How do the Bills screw up the draft every year??

[nostyle126]

It is really jaw-dropping how they miss, particularly on 1st rounders, because these aren't "hindsight" bloopers. We ALL questioned Mike Williams over Bryant McKinney. MOST of us questioned Maybin over Orakpo. Most of us also felt Whitner was a reach, and so on, and so on. It's not like we're rewriting history here. I was screaming at the TV when they drafted Maybin instead of Orakpo. Now I'm not proclaiming to be a football genius, but apparently my spidey senses knew something, because one guy went to the pro-bowl and the other had a total of 16 tackles.

[Thoner7]

Hmmm two totally different positions. I am not sure you can call Maybin a bust yet. We will know a lot next year.

 

You are wrong. Orakpo had 8 or 9 (I forgot) of his 11 sacks from the DEFENSIVE END POSITION. His 4 sack performance vrs Oakland, 2 were from RDE, one from LDE. Bottom line is they were both scouted by Buffalo, and Buffalo determind Maybin was a better pass rusher. That was 100% wrong. Stop assuming that since Orakpo is listed as a LB on their roster, that He never lined up at DE. That is dumb to assume. That is the same dumb mentality that does not allow fans to admit that Merriman and Suggs play as many snaps at DE as they do at LB. Merriman could easily be a DE in a 4-3 and would be here in Buffalo, as would Suggs, as would Orakpo. The Bills scouting department dropped the ball, yet again.

[nostyle126]

You are wrong. Orakpo had 8 or 9 (I forgot) of his 11 sacks from the DEFENSIVE END POSITION. His 4 sack performance vrs Oakland, 2 were from RDE, one from LDE. Bottom line is they were both scouted by Buffalo, and Buffalo determind Maybin was a better pass rusher. That was 100% wrong. Stop assuming that since Orakpo is listed as a LB on their roster, that He never lined up at DE. That is dumb to assume. That is the same dumb mentality that does not allow fans to admit that Merriman and Suggs play as many snaps at DE as they do at LB. Merriman could easily be a DE in a 4-3 and would be here in Buffalo, as would Suggs, as would Orakpo. The Bills scouting department dropped the ball, yet again.

+100

[San-O]

It is really jaw-dropping how they miss, particularly on 1st rounders, because these aren't "hindsight" bloopers. We ALL questioned Mike Williams over Bryant McKinney. MOST of us questioned Maybin over Orakpo. Most of us also felt Whitner was a reach, and so on, and so on. It's not like we're rewriting history here. I was screaming at the TV when they drafted Maybin instead of Orakpo. Now I'm not proclaiming to be a football genius, but apparently my spidey senses knew something, because one guy went to the pro-bowl and the other had a total of 16 tackles.

 

 

Right, like trading back into the 1st round get McCargo when they already passed on Ngata.

 

I just never understood that.

 

Seriously, can you imagine what the defense would have looked like if they just hadn't screwed up those two picks? Down

side is, I have thought that some of those bad D-line picks may have in some part led to D.J. getting axed.

[CarolinaBill]

I have never seen anything like it. Mike Williams instead of Bryant McKinnie. Losman, McCargo, Eric Flowers...etc. And then more recently they take Leodis McCelvin over Rogers-Cromartie (Pro Bowler) and Mike Jenkins who is becoming a star for the Cowboys. Figures the Bills have their choice of the three and pic the wrong one. Then last year, Aaron Maybin?!! LOL. I follow the draft very closely and always assume that the NFL people are there for a reason and know a whole lot more than me, but then they pull garbage like this year after year and makes me start to wonder. Maybin was the only one that was mentioned for the Bills that I knew would be a horrible pick. Leave it to the Bills to take him. No Michael Oher, who has been excellent for the Ravens and was at a position of dire need. Of course not. The draft failures in Buffalo are beyond ridiculous. Can't wait to see how they manage to screw it up this year.

 

Why everyone is so quick to shut the book on maybin is puzzling to me. He was a rookie for petes sake, give the guy a full offseason to put on the proper weight, I think we will all be surprised at what he does next year. And Mckelvin, had a good rookie year and was looking to improve on it this year before the injury, DRC didnt have the grade to take as high as mckelvin, plus we wanted a KR. Don't get me wrong, i didnt like either pick, but you can't write these guys off so fast. I think Maybin will def benefit from converting to a rush end OLB this year, its more of a natural fit for him to use his speed to get around the edge.

[loyalbillsfan]

I think last year's draft was very strong minus Maybin. Hopefully he can still develop in to a solid player. I have a feeling McKevlin just isn't going to pan out. He has all the physical attributes to be a great corner, but he relies on his physical tools too much and is often out of position.

 

I agree also, even though the Bills have picked poorly, lack of strong coaching and injuries have also played a part.

[peteski]

The Bills draft pretty decent. They only screw up in the first round.

[GrudginglyPessimistic]

It is really jaw-dropping how they miss, particularly on 1st rounders, because these aren't "hindsight" bloopers. We ALL questioned Mike Williams over Bryant McKinney. MOST of us questioned Maybin over Orakpo. Most of us also felt Whitner was a reach, and so on, and so on. It's not like we're rewriting history here. I was screaming at the TV when they drafted Maybin instead of Orakpo. Now I'm not proclaiming to be a football genius, but apparently my spidey senses knew something, because one guy went to the pro-bowl and the other had a total of 16 tackles.

I agree that the Bills drafting has sucked the last few years, but I'm sorry it is 20/20 hindsight in terms of the faults you are finding.

 

1. McKinnie over Williams is a hindsight judgment as my recollection is that a great many folks judged McKinnie to be about at the same level talentwise as Williams but in fact McKinnie was such a character idiot I think most posters were quite pleased that we took Williams over him.

 

In fact, though Williams spent his initial seasons here playing his way to well deserved bust status, ironically he looked like a better pick than McKinnie for at least two if not three years as McKinnie actually held out a while his first year and made it a bust for the most part. He followed this up with fairly uninspiring play his first couple of years and added sugar on top by acting a fool on a Vikes loveboat cruise and getting investigated with a real threat of suspension. Quite frankly Williams was clearly a bust but it would not surprise me if he had come here with his infantile nature that Sully and boys would have run him out of town if he came into the toxic Bills situation.

 

2. Maybin is a clear demonstration of the McKinnie effect that a player needs to do all he can to get signed and into camp ontime. Maybin clearly disappointed in 09, but one would have to be a football idiot to declare any player a bust after one season or declare Okrapo a god after one season. Maybin in particular is still a very young player and was given an LB $ by our stupidstaff because they probably judged he would be more effective at LB than DE. Sure folks said this that or the otherthing but it is simply too early to draw reasonable conclusions after 1 year of play.

 

3. I like others advocated before the draft picking up Ngata as we badly needed both DL and S help. It may have worked out better if they had gone Ngata way but this one is a pretty close call and this board reflected that on thoughtful review after a few days. Some argued that picking a safety at #8 was a reach. However, folks who made this claim were actually simply wrong as is shown by Huff actually having been picked before Whitner so S did get top 10 picks. This was further substantiated by an S also going at #15 to Miami. The folks who declared picking an S a reach were simply guilty of outmoded thinking because they did not do good enough football analysis to see that the S in the form of players like Saunders in Indy and Polamalu in Pitts were central to SB wins for their teams.

 

The Bills choice did not work out at Whitner never proved on the field to be more than just an alleged Pro Bowl hopeful but really at best simply a good but not great player. Whitner actually turned out to be a better player than Huff who was the safety taken before him,

 

Yeah the Bills drafting has not worked out, but your accusations simply do not hold up as a good explanation of this failure with only the barest of examination, Even the correct designation of McCargo as a bust needs to be accompanied by some deserved kudos for finding a player in Williams in the 5th who won ProBowl alternate nods this year.

 

Hindsight is really not always 20/20 as your claims on the details even when correct (though premature) in general are pretty 20/40 when it comes to the specifics.

[nostyle126]

I agree that the Bills drafting has sucked the last few years, but I'm sorry it is 20/20 hindsight in terms of the faults you are finding.

 

1. McKinnie over Williams is a hindsight judgment as my recollection is that a great many folks judged McKinnie to be about at the same level talentwise as Williams but in fact McKinnie was such a character idiot I think most posters were quite pleased that we took Williams over him.

Ha. Bills fans were taken aback by the Williams pick. It came from left field. It wasn't even his natural position. The moment we drafted him people questioned the pick. That's not hindsight.

 

In fact, though Williams spent his initial seasons here playing his way to well deserved bust status, ironically he looked like a better pick than McKinnie for at least two if not three years as McKinnie actually held out a while his first year and made it a bust for the most part. He followed this up with fairly uninspiring play his first couple of years and added sugar on top by acting a fool on a Vikes loveboat cruise and getting investigated with a real threat of suspension. Quite frankly Williams was clearly a bust but it would not surprise me if he had come here with his infantile nature that Sully and boys would have run him out of town if he came into the toxic Bills situation.

 

Now THAT'S hindsight AND conjecture.

 

2. Maybin is a clear demonstration of the McKinnie effect that a player needs to do all he can to get signed and into camp ontime. Maybin clearly disappointed in 09, but one would have to be a football idiot to declare any player a bust after one season or declare Okrapo a god after one season. Maybin in particular is still a very young player and was given an LB $ by our stupidstaff because they probably judged he would be more effective at LB than DE. Sure folks said this that or the otherthing but it is simply too early to draw reasonable conclusions after 1 year of play.

 

It's a fair point that it has only been one season for both of them. So mark it down. I said on draft day and I say again now that Orakpo is a better player than Maybin, and I believe their production will show that over the remainder of their careers.

 

3. I like others advocated before the draft picking up Ngata as we badly needed both DL and S help. It may have worked out better if they had gone Ngata way but this one is a pretty close call and this board reflected that on thoughtful review after a few days. Some argued that picking a safety at #8 was a reach. However, folks who made this claim were actually simply wrong as is shown by Huff actually having been picked before Whitner so S did get top 10 picks. This was further substantiated by an S also going at #15 to Miami. The folks who declared picking an S a reach were simply guilty of outmoded thinking because they did not do good enough football analysis to see that the S in the form of players like Saunders in Indy and Polamalu in Pitts were central to SB wins for their teams.

I don't think people were saying you can't take a S top 10. To the contrary, I think people were drooling over Huff. The general concensus is that once Huff was drafted we panicked and simply took the next best safety on the board, even if he wasn't projected to be drafted for another 20+ picks, if not a full round, later.

 

The Bills choice did not work out at Whitner never proved on the field to be more than just an alleged Pro Bowl hopeful but really at best simply a good but not great player. Whitner actually turned out to be a better player than Huff who was the safety taken before him,

 

Yeah the Bills drafting has not worked out, but your accusations simply do not hold up as a good explanation of this failure with only the barest of examination, Even the correct designation of McCargo as a bust needs to be accompanied by some deserved kudos for finding a player in Williams in the 5th who won ProBowl alternate nods this year.

 

Hindsight is really not always 20/20 as your claims on the details even when correct (though premature) in general are pretty 20/40 when it comes to the specifics.

They find talent deeper in the draft, but the reason the Bills are short on game-altering superstars is because they keep striking out on their first round picks.

[DanInSouthBuffalo]

It's a fair point that it has only been one season for both of them. So mark it down. I said on draft day and I say again now that Orakpo is a better player than Maybin, and I believe their production will show that over the remainder of their careers.

 

That's fine. But remember Orakpo has played two positions this year, and now he's exclusively a linebacker. Who is to say that if the Bills drafted him and played him at DE (like the Bills continue to do with Maybin) that the same result occurs. I'm hoping the new staff will at least give Maybin a look at OLB. It was stupid not to try it this past year.

[nostyle126]

That's fine. But remember Orakpo has played two positions this year, and now he's exclusively a linebacker. Who is to say that if the Bills drafted him and played him at DE (like the Bills continue to do with Maybin) that the same result occurs. I'm hoping the new staff will at least give Maybin a look at OLB. It was stupid not to try it this past year.

They did try, but not much. I shouldn't say they tried him at OLB, but they zone dogged with Maybin in coverage. He looked lost in space and surprisingly unathletic in his lateral movement.

[JohnC]

I agree that the Bills drafting has sucked the last few years, but I'm sorry it is 20/20 hindsight in terms of the faults you are finding.

 

1. McKinnie over Williams is a hindsight judgment as my recollection is that a great many folks judged McKinnie to be about at the same level talentwise as Williams but in fact McKinnie was such a character idiot I think most posters were quite pleased that we took Williams over him.

 

In fact, though Williams spent his initial seasons here playing his way to well deserved bust status, ironically he looked like a better pick than McKinnie for at least two if not three years as McKinnie actually held out a while his first year and made it a bust for the most part. He followed this up with fairly uninspiring play his first couple of years and added sugar on top by acting a fool on a Vikes loveboat cruise and getting investigated with a real threat of suspension. Quite frankly Williams was clearly a bust but it would not surprise me if he had come here with his infantile nature that Sully and boys would have run him out of town if he came into the toxic Bills situation.

 

2. Maybin is a clear demonstration of the McKinnie effect that a player needs to do all he can to get signed and into camp ontime. Maybin clearly disappointed in 09, but one would have to be a football idiot to declare any player a bust after one season or declare Okrapo a god after one season. Maybin in particular is still a very young player and was given an LB $ by our stupidstaff because they probably judged he would be more effective at LB than DE. Sure folks said this that or the otherthing but it is simply too early to draw reasonable conclusions after 1 year of play.

 

3. I like others advocated before the draft picking up Ngata as we badly needed both DL and S help. It may have worked out better if they had gone Ngata way but this one is a pretty close call and this board reflected that on thoughtful review after a few days. Some argued that picking a safety at #8 was a reach. However, folks who made this claim were actually simply wrong as is shown by Huff actually having been picked before Whitner so S did get top 10 picks. This was further substantiated by an S also going at #15 to Miami. The folks who declared picking an S a reach were simply guilty of outmoded thinking because they did not do good enough football analysis to see that the S in the form of players like Saunders in Indy and Polamalu in Pitts were central to SB wins for their teams.

 

The Bills choice did not work out at Whitner never proved on the field to be more than just an alleged Pro Bowl hopeful but really at best simply a good but not great player. Whitner actually turned out to be a better player than Huff who was the safety taken before him,

 

Yeah the Bills drafting has not worked out, but your accusations simply do not hold up as a good explanation of this failure with only the barest of examination, Even the correct designation of McCargo as a bust needs to be accompanied by some deserved kudos for finding a player in Williams in the 5th who won ProBowl alternate nods this year.

 

Hindsight is really not always 20/20 as your claims on the details even when correct (though premature) in general are pretty 20/40 when it comes to the specifics.

 

Huff the safety was picked by the Raiders. Whitner the safety was picked by the Bills. The Raiders of the east and west are birds of a feather and stupid together. Taking Whitner over DT Ngta was not only idiotic, it was laughable. When judging how a team drafts you can't look at any particular pick. The best way to judge a team's drafting talents is to consider its body of work. Over the past decade the Bills ranked 29 out of 32 for wins compared to the rest of the league. When a clueless owner and marketing man are involved in the drafting process then you know you are in trouble.

[***PetrinoInAlbany***]

Hey, Thurman ...

 

It's rare when just seeing the TITLE of a post makes me laugh, but I loved this one...

 

"How do the Bills screw up the draft every year??"

 

You took years of frustration and summed it up in one sentence, man. Nice one.

[Bob in STL]

I have never seen anything like it. Mike Williams instead of Bryant McKinnie. Losman, McCargo, Eric Flowers...etc. And then more recently they take Leodis McCelvin over Rogers-Cromartie (Pro Bowler) and Mike Jenkins who is becoming a star for the Cowboys. Figures the Bills have their choice of the three and pic the wrong one. Then last year, Aaron Maybin?!! LOL. I follow the draft very closely and always assume that the NFL people are there for a reason and know a whole lot more than me, but then they pull garbage like this year after year and makes me start to wonder. Maybin was the only one that was mentioned for the Bills that I knew would be a horrible pick. Leave it to the Bills to take him. No Michael Oher, who has been excellent for the Ravens and was at a position of dire need. Of course not. The draft failures in Buffalo are beyond ridiculous. Can't wait to see how they manage to screw it up this year.

 

Easy to look back isn't it.

 

Eric Flowers was drafted by John Butler about 100 years ago so let's get off of that one please. Why not lament about drafting Booker Moore or Walt Patulski?

 

"McCelvin" might have a good career ahead of him. How abut giving him at two full seasons before you throw him over board.

 

We have been through the Maybin-Orakpo-Cushing-Oher thing a million times. I personally liked all of the above better than Maybin. We have who we have. Time to move forward.

[Bob in STL]

I agree that the Bills drafting has sucked the last few years, but I'm sorry it is 20/20 hindsight in terms of the faults you are finding.

 

1. McKinnie over Williams is a hindsight judgment as my recollection is that a great many folks judged McKinnie to be about at the same level talentwise as Williams but in fact McKinnie was such a character idiot I think most posters were quite pleased that we took Williams over him.

 

In fact, though Williams spent his initial seasons here playing his way to well deserved bust status, ironically he looked like a better pick than McKinnie for at least two if not three years as McKinnie actually held out a while his first year and made it a bust for the most part. He followed this up with fairly uninspiring play his first couple of years and added sugar on top by acting a fool on a Vikes loveboat cruise and getting investigated with a real threat of suspension. Quite frankly Williams was clearly a bust but it would not surprise me if he had come here with his infantile nature that Sully and boys would have run him out of town if he came into the toxic Bills situation.

 

2. Maybin is a clear demonstration of the McKinnie effect that a player needs to do all he can to get signed and into camp ontime. Maybin clearly disappointed in 09, but one would have to be a football idiot to declare any player a bust after one season or declare Okrapo a god after one season. Maybin in particular is still a very young player and was given an LB $ by our stupidstaff because they probably judged he would be more effective at LB than DE. Sure folks said this that or the otherthing but it is simply too early to draw reasonable conclusions after 1 year of play.

 

3. I like others advocated before the draft picking up Ngata as we badly needed both DL and S help. It may have worked out better if they had gone Ngata way but this one is a pretty close call and this board reflected that on thoughtful review after a few days. Some argued that picking a safety at #8 was a reach. However, folks who made this claim were actually simply wrong as is shown by Huff actually having been picked before Whitner so S did get top 10 picks. This was further substantiated by an S also going at #15 to Miami. The folks who declared picking an S a reach were simply guilty of outmoded thinking because they did not do good enough football analysis to see that the S in the form of players like Saunders in Indy and Polamalu in Pitts were central to SB wins for their teams.

 

The Bills choice did not work out at Whitner never proved on the field to be more than just an alleged Pro Bowl hopeful but really at best simply a good but not great player. Whitner actually turned out to be a better player than Huff who was the safety taken before him,

 

Yeah the Bills drafting has not worked out, but your accusations simply do not hold up as a good explanation of this failure with only the barest of examination, Even the correct designation of McCargo as a bust needs to be accompanied by some deserved kudos for finding a player in Williams in the 5th who won ProBowl alternate nods this year.

 

Hindsight is really not always 20/20 as your claims on the details even when correct (though premature) in general are pretty 20/40 when it comes to the specifics.

 

 

good comments but clarify what you mean by LB $? Are you suggesting his pay would be different if he was a LB versus a DE?

[TheLynchTrain]

Oher is an RT, not an LT. RT was not a position of dire need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, he played a great deal worse at LT. He's a superb RT and a below-average LT. Some day he might make a good LT but he certainly hasn't proved it. And I suspect that the Ravens see him as a career RT. They've already got a good LT.

 

 

 

+1

[Alphadawg7]

I have never seen anything like it. Mike Williams instead of Bryant McKinnie. Losman, McCargo, Eric Flowers...etc. And then more recently they take Leodis McCelvin over Rogers-Cromartie (Pro Bowler) and Mike Jenkins who is becoming a star for the Cowboys. Figures the Bills have their choice of the three and pic the wrong one. Then last year, Aaron Maybin?!! LOL. I follow the draft very closely and always assume that the NFL people are there for a reason and know a whole lot more than me, but then they pull garbage like this year after year and makes me start to wonder. Maybin was the only one that was mentioned for the Bills that I knew would be a horrible pick. Leave it to the Bills to take him. No Michael Oher, who has been excellent for the Ravens and was at a position of dire need. Of course not. The draft failures in Buffalo are beyond ridiculous. Can't wait to see how they manage to screw it up this year.

 

My guess is you are a Madden player who just watches the first round...because if you watched more of the draft you would see that the Bills had probably the best draft in the NFL last year landing 2 good interior lineman, a finalist for ROY in Byrd, a very promising TE in Nelson, and even a potential starter like Nic Harris late. Not to mention, Maybin is FAR from being a bust yet, I mean he barely played this year and quite honestly still has potential at DE but has even more potential at LB...

[Keukasmallies]

I'm hoping that Mayben comes along as quickly, and has just as much impact, as the 1st rounder from the year before, James Hardy.... But cling to the belief that the Bills draft well and the players may come along "next year."

[nostyle126]

I'm hoping that Mayben comes along as quickly, and has just as much impact, as the 1st rounder from the year before, James Hardy.... But cling to the belief that the Bills draft well and the players may come along "next year."

I'm not sure I understand your comment...you hope Maybin develops as "quickly, and has just as much impact", as another guy we drafted who has done NOTHING with his career so far and missed this whole past season with an injury? Was that really the comparison you were looking for?

 

Look, I have virtually no expectations for rookies. Maybin lived up to my expectations. I'm not calling him a bust yet but man he's got a long way to go. He better be prepared to put in a lot of hard work because his game is far from polished.

[papazoid]

woulda, coulda, shoulda:

 

 

2009- Maybin (#10) or Brian Cushing (#15) (def R.O.Y)

2008- McKelvin(#11) or Ryan Clady(#12) ( #1 Left Tackle in NFL)

2007- Lynch (#12) or Darrelle Revis (#14) (#1 corner in NFL)

2006- Witner (#8) or Haloti Ngata (#12) ( #4 NT in NFL))

2006- McCargo (#26) or Nick Mangold (#29) (#1 Center in NFL)

2005- traded away to DAL (#20) for J.P. Losman or Aaron Rodgers (#24) (PRO Bowl QB)

2004- Lee Evans (#13) or Vince Wilfork (#21) ( #3 NT in NFL)

2004- #43 traded to Dal or Bob Sanders (#44) (All Pro Safety)

2003- #14 traded to NE for Bledsoe or Troy Polamulu (#16)

2003- McGahee (#23) or Dallas Clark (#24) or Nnamdi Asomugha(#31)

2002- Mike Williams (#4) or Dwight Feeney(#11) or Albert Haynesworth (#15) or Ed Reed (#24)

 

thats enough pain......