Polian admits mistake in drafting undersized passrusher instead of LT

[Coach Tuesday]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/07/bill-polian-admits-making-a-mistake-drafting-jerry-hughes/

 

This is exactly the kind of accountability that has been absent from OBD since, well, since Polian left.

 

What amazes me is that the fans are, in large part, complicit. Even though the organizational structure and scouting department at OBD have remained constant for years, fans seem eager to blame years of shoddy drafting on previous coaching staffs, as if that's any kind of excuse - if anything, the fact that our coaches have so much say on draft day is a sympton of a larger, persistent problem within this rudderless, reactionary organization.

[KD in CA]

I recall some people here suggesting Saffold would make a pretty good pick. But since Mel Kiper would have called that a 'reach', we instead got a back-up RB.

[Thoner7]

something tells me Nix doesnt regret taking an undersized RB and not a T.

[DreReed83]

something tells me Nix doesnt regret taking an undersized RB and not a T.

 

There wasnt a Tackle worth that spot either so I don't blame him for that. And I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he tried trading down but nobody wanted that spot. I wouldve taken almost anybody else other than Spiller.

[STLBILLS15]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/12/07/bill-polian-admits-making-a-mistake-drafting-jerry-hughes/

 

This is exactly the kind of accountability that has been absent from OBD since, well, since Polian left.

 

What amazes me is that the fans are, in large part, complicit. Even though the organizational structure and scouting department at OBD have remained constant for years, fans seem eager to blame years of shoddy drafting on previous coaching staffs, as if that's any kind of excuse - if anything, the fact that our coaches have so much say on draft day is a sympton of a larger, persistent problem within this rudderless, reactionary organization.

 

Seems like from the comments under the article that Colts fans aren't too happy with Polian's drafts of late. And you're right, he's doing the right thing by taking the blame on himself drafting a couple duds - Something this organization has been lacking lately.

[Bill from NYC]

And I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he tried trading down but nobody wanted that spot.

 

I won't. They ran up to the podium and made the selection in less than a minute.

[Stevie Ray]

So when does someone in the Bills' FO admit mistake in drafting our undersized passrusher (AM)? Oh, thats right, Dickie J is gone!

[JohnC]

I won't. They ran up to the podium and made the selection in less than a minute.

 

You can "what if" yourself to death when following the Bills. One of biggest draft mistakes the Bills made over the past couple of years is taking Maybin instead of Michael Oher, especially since the recent trading of Peters. With an OL of Oher, Levitre, Hangardner, Wood and Bell the Bills would have had the line solidified, and then other needs could have been addressedd.

 

Don't give up on the Spiller pick. I think you are being premature in your assessment. The right way to make a fair assessment is to give it at least 2-3 yrs before concluding anything. Sometimes what you intially consider to be an average draft over time turns out to be a very good draft. On the other hand, sometimes when you first think you had an exceptional draft it could turn out to be a big dud.

[John from Riverside]

If there is anything to knock in Nix draft....it was that he immediately drafted Spiller instead of using some of his allotted draft time to see what trade down options there were....

 

Now...maybe there wasnt anything viable as a trade down without totally raping us.....and maybe they really liked Spiller.....but we could have gotten that pick in with 1 minute left to go in our allotted draft time and Spiller would have still been ours.

 

And they did this with virtually every draft pick that day......If I am Nix I am looking at all trade down scenarios in every round to see if we cant improve a position.

 

And I have absolutely NO problem with the drafting spiller.....Jackson is not a young running back....we didn't know what was going on with Lynch at the time......and RB's get hurt all the time because of the physical position they play.....not to mention that Spiller is loaded with talent.

[JohnC]

If there is anything to knock in Nix draft....it was that he immediately drafted Spiller instead of using some of his allotted draft time to see what trade down options there were....

 

Now...maybe there wasnt anything viable as a trade down without totally raping us.....and maybe they really liked Spiller.....but we could have gotten that pick in with 1 minute left to go in our allotted draft time and Spiller would have still been ours.

 

 

If you have a conviction on a player then you go ahead and act on it. Why mess around with a trade down and risk having the player you covet taken by someone else? They believed that he was a playmaker. He might be. So I have no fault with the way the team handled its first pick.

[DrDawkinstein]

wait wait wait!

 

I thought that Polian was infallible? I thought that he never screwed up, and only the Bills missed on players?!?

 

 

Oh wait, that's right, it's the draft and it's all just taking your best educated guess.

[Van_phelaN1]

There wasnt a Tackle worth that spot either so I don't blame him for that. And I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he tried trading down but nobody wanted that spot. I wouldve taken almost anybody else other than Spiller.

 

I think it is a little early to declare him a back up RB just yet he is a rookie after all. If he can learn the game and studies and works hard he as all the talent in the world to be a star. I will however agree with you that I wouldn't have made that pick and there wasn't a T I thought was valued high enough with it. Then again I guess there are reasons why I am not an NFL coach

[mattsox]

Seems like from the comments under the article that Colts fans aren't too happy with Polian's drafts of late. And you're right, he's doing the right thing by taking the blame on himself drafting a couple duds - Something this organization has been lacking lately.

 

Yeah I'd be crying too I guess if I was used to being 14-2 and unstoppable. But come on. Everyone has a down season. I'll take their situation over ours anyday!

[shrader]

I'm not so sure what admitting you made the wrong pick accomplishes. Does it magically right the wrong and bring that missed pick back into the fold? All it does is create a cancerous situation (unless it lights a fire under the ass of that guy who was the "wrong pick"). I can see where a guy in Polian's shoes might have to say something since his team is a perennial contender. But with the Bills, if by some chance Spiller was in fact a big mistake, what difference does that "right pick" really make here, especially less than a year after it was made? 1 win?

[Stealth]

Considering the Colts had Freeney/Mathis already the hughes pick didn't make much sense. The Colts lack the creativity of the Giants to get there multitidues of defensive ends onto the field, and as of now Eric Foster is a better player than Hughes. So is Dawson,Hughes wasn't gonna see the field much. To compare it to Spiller is short sighted. We went into the offseason with a big need for an offensive playmaker. Now obviously Spiller hasn't lived up to that billing, but on the surface it's what he was drafted to be, and one of our biggest needs thought to be "At that time". Jerry Hughes was drafted to be defensive depth. When the Colts had bigger needs on their oline.

[Coach Tuesday]

You can "what if" yourself to death when following the Bills. One of biggest draft mistakes the Bills made over the past couple of years is taking Maybin instead of Michael Oher, especially since the recent trading of Peters. With an OL of Oher, Levitre, Hangardner, Wood and Bell the Bills would have had the line solidified, and then other needs could have been addressedd.

 

Don't give up on the Spiller pick. I think you are being premature in your assessment. The right way to make a fair assessment is to give it at least 2-3 yrs before concluding anything. Sometimes what you intially consider to be an average draft over time turns out to be a very good draft. On the other hand, sometimes when you first think you had an exceptional draft it could turn out to be a big dud.

 

The problem with that line of reasoning is that it's in a vacuum - it doesn't take into account the perpetual incompetence and frugality of this organization. They can't afford to draft players who will be good 2-3 years from now, since (a) they're unlikely to properly evaluate those players' talents at the end of their rookie contracts; (b) they aren't likely to develop those players optimally; ( c) if those players achieve success, the Bills aren't likely to pay them top dollar to re-up; and (d) the Bills change coaching staffs every 3 years, so those players aren't likely to fit in any longer.

 

Sooner or later, some day, the Bills have to spend - AND HIT ON - high-round picks who can make a difference right away. Not coincidentally, those type of players most commonly are offensive linemen and passrushers...

Edited December 7, 2010 by Coach Tuesday

[Ghost of Rob Johnson]

The problem with that line of reasoning is that it's in a vacuum - it doesn't take into account the perpetual incompetence and frugality of this organization. They can't afford to draft players who will be good 2-3 years from now, since (a) they're unlikely to properly evaluate those players' talents at the end of their rookie contracts; (b) they aren't likely to develop those players optimally; ( c) if those players achieve success, the Bills aren't likely to pay them top dollar to re-up; and (d) the Bills change coaching staffs every 3 years, so those players aren't likely to fit in any longer.

 

Sooner or later, some day, the Bills have to spend - AND HIT ON - high-round picks who can make a difference right away. Not coincidentally, those type of players most commonly are offensive linemen and passrushers...

All of these points are stated from a fans perspective, none of which would be a consideration or fear to the new and current regime.

 

In regards to the original post, the most recent mistake Polian made was airing his dirty laundry and risking alienating his teams 1st round pick that is signed to a 5 year contract and their current left tackle who they chose over Ugoh.

[Coach Tuesday]

All of these points are stated from a fans perspective, none of which would be a consideration or fear to the new and current regime.

 

In regards to the original post, the most recent mistake Polian made was airing his dirty laundry and risking alienating his teams 1st round pick that is signed to a 5 year contract and their current left tackle who they chose over Ugoh.

 

I wish folks would stop calling it a "new regime." It's a new coaching staff, and a GM who is in his second stint with this organization and knows how it operates.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Coach Tuesday

[Ramius]

I won't. They ran up to the podium and made the selection in less than a minute.

 

You do relize that teams can discuss trade parameters before a specific team in on the clock. Its not like nothing happens and then all of a sudden, teams hammer out a deal in 10 minutes.

 

If there was no worthwhile trade down, which there obviously wasn't, you don't just trade down to trade down.

[Bill from NYC]

You do relize that teams can discuss trade parameters before a specific team in on the clock. Its not like nothing happens and then all of a sudden, teams hammer out a deal in 10 minutes.

 

If there was no worthwhile trade down, which there obviously wasn't, you don't just trade down to trade down.

 

Of course, but teams can also up their offers in the final 10 minutes. I am guessing that it happens all the time.