So I recently noticed that NFL.com and buffalobills.com have two different sets of stats up for tackles.  The player bios on buffalobills.com have different numbers all together.  The differences are special teams related, but I am having trouble trying to determine the exact number of special teams tackles that all of the Bills had last season.  It's currently 1:30 AM and I can't sleep.  I just cracked my 3rd beer in hopes of getting a little drowsy and I have been staring at similiar sets of numbers for awhile now.

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[Note by Brian Galliford, 05/10/08 9:48 AM EDT ] Curious to know more about the Buffalo Bills' 2008 opponents?  Our very own kaisertown has done a wonderful job of breaking down the run defense aspects of every one of Buffalo's 2008 opponents.  Take it away, kaiser.  [End Note]

The media typically uses yards allowed per game to rank defenses. But those numbers are obviously flawed because they take into account a team’s ability to keep its defense off the field. Using yards per game will also mean a team’s run defense numbers will be altered by a team’s pass defense. I like yards per attempt. I don’t think it gives you an exact number for how well a defense defended the run or pass, but it is the most accurate statistic out there.

Week 1: Seattle – 3.9 yards per attempt, 2007 season
Week 2: Jacksonville – 4.1
Week 3: Oakland – 4.8
Week 4: St. Louis – 4.1
Week 5: Arizona – 3.9
Week 7: San Diego – 4.1
Week 8: Miami – 4.5
Week 9: NY Jets – 4.2
Week 10: New England – 4.4
Week 11: Cleveland – 4.5
Week 12: Kansas City – 4.3
Week 13: San Francisco – 3.8
Week 14: Miami – 4.5
Week 15: NY Jets – 4.2
Week 16: Denver – 4.6
Week 17: New England – 4.4

That rounds up to about 4.27 yards allowed per rush for our opponents, based on 2007 numbers. The league average was about 4.0 or 4.1 yards. It may not seem like much, but those two tenths of a yard per carry are pretty substantial.

For an in-depth look at each of Buffalo's '08 opponents and their off-season moves, check out the info after the jump.

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The Bills may not have added a fullback during the draft, but they did add an interesting one on sunday evening.

NFL.com profile of Mike Viti

I will give some of the highlights:

5'9  242 pounds with a 470 pound bench press.

He was one of 4 team captains.  Considering the fact he went to West Point, that is VERY impressive.

He tore ligaments in his knee during his senior year of high school, but finished the season anyways.  His injuries scared off recruiters.  He went on to suffer several injuries at Army as well, but never missed a game.

"Plays with fiery emotion and is the team's hardest worker in the training room."

"Compares To: MIKE KARNEY-New Orleans...While West Virginia's Owen Schmitt is regarded as the draft's top fullback, Viti can rival the Mountaineer as the best blocker in this draft. Viti has brute strength that made one scout describe his physique as "having muscles coming out of his muscles."

I am definately excited the Bills signed Viti and I cannot wait until training camp to see how he looks.  Considering his only competition at FB is Darian Barnes and Jonathon Evans, Viti has an outside shot to make the team.  He has a good chance to wind up on the practice squad.

Do we know much else about any of the other players the Bills have signed so far?

I will start this diary with a random prediction.  Colt Brennan will be the San Francisco 49ers 4th round selection and will be one of the most talked about picks in the entire draft.  SF loves to take players they coached at the senior bowl.  Mike Martz would love to prove how brilliant he is (or thinks he is) and takes a player who fits his offense prety well and will generate a lot of attention.  QB is a need for SF, but due to the salary and status of Alex Smith, it is a position they will likely address in the middle rounds.

Now on to McKelvin.  I have just assumed that McKelvin, being a somewhat consensus top 10 prospect would be a great pick for the Bills.  But I have been doing some research on him and am beginning to think otherwise.

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He is too tall.  Brad Butler measured in at 6 feet and 7 1/8 inches at the combine.  His listed height is not an exageration.

Picture a center, bent over before a snap.  Now imagine how much time he has to give the QB the ball, stand up and drive his body forward before the DT gets his hands on him.  It happens so quickly that every inch is crucial to establishing leverage and getting the proper hand placement to control the DT.

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[editor's note, by Brian Galliford] Promoted from the diaries, kaisertown takes an excellent look at where Buffalo Bills QB J.P. Losman could end up should the Bills trade him. Great work, kaisertown - and remember, keep these diaries coming, folks. I love letting y'all do the front page dirty work. End Update

First, let's examine the draft day trades involving established players being moved for draft picks in the 2007 draft:
OAK sent Randy Moss to NE for pick 110 (fourth round)
SEA sent Darrell Jackson to SF for pick 124 (fourth)
DET sent Mike Williams and Josh McCown to OAK for pick 105 (fourth)
KC sent Dante Hall and pick 84 to STL for pick 82 and pick 148 (fifth)

The most intriguing (and relevant) trade was Josh McCown and Mike Williams to Oakland for the sixth pick in the fourth round. To see if the Bills could get similar value we need to compare McCown to Losman.
                     YDS comp% TD/INT QBrating
Losman (07) - 1204 - 63.4 -   4/6  - 76.9
Losman (06) - 3051 - 62.5 - 19/14 - 84.9
Mccown (07) - 1151 - 58.4 - 10/11 - 69.4
Mccown (05) - 1836 - 60.4 -  9/11 - 74.9
 -McCown did not play in 2006-

Mike Williams was certainly not a throw in and the Raiders valued him highly when making the trade, but still this looks very favorable for the Bills. McCown flashed potential in Arizona; however, he was very inconsistent. The Raiders were clearly trading for a stopgap QB considering that McCown didn't take a snap in 06 and their recent selection of JaMarcus Russell. Losman has the potential to be more than just a stopgap if someone believes in the success he had in 2006. This is the biggest positive as I see it, but there are several negatives as well.

My biggest concern is that teams won't see Losman as a big enough upgrade over what they already have or what is available on the free agent market. How much better is Losman than FA quarterbacks like Rex Grossman, Cleo Lemon or Billy Volek? Is there enough of a gap in talent to give up a third round pick? There might be if someone sees Losman as a starter, but if teams are looking to find a quarterback to compete with a rookie or provide insurance for a young starter a FA might make more sense. Wouldn't a team rather have Rex Grossman as their starter the first six games of the season and then have him as the backup than give up a good pick? Another concern of mine is that there are a limited number of teams in the market for a quarterback like Losman.

The QB Market
The Patriots, Bengals, Browns, Steelers, Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Broncos, Chargers, Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Packers, Panthers, Saints, Cardinals, Seahawks and Rams (that's 18 teams) all have established starters. Things can change before the draft, but right now none of these teams would consider trading a third round pick for Losman. The Jets have a young QB (Kellen Clemens) and a veteran backup (Chad Pennington) already. The Redskins have a starter in Jason Campbell who shows some promise. Detroit has Jon Kitna and drafted a QB in the second round last year. So add the Jets, Redskins and Lions to the list - that's 21 teams set at quarterback.

The teams still left are: Miami, Baltimore, Tennessee, KC, Oakland, Chicago, Minnesota, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and San Fran.

Tennessee obviously has Vince Young so they would be looking to aquire a backup/insurance. I think Minnesota wants Tarvaris Jackson to be the starter so they are in the same boat. Oakland might be looking for a stopgap for Russell and Tampa Bay has a good but aging starter (Jeff Garcia) and might be looking to groom a replacement, but I can't see any of these teams trading a valuable pick for Losman when the available FA quarterbacks could fill the same role. That leaves six potential teams to trade with. I will go over them one at a time.

Miami - In the division, so a trade would be tough. Has a young QB in John Beck, but with new management it is tough to say what the Dolphins will be looking for at QB.
Kansas City - Has a young QB in Brodie Croyle that they claim is the future, but he could use some competition and the Chiefs could use a backup plan in case he fails.
Baltimore - New coaching staff could go in a number of different directions. McNair seems done. Boller is under contract for one more season and Troy Smith has some pedigree and showed some promise at the end of the season.
Chicago - Still has Brian Griese and Kyle Orton under contract, but are desperate for a QB. Rumors are they will make a run at McNabb; maybe Losman makes sense as a backup plan.
Atlanta - All of the quarterbacks on their roster are bad. They need to upgrade big time by bringing in a rookie and probably a vet to compete.
San Francisco - An interesting situation with a potential number one overall bust and an old, useless Trent Dilfer. San Fran could go a number of directions.

I simply can't see the Bills trading within the division. I think KC will give Croyle a year as the starter to prove himself. I suspect Baltimore, Atlanta and Chicago will all draft high-profile rookie quarterbacks. This doesn't leave many options for Losman. Atlanta makes sense as I could see Losman getting a number of starts while they groom a rookie. San Fran is a sleeper option for me as well, but I just don't see any team willing to give the Bills a third round pick especially considering the teams that may have trade interest all have high picks. A fourth round pick seems more likely, but isn't a sure thing either. Personally, I would be happy trading Losman for a top 10 pick in the fourth round similar to the McCown trade.

Pelfrey had some early struggles again today.  He did manage to get out of the first allowing only 1 earned run, but he gave up three hits and walked one.  His numbers before today's start include a 6.39 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.  Is there any chance Mike stays in the rotation when El-Duque comes back from injury?  his only competition is Jorge Sosa, but it really looks like Pelfrey could use some time in AAA even if it just to gain some confidence.  The most important question is:  can Mike Pelfrey really help the Mets this season?  I love him long term, but he just seems not ready.