CosmicBills

I know nothing!! NOTHING!!!

There's no need to be sorry for being long winded when you post well thought out and articulated posts like this. You might be right that none of these QBs coming out are sure things. In fact, I'm sure you're right. But there's a gamble with every player you draft -- there was even with Manning. No front office, in any league, listens to what the fans when it comes to drafting new players. To paraphrase Marv, the moment they do that is the moment they find themselves sitting in the stands with the fans. If the Bills take a QB at 3 (or 34) then it will be because their scouting department believes that the risks are worth the reward and that this guy might be a franchise type QB. And as fans, we don't have much choice but to trust in their judgment and hope it pans out. Of course with this front office's track record -- short as it is -- there's not too much reason to be confident. They've bumbled pretty much every major decision they've made thus far with the exception of getting Gailey and I hope Whaley. Still, there's not a lot of options for the fans other than to B word and moan on the message boards. But the bottom line, to me, is that the Bills need a QB before they can even think of being a legit championship contender. Of course they need lots of help elsewhere (DE, DT, OLB, ILB, OT, OG, TE, CB, SS) ... but none of those positions, no matter how good of a player they get, will provide as much impact in the W-L column as a legit franchise QB would bring. Hence the dilemma many of the more clear thinking fans (such as yourself) find themselves in. Clearly taking one of the premier defensive players available in this draft is a sound philosophy. They can help at spots where this team needs it most. And, they can help THIS year. That makes sense and I won't complain at all if that's the route they choose to travel. Taking any of these QBs won't be for this year -- which will add to the frustration of many of the vocal detractors. But it will (hopefully) help for the future. Put it another way. In a hypothetical world, if the Bills were able to draft perfect this year -- they hit on all their picks -- and they focus only on the positions of need (DE, DT, OLB, ILB, OT etc) ... and all these guys come in and contribute right away, the Bills would be much improved. They might even sniff the playoffs. But would they be true Super Bowl contenders with Fitz? No. Of course that's an opinion, but it's one I happen to believe quite firmly. So to me, it doesn't matter when the Bills get their upgrade at QB, just that they get one. If not this draft, the next, or the next, or the next.

DrReed and WEO in a spat? This could elevate this thread to radtastic proportions! Come on, Sphere 'O Beer, let 'em go for a little bit! Think of the entertainment value! (Grabs some popcorn)

:lol: That is ... OUTSTANDING!

Actually there is a far greater chance of Kaepernick busting than Newton. Kaepernick played in a weaker conference against worse competition. He played in a spread (same as Cam) so he will have to learn a pro style offense (unless Chan adopts elements of the spread which I think he will) . He has mechanical flaws that will have to be fixed (newton doesn't) . And his ceiling is not as high as Cam's either. With a new rookie cap the cost won't be that substantial compared to years past either. Pass.

I'm not sure what turned you away during that interview, but he said all the right things. I thought he was well spoken and confident. He was well prepped for this and came out a better prospect because of it. Of course, it has no bearing whatsoever about his ability to read defenses or play the position ...

Yeah because QB is the least important position on the field Cool, thanks for the info!

No one is saying either will be better than Fitz next year. You don't draft Newton or Gabbert for next year -- you draft them if you project them to be better than Fitz in the years to come.

Wait -- what did Green do at the Combine that drops him? I missed it. Thanks!

+1

I certainly understand where you're coming from. It's a valid point of view for us fans to think about. But I don't think you avoid Newton because you're afraid he'll bust. This team needs to take risks -- every player, at every position has the potential to bust. And I'm not certain a QB busting really hurts the long term plan for your franchise more than any other player. The big difference is money (which the new CBA should solve) and the fact that a QB is more in the spotlight than any other position so the boom/bust APPEARS to have bigger ramifications. Look at the Chargers. They blew it with Leaf. Yet, did it really derail their franchise for very long? They had a few down years and then were rebuilt into perennial playoff/super bowl contenders. The Bills are so bad now, busting out on Newton can't make them any worse. What's the worst that happens? They go from 4 wins to 2? You have to roll the dice sometimes, and if they think there's even a 50/50 chance that Newton could be a franchise QB then you have to take him. If he busts, it would suck. But would it really make a huge difference? Yet, if he is the real deal, his success instantly makes the franchise relevant again, makes the team better quicker than any other player in the draft could do just based on the position he plays.

I'm certainly a vocal member of the "Bills need a Franchise QB" camp. However I don't think anyone, or at least none that I recall hearing, think the Bills have to get one this year. That's the beauty of having Fitz. Fitz is not the problem on the team -- if they don't see a QB they like, Fitz can carry the offense on his shoulders for another season and the Bills can try to find a way to get Luck in 2012. And if they do take a QB at 3 (or 34), Fitz is STILL going to be the starter in 2011 (if there is a 2011) -- as he should be. The Bills need a QB that can lead them to the Super Bowl. In my opinion, Fitz isn't that guy. But he's good enough to win games and maybe, just maybe, get this team to the playoffs one day with the right pieces around him. And that means that there's no reason for the Bills to rush into picking a QB. I have Newton on my list. His physical skills alone are worth taking a long hard look at. If Gailey really believes that the future of the NFL is the spread offense (which I think he's right about), then finding a QB who comes from a pro-style offense isn't as important as it was as recently as a year ago. That takes a lot of the risk out of the Newton equation (by that I mean, if they're going to tailor the offense to his strengths, it doesn't matter what offense he came from). But despite all that, I'd be just as happy with the Bills taking Quinn, Fairley, Bowers -- even Gabbart, Von Miller, Jordan, Peterson or Green at 3 because all of those guys seem to have a pretty high ceiling at the next level and a low potential to be busts. Just my two cents.

An absolute train wreck. But a damned entertaining one ... so long as you're not working with the guy.

I thought the title of that D&C article was terribly misleading. Chan might well be unimpressed with Newton but that's not what his comments said (at least to me). It was more that he's actually impressed with the little he's seen (he said he has the ability to be a drop back passer etc) but hasn't studied him yet. Sounds more like a man who hasn't made up his mind to me ... of course, I could be reading into it too. I'm fine with taking Newton. I'm fine with passing on him. There are about 8 guys that I'd be fine with at 3. Which makes me pretty confident that they will get SOMEONE who can help this team turn the corner.

Done!

What would you entitle that? 'cause that's f'ing GOLD!

You're not alone. I love Jimbo, but I don't look to him as a resource when it comes to evaluating personnel. The ones who are great players themselves are usually poor judges and coaches because their talent is innate, which makes it hard to teach to others or even identify in others. Kelly has endorsed plenty of players (including QBs) in the past and they haven't worked out too well. Didn't he give Trent a big endorsement a few seasons ago? Then he threw all California QBs under the bus. Now he's backing Fitz. He's a great ambassador for the Bills, but he's not a scout.

Wait ... was it really? 'Cause that could solve another issue.

Good stuff! I noticed that "blind side" bit in the tease too. My theory (pure speculation) is that she was relaying a story to Russel. As in, the rest of the tribe told her that they were going to blindside Russel and proclaimed it to be "the biggest blind side ever". But, that's not based on anything other than a hunch. I like your theory though that the women would team up to take him out.

Great post. Hadn't seen that in awhile. Thanks!!!

:lol:

Umm ... except for the fact that this thread and my post was about Cam Newton (the spin you're suggesting, as made painstakingly clear -- twice -- was the slant you put on it by misquoting and misunderstanding me). The other thread was about a completely different topic. I know the subtleties of common discourse escape you, but repeating something over and over again doesn't make it true. Though you seem to enjoy putting random words in quotes like "office poll". So that's neat. Also, there's a difference between sexual assault and rape. I didn't use the word rape because he wasn't accused of that crime. Had I wanted to slant it, I would used the term. I didn't. Because the post isn't about Ben -- it's about Newton. Again, we're into the finer points of a language you clearly struggle with, but knowing what words and terms actually mean helps when trying to pick apart someone's intentions within a post. Moving on ... (for real sphere o' beer) Back on topic, the questions the front office should be concerned about with Newton aren't the off the field issues. They're something to consider, but they are not the end all be all when it comes to determining a player's ability to succeed in the NFL. There have been countless stories in the NFL of players coming from checkered backgrounds, run ins with the law that far outweigh allegedly stealing a laptop or receiving improper benefits and becoming great players. Look at Leonard Little. That scumbag killed people and still made the all-pro team. It's not about the past, it's about talent and the desire to get better. Does Newton have the talent? Clearly. Does he have the desire to keep getting better? No clue. It's just silly to me to be harping on a guy for allegations that have little to no impact on determining a player's prospects at the next level. I don't even know where I have Newton ranked on my board, but he's certainly in the mix. If he shows enough in his interviews to warrant the front office feeling comfortable with his football IQ, then they probably should take him. If not, oh well. That's the beauty of picking third in this particular draft. There are five solid, solid players that should turn into pretty darn good pros. There are another three or four guys who could easily become star players. Newton has the biggest potential to bust simply due to the position he plays, but he also has the chance to become the biggest impact player in the entire draft because of the position he plays as well.

Usually it takes me a few episodes to really get into a season of Survivor because you have to get to know the cast and kind of warm up to them. Not this year. Two eps in and I'm hooked. It's not only a great cast, but I think Redemption Island is a great way to keep the show fresh. It introduces brand new strategies into the game which forces different permutations and moves. This could be the best season yet ... something I'd never thought I'd say so early into a season. Still, there might come a moment (once they learn REALLY how Redemption Island works) where the best strategy is to go to redemption island. For example, you blind side someone and don't want them to come back into the game because they're such a strong player, it might be worth the gamble to go there yourself to make sure they don't come back. It's also just a great way to build in a Rocky-esque comeback story into any season. Okay, enough gushing.

Does anyone know if he's running at the combine? (Or if he already did?) Quinn has been on my radar since around December as I started digging into the draft a bit. I had the same hopes as you, that the Bills might be able to slide back a spot or three, pick up an extra pick or two, and still grab Quinn who I think might be one of the most impressive defensive players in the draft. But you're right -- a good combine will eliminate that shot. And let's face it, he's a beast physically, there's no way he's not going to put up good numbers. The beauty of picking 3 is that there's no real bad player right now. If you think about it, the Bills can't really screw it up. I'd be happy with Quinn, Fairley, Bowers, Darius or Newton. I'd be disappointed if they took Green or Peterson -- but I think they're so gifted athletically that I could learn to live with it down the line. I am not a huge fan of Cam Jordan or Von Miller -- but I think they could be solid players even if they aren't as sexy as the other picks. I have eight players that I'd be fine with -- players that I think could really step in and help the Bills pretty quickly. And, with the possible exception of Newton (since QBs are a different breed), all eight of those guys seem to be pretty safe bets to be at the very least solid NFL starters. So really, unless the Bills go way off script and trade completely out of the top 10, I can't see a way they miss that badly. They certainly could pass up a super star for a solid cog in the machine (which is why I am no longer an advocate of trading back, take a shot that there's a super star at 3 and roll the dice) -- but that's true of everyone in the draft. I don't think though that there's a real big bust potential with this first pick. People here are just overly gun-shy about it because the front office has been so bad for so long. I've been one of the biggest critics. Yet, it's going to take record level incompetence on behalf of Wilson, Nix and Gailey to fug the first pick up. Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be (possibly large) sections of the population here on TSW screaming it's the end of the world regardless of who's picked ... but so long as it's one of those 8 dudes, I'm cool with it. Edit: I should note that when compiling those 8 guys I was thinking about the future of the team more so than just the next season. A guy like Newton wouldn't see the field in '11 but would become vital down the line.