B-

18.   Baltimore: Joe Flacco QB Delaware – First the Ravens trade back, then they trade up for a guy that would have probably still been there that late in the round, second consecutive reach. I don’t understand why they would have moved this far up to take him. Did they feel Gruden was a threat to add to the quarterback menagerie in Tampa Bay? The more I look at this pick, the more I see Kyle Boller written all over it. Physically gifted but will need to prove he can handle the speed of the game coming from a small school. It seems Ozzie Newsome does a great job drafting for Baltimore, besides at the quarterback position. On top of it, the team could have taken a corner at this point such as Mike Jenkins or Aqib Talib. Grade: C+

19.   Carolina: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh – The Panthers make a good trade up to take Otah who is of very good value, a little surprised the Eagles didn’t stay steady here and take him with their aging bookend tackles. Grade: A-

20.   Tampa Bay: Aqib Talib CB Kansas – I think wide receiver like Devin Thomas would have made more sense here with the ageless wonders of Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard being the returning starters, Michael Clayton sinking lower on the depth chart and no other wide outs really making any other significant impact on their roster. Regardless, Talib should be a decent fit in the Tampa Cover 2 scheme. Grade: B-

21.   Atlanta: Sam Baker OT USC – The Falcons had three prospects in mind with the No. 3 pick, Dorsey, Jake Long and Ryan. With the quarterback need being taken care of, Atlanta felt the need to further protect their young signal caller’s blindside, this moving back into the first round to take Baker. I’m assuming that the trade comes on fear that Pittsburgh had an eye on Baker. The USC product will be a very effective pass blocker for them but need to work on his run blocking, which hurt his draft stock which was at one time in the top 10. Grade: B

22.   Dallas: Felix Jones RB Arkansas - The worst kept secret in the draft was that Jerry Jones wanted to draft a tailback from his alma mater. Jones is the quick, speedy back that will be a very good complement to Marion Barber, thus getting the selection over Mendenhall. Cornerback and wide receiver could have also gone here. Grade: B+

23.   Pittsburgh: Rashad Mendenhall RB Illinois - The workhorse back that the Steel City loves and comes after both Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport went down late in the season with serious injuries. You can never have too many hard nosed running backs in this type of offense. Wide receiver could have gone here too with Big Ben’s request for a taller target and offensive line, too but Cherilus was already taken. Grade: B+

24.   Tennessee: Chris Johnson RB East Carolina – This is the biggest reach in the first round, bar none. Yes, Johnson has amazing speed but did the Titans forget they also have LenDale White and Chris Henry on their roster (who they spend two high draft picks on already)? The problem with their offense last year was the wide receivers Vince Young had to work with so I don’t see this helping out their problems tremendously unless they have plans of converting him to wide out. Grade: D+

25.   Dallas: Mike Jenkins CB South Florida – Great value here for the last of the four potential shutdown corners in this year’s draft. The Cowboys also had their shot at whomever they felt was the best wide out in the draft here. Grade: A-

26.   Houston: Duane Brown OT Virginia Tech – Well, the Texans finally took their franchise left tackle they’ve been looking for during their entire existence, although it was still a bit of a reach. If they would have stayed put, they could have taken Otah or even Sam Baker at their spot, both superior prospects. Grade: B

27.   San Diego: Antoine Cason CB Arizona – The Chargers could use a bit of help in the secondary and turn one state over to find it. Cason may not have all the physical tools you would want, but he is a weathered veteran of the air battles that occur in the Pac-10 year in and year out. Grade: A-

28.   Seattle: Lawrence Jackson DE USC – Another reach here as Philip Merling or even Calais Campbell would have been better fits. Could have possibly gone tight end here with Dustin Keller or may have taken a running back that would have slipped. Ultimately, the Seahawks probably should have traded down to get better value. Grade: C+

29.   San Francisco: Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina – This is just about right in terms of value for Balmer at this spot, who will be replacing Bryant Young. Yet, beware the last high profile UNC d-tackle (Sims). Wide receiver could have also gone here. Grade: B+

30.   NY Jets: Dustin Keller TE Purdue – Not sure if there was that big of a need to trade up for Keller but it was done. Keller should be able to add another dimension to the Jets passing attack whether it is Pennington or Clemens and is an upgrade over Chris Baker. His blocking leaves something to be yearned though. Grade: B+

31.   NY Giants: Kenny Phillips S Miami (FL) – Will take over for Gibril Wilson who left in free agency and is a fairly good value at this point. Grade: A-

Overall, I’m fairly satisfied with this year’s draft. I thought Russ Brandon did a nice job of balancing out need and value. Here are my thoughts on each pick:

1.       Leodis McKelvin CB Troy: We had our choice of one of potentially four shut down cornerbacks in the first round. Ultimately, it whittled down to McKelvin and Rogers-Cromartie and either one would have fit in well here. I’m not too worried about his interception total. He played in the Sun Belt Conference and people eventually just stopped throwing to his side of the field. McKelvin will be no less than our nickel-back coming in and could end up being our top corner by the end of the season. The McKelvin pick was also a much better value than any wide receiver available.

2.       James Hardy WR Indiana: Finally, our long wait for wide receiver over 6-feet tall has ended. The 6-foot 6-inch Hardy was a great red-zone threat for the Hoosiers during his career and should push “Mr. Zero-Touchdowns” Josh Reed out of the line-up and also has decent speed to a big guy. Ideally, Devin Thomas would have been the man if he would have slipped this low and Limas Sweed also could have been pegged here, but I am more than happy to take Hardy. Glad to see that the front office is not afraid to take a chance on a guy with a bit of a rocky past.

3.       Chris Ellis DE Virginia Tech: It was a better value to pickup a pass rusher at this point than a tight end. Like Hardy, also has had some attitude problems but is worth the risk at this point. The third pass rusher I can think of off the top of my head that the Bills have drafted. Hopefully, he ends up more like Bruce Smith rather than Corey Moore.

4.       Reggie Corner CB Akron: This guy was born to play the position. Corner was one of the top defensive backs in the Mid-American Conference during when he was a starter for the Zips. Will start out more as a dime-back and special teamer and will hopefully pan out to be good in nickel situations.

5.       Derek Fine TE Kansas: At this point, some of the more touted college tight ends like Martin Rucker from Missouri and Jacob Tamme from Kentucky were off the board so Fine was next in line. Fine comes from a Jayhawks squad that had one of the best offenses in the country last season so he will excel more in the vertical game than as a blocker. It looks like Fine, Teyo Johnson, Courtney Anderson and Robert Royal will all be gunning it out for the starting tight end spot in training camp this year.

6.       Alvin Bowen OLB: He will provide depth at the position and help on special teams after losing Coy Wire and Josh Stamer. Bowen is also a YouTube all-star: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JQdajFXlD4 & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcePIUOL5LQ

7.       Xavier Oman RB Northwest Missouri State: Oman had amazing production at the small school level but will most likely be used just on special teams to start out his career before being able to prove he can adjust to the speed of the game.

8.       Demetrius Bell OT Northwestern State: It’s always good to add additional depth to the offensive line in the late rounds. Like Oman, from a small school and will need time to polish his schools for the pro game.

9.       Steve Johnson WR Kentucky: I was real excited about this pick as I am a huge fan of last year’s offense in Lexington. I was rooting for the Bills to take Johnson or fellow wide out Keenan Burton as they are both taller receivers with decent speed. His impact will be on special teams first before eventually seeing more time with the offense. I haven’t been this excited about a seventh round wide receiver drafted by the Bills since Reggie Germany.

10.   Kennard Cox CB Pittsburgh: A versatile player who also played safety, Cox was the second last pick in the draft. Will need to play on special teams and find a niche somewhere in the secondary if he wants to earn a roster spot.

This may be my last one, so I’ll try and make it a good one.

1. Miami: Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta: Matt Ryan QB Boston College
4. Oakland: Chris Long DE Virginia
5. Kansas City: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St.
6. NY Jets: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
7. New England: Dominique Rhodes-Cromartie CB Tennessee St.
8. Baltimore: Ryan Clady OT Boise St.
9. Cincinnati: Sedrick Ellis DR USC
10. New Orleans: Keith Rivers OLB USC
11. Buffalo: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
12. Denver: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
13. Carolina: Branden Albert G Virginia
14. Chicago: Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
15. Detroit: Derrick Harvey DE Florida
16. Arizona: Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
17. Kansas City: Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
18. Houston: Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
19. Philadelphia: Gosder  Cherilus OT Boston College
20. Tampa Bay: Devin Thomas WR Michigan St.
21. Washington: Philip Merling DE Clemson
22. Dallas: Limas Sweed WR Texas
23. Pittsburgh: Sam Baker OT USC
24. Tennessee: DeSean Jackson WR California
25. Seattle: Felix Jones RB Arkansas
26. Jacksonville: Calais Campell DE Miami
27. San Diego: Antonie Cason CB Arizona
28. Dallas: Aqib Talib CB Kansas
29. San Francsico: Dan Connor OLB Penn St.
30. Green Bay: Kenny Phillips S Miami
31. FOREFEIT
32. NY Giants: Jerod Mayo ILB Tennessee

Yes, I’ve decided to go with McKelvin at No. 11. This comes after Brandon Russ said that they will stick with their board and go with the good value, and at that spot CB is a much better value than wide out.

Another possible draftees via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown.

James Hardy, Wide Receiver, Indiana

“Height: 6-5^3/8 | Weight: 217 | 40-Time: 4.51

Strengths:
Phenomenal size with a huge frame and long arms…A terrific natural athlete…Has big, reliable hands and can snatch the ball away from his body…A fantastic leaper with excellent ball skills…Knows how to use his body to shield defenders…Works well in traffic…Can do some damage after the catch…Has pretty good speed for a guy his size…A terror in the redzone…Was real productive…Still has some upside.

Weaknesses:
Isn’t very quick or explosive and lacks a burst…May have trouble separating from pro corners…Has some character concerns…Will have to get stronger…Not much of a vertical or deep threat…Just a marginal blocker…Not a great route runner…Is not real physical or aggressive and may lack a football player’s mentality…Still raw and will need to be developed…Inconsistent..Is more athlete than football player.

Notes:
Also played on the Hoosier basketball team during the 2004-05 season starting 3 of the 23 games in which he played…Was arrested in 2006 on a domestic battery charge after his girlfriend accused him of hitting her and their son…He only began focusing strictly on football in 2005…A very intriguing physical specimen with rare measurables for the position…Might be a bit overrated since people have fallen in love with his size but in a best-case scenario he could be a Plaxico Burress - type.”

We will have a good shot at him in the second round. Big receiver that we could really use but his attitude problems will probably weigh heavily against him.

Hope you all had a good weekend. Here’s another updated mock draft. I also wanted to mention that Chris Brown on BuffaloBills.com mentioned that the Bills maybe a possible trade partner with the Seattle Seahawks, who want to move out of the first round and pick up some later picks. The move back into the first would be to target a wide out, as the value would be better in the later part of the round than the first half.

1. Miami: Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis: Chris Long DE Virginia 
3. Atlanta: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU 
4. Oakland: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St.
5. Kansas City: Branden Albert G Virginia 
6. NY Jets: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
7. New England: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St.
8. Baltimore: Matt Ryan QB Boston College
9. Cincinnati: Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans: Keith Rivers OLB USC
11. Buffalo: Devin Thomas WR Michigan St.
12. Denver: Ryan Clady OT Boise St.
13. Carolina:  Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
14. Chicago: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit: Derrick Harvey DE Florida 
16. Arizona: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
17. Minnesota: Philip Merling DE Clemson
18. Houston: Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
19. Philadelphia: Mike Jenkins CB South Florida 
20. Tampa Bay: DeSean Jackson WR California
21. Washington: Limas Sweed WR Texas
22. Dallas: Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh: Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College
24. Tennessee: Calais Campbell DE Miami
25. Seattle: Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
26. Jacksonville: Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
27. San Diego: Antoine Cason CB Arizona
28. Dallas: Aqib Talib CB Kansas
29. San Francisco: James Hardy WR Indiana
30. Green Bay: Kenny Phillips S Miami
31. FOREFEIT
32. NY Giants: Reggie Smith S Oklahoma

Thus in this scenerio, what would the Bills do if they also had Seattle’s pick? McKelvin would make sense at the top of the round. Thomas would most likely go to Tampa Bay so that would put us in place to either knab Sweed or Hardy or even maybe reach for Malcolm Kelly. 

Another possible draftees via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown. 

John Carlson, Tight End, Notre Dame

“Height: 6-4^7/8 | Weight: 255 | 40-Time: 4.72

Strengths:
Terrific natural athlete…Has very good size and a big frame with long arms…Runs excellent routes and know how to get open…Has soft, reliable hands…Has shown the ability to stretch the field vertically…Runs well after the catch…Good ball skills and body control…Above average blocker…Very smart…A hard worker and leader.

Weaknesses:
Timed speed is relatively average and he lacks a burst…Needs to get stronger…Is not overly elusive or much of a big play threat…Could stand to show more power and use better leverage as a blocker…Is coming off of a sub par senior campaign.

Notes:
Was also a superb basketball player coming out of high school and even earned a monogram with the Irish basketball team in 2003..Played behind Anthony Fasano, a future 2nd round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, early in his career…Played in a pro style offense in college…Voted a team captain as a senior…Brings a nice blend of physical tools and intangibles to the table…Will not be confused for Antonio Gates any time soon but he is a great all-around tight end who should be a NFL starter.”

A good all-around player who would have probably been helped more if the Irish had a better year (or settled on a quarterback sooner). He could still possibly be the first tight end taken off the board by the Bills and would probably be enough to make Robert Royal completely expendable.

We the recent slip of the tongue at a press conference, it sounds like Miami may be going defense with the first pick. Here’s that adjustment and more in this edition.

1. Miami: Chris Long DE Virginia
2. St. Louis: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta: Jake Long OT Michigan
4. Oakland: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St.
5. Kansas City: Matt Ryan QB Boston College
6. NY Jets: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
7. New England: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St.
8. Baltimore: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
9. Cincinnati: Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans: Keith Rivers OLB USC
11. Buffalo: Devin Thomas WR Michigan St.
12. Denver: Ryan Clady OT Boise St.
13. Carolina: Branden Albert G Virginia
14. Chicago: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
15. Detroit: Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
16. Arizona: Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
17. Minnesota: Derrick Harvey DE Florida
18. Houston: Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
19. Philadelphia: Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College
20. Tampa Bay: DeSean Jackson WR California
21. Washington: Philip Merling DE Clemson
22. Dallas: Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh: Limas Sweed WR Texas
24. Tennessee: Calais Campbell DE Miami
25. Seattle: Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
26. Jacksonville: Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina
27. San Diego: Antoine Cason CB Arizona
28. Dallas: Aqib Talib CB Kansas
29. San Francisco: James Hardy WR Indiana
30. Green Bay: Kenny Phillips S Miami
31. FOREFEIT
32. NY Giants: Jerod Mayo ILB Tennessee

Now a double shot of possible draftees via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Cornerback, Tennessee State

“Height: 6-1^1/2 | Weight: 184 | 40-Time: 4.33

Strengths:
Naturally athletic and very smooth…Great height with long arms and some growth potential…Very good timed speed with a burst to close…Instinctive and breaks on the ball quickly…Terrific agility…Playmaker with exceptional ball skills…Aggressive and confident…Was pretty productive at his level…Also an excellent kick returner.

Weaknesses:
Needs to add weight and bulk up…Not very physical and has to get stronger…Did not play against top competition…Still raw and will need to work on his technique and footwork…Struggles to shed blocks…Doesn’t really offer much in run support.

Notes:
Attended four different high schools and didn’t play football until his senior year..A Division II All-American…Also participated in track for the Tigers, winning the Ohio Valley Conference championships in the 60 yard dash, the long jump and the high jump…Needs to put some time in at the training table and in the weight room but has the talent to make the NFL leap…One of the top sleepers prospects available. “

With so much talent at the cornerback position, I wouldn’t be doing justice if I didn’t at least mention another defensive back here. Cromartie may have the best physical tools in terms of speed and height of all the prospects. Also, not just Cromartie, but any top cornerback in the draft at this point would be much better value at this spot then any of the top wide receivers, if you exclude a team’s needs.

Dustin Keller, Tight End, Purdue

“Height: 6-2 | Weight: 242 | 40-Time: 4.55

Strengths:
Very athletic…Has soft hands…Good ball skills and body control…Adequate timed speed and can stretch the field vertically…Can do some damage after the catch..A solid route runner…Physical and very strong…Great competitor…Hard worker with terrific intangibles…Is versatile and can line up all over the field..Great production.

Weaknesses:
Average size and bulk…Will drop some balls…Just an average blocker…Isn’t stout at the point of attack and doesn’t get a great push..Has some trouble beating the jam…Minor injuries make durability a concern…Won’t be a good fit for every team.

Notes:
Actually began his college career as a wide receiver…Late father, Willie Jr., played college basketball at Moorehead State…Grandfather Dale Mulvey played on 1952 Purdue football team that won a Big Ten championship…Mother, grandmother and two brothers all attended Purdue and his great grandfather Robert P. Siskind was a electrical engineering professor there…Potential H-Back…One-dimensional pass catching threat but he could thrive in that role..Projects as a potential NFL starter.”

This is not one of the best years for tight ends. Keller, along with John Carlson from Notre Dame and Fred Davis from USC, look like will be among the cream of the crop at the position. Buffalo will be in great spot in the second round to select the first tight end off the board. Keller good be the receiving threat that would help add a much needed extra demension to the passing game. I’m not sure if the fact that Wright lists Keller as a potential h-back is good because we ran that type of offense last season or frightens me because I am not a big fan of that, at all.

I consider this one a warm-up.

1. Miami: Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis: Chris Long DE Virginia
3. Atlanta: Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
4. Oakland: Vernon Gholston DE Ohio St.
5. Kansas City: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
6. NY Jets: Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
7. New England: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St.
8. Baltimore: Matt Ryan QB Boston College
9. Cincinnati: Sedrick Ellis DT USC
10. New Orleans: Keith Rivers OLB USC
11. Buffalo: Devin Thomas WR Michigan St.
12. Denver: Ryan Clady OT Boise St.
13. Carolina: Branden Albert G Virginia
14. Chicago: Chris Williams OT Vandy
15. Detroit: Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
16. Arizona: Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
17. Minnesota: Derrick Harvey DE Florida
18. Houston: Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
19. Philadelphia: Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College
20. Tampa Bay: Limas Sweed WR Texas
21. Washington: Philip Merling DE Clemson
22. Dallas: Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
23. Pittsburgh: James Hardy WR Indiana
24. Tennessee: DeSean Jackson WR California
25. Seattle: Felix Jones RB Arkansas
26. Jacksonville: Calais Campbell DE Miami
27. San Diego: Antone Cason CB Arizona
28. Dallas: Aqib Talib CB Kansas
29. San Francisco: Quentin Groves DE Auburn
30. Green Bay: Kenny Phillips S Miami
31. FORFEIT
32. NY Giants: Reggie Smith S Oklahoma

Expect more of these to come……..

Sorry for the lack of updates..I have been bogged down by work and intership recently and had some health issues a few weeks ago that has kind of thrown a wrench in things as of late, but things should be returning to normal soon.

After the signing of William James, it looks like the firs two picks in the draft will be going wide receiver and tight end. Although not a spectacular player, James is a solid player and should be able to fit in at the second spot or as a nickelback. Teyo Johnson and Courtney Anderson as of right now are no more than stop gaps if anything.

There are no tight ends worth first round selections this year so that makes wideout the the default first round pick for us. However, the second round has amble tight end talent worth selecting.

Normally, I am really into the draft. One of my assistant editors and I went to it in New York last year and had a blast, a dream come true. But this year will everything that has happened, I have yet to make my first mock draft. So hopefully sometime soon I will whip one up an post it here.

Here’s a look at another possible draftee via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown.

Today’s profile: Devin Thomas, Wide Receiver, Michigan State

“Height: 6-1^7/8 | Weight: 216 | 40-Time: 4.40

Strengths:
Very good size with long arms and excellent bulk…Smooth natural athlete…Great timed speed…Extremely elusive and runs well after the catch…Terrific vision…Has reliable hands and he’ll pluck the ball…Great leaping ability and ball skills…Tough, strong and physical…Is also an outstanding return man…Still has a ton of upside.

Weaknesses:
Only had one big season at the college level…Not a great route runner…Does not necessarily play to his timed speed and lacks a burst…Hasn’t been a true vertical threat to this point…Average blocker….Raw and could take some time to develop.

Notes:
JUCO transfer from Coffeyville Community College…Made little or no impact in his first year with the Spartans but then exploded once Mark Dantonio replaced John L. Smith and implemented a new offense…A One Year Wonder who would appear to have all the physical tools you look for…May have more long-term upside than any wideout in this draft, but whoever drafts him will probably have to be patient.”

If the Bills were to sign a verteran receiver with heights (Eric Moulds?) as  a decent stopgap, Buffalo could be the perferct situation for Thomas to have time to develop into an explosive weapon…and may eventually make Lee Evans expendable.

Before I get started, check out my latest blog on my plan to keep the Bills in Buffalo: http://buffalo.yourhub.com/~JarkaJournal

Now for the meat and potatoes, for the most part I am very pleased with the Bills’ off-season additions. Here’s a quick run down on our additions, subtractions targets and misses: 

Additions:

Kawika Mitchell: Maybe not the same caliber linebacker as Lance Briggs, but he will be a sure-fire starter and has been to a place where not a whole lot of players on this team have been (the Super Bowl). His best fit will be on the strong side replacing Ellison and DiGiorgio with Crowell playing the weak side and Puz in the middle.

Marcus Stroud: The mammoth run stuffing, pocket pushing (different than pass rushing) defensive tackle that we have really need to help take up blockers and keep them off the linebackers. We were able to bring him in for just a third and a fifth round pick and made Larry Tripplett expendable.

Spencer Johnson: Brought in from Minnesota the same time Stroud was acquired, Johnson may not start but will provide depth in the defensive tackle rotation with John McCargo and Kyle Williams.

Courtney Anderson: Not in the same class as Ben Troupe or Alge Crumpler, but will be another body in the tight end competition that will be coming up in camp. It’s safe to still expect the Bills to take a tight end some where within the first four rounds of the draft.

Matt Murphy and Jason Whittle: Murphy, a tight end, and Whittle, an offensive lineman, both had little to no impact last season. At minimum, they are fairly familiar with the system.

Subtractions:

Larry Tripplett: Expendable after the trade for Stroud, Tripplett showed flashes of making big plays but for the most part was inconsistent during his time in Buffalo. It seemed he had reached his pinnacle in terms of playing abilities and was no longer worth the money.

Sam Aiken and Jason Webster: Both of these players were signed by New England? What do they see besides Aiken’s special teams play that we didn’t?

Michael Gaines and Leon Joe: Gaines signed with Detroit while Joe signed with Tampa Bay. Both became completely expendable after other additions.

Targets:

Bryant Johnson: This wide receiver from Arizona loved what he saw here in Buffalo, but the front office didn’t love his asking price. The two remain in negotiations, but Johnson is still looking at other teams. One would have to imagine that Johnson would get the nod over Reed, but that really isn’t saying a whole lot. Remember, this is a guy that was drafted a whole round before Anquan Boldin (who beat him out as the No. 1 wide receiver) and then Larry Fitzgerald was picked sooner after to take his spot in the lineup. Thus, he’s never really lived up to his potential.

D.J. Hackett: Looks like the next wide out we may be courting is Hackett out of Seattle. Hackett has shown big play ability when healthy and will probably have a cheaper price tag on him. Personally, I see more upside in Hackett then with Johnson and could then foresee the team scratching wide receiver off the list of needs for the team in the draft.

Hamza Abdullah, C.C. Brown, Bryan Scott and Brandon McGowan: Sounds like the Bills are not satisfied at the strong safety position as they want to move Whitner over to free permanently. Looks like the team may be interested in a few restricted free agents or maybe bringing back Scott.

Misses:

Alge Crumpler: Although nothing to formal every aroused in dialogue between the two parties, you have to believe that a lot of people were probably pulling at getting a shot of signing probably the best tight end in free agency. The one this that may have scared the team off is Crumpler’s degenerative knee condition (the same thing that ultimately ended Terrell Davis’s career).

Ben Troupe: Probably the next best alternative to Crumpler but still a number of question marks. Was his lack of production wit Young at the helm him slipping in his level of play or Young just having a yearning for Bo Scaife? Is he really worth the money he wanted? Tampa Bay will be able to answer these questions in the upcoming season.

Marlon McCree: We were in the running to sign him but Denver ended up winning out. We were low on depth at the position last year, but I would imagine that we have enough good young talent back there that we would not need to fork out extra cash to try and sign him. Maybe there’s more to Ko Simpson’s injury then we know.

I have to say that it’s nice to see Steve Christie come back and retire as a Buffalo Bill. Maybe the greatest kicker in team history, we’ll always remember him for kicking the game winning field goal in the greatest comeback in NFL history.

Also, did anyone else notice that Roscoe Parrish’s drunk-driving arrest was under the radar? He was probably too embarrassed to admit that he got smashed off of one wine cooler.

Here’s a look at another possible draftee via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown.

Today’s profile: Leodis McKelvin, Cornerback, Troy

“Height: 5-10^1/4 | Weight: 190 | 40-Time: 4.38

Strengths:
Very athletic…Has good size…Excellent timed speed with a burst to close…A solid tackler…Outstanding footwork…Great hands…Has fluid hips and is smooth in his transition…Natural man coverage skills…True playmaker who is a threat to take it the distance every time he gets his hands on the ball…Also a dynamic return man. Weaknesses:
Relatively marginal instincts and anticipation…He doesn’t have a lot of experience bumping at the line…Could do a better job in zone coverage…Too aggressive and plays a little out of control at times…Did not always play against elite competition.Notes:
Hails from the same college program that produced Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware…For his career he averaged 13.1 yards per punt return with 7 touchdowns and 23.7 yard per kick return with one touchdown…Named to several All-American teams after averaging 17.4 yards and with 3 TD’s as a punt returner in ‘07…Draft stock soared as a senior and quietly emerged as one of the best prospects at his position..Has starting potential as a corner and should be a top-notch return man.”

Wright has him listed as his top cornerback in the draft and 13th overall so he’s maybe a little out of our reach. If we got McKelvin, he could start at the No. 2 spot and eventually take over as the top corner for McGee who’s better suited for the second spot in the long run.

Let’s start with the cuts: Anthony Thomas, Coy Wire, Aaron Merz, Kiwaukee Thomas and Jerametrius Butler. All of these players were hurt for some extended time last season. Nearly all these cuts were expected, except for Wire. Wire always seemed like a good guy and was a good special teams player. But personally, he always seemed way to stiff in coverage to be relied upon to be an every down player.

Comments also by Dick Jauron seem to indicate that the team will be looking to sign a tight end. The one big name that sticks out is Alge Crumpler. After the fiasco that occured in Atlanta last season, I think a change of scenery could see a return to his old form. Other than Crumpler, your next tier of tight ends consists of players such as Eric Johnson, Jeb Putizer, Marcus Pollard, Bo Scaife, Ben Troupe, Ben Utecht and Jerramy Stevens.

Although Muhammad did not last long, there are some additional wide receiver we can throw into the free agency pool. Would you like to see Isaac Bruce wearing the red, white and blue? How about David Givens or Brandon Lloyd? Bruce could be a great mentor while Givens and Lloyd were stuck in log jams of mediocrity and could probably benefit from fresh starts.

I can tell you two players I don’t want the Bills to sign: Justin McCariens and Marty Booker. McCariens just seems so washed up already in his career and Booker benefits the Bills by playing against them, with all the balls he drops.

Linebacker wise, I’m rather content with us not going after Zach Thomas. We do not need a worn out, elderly, undersized linebacker on our defense. Maybe the Bills can target someone like Kendrell Bell instead or if Shawn Barber or Warrick Holdman have anything left in the tank. Dan Morgan is intruging because when he’s healthy he is one hell of a players. The key is though, when he’s healthy. Do not want Rob Morris. I thought he was very overrated coming out of college and not surprised at all when he lost his starting job in Indy.

None of the recently released cornerbacks really tantalize me. Ty Law ? Who knows if he still has it… Otherwise Andre Dyson and Fernando Bryant are the other two most notable corners.

I know we already signed Barnes, but Lorenzo Neal would be a great addition, having the best hole clearing fullback in the league never hurt anyones running attack. LT will miss him just like Eddie George did.

Here’s a look at another possible draftee via Scott Wright’s NFL Draft Countdown.

Today’s profile: Limas Sweed, Wide Receiver, Texas

“Height: 6-5 | Weight: 219 | 40-Time: 4.60

Strengths:
Has excellent size and a big frame with long arms…Very smooth athlete…Has soft hands…Excellent body control and ball skills…Great leaper…Tough and strong…A adequate blocker…Beats the jam at the line…Not afraid to work the middle of the field.. He will make the spectacular catch…Deceptively fast…Hard worker with top intangibles….Has a knack for making big plays when it matters most….Productive.

Weaknesses:
May not have elite timed speed..Isn’t real quick or explosive and lacks a burst…He may struggle to separate from pro corners…Has lapses in concentration that lead to drops…Relies too heavily on his natural talent at times…Health may be a issue.

Notes:
Had his senior season cut short by a lingering wrist injury that ultimately required surgery…Might be best known for catching the game-winning touchdown (the first of his career) against Ohio State very early in 2005 season that helped propel the Longhorns to a National Championship…Basically has everything that you look for in a #1 wideout in the NFL and if he runs well in workouts he should go very high.”

Wright has him ranked 4th out of all the wide receivers, behind DeSean Jackson, Mario Manningham and Malcolm Kelly, and ranked 24th overall, making him a bit of a reach right now at our spot. Sweed and Kelly are both very similar types of players with Sweed having more upside but also being more injury prone. Both players fit the role that the Bills need in a bigger, more possesion like receiver than Jackson and Manningham. Sweed actually posted faster times then listed below at the combine. If Buffalo were to pick a wide out in the first round, regardless of its Sweed or Kelly, you would also have to expect the team to sign a starting calibur verteren receiver, as it takes three years in the league for the most part before a wide receiver breaks out.