Who genuinely thinks they can scout college talent better than Nix?

[Thurmal34]

I know that I certainly could not. Since the topic is about college talent and not pro scouting, I'll leave out the shrewd moves Nix has made WRT to plucking gems from the wire/other teams, but who here honestly thought Justin Rogers would be looked at as someone to factor in to the DB rotation this coming year? Da'Norris Searcy looks to have good instincts and a strong work ethic. Spiller looks like he could be elite given 23-27 touches a game. Aaron Williams, if he can stay healthy, looks like an opening day starter. The list goes on...

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Nix's first draft landed several backups and several washouts. A lot of talent (JPP, Gronkowski) was left on the table. To be fair, his scouting department was in transition during that draft, and it's not clear whether Nix was the one who assembled the board.

 

Nix's second draft was what I consider a complete homerun.

 

So although it's a small sample size, he's trending up, and I agree that whomever he picks at 10 should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Succinct and accurate.

 

There is nothing funnier than when folks on this board claim to have "watched the tape" on a player.

 

No, you didn't...you don't have access to it. What you did was either (a) watch highlights on youtube, (b) watch a small film segment cut up by a TV analyst, © watch a few games while he was in college, or (d) not watch him at all.

 

Any of the above amount to absolutely nothing in my opinion.

Not that it changes your point but there is an "(e)" to your bolded above.

 

There are lots of amateur video draft sites that, while they don't have access to the "All 22" camera that scouts rely upon, do provide complete video cutups of games. So for instance you can watch the 60 snaps of LSU's offense vs Clemson's defense from this past year.

 

Just wanted to mention that.

 

That wouldn't be accurate either. Sometimes it takes players a year or two to become good. Sometimes guys start out with a bang and then fizzle. Some guys on Team A would be way better or way worse than that same player on Team B or C or D.

Another variable is that some players are drafted into bad situations and some into good situations. Because of this a "worse" player can have a more successful career than a "better" player. Part of our careers are determined by the organizations we work for. Part of that is a matter of luck.

 

The point is, there are a lot of regular football fans that know what they are talking about.

A lot of fans ON THIS BOARD were outraged when Buffalo took Donte Whitner instead of Haloti Ngata or Broderick Bunkley. A lot of fans ON THIS BOARD were dumfounded when Buffalo drafted Aaron Maybin instead of Brian Orakpo, Clay Matthews or Brian Cushing.

This was not hindsight. In all of these cases, the Bills would have been better off listening to a regular fan instead of their high-paid scouts.

The Ngata stuff is low-hanging fruit.

 

As for Matthews and Cushing, I couldn't for the life of me figure out if either guy was a player. That SC defense was so talented that year it was really hard to evaluate the individuals… I guess one could call this "The McCargo effect."

 

Get yer own name Mr. Original

LOL.

 

+1

 

We've seen lots of college names championed here over the years by draftniks. Most of these names have quickly faded into obscurity.

 

Draftniks are like Edgar Cayce. They like to celebrate the one or two predictions they got right and forget the many dozen they whiffed on.

Well done.

 

I'm with you. Scouts are hired in the first place because they really know this business. After being hired they spend ungodly hours analyzing tape, interviewing coaches, interviewing players, etc. Somebody who does this as a hobby just can't compete.

 

It's both arrogant and insulting for us to think we can do a GM's or scout's job.

 

If any of us were really that smart, some team would pay us. But good luck to anyone here trying to find a job as a scout.

Being a scout means being a zealot, being an addict. These guys live, breathe, eat, and drink it. They are probably among the most overworked and underpaid people in America and probably most of them would tell you that it's a very tough way to make a living but that they love it.

 

Jauron may have made the selection, but Buddy blessed Maybin as the pick

 

 

He was brought in specifically for his draft expertise and to think Buddy was totally ignored on the MAybin is simply ignorant

Behold Spartacus, who makes the same points over and over, is challenged over and over, but never responds to the rebuttals and never amends his views.

 

Behold Spartacus, who never has any positive takes, only negative ones.

 

Behold Spartacus the infallible, yet again blaming Nix for Maybin.

 

Answer these questions, Oh great Spartacus:

 

What was the Bills power structure at the time of the Maybin pick?

 

Who were the decision makers?

 

How far down the totem pole was Nix?

 

 

[Bill from NYC]

Especially if we sign Mark Anderson, I want an LT (unless we re-sign Bell and then I still wouldn't mind an LT at 10 or in round 2). I watch video and read scouting reports and hear arguments pro and con from all kinds of good and bad sources and I have my strong opinions about players being better or worse than others. I will especially love if I hear Jonathan Martin's name called out at #10 because that means I got my LT and Nix and the scouts agreed with me. But I will be happy with any name, and immediately think he is likely (but not certainly) going to be better than Martin.

 

This isn't to say pre-draft fan grading is a waste of time, it's fun as hell. And I could ultimately be right on Martin four years from now even if Nix picks Adams or Reiff or anyone else available at LT at #10. But I really do not believe that if the Bills choose a different guy than my guy, that it was a huge mistake, and they will rue the day they chose Reiff or Sanders or Adams over what was staring them right in the face, the obvious choice of Jonathan Martin.

 

Good thread, but I wish it had a different title. Obviously, none of us have the ability of a man who came up under Bear Bryant, and has made a living at it for generations.

 

As for Martin, I trust your judgement. This is not a run of the mill fan site imo. There are, and have been, posters who REALLY put a lot of time into this, and are as close to being "experts" as one could be. You and I drank ber with them; you know who I mean.

 

Having read your posts, met you in person, and knowing what part of the country you live in, I lend much credence to your judgement about Martin. It tells me that you have a very good chance of being "right" about him. Some call him soft and want to re-sign Bell, but I remind all that even in a disappointing workout, Martin more than doubled Bell's bench press (20 reps vs. 9). I think that we both agree that a LT at 10 need not be an all time great. A solid 10 year starter is worth his weight in gold.

 

While I do NOT put myself in the class of the "experts" here, I watch every Bama game I possibly can, and here are some random thoughts:

 

1) I like Barron more than Kirkpatrick. He covers like a blanket, has soft hands, and hits like a truck on running plays. Dareus was quoted as saying how Bama plays the run first.

 

2) Upshaw is going to be a top OLB in a 3/4. Can he play DE? Probably, but I am less sure, so he would be a riskier early pick in a 4/3 imo.

 

3) Hightower will be an actual star MLB or ILB. He is a VERY hard hitter, and when I first saw him, I thought he was a safety. He seems to have gained weight and strength as he aged. When he blitzes, look out.

 

Having said all that, Martin at #10 would be fine with me, as long as you say so.

[Malazan]

HOWEVER... There were PLENTY of people on this board (myself included) that wouldn't touch Gabbert with a ten-foot pole. Watching about 5-6 Missouri games, I felt it was obvious that Gabbert didn't have the skill to play at an NFL level. Apparently many others agreed with me. Despite playing in a pass-friendly offense, Gabbert spent most of his games checking down and throwing dump offs. He rarely tested downfield and when he did, the passes were way off target.

 

You got one right. What about the hundreds upon hundreds of guys you have absolutely no idea about?

 

People here overlook that they get to focus on a few guys that have, for the most part, already been dissected and their strength/weaknesses pointed out. Then they focus in on this guy/that guy being good/not good and herald themselves as geniuses when they get it right and forget when they got it wrong.

[peanuts]

Buddy drafts 90% of his prospects from the SEC & ACC .The best players are from the south. Look at his previous Bills drafts. I like his draft style.

[JohnC]

Sure, he has/will make mistakes evaluating and drafting players, although a lot less mistakes than you.

 

The point of this is only to say that after much thought on who I want the Bills to draft, I've concluded that if they draft ANY Left Tackle at #10, I will be thrilled, regardless of the player, because that means Nix and his Bills scouts absolutely loved this guy. They are not going to take a LT if they don't, even if they really like him as a prospect. So it means if they take Reiff or Adams or Zebrie Sanders over my choice at the moment. Jonathan Martin, I'll be thrilled they didn't take Jonathan Martin because they think the guy they took at LT is better than Martin, and that's okay with me, because I really don't believe I can tell which LT pro prospect is more likely to be a top quality starter.

 

Especially if we sign Mark Anderson, I want an LT (unless we re-sign Bell and then I still wouldn't mind an LT at 10 or in round 2). I watch video and read scouting reports and hear arguments pro and con from all kinds of good and bad sources and I have my strong opinions about players being better or worse than others. I will especially love if I hear Jonathan Martin's name called out at #10 because that means I got my LT and Nix and the scouts agreed with me. But I will be happy with any name, and immediately think he is likely (but not certainly) going to be better than Martin.

 

This isn't to say pre-draft fan grading is a waste of time, it's fun as hell. And I could ultimately be right on Martin four years from now even if Nix picks Adams or Reiff or anyone else available at LT at #10. But I really do not believe that if the Bills choose a different guy than my guy, that it was a huge mistake, and they will rue the day they chose Reiff or Sanders or Adams over what was staring them right in the face, the obvious choice of Jonathan Martin.

 

As a caveat, I just happen to think Martin will be very good, from what I have seen myself, read and heard. It's not like he is well above other prospects, they all seem to have their strengths and weaknesses. He is a shade above the others, IMO, with the best chance of being a franchise LT.

 

Caveat #2, even though I really want a LT, I would not at all be disappointed if they chose Michael Floyd because he does two things: 1] He fits an immediate need of a big, fast #2 WR who can stretch the field and make plays, opening up the field for all of the various weapons AND 2] at the same time, he has a chance to be an absolute star and stud #1 WR down the line. Not many guys at any position in this draft would start right away on the Bills and have all the tools you need to be a star in this league, and Floyd has all the tools. Kirkpatrick probably wouldn't start day one. So we get immediate benefit, can plug Floyd in right away, and if we get lucky, we have a star on our hands alongside Stevie.

 

 

Every onece in a while someone writes an exceptional post that makes the reader pause and consider what has been written. Your post falls in that very limited and exclusive category.

 

My preference is to get a starting LT out of this draft. Odds are that it will need to be done with the first pick. That is not to say that a quality secound round OT couldn't fall to us, but the odds certainly decline with a lower round pick.

 

With the exception of USC's OT none of the next two or three OTs are widely distinguishable. My preference is for Stanford's Martin. He played in a pro system and he is very athletic. Some people are concerned about his strength level. I'm not. A dedicated player can get stronger but he can't get much more athletic. You either are or are not athletic. Martin is certainly very athletic. Let me add a sleeper OT pick that the Bills might seriously consider: Cordy Glenn from Georgia. He is bigger and bulkier than the top tier tackle prospects but he is also very athletic for his size. It seems that Nix likes his OL to be very big.

 

You smartly brought up Floyd as a serious contender for our first pick. If this Nix regime stays true to its stated philosophy of taking the best player then he could be our fist selection.

 

My draft philosophy is fairly basic. Make your picks count and stay true to your board (as much as possible). Ranking talent is not a totally objective process; without a doubt factoring character and personality traits add an element of subjectivity to the process.

 

I thought Nix's first draft was average. My problem with that draft was not with the Spiller selection as much as with the Troup selection. I thought he was over-drafted. In my view last year's draft was superb. In hindsight it ranks as one of the better drafts for any team for that year.

 

Under the Nix regime you see an organizational philosophy that is being implimented. There is a coherency and logic to its decision-making. One might not agree with everything being done but at least it is understandable. Instead of being known as a mercurial organization that leaves a lot of people shaking their heads at some of the odd decisions being made there is now a stability and maturity in the way the organization is being run. Now there is hope.

[Bill from NYC]

I thought Nix's first draft was average.

 

If not the 2010 draft, which one would you call below average, or even bad? I really liked the 2011 draft, but would consider 2010 to be flat out putrid. If it took Nix a year to hit his stride, or if there were "other" factors involved in 2010, so be it.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 24, 2012 by Bill from NYC

[JohnC]

If not the 2010 draft, which one would you call below average, or even bad? I really liked the 2011 draft, but would consider 2010 to be flat out putrid. If it took Nix a year to hit his stride, or if there were "other" factors involved in 2010, so be it.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm not one to accept excuses. You perform or you don't. From what I have observed of this Nix administration he has restructured the scouting department. He has gotten rid of some of the Modrak factor and brought in a number of his own people. If I'm not mistaken Modrak still had some input in the assemblage of his first draft board.

 

The Troup selection really bothered me. Is he salvageable? In my view he is simply a JAG. If he was intent on getting a NT I would have preferred Alabama's Cody. I'm well aware there were conditioning issues but if you are going to gamble then do so on a player with upside. With respect to Carrington so far he is nothing special. Putting him and Kelsay in open space is simply dumb. What has helped to relieve some of the sting of that first draft was some smart good value free agent pickups, such as Urbik, Pears, Rhinehart, Chandler, Barnett, Hagan etc.

 

As much as I know how you hated the Spiller pick he is the only player in that draft year who has the ability to be an impact player. This year we should know for sure whether Troup and Carrington can develop into contributing players (low standard) and uplift that draft from putrid (your description) to hovering around below average.

Edited March 24, 2012 by JohnC

[TPS]

I know that I certainly could not. Since the topic is about college talent and not pro scouting, I'll leave out the shrewd moves Nix has made WRT to plucking gems from the wire/other teams, but who here honestly thought Justin Rogers would be looked at as someone to factor in to the DB rotation this coming year? Da'Norris Searcy looks to have good instincts and a strong work ethic. Spiller looks like he could be elite given 23-27 touches a game. Aaron Williams, if he can stay healthy, looks like an opening day starter. The list goes on...

Well, I don't want to brag--ok, maybe I do--, but..

My link

[Kelly the Dog]

Well, I don't want to brag--ok, maybe I do--, but..

My link

Rogers was a good KR not a good PR. There is a good chance he will be back there this year, too, although they may give Brad Smith another shot at it. Smith led the entire league in KR in 2010 but never got the hang of the Bills scheme, or the 5 yard change, and seemed very tentative and slow. He is neither of those things however. Rogers did well with his take the ball and run as fast as you can to a spot tactic. I liked what I saw from him on KR.

 

Leodis was an absolute stud on PR, averaging over 20 yards a return once he was put back there, which is obscene.

 

Rogers, IMO, was terrible at CB, even if he made a couple nice plays, 1 INT and 4-5 pass break-ups here and there, and I really hope he rarely sees the field this year. He has some ability but is very raw. Hopefully McGee will be healthy enough to be in the top four. Williams looks like a very good player and may already be our best. I actually expect McKelvin to be way better this year, he was easily our best cover man as far as being on his man most every play, he just never knew where the ball was. With a pass rush, his and Florence's games should really benefit.Then again, Leodis may just tank and disappear.

[TPS]

Rogers was a good KR not a good PR. There is a good chance he will be back there this year, too, although they may give Brad Smith another shot at it. Smith led the entire league in KR in 2010 but never got the hang of the Bills scheme, or the 5 yard change, and seemed very tentative and slow. He is neither of those things however. Rogers did well with his take the ball and run as fast as you can to a spot tactic. I liked what I saw from him on KR.

 

Leodis was an absolute stud on PR, averaging over 20 yards a return once he was put back there, which is obscene.

 

Rogers, IMO, was terrible at CB, even if he made a couple nice plays, 1 INT and 4-5 pass break-ups here and there, and I really hope he rarely sees the field this year. He has some ability but is very raw. Hopefully McGee will be healthy enough to be in the top four. Williams looks like a very good player and may already be our best. I actually expect McKelvin to be way better this year, he was easily our best cover man as far as being on his man most every play, he just never knew where the ball was. With a pass rush, his and Florence's games should really benefit.Then again, Leodis may just tank and disappear.

I know he only did KR during the last part of the season, but that post was from early September just after they announced the 53-man roster. They tried him as PR in pre-season, not KR, so that's what I had to go on.

 

As for his ability--for a R7 pick from a small school, of course he's raw. However, they had enough confidence in him toward the end that they benched McKelvin. He's too short to be on the outside, so he will only be a slot CB, but he is talented. He will be an asset in Wanny's system which will use more zone. Then again, I'm not Buddy Nix...

Edited March 24, 2012 by TPS

[Kelly the Dog]

I know he only did KR during the last part of the season, but that post was from early September just after they announced the 53-man roster. They tried him as PR in pre-season, not KR, so that's what I had to go on.

 

As for his ability--for a R7 pick from a small school, of course he's raw. However, they had enough confidence in him toward the end that they benched McKelvin. He's too short to be on the outside, so he will only be a slot CB, but he is talented. He will be an asset in Wanny's system which will use more zone. Then again, I'm not Buddy Nix...

Good one. Ha. I didn't see when your post was written so kudos for some foresight. I do, however, think that Rogers playing was more of a demotion of McKelvin and Corner as opposed to a promotion of Rogers for reliable play. I couldnt understand why people were saying he looked so good last year, I thought he looked terrible. But that is just one man's opinion, and I didn't expect him to be able to come in and play from, as you said, a small school, as well as small size. I never thought Reggie Corner was very good, so I was glad Rogers beat him out, and he does surely possess some skills. Hopefully he will turn into a player. He needs some time.

 

And I am not completely down on him at all, even though I thought he was terrible last year. Pretty much anyone would have been terrible with our scheme, abysmal coaching, injuries, and anemic pass rush. In fact, I really don't want them to draft a CB higher than the 4th round unless they think the guy is going to be an absolute stud. Sure, I even agree with you can never have enough CBs, but we have 5 right now that can play if they have to, and with this pass rush, we need to see what they can do. I would much, much rather get OL, WR, LB, and TE and maybe even back-up FS help before CBs.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Kelly the Dog

[thewildrabbit]

If not the 2010 draft, which one would you call below average, or even bad? I really liked the 2011 draft, but would consider 2010 to be flat out putrid. If it took Nix a year to hit his stride, or if there were "other" factors involved in 2010, so be it.

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In regards to Buddy Nix, he must be a really nice guy to work for. He must have looked over the last decade of drafts and concluded that it was just poor choices by whomever had the final say in each draft. He must have thought people like Tom Donhoe and Dick Jauron were the ones responsible for all those bad decisions. As the new Buffalo Bills GM he probably thought he could count on and trust the people under him to do their respective jobs.

 

Then after the 2010 draft he realized that it was more then just bad choices by the people in charge. He then fired Tom Modrak after realizing he was the one who put the 2010 FA Cornell Green folder on his desk. Modrak was also the one he trusted for the 2010 draft choices.

 

Guys, lets be real here. Buddy Nix hired Chan Gailey as his HC and wanted to give him as much input as he could into making the team better. It was all Chan Gailey responsible for that CJ Spiller pick. Gailey was talking "waterbug" long Before the draft

 

That 2010 draft was almost a complete waste for a team that was desperate for talent at key positions, a 4-12 team and NOT ONE player starting from that 2010 draft says it all. Nix scrood the pooch with that 2010 draft in not only player evaluation but in wrong choices all around.

 

 

 

3 years to finally obtain a pass rusher....had to do it in free agency. Nix missed on Jason Pierre Paul in 2010. He also missed on TE's Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. 3 years to build the O line, oh wait !!!...3 years with a back up QB starting, after 3 years no young QB being groomed to eventually take over.

 

 

Ya know what they say about nice guys....I'd rather have a fiery !@#$ like Polian in charge. I'm not convinced Nix is a great talent evaluator or GM. I'm not convinced that Chan Gailey is a top HC who can take a team to a winning record.

 

 

 

 

OTOH,Nix signed super Mario, Nix has managed to get this owner to spend big money on free agents. Marv levy was able to get Wilson to spend big $ on Dockery and Walker, but Marv picked the wrong HC. This year will be very telling in so many ways.

[3rdand12]

I had avoided this thread considering it fluff by it's title. Since i had some free time i thought i would take a looksee.

Well that was a lot more then i expected. What a heck of an origin posting this has turned to. Well done Kelly! I did just read every bit, and i would like to put forth my half pence after all these 100 doller bill opines.

As i have watched listened over a short time (2 years or so)and learned Mr Nix has taken the reins now. When he got them exactly is up to you detail guys, but even i can see he is in his glory right now. And Mr Wilson must have given him his trust recently.

I think we can see that our Buddy is going whole hog to show his skill through commitment to winning.

two things.

I think he felt insulted last year by the criticism and is reacting strongly to that.

After much study, I do trust him to take us to the promised land. his recent moves with Chan aligned and now the horses pulling in the same direction, well we might got a little somethin' here.

B) i think a culture change is occurring for us and it's a positive trend towards Bill-ieving and it might be because of

Mr Buddy Nix

[Kelly the Dog]

A good chunk of the as-of-now lousy 2010 draft could be as much Chan Gailey's fault as Nix. The most egregious error of the Nix/Gailey regime in their two years BY FAR was the hiring of George Edwards to be DC. I didn't like the move then or now. Edwards did not have the resume or pedigree. I didn't mind the concept of becoming a 3-4 team, but because of it we needed 3-4 scheme players, which led Nix to draft Troup and Carrington. If Chan hired a Wanny kind of 4-3 guy, those would not be the #2 and #3 selections.

 

Troup has been given a bad rap, but he has been injured both years. I don't think anyone, including Wanny, Nix and Chan themselves know whether Troup can or will be a good player in this league. He better start to become a factor soon, and he is likely not going to see the field more than 1/3 of the plays. Still, we don't know if that was a bad choice or not, it was unfortunate. I also think it's foolish to say you thought right away he was not a good choice and we reached, because the kid has not been given a chance to play. If we wasn't hurt, he may or may not have become a good pick.

[TPS]

Good one. Ha. I didn't see when your post was written so kudos for some foresight. I do, however, think that Rogers playing was more of a demotion of McKelvin and Corner as opposed to a promotion of Rogers for reliable play. I couldnt understand why people were saying he looked so good last year, I thought he looked terrible. But that is just one man's opinion, and I didn't expect him to be able to come in and play from, as you said, a small school, as well as small size. I never thought Reggie Corner was very good, so I was glad Rogers beat him out, and he does surely possess some skills. Hopefully he will turn into a player. He needs some time.

 

And I am not completely down on him at all, even though I thought he was terrible last year. Pretty much anyone would have been terrible with our scheme, abysmal coaching, injuries, and anemic pass rush. In fact, I really don't want them to draft a CB higher than the 4th round unless they think the guy is going to be an absolute stud. Sure, I even agree with you can never have enough CBs, but we have 5 right now that can play if they have to, and with this pass rush, we need to see what they can do. I would much, much rather get OL, WR, LB, and TE and maybe even back-up FS help before CBs.

From what I saw, I really thought he showed flashes of being a very good slot CB. We'll see. Though, your comment about scheme etc. suggests bad play is not always a CB's fault--Florence sure took a lot of criticism about his play too.

 

Re, the positions of need. I have similar thoughts about WR. Take away Parrish, and it's the same WR crew that scored a lot of points when healthy. While I think they could get by at CB and WR, I won't be disappointed by a R1 pick up at either position, though I lean CB over WR.

 

OT is currently the weakest spot on the team. I hope they re-sign Bell, so at least they have options and experience.

I think they can find LBs in later rounds who fit their scheme--since most teams are now looking for 3-4 LBs. I also posted about Moats and McKillop as a couple of talented backups to 2/3 LB positions--however they do have ?s

 

TE is riddle wrapped in an enigma. Yes, they can use more talent and competition, but how important is the position in Gailey's O? That said, I'm sure he'd like the option of a stud receiving TE with speed who can line up in a spread formation.

 

At any rate, I think this draft should put them to a good place across the roster.

Edited March 24, 2012 by TPS

[JohnC]

In regards to Buddy Nix, he must be a really nice guy to work for. He must have looked over the last decade of drafts and concluded that it was just poor choices by whomever had the final say in each draft. He must have thought people like Tom Donhoe and Dick Jauron were the ones responsible for all those bad decisions. As the new Buffalo Bills GM he probably thought he could count on and trust the people under him to do their respective jobs.

 

Then after the 2010 draft he realized that it was more then just bad choices by the people in charge. He then fired Tom Modrak after realizing he was the one who put the 2010 FA Cornell Green folder on his desk. Modrak was also the one he trusted for the 2010 draft choices.

 

Guys, lets be real here. Buddy Nix hired Chan Gailey as his HC and wanted to give him as much input as he could into making the team better. It was all Chan Gailey responsible for that CJ Spiller pick. Gailey was talking "waterbug" long Before the draft

 

That 2010 draft was almost a complete waste for a team that was desperate for talent at key positions, a 4-12 team and NOT ONE player starting from that 2010 draft says it all. Nix scrood the pooch with that 2010 draft in not only player evaluation but in wrong choices all around.

 

 

 

3 years to finally obtain a pass rusher....had to do it in free agency. Nix missed on Jason Pierre Paul in 2010. He also missed on TE's Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham. 3 years to build the O line, oh wait !!!...3 years with a back up QB starting, after 3 years no young QB being groomed to eventually take over.

 

 

Ya know what they say about nice guys....I'd rather have a fiery !@#$ like Polian in charge. I'm not convinced Nix is a great talent evaluator or GM. I'm not convinced that Chan Gailey is a top HC who can take a team to a winning record.

 

 

 

 

OTOH,Nix signed super Mario, Nix has managed to get this owner to spend big money on free agents. Marv levy was able to get Wilson to spend big $ on Dockery and Walker, but Marv picked the wrong HC. This year will be very telling in so many ways.

 

Let's be fair here. When Nix took over the football operation he was taking over a very dysfunctional operation. The owner who hired the people who ran the football operation was clueless. How does someone hire a person such as Levy who although is very likeable was patently unsuited for such a challenging and complex job? Why does a an owner keep Modrak on as the head college scout for a decade when the drafts were for so long absurdly bad? Things got so embarrassingly out of hand that the organization delayed publicly announcing that it gave Dick Jauron an extension when the team went on one of its standard losing streaks? It got so outlandish that the weird owner elevated his young marketing specialist, Brandon, to be the head of the football operation.

 

Nix is not an upper tier GM. He is a simply a sound football person. Compared to the buffoons that preceded him that is a major upgrade. Let's be fair to BN, he took over a franchise that was in a shambles, starting with the caliber of ownership. He had a daunting task in reshaping the football operation. He has made strides in altering the dynamics of this floundering franchise. Modrak is gone. Whaley was brought in. There is a new head of college scouting. There is a new head of pro scouting. Gailey might not be an upper tier HC but he is a credible and experienced HC.

 

This may sound odd but to those who have followed the Bills for a long time know what I mean: Under Nix the Bills are a normal NFL franchise. Isn't that better than being irrelevant for a generation? The moves he has made in signing his own free agents and outside free agents such as Williams and Anderson show that this franchise is serious in wanting to compete. That in itself is a major change.

 

My basic point is that there was never going to be a quick fix for this Ralph Wilson dilapidated franchise. From the start of Buddy's installation it was going to take time to get this quixotic organization operating in a professional and disciplined manner. As it stands I see that happening.

Edited March 24, 2012 by JohnC

[Billsguy]

Sure, he has/will make mistakes evaluating and drafting players, although a lot less mistakes than you.

 

The point of this is only to say that after much thought on who I want the Bills to draft, I've concluded that if they draft ANY Left Tackle at #10, I will be thrilled, regardless of the player, because that means Nix and his Bills scouts absolutely loved this guy. They are not going to take a LT if they don't, even if they really like him as a prospect. So it means if they take Reiff or Adams or Zebrie Sanders over my choice at the moment. Jonathan Martin, I'll be thrilled they didn't take Jonathan Martin because they think the guy they took at LT is better than Martin, and that's okay with me, because I really don't believe I can tell which LT pro prospect is more likely to be a top quality starter.

 

Especially if we sign Mark Anderson, I want an LT (unless we re-sign Bell and then I still wouldn't mind an LT at 10 or in round 2). I watch video and read scouting reports and hear arguments pro and con from all kinds of good and bad sources and I have my strong opinions about players being better or worse than others. I will especially love if I hear Jonathan Martin's name called out at #10 because that means I got my LT and Nix and the scouts agreed with me. But I will be happy with any name, and immediately think he is likely (but not certainly) going to be better than Martin.

 

This isn't to say pre-draft fan grading is a waste of time, it's fun as hell. And I could ultimately be right on Martin four years from now even if Nix picks Adams or Reiff or anyone else available at LT at #10. But I really do not believe that if the Bills choose a different guy than my guy, that it was a huge mistake, and they will rue the day they chose Reiff or Sanders or Adams over what was staring them right in the face, the obvious choice of Jonathan Martin.

 

As a caveat, I just happen to think Martin will be very good, from what I have seen myself, read and heard. It's not like he is well above other prospects, they all seem to have their strengths and weaknesses. He is a shade above the others, IMO, with the best chance of being a franchise LT.

 

Caveat #2, even though I really want a LT, I would not at all be disappointed if they chose Michael Floyd because he does two things: 1] He fits an immediate need of a big, fast #2 WR who can stretch the field and make plays, opening up the field for all of the various weapons AND 2] at the same time, he has a chance to be an absolute star and stud #1 WR down the line. Not many guys at any position in this draft would start right away on the Bills and have all the tools you need to be a star in this league, and Floyd has all the tools. Kirkpatrick probably wouldn't start day one. So we get immediate benefit, can plug Floyd in right away, and if we get lucky, we have a star on our hands alongside Stevie.

 

It is a moot point. How could you ever test it? Why pose a question that is impossible to answer or prove?

[Kelly the Dog]

It is a moot point. How could you ever test it? Why pose a question that is impossible to answer or prove?

Why post on a message board at all then? 99% of all questions here cannot be proven.

[bowery4]

Anybody remember the Bungles about four of five years ago making a public statement like this one.

"I also did NOT claim a better talent scout than Nix,, but that I could DRAFT as well. BIG DIFFERENCE. I would simply be using a professional scouts magazine's "big board".

And saving money on scouts, doing it. Sorry, I don't have a link but I remember it was discussed on here a bit. Seems that Buddy thinks pros should have those jobs and "in Nix I believe" at the moment. I think he has done a good job and this year we will see some results. BTW in the draft I would really really like us to try to move up and get the only great LT, Bell or no Bell even if it takes 3 picks to do it. I also want the TE from that team and I want Hightower (as an OLB). Git er done BN

Edited March 24, 2012 by bowery4