Well, the excitement of the 2010 NFL draft has finally abated. I was so excited over the selections made by my favorite team, the Buffalo Bills, that I had to wait a couple of weeks to put my sentiments into print. Now that I have had the opportunity to consider the picks in depth, I am ready to share my thoughts with the rest of the football fans in America; if they feel like sharing or not!
The draft class this year, was filled with all the players the Bills needed to take them back to the promised land of the NFL playoffs. There was absolutely no shortage of offensive and defensive linemen, which is where the team needed to be upgraded in the worst way, and there were a good number of quality quarterbacks who were not picked in the first round, who could fill another glaring need for the Bills. As the teams ahead of them in the first round made their picks, I sat in my car anxiously awaiting the Bills selection of a real “road grader”, a behemoth of an offensive lineman who could protect a quarterback’s blind side, and tear holes in opposing defensive lines on running plays. In lieu of a robust physical specimen to play offensive line, the selection of one of the defensive line terrors who were available would have been an excellent choice as well. Here we are, pick number nine, the Buffalo Bills select – C.J. Spiller! Wait a second, the Bills already have Freddy Jackson as well as malcontent but still useful Marshawn Lynch. What are they doing picking a running back? Oh, I know, now the Bills can trade Marshawn to some other team looking to upgrade at the “thug” position, perhaps move back into the first round, and still get one of the players they need so desperately. OK – good move by the team, we get the most exciting running back available, and still give ourselves the opportunity to improve the line. The draft continues on; team after team makes their selections, and at no time does the NFL commissioner state that the Bills have made a trade, and are now making their second selection in round one. But that’s OK, as many of the quarterbacks considered as worthwhile picks this year, are still available. That must mean that the Bills are still going to be able to select their franchise leader of the future in the second round.
Day two of the 2010 draft brings optimism and hope. There are still lots of high quality players available, as other teams bypass them, looking to fill areas of need to improve themselves. Here come the Buffalo Bills with their selection in round two, surely now, they are going to grab one of the recognizable quarterbacks who have concluded very successful college careers. Still available when the Bills make their selection are Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame and Colt McCoy of Texas, two players with the name recognition to sell tickets to hungry Bills fans. With the forty first overall pick, the Buffalo Bills select – Torell Troup! Well, at least he’s big, at 6′ 3″ and 314 pounds, and he is a defensive lineman. Who knows, maybe he will end up being the second coming of Bruce Smith! At this point in time, Bills fans might be satisfied with the second coming of Walt Patulski or Erik Flowers. Round two comes to an end, and still no quarterback selected. Perhaps the new Bills front office and coaching regime are being truthful when they claim that they are satisfied with the quarterbacks already on the roster. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt in that matter, as they are professional talent evaluators, and I am just a die hard fan.
Later rounds produce some interesting results that could prove to be assets for the team down the road, but when made, don’t make a whole lot of sense. The team still needs offensive line help, so they select the first player of Chinese descent to be selected in the college draft to address that need. Tackle Ed Wang of Virginia Tech is a big specimen at 6′ 5″ and 314 pounds, but does he have the “tools” necessary to become a stud in the NFL? I can hardly wait to see how he handles some of the pass rushing specialists that other teams like to turn loose on passing downs. Kyle Calloway of Iowa is an intriguing pick. He is a true giant, at 6′ 6″ and 323 pounds. Why did the every day NFL fan never hear of him before the Bills drafted him? Probably because he played on the opposite end of the offensive line from Bryan Bulaga, a player the Bills could have and should have drafted before he got gobbled up by the Packers! Oh, at least the Bills did finally get their leader of the future. Quarterback Levi Brown from Troy was finally snatched by the Bills in the final round of the draft. Levi Brown, 6′ 3″ and nearly 230 pounds, is what folks in the NFL call a “project”. He has the right size, and he won some games in college, and he’s grateful for being selected in the draft, and I’m sure his family is very proud of him. Now, we get to see if he can play golf and hold a clipboard.
Yes indeed, the 2010 NFL draft was pretty exciting and I’m really looking forward to seeing what all those new draft picks look like in the red, white and blue of the Buffalo Bills. C.J. Spiller should create quite a bit of confusion for opposing defenses, and Marcus Easley, a wide receiver from Connecticut, could revive memories of Andre Reed for loyal fans. Might Torell Troup or Alex Carrington, out of Arkansas State, be that diamond in the rough for the defensive line? Will Arthur Moats and Danny Batten, two defensive linemen from James Madison and South Dakota State make the team as pass rushing linebackers? I guess we all have to wait until the new football season begins, to see if any of the players drafted can make an impact for their new teams. I know I’ll be keeping a close eye on the progress of the Packers running game to see how what might have been for the Bills (Bulaga), works out in Wisconsin.
