smapdi Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 With a top 10 pick, you need to come away with an elite player with Pro-Bowl potential who can immediately step in and start. A guy that can make a major impact on your team from day 1. An elite OT like Matthews or Lewan is a no-brainer to me. Both are blue-chip prospects with a ton of experience (40+ starts) that can step into this offensive line and get the worst starter left off the field in Eric Pears. Those guys will have an immediate impact on EVERY single snap of offense. We have a young QB in Manuel that has struggled with injuries. We need to keep him up-right & give him time to make reads. 48 sacks won't cut it. There is also a massive drop off in talent from Matthews and Lewan to the next tier of guys. They both can easily slide over to LT if Glenn gets injured. Your 2nd or 3rd round RT prospect has no hope of being able to do that effectively. Mike Evans would be nice but even a great rookie season by him is probably 60 catches. We can get a WR in the 2nd or 3rd to address playmakers that is very talented & could have that same type of production
ALF Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 OL is critical this year to save EJ and CJ. OT in rd1 if top 3 are still there and OG in rd 3. Talk on WGR if we should trade our 1st rd pick next year to improve now for new owner. I would do it to get a good OT or OG.
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 This hasn't been discussed over and over again? If Modrak were still here, we could talk about 7th rounders (a.k.a. the Modrak Wheelhouse area of the draft). Maybin wasn't even good enough to play special teams. He did start the last 2 games for the Argonauts.
Solomon Grundy Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 Another pass rusher! We need someone to put opposing QBs on their arses! Can't allow Brees to complete a 3rd and 20 for a 1st down. Can't allow Brady to complete a 3rd and 16 for a 1st down. Can't allow Matt Ryan to complete a 4th and long for a first down. I really don't care if he's a situational player right now just as long as he can get to the QB!
4BillsintheBurgh Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 If Modrak were still here, we could talk about 7th rounders (a.k.a. the Modrak Wheelhouse area of the draft). He did start the last 2 games for the Argonauts. With some of the comments from front offices (ours and others), I have come to the conclusion that we were successful because Modrak was less involved at the bottom of the draft. With EJ and a lot of the higher round picks, Nix talked about being more involved because the job is more contingent on hitting those picks. And that makes sense, but it lead me to think the lower round picks and udfa's got less "input" from other members of the front office and were picked based more on what the scouting guys assessed than anything else. Hence the successes, IMO.
White Linen Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 Instead of saying BPA, I like to say take the player with the least amount of risk.
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 With some of the comments from front offices (ours and others), I have come to the conclusion that we were successful because Modrak was less involved at the bottom of the draft. With EJ and a lot of the higher round picks, Nix talked about being more involved because the job is more contingent on hitting those picks. And that makes sense, but it lead me to think the lower round picks and udfa's got less "input" from other members of the front office and were picked based more on what the scouting guys assessed than anything else. Hence the successes, IMO. First, the "Modrak Wheelhouse" was a term I coined for the general argument that people used to defend Modrak's record by pointing out the 6th and 7th rounders and UDFAs that helped the team. It's pure sarcasm. Second, it's kind of sad to imply that more attention was paid to a 7th rounder than a 1st rounder. <sigh> Finally, it's a numbers game. A team only brings so many guys to camp, etc. If the team doesn't have a ton of talent to begin with and misses its top picks and is losing players to injury, free agency, retirement, etc., then they, out of sheer necessity, simply have to play the players that they have left -- the 6th and 7th rounders and UDFAs. The fact these guys see the field doesn't really imply they are great players or that they will even win their battles and be successful. I do think it is a numbers game in the lower rounds as well. They are more likely to have a pool of players and be trying to fit those picks to what they think they need to plug roles and round out the roster.
maddenboy Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Instead of saying BPA, I like to say take the player with the least amount of risk. But then you end up with a roster of average players. Ya gotta swing for the fences sometimes. Give the coaches 2, 3, 4 special players and let them find ways for those guys to make plays. THEN you can round out the roster with just guys. A top ten pick is a place to find special players. Right now I'd say we have 1, maybe 2 (Kiko, and probably CJ). Players that every other team would want. Edited April 19, 2014 by maddenboy
swnybillsfan Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 in the first round i think we need to get the best fit with the most talent and the right attitude and therefore he will make the highest impact. i don't care what position they draft as long as the guy is a high level producer on the field and not a complete d-bag off it.
K-9 Posted April 19, 2014 Posted April 19, 2014 You don't have to wait. Just take a shovel and dig up the Aaron Maybin memories that I'm assuming you, like me, buried down deep. Maybin wasn't even good enough to play special teams. As for what's most important it's taking Mike Evans if he's available. Ah, thanks for pointing out my gaffe: I totally forgot about Maybin being the wrong example of my point, which was that I long for the day of being so talented that our 1st round pick has a tough time cracking the line-up. Friggin' Maybin! GO BILLS!!!
Overseas Bills Fan Posted April 20, 2014 Posted April 20, 2014 immediate starter and impact. . .room for growth and hasn't peaked.
KD in CA Posted April 20, 2014 Posted April 20, 2014 What's most important is to not !@#$ it up like they did with first round picks for a decade, which is the #1 reason this team hasn't sniffed the playoffs in forever. No 'upside' guys (i.e., Barr), take the most solid player on the board.
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 20, 2014 Posted April 20, 2014 Roll the dice on a kid with little on tape and an impressive workout, or who your scouts tell you can play a position he's never played with a straight face. (Yes, I'm kidding. We've been there, done that.)
chris heff Posted April 21, 2014 Posted April 21, 2014 Avoid all Patulski, Ruud, Cousineau, Dokes, Gant, Hunter, Williams, Maybin, McCargo, and Losman like picks. You forgot Tuttle.
CountryCletus Posted April 21, 2014 Posted April 21, 2014 I was all for the drafting of a top OT in the first, but I also don't want to create a situation where we draft a player high and 'rent' them for 4-5 years until they hit their payday somewhere else... I would be all for drafting one high if it would be a priority to keep them.. OT is a priority for this team THIS YEAR!!!
CardinalScotts Posted April 21, 2014 Posted April 21, 2014 as a GM you grilled for missing on a pick so you do the safe thing and take Mathews at tackle he plays well the next 15 seasons. If you unsure of your job status because of the new ownership you take a shot and grab Evans or Ebron. What would you do?
thebandit27 Posted April 21, 2014 Posted April 21, 2014 as a GM you grilled for missing on a pick so you do the safe thing and take Mathews at tackle he plays well the next 15 seasons. If you unsure of your job status because of the new ownership you take a shot and grab Evans or Ebron. What would you do? That's being a bit presumptuous don't you think? 15 years ago, the Washington Redskins thought the same thing when they took Chris Samuels 3rd overall...he played 9 seasons and retired. The same was said for guys like Leonard Davis, Mike Williams, Robert Gallery, and others...I'm not picking on you per se, just saying that the whole "plug him in for 10 years" adage that gets tossed around isn't exactly a concrete scenario.
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 21, 2014 Posted April 21, 2014 I was all for the drafting of a top OT in the first, but I also don't want to create a situation where we draft a player high and 'rent' them for 4-5 years until they hit their payday somewhere else... I would be all for drafting one high if it would be a priority to keep them.. OT is a priority for this team THIS YEAR!!! What is the connection between drafting an OT and a 1-and-done contract? 1-and-done could be the case if the pick is poor and doesn't pan out. And, 1-and-done could be the case if the team refuses the pay market rate, or yes even better (like they did for Mario Williams), for the player or the team continues to lose heavily, change schemes annually, and the guy just wants out. The bottom line in that last sentence is the team making the player, regardless of position, happy enough to actually want to be in Buffalo.
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