My love for pro football has seriously fallen off in recent years. It is a great game, but the NFL has become a business, not a sport. The No Fun League moniker certainly crops up a lot and it is hard to like the players when they all act like jerks. All the time.
However, free agency and the draft always peak my interest. Of course, the looming lockout/work stoppage put the kaibosh on free agency. The draft will go on. Why? I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t matter and I am still looking forward to tuning in. The big question in tornado alley Buffalo is, who do the Bills select with the third overall selection?
Leave it to Buffalo to bottom out in a year with such a weak class at the top of the draft. Still, there are a few options available at the third pick. They have a plethora of needs starting at QB right on through DT. Outside linebacker and offensive tackle are also huge weak points for this team. However, they can’t address every need in the first round, only the most glaring one.
I see five players that the Bills could take a serious look at with the third selection. Marcell Dareus, Blaine Gabbert, Von Miller, Cam Newton and Patrick Peterson. Of those five, I wouldn’t touch Newton. He comes across as a huge phony, a cheater and a jerk. I think he will be a cancer to any locker room he gets put into. Miller and Dareus (even Nick Fairley) address immediate needs on defense. They are highly skilled and would be effective for a defense that desperately needs help. Gabbert and Peterson are pretty much safety valves for me, based on who is picked at one and two. Here is my breakdown of the prospects in the order I would take them:
Von Miller -OLB, Texas A&M
Von Miller would be my choice if I were the Bills. He is a bit undersized at 6’2″ 246 pounds, but he has a solid body of work in a competitive conference. Miller is a edge rusher who can play in both the 3-4 and the 4-3. He has the style and skill that Aaron Maybin was supposed to bring. Buffalo has had a pretty horrific pass rush over the past few years, Miller would help fill that void and hopefully bump Chris Kelsay to a three point stance all the time. He is exaclty what the Bills need and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be available for the third pick. That is also why I chose him as a correspondent with the original, DC based, Two in the Box.
Marcell Dareus – DT, Alabama
I really like Marcell Dareus. He was an early pick of mine when I first started thinking about the draft this past fall. The reason I would take Miller over Dareus, at this point, is because I don’t see the big DT being available. He has the ability to play end in a 3-4 or three-technique in a 4-3. He is very stout against the run and can get after the passer a bit too. His ability to play against the run is what makes him a bit more attractive than Miller. However, all three teams need defensive help, while Buffalo and Carolina could also use a QB. It is going to boil down to who decides to address which need with their pick. The fact of the matter is, Dareus will be off the board when Buffalo selects.
Patrick Peterson – DB, LSU
This is a weird choice, I know. But I am basing it off good logic. First off, Peterson is a scary talent, maybe the best in the draft. He can play corner or safety and the Bills may need help at both. In addition, Buddy Nix proved that he isn’t afraid to take the best player available (see Spiller, C.J.). I also think there is a chance that Peterson would be chosen because Nix stated that he will take the best playmaker that will help his team with this pick. I spoke with some people who really know the draft, we all saw that comment as code for “Patrick Peterson is seriously on our radar” Peterson is my pick only if there is no option to trade down and you’re being forced to choose between Gabbert and Newton.
Blaine Gabbert – QB, Missouri
Gabbert’s stock shot up really fast. In fact, it kind of came out of no where. This kid has played in a wacky system out of the shotgun for quite a while. He does have a big arm and the raw ability you need for the position. Frankly, I don’t see him as a top-five pick. If quaterbacks weren’t so over valued Gabbert would be a mid to low first round choice. Now, if I absolutely had to pick a QB, Gabbert would be my choice. He can hurl the rock, he is a smart guy and he seems to be cast from the ideal QB mold. Again, I would only select Gabbert if I absolutely had to take a QB.
Cam Newton – QB, Auburn
I am very scared that the Carolina Panthers are going to select Marcell Dareus with the first pick. Now, I don’t know what that would do for the Denver Broncos. I wouldn’t be surprised if it meant they traded the pick to a team that wants/needs a QB. What scares me is the idea that Cam Newton will be available for the Bills at three and if he is there, the Bills will take him. Joe Buscaglia said the same thing. Newton has no body of work to speak from. Yes, I am well aware he won the National Championship (I’m 99% sure he should have been ineligible). However, I don’t like him as a passer, I also think he is too stupid to understand the complexities of an NFL offense. Simply put, I don’t think his talents translate to the NFL game. Those kind of QBs are the worst kind.
For what it’s worth, I think the best option for the Bills is to trade down. You can accumulate at least two additional selections. Face it, the Bills need as much quantity as they do quality. If they were to trade out of the third pick into the middle of the round, they could take a stab at Cameron Jordan or Ryan Kerrigan. Then you have two additional picks to play with for the second round and beyond.
Ultimately, I see the Bills taking Miller. He is the smart choice based on the talent available. If Dareus is there at three, then you take him. Based on everything I have read, Dareus will be gone. That makes the choice very easy. In the second round I would solve my QB problem. I would select Christian Ponder. He is athletic enough to run around and make plays but played under center and can throw the crap out of the ball. He also lit it up for Gailey at the Senior Bowl. If his health is not of concern, he is my choice in round two. I feel like my draft plan is fairly conservative but smart at the same time. It addresses to obvious needs with two players that hopefully won’t burn you in the end.
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