BillsVet

Name your QBs then. I'll guarantee the vast majority of solid starting NFL QB's in 2009 were from the first or second round.

This thread is turning into a Rahm Emanuel thing. Your comparison, in essence, means that if Bruce Gradkowski starts a game, it carries as much weight as someone like Peyton Manning. It's not the quantity of starting QB's and how they're acquired. It's the quality for goodness sakes. Quality QB's typically arrive via the first or second round of the NFL draft. While that's not to say they can't be found in rounds 3 and below or UDFA, the likelihood is extremely small. When I think quality starting QBs, I'm thinking Brady, Flacco, Palmer, Roethlisberger, Schaub, P. Manning, Rivers, Romo, E. Manning, McNabb, Cutler, Rodgers, Favre, Ryan, Brees, and Warner. 12 of those guys are first rounders, or 75%.

I recall last season, in the wake of another playoff-less season, many on this board anticipated big spending in UFA. The end result was a backup QB, low priced C, depth (who is good) CB, and a name WR on a one year deal. The Bills are committed to making few commitments. And given the potential lockout in 2011 and more players being RFA's, I can't see them spending big money. If anything, they'll shed payroll in 2010, especially when Schobel retires, and Whitner and McCargo are released. No salary cap means no salary floor. Failure on the football field does not mean appeasing fans with free agent dollars at OBD. If anything, they'll talk up the draft and making more Hangartner type signings. That, and more hype to sell tickets.

The likelihood of finding a quality starting QB outside the top two rounds is slim. There are always exceptions, but it's rare for a guy to come out of the 3rd round and below or via the UDFA ranks. Of the NFL starting QB's in 2009, I count Warner, M. Hasselbeck, Bulger, Delhomme, Romo, Orton, Cassel, Gradkowski, Schaub, Garrard, Edwards/Fitzpatrick, and Brady as the only signal callers who were acquired below the 2nd round. And I'd say only 2-3 of those guys are quality. In contrast, from 1999-2008, 93 QB's were taken in rounds 3-7. And yet, in 2009, only Brady and Schaub are what I would consider dependable or better QB's. That's not a good ratio if you're looking to find a QB below round 2. I'm not going to review UDFA signings for the same period, but if Warner and Romo are the only examples, I'm sure they're in the minority as well. QB's taken - Draft History

GB drafted Brohm because they thought him the BPA at that point in the draft. Favre was turning 38 in 07 and Rodgers had completed his 2nd NFL season of not playing behind #4. It just so happens that Rodgers is one of the top QB's in the NFL after being an apprentice for 3 seasons. Still, for GB to miss on Brohm in the 2nd is alarming, especially because an unheralded 7th round pick beat him up. Draft equity being what it is, when a 7th beats a 2nd, that's not good. And then Mr. Exception chimes in and says it doesn't matter where someone is drafted and cites Brady, Warner, Romo. But check where the majority of the starting QB's were taken. You guessed it, the first round or second rounds.

It was reported that TE lost the locker room late in the season. To me, TE's disappearance is a combination of two things: 1) His mental state isn't one that rebounds from adversity. Not like a Brees, P. Manning, Rodgers, Favre, or the elite QB's in the game. 2) His HC was responsible for some of the dullest offenses in Bills history. That's not saying they were the worst, but three coordinators looked eerily similar when crunch time rolled around. I still don't know why TE remained loyal to DJ as his career was twisting downward in that backwards offense DJ's been running. OBD will have a hard time selling Edwards as the starter in 2010 and they've already got an uphill climb after hiring Gailey.

Must be the second language. That's all I've got.

Jackson has a lot less mileage on his wheels than most RB's do at 29. Lynch bulked up far too much during this past off-season and still dances too much in the backfield. Buffalo has demonstrated a penchant for releasing higher priced players who don't start, which depletes their depth. Marshawn is getting paid decent but not great money to probably enter 2010 as the backup. That is, if he's around in July.

Nope, none at all. Finding QB's is just being lucky, much like most of the Bills pursuits nowadays. Just ask Bill Polian, he totally lucked into taking Peyton in 1998 over Ryan Leaf. The draft is a big crap-shoot, and if Buffalo fails, it's being unlucky.

Not to mention you've wasted time chasing something you won't get. Buffalo tried to obtain DL Israel Idonije and G Reggie Wells in 06 and were denied by their teams, Chicago and Arizona respectively. Given that Buffalo's front office can only sign one guy at a time (see Evans and Peters in 08) most likely they removed themselves from pursuing other UFA's in Dick Levy's first foray into an offseason together. Perhaps that why the crown jewel of the 06 offseason was current UFL scrub Larry Tripplett.

You've left out the coaching aspect. BAL and ATL last season along with NYJ this season minimized their rookie QB's weaknesses and had strong running games to take pressure off the young signal callers. That was no coincidence. To simplify it down to the "right rookie" leaves out how important it is to use them correctly. The Jets ran for 170 ypg this season, and ATL had Michael Turner running 20-25 times in 2008. Likewise, BAL has always been good on the ground, and now has an emerging star at RB in Ray Rice. Every single rookie QB has growing pains. It's a matter of coaching around them and once again putting them in a position to succeed. All three of those teams also had outstanding OL's to help set that rookie up for success.

The guy was a nice person, but what he did on draft day 06-08 was draft players who will not be contributors much longer. If, after four seasons all Buffalo has is only secondary, that's not success. It's abject failure. Buffalo used two firsts on DB's, one of whom may not even be on the team next year, and signed several UFA's in the course of DJ's four off-seasons. Of course they should have a solid secondary, they spent a lot of resources on it. But you can continue thanking DJ (and Marv) next season when the team must rebuild their front defensive front 7 and find OT's capable of pass blocking. Even without a move to the 3-4, Buffalo needed a lot of help on both sides of the LOS. For goodness sakes they gave up 150+ yards rushing per game last season! And that was worse than what they yielded in DJ's first season. See a trend here? At the rate DJ and company were going, it would have taken them 15 years to rebuild off the TD era.

Wilfork is a UFA, the result of being a six year veteran. I suspect NE will franchise him and possibly trade him, a la GB dealing Corey Williams to the Browns in 08. Finding a 3-4 NT will cost a lot, either in the draft or via FA. With no less than 13 teams running that defense, competition will be stiff for guys who can play that all important position. I don't see Pickett being re-signed, but he'll get a lot of attention on the market.

Again, why has he been on three teams in 3 seasons? I'm not writing him off, but after three years in the pros, I'd expect more than simply being a generally inactive 3rd stringer for a team featuring Pat White as their #2 QB. I'm just fed up with the notion of finding a QB on the bargain bin. Chances are the kid isn't it, but stranger things have happened.

Goodness gracious is this a hasty generalization. If Thigpen, after three seasons in the NFL were half the player Manning is, he'd be starting somewhere. Or he'd be mentioned as a possible starter to challenge Henne. Instead, he's on his third team in three seasons at was typically inactive throughout the season. Why wouldn't the goober fans on TBD think he wasn't capable of being the Bills answer?

Yeah, those other three teams that have accounted for 4 playoff appearances in 2 seasons. Those ones.

Thigpen accumulated his stats from a spread type offense Gailey devised known as the pistol. While he threw 18 TD passes, his completion percentage hovered in the mid fifties. That's not going to get it done in today's pass happy NFL.

Dick Jauron has experience. It means nothing to have only "experience." It's about talent, and not all NFL coaches are created equal. Dude with 10 years since his last HC gig, not to mention that he wasn't even mentioned for any OC jobs until Buffalo came calling for their top coach job is building a solid staff? Based on what? That Curtis Modkins hasn't been in a position to royally f*** up yet? It'll be a miracle for a team needing players to fit a new defense and a new QB to go anything better than 6-10 in 2010. Keep in mind who else is in the division.

2010 is going to be the beginning of a long rebuilding process. The defense needs a lot of pieces to fit into a 3-4, especially at LB. For teams like Denver, having a guy suited for the 3-4 OLB position in Dumervil helped immensely. Not all teams transition to the 3-4 in one season.

Donte is like the little yap dog that doesn't stop. When the Bills release him, he can keep those 10k+ followers because it won't matter. Brilliance from Levy and Jauron on that one. But he had a lot of "football character."

Question is where. Every Bills fan has doubts about the future of this team, despite what is said by Kelly, et al. Whaley seems to be a good hire, learned from one of the best in the business in Kevin Colbert. Pittsburgh was never big on signing UFA's, but built well through the draft. I really don't think UFA/RFA will bring many players in 2010. Still, they needed a pro personnel guy younger than 60.

He's on fire! Brings back some memories.

Teams didn't need to throw the ball when they could run for 150+ yards rushing yards per game and 4.7 YPC against the Bills. In some ways, 2009 was a lot like 2006 when Nate Clements and crew were statistically good against the pass, but the run defense yielded 140+.

Because Bears president Mike McCaskey announced McGinnis as the HC in a press conference BEFORE the team and prospective coach agreed to a contract. McCaskey later was fired by his mother Virginia. It goes without saying DJ wasn't the man they wanted. Look, I think DJ was in over his head as a HC, and was an average DC. He's gone, and that's all there is.

Jauron was not DC in Chicago, but in Jacksonville from 95-98. Although inheriting an expansion team, JAC was in the AFC Title game in 1996. That defense ranked 19th in points allowed, 15th in 97, and 17th in 98. His defenses were not stellar by any stretch of the imagination. Had it not been for Dave McGinnis turning down Chicago in 99, DJ may never have become a HC at all.