Tom Modrak

[jscap]

For all the draft misses he has had I have to give the guy credit for something: Undrafted free agents. He has a knack for finding these under the radar guys that become impact players.

[Thoner7]

I will give him that, and even the last 4 rounds of the draft. But at some point you have to say "Hey Tom, just focus on the guys who are the late rounders/undrafteds, and I'll find someone else to handle the top rounds"

[Ever Since '86]

I will give him that, and even the last 4 rounds of the draft. But at some point you have to say "Hey Tom, just focus on the guys who are the late rounders/undrafteds, and I'll find someone else to handle the top rounds"

 

hit the nail on the head sir

[Ghost of Rob Johnson]

I'm curious what the strategy was for the top rounds in the past, seems as though they were reaching for need (RB in 2007, CB in 2008, Big receiver in 2008, Pass Rush in 2009) perhaps deviating from the board put together by Modrak/scouts. The later round selections, as they're filling in depth, would have been made taking best available. I'm more confident going forward with Buddy and his stated strategy.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Ghost of Rob Johnson

[Kelly the Dog]

I'm curious what the strategy was for the top rounds in the past, seems as though they were reaching for need (RB in 2007, CB in 2008, Pass Rush in 2009) perhaps deviating from the board put together by Modrak/scouts. The later round selections would have been made taking best available. I'm more confident going forward with Buddy and his stated strategy.

I really don't know why it even needs to be said, but every pick, by every team, in every round, in every year, in every sport, especially pro football, is an argument/choice in the war room over BPA versus BP in position of need. Every team makes both choices at certain times in every draft.

[4BillsintheBurgh]

For all the draft misses he has had I have to give the guy credit for something: Undrafted free agents. He has a knack for finding these under the radar guys that become impact players.

I have assumed there is less involvement by the rest of the front office on an undrafted free agent than the first (and gradually lower) round pick. Another conclusion I draw from what I have seen/heard is Tom Modrak still has a job with the Bills because his recommendations have been better than who we have ended up picking. Just my 2 cents from behind the horse trying to figure out what it ate...

[Nanker]

What's his 40 time?

Hey Buddy. I've heard of him.

Maybe we should sign him - on the cheap.

[Rico]

Tom Modrak

Upside?

None.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

You're assuming that the Bills were selecting players that TM was recommending. I would more think TM's role was to grade out the players, make suggestions, but in the past it seemed that DJ had more final say in who was selected. TM would likely give feedback but from the little bit that has been stated, seemd DJ was the #1 voice on whom to select. RB may have chimed in if a tie breaker vote was needed. Seemd the Bills followed the Bill Parsell's theory as he use to say "If I'm going to cook the meal, let me buy the groceries"

 

That also would follow that on the lower rounds and free agents DJ likely knew less about the players in question so would more defer to TM's choice.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Ed_Roch

[dewey]

None.

There is no upside with Modrak, your not going to win in this league when you keep missing on high draft picks. When they picked AARON [ IVE BEEN PANCAKED ) MAYBIN it was a case of Mike Mamulla syndrome, a great combine workout and one good year at PENN STATE, the REDSKINS did'nt wait a full minute to take BRIAN ORAKPO laughing at the Bills the whole time, guess who went to the pro bowl, not pancake boy. 3 years ago we needed a running back and a cornerback, we take Lynch the JETS TAKE REVIS,missed again Modrak. Now the latest James Hardy. Finding reserves in the free agent market after the draft is great for payroll purposes but your not winning the Super Bowl that way. The Bills have'nt reached the playoffs in years and the lousy draft's are the main reason. MODRAK needs to go.

[Red]

I love these war room replies. You know the ones- it's not 1 persons fault, there are several people involved, etc.

 

All baloney.

 

When the bad stuff hits the fan on the field, who gets the blame? The QB.

 

When the team just plain sucks, who gets the axe? The head coach.

 

When your drafting has just plain rotted for an ENTIRE DECADE....maybe your DIRECTOR OF FREAKIN' SCOUTING needs to get a pink slip.

 

Just an idea....

 

How many 1st round picks, made from 2001-2010, are still with the team? How many picks, from 2-7, are still with the team?

 

From 2000-2005, there were something like 50 picks. What, 4-5 are still with the team? That is not bad; that's abysmal. How many of our 1st round picks in the past decade are still even in the league? Losman just got cut, for gosh sakes. Lynch is probably on the way out.

 

Now, if his recommendations are so good, why has no one in 3-4 different administrations listened to him? You mean to tell me that he is of such high esteem, that Donahoe, Levy, AND Nix don't listen to him? Gregg Williams, Mularkey, Jauron, and Gailey disregard his unput?

 

If his opinion is so valued, you would think somebody in 3 regimes would listen.

 

No, he was brought on by Donahoe and should have left when Tom left. john Guy is gone. Modrak has done nothing to prove continued employment at OBD.

 

Yet he remains.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

There is no upside with Modrak, your not going to win in this league when you keep missing on high draft picks. When they picked AARON [ IVE BEEN PANCAKED ) MAYBIN it was a case of Mike Mamulla syndrome, a great combine workout and one good year at PENN STATE, the REDSKINS did'nt wait a full minute to take BRIAN ORAKPO laughing at the Bills the whole time, guess who went to the pro bowl, not pancake boy. 3 years ago we needed a running back and a cornerback, we take Lynch the JETS TAKE REVIS,missed again Modrak. Now the latest James Hardy. Finding reserves in the free agent market after the draft is great for payroll purposes but your not winning the Super Bowl that way. The Bills have'nt reached the playoffs in years and the lousy draft's are the main reason. MODRAK needs to go.

 

 

I understand the criticism of Modrak, but there is a big revisionist problem here. Does anyone with half a brain think that in 2007 the Bills needed to or were going to draft a CB in the first round, or that not drafting a CB, even if it was Revis, was a bad thing? Jeebus people, the standard rap on the team is that they draft DBs too often!!!!!!!!!! Try to keep up with the crusades, man... do your homework.

[Delete This Account]

i don't hear people complaining about Wood, Levitre and Byrd from last season.

Troup looks like he can play, too.

and then there's this other guy, Spiller, is it?

 

yes, Tom's missed some. but are those his misses alone? in fact, based on some of the players he recommended, and the Bills passed on, it's a question that has some validity. i personally do not think -- and in fact might even know -- that the Maybin and Losman picks were on Tom.

 

and to be fair, it's apparent that Spiller was a consensus pick that included the entire front office, from Chan on up to Mr. Wilson.

 

jw

[Lurker]

For all the draft misses he has had I have to give the guy credit for something: Undrafted free agents. He has a knack for finding these under the radar guys that become impact players.

High round picks are often a function of what the GM/owner wants, more than a function of who the college scouting department thinks is best. Think McGahee, Lynch, Whitner, Parrish, Hardy and on and on. Descretion over signing undrafted college free agents is more often given to the scouting department since these players are low risk/high reward propositions.

 

That said, the NFL is littered with quality undrafted players, so the ability to find them is not exactly hen's teeth...

Edited September 5, 2010 by Lurker

[JESSEFEFFER]

This is the kind of information that I find fascinating but that we rarely get because we aren't "in the loop." The fact that Modrak is still a part of the organization is telling. Usually it takes some kind of disastrous outcome to find out how/why certain decisions got made and by whom.

 

In the case of a college scouting director there would be a huge data set to evaluate. Not just the grades of your picks but the grades that were given all the others. Being good at evaluating players is one thing, making the right decisions is another.

[BreezeMafia]

So i have to go on record and disagree with the Modrak bashing. I started a string last about Tom Modrak. He has been over ruled a number of times in the seasons he has been employed. the most resecnt over ruling - Maybin for Brian Cushing. He was previously over ruled regarding trading up to draft Adrian Peterson or Patrick Willis. He was also over ruled in 2006 when he wanted the Bills to draft Haloti Ngata, Marv instead drafts Donte Whitner. Modrak is a great talent evaluator. i think He and Buddy Nix have crafted back to back solid drafts.

[transient]

This is the kind of information that I find fascinating but that we rarely get because we aren't "in the loop." The fact that Modrak is still a part of the organization is telling. Usually it takes some kind of disastrous outcome to find out how/why certain decisions got made and by whom.

 

In the case of a college scouting director there would be a huge data set to evaluate. Not just the grades of your picks but the grades that were given all the others. Being good at evaluating players is one thing, making the right decisions is another.

 

It would be interesting to get a look at the boards he put together and see where some of these players were graded compared to where we took them, as well as see where he had other players that were not taken by the Bills. If his is not a prominent voice in the war room, then his biggest failing would seem to be not standing up and shouting like a man possessed when they were bypassing obvious talent. Given that Nix is a personnel man and Modrak is still here, it is telling. You also have to think Modrak is smarter than we give him credit for when he declined the opportunity to be GM after Donahoe was fired.

[JohnC]

i don't hear people complaining about Wood, Levitre and Byrd from last season.

Troup looks like he can play, too.

and then there's this other guy, Spiller, is it?

 

yes, Tom's missed some. but are those his misses alone? in fact, based on some of the players he recommended, and the Bills passed on, it's a question that has some validity. i personally do not think -- and in fact might even know -- that the Maybin and Losman picks were on Tom.

 

and to be fair, it's apparent that Spiller was a consensus pick that included the entire front office, from Chan on up to Mr. Wilson.

 

jw

 

Your picking and choosing can't disguise the fact that his body of work over the past decade has been poor. If you are not going to give him the blame for the misses then you shouldn't give him credit for the players who have worked out.

 

There is no doubt that you can't solely blame him for the organizations's drafting miscues. But just because he isn't "solely" responsible doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't "primarily" responsible for our drafting lapses.

 

One of the main reasons why the Bills have been a joke franchise for a very extended period of time is that there is little accountability in this very opague and primitive organization. Since no one is held accountable then failures become institutionalized. When is enough enough. If you can't hold the primary scout accountable for the ranking of draftable players then who the hell is responsible.

[rpcolosi]

For all the draft misses he has had I have to give the guy credit for something: Undrafted free agents. He has a knack for finding these under the radar guys that become impact players.

 

 

its apparent that jauron probably had more control/influences on our draft misses then modrak. modrak/whaley/nix seem to understand football skills and talent while jauron seemed more interested in his kind of players (ie undersized DEs like Maybin).

[sharper802]

None of us know what Modrak has said about any of the draft picks. I personally think it was Donahoe on an ego trip when he traded up for McGahee(although he probably knew about Travis Henry's off field stuff) and taking Roscoe while neglecting both lines. One day it will come out just how much authority DJ and Marv had. Even if Marv was a figurehead, it was on his watch that this franchise sank back to the depths of the mid 80's.

If Modrak is/was as incompetent as this board thinks there is no way Nix or RW keep him this long. Unless he has pictures of RW....