Song of the Day

Minus the Bear

2009 Buffalo Bills Draft in Review

Yeah, this is a little late, but screw you I’ve been busy.

Going into the draft, Buffalo had some glaring holes. Most notably at OL, DL, OLB, and TE. The Bills were able to get a good crop of young players and did a decent job addressing their needs. However, they were unable to grab a LT to replace Pro-Bowler Jason Peters. Overall it was a very good draft for the Bills, who appear to still be active in the free agent market. Here’s a player by player breakdown of the 2009 Bills draft class.

#11 – Aaron Maybin, DE Penn State

There was a lot of controversy over whether or not there was a defensive end worthy enough of the #11 overall pick, but the Bills decided not to concern themselves with the naysayers and took Penn State pass rusher Aaron Maybin with their first selection.

Aaron Maybin

Pros:

Maybin was perhaps the most pure pass-rusher in the draft, competing with FSU’s Everette Brown for that title. Maybin’s first step has been compared to a bullet getting fired out of a gun, that explosive. And when it comes to pass rushing DE’s, it’s all about the first step. Maybin’s versatility was another big pro for taking him as high as the Bills did. Many scouts had Maybin projected as a OLB in both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses. The Bills aren’t necessarily known for their creativity on either side of the ball, but it’s a possibility we could see Maybin standing up on 1st and 2nd downs, then putting a hand in the mud in pass-rushing situations. Maybin is also a notoriously hard worker and plays with a true passion for the game. If he fails in Buffalo it won’t be because he isn’t trying. Lastly, Maybin is only 20 years old and still developing. The room for growth in his game is huge.

Cons:

At 6′4 250, Maybin is considered small by NFL standards. There’s concern that he’ll get eaten up by Offensive Tackles on running plays. Also, at Penn State, Maybin played at a much smaller 220 pounds, and added that extra 30 pounds in the small amount of time between the end of the season and the combine. It will be interesting to see how he fairs with the added wait. Another red flag is that he only played one year as a starter for PSU, registering 12 sacks in 10 games. Bills fans are hoping this was not a one year phenomenon.

WTWC Grade: B. The Bills had their pick of the litter at pass-rushing DE’s and took Maybin. He is undersized which is a cause for concern, but plays with the passion and work ethic to make up for it. The Bills addressed a glaring need which scores come points as well.

#28 – Eric Wood, C Louisville.

In return for LT Jason Peters the Bills received a first round pick from the Eagles, as well as some day two picks in this and next year’s draft. With the first rounder, the Bills took arguably the best C in the draft in Lousiville’s Eric Wood.

Eric Wood

Pros:

Despite his golden locks of curly hair, Eric Wood is an absolute beast and will eat your children. He’s a son of a bitch with a mean streak in the trenches and is exactly what the Bills needed at Center. Where other top centers in this draft class struggled against top DT prospect B.J. Raji, Wood excelled. He is an excellent run blocker and does not get pushed back often by bigger DTs, which is huge for the Bills who play in a division featuring monsters like Vince Wilfork and Kris Jenkins. Wood is the picture of durability, starting a staggering 46 games for the Cardinals. A natural leader, Wood is known as a film rat and can often be seen watching tape of his opponents.

Cons:

There really just aren’t too many cons for this guy, and yes, I did actually look. There are some concerns about his athleticism despite having an above average day at the combine.

WTWC Grade: A. Probably the Bills most sure-thing pick in the draft. Wood, who will likely start out his career at guard before taking over at center, should anchor the Bills offensive line for a long, long time.

#42 – Jairus Byrd, DB Oregon.

The Bills love them some DB’s. Honestly, it’s like an addiction for this front office. “One more, one more, this is the last one then I quit” is probably what they were saying as they handed in the selection. Despite my initial rage at taking ANOTHER defensive secondary player on day 1 when there were still big needs at OL, OLB and TE, the pick may actually be a good one (in hindsight).

Jairus Byrd...doing what Jairus Byrd does

Pros:

Jairus Byrd has 17 interceptions in his career at Oregon. FACT. Jairus Byrd is a ballhawk. FACT. That is all.

J/K. Byrd is a playmaker who also had a knack  for returning kicks and punts. Also, although he played CB for the Ducks, the Bills have him slotted in as the replacement at FS for Ko Simpson or George Wilson. Byrd is also known  as being a tough and physical player, something the Bills secondary could use.  His ability to make the big play is a huge reason he came out as a junior. Also, and perhaps most importantly, Byrd excells in zone coverage which the Bills play the majority of the time. One last note, his Father played and coached in the NFL.

Cons:

As a corner Byrd lacked elite speed to stay with the fastest receivers. That is why many scouts projected him to safety where top end speed is not essential. Besides that he is a very solid overall player.

WTWC Grade: B. This pick was tough to grade. FS was well down on the list of needs at the time of the pick, although the Bills were able to fill other needs later in the draft. Byrd could end up being a hell of a player, but the pick was somewhat of a reach. The jury is still out on this one.

WTWC Mock Draft: Buffalo Bills

For the Bills in 2009, the name of the game has been something. Buffalo made a big splash in free agency, signing controversial WR Terrell Owens. They also released their starting left guard, Derrick Dockery, and traded their two-time pro-bowler, Jason Peters after contract negotiations were abandoned. Following the 3 game suspension handed down to RB Marshawn Lynch, the Bills also picked up former Colts and Raiders RB Dominic Rhodes.

So, lots of big names getting throw around and what does it all mean? It means the Bills are still no closer to making the playoffs then they were last year at this time. It appears the front office at One Bills Drive is happy with the one step forward, two steps back approach to the off-season. In lieu of a hall of fame 2009 draft, the official WTWC predicition for the Bills record in 2009: 6-10. And that’s optimistic.

HOWEVER. If the Bills want to salvage an underwhelming off-season in ‘09, they will take some apparently much needed advice. DRAFT LINEMEN. Here is the 2009 Official Bills Mock Draft.

Round 1a: Michael Oher, OT Mississippi.

Yes, this is different than the previous all-NFL mock draft pick for Buffalo, but that was also before the Jason Peters trade. The Bills now have two gaping holes on the left side of the line. Despite other pressing needs, there’s just no way the Bills can afford to pass on addressing the O-Line. Oher is a freak athlete and should develop nicely.

Alternate Pick: Andre Smith, OT Alabama.

Big Boys up front, please.

Round 1b: Alex Mack, C California.

The Bills solidify their O-line with Mack, who can play center or guard for the Bills. Free agent signee Goeff Hangartner fills in the other position not taken by Mack. Hopefully, these two players in the first round will give the Bills the push at the line of scrimmage they have been lacking. Of course there will be bumps along the road, but these two guys should anchor the O-Line for years.

Alternate pick: Max Unger, C Oregon.

The Secret World of Alex Mack

Round 2: Clint Sintim, OLB Virginia.

The Bills FINALLY are able to replace current starter Keith Ellison at OLB. Ellison was replaced by the signing of Kawika Mitchell, only to regain his starting role after fellow LBs Angelo Crowell and John DiGorgio were put on IR. Sintim is much bigger than Ellison at 6′2, 254 pounds. Sintim will be able to better shed blocks and make a play then the undersized Ellison and gives the Bills a somewhat respectable LB corp.

Alternate Pick: Larry English, DE Northern Illinois.

Dude just looks like a linebacker

DAY 2:

Now the age old question that has puzzled man since his earliest beginnings…defensive end or tight end in the 2nd round? As god awful as the Bills pass rush was in the 2008 season, their passing game was just as painful to watch. With the departure of Peters the need for O-Line went up, effectively pushing DE to round 3. TE is still a luxury pick at this time for a young team with multiple holes. The clear pick here is DE, so of course the Bills will draft…

Round 3: Chip Vaughn, SS Wake Forest.

Wait, what!? Yes, a SS in the 3rd round instead of a DE. Noting the Bills love of drafting DBs early, it’s just realistic enough to happen. The Bills may hope the return of DE Aaron Schobel, combined with a developing 2nd year DE in Chris Ellis, are able to make the pass rush decent, and take the hard hitting Vaughn in the 3rd. The Bills plan on playing 4th year vet Donte Whitner to FS in an attempt to put him in position to make more plays. Vaughn will likely come in and play as the starter from day one.

Chip in the 3rd...Dale in the 4th?

Song of the Day

Jimi Hendrix – Pali Gap

First Official WTWC NFL Mock Draft

Round 1:

Picks #13-32

13) Washington Redskins – Andre Smith, OT Alabama. The Redskins are drooling at grabbing Andre Smith at #13. Many people had Andre Smith as the #1 OT prospect in the draft prior to some off the field issues and a poor workout at the NFL combine. Despite these red flags, Smith has the potential to be one of the best Offensive lineman in the game.

14) New Orleans Saints – Chris Wells, RB Ohio State. After cutting long time Saint RB Deuce McCallister, the Saints are in need of a 3rd down RB to back up the versatile Reggie Bush. To compliment Bush’s speed and agility, the Saints draft OSU’s “Beanie” Wells, a powerful bruiser of a RB who will take the inside handoffs.

15) Houston Texans – Rey Maualuga, LB USC. In recent years the Texans have used their early draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, specifically the defensive line. By drafting Mario Williams and and Amobi Okoye, the Texans have the cornerstones to a downright scary defensive line. However, once you get past the d-line, the texans are in need of another playmaker beside DeMeco Ryans. Maualuga is one of the biggest playmakers in the country and immeadiately contributes to the defense.

16) San Diego Chargers – Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia. Let’s face it. LT is getting old and is just not the same anymore. This could likely be LT’s last year as a Charger and Darren Sproles won’t be able to carry the load as the feature back. Despite a pretty awful defense, the Chargers will look to continue to do what they’ve done for the past few years – score more points than you. Moreno is a powerful and elusive back that will fit in nicely with the Chargers existing offense.

17) New York Jets – Josh Freeman, QB Kansas State. The biggest story for the Jet’s off-season is who will emerge as the starter at QB in 2009.

Josh Freeman

Following the Favre debacle, the Jets are left with a handful of inexperienced and subpar Quarterbacks. Kellen Clemens has shown flashes, and Brett Ratliff opened some eyes in last years pre-season but look for the Jets to go in a new direction at QB and bring in a very talented player in Freeman.

18) Denver Broncos – Evander Hood, DT Mizzou. Cursing the Jets for taking Freeman just ahead of them, the Broncos elect to address the defensive side of the ball yet again with Hood. Hood will help clog the run up the middle and let Denver’s pass rusher do their work on 3rd downs by getting consistently double-teamed.

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Brian Cushing, LB USC. With the departure of Derrick Brooks, and the top three QBs off the board, the Bucs will take the next best LB in the draft with Cushing. Cushing has a nice combonation of speed and power and will flourish in te defensive minded Buc’s organization.

20) Detroit Lions – Michael Oher, OT Mississippi. The Lions get their OT at #20 thanks to the trade that sent them the pick from Dallas for Roy Williams. Luckily for the Lions, it’s a deep year for OT and they get a potential top 15 pick. Oher is an incredibly gifted athlete and is versatile to play any position on the O-Line, minus center.

21) Philadelphia Eagles – Brandon Pettigrew, TE Oklahoma State. The Eagles currently only have two tight ends on their roster: Brent Celek and Matt Schobel…yeah. With the surprise early success of DeSean Jackson at WR, the Eagles take the best Tight End in the draft in Pettigrew. Pettigrew gives McNabb another target in the passing game and is also an excellent in-line blocker.

22) Minnesota Vikings – Darius Heyward-Bey, WR Maryland. With the off-season aquistion of Sage Rosenfels it’s obvious the Vikings are looking to get more out of their passing game. Heyward-Bey is a big and physical receiver who will back defenses away from the line of scrimmage at let Adrian Peterson do what he does best, run the ball down your throat.

23) New England Patriots – Vontae Davis, CB Illinois. The Patriots signed 13-year veteran Shawn Springs to start at corner for them in 2009, but he will be little more than a stop-gap as the aging Patriots Defense gets just a little bit younger with Vontae Davis.

Vontae Davis

It’s hard to find a weakness on the Patriots, but even the most die-hard Pats fan will admit that age is an issue when it comes to the defense. New England has infused some nice young talent at LB in the last few years of the draft, look for them continue to address the D through the draft this year.

24) Atlanta Falcons – James Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State. The Falcons struggled against the run last year, finishing 25th in the league at stopping the run. Laurinaitis can play all three LB positions and was at one time considered a top ten pick.

25) Miami Dolphins – Kenny Britt, WR Rutgers. The Dolphins surprised everyone by making the playoffs last year, despite the disappointing play of free agent aquisition Ernest Wilford.

Kenny Britt

The Dolphins front office will try to mold a more complete team for QB Chad Henne when he inherits the team at the end of Chad Penningtons time there. Britt is a big and strong receiver who will nicely compliment speedsters Greg Camarillo and first round draft pick Tedd Ginn Jr.

26) Baltimore Ravens – Brian Robiskie, WR Ohio State. With Joe Flacco proving himself to be the QB of the future in Baltimore, the Ravens will continue the run on WRs in the first round. With their best receiver a 13 year old veteran, the Ravens will take the talented Robiskie to help Flacco’s development.

27) Indianapolis Colts – Max Unger, C Oregon. The Colts ranked next to last in rushing yards per game last year. With an aging Jeff Saturday who is probably in the last year of his career, starting at center, Unger will have time to learn on the sidelines from one of the best before being thrown into the fire. Can also play Guard or even Tackle at the next level.

28) Philadelphia Eagles – Patrick Chung, S Oregon. It’s next to impossible to replace a player like Brian Dawkins, but the Eagles will try with hard hitting Patrick Chung.

29) New York Giants – Shawn Nelson, TE Mississippi. With all of the top WRs already off the board, the Giants try to fill the void left behind by Plexico Burress with the speedy Shawn Nelson. All indications show that the G-men are happy with current TE Kevin Boss, but Nelson has the speed to be more of a receiving threat.

30) Tennessee Titans – Clay Matthews, OLB/DE USC. Losing Albert Haynesworth to free agency is going to hurt. There are no NT in the draft at this point to replace him either, so the Titans do the next best thing and grab prototype DE/OLB Clay Matthews. Matthews will probably play primarily on the line but also has the ability to rush the passer from the upright position. Another option here is WR Percy Harvin.

31) Arizona Cardinals – Donald Brown, RB UConn. Easy pick at #31 for the Cardinals who ranked dead last in rushing yards per game last year, especially with a 32 year old and unhappy Edgerrin James on the roster.

32) Pittsburgh Steelers – Eric Wood, C Louisville. There’s two things the Steelers are known for. Running the ball and hard nose defense. They already have the #1 defense in football, so they focus on the running game with their first round pick. Wood can play center as well as guard and will start opening holes for Willie Parker on day one.

6 Signs You’re About to be Attacked by Zombies | Cracked.com

Every Saturday, Cracked lets someone from another website do the update for us. They get to show off their stuff to our fans, and we get to be lazy while someone else does our job for us.

In the la…

View >>

First Official WTWC NFL Mock Draft

It’s almost that time of year again.

Round 1:

Picks #1-12

1) Detroit Lions – Matt Stafford, QB Georgia. The Lions are in desperate need of someone to get the ball to Calvin Johnson and haven’t had a decent Quarterback since…well ever. Stafford comes in and starts right away for a fledgling team coming off an abysmal 0-16 season. Other options here are one of the top OT prospects but I expect the Lions front office to go for the flashy pick and take the best QB in the draft.

2) St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith, OT Baylor. Smith is a big and powerful OT who excelled in pass protection. With the departure of pro-bowl OT Orlando Pace, this pick makes sense for a Rams team which struggled mightily last year.

3) Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry, OLB Wake Forest. Regarded by some as the best player in the draft, it’s doubtful that Kansas City passes on a potential difference maker the caliber of Curry. KC made a big splash in the off-season acquiring Patriots QB Matt Cassell, look for them to address the defense early in the draft.

4) Seattle Seahawks – B.J. Raji, DT Boston College. Prior to picking up free agent TJ H, the Seahawks were the prime candidate to draft Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree. Although they struggled badly on offense, the Seahawks were even worse on defense. Ranking dead last against the pass. Raji can come in and start right away and help free up DEs Patrick Kerney and Cory Redding.

5) Cleveland Browns – Brian Orakpo, DE Texas. The Cleveland Browns only managed 17 sacks last year. Orakpo comes in and gives them a threat on the edge.

6) Cincinatti Bengals – Michael Crabtree, WR Texas Tech. With the departure of TJ H. and Chad Johnson ( I refuse to call him Ocho Cinco) unhappy in Bengals-land, Cincinatti could all of a sudden be short on receiving targets for Carson Palmer. Crabtree is a freak by any means and will not struggle like typical rookie WRs. He already has the size and power of a veteran NFL receiver and should make a difference for the Bengals who ranked 32nd in both points and yards last season.

7) Oakland Raiders – Jeremy Maclin, WR Mizzou. Just missing out on the Michael Crabtree sweepstakes, the Raiders will take the next best WR on the board, Jeremy Maclin. Maclin may not be as pro-ready as Crabtree but should give 3rd year QB Jamarcus Russell another option in the passing game opposite of Javon Walker. Oakland was last in the league in passing yards per game and 29th in PPG.

8 ) Jacksonville Jaguars – Eugene Monroe, OT Virginia. For a team that is built to run the ball, having as many injuries along the O-Line as Jacksonville did last year is a sure disaster. Monroe can play both OT and OG which increases his value for a team committed to taking the air out of the ball.

9) Green Bay Packers – Peria Jerry, DT Ole Miss. Being in the same division as the Bears, Vikings and Lions means you better be able to stop the run. The Packers ranked in the bottom third of the league in this category in 2008. Jerry will wreak havoc among the interior of opposing team lines and open up players like Aaron Kampman and A.J. Hawk to make plays at the line of scrimmage.

10) San Francisco 49ers – Mark Sanchez, QB USC. After the failed Alex Smith experiment, San Fran is ready for a new face at QB. Going with the local kid, Sanchez, the 9ers are getting a QB who many have rated higher than Matt Stafford. San Francisco will still have quite a few holes, but Sanchez’s ability to keep plays alive and his accuracy on the run will make him a valuable piece to te 49ers rebulding efforts.

11) Buffalo Bills – Everette Brown, DE Florida State. One of the best pass rushers in this draft class and exactly what the Bills defense needs.

Everette Brown, FSU

With starting pro-bowl DE Aaron Schobel missing most of last year, the Bills rarely got within sniffing distance of opposing QBs. The Bills have invested heavily in their secondary, drafting corners or safetys with 7 of their picks over the last 3 years, including two first rounders. It’s time for that investment to pay off. By drafting Brown the Bills look to force opposing QBs into unadvised throws, and hopefully, more interceptions. Brown has a nice combination of speed and power that will help accomplish this goal.

12) Denver Broncos – Malcom Jenkins, Ohio State. The Broncos were just flat out awful on defense last year despite having one of the best CBs in the game, Champ Bailey. The Broncos add potential top 10 pick Jenkins to the team to solidify their secondary as Jenkins can play both CB and FS.

Song of the Day

Adam Monroe – Lateralus (Piano, Tool Cover)

Song of the Day

Slightly Stoopid – Close to the Sun

Currently Reading…

Clive Barker – The Hellbound Heart

Hellbound Heart

“So intent was Frank  upon solving the puzzle of Lemarchand’s box that he didn’t hear the great bell begin to ring.”