thr_wedge Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Where have the Ravens, Patriots, Eagles, etc. consistently drafted? Late in the draft with deep runs in the playoffs almost every year. Where have the Lions, Browns, Bills, Raiders, etc. consistently drafted? Early in the draft (think top 10) and no playoffs. Yeah, top draft picks are what matters :-/
BillsfaninFl Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Discuss. Looking at the horrible job the Bills' brass has been doing picking their number one guy in the draft, I have the feeling that we could have three #1 picks and still blow it. Since they are among the worst teams in their drafting and only bring in second tier players in free agency, I don't know how they could reverse the culture of losing. Actually, they are reinforcing that culture. I'm not judging Spiller yet, but they drafted a running back even though we had two good ones, then got rid of one for a fourth round pick. Unless C.J. becomes a sensation, the bottom line is they traded a # 1 for a #4, while ignoring areas of greater need. Typical Bills strategy.
Orton's Arm Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Discuss. If you want to reverse the culture of losing, one of the best things you can do is to bring in talented football players unwilling to accept the very idea of losing. Back in the mid-'80s, the Bills added guys like Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, and others who turned the team from a laughingstock into a team that won four straight conference championships! Likewise, Peyton Manning played a key role in turing the Colts from a lousy team into a Super Bowl winner. Not every first overall pick will be a Bruce Smith or a Peyton Manning. But any time you add a guy like that, the effect on your team will be dramatic! In order to reverse the culture of losing, you have to increase the confidence of your players, and get them to believe that it's worth it to make the sacrifices winning requires. Winning football games is one way to do that, but not necessarily the only way. Back when the Patriots were on their way to a perfect regular season, they faced the Giants in a week 17 game. The Giants lost. But they played the Patriots very close--very close! It was obvious that with a little improvement on the Giants' part, that game could have had an entirely different outcome. Even though they lost, the Giants credited that game with giving them the confidence they needed to win in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl. The Bills' game against the Ravens might be like that too. The Ravens are a good team; and the Bills proved they could hang with them for a full 60 minutes! Any time you put up 34 points on the Ravens' defense, your offense has to feel at least some measure of self-confidence afterwards. The Bills' defense probably didn't get much of a confidence boost from the game--though it's worth nothing that they had several good stops late in the game. A game like the one the Bills just played can boost the team's confidence and help its draft position! It was a perfect game!
reddogblitz Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 We need better players and the Culture of Winning thing. If we were to win 3 out of our last 5 or something like that, then the guys would know they can win going into next year (maybe). We're going to have a high draft pick either way. Gives us something to build on. Plus just as a fan, I wanna see some wins. They're a lot more fun.
Ozymandius Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 The two things are related. The Colts reversed their culture of losing when they drafted Peyton Manning. The Rams may be along the same path with Sam Bradford. But unfortunately there might not be that level of QB available in this upcoming draft so it's tough for me to get caught up in rooting for the #1 pick. I know I was rooting hard for the Bills against the Ravens.
reddogblitz Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 The two things are related. The Colts reversed their culture of losing when they drafted Peyton Manning. The Rams may be along the same path with Sam Bradford. But unfortunately there might not be that level of QB available in this upcoming draft so it's tough for me to get caught up in rooting for the #1 pick. I know I was rooting hard for the Bills against the Ravens. I'm worried about wins. Worry about next year next yaar. Maybe if I had more confidence we could really hit with the number 1 pick I'd feel different, but I don't. Go BILLS !!
tennesseeboy Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Discuss. I think its kind of a silly question. Would you want the number one pick and have us keep a culture of losing? I'd clearly give up the number one pick if we established a culture of winning or playing to win. Give me a number 5 or 6 pick and a team with a real turn around attitude over a number one pick on a hopeless and hapless team where everyone is running for the door.
BuffaloBill Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Reversing the culture is key. Though I would argue that you have to have talent to back it up.
T master Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 With the current coaching staff and GM i think they are getting figured out . Who will stay & can play , & who will go . Hopefully with a few more draft picks and UDFA they will be able to turn this team around !! Next year two of our draft picks will be back off IR (Batten & Easley) plus who ever else they may pick up & plug in the rest of this year . Offense is on it's way but we need to get some stouter defensive guys on the team and the team will be better for it . Chan says there always looking for ways to improve the team and i think to this point they've done pretty good dispite the record and the expert fan opinion on blogs such as this one !!!
KOKBILLS Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 One at a time... #1 Pick 1st then work on reversing the culture when you have better Players...
Rob's House Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Finishing strong will help bring in the few FAs that the FO decide to target...high profile (less likely) or otherwise. Great point. A reason for FAs to want to come to Blo in what's likely to be one of the heartiest free agent pools in history is huge. Add to that going into the next season with guys who have confidence they can win and I think you're a lot better off than had you sucked to the end and picked a few spots higher.
dave mcbride Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 It all depends on whether there are true, blue chip elite players available at the top of the draft. Sometimes they aren't Sometimes you end up with Alex Smith. Just look at the top of the 2005 draft. The first truly elite player is the guy at #11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_NFL_Draft With regard to next year's draft, none of us knows who is going to be a good NFL player or not. The Bills are in no danger of dropping out of the top five or six, so they'll be in line to get a top shelf player. Whether he's #1 or #5, it may not matter a whole lot given all of the Bills' needs.
BillsVet Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 I see them getting a top 3 pick in 2011, season or no season. But I'd also say that word circulates around the league above the HC and GM level among coaches, scouts, agents, and executives about which franchises are places you want to go. That being the case, I think the Bills dysfunctional organizational structure doesn't lend itself to getting great UFA's. So, it becomes by default all about building through the draft as ole Buddy says. That top pick needs to be an instant impact starter and not a KR/part time player at an easy to fill position. If they're not crazy about the QB prospects (provided Luck remains in school) then it has to be a pass rusher. I'll take another season of Bell (can't believe I said that) to find the top guy who can rush the passer and play something of a hybrid role in a 34 or 43. Next to QB, the pass rush is the most important thing a team needs. A pass rush makes the defense infinitely better
Sisyphean Bills Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 It's usually best to work on the things that are under your control. By the way, just having the #1 pick overall doesn't guarantee a good, successful selection. Nor does it fix lousy scouting. Nor does it make up the talent drain which resulted from a decade of bad scouting and drafting in one fell swoop.
MavBavButav Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Both. The way you reverse the culture of losing is by building a good team with some great players. The Bills have ZERO great players. Since they have proven they have no idea how to draft in the middle of the first round, maybe we can get some help by having a top 2 pick. We're been talking about 'reversing the culture of losing' for ten years of 7-9, 6-10, 5-11 seasons. 2-14 isn't going to faze me now. Fitz?
The Senator Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Just win... GO BILLSSS!!!! 14 and 6 baby!!!!!
Fixxxer Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Number one pick, don't fool yourself. The Bills have had plenty of 7-9 seasons. Throwing a 4-12 on the pile doesn't help anything. I don't know if I want the first pick this year. Some of the better QB prospects might not declare, there isn't a Suh or a Jake Long. I don't want to end up settling with AJ Green.
Kelly the Dog Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 (edited) The teams that win, and especially the teams that win consistently, do so with a combination of (basically) four things all working together: 1) Front office making good hires of coaches and personnel men, 2) drafting and signing great, good and role players, 3) those players coached and developed and fused into a team, 4) those coaches and players and team putting it together on Sundays into wins. You don't have to draft players #1 or #2 or #5 overall, you have to draft impact players in the first 2-3 rounds. You don't have to sign big name free agents to high priced contracts, you have to sign good and great players at any amount high or low, you don't have to get great LTs or DEs or CBs or WRs, you need a few stars at any position helped by good players at most positions surrounded by solid role players across the roster. It doesn't matter where these guys came from, where they were drafted, how much they're paid, if they're young or old. You need to draft and sign good players, and they need to be coached well individually and as a team, and they have to perform on sundays to get wins. The Bills problem for a decade was not at all where they drafted, it was who they drafted. It was not how much they paid free agents, it was which free agents they paid, it was not how much they paid their coach, it was who was the coach. Edited October 27, 2010 by Kelly the Fair and Balanced Dog
Thoner7 Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Roger Goodell: "With the Number 1 pick of 2011's NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills select - wait, there has been a trade. The Buffalo Bills have traded away their Number 1 pick for a "Culture of Winning" plus a revision of their 1-15 season to 8-8. The Carolina Panthers are now on the clock." How great would that be? +1
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