Dareus!!!

WOW!

Look, I’m the first to say that the NFL Draft can be the most overrated event in all of sports. Just everything that goes into it with the hype, the mock drafts and the talking heads can make me want to gargle Drano. However, when you get to the event, it just overtakes you. It’s like walking into a bar that you really don’t have expectations in hooking up at, but then all of a sudden, the Swedish bikini team walks in, and you just get caught up in the moment. Alright, maybe that metaphor doesn’t work. Lets just say, you can downplay the draft all you want, but when the event gets here, it represents a glimmer of hope for fans. 

Waiting for the Bills to use their first pick was such a adrenaline rush for me. I was on twitter and I was just super nervous. I couldn’t take the suspense. We all knew at about 8pm that the first two picks would be Newton and Von Miller. I’d like to think that Von Miller was so moved to tears, only because he found out that the Bills wouldn’t be picking him. 🙂

Now, when the Bills got on the clock, it was massive chaos. Some were saying Gabbert, others were saying Peterson. Hell, at one point, one of the NFL Network Reporters said it might be fricken AJ Green. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I was a total mess.

Well, right after the AJ Green tweet went out, I looked at the TV and saw that Marcell Dareus was on the phone. “Please, football Gods, let him be talking to the Bills.” The Commish came up (BTW, how funny was it that he got booed in NYC, as if he was John Rocker) and mouthed the words, “With the 3rd pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama.” Man, at that moment, I was so happy that I totally forgot about the Sabres losing against the Flyers 48 hours earlier. Yup, I did. The guy who thinks it’s ridiculous to give grades on NFL Drafts was going ape sh#t. 

I was hooked. I love the NFL. I love the Bills.

The NFL Draft is all about starting over again. It’s where franchises find their franchise players. Every single Hall of Famer has to start somewhere, right? Anyways, how can you not love the pick? Two months ago, Dareus was pretty much the consensus #1 pick in the draft. Why did he fall to us? Well, one franchise really needed a QB, while the other team thought its system fit someone else better. Well, I’m totally fine with that! Hell, what does John Elway know!?

As for the actual pick,  I wrote yesterday that sometimes, you just have to go with your instincts for when the regular season ended. It’s been 5 months since we lost to the Jets and after you hear 100s of analysts tell you what the team needs, you tend to forget what happened during the regular season. Bottom line: The Bills needed help defensively. They were awful. They couldn’t stop the run, they couldn’t pressure the QB, they couldn’t stop a damn nose bleed. In the words of Jim Mora, “We couldn’t do diddly pooh.”

I said it then and I’ll say it now, I would not have a problem with the Bills using all of their draft picks on defensive players. To me, there are bigger question marks with the defense than with the offense. At least on offense, the team has guys like Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans, CJ Spiller, Eric Wood and Andy Levitre. I mention Spiller, because he’s a former first round pick, not some old guy. Who the hell do they have on defense? Byrd and Williams. If Whitner leaves, the Bills will only have one first round draft pick starting on defense (Leodis McKelvin and I’m not counting Merriman, because he could get cut). I don’t know anything about Carrington and Troup. The linebackers are old and your corners are either inconsistent, injured or free agents. 

Now, am I saying that I want this offense for the next 10 years? No.

What I’m saying is that it will take two more years to fix this franchise. If you look at the offense, their biggest need is finding a franchise QB. As of Thursday night, I don’t think there’s one left. Now, because of that, I don’t think the Bills should just take one. Unless they think the guy can become Drew Brees or Matt Schaub, there’s just no point. You can always pick the franchise QB next year. Now, don’t be sad, because I’ve always been a fan of building your team first and then adding the QB last. It just makes it a lot easier for your rookie QB to adjust to the league. It worked when the Steelers, Jets and Ravens were stacked and they went to the playoffs with their rookie QBs.

Anyways, back to the next Bruce Smith 😛

Right now, you have to be thrilled with Dareus. He can stop the run, he plays three different positions (DT, DE and NT), and he can play in every defensive system. He’s the dream hybrid car for the hybrid defense. Just look up his 2010 National Title Game highlights, where he killed Colt McCoy and returned a interception for a touchdown. He was able to thrive under Nick Saban, who is like the biggest a$$hole in college football. He won a National Title and he’s NOT a 1-year wonder.

They guy is as safe of a pick as you can get. Without question, he fills the biggest need for the Bills. The Bills will not be dead last in rush defense. Book it!

Last night for me really marked some sort of change with the Bills. Yes, Terry Pegula must really be effecting my state of mind because I’m being a total homer. For once, it seemed like the Bills got it right. I mean, we got arguably the best defensive player in the draft!? Maybe I’m so happy because 2 days ago, it seemed like we’d be getting either Von Miller, Blaine Gabbert or Patrick Peterson. There weren’t many mock drafts that had us picking Dareus. It always seemed like it would be 1) Newton 2) Dareus.

Well, that’s why mock drafts suck.

Getting Dareus is like finding out that Jessica Alba wants to date you instead of Christina Aguilera, Snooki and Miss. Elizabeth (RIP). Hey, nothing against those girls, but you can’t go wrong with Jessica Alba!? Lastly, I can’t wait to see Dareus and Kyle Williams play next to each other on the front line.

Anyways, I’m blabbering on because I am happy.

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As for tomorrow, there’s a couple of QBs left on the board, do the Bills select one? It wasn’t too long ago that some thought Ryan Mallet was a top 15 pick and then the Scarface rumors started swirling. Andy Dalton’s name keeps getting tossed around. Then there’s the Nevada QB, Colin Kaepernick, who Buffalo Wins contributor, Rob Quinn, can’t shut up about 😛

Of course, if the Bills think these guys can be the QB of the future, you take him. Plus, even if you take him in the 2nd round, it’s not like you have an attachment to him in the long term. If Mallet bombs out, you can always draft a QB in the first round next year. You aren’t really married to your 2nd round QBs, just ask the Panthers and Jimmy Clausen.

If you want my prediction, I think the Bills don’t draft a QB in the 2nd round. Andy Dalton doesn’t have the arm for Buffalo and Mallett is just too much of a headcase. Gut feeling: Bills select Aaron Williams, corner/safety from Texas.

Now, if I am the Bills, I keep going with defense or just pick the best player available. Simple as that. Alright, that’s too easy. Akeem Ayers, OLB/UCLA would be a nice pick for me. There’s no guarantee that Shawne Merriman will come back and Chris Kelsay kind of sucks. Look, I want defense, damn it! Find the QB next year. Draft Ayers in the 2nd and ILB, Kelvin Sheppard in the 3rd. BOOM! Your defense is set and then you can draft offensive players next year.