Kaepernick and the 2013 draft

[Bangarang]

I liked Kaepernick but not enough to pick him in the 2nd round as I thought that was too high for him. I viewed as more of a project QB and did not expect him to succeed this early.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I liked Kaepernick but not enough to pick him in the 2nd round as I thought that was too high for him. I viewed as more of a project QB and did not expect him to succeed this early.

 

I really respect your honesty here.

 

The thing about Kaep in the 2nd and Russell Wilson in the 3rd is that to me, at those spots you no longer have reservations about drafting them because the price is not too high (as it is in the first round).

 

When coupled with the importance of the position, it rankles me to this day that these two were passed over by the Bills.

 

To not take them in the first round is understandable.

 

After that, the decisions are virtually unforgivable as far as I'm concerned.

[1billsfan]

I like EJ Manuel and agree that he has tremendous upside.

 

But others have pointed out that characterizing him as a "scrambler" is not really accurate.

 

As a 4-year starter he did rush 298 times for 827 yards, an average of 2.8 ypr. But while he ran the ball often, he didn't do so very effectively except that he did have 11 rushing TDs.

 

I think what we saw in the Senior Bowl is probably indicative of Manuel's rushing abilities: He ran for a TD although it was a short distance from the goal line, he didn't look particularly good doing it, and it was unclear whether he had broken the plane.

 

Probably he's an opportunistic rusher more than an effective one.

 

When I said scrambler, I meant that he's athletic and with his long legs he can get out of the pocket and extend plays. I know that he's not a "running QB" like Kaepernick and RGIII, but he seems to be opportunistic and at least possesses the talent to run around and avoid getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I see him as the modern day version of Steve McNair.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

When I said scrambler, I meant that he's athletic and with his long legs he can get out of the pocket and extend plays. I know that he's not a "running QB" like Kaepernick and RGIII, but he seems to be opportunistic and at least possesses the talent to run around and avoid getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I see him as the modern day version of Steve McNair.

 

Gotcha.

 

Or a Big Ben type with his height.

[1billsfan]

Gotcha.

 

Or a Big Ben type with his height.

 

If the Bills were ever able to get their hands on a true #1 receiving deep threat, and add him to the weapons of Spiller, Johnson, Graham...EJ Manuel could easily become an effective runner 5-7 times a game. The guy's strides are so long is ridiculous. He'll never become Newton, Kaepernick or RGIII, but there's no reason why he couldn't be just a level below them in effectiveness.

[Cap'nCrunch]

Wow Manuel at #8 - yikes. I'd like him in the 2nd, and we'd probably have to trade back into the first to get him, but he's awfully scary at 8.

What would be scary is to take a non-QB at 8 and someone else take Manuel before we could make a deal for a trade up and watch him become a star in this league. I don't like to draft out of fear, but 2nd and 3rd round QB prospects are the new 1st rounders. As they say, don't let chasing perfection get in the way of doing good.

[ganesh]

I for onewanted the Bills to Draft CK and all of the great players for the last ten years that we passed on. Every great player! Those were the ones I

wanted them to draft. I cant think of there names at the moment but I wanted them to draft all of them. I wanted them to draft all the players that we drafted that have been great and did not want them to draft the ones that were not that good.

Thank You ACQ (Arm Chair Quarterback)!

[KOKBILLS]

I really respect your honesty here.

 

The thing about Kaep in the 2nd and Russell Wilson in the 3rd is that to me, at those spots you no longer have reservations about drafting them because the price is not too high (as it is in the first round).

 

When coupled with the importance of the position, it rankles me to this day that these two were passed over by the Bills.

 

To not take them in the first round is understandable.

 

After that, the decisions are virtually unforgivable as far as I'm concerned.

 

You got it exactly correct my friend...Could not have said it better myself...Not even gonna try...

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I just went to the forum archive and searched "Colin Kaepernick". In a word, painful. In another word, why. I'm not posting the links because it's not fair to the people who didn't like Kaepernick at all. It seems I was very high on Newton and didn't even give Kaepernick a second thought. I was amazed at some of the people here who were dead on about this guy. Big props for that.

 

You're welcome

[ganesh]

I really respect your honesty here.

 

The thing about Kaep in the 2nd and Russell Wilson in the 3rd is that to me, at those spots you no longer have reservations about drafting them because the price is not too high (as it is in the first round).

 

When coupled with the importance of the position, it rankles me to this day that these two were passed over by the Bills.

 

To not take them in the first round is understandable.

 

After that, the decisions are virtually unforgivable as far as I'm concerned.

 

+1, Couldn't have said better. Even the Patriots who have an all-world-QB in Brady have invested a 3rd rounder in Ryan Mallet a couple of drafts ago. For Buddy to assume that he had his franchise QB in Fitzpatrick shows his poor evaluation of the position. And that is why I don't know if Buddy is the right person to evaluate the QBs in this years draft.

Edited February 4, 2013 by ganesh

[Juror#8]

I didn't follow Kaep in college. But I do remember a large contingent here wanting the FO to draft him. He is a baller. I wish that he was in a Bills uniform

[JohnC]

I really respect your honesty here.

 

The thing about Kaep in the 2nd and Russell Wilson in the 3rd is that to me, at those spots you no longer have reservations about drafting them because the price is not too high (as it is in the first round).

 

When coupled with the importance of the position, it rankles me to this day that these two were passed over by the Bills.

 

To not take them in the first round is understandable.

 

After that, the decisions are virtually unforgivable as far as I'm concerned.

 

There is another aspect to not drafting the qbs available in the two drafts that makes Nix look even more foolish, the players he took instead. He took a CB, Aaron Williams, who is struggling. And he took T.J. Graham, a track receiver who has shown not much, although it is too early to draw a conclusion other than not taking Wilson or even Cousins would have been smarter to do. What made the T.J. Graham selection a little odd is that Nix who is usually adverse to maneuvering around in the draft moved up in the third round to select him. What did he see so appealing in that particular player when other scouts considered a fourth round prospect?

 

What is disheartening is that the person who had the most influence in the prior three mediocre drafts is the same person involved in this year's talent search. Brandon made a mistake by allowing Nix to continue in his role as a GM. If his current role is diminished then he should have simply cut the chord and moved in with a clean state. Where is the accountability in this organization?

[Ramius]

 

 

I like EJ Manuel and agree that he has tremendous upside.

 

But others have pointed out that characterizing him as a "scrambler" is not really accurate.

 

As a 4-year starter he did rush 298 times for 827 yards, an average of 2.8 ypr. But while he ran the ball often, he didn't do so very effectively except that he did have 11 rushing TDs.

 

I think what we saw in the Senior Bowl is probably indicative of Manuel's rushing abilities: He ran for a TD although it was a short distance from the goal line, he didn't look particularly good doing it, and it was unclear whether ihe had broken the plane.

 

Probably he's an opportunistic rusher more than an effective one.

 

 

EJ is a very good runner. Not top tier, but very good. As I said in my long write-up, he stopped running a lot this year for unknown reasons.

 

As for collegiate YPC averages for QBs, they can be skewed a ton, since college counts a sack as negative rushing yards for the QB.

[nonprophet]

I will be watching the Superbowl today with some anger that the Bills took Williams when they could drafted had Kaepernick.

The Bills never had a chance because

When he was in 4th grade, Kaepernick wrote himself a letter, predicting that he would be 6 feet 4 inches and would "then go to the pros and play on the Niners or Packers even if they aren't good in seven years."

[C.Biscuit97]

I didn't follow Kaep in college. But I do remember a large contingent here wanting the FO to draft him. He is a baller. I wish that he was in a Bills uniform

 

He was a beast in college but he did throw funny and it was considered a gimmick offense. But he was the only QB that we passed on that I really wanted. I thought he was Cam Newton Jr. His ceiling is incredible.