RuntheDamnBall

I can guarantee you that even if Merriman signed with the Dolphins and gave them average play, there would be an outcry around here. The FO has earned scorn, but it is in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't position on this board. I'm not going to criticize because it's not my money. Obviously you're pretty passionate about it and are so conservative as to believe that the Bills shouldn't be entering low-risk, high-potential-reward situations. That's fine; I'm not sure why you'e an expert on it any more than the rest of us, though.

Do you REALLY want to go down the road of naming all the Heisman winners that were NFL stars in the past 20 years? The list of national championship QBs would generate a comparable set of NFL failures. Let's not. These guys each quarterbacked their teams to at least one undefeated college season in longer careers for the most part, but I should have figured I'd have to spell out every detail. The point is that one season of good play is all Cam Newton has. Plenty of guys have led their teams to undefeated seasons. That doesn't mean jack in the NFL. That you have to resort to name-calling indicates how bankrupt your position is. College success is just one determinant of potential NFL success, among many. I am not strictly anti-Newton; I am, however, firmly on the record as saying I hope the Bills are doing all their homework on a guy who has one season of college success - a formula that generated the Aaron Maybin draft pick, among others. Carry on with the insults, and with the firm analysis of such measurables as "Heisman-ness" and "winnerosity."

see, THAT's funny!

My list was about a few things: Good WRs who can make a great impact are historically available all throughout the draft. If we don't get AJ Green there will be a very good receiver on days 2-3 picked. I think the difference between Fairley (if available) and the drop-off in later rounds vs. Green and the drop-off in later rounds is VAST. that I agree that championship teams win throughout the draft, and are good in all facets of the game, but I will argue that few championship teams use their top picks to address skill positions that are at least adequately stocked, when they have gaping holes in the trenches / front 7.

Uh, they won. Why would they be pissed at Buffalo? Laugh it off and point to the Cup. Can't stand the Canes, or Dallas, or any southern hockey team (though I do dig the Lightning's newly unveiled, classic-looking unis).

The rest I agree with, but to me the biggest issue with the McCargo situation was not picking him, but trading up for him (same with Losman). Panicking when your need areas appear to be draining from the draft board is probably the #1 way to lose on draft weekend, unless you're certain the guy can't bust (and are you ever?). I'm not saying he would have panned out, but those extra picks lost hurt more than the lack of production from the individual players drafted.

Oh, man. As a parent of an almost two-year-old I feel for you. I had a friend in the neighborhood whose daughter had the same kind of thing happen in a fall with mom down the stairs (totally scary). The thing to remember is that it does heal fast and it's just sort of like another layer of what you already know with a toddler - this phase shall pass. Bathing's a pain in the neck but an arm is way better than a leg break for myriad reasons. And I presume with the cast he'll have maneuverability of his hands, so interference with the developmental use of them won't be an issue. As long as he's happy and doing his thing, I'd say just watch out for those steps, keep the good shoes on, take it easy in the snow and ice if he's walking out there (if you're even in a cold weather clime), and keep an eye on him! Best of luck.

Good post. I, too, hope for a trade down, but we all know it takes at least two and you just can't pin your hopes or your entire draft on that potentiality. I just REALLY hope that whatever their thoughts are about QB, that they leave no stone unturned in examining these guys.

If I were a woman reading it, I'd say the guy who wrote it doesn't know the first thing about pain and toughness, and is probably wimpier than any woman to ever give birth, let alone a guy who regularly faces 4-7 250+lb. athletes trying to destroy him for a living, but yeah, other than that it was hilarious. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/126518-jay-cutlers-mri-results/page__view__findpost__p__2096050

I agree only to a point. Bad teams will be more likely to see their players bust because the coaching staff and FO aren't putting them in a position to succeed. Still, you can't argue that Detroit and Buffalo have made critical missteps by choosing players with more flash at skill positions instead of concentrating on a winning foundation. A WR will never, ever help what ails the team the most - its run defense. It's hardly ever been addressed in the draft except for MAYBE in R2/3 last season. If you waste the picks on positions that don't provide the foundation, you're never going to succeed.

Not sure I understand "you got lucky" in the grading scheme. Day 2 (now 3) and the UDFA market are where the scouts have to do their hardest work. That's where you're finding small college guys who are undervalued and taking good risks on somebody with a proclaimed "issue" (injury/attitude/size etc). Teams should in fact be lauded for unearthing good players in the later rounds. I also disagree that it's the expectation that a 6th rounder turns out to be a solid pro. I expect a guy who is about replacement level, maybe a little worse (think Keith Ellison) - a guy who plays hard for you but is not going to be expected to do anything more than contribute on STs. Where luck comes in for me is when a guy like Brady turns out to be more than a benchwarmer by proving himself due to what seems at the time like an unfortunate injury. When the sixth rounder just makes the team and starts to excel, I think that's the mark of good drafting.

Did you see all those achievements and awards he's racked up? I hope to be that accomplished by the time I'm 21. Fixed.

Shoulda sent Maybin to do his "I was in the vicinity of a tackle" dance.

Do you mean to tell me in one whole season of college ball, he never lost a game? That's unbelievable! It's like, something that only happens twice a year. That's a pedigree that includes the likes of NFL stars such as Josh Heupel Chris Weinke Craig Krenzel Jared Zebransky Alex Smith Matt Leinart Jason Campbell Vince Young Matt Leinart Sign me up. Cam just wins.

That's true. In one draft, only one Pro Bowler is a WR drafted after the first three rounds. That's a good reason to ignore late-round steals at the position like Marques Colston (R7), Donald Driver (R7), Houshmandzadeh (R7), our emerging threat in Steve Johnson (R7), Pierre Garcon (R6), Wes Welker (UDFA), and plenty of other guys that other teams wished they drafted instead of the likes of Rae Carruth, Yatil Green, Marcus Nash, Peter Warrick, R. Jay Soward, Sylvester Morris, Freddie Mitchell, Koren Robinson, Rod Gardner and David Terrell. Mike Williams of the Lions was a draft for need pick? Are you out of your mind? I'll even spot you Roy Williams. But after spending 2 top ten draft picks on receivers in the three prior drafts, WR was still a position of need at the #10 position? How's the broadcast gig going, Mr. Millen? It's OK, we'll be able to spin another first-rounder into gold (a.k.a. a fifth-round pick). But you know, once-in-a-lifetime receiving threats only come once in a lifetime (well, then, and also via trade for a fourth-rounder).

I wonder if there were a big purse for the game, like winning team gets to divide up 10 million bucks, it would net a better game. You'd think the enhanced TV ratings would make it pay for itself. Maybe 100K-200K isn't enough to get them excited, esp considering they tend to get a bonus for making it. Who knows?

Does anyone here do Second Life? If so, can you create a scenario where Merriman gets picked up by the Dolphins and see how many people here would complain that Buddy was asleep when a premier talent landed on the waiver wire, and the Bills could have gotten him for nothing?

I wouldn't argue with the Johnson pick, only because Joe Thomas, Revis and Patrick Willis have turned out to be the only comparably-rated picks in that round. Would any of those guys have helped more? Hard to say. But their organizational stability is the big issue, and a large part of that had been Matt Millen pissing away first rounder after first rounder on receivers.

I was totally busting on Moss and Fitzgerald by calling them awesome players! They made it where they did because of awesome casts surrounding them, on teams that were assembled with their priorities in order. The year the Lions drafted Charles Rogers they could have had: Andre Johnson - a top talent at WR if I've ever seen one - still hasn't gotten the Texans anywhere Terrell Suggs Jordan Gross Kevin Williams Troy Polamalu And that's just in the top 16. The year they drafted Mike (not big Mike) Williams they could have had: DeMarcus Ware Jammal Brown Shawne Merriman These are just the three picks after theirs. Vincent Jackson was had at pick #61. Roddy White was there at #27. My point is that good receivers can be gotten most anywhere. They are not foundational, ever. Wasting the #3 pick on him, even if he's Jerry Rice, will have us a nice tall target waiting on the sideline for the !@#$ing run defense to get off the field.

Did he ever have his picture on a bubble-gum card?

All awesome players. Only Rice, who played his best in the pre-free-agent era of Super teams, helped his team over the hump. The Bills are lacking way too many pieces to draft another WR - a position of stability if not premier talent on this team. We've heard these same platitudes about Charles Rogers, Calvin Johnson, Mike Williams (who looked like #1 overall talent)... all these guys have in common is being drafted by a team that averages somewhere around D.F.L., and has chosen the wrong priorities with regularity. What will get Detroit turned around, finally, is building around pieces like Suh and Stafford (presuming good health) - not their receiving corps. The Bills should heed that warning. If Fairley and Green are both there and they make the wrong choice, we're in for another 5-10 years of Bills golf in January.

Be sure not to trip over your Internet-verified, impossibly large manhood. We dont need any more injuries to discuss.

Only slightly less shocking than the number of dudes who think it's impressive to appear misogynist on an Internet message board.

Super-this.

I know, and just look at how many Super Bowl rings Randy Moss has.