I am going to say it....Bills don't need a QB

[The Big Cat]

saying we need a franchise qb is like me saying "hey, you know what would make the rest of my life a bit easier? if somebody gave me $1 Trillion."

 

we need a franchise qb, yeah no kidding. presuming there's a clear-cut choice to fill that roll completely ignores draft history.

 

also, assuming we end up with at top 5 pick, and we use it on a qb () perhaps someone could explain why we should pay a guy 3x Fitz salary to sit on the bench and learn.

[Dorkington]

saying we need a franchise qb is like me saying "hey, you know what would make the rest of my life a bit easier? if somebody gave me $1 Trillion."

 

we need a franchise qb, yeah no kidding. presuming there's a clear-cut choice to fill that roll completely ignores draft history.

 

also, assuming we end up with at top 5 pick, and we use it on a qb () perhaps someone could explain why we should pay a guy 3x Fitz salary to sit on the bench and learn.

The hope that he won't be another first round bust, like our last two first rounders.

[K Gun Special]

saying we need a franchise qb is like me saying "hey, you know what would make the rest of my life a bit easier? if somebody gave me $1 Trillion."

 

we need a franchise qb, yeah no kidding. presuming there's a clear-cut choice to fill that roll completely ignores draft history.

 

also, assuming we end up with at top 5 pick, and we use it on a qb () perhaps someone could explain why we should pay a guy 3x Fitz salary to sit on the bench and learn.

 

Of course its obvious.

 

Take a look at the best QBs in the game now and tell me which one besides Tom Brady was not a first round choice??? There arent many if any.

 

So it does not ignore draft history. Fans just remember 1st round bust QBs more than DL or any other position.

 

The best shot at getting the next big QB is in the first round and especially with the first pick.

 

It wouldnt kill the Bills to pay a 1st round pick to hold the clipboard and learn from Fitz. Kinda how it works in the NFL.

[Mr. WEO]

saying we need a franchise qb is like me saying "hey, you know what would make the rest of my life a bit easier? if somebody gave me $1 Trillion."

 

we need a franchise qb, yeah no kidding. presuming there's a clear-cut choice to fill that roll completely ignores draft history.

 

also, assuming we end up with at top 5 pick, and we use it on a qb () perhaps someone could explain why we should pay a guy 3x Fitz salary to sit on the bench and learn.

No matter who we pick, they will be making multiples of Fitz's salary. Why can't it be a QB? That's a very bizarre exclusion criteria.

 

Also, you insist on a "clear cut" franchise QB, yet you tell us nothing of what that means and why Luck is not that guy. Was Matt Ryan a clear cut franchise QB? How about Sanchez? Aaron Rogers? Flacco?

[The Big Cat]

The hope that he won't be another first round bust, like our last two first rounders.

 

So suddenly we're confident in our ability to make first round draft picks. I see!

 

Of course its obvious.

 

Take a look at the best QBs in the game now and tell me which one besides Tom Brady was not a first round choice??? There arent many if any.

 

So it does not ignore draft history. Fans just remember 1st round bust QBs more than DL or any other position.

 

The best shot at getting the next big QB is in the first round and especially with the first pick.

 

It wouldnt kill the Bills to pay a 1st round pick to hold the clipboard and learn from Fitz. Kinda how it works in the NFL.

 

First round choices aren't the same as top 5 choices. Solid teams still draft in the first round, but not in the top 5.

 

I'm saying there are any guarantees in the draft, qb or otherwise, we agree there.

 

and i agree it wouldn't kill them. but it also wouldn't kill them to keep a DL horse on the sideline till week 9, and then put him in to wreak havoc in the season's latter half. a la Carrington (fingers crossed, but he looked tough on Sunday, so they say)

 

No matter who we pick, they will be making multiples of Fitz's salary. Why can't it be a QB? That's a very bizarre exclusion criteria.

 

Also, you insist on a "clear cut" franchise QB, yet you tell us nothing of what that means and why Luck is not that guy. Was Matt Ryan a clear cut franchise QB? How about Sanchez? Aaron Rogers? Flacco?

 

you must not have followed the many many times that i've insisted that the term "franchise qb" means nothing, so of course i'm in no rush to define it for you. i've derided the term's use for weeks now.

 

also, matt ryan had better numbers than luck coming out of college. you can tell me all day that stats don't tell the story, and on a game-game basis i agree. career stats, though, that's saying something. he had the eagles overing around #1/2 his senior year. his college career was more impressive than any quarterback declaring this year, imo.

 

sanchez i still think was a gamble, but years of drafting to the trenches put a solid team around him. the jets were fortunate to have one bad year among several decent years, and he came in to a much more stable situation than any bill qb would in 2011. You think our d will get that tough overnight? no, the jets spent years drafting on d and on the oline so sanchez could be effective.

 

aaron rodgers was a first overall pick, we don't/won't have that.

 

flacco was taken 18th overall in 2008 to a team that finished 13-3 in 2006. he and the ravens have no business in this discussion.

[K Gun Special]

So suddenly we're confident in our ability to make first round draft picks. I see!

 

 

 

First round choices aren't the same as top 5 choices. Solid teams still draft in the first round, but not in the top 5.

 

I'm saying there are any guarantees in the draft, qb or otherwise, we agree there.

 

and i agree it wouldn't kill them. but it also wouldn't kill them to keep a DL horse on the sideline till week 9, and then put him in to wreak havoc in the season's latter half. a la Carrington (fingers crossed, but he looked tough on Sunday, so they say)

 

 

 

you must not have followed the many many times that i've insisted that the term "franchise qb" means nothing, so of course i'm in no rush to define it for you. i've derided the term's use for weeks now.

 

also, matt ryan had better numbers than luck coming out of college. you can tell me all day that stats don't tell the story, and on a game-game basis i agree. career stats, though, that's saying something. he had the eagles overing around #1/2 his senior year. his college career was more impressive than any quarterback declaring this year, imo.

 

sanchez i still think was a gamble, but years of drafting to the trenches put a solid team around him. the jets were fortunate to have one bad year among several decent years, and he came in to a much more stable situation than any bill qb would in 2011. You think our d will get that tough overnight? no, the jets spent years drafting on d and on the oline so sanchez could be effective.

 

aaron rodgers was a first overall pick, we don't/won't have that.

 

flacco was taken 18th overall in 2008 to a team that finished 13-3 in 2006. he and the ravens have no business in this discussion.

 

 

True. But the best shot at the next big thing comes in the first few picks.

 

In terms of this years draft class, its looks like Luck and no one else is in that exceptional category of nearly cant miss players.

[billsfreak]

Fitz's stats 60%completion, 18Td's 9Int's, and 24.5 points a game speak for themselves. The problem is the defense gives up more.If you can't see that you never will.

Of those 9 interceptions, most of them have either cost us a game or could have by putting us way behind like sunday. If it wasn't for a Bengal penalty, he would have had 3 ints in the first quarter, and would have put us too far behind to catch up.

[KOKBILLS]

So suddenly we're confident in our ability to make first round draft picks. I see!

 

 

 

First round choices aren't the same as top 5 choices. Solid teams still draft in the first round, but not in the top 5.

 

I'm saying there are any guarantees in the draft, qb or otherwise, we agree there.

 

and i agree it wouldn't kill them. but it also wouldn't kill them to keep a DL horse on the sideline till week 9, and then put him in to wreak havoc in the season's latter half. a la Carrington (fingers crossed, but he looked tough on Sunday, so they say)

 

 

 

you must not have followed the many many times that i've insisted that the term "franchise qb" means nothing, so of course i'm in no rush to define it for you. i've derided the term's use for weeks now.

 

also, matt ryan had better numbers than luck coming out of college. you can tell me all day that stats don't tell the story, and on a game-game basis i agree. career stats, though, that's saying something. he had the eagles overing around #1/2 his senior year. his college career was more impressive than any quarterback declaring this year, imo.

 

sanchez i still think was a gamble, but years of drafting to the trenches put a solid team around him. the jets were fortunate to have one bad year among several decent years, and he came in to a much more stable situation than any bill qb would in 2011. You think our d will get that tough overnight? no, the jets spent years drafting on d and on the oline so sanchez could be effective.

 

aaron rodgers was a first overall pick, we don't/won't have that.

 

flacco was taken 18th overall in 2008 to a team that finished 13-3 in 2006. he and the ravens have no business in this discussion.

 

Aaron Rodgers was 24th Overall in the 05 Draft...Alex Smith was #1...

[The Big Cat]

Aaron Rodgers was 24th Overall in the 05 Draft...Alex Smith was #1...

 

 

Touche. But it only makes my point stronger.

 

Take what I said about Flacco and the Ravens, and apply it here.

 

The GB team that drafted him had been to the playoffs each of the previous four seasons.

[Dorkington]

So suddenly we're confident in our ability to make first round draft picks. I see!

 

I'm confident that we have a history of drafting poorly.

 

I like Fitz, and will cheer the guy who will supposedly replace him next year... I just hope that we actually get it right this time.

 

Of those 9 interceptions, most of them have either cost us a game or could have by putting us way behind like sunday. If it wasn't for a Bengal penalty, he would have had 3 ints in the first quarter, and would have put us too far behind to catch up.

 

We won by 19 points. They would have scored 20 points with that third interception?

 

That being said... how many of his touchdowns has kept us in a game?

 

Or are we basically just giving up on Fitzpatrick even though he's shown tremendous growth?

[BuffOrange]

So suddenly we're confident in our ability to make first round draft picks. I see!

 

 

 

First round choices aren't the same as top 5 choices. Solid teams still draft in the first round, but not in the top 5.

 

I'm saying there are any guarantees in the draft, qb or otherwise, we agree there.

 

and i agree it wouldn't kill them. but it also wouldn't kill them to keep a DL horse on the sideline till week 9, and then put him in to wreak havoc in the season's latter half. a la Carrington (fingers crossed, but he looked tough on Sunday, so they say)

 

 

 

you must not have followed the many many times that i've insisted that the term "franchise qb" means nothing, so of course i'm in no rush to define it for you. i've derided the term's use for weeks now.

 

also, matt ryan had better numbers than luck coming out of college. you can tell me all day that stats don't tell the story, and on a game-game basis i agree. career stats, though, that's saying something. he had the eagles overing around #1/2 his senior year. his college career was more impressive than any quarterback declaring this year, imo.

 

sanchez i still think was a gamble, but years of drafting to the trenches put a solid team around him. the jets were fortunate to have one bad year among several decent years, and he came in to a much more stable situation than any bill qb would in 2011. You think our d will get that tough overnight? no, the jets spent years drafting on d and on the oline so sanchez could be effective.

 

aaron rodgers was a first overall pick, we don't/won't have that.

 

flacco was taken 18th overall in 2008 to a team that finished 13-3 in 2006. he and the ravens have no business in this discussion.

 

There is no question that Sanchez and Flacco stepped in to good situations (I'm still not convinced they're that good to be honest) but why do you assume it's so easy to build a good defense and a good OL like the Jets did? Yah I know you didn't say that, I'm putting words in your mouth, etc but you sure seem to be implying such - otherwise what are you really saying? That a QB's job is easier when he has an awesome supporting cast? No kidding. First of all how do we build that defense when we're drafting Maybin, McCargo, and Whitner, and re-signing Chris Kelsay?

 

Secondly we had a pretty damn good defense in 2003 and 2004 and that got us nowhere. Funny how people forget all this and downplay QB importance because we lost one shootout game in Baltimore. I guess we are so accustomed to seeing pathetic offense around here that a 22-19 game looks like a relative shoot-out too even though it's far from it by NFL standards. But hell, a measley 19 points would've been good enough to beat Miami & KC and 14 was enough even with our lousy defense, to beat a team who hadn't held anyone under 20 points on the road since about 1992 - nobody ever mentions that either.

 

Aaron Rodgers was not the #1 overall pick, not even close.

Luck is right now a higher rated prospect than Matt Ryan ever was, and that's not close either. That doesn't mean he will way better; and it's not a knock on Ryan who is very good, but lets not re-write history - there were a lot of mixed reviews on Ryan. Mark Mayock liked him a lot; most others thought he was Alex Smith.

 

You might as well just say all of those guys are different because their names are not Andrew Luck and they went to teams other than Buffalo, which is true but those are not good reasons to pass on this guy if we have the chance.

[SouthGeorgiaBillsFan]

Did/do you think we needed a running back with the #9 selection in the 2010 draft? I am NOT calling you out on this!!! What I'm driving at is do you want a qb if he is the BPA?

 

*If* we end up with the #5 or #6 pick (seems likely at this point), and *if* Luck decides to come out this year, and *if* he somehow falls to us at that pick, then absolutely you take him. Really, it's likely to be a moot point anyway. If Luck comes out, he will be gone within the top 3 picks, most likely #1 overall, and I just can't see us with a pick that high anymore (which btw I am more than happy about, because the rapid improvement we have been witnessing over the past 5 weeks is exponentially more valuable than the #1 pick).

[San-O]

How do you know if "he's" available? Will that first round QB be a Kelly or a Manning, or a Joey Harrington, David Carr, Heath Shuler, JeMarcus Russell, JP Losman, Ryan Leaf, Brady Quinn, etc., etc. If what you have is good at QB, do you build a supporting cast on defense etc, or gamble on that elusive "franchise QB." If you are absolutely sure, for example, that Luck will be another Manning(Peyton, not Eli)or Brady(a 6th round pick of course)and not a backup like his Dad, then go for it. But you'd better be right, when there are so many areas of need, and you seem to have a capable QB who is just turning 28, and might continue to improve, as many QBs do, with time. At bottom, it's a crapshoot either way.

 

 

The Bills can throw away 1st round picks on Whitner, McCargo, Maybin, Erik Flowers, Mike Williams, Lynch and McLuvin,

and NOT on a possible franchise QB? That may be one the worst excuses I have heard, given Buffalo's lack of a competent

QB for the last 15 years or so. How many times are you going to be drafting this high and have a Luck possibly available?

 

If the Buffalo Front Office screws this up, as they seem to always do, and wastes another 1st round pick on a bust, or someone who doesn't play, expect many more years of losing footbal, at least while the teamis still in B-lo.

 

Draft LUCK, and give away the store, the farm, whatever you have to get him. IMHO.

[KOKBILLS]

Touche. But it only makes my point stronger.

 

Take what I said about Flacco and the Ravens, and apply it here.

 

The GB team that drafted him had been to the playoffs each of the previous four seasons.

 

It was just a fact check nothing more...Plus the fact that Alex Smith went #1 Overall is never going to help the argument in favor taking a QB high...

[San-O]

The chances of us getting a shot at a QB like this is extremely rare. Defensive players like Clayborn will be there EVERY year in the early, mid, and late first round. 2nd round and 3rd round. Sure you have your Ryan Leafs and your Akili Smith, but when I see the last couple lottery QB's i think that QB is the way to go. If you guys want to settle for an average QB having a good year, then good for you. But i want to go for the ultimate QB that will lead this team for the next 10-15 years. And next year is the year to do it.

 

 

+ 1

[The Big Cat]

There is no question that Sanchez and Flacco stepped in to good situations (I'm still not convinced they're that good to be honest) but why do you assume it's so easy to build a good defense and a good OL like the Jets did? Yah I know you didn't say that, I'm putting words in your mouth, etc but you sure seem to be implying such - otherwise what are you really saying? That a QB's job is easier when he has an awesome supporting cast? No kidding. First of all how do we build that defense when we're drafting Maybin, McCargo, and Whitner, and re-signing Chris Kelsay?

 

Secondly we had a pretty damn good defense in 2003 and 2004 and that got us nowhere. Funny how people forget all this and downplay QB importance because we lost one shootout game in Baltimore. I guess we are so accustomed to seeing pathetic offense around here that a 22-19 game looks like a relative shoot-out too even though it's far from it by NFL standards. But hell, a measley 19 points would've been good enough to beat Miami & KC and 14 was enough even with our lousy defense, to beat a team who hadn't held anyone under 20 points on the road since about 1992 - nobody ever mentions that either.

 

Aaron Rodgers was not the #1 overall pick, not even close.

Luck is right now a higher rated prospect than Matt Ryan ever was, and that's not close either. That doesn't mean he will way better; and it's not a knock on Ryan who is very good, but lets not re-write history - there were a lot of mixed reviews on Ryan. Mark Mayock liked him a lot; most others thought he was Alex Smith.

 

You might as well just say all of those guys are different because their names are not Andrew Luck and they went to teams other than Buffalo, which is true but those are not good reasons to pass on this guy if we have the chance.

 

Yes, I erred big time on Rodgers, but as my prior post confessing so indicates, his inclusion in this discussion is more so moot than Flacco's.

 

Also, I don't take any draftnick's word as bible. I was a big Goeslin fan (sic), but he had Maybin rated even higher than we took him. So who's to say ANY of these guys have the answer?

 

But your last comment is what makes this discussion most infuriating: how incredibly hypothetical it is. There is a chance, after the next two weeks, (albeit an outside one) that we COULD be looking at the 9th or 10th pick. There's even MORE of a chance that Luck won't even declare. By these two factors combined, i think it's highly HIGHLY unlikely he'll be available for us to pick, unless he plummets (for good reason) like Quinn, Tebow, and Leinart before him.

 

in which case, watch us pass on him, watch the board explode, then wait two years for the "i was wrong about luck" posts that will never come.

[ajzepp]

Using a first round pick on a QB like Luck has a much higher potential payoff than almost any defensive first round pick you can currently imagine is out there.

 

So we have a QB currently who is putting up solid numbers, and we have a Defense that is crap. Yet somehow the higher potential payoff exists with the rookie QB than it does with a stud defensive player? I'm not following you.

[San-O]

Fitz' completion percentage for the season is 59.3 %. The difference between that and 60 % is 7 more completions per 1000 passes thrown. He's thrown 285 passes, so we're talking what, 2 or 3 more completions? How can this possibly make any real difference?

 

 

He's a 58 % QB career. He is inaccurate.

 

 

http://www.nfl.com/players/ryanfitzpatrick/profile?id=FIT792915

[K Gun Special]

So we have a QB currently who is putting up solid numbers, and we have a Defense that is crap. Yet somehow the higher potential payoff exists with the rookie QB than it does with a stud defensive player? I'm not following you.

 

 

Much more difficult to draft a franchise QB than to find a playmaker on Defense. QB is by and far the most important position in the game.

 

Fitz has won two games against teams with a combined 4 wins this year. Our QB problem is not solved with Fitz.

[San-O]

So we have a QB currently who is putting up solid numbers, and we have a Defense that is crap. Yet somehow the higher potential payoff exists with the rookie QB than it does with a stud defensive player? I'm not following you.

 

Yes: correct.

 

You know why the defense is crap? Because the Bills can't draft, and pass on good D players and manage to find the busts

every year.

 

A franchise QB can keep you in many games, and even win you some. The Bills can go back to drafting crap players after

the 2011 first round.