FanHouse JasonPeters

Fired a week before the start of the season as the Bills' offensive coordinator, an angry and confused Turk Schonert said the problem in Buffalo was that coach Dick Jauron wanted "a Pop Warner offense" -- an offensive playbook as simple and uncreative as possible, and that Schonert's schemes were too complicated to fit in with Jauron's plan.

Now five weeks in to the season, having committed nine (NINE!) false start penalties Sunday in losing one of the worst offensive games in sports history to the previously winless Browns, the Bills are playing as if to prove Schonert right.

---

---

It was a surprise when the Bills drafted Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin 11th overall in the April draft (especially since Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters had been recently shipped to Philadelphia and there was a gaping hole along the offensive line). Less surprising, perhaps, is that, two weeks into training camp, Maybin still remains unsigned.

It happens every August: the draft's top 10-15 picks play hurry up and wait while their agents work through contract details, making sure that, say, the 11th selection doesn't get a bigger signing bonus than the player chosen just ahead of him. It becomes tedious and frustrating for fans and rookies, and it doesn't take long for the accusations to fly. Usually in the direction of a 20-something kid just out of college suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

The Bills were in an untenable position with Jason Peters. The tight end-turned-Pro Bowl left tackle wanted a new contract, the team wasn't interested in renegotiating, and they wound up sending him to Philadelphia for a first-round pick a few weeks before the NFL Draft.

Armed with two first-rounders -- Nos. 11 and 28 -- it was only a question of when the Bills would draft Peters' replacement. The answer, it turns out, was never. With Michael Oher still on the board, Buffalo took Aaron Maybin and addressed another big need -- pass rusher.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

Earlier this offseason Donovan McNabb said he wanted to see how the Eagles upgraded the roster before he would talk about a contract extension. After last fall, when things got so bad that Andy Reid benched McNabb for Kevin Kolb, it looked as if neither head coach nor starting quarterback would be in Philly another year, much less long term.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

The Buffalo Bills seemed destined to acquire a pass-rusher on the first day of the NFL Draft, and their 11th overall pick was a perfect place for that: with Tyson Jackson, Everette Brown and Aaron Maybin all available, the Bills weren't going to have a problem there.

We covered the all-time worst draft picks in a team-by-team fashion earlier this week. Thankfully, the first round of the draft is in the books and not only was it freaking awesome, it was chock full of mistakes -- which, obviously, made it that much more awesome.

We've decided to pick out the top five and mock them here. If you have decisions that you think were worse, by all means, leave them in the comments. Two things to remember: one, "mistakes" can equal a pick or a trade, and two, yes, "Al Davis is insane" is an acceptable comment.

Sheldon Brown recently asked the Eagles for a new contract (and/or a re-worked deal). The Eagles denied that request and, reportedly, Brown demanded a trade on Monday afternoon. The Eagles have quickly responded.

And, um, frankly, this one of those situations, just a few days (hours according to some countdown clocks) before the NFL Draft that seems like a total nightmare for everyone involved.

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

The Eagles' perfect draft dream scenario actually played out last week: after opting not to re-sign 34-year-old Tra Thomas, the organization swung a deal for Jason Peters, one of the league's best young left tackles (or, if you're Andy Reid and into hyperbole, the best left tackle.) It cost Philadelphia the 28th pick, but given Peters' track record (even after an uneven 2008 season) -- as well as the uncertainty that comes with drafting a player to step into a starting role -- it was worth it.

There have been some big trades in the NFL lately, mainly involving guys who wanted to get away from the team they had been playing for.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was dealt from Denver to Chicago, netting the Broncos a nice haul of draft picks and Kyle Orton. Over the weekend, the Buffalo Bills got a couple of picks from Philadelphia for disgruntled left tackle Jason Peters. Wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Anquan Boldin are currently on the block, and now it looks as though Chad Ocho Cinco would apparently love to be, too.