Buffalo Bills draft preview (Defense)

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, April 28, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Buffalo Bills
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
This offseason, the Buffalo Bills have stood relatively pat on the defensive side of the ball, an area they fell all the way to 29th in last season. In 2003 and 2004, the Bills' defense ended up with consecutive second-place finishes. They were expected to lead the Bills to the playoffs last year, but ended up as a major disappointment.

During last month's free agency frenzy, the Bills' biggest signing was 293-pound defensive tackle Larry Tripplett, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts. He will step in and take one of the Bills' starting spots. They also signed former Washington Redskins safety Matt Bowen, who has a good shot at taking the strong safety starting spot. Lastly, they signed reserve cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas. Thus, they didn't gain much ammunition, but they lost plenty, namely defensive tackles Sam Adams and Ron Edwards, and safety Lawyer Milloy.

Without question, the Buffalo Bills have plenty of work to do this weekend in the NFL Draft. Expect GM Marv Levy, assistant Tom Modrak and head coach Dick Jauron to target the defensive side of the ball with the majority of their 10 picks.

Defensive end: The Bills have no problem at right defensive end, where Aaron Schobel has been their finest pass-rusher for the last few years. At left defensive end it will be a battle for the job between two mediocre players, Chris Kelsay and Ryan Denney. Its imperative the Bills' line gets pressure in their new "Tampa 2" defense, which should make DE a big need early on Saturday. In the second round, there's a decent chance former Boston College end Mathias Kiwanuka or ex-Penn State star Tamba Hali will be available for the Bills' 42nd overall pick. Both have been thought of as top 10 picks in the past, so the Bills could steal one late.

Defensive tackle: The common theme among draft experts this offseason has been the opinion that the Bills will draft a tackle in the first round this year. With Brodrick Bunkley and Haloti Ngata both available at No. 8, there's a good chance of it, but nothing's etched in stone. Bunkley, an athletic specimen from Florida State, would make the best fit in the Bills' new scheme, which requires smaller linemen. Having him next to Tripplett with Tim Anderson as a rotator would be effective.

Strong-side linebacker: Nobody really knows what the Bills are thinking at this position. Their starter last year, Jeff Posey, is more suited for a 3-4 defense, but he surprisingly wasn't released after the season. They have another good young LB in Angelo Crowell, but there's been a lot of talk that he's too small to play the strong side. The Bills may draft someone in the mid to late rounds this weekend; it could go either way.

Middle linebacker: Soon-to-be 31-year-old London Fletcher had a terrific season in 2005, leading the Bills with 157 tackles. However, his contract is up after this season and he's getting up there in age, which means the Bills could draft a replacement this weekend. If not, it means they have enough confidence in special-teamer Mario Haggan to take the spot when Fletcher is gone.

Weak-side linebacker: This is one of the Bills' last positions of need for the upcoming draft. Two-time Pro Bowler Takeo Spikes has been training full-throttle every day to recover from his Achilles' injury, and assures everyone he'll return at 100 percent next season. In the unlikely event Spikes can't return, the Bills have Crowell, who took the reins from the injured Spikes in '05 and had 115 tackles.

Cornerback: On paper the Bills are fine at this position, as they have Nate Clements and Terrence McGee as the starters. However, Clements is currently holding out, and there's no guarantee he'll suit up for Buffalo next season. Jabari Greer, Kiwaukee Thomas, James Bethea and Eric King fill out the Bills' secondary, and that could be a problem if one has to start. With the eighth pick, the Bills may elect to go with former Texas DB Michael Huff, who is versatile enough to play corner and safety. He could replace the inconsistent Clements, who tanked last season.

Strong safety: It'll come down to three possible starters at this position for the Bills next season: Huff, if the Bills draft him, Bowen and Coy Wire. If the Bills don't draft Huff, they'll still have Bowen, a speedy, agile defensive back who fits the Cover 2 defense perfectly. Wire has been awful in coverage in the past, so don't expect him to start anywhere except special teams, where he's been tremendous.

Free safety: Much like the weak-side linebacker position, the Bills seem set at free safety. They have declining veteran Troy Vincent, but youngster Rashad Baker is ready to step in when Vincent's time in Buffalo is up. You could make a valid argument that Baker should be starting, since he played well in limited duty last season. Outside of Baker, the Bills have another good prospect in second-year man Jim Leonhard.

Bills fans should hang onto their hats because they could be looking at their team's most compelling draft in years. Trading down is a possibility, so don't necessarily expect the Buffalo Bills to stay at No. 8. However, one thing's for sure, they need some major defensive assistance.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Connor Byrne

Sorry, Connor Byrne's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report