In Case you were wondering why we drafted Spiller 9th

[tennesseeboy]

The Bills drafted him because this team has not had a running back that could do those things since Thurman Thomas. I'm sorry to all the Marshawn lovers on this board, but he simply does not bring that type of play to the table, Freddy is, in fact, 30, and I just don't get how anyone in their right mind can say there was a better player on the board when we picked him. If Freddy gets hurt, tired, or if Marshawn gets suspended, still looks bad, or whatever, where does this team turn?

 

I still say this will be one of those rare, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed type of picks. Yes we've had other good picks, but those 4 affected this franchise the most hands down, and I see Spiller joining that list.

 

Past Marshawn and Freddy, this team has no depth at all.

 

My .02

yeah..and we're that deep in all 21 other positions?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

The Bills dont have the ability to let Spiller use his abilities - We have the cart but not the horse so to speak.

We're going to be in great shape when we play Wake Forest and South Carolina next year! Oh...and those big fat guys in front of him hitting defensive linemen...they are called blockers...we should really get some of them.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You obviously don't understand this brilliant plan designed by this stellar front office. You don't need blockers when you have not one, not two, but THREE running backs! Especially when one is fast. Barry Sanders never had blockers and look at how well his teams did!

 

Get with the times, man!

I think you guys are being a bit dogmatic. We all know good teams are built in the trenches. We get it.

 

Trent Williams and Russell Okung were gone by the Bills pick. The Bills were NOT going to reach with their pick. They went with the best player available and judging from Nix's comments, the best player by far, on the Bills draft board:

 

Sal Maiorana: The C.J. Spiller pick drew some criticism. Some thought it was a luxury pick as opposed to drafting a lineman or even a quarterback. Your reaction to that?

 

Buddy Nix: "He was the highest-rated player on our board. We thought he was the best player, maybe from the start, but the best player for sure at the ninth pick. The thing people want to know, more so than why we picked Spiller, is why we didn't pick a tackle or a quarterback. Picking a tackle that you don't feel good about being the answer, only satisfies people in the summer. Come October, if that ol' boy can't play, and is not what you've got to have there, then it doesn't satisfy anybody. I'm not trying to satisfy them in the summer."

 

In other words, Spiller was the Bills highest rated player and the at that pick, talent far outvalued need.

 

And you can take Nix's quote "It only satisfies people in the summer, I'm not trying to satisfy them in the summer…" and put it right next to "Show me the baby."

 

The Spiller selection makes perfect sense to me. I think you guys are being very inflexible in your thinking.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...S03/7290351/tbd

 

The art in life is knowing when the rule applies (build the trenches first) and knowing when the exception applies.

[Thoner7]

I think you guys are being a bit dogmatic. We all know good teams are built in the trenches. We get it.

 

Trent Williams and Russell Okung were gone by the Bills pick. The Bills were NOT going to reach with their pick. They went with the best player available and judging from Nix's comments, the best player by far, on the Bills draft board:

 

Sal Maiorana: The C.J. Spiller pick drew some criticism. Some thought it was a luxury pick as opposed to drafting a lineman or even a quarterback. Your reaction to that?

 

Buddy Nix: "He was the highest-rated player on our board. We thought he was the best player, maybe from the start, but the best player for sure at the ninth pick. The thing people want to know, more so than why we picked Spiller, is why we didn't pick a tackle or a quarterback. Picking a tackle that you don't feel good about being the answer, only satisfies people in the summer. Come October, if that ol' boy can't play, and is not what you've got to have there, then it doesn't satisfy anybody. I'm not trying to satisfy them in the summer."

 

In other words, he might have been the Bills highest rated player. And you can take Nix's quote "It only satisfies people in the summer, I'm not trying to satisfy them in the summer…" and put it right next to "Show me the baby."

 

The Spiller selection makes perfect sense to me. I think you guys are being very inflexible in your thinking.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...S03/7290351/tbd

 

The art in life is knowing when the rule applies (build the trenches first) and knowing when the exception applies.

 

Ok, so your point is "The Bills had him rated as the best player on their board so trust their judgment"

 

Now please tell me you dont expect me to be OK with that. Buddy Nix is one man whose title has changedfrom last season - when was a scout for the team. Modrak and all the same scouts from the previous 10 drafts are still scouting and drafting away.

 

So you want me to trust the judgment of the scouting department that drafted Maybin over Orakpo (with Nix), Mckelvin over DRC and Clady, Marshawn Lynch over Jon Beason+, Whitner over Ngata, and McCargo over Mangold and the 190+ players drafted after him (with Modrak and crew - no Nix)....... I mean hell, he basically admits he though Spiller was better than Suh/McCoy/Berry/etc when he says "We thought he was the best player, maybe from the start, but the best player for sure at the ninth pick"

 

sorry if I disagree with their judgment yet again.

[Buffalo 66]

Dude is one FAST mofo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFcecMcS6bA

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Ok, so your point is "The Bills had him rated as the best player on their board so trust their judgment"

 

Now please tell me you dont expect me to be OK with that. Buddy Nix is one man whose title has changedfrom last season - when was a scout for the team. Modrak and all the same scouts from the previous 10 drafts are still scouting and drafting away.

 

So you want me to trust the judgment of the scouting department that drafted Maybin over Orakpo (with Nix), Mckelvin over DRC and Clady, Marshawn Lynch over Jon Beason+, Whitner over Ngata, and McCargo over Mangold and the 190+ players drafted after him (with Modrak and crew - no Nix)....... I mean hell, he basically admits he though Spiller was better than Suh/McCoy/Berry/etc when he says "We thought he was the best player, maybe from the start, but the best player for sure at the ninth pick"

 

sorry if I disagree with their judgment yet again.

I'm not going to debate you for two reasons.

 

Firstly Thoner, nothing is going to change your mind. I could launch into an eloquent and yet concise argument about who was pulling the trigger in years previous and mention that the Bills also added Doug Whaley…but you would not be swayed.

 

Because nothing is going to change your mind. You're entrenched in your opinion and your…feelings.

 

Secondly, this is an argument which will resolve itself in a few years. What's the sense in arguing about it?

 

Like I do every year at this time, I'm going to enjoy myself.

[Thoner7]

Spiller is a rare talent ... and if a rare talent falls to you, you don't overlook it. Anyone remember how geeked up Gruden was on the draft telecast over Spiller. He knows a thing or two about offense, don'tcha thinka?

 

There were tons of rare talents available when the Bills picked.

 

Tebow was a rare talent because of his work ethic and ability to win

Clausen was a rare talent because he ahs 3 yrs experience in a pro style O

Javid best is a rare talent bc of the exact same reason as Spiller

Bulaga is a rare talent because of his run blocking ability/his technque

Iupati is a rare talent bc of his size and athletic ability. In fact, I honestly believe at his size he is more athletic than Spiller respectively

Dez Briant is a rare talent

Brandon Grahm/JPP/Derrick Morgan are all rare talents....

[Thoner7]

I'm not going to debate you for two reasons.

 

Firstly Thoner, nothing is going to change your mind. I could launch into an eloquent and yet concise argument about who was pulling the trigger in years previous and mention that the Bills also added Doug Whaley…but you would not be swayed.

 

Because nothing is going to change your mind. You're entrenched in your opinion and your…feelings.

 

Secondly, this is an argument which will resolve itself in a few years. What's the sense in arguing about it?

 

Like I do every year at this time, I'm going to enjoy myself.

 

 

It would seem that you assume my opinion is wrong and yours is right. You can continue to bite hook line and sinker into everything this FO does, like I used to do, but I have been scorn too many times to fall for it anymore. However, you too in time may learn to doubt the very very questionable moves of this FO, rather than accept them as the correct move immediately, before any games have been played.

 

See, unlike you, I have a decade of poor draft choices backing my opinion that the Bills probably fumbled once again, while all you have is pure hope and optimism that they did not - optimism which in me has been crushed by the decade of dismay this team has brought upon itself.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

It would seem that you assume my opinion is wrong and yours is right. You can continue to bite hook line and sinker into everything this FO does, like I used to do, but I have been scorn too many times to fall for it anymore. However, you too in time may learn to doubt the very very questionable moves of this FO, rather than accept them as the correct move immediately, before any games have been played.

 

See, unlike you, I have a decade of poor draft choices backing my opinion that the Bills probably fumbled once again, while all you have is pure hope and optimism that they did not - optimism which in me has been crushed by the decade of dismay this team has brought upon itself.

Actually Thoner, you're the one making assumptions.

 

I don't think that I'm right and that you're wrong. I think that there's compelling evidence that either viewpoint is possibly correct and it's simply a matter of deciding whether you feel optimistically or pessimistically after viewing the evidence.

 

You're also making assumptions about our relative length of term as far as being a Bills fan. You seem to assume that you have greater experience in witnessing the futility of this team. That MAY be the case.

 

I have been an ardent fan of the Buffalo Bills since 1968…so I too have seen many of the train wreck seasons which are too common throughout the team's history. How long have you been following the Bills?

 

Like I said, I'm optimistic and I think there are many good reasons to feel optimistic.

[Chilly]

It would seem that you assume my opinion is wrong and yours is right. You can continue to bite hook line and sinker into everything this FO does, like I used to do, but I have been scorn too many times to fall for it anymore. However, you too in time may learn to doubt the very very questionable moves of this FO, rather than accept them as the correct move immediately, before any games have been played.

 

See, unlike you, I have a decade of poor draft choices backing my opinion that the Bills probably fumbled once again, while all you have is pure hope and optimism that they did not - optimism which in me has been crushed by the decade of dismay this team has brought upon itself.

 

You're making the assumption that it's the same front office. Whether that's right or wrong, I'm not going to get into, but his point was that it's not the same FO.

[CosmicBills]

Spiller is a rare talent ... and if a rare talent falls to you, you don't overlook it. Anyone remember how geeked up Gruden was on the draft telecast over Spiller. He knows a thing or two about offense, don'tcha thinka?

Yup. That's why he's unemployed ...

[Mr. WEO]

That's nuttin.

 

 

Just turn the sound off and behold the explosion

Dude's superfast, no doubt.

 

Nice tackling. Sheesh!

[tennesseeboy]

I don't believe my comments stated anywhere that this team isn't. I am merely pointing out that this team is not as deep at RB as people would think. I also emphasized the fact that at #9 Spiller was ranked the highest player in his position among the 22 positions available, along with his game changing potential in the NFL, this was a brilliant pick.

 

It also seems that the past high draft O-line picks haven't fared too well for this team, and QB for that matter as well. I will also say to the negative for Nix on picking Spiller was that it was a safe pick, assuming Spiller ends up being as dominant as I think he will.

lynch and jackson are two very good running backs. we have plenty of depth at the running back position even without spiller. We don't even have one quality proven tackle (and don't give me Green as a quality tackle...his previous team was delighted to have him gone.)

[Bill from NYC]

I think you guys are being a bit dogmatic. We all know good teams are built in the trenches. We get it.

 

The art in life is knowing when the rule applies (build the trenches first) and knowing when the exception applies.

 

When has this ever worked for the Bills? They have been using early picks almost exclusively on defensive backs and skill players for untold years and they are LOSING.

 

As for the Nix comments, I've heard it all before, haven't you? Levy said that he wanted Whitner all along. Remember how "ecstatic" Jauron claimed to be because McKelvin was still there? How did that work?

[tennesseeboy]

I disagree with the depth at RB, and agree with you on the O-line. Unless Lynch changes his mind, I don't see him as a Bill past 2011. I am very happy not to see this team select an offensive lineman in the 1st round, given what was left after the top prospects were taken. I'm not saying there wasn't help available, I'm saying there are other ways to get talent on the line other than the draft.

I agree with you that there were other ways to get the talent we needed on the offensive line such as free agency and trades...but we didn't do that. There were quality offensive linemen on the board at our draft position, we could have traded up or even traded down to get help...and we didn't. Spiller will not significantly improve our running game this year over last year. Two offensive tackles through draft, free agency or trade would have significantly improved both our running game and our passing game.

 

That being said I think Spiller is a real catch for a running back and I can't be too hard on Nix and Gailey for picking him...if they had addressed the o-line need some other way.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

When has this ever worked for the Bills? They have been using early picks almost exclusively on defensive backs and skill players for untold years and they are LOSING.

 

As for the Nix comments, I've heard it all before, haven't you? Levy said that he wanted Whitner all along. Remember how "ecstatic" Jauron claimed to be because McKelvin was still there? How did that work?

Bill, as I wrote to Thoner earlier in this thread…relax. You and I don't know how this is gonna turn out. We simply don't.

 

I understand your feelings about the pick. I presume you understand my feelings.

[Bill from NYC]

I understand your feelings about the pick. I presume you understand my feelings.

 

Well, I am trying very hard to do so, but no, I am unable to understand support of this pick. As a fan, I can understand hoping that it works, but Buffalo is usually quite windy and often cold. This, imo, emphazises the importance of blocking and tackling.

Antwain Smith, Willis Magahee and Marshaun Lynch didn't translate into wins primarily due to the fact that they had no blocking. The army of defensive backs didn't translate into wins either because the rest of the defense was soft and small, not to say the backs themselves are all that.

 

If one our seemingly sub-par players at LT and this years Raider castoff at RT play well, then perhaps drafting a small, situational running back at #9 will be a good idea. I hope it works but the odds appear bleak imo.

[CodeMonkey]

Well, I am trying very hard to do so, but no, I am unable to understand support of this pick.

Basically Nix did not like any of the QBs or LTs that were left when their pick came around. So he had 2 choices:

 

1) Pick one anyway even though you don't like them just to appease the media and fans.

2) Take the best available player that is left.

 

Buddy chose number 2. Do I like that we ended up with a running back ... no. Do I understand it ... yes.

We have sucked ass for 10 years and counting, this is not a 1 draft rebuild. I suspect they will be looking for help for our most glaring need positions again next draft and hopefully things will go better. At the very least next years QB class shows a lot more depth and promise.

[CosmicBills]

Basically Nix did not like any of the QBs or LTs that were left when their pick came around. So he had 2 choices:

 

1) Pick one anyway even though you don't like them just to appease the media and fans.

2) Take the best available player that is left.

 

Buddy chose number 2. Do I like that we ended up with a running back ... no. Do I understand it ... yes.

We have sucked ass for 10 years and counting, this is not a 1 draft rebuild. I suspect they will be looking for help for our most glaring need positions again next draft and hopefully things will go better. At the very least next years QB class shows a lot more depth and promise.

You're leaving out the better option: trade back, get more picks and thus more players to plug the enormous holes on the roster ...

[CarolinaBill]

You're leaving out the better option: trade back, get more picks and thus more players to plug the enormous holes on the roster ...

you mean the imaginary option, we have no idea if trading back was an option. If Nix didnt feel he was getting equal value for the 9 pick then why move? clearly, he felt better about taking spiller at 9 as opposed to trading.

[CodeMonkey]

You're leaving out the better option: trade back, get more picks and thus more players to plug the enormous holes on the roster ...

I don't think Nix liked much in this draft past the first 10-15 players. I also would rather take what I figured was a player that almost certainly would be a future asset than take a couple depth players later on.