thewildrabbit

Interesting read, and as OldTimer1960 put it. its good to read what an actual college scout sees from his perspective. This draft class is about guessing which one will eventually become a solid NFL starter because none of them are as good as Andrew Luck, RG3 or even Ryan Tannehill for that matter. Which makes it far more difficult to evaluate which QB to draft if your team needs a starting QB. If you are going to draft a developmental QB project, then the QB I like above all others is Tyler Bray from Tenn, a kid who needs some developmental work no question. But he has an elite arm, even more elite then a lot of current starting NFL QB's. When the ball needs to get there in a millisecond its Bray who can get it there. Which is the difference between college and the NFL is the speed at which the game is played. Its the intangibles that are a worry, will this kid work hard to improve is the question. http://www.buffaloru...eans-everything

Simply because you can't give 3 QB's enough reps to get any one of them properly prepared for a season. Then, when you choose one will it be like Gailey choosing Trent Edwards over Fitz and Brohm because he is better in camp then the other two? Almost all of the rookies drafted in this years class will need more then just one off season to become a decent NFL starter except perhaps one, Matt Barkley who ran a pro style offense at USC is better suited to start right away then any other QB. Meaning the Bills had better sign Kolb and let him compete with TJ while they prepare the rookie QB for later in the year or next season.Basically all of this years QB's would be best suited to sit and learn, and watch film to prepare themselves for a pro system. I only like 2 QB's in this draft class anyway, Ryan Nassib and Tyler Bray who will need some extra time to develop and real work on his mechanics. Bray has an arm like a cannon which is needed for the swirling winds at the Ralph, he just needs to learn to step into his throws and work on an over the top delivery.

Are you kidding with this post? With the Buffalo Bills luck over the last 13 years I would think that the team they trade their #1 away for would make the playoffs. Besides, just look at the Bill second round picks the last 3 years.Name all the draft picks Nix has made after the first round that amounted to a hill of poo! The only player in this years draft I think will have any shot of amounting to anything is that #8 pick. Perhaps next year with Whaley in control things might be different.

I agree wholeheartedly It all starts with the lines, the basis of building a dominate offense. That O line under Gailey couldn't make a 3rd and short if their lives depended on it, and against some pretty crappy teams I might add. What so many fans seem to think is that O line is fine with a G at LT and scrub / band aids at other positions besides center. BTW that Center hasn't finished a season the last 3 years running. This is another year of rebuilding in 13 freaking years of rebuilding. I wouldn't be against the Bills taking any one of the top 3 OT's in Johnson, Fisher, Joeckel or OG Chance Warmack. with that #8. It sure would be a chance for the offense to get so much better at protecting unproven QB's and also help the run game. What would freak me out is another DB taken with that #8, and how has the team done the last 13 years drafting DB's & RB's? 2000 DE 2001 DB 2002 OT 2003 RB 2004 WR, QB 2005-- 2006 DB, DT 2007 RB 2008 DB 2009 DE 2010 RB 2011 DT 2012 DB OG Chance Warmack or one of those 3 top LT's is about as safe a pick as you can get with Buddy Nix as GM. I just hope Marrone has input into this draft. Levitre isn't in the same class as Chance Warmack, not even close from what I've read. The ONLY attribute that Levite has shown during his time with the bills is that he is durable Look, Mike Mayock / NFL.com has Warmack rated as the best player in the 2013 NFL draft. NFLdraftscout.com has him graded Warmack as the 2nd best player in the draft. ESPN has him at #8. Scout.com has him at #5 overall. How many pro bowlers do the Bills have on offense? What would be the affect of adding a pro bowl guard to that O line?

Buffalo Bills = leverage There was a clear reason why Nix, Marrone went after the kid in free agency as he is a gamer. In 2011 he was suspended 4 games for failing a drug test and yet still managed to be the Skins offensive player of the year. He managed to get the franchise tag from the Skins last year (2012) as he was starting to become a top TE in the league. If you thought Marshawn Lynch had some bad baggage attached to him... well, Fred Davis is worse with an injury that will take a full year to heal, and one toke away from a year long suspension. Could he have helped the Bills fill a big need at TE, heck yes. Would he have come with some troubles like Shawn Merrimen, yes. Mike Shanahan probably phoned the kid and explained the difference between a team having a top QB and a team wanting one. P.S. besides if it takes him 1/2 this season to finally get healthy he has the option going to Buffalo next year after he watches what the team does this year. Smart move IMO

Yea, it does say he could go as high as the third round... Although, it also says : "Draft Analysis: Mayock's take: "I had him going in the seventh round. He can fly, though."

Have a link to that statement? Or any statement by any site that corroborates any of that? Because I can recall Mike Mayock sitting there in astonishment when the TJ Graham pick was announced! Mayock fumbled thru his notes looking for something on Graham and then stated he thought the kid was a 4th or 5th rounder. Then the NFL network went directly to a commercial. Nobody had Graham as a 3rd round pick but Buddy Nix! Drafting a supposed burner who can't catch a cold was another useless band-aid move in the long line of useless draft picks / free agents acquired by the fabled backwater hick. Not only do I think Nix is a horrible GM, and in way over his head. I also think he isn't a very good talent evaluator in any aspect. Fans here used to constantly complain about how badly Levy / Jauron set this franchise back years, those men have nothing on Buddy Nix....who is making Tom Modrak look brilliant. How on gods green earth can anyone trust Nix to draft the 'franchise" QB this year. A man who let Chan Gailey pick Trent Edwards as his starter in 2010, only to cut him after two starts. Then gave Ryan Fitzpatrick a big unnecessary payday quantifying him as a starting NFL QB. Then didn't even bring in or draft a competent backup to even challenge for the starting QB job. Fitz was "the man" right up until Nix cut him. Gailey was "the man" right up until Nix fired him. Like another poster in this thread stated. I can't wait for the Nix era to end and the Whaley era to begin. It has to be better then the last 3 years. 16-32

You and me both brother I can only think It must be some version Stockholm Syndrome .. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1920301,00.html Bills fans have been battered for so many years that they forget what a real quality GM could do for a team. The list of mistakes this man has made in every area of the team is almost endless and yet fans are here defending one of the worst Buffalo Bills GM's ever. From openly stating "this team is not that far away" in one of his first pressers 3 years ago. Now in the 3rd year of a never ending rebuild the GM states he will finally select a QB in a not very good QB class. You guys are forgetting that Nix could have easily made attempts to move up in the draft all 3 years to obtain any QB, he didn't! The Redskins gave away the farm for RG3, the Bills under Nix would prefer to let players fall to them. Stark difference.

Nix Hired one of the worst Bills HC's ever, who then hired some of the very worst Bills DC's ever. Ran an offense that didn't play to the strengths of his players and tried endlessly to make them fit his scheme. Mid season last year Nix stated he thought Gailey was one of the best offensive minds in the NFL... then fired him after the season. To the OP, even if there wasn't a QB worth drafting the last 3 years (there was 3+ and Peyton Manning in FA) ole buddy still hasn't improved the team with his drafts and free agents. Its like band-aids everywhere on the team. I think Marrone is going to be handicapped by Nix still being GM over this free agency period and draft.

Arizona is waiting to grab him "IF" the Raiders release him as he would suit their offense. So, should the Raiders give him up then you can expect them to tab Geno Smith in the draft. If the Cards don't land Palmer then perhaps expect Barkley to be gone by the 8th pick. just my 2 cents

well said, i agree Here is hoping Marrone actually knows what he is doing at the NFL level.

Yea, and the longer they wait the cheaper, and more desperate the free agents get. Last season was a fiasco with all the hype of super Mario with everyone thinking a DE will change the fortunes of an NFL team. This team needs a franchise QB more then any other position of need on the team. Hoping they find him this year or next.

What first hand knowledge? C'mon man, get a grip and stop defending one of the most cantankerous, notoriously frugal owners in the NFL. He didn't want to give Knox a raise, couldn't reach an agreement with #1 overall pick Tom Cousineau, that difference was 20k. Or first round pick QB Jim Kelly who chose the USFL instead. Remember the line, "if I can't hire you, then I'll fire you. When Wilson fired GM John Butler. Ralph Wilson canned the architect of his super bowl teams in Bill Polian. Arguably the very best GM the NFL has ever seen in its storied history. The constant fighting Polian had to do with Wilson and his lackeys (Jeff Littmen) over the price of free agents, player contracts, stadium improvements.This owner has been more concerned with his bottom line then he ever has with winning.

Or you can get unbelievably lucky and hire a great HC with a winning record who comes in and revamps the entire scouting dept by bringing in head scout Norm Pollom with him, probably finding Bill Polian and John Butler in the process. Then turns the franchise on its ear by transforming a team that was so bad they couldn't have pre season games in Buffalo because fans refused to buy tickets, and turns the team into a winner. A man who revitalized the entire Org in every aspect despite the very worst GM in the NFL above him. Meanwhile getting a bunch of no name players to believe in themselves enough to win games. Taking a QB who would hang his head with every bad pass and converting him into a playoff caliber QB. Then when said owner realizes his stadium is now filled again and fans are lining up to buy season tickets he lets this HC walk away! Lets face it, Ralph Wilson got incredibly lucky to hire Chuck Knox in the first place,(HC of the Rams, winner of 5 straight NFC West Champions) and it saved his franchise. He also went on to find Bill Polian / John Butler in the process. But, you can't get that incredibly lucky again by hiring scrub head coaches over and over as the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and various other teams have proven for decades What you fail to realize is...Ralph Wilson has a billion dollar Org that he only wants to make a profit from, and he doesn't care if the team makes the playoffs ever again, or he would have hired another top HC like he did with Chuck Knox.

The same could have been said a few years back when Mike McCarthy took over the Packers and the Bills beat them in Buffalo with Jauron as HC.... two different teams going in different directions Nothing changes until ownership changes!

The phins fans are still crying that Bill Parcells passed on Matt Ryan to draft Long. This is good for Bills fans that he left Miami, losing a 4x time pro bowl LT has gotta hurt them.

Good fit for Fitz at Tenn, can help mentor Locker and step in after he gets hurt.

I disagree. His defense, the Tampa 2 or cover 2 is based entirely on a bend but don't break philosophy (or don't give up the big play) That scheme, if you don't get exactly the right players for it downright sucks. Its almost as bad as the wide 9 defense for giving up big yards against the run. Due to the ineptitude of the Bills scouting dept Jauron never managed to find the right players to fit in his defensive scheme in Buffalo. However, speaking of the bears, it was under under Jauron that Brian Urlacher was drafted in 2000 and that defense of his was #1 in points allowed in 2001. Again, the Bills ran the Mike Martz offensive scheme from Steve Fairchild who was his first OC in Buffalo. Bad scheme from the start, and not enough smarts to hire someone competent to run the offense. You may be right in regards to promoting from within because of continuity. Tho It seems moronic to replace a boob with another boob for continuity's sake.

Particularity his peers around the league, very well respected and liked. There is no question that Jauron was very highly regarded as a hard working coach. His problem was the schemes he tried to run in Buffalo, and his inability to hire experienced offensive coordinators. My take is he was very much hamstrung by the Bills FO from the top down. From what I remember reading is that Ralph Wilson was on the phone to him a few hours a day during the season. So I'm thinking almost all of his hires and promotions had to come from within the org because of Wilson and his past history of doing just that. Plus, it saves money. I feel kinda bad for the men who took a job as HC of the Buffalo Bills since the Wade Phillips days. The entire franchise only goal was to make a profit, everything else was secondary It just continues to amaze me all the built up hate for ex Buffalo Bill players, coaches and yet the creator of the past thirteen years of mediocrity continually goes unnoticed.

If you listened to any of the scouts talk about this years draft class you would have heard there isn't very many defined "blue chip" players in this years draft. Also scouts are saying that this year the #10 pick doesn't hold that much value over the #20 pick in terms of player grades. But overall it is a very good draft class with an abundance of talent at many positions. So, unlike past years where teams might covet a top ten pick. It just won't be that valuable this year. Besides, if you know and understand Buddy Nix (he isn't the sharpest tool in the box) He has stated he doesn't like to trade his picks and prefers to take the players that "fall" to him. Which in this years draft will most likely be a reach for a QB despite there being 3 top LT's in the top ten. This years BPA at #8 will probably be a LT-G-OLB. JMO

I'm thinking Russ Brandon has had a majority of control on the football side since Marv Levy retired, and yet the Bills greatly overpaid for a pass rusher last year. How does that equate to his new "moneyball" approach? Now fast forward to this years free agency when there were literally a dozen good pass rushers to be had for dirt cheap compared to 100 million spent on Mario. Oh, so now that they spent so much on one pass rusher last year they decided to be more careful this year. Not really seeing how that builds a competitive team. As far as the "moneyball" idea goes. The Bills would be wise to understand its the stars in the NFL that people come to the stadium to see, and not a bunch of scrubs. A perfect example of that is when there was a strike, and basically nobody wants to shell out big buck on Sunday to watch a bunch of no names play pro football. Not only that, winning in the NFL requires that almost every aspect of a team being top notch, QB, offense, defense, schemes, coaches, front office, owner. The current Buffalo Bills don't excel in any of those areas that I can see, not one!

The Lions seem to have finally found a decent enough president to bring change to the Org after former pres. Matt Millen ruined that team for almost a decade. The thing is, the Lions are still looking for a great head coach to lead them. The Lions under Jim Schwartz currently run an asinine "wide 9" defense which purposely gives up yardage on the ground to help the pass rush, and stop the pass. The lions defense has stunk it up under Schwartz , and the offense under OC Scott Linehan is getting their franchise QB beaten up. So, although the players are much improved its the coaching thats lacking now. Not to mention the Lions have had terrible luck with RB injuries. They need a proper defense, and dominate running game to help out that young QB. So, it is conceivable the Bills will finally draft their franchise QB and he gets ruined by lame coaches. I'm hoping Marrone / Hackett will be something other then the same lame coaches that this franchise has endured the last 13 years.

Things may look bad now with another new 3 year rebuilding plan, going on 13 years of 3 year rebuilding plans with no playoffs in sight. A new college HC, same old GM, a money guy running the football side, same owner. The Bills signing only one free agent so far. It doesn't matter what free agents they sign this year or what players they draft this year. The Bills signed the second biggest and brightest free agent star (100 million dollars) on the market for the defense last season and unbelievably they got worse! The Bills need a new franchise QB like Jim Kelly! The problem is, that QB isn't in this years draft class. Even if one is there, past history has shown us that there is no one in the org with the slightest clue of which one it is. The only way this team can find that elite "can't miss" Andrew Luck type guy is with the #1 overall pick. The thing is, it may sound crazy, but the Bills really need to bottom out before they can get better! I mean really bottom out, like the 0-16 lions, the 1-15 Dolphins. All the Bills have done the last decade + is find new ways to be mediocre, and all that has done is find them more mediocrity. The best thing that can happen to this team is to flop so badly this season that they get that #1 overall next year to finally draft that franchise QB. Things will get better at some point! Just gotta find that elusive baby....err franchise QB! Keep the faith, 0-16 !!

one dimensional TE who isn't a very good blocker, so when he is on the field the defense knows he is a target last season he played in only 8 games, good move, bad move? that remains to be seen.

They needed to sign him because between him and Amendola they might have a complete season...maybe