Donte Whitner may be available

[KYPack]

Whitner is the kind of guy you need to make up a good defense. He's a foot soldier, a position guy. Not much on big plays, 4 picks in 4 years. There is another thing that I think would make him comfortable here. He was the #8 pick. When he had a solid, but not great season, he got a lot of crap from Bills fans.

A change of scenery might really help the guy. His situation is very similar to Pickett's when he was with the Rams. He can relax and just come in and play ball.

The big thing against this is the fact we only have one extra pick in the 7th (+ any comp picks). if we had an extra 3 or 4 pick, I think TT would look at making a deal. The way it is, I doubt it.

Does this make him much better than Bigby, though, KY? I don't know much about Whitner except he was considered a huge reach for the Bills in that draft.

The way you described his situation in Buffalo, I was reminded more of Hawk than Pickett, myself.

I do think Whitner is an upgrade over Bigby. Now I don't share the Anti-Bigby angst of say, Skin. I really have two problems with Atari. He's a big play guy. For both teams. His skills require him to over-commit. He a peeker and a guesser. When he guesses wrong, it's goodnight nurse. It's a long one for the bad guys. The other problem is his playing style. To play effectively, he has to go into his "human torpedo" act. He can get away with it for a bit, but eventually he gets nailed and sustains an injury. He can't stay on the field for 16 games. Even if he does, he will have the odd bad game or play hurt a few games. In the end, he is as much trouble as he is help.

Whitner is a defined quantity. He isn't a cowboy like Bigby. He's a solid citizen who reads his keys and plays his reads. Solid on his run fills and in postion on passes.

What he isn't is an every down FS that is a difference maker. That's what Buffalo wanted when they drafted him and he is short of that. We could use a 16 game SS who is always in position. I think Whitner could fill that role for us. I also think Ted would be loathe to give, say, a 4 for the guy. Given there would be a lot of uncertainty about Whitner's contract in the future, I doubt he winds up in GB.

[Fritz]

A 4 seems a reasonable pick to give up for a guy who could fill the role you describe. However, you'd also have to fit him in the hierarchy of salaries on the team. If the guy's looking for a big payday, and Collins gets his, you might not be able to support that much dough for two safeties. I don't know. But it does sound like a guy like Whitner would pair up well with Collins. And then we'd have less of Al Harris screaming at guys at the end of long touchdown passes, too.