Blaine Gabbert

[DreReed83]

Gabbert sure looks like a QB....

 

http://boards.buffalobills.com/showthread.php?p=4868216

 

Ronnie "sunshine" Bass

 

SSUUNNNNSSSHHHIIIIIIINNNEEEE

[dpberr]

I'd *pass* on both.

 

Draft a QB out of a pro-style offense or don't draft one at all.

[DreReed83]

I'd *pass* on both.

 

Draft a QB out of a pro-style offense or don't draft one at all.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with drafting a QB who runs a spread offense at the college level. As long as he makes the right reads and knows what he's doing. Sam Bradford is doing fine and believe it or not but Drew Brees ran A LOT of spread formations at Purdue.

 

If you've ever watched a Bills game, you'd notice we run a lot of shotgun, spread formations, as do the Patriots and the Saints. Lots of teams are running more and more spread formations so I don't understand what your beef is.

 

On the other hand if you're in a spread OPTION offense, there is cause for concern. That's a whole different story (::cough cough:: Newton and Kaepernick ::cough cough:

[Thurman#1]

Gabbert has the best football smarts of the bunch.

 

 

I'm not talking about the article. Watch the video.

 

 

http://blogs.nfl.com/2011/02/27/mallett-locker-receives-high-marks-from-analysts/?module=HP_spotlight

[yungmack]

3.) With regard to whatever QB we draft being 3 yrs behind Fitz. I see your point, put I think you overstate it. On one hand, the reason I want to draft a QB this year is because it will take a year or two before he is ready to really play full time and be near his peak. I want to have that guy on the roster developing this year while we build all of the other key components (OL, dominating D, weapons on O, etc). I don't want to get all of the pieces in place only to realize we don't have a QB. On the other hand, most of the highly drafted QBs are playing much sooner these days, so its possible that by late year 1 or early year 2, the drafted QB will be the starter.

 

4.) Any draft pick is a risk. There is just was much risk of Cam Newton being a bust as there is for Fairley or whomever else you look at.

 

I am hoping the Bills come out of this draft with their QB of the future. I personally hope that Newton survives all of the upcoming scrutiny and becomes that guy. I have a feeling he could be a special player in the NFL (his character concerns also give me heartburn). But I will be very excited if Nix/Gailey decide Newton or Gabbert are the guy at #3 or if they take Ponder or one of the other guys later in Rd1 or early 2.

 

You, and many others on this board, keep obsessing on "the next franchise QB." And that the guy is right in front of Nixley's eyes if only they'd listen to the fans. And they apparently believe that through an effort of will -- on the part of the fans alone -- the guys in this year's draft can magically be converted into that franchise guy.

 

The flaw in this thinking, as I see it, is that the guys available this year do not have a "sure thing" tattooed on their backs. Newton, Locker, Gabbert and Mallet have huge question marks. And the second tier guys -- Kaepernick, Dalton and Ponder -- are, well, second tier guys. Could one of them (or even an unheralded QB)be the franchise QB for ten years? Absolutely possible.

 

But that gets me to the heart of the question/problem which is, that QB is NOT the Bills most critical problem. It's all about the Defense. And there are several players at DE whose contribution will matter more to the Bills THIS SEASON than any of the QBs under discussion around here. And after blowing a pick on Spiller last year ("blowing" in this case meaning an RB who doesn't immediately contribute at least somewhere in a meaningful way), Nixley cannot afford to expend the #3 pick on another guy who rides the bench for a year or two "while they learn the pro game." If Nixley were to expend the #3 pick on one of the QBs available this year, I believe I'd throw in the towel on this regime because, to repeat myself, it's all about the defense this year.

 

When discussing the QB position, you have to assess what you have versus what you'd be getting through the draft. Right now, Fitz is more than good enough to hold down the position, and none of the kids in the draft is good enough to dislodge him. None of them. If one of them was, if, for example, Luck had come out, then, yeah, I'd grab him in a Noo Yowk minute. But he isn't coming out and the other guys are just to iffy to draft when you do have Fitz, and you so very much need a massive upgrade on defense.

 

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'm weary of the "magical thinking" about the available QB talent this year. And if, as Nix has said, they will be adding a QB somehow, and if Ponder or Dalton are still available deep in the draft (5th round or later), then I wouldn't be upset if they took one of them. But the first four rounds had better be all D, all the time.

[Maddog69]

You, and many others on this board, keep obsessing on "the next franchise QB." And that the guy is right in front of Nixley's eyes if only they'd listen to the fans. And they apparently believe that through an effort of will -- on the part of the fans alone -- the guys in this year's draft can magically be converted into that franchise guy.

 

The flaw in this thinking, as I see it, is that the guys available this year do not have a "sure thing" tattooed on their backs. Newton, Locker, Gabbert and Mallet have huge question marks. And the second tier guys -- Kaepernick, Dalton and Ponder -- are, well, second tier guys. Could one of them (or even an unheralded QB)be the franchise QB for ten years? Absolutely possible.

 

But that gets me to the heart of the question/problem which is, that QB is NOT the Bills most critical problem. It's all about the Defense. And there are several players at DE whose contribution will matter more to the Bills THIS SEASON than any of the QBs under discussion around here. And after blowing a pick on Spiller last year ("blowing" in this case meaning an RB who doesn't immediately contribute at least somewhere in a meaningful way), Nixley cannot afford to expend the #3 pick on another guy who rides the bench for a year or two "while they learn the pro game." If Nixley were to expend the #3 pick on one of the QBs available this year, I believe I'd throw in the towel on this regime because, to repeat myself, it's all about the defense this year.

 

When discussing the QB position, you have to assess what you have versus what you'd be getting through the draft. Right now, Fitz is more than good enough to hold down the position, and none of the kids in the draft is good enough to dislodge him. None of them. If one of them was, if, for example, Luck had come out, then, yeah, I'd grab him in a Noo Yowk minute. But he isn't coming out and the other guys are just to iffy to draft when you do have Fitz, and you so very much need a massive upgrade on defense.

 

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'm weary of the "magical thinking" about the available QB talent this year. And if, as Nix has said, they will be adding a QB somehow, and if Ponder or Dalton are still available deep in the draft (5th round or later), then I wouldn't be upset if they took one of them. But the first four rounds had better be all D, all the time.

 

I agree with almost everything you've said here. There isn't guy coming out this year who is the clear cut, best player in the draft like Bradford was or like Luck would have been. I wish there was. It would make the Bills' task easier. They desperately need a franchise QB. I am not on the Fitz bandwagon. I think he's an OK stopgap, but they need an upgrade. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an obvious answer, unless Gabbert really steps up and into that position. I think Newton dropped his status based on the combine and his interviews with teams (he reportedly does not have a strong football intellect and cannot break down plays on the chalkboard). I think teams will take a gamble on guys like Locker, Newton and Mallet but it would have to be in the second round or later for it to make sense.

 

At this point, I am hoping for a stud DE in Rd1.

[CosmicBills]

You, and many others on this board, keep obsessing on "the next franchise QB." And that the guy is right in front of Nixley's eyes if only they'd listen to the fans. And they apparently believe that through an effort of will -- on the part of the fans alone -- the guys in this year's draft can magically be converted into that franchise guy.

 

The flaw in this thinking, as I see it, is that the guys available this year do not have a "sure thing" tattooed on their backs. Newton, Locker, Gabbert and Mallet have huge question marks. And the second tier guys -- Kaepernick, Dalton and Ponder -- are, well, second tier guys. Could one of them (or even an unheralded QB)be the franchise QB for ten years? Absolutely possible.

 

But that gets me to the heart of the question/problem which is, that QB is NOT the Bills most critical problem. It's all about the Defense. And there are several players at DE whose contribution will matter more to the Bills THIS SEASON than any of the QBs under discussion around here. And after blowing a pick on Spiller last year ("blowing" in this case meaning an RB who doesn't immediately contribute at least somewhere in a meaningful way), Nixley cannot afford to expend the #3 pick on another guy who rides the bench for a year or two "while they learn the pro game." If Nixley were to expend the #3 pick on one of the QBs available this year, I believe I'd throw in the towel on this regime because, to repeat myself, it's all about the defense this year.

 

When discussing the QB position, you have to assess what you have versus what you'd be getting through the draft. Right now, Fitz is more than good enough to hold down the position, and none of the kids in the draft is good enough to dislodge him. None of them. If one of them was, if, for example, Luck had come out, then, yeah, I'd grab him in a Noo Yowk minute. But he isn't coming out and the other guys are just to iffy to draft when you do have Fitz, and you so very much need a massive upgrade on defense.

 

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'm weary of the "magical thinking" about the available QB talent this year. And if, as Nix has said, they will be adding a QB somehow, and if Ponder or Dalton are still available deep in the draft (5th round or later), then I wouldn't be upset if they took one of them. But the first four rounds had better be all D, all the time.

There's no need to be sorry for being long winded when you post well thought out and articulated posts like this.

 

You might be right that none of these QBs coming out are sure things. In fact, I'm sure you're right. But there's a gamble with every player you draft -- there was even with Manning. No front office, in any league, listens to what the fans when it comes to drafting new players. To paraphrase Marv, the moment they do that is the moment they find themselves sitting in the stands with the fans. If the Bills take a QB at 3 (or 34) then it will be because their scouting department believes that the risks are worth the reward and that this guy might be a franchise type QB. And as fans, we don't have much choice but to trust in their judgment and hope it pans out.

 

Of course with this front office's track record -- short as it is -- there's not too much reason to be confident. They've bumbled pretty much every major decision they've made thus far with the exception of getting Gailey and I hope Whaley. Still, there's not a lot of options for the fans other than to B word and moan on the message boards.

 

But the bottom line, to me, is that the Bills need a QB before they can even think of being a legit championship contender. Of course they need lots of help elsewhere (DE, DT, OLB, ILB, OT, OG, TE, CB, SS) ... but none of those positions, no matter how good of a player they get, will provide as much impact in the W-L column as a legit franchise QB would bring.

 

Hence the dilemma many of the more clear thinking fans (such as yourself) find themselves in. Clearly taking one of the premier defensive players available in this draft is a sound philosophy. They can help at spots where this team needs it most. And, they can help THIS year. That makes sense and I won't complain at all if that's the route they choose to travel. Taking any of these QBs won't be for this year -- which will add to the frustration of many of the vocal detractors. But it will (hopefully) help for the future.

 

Put it another way. In a hypothetical world, if the Bills were able to draft perfect this year -- they hit on all their picks -- and they focus only on the positions of need (DE, DT, OLB, ILB, OT etc) ... and all these guys come in and contribute right away, the Bills would be much improved. They might even sniff the playoffs. But would they be true Super Bowl contenders with Fitz? No. Of course that's an opinion, but it's one I happen to believe quite firmly. So to me, it doesn't matter when the Bills get their upgrade at QB, just that they get one. If not this draft, the next, or the next, or the next.

[cale]

I had hand surgery back in January. My hand surgeon used to be a college level athlete in basketball in a top SEC team. He is now an expert in hand trauma and a nationally recognized microvascular surgeon.

 

I met with him this afternoon for a follow up appointment. We spent about 5 mins discussing my hand and the rest of the 20-25 minute appt talking the NFL Draft.

 

This past weekend he was at the scouting combine checking out players for the Titans. And he says off all the QBs he saw Gabbert would be the guy he would take. Hands down (no pun intended). He looked the part and there was a presence about him he said. He also made all the throws and is in great physical shape. He also seemed to have above average intelligence. He says Mallet looked the worse physically - had "man boobs."

 

He said the best lineman he saw was Marcell Dareus (over Fairley).

 

And finally he said the best prospect overall - was Julio Jones (4.38 40, unbelievable vertical),WR. Big, strong and athletic. He had him better than AJ Green.

 

So obviously my doc doesn't need to coach and play these guys - but this was his 2 cents.

 

C

[Sisyphean Bills]

I had hand surgery back in January. My hand surgeon used to be a college level athlete in basketball in a top SEC team. He is now an expert in hand trauma and a nationally recognized microvascular surgeon.

 

I met with him this afternoon for a follow up appointment. We spent about 5 mins discussing my hand and the rest of the 20-25 minute appt talking the NFL Draft.

 

This past weekend he was at the scouting combine checking out players for the Titans. And he says off all the QBs he saw Gabbert would be the guy he would take. Hands down (no pun intended). He looked the part and there was a presence about him he said. He also made all the throws and is in great physical shape. He also seemed to have above average intelligence. He says Mallet looked the worse physically - had "man boobs."

 

He said the best lineman he saw was Marcell Dareus (over Fairley).

 

And finally he said the best prospect overall - was Julio Jones (4.38 40, unbelievable vertical),WR. Big, strong and athletic. He had him better than AJ Green.

 

So obviously my doc doesn't need to coach and play these guys - but this was his 2 cents.

 

C

BTW, Gabbert didn't throw at the combine.

[Billshank Redemption]

I dont want Gabbert i think he is heavily overrated. If we take a QB in the 1st it should be Newton. I get everyones points saying he cant run around like he did in college but he is one of the most dynamic prospects to EVER come out in college. And also he has something that cannot be recorded or shown looking at tape over and over and cant be measured and that is the "IT" factor. And most importantly of all the dude is a winner. Say what you want about him but the guy wins fu<king football games. I hate Ben Rothinsberger but the guy does have the IT factor and hes taken pitt to 3 superbowls. I just want to make the FRICKEN playoffs (which we havent been since I was in 1st grade)I wouldnt mind Fairly, Dareus, Peterson, or even Green, but come Draft day the only Q.B's name if any I want to hear the Buffalo Bills selecting is Newton Period. I dont give a crap what any of you who think your pro scouts say Newton over Gabbert all day.

[RuntheDamnBall]

I dont want Gabbert i think he is heavily overrated. If we take a QB in the 1st it should be Newton. I get everyones points saying he cant run around like he did in college but he is one of the most dynamic prospects to EVER come out in college.

You don't want to go that route.

And also he has something that cannot be recorded or shown looking at tape over and over and cant be measured and that is the "IT" factor. And most importantly of all the dude is a winner. Say what you want about him but the guy wins fu<king football games.

He has something that can't be proven to be something. He wins football games singlehandedly, despite having been on a very good D1 team for one season. He just wins, because he has been on a winning team for one D1 season. He has something that can't be measured, but I know he has it. I'll bet also he hates to lose, has swagger and poise, and is ready to play, and just take it one game at a time.

 

You see where we're going here?

 

I have stock in this company that is potentially worth millions. This stock has NEVER ever lost money, and it can't be traded on the market. No one can prove it, but it's actually worth billions in a system that is only peripherally related to the actual stock exchange.

 

*All of these notions carry about as much weight as the unmeasurable intangibles you're citing.

 

I hate Ben Rothinsberger but the guy does have the IT factor and hes taken pitt to 3 superbowls. I just want to make the FRICKEN playoffs (which we havent been since I was in 1st grade)I wouldnt mind Fairly, Dareus, Peterson, or even Green, but come Draft day the only Q.B's name if any I want to hear the Buffalo Bills selecting is Newton Period. I dont give a crap what any of you who think your pro scouts say Newton over Gabbert all day.

Ben Rothinsberger [sic] possesses the following discernable assets and credentials: he can throw very well on the run, he takes a beating but hardly ever has to leave the game, and he was brought up very slowly in a run-first offense with a strong defense. This allowed him to mature into the system that he is in now, which is more pass-heavy.

 

He did not lead his team to that first Super Bowl, though his play has been a big factor [not the only one] in all three appearances.

 

All of these things are way more meaningful than any "IT" factor or some such bullscheisse.

 

I don't want Gabbert and I am skeptical of Newton, but I prefer my football analysis to be rational; I sure as hell hope that the Bills' evaluators are not looking at anything aside from the player's measurables, his history, his mental makeup and ability to process information, and his experience and potential in handling a pro-style offense. Everything else, college wins included, is gravy.

[Billshank Redemption]

i completely disagree that college wins are gravy and mental makeup is his gamer attitude im not saying draft him but I would way rather have him than gabbert and will not be upset hearing his name draft day. But I also dont want to see Newton lighting it up next year and thinking about how we couldve had him

[RuntheDamnBall]

i completely disagree that college wins are gravy and mental makeup is his gamer attitude im not saying draft him but I would way rather have him than gabbert and will not be upset hearing his name draft day. But I also dont want to see Newton lighting it up next year and thinking about how we couldve had him

Mental makeup is not "his gamer attitude" - it's his ability, when things actually aren't going right, to withstand the pressure. It's his background and upbringing - which are in fact a bit suspect, in Newton's case, if you've read the papers. It's questions about what he's going to do WHEN there's pain (not if). Will he be able to process a much more complicated offense, and know what his fourth read is - not just his first or second? These are the things I want to know when I'm examining a player's makeup.

 

If the Bills are going into interviews asking: "so, you've won a lot. Can you keep doing that?" I want everyone fired.

[Jauronimo]

Imagine how bad it'll be if dareus or fairley turns into sean Gilbert?

 

Good point, but in this instance I think either Fairley or Dareus are much safer picks than any QB coming out this year.

[Noma]

There was a scout interviewed a while back (wish I could remember where I read this...sorry) who said that the Auburn offense requires Newton to perform only TWO reads prior to each snap. It's a very simplified offense that relies heavily on his athletic talent, not his ability to read defenses and/or make adjustments. I think the transition to the pro game will be very, very difficult for this kid.

 

true, but there have been plenty of guys who were in 1 read offenses that went on to be great qbs. the offense you run in college doesnt mean too much about how you can do in the pros. colt mccoy (who i beat the 1 read and run offense drum against last year) looks like he can make all the reads in the nfl. still dont care for him, but man, i feel silly now. newton is a two read guy, but he also isnt a run first guy. both tebow and mccoys offenses were predicated on 1 read, tuck it and run. can he succeed? sure. but if he fails, its not because he played in a two read offense, its because he couldnt understand the speed of the nfl or how to make decisions.

[cale]

BTW, Gabbert didn't throw at the combine.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. Maybe I misheard him about Gabbert throwing.