Your Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen...

Your Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Last week, I wrote that I had a big announcement concerning the future of this blog. Today's the day to make that announcement.

I have accepted a position as the Bills blogger for SportsBlogs Nation, whom I have been working with recently on the popular mock draft I've mentioned in previous posts. I will no longer be posting here as a result; all my Bills musings will appear on my new blog. Where's that, you ask?

Buffalo Rumblings!

Click that giant link to head over to my new blog - I ask you, dear readers, to follow me to the new site, where your voices can be heard louder than ever before! For information on the site itself, please refer to my "Welcome" post (appears second on the page as of 4/7/07).

Again - head on over to Buffalo Rumblings, create an account and start interacting! Thanks, folks!

Prospect Profile: Patrick Willis

In light of my selection of MLB Patrick Willis (left) in the SB Nation Mock Draft today, I thought I'd give you all a profile on our "new" linebacker. Below are the scouting report provided by ESPN's Draft Magazine, and an interview with the young man from Ole Miss that appears in The Sporting News' Draft Guide.

Height: 6'1" Weight: 242 40-Time: 4.37 seconds Senior

ESPN Profile

STRENGTHS: Power
- Strong enough to take on blocks in the phone booth. Explodes through tackles and is reliable in space. Good height, adequate bulk and room to beef up frame. Quick, fluid and agile for size. Great initial burst. Takes solid angles in pursuit and sifts through traffic. Has the lateral quickness to make plays sideline to sideline. Good range. Matches up vs. most TEs and RBs one-on-one. Natural leader.

WEAKNESSES: Instincts
- Below-average ball skills in coverage. Has the range but can be slow to diagnose at times. Can play a bit high and let defenders get into his body. Needs to add some weight (especially in the lower body) to hold up better on the inside. Injury-prone.

NFL COMPARISON: Jonathan Vilma, NY Jets

GRADE: 90 (Elite player - "Shows rare abilities and creates mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game.)

To me, the fact that Willis was as productive as he was in college on a bad team - combined with his work ethic, character and potential for growth - mean that he can grow into a dominant Cover-2 middle linebacker. There are concerns, sure, but his ceiling was too high to pass on.

The Sporting News - Player Snapshot

My favorite moment as a college player was: Probably the hit that started it all off for me came when I was a freshman against Alabama. I mostly just played special teams then, but I tried to make the most of it. Against Alabama, I had a hit on the kickoff team that had people thinking: Who is this guy?

My opponents would say the best thing I do is: Run to the ball. They never catch me standing around or not being around the ball.

The part of my game that will need the most work in the NFL is: Probably my pass coverage. I need to learn how to jump routes. I'm used to just dropping into zones and not really playing a receiver.

My friends would describe my personality as: Laid-back but funny. They always ask me why I'm laid-back. But that's just me. When we are all chilling, I'm more of a clown.

The NFL player I am most like: Derrick Brooks or Brian Urlacher. No one really gave Urlacher a chance coming out of New Mexico. I admire the way Brooks carries himself and what he stands for and the way he plays football.

The NFL player I can't wait to face: Jerious Norwood of the Falcons. He got the best of me the last time we played them, when he still was at Mississippi State. We shut him down pretty well my sophomore year. But my junior year, they kind of went crazy on us.

The first thing I'll buy after I sign my contract: Probably a car, like most guys. I drive a 1996 Yukon right now. I'll probably go for the Escalade truck.

When I score my first NFL touchdown: I'll probably get on one knee and do the Lord's Prayer.

There you have it, folks - two very reputable sources with pretty high endorsements of our "new" linebacker. What do you think of Patrick Willis? Good fit in Buffalo? Or a reach? Let me know by commenting below!

With the 10th overall pick...

... in the 2007 SB Nation Mock Draft, the fake Buffalo Bills select:

Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss

Here is the write-up that I provided for the Draft's main site, Field Gulls:

Trading up to pick 10 wasn't an easy decision - the Bills have a lot of needs, and four first-day picks would really help to build depth on a young team. But dealing the #12 and #92 picks wasn't too big of a deal - we still have selections in the first three rounds, and our second- and third-round picks are relatively high in their respective rounds. So we can still get future starters there.
It's obvious to most Bills fans that linebacker is Buffalo's biggest need - the team lost Fletcher-Baker and Spikes this off-season, and while they still have two players who can start, depth is sketchy at best.

Now they don't have to worry about that - Willis played inside in college and would assume that role in Buffalo's Cover-2 scheme. Buffalo's porous run defense is immediately upgraded by Willis' presence - he is a fast, attacking linebacker who is always around the ball. In addition, Willis has promise dropping back into coverage, although admittedly he must refine his technique there. With Angelo Crowell and second-year man Keith Ellison on the roster, however, Willis would not be counted on immediately in a nickel role, allowing him to develop those skills.

Leon Hall, Darrelle Revis, Marshawn Lynch and Robert Meachem were also serious considerations at this spot. In the end, Willis was the best prospect out of that group and has the biggest impact on Buffalo in 2007 and in future years. The trade was necessitated by San Francisco's presence at pick 11 - sacrificing pick 92 for the best defensive playmaker in the draft was an easy one to make.

Comments? Opinions? I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about my first moves as faux-GM of the Bills!

Trade! Bills deal in SBN Mock

The fake Buffalo Bills, led by fake GM Brian Galliford (yours truly), have swung a deal in the first round of the 2007 SB Nation Mock Draft. The Bills have acquired the #10 overall pick from the fake Houston Texans, run by fake GM Tim McHale. We have surrendered the #12 pick and our second third-rounder (#92, which we acquired from the Ravens in the Willis McGahee deal) in order to move up.

With that 10th selection, I have already made my pick! However, it is my decision to let the formal announcement be made on the host site of the Mock Draft, Field Gulls. Hopefully soon, you will read about the trade AND the pick at that wonderful blog.

In the meantime... care to speculate about who I picked? If I were a betting man, I'd bet that your guess is correct...

Mock Draft Rolls Along

The SportsBlogs Nation Mock Draft has really picked up steam this morning/early afternoon, with 4 picks taking place already. Here is a quick recap:

6. Washington Redskins: Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
7. Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
8. Atlanta Falcons: LaRon Landry, S, LSU
9. Miami Dolphins: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

The Houston Texans are on the clock, and the latest speculation amongst the bloggers involved has the team attempting to trade down.

If the Bills choose today (a.k.a. I choose today), I'll post it here. You will also be able to read it on Field Gulls, the host site of the mock draft.

Stay tuned - if all goes well, you might be surprised... Who should I take? Comment below if anyone gets the chance to read this on time!