Nix's UDFA/Waiver Wire grade

[PromoTheRobot]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article986366.ece

 

This article on Urbik made me think about some of the waiver wire moves Nix has made. Scott Chandler, Erik Pears, Chad Rheinhardt, etc. Buddy has found some solid players on the waiver wire. Do you think he's done better than most GMs? I have no perspective on how other teams have done in this area.

 

PTR

Edited August 5, 2012 by PromoTheRobot

[HOUSE]

Buddy Nix is widely recognized as the NFL's best scout at finding disguarded talent. Considering how Buddy rebuilt a pitiful offense line he gets an A- from me.

The minus reflects the WR position. So far, not good enough.

[Charles Romes]

It's really remarkable that we may have to cut serviceable players on both the offensive and defensive lines to make roster this year considering Cornell green started for us two years ago. If hagan somehow emerges as a solid 3 that might be the biggest reclamation success out of all the names mentioned. That guy is on his fourth or fifth team.

[BillnutinHouston]

I think his adds, especially with Urbik, Rinehart and Chandler have been excellent. I vaguely recall reading that Buddy pulled some type of procedural "fast one", or maybe it was some kind of head fake (leading Cowboy staff to think he coveted a player on their team, so they protect him only to then have Buddy swoop in and take the player they really wanted) that landed Chandler. Anyone else recall this?

 

I also think that while Buddy's an excellent talent evaluator, a complete perspective has to take into account that Buddy has benefitted from inheriting a very favorable waiver wire "order" - in his first few years he had nearly the first pick of the waiver wire availables.

[John Cocktosten]

Urbick and Chandler have been very good pickups. The big problem that I had with Nix early on was if he was going to switch over to a 3-4 then why not sign OLBs. They were out there. At the end of last year they were so desperate that they were throwing Johnson and Carrington out there. Kelsay was a disaster from day one and Merriman should have never been counted on. It made the last 8 games of last year very hard to watch.

 

IMO, I think Buddy has assembled a playoff team this year. That being said, he didn't need to take 3 years to do it. The 2010 draft was a disaster. So my feelings about Buddy are still mixed.

 

Grade:C

Edited August 5, 2012 by John Cocktosten

[Beerball]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article986366.ece

 

This article on Urbik made me think about some of the waiver wire moves Nix has made. Scott Chandler, Erik Pears, Chad Rheinhardt, etc. Buddy has found some solid players on the waiver wire. Do you think he's done better than most GMs? I have no perspective on how other teams have done in this area.

 

PTR

Your thread title is a litle misleading, but I assumed that your post was going to be about waiver pick-ups because I read the same article this morning.

 

I don't see how you can give him anything less than an A for waiver pickups. It's a crapshoot, not unlike UDFAs and the fact that he's picked up 2 solid starters and several important backups (don't forget Merriman)is what leads me to giving him an A grade. I don't care how many 'misses' he's had with waiver pickups, only the wins matter.

[bowery4]

The FA grade should include Mario, Anderson and re-signing our own IMO. The wavier wire stuff has been very good though too, plus as a GM he has been giving direction and vision to the team. It is all part of the picture IMO. A, would be about right. Plus, he is just damned entertaining to listen to. Make it A+, now where is that baby?

[sllib olaffub]

Yeah - you have to give Buddy extremely high marks, and that is compared to other GM's, for the work he's done with F.A. pickups.

 

Something comes to mind now that I haven't really formulated before: If I put myself in the position of a GM, especially one taking over a very talent deprived team, I have to take a long view perspective on building the team back up.

 

First year you see what you have, and you go out and get as many impact players as possible for your team via the draft. Buddy's first draft is his only real blemish, as far as most are concerned - but, I give him a pass on that because, for one, I think Spiller is awesome, and can really be a mega star with tremendous game changing ability. Also, he couldn't very well predict Troupe's back problems, and Carrington is, I believe, a good player. Add to the mix Nix didn't have a scouting dept. in place then, while Modrak knew he was on his way out, and I think you just let that draft go as a wash. Besides, other GM's who have had time to assemble staffs, and who are considered great, have had very bad drafts with no excuses. It can happen.

 

Second year, Buddy assembles his staff, has a very good draft, and adds talent to the team where it is needed. My point here is not to rehash his first years here, but to point to this: There are windows of opportunity for a team. You simply cannot afford to keep more than a few players a year, whose contracts come up, and who have played exceptionally well, while also adding F.A.'s and draftees. You have to try to get as many NFL ready players from the draft, serviceable players from the waiver wire - who will be affordable - and be very selective on big money contracts.

Had Buddy gone out his first two years and spent big money on contracts for players that wouldn't have put the team totally over the "hump", then we wouldn't have had the money to sign Mario and Anderson, not to mention we've given drafted players time to develop.

Buddy has his hands full next year trying to resign Byrd, Levitre, and Ubrik.

 

So - he's really done an excellent job of bringing in young, AFFORDABLE, talent. He doesn't overpay for players. And, now that our roster is competitive, we can begin to supplement players we might lose with younger guys or rookies.

I don't remember seeing anyone build a team so well in recent memory, except San Fran last year, although they were stocked up in certain areas already. I'd guess if Buddy left Buffalo tomorrow, he'd be able to find a GM job with at least 2 or 3 other NFL teams.

[....lybob]

I think Buddy has done an outstanding job of getting good players off practice squads, wavers, UDFAs and the like- not all the moves succeed but you can feel a logical intelligent plan behind them- and if buddy hits on one or two of Dickerson, Onobun, Moore, Gilbert, Hagen, Brock, or Carmon then the word genius is going to start being used.

[Justice]

A+

[Logical Reasoning]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article986366.ece

 

This article on Urbik made me think about some of the waiver wire moves Nix has made. Scott Chandler, Erik Pears, Chad Rheinhardt, etc. Buddy has found some solid players on the waiver wire. Do you think he's done better than most GMs? I have no perspective on how other teams have done in this area.

 

PTR

 

 

I think this is post is long overdue. I think he has done a very strong job, but with the lack of talent he started with, it may not have been as difficult to find talent better than what we had opposed to some other general managers.

[Kelly the Dog]

I think his adds, especially with Urbik, Rinehart and Chandler have been excellent. I vaguely recall reading that Buddy pulled some type of procedural "fast one", or maybe it was some kind of head fake (leading Cowboy staff to think he coveted a player on their team, so they protect him only to then have Buddy swoop in and take the player they really wanted) that landed Chandler. Anyone else recall this?

 

It's possible but I highly doubt that Nix really knew this was going to happen. IMO, he simply needed a TE and went after one, and would have taken either of them. IIRC, Chandler was the #3 TE on the Cowboys roster, and a young guy with a lot of potential, I think it was Martin Rucker, was a TE on their practice squad. Nix put in a claim on Rucker and offered him a contract and guaranteed spot on the Bills roster, which teams have to do to get players off other teams PS. The Cowboys didnt know what they had in either guy really, but Rucker had PS eligibility and Chandler didn't. When the Bills offered Rucker the contract, the Cowboys were allowed to sign him to their active roster if they wanted (and I believe the rule is that the player can take either contract offer). Rucker was signed to the active roster because the Cowboys decided they wanted to keep him over Chander, and Chandler was released, and Nix immediately signed Chandler.

 

The story went that Chandler was the guy Nix wanted all along and he knew that was going to happen so he put in the claim on Rucker. Again, it's possible they had some information that the Cowboys were higher on Rucker than they were on Chandler so they would do what they did. But it was still a chance, a good one, that the Bills would have had Rucker instead.

 

Rucker never really panned out and went back to the Cowboys PS later on and then was signed off it by the Jags I think.

[ddaryl]

The minus reflects the WR position. So far, not good enough.

 

 

I really disagree here. Hagan is stepping up big time. Nelson was rock solid last year in his 2nd year. We already have Johnson

 

Jones is a ? but his injury and lack of experience worked against him. If Jones plays better and more consistent then last year then our WR situation will be just fine. Graham appears to be ahead of the curve from what most anyone expected this early.

 

 

What I don't like is the thought that a older FA WR vet is the answer.. Better to develop your own and that is what this team is doing, and I think it is and will pay dividends.

 

I am not worried about the WR position. What we need is better OT depth if Pears is going to be dealing with a chronic situation all season

[JESSEFEFFER]

Some years back, Bill Polian (hardly any football opinion I respect more) had a decision to make about extending either Edgerrin James or Reggie Wayne. Both were big to the Colts' offensive success and he could only fit one under the cap. He chose Wayne and the reason he gave was that it takes rookie receivers 3 seasons within an offense to realize their full potential but a talented rookie RB can be productive in year one. So he extended Wayne, let James walk and drafted Addai.

 

The moral to this story is that if there is (are) any special player(s) within the Bills' WR group, it's no huge surprise that we haven't seen it yet. But, this is the year for many of these Bills to come due. Look how long it took Stevie.

[Punch]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article986366.ece

 

This article on Urbik made me think about some of the waiver wire moves Nix has made. Scott Chandler, Erik Pears, Chad Rheinhardt, etc. Buddy has found some solid players on the waiver wire. Do you think he's done better than most GMs? I have no perspective on how other teams have done in this area.

 

PTR

 

Erik Pears was also an excellent signing--- incredible that so much of our line has been rebuilt so quickly in large part due to under the radar signings.

 

I've wanted to take a deeper look at the Bills scouting staff continuity over the years but haven't made the commitment. Despite the front office blunders of the previous regimes, the UDFA scouting has been exceptional pre-Nix/Whaley as well and I wonder how much credit should go to those unsung guys--- Fred Jackson, Jabari Greer, Jason Peters, George Wilson, etc.

 

I really lament the inability to retain Greer--- he should have been locked up prior to becoming a FA, which of course forced the Bills to draft another 1st rd DB in McKelvin. Jabari was a character guy that would absolutely fit in with this current group.

[Buffalos#1Fan]

Your thread title is a litle misleading, but I assumed that your post was going to be about waiver pick-ups because I read the same article this morning.

 

I don't see how you can give him anything less than an A for waiver pickups. It's a crapshoot, not unlike UDFAs and the fact that he's picked up 2 solid starters and several important backups (don't forget Merriman)is what leads me to giving him an A grade. I don't care how many 'misses' he's had with waiver pickups, only the wins matter.

 

You're acting like Merriman has actually contributed to this team. Other than a hefty paycheck and a so called "veteran presence" he has done jack squat.

[Punch]

You're acting like Merriman has actually contributed to this team. Other than a hefty paycheck and a so called "veteran presence" he has done jack squat.

 

If he never produces on the field (beyond the few solid, if unspectacular, games he played in 2011) he is largely responsible for recruiting Nick Barnett and playing an important role as Buffalo Bills ambassador in the media. Those contributions can't be understated and make his signing worthwhile.

[AReed Deep For6]

You're acting like Merriman has actually contributed to this team. Other than a hefty paycheck and a so called "veteran presence" he has done jack squat.

i think Merriman changed the culture of this locker room. he liked what he saw here and no doubt helped bring in some players that probably wouldnt have ever signed with us (Barnett)

[Buffalos#1Fan]

If he never produces on the field (beyond the few solid, if unspectacular, games he played in 2011) he is largely responsible for recruiting Nick Barnett and playing an important role as Buffalo Bills ambassador in the media. Those contributions can't be understated and make his signing worthwhile.

 

 

i think Merriman changed the culture of this locker room. he liked what he saw here and no doubt helped bring in some players that probably wouldnt have ever signed with us (Barnett)

 

Good point, I think the Barnett pick up was huge for this team I'm sure he was involved in the other 2 DE's we got this season too

[ganesh]

Urbick and Chandler have been very good pickups. The big problem that I had with Nix early on was if he was going to switch over to a 3-4 then why not sign OLBs. They were out there. At the end of last year they were so desperate that they were throwing Johnson and Carrington out there. Kelsay was a disaster from day one and Merriman should have never been counted on. It made the last 8 games of last year very hard to watch.

 

IMO, I think Buddy has assembled a playoff team this year. That being said, he didn't need to take 3 years to do it. The 2010 draft was a disaster. So my feelings about Buddy are still mixed.

 

Grade:C

 

 

Agree 100%. I hope Buddy's moves this year will turn this team around. The only reason it has taken them 3 years is that it is hard for this team (deprived of any talent) to fill that many holes in one season. He needed two seasons to fix the OL and DL including depth at those positions. However, there has been quite a few questionable calls during his tenure.

 

1. Switching to a 3-4 defense when we had cover-2 personnel. Fitting a square peg in a circular hole

2. Picking Spiller in the 1st round. They could have still had Best in the 2nd round if they needed a RB.

3. Picking Troupe, Carrington, Wang and a big question mark on this years 3rd round pick.

 

However, I would rather give him a B+ for getting good FA to actually sign with the Bills.

 

You're acting like Merriman has actually contributed to this team. Other than a hefty paycheck and a so called "veteran presence" he has done jack squat.

 

 

The Merriman signing is more like to get other FAs to sign with the team.