The Mark Barron Thread *Merge*

[Dash28]

Originally Posted by SDogo

The Bills claim they are dedicated to continuing the overhaul and upgrade of the defense. IMO, that means one last piece in the 1st and then they have to start addressing the offense. Their thinking is that they can find a quality OT in the 2nd and I have to agree. Reiff, Adams and Martin are all well behind Kalil and none of them worth the 10th pick. Also one of them are very likely to be available when the Bills pick in the 2nd along with Massie and Jeff Allen who they really like.

Barron a lock at 10?

Or just interest/predraft talk?

[Muhast]

Originally Posted by SDogo

The Bills claim they are dedicated to continuing the overhaul and upgrade of the defense. IMO, that means one last piece in the 1st and then they have to start addressing the offense. Their thinking is that they can find a quality OT in the 2nd and I have to agree. Reiff, Adams and Martin are all well behind Kalil and none of them worth the 10th pick. Also one of them are very likely to be available when the Bills pick in the 2nd along with Massie and Jeff Allen who they really like.

I have a bunch of Bills fans and they pretty much say what you said. They like Reiff but feel he is a reach at 10. So Barron would be a better value for them.(FWIW they also hope Claiborne drops to them, and like Floyd)

[a_minimalist]

Originally Posted by Muhast

Washington and St.Louis already killed that thought lol.

well he made the comment tonight and that trade happened a while ago, so it's pretty alive.

[a_minimalist]

don't the bills already have 2 quality safeties?

[SDogo]

Originally Posted by Dash28

Barron a lock at 10?

Or just interest/predraft talk?

IMO, I think Barron is a real possibility. Be honest, I'm torn on Gilmore as well if he is even there. Get a sneaky suspicion this Jags are going to pull the first "woa" of the draft with Gilmore.

If history and my time in Buffalo has taught me one thing it's that the Bills are not afraid to buck the trend, they just have never got as much attention as Oakland in doing it.

[Muhast]

Originally Posted by a_minimalist

well he made the comment tonight and that trade happened a while ago, so it's pretty alive.

I was just teasing. I don't think we will see any trades either. There are definitely teams wanting to move up this year, whereas usually people just want to move down, so you never know.

[InmanRoshi]

It's funny you don't even hear Tannehill's name remotely tied to the Bills. I guess they're all in with Fitzpatrick?

[a_minimalist]

Originally Posted by Muhast

I was just teasing. I don't think we will see any trades either. There are definitely teams wanting to move up this year, whereas usually people just want to move down, so you never know.

we'll see. as the draft inches closer i want barron more and more. i'd even be okay with moving up for him. he seems like a difference maker.

[Muhast]

Originally Posted by InmanRoshi

It's funny you don't even hear Tannehill's name remotely tied to the Bills. I guess they're all in with Fitzpatrick?

Probably just because they gave him a big extension so they are sticking with him for at least this year. Plus next year is a huge QB class. They will probably give Fitz another shot and revisit the QB situation next year.

[SDogo]

Originally Posted by InmanRoshi

It's funny you don't even hear Tannehill's name remotely tied to the Bills. I guess they're all in with Fitzpatrick?

Yes and no, they owe Kirkpatrick a lot of dough. More then that I hear Gailey is not a huge fan on Tannehill. He also believes a lot of the Bills struggles on offense were do to lack of defense and playing behind, he was not able to run a offense that Kirkpatrick is built for, thus the emphasis on the defense this off season.

[casmith07]

I guess we could either

a) trade up to #9 and secure Mark Barron's services, and feel pretty good about the team going forward (as long as it doesn't take future draft picks, I say do it)

b) stand pat and hope DeCastro falls, and draft us our G/C at #14

c) select Brockers and watch him pull a Marcus Spears.

[RS12]

I dont get the whole trade up for Barron thing, at all. Not a chance I'd do that.

[casmith07]

Originally Posted by a_minimalist

we'll see. as the draft inches closer i want barron more and more. i'd even be okay with moving up for him. he seems like a difference maker.

My whole thing about Barron is that we have not addressed the safety position by spending "premium resources" (a high draft pick, making a play on a big name free agent, making a big trade, etc.) since Woody retired.

DeCastro is going to be a good interior OL, probably a great one. However, the odds of another great interior OL or two coming out in next year's draft is great. Offensive linemen, and especially interior offensive linemen, are not terribly difficult to get ahold of, though we still definitely need some now. Plus, there's still a great chance we could land Peter Konz or Kevin Zeitler.

Top-ranked safeties? In the last 10-12 years, here are your impact safeties to come out, i.e. these guys are clearly good and have made it to the Pro Bowl(s).

Eric Berry - 2010
Earl Thomas - 2010
Troy Polamalu - 2003
Ed Reed - 2002

Everyone else, otherwise, has been absolutely nothing to write home about, even Antrel Rolle.

If we select Barron and he busts out, hey, he busts out, but at least we were attempting to find the next great Safety prospect. If we miss out on DeCastro, there will be another DeCastro next year -- maybe not with the same hype train, but there will be another elite Guard prospect or two.

I'm not sure if that makes much sense...but I hope everyone can see what I'm saying. I just feel like at worst Mark Barron is like an Antrel Rolle - good, not great, but head and shoulders better than Brodney Pool, Abram Elam, Alan Ball, and everyone else we've stuck back there since Woodson left (other than Sensabaugh, I think he's pretty good actually). Best case, maybe we find us another Troy P or Ed Reed.

Bottom line: good-to-great/elite Safeties are almost impossible to get ahold of...great/elite interior linemen are not. Roll the dice on the harder to find position - there will be plenty of opportunities for that interior lineman.

[a_minimalist]

Originally Posted by casmith07

My whole thing about Barron is that we have not addressed the safety position by spending "premium resources" (a high draft pick, making a play on a big name free agent, making a big trade, etc.) since Woody retired.

DeCastro is going to be a good interior OL, probably a great one. However, the odds of another great interior OL or two coming out in next year's draft is great. Offensive linemen, and especially interior offensive linemen, are not terribly difficult to get ahold of, though we still definitely need some now. Plus, there's still a great chance we could land Peter Konz or Kevin Zeitler.

Top-ranked safeties? In the last 10-12 years, here are your impact safeties to come out, i.e. these guys are clearly good and have made it to the Pro Bowl(s).

Eric Berry - 2010
Earl Thomas - 2010
Troy Polamalu - 2003
Ed Reed - 2002

[View Full Quote]Everyone else, otherwise, has been absolutely nothing to write home about, even Antrel Rolle.

If we select Barron and he busts out, hey, he busts out, but at least we were attempting to find the next great Safety prospect. If we miss out on DeCastro, there will be another DeCastro next year -- maybe not with the same hype train, but there will be another elite Guard prospect or two.

I'm not sure if that makes much sense...but I hope everyone can see what I'm saying.

i don't think he's going to bust out. he seems like a really smart kid. i've watched him working with rod woodson on espn and just listened to nick saban talk about him. clearly he is an excellent player. and clearly just watching and reading doesn't give me or them the ability to predict the future. moving up to snag a difference maker like him to help shut down an all passing league doesn't bother me one bit anymore. to me we have two choices. move up to grab barron, not decastro because that just wouldn't make any sense(and I love DeCastro). or sit back and watch our favorite players disappear and get stuck settling for someone.

[casmith07]

Originally Posted by RS12

I dont get the whole trade up for Barron thing, at all. Not a chance I'd do that.

IF there were another safety in this draft even NEAR the same zip code as Barron, I would agree, but when there's really one shot, and you need to fill that need...sometimes you have to go for it.

As long as we don't mortgage the future and trade away future picks.