Buffalo Rising Online

Apr 1st 2007, 3:07pm By Dave Staba

As gratifying as the trade of Willis McGahee was to many, many fans and observers of the Buffalo Bills, it did leave a rather large gap in the team’s depth chart.

The team could use the 12th pick in the upcoming NFL draft to select Marshawn Lynch of California or Oklahoma’s Adrian Peterson, the two top runners in a rather shallow pool. Or they could go after San Diego backup Michael Turner, a possibility floated in newspapers both here and there.

That first-rounder alone won’t be enough to land the 5-foot-10, 237-pound fourth-year pro, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune:

Buffalo, Dallas, Tennessee and the New York Jets have shown interest in acquiring the restricted free agent. All appear willing to part at least with a first-round draft pick, but sources indicated the Chargers are still seeking two picks – in the first and third rounds. The story goes on to say that A.J. Smith, the Chargers’ general manager and a former member of Buffalo’s front office, might accept a third-round pick in the 2008 draft, in addition to a first-rounder this year.

Turner has shown flashes of brilliance in limited action spelling LaDainian Tomlinson, averaging six yards per carry during his three seasons in San Diego. He also ripped off runs of 83 and 73 yards and in 2006, seven of his 80 carries went for 10 yards or more.

Peterson had a spectacular freshman season at Oklahoma, running for 1,925 yards in 2004, but got hurt in each of his three college seasons.

Lynch had good numbers at Cal, but isn’t particularly fast or powerful. In June 2006, he was shot at it in what was later termed a case of mistaken identity while leaving high-school graduation ceremonies at his alma mater, and in January, he was accused of sexual assault by an ex-girlfriend, though prosecutors declined to file charges, citing inconsistencies in the accuser’s statement. So there’s that. (On a personal note, it would be really nice to be able to write an occasional sports story without using the words “shot” or “prosecutor.")

At 25, Turner is young enough to be around for a while and hasn’t taken a pounding with the Chargers, accumulating 157 carries – less than a full season’s worth. And he hasn’t been seriously injured, shot at or accused of any crime while in San Diego, either.

Getting him, though, won’t be cheap. Since he’s due to become a free agent after the 2007 season, keeping him wouldn’t be, either.

Of course, there’s no guarantee the Bills will address the running back position with that 12th overall pick, either in the draft or via trade. Drafting a rookie with question marks so early or making a splashy deal for a guy who has never been a starter in the NFL seems much more Tom Donahoe’s style than Marv Levy’s.