JohnNord

He was an average running back last season and had issues with holding onto the football. There’s a reason that he was a healthy scratch for most of the season and in the Super Bowl. He wasn’t very good.

that’s a HUGE if. Confidence was EJ’s biggest issue and he struggled with it big time. It would be like saying if Josh Allen has better accuracy and touch he’d be Pat Mahomes.

Sure... but Darryl Johnson is a 7th round draft pick. One that has flashed and that the team is high on, but he has a long way to go and I don’t feel that a roster spot is a given. People do forget that Murphy had something like 4 sacks in his final two games of the season and had been playing much better. His cap hit is there, but do the Bills really need the cap space. I think that cutting Murphy isn’t as much as a formality as a lot of fans feel. The Bills like him and won’t throw him away if Johnson doesn’t beat him out.

Let me ask you this, because you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about this time period. In The Athletic interview with Tim Graham, it was alluded that Nix was “squeezed out” by Whaley after Wilson’s death and that his tenure in Buffalo ended bitterly. This seems to fly in the opposite direction of the narrative which was purported by the organization and echoed by the media. I remember it being reported that he was semi-retired and stepping down as GM but would remain with the Bills as a scout. I remember Russ Brandon sang his praises calling him a “mentor” and thanking him publicly saying “the cupboard was pretty bare before Buddy.” So how exactly was he squeezed out? Many believed that 67 year-old Buddy was a short term GM and the plan was always to have a younger Whaley succeed him. In 2012, Nix would have been 70+ he fielded a record of about 16-31. It seems like it made sense to move on. If he was “squeezed out,” it was for very good reason. Buddy was a terrible GM

It was flawed rationale but meet the Bills under the Nix/Whaley regime

Looking back as a fan, coming off the horrendous product during the Jauron years, I found the whole Nix and Gailey regime to just be completely frustrating. Both were underwhelming hires and just added the reputation that Ralph was hurting the franchise with the decisions he was making. To his credit, I think Gailey showed he has a pretty good mind for offense considering what he did with a team led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stevie Johnson, and Fred Jackson. But he was not a good overall head coach and was clueless on defense/coaching hires Again though, if you have a 4th round target on a QB, how confident are you that the player is going to be your franchise? That is the problem I have with his narrative. What about EJ though? Do you think they had a legit 1st round grade? Or were they forced to reach for a 3rd/4th round prospect because of the crappy QB situation they painted themselves into?

Makes sense. I thought he (and Trent Murphy) was one of the best players on the field in the season opener vs the Jets. I do think Johnson has potential and hope that he’ll get some opportunities on the field soon.

I thought he might succeed Poyer and that was why the team was dragging their feet on resigning him. But with Poyer’s new deal, I think it’s going to be hard for Johnson to get any playing time barring injury

He’s not a burner but Chad is very good at pulling the ball down and running downfield

I don’t know - I will agree that Nix and Whaley were clueless about the QB positions. But If the Bills were so interested in Wilson why did they didn’t they pull the trigger earlier in the 2nd or the 3rd? Their philosophy typically wasn’t to sit back and wait for a prospect to fall to them. If that’s the case why did they reach for EJ In the next year’s draft? Also in you thinking, I think you are also overlooking the fact that the Bills resigned Ryan Fitzpatrick to lower tier starter’s deal months earlier. There was the hope in Buffalo that his late season struggles were due to injury and that he could bounce back in 2012. Again when you look at how badly the Bills handled the QB position under Nix and Whaley, do you honestly see them making the move to draft the future QB to be waiting in the wings? It’s a move that good GM’s make but also one that the regime has never done. So long story short - if they had interest in Wilson, I think it was similar to their interest in Cardale Jones. They’ll pick him if he falls to them but they aren’t convinced. Kind of like the half court shot at the end of the first half of a basketball game

With Johnson, I think the best we can hope for is a contribution on ST’s. I remember him playing really well against NYJ in the season finale but on a team with Hyde and Poyer at safety it will be tough to see him on the field.

yep I think he was still hoping that Fitz would pan out in 2012 and I don’t buy that QB was as big of a need in his mind then. Buddy was not the type of GM that would do something proactive like targeting a QB in the middle rounds.

This is 100. Everyone is trying to paint themselves in the best light possible - especially Buddy Nix. I’m not believing that Nix was that in to Wilson. If he was, he wouldn’t have waited until round 4 to draft him. At worst, he would have taken Wilson with his 3rd round pick and then tried to trade up for Graham or draft another WR. If there is any truth to what Nix said it’s likely that they were interested in taking a flyer on Wilson if he fell to later rounds (maybe the 4th,) but didn’t see enough in him to select him any higher. You don’t draft a TJ Graham if you think there’s a potential starting QB on the board. Nix also tries to make it look like the EJ wasn’t as bad as a pick as it was in actuality. He said EJ would have been a winner, if they waited another round to draft him. This makes absolutely no sense. EJ was not a good NFL QB...whether he was drafted in Round 1, 2, or 3. If Nix viewed EJ the way I believe they viewed Wilson in 2012, they would have waited to draft a him in the 3rd or 4th, where most scouts had him pegged. It’s my belief that Nix and Whaley legit though EJ was “the man” which is why drafted him in round 1. They thought he was a first round talent.

Ummmmmmm why was Eddie charged again?