Man, this team has had some lousy drafts!!

[Bill from NYC]

http://www.history.buffalobills.com/Pro+Bowl+Selections+(By+Year)

 

Pro Bowl selections for this team post-Donahoe is a pretty narrow list. If that isn't emblematic of some poor drafting then nothing is.

 

And to an earlier point, two of their Pro Bowl selections (Byrd and Peters) were permitted to sign elsewhere, one (Lynch) was traded and another signed via UFA (Mario). That leaves Kyle Williams and C.J. Spiller as the only Pro Bowlers drafted since 2006. Not good.

 

And Kyle Williams was a 5th round pick.

The first 4 rounds of the 2006 draft set this team back at least 5 years, and I called it when it happened. This was the debut of Levy/Jauron, perhaps the most inept combination in the history of the NFL. This draft was absolutely stacked with players that the team needed, AND we had an extra early 3rd round pick (which we used to actually trade up for McCargo).

Sure, there were a slew of idiotic picks after 2006, but this particular draft is the primary cause of not making the playoffs, let alone the loser free agents that Levy/Jauron gave big money to.

[BillsVet]

And Kyle Williams was a 5th round pick.

The first 4 rounds of the 2006 draft set this team back at least 5 years, and I called it when it happened. This was the debut of Levy/Jauron, perhaps the most inept combination in the history of the NFL. This draft was absolutely stacked with players that the team needed, AND we had an extra early 3rd round pick (which we used to actually trade up for McCargo).

Sure, there were a slew of idiotic picks after 2006, but this particular draft is the primary cause of not making the playoffs, let alone the loser free agents that Levy/Jauron gave big money to.

 

Teams may have equal dollars to spend and there's a draft to supposedly level the playing field with talent. Neither though work when you have inferior football minds using them to build a team. And if the GM is the most important personnel guy, it makes sense that Buffalo couldn't get it done from 2006-2012. One would hope Whaley has a better plan than his predecessors and it doesn't include drafting more DB's, RB's, and small/fast skill players. That approach hasn't worked so well in the regimes before him.

[CardinalScotts]

they have done a nice job recently but as mentioned the qb search prevents any hope of winning, especially consistently. I do believe they have a playoff roster right now with descent qb play

[FluffHead]

I do believe they have a playoff roster right now with descent qb play

 

The last thing we need is the Qb play to descent.

[NDBUFFCUSEFAN]

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I was looking over the NFL Draft History. I thought I'd have another look at the Rams 2000 draft, which at the time I thought was the worst, most pompous draft in history. Martz liked to show his brilliance at the draft.

 

But then I started going through the Bills drafts since then. Wow, it's no wonder we never make the playoffs. We traded up in the first to get Losman, and then McCargo. Who does that? We took Aaron Maybin in the first!! Erik Flowers!! There are so many whiffs, it's awesome.

 

But the last couple have been pretty productive. Let's hope they don't screw this up. I know that there are egos involved in keeping things secretive, and pulling surprises. But it seems that our new GM knows what he's doing.

 

Hope so.

 

Sadly we still have many in the scouting department from now to then. Nix's first draft was horrendous:

 

 

2010 Buffalo Bills Draft Selections Round Overall Player Position College 1 9 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson 2 41 Torell Troup DT UCF 3 72 Alex Carrington DE Arkansas State 4 107 Marcus Easley WR Connecticut 5 140 Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech 6 178 Arthur Moats DE James Madison 6 192 Danny Batten DE South Dakota State 7 209 Levi Brown QB Troy 7 216 Kyle Calloway OT Iowa

 

http://en.wikipedia....lo_Bills_season

 

only Easly, Spiller, Carrington and Moats are in the league and non are stars. UGH sigh

 

Murray could be that guy.

 

Doubtful

 

Your kidding right? This is a recent revelation. Once Butler left for San Diego, our FO has sucked until Boss Hog. I know a bunch of you didn't like Buddy Nix, but he brought in a number of durable free agents, some very good hits in the draft, and yes some misses, but then Whaley has been even better.

 

The greatest loss to this team was Bill Polian. This was Mr. Wilson's largest blunder. He allowed the tension between his daughter and Polian cloud his judgment.

 

I don't mean to be short with you, but bad FO decisions from Donahoe on, have caused bad hires for coaches, bad draft choices, bad decisions in free agency and hence no playoffs in 14 years.

 

This is the reason to be excited as we finally have some decent football people on charge and how it takes years to get out of the hole with the least talented team in the league a few years ago.

 

nix sux

Edited May 4, 2014 by Buffalo Barbarian

[Dorkington]

On paper it certainly feels like we've had better drafts recently...

 

But we used to finish 7-9 all the time, and now we finish 6-10 all the time...

[bowery4]

Until we get a franchise QB all these flaws will keep showing up.

Losman and Trent sent us back... 3 years was proven to be too long. I hope EJ is a fast learner and picks it up this year or we should draft another next year. In fact I wouldn't be against a high pick for one this year, if they liked a guy. I actually trust the FO for the first time in years at the moment. At the moment being the operative words in that statement.

 

And she is kinda hot.

[DC Grid]

There have been a lot of misses, but sometimes the misses get a little overblown. For ALL the talk of Maybin and what a failure he is and how bad the Bills screwed up your think the Bills drafted horribly that year, but the reality was they missed high, but generally killed it. Byrd, Levitre and Wood were all taken that year, making it perhaps the best draft that year. Last year feels a lot like that too. Even if EJ doesn't hit, the bills may have found 3 good to great starters in one draft. EJ hits and last years draft becomes perhaps the best in Bills history. Either way, we can always rejoice that we have a front office that isn't laying complete turds like the Jags each year.

Edited May 4, 2014 by DC Grid

[Fingon]

Sadly we still have many in the scouting department from now to then. Nix's first draft was horrendous:

 

 

2010 Buffalo Bills Draft Selections Round Overall Player Position College 1 9 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson 2 41 Torell Troup DT UCF 3 72 Alex Carrington DE Arkansas State 4 107 Marcus Easley WR Connecticut 5 140 Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech 6 178 Arthur Moats DE James Madison 6 192 Danny Batten DE South Dakota State 7 209 Levi Brown QB Troy 7 216 Kyle Calloway OT Iowa

 

http://en.wikipedia....lo_Bills_season

 

only Easly, Spiller, Carrington and Moats are in the league and non are stars. UGH sigh

So, one of the most productive backs in the league, one of the best gunners in the league, a solid starting 3-4 DE, and a good backup LB constitutes horrendous to you? You must not be very familiar with the draft process if you think that's terrible.

[ganesh]

So, one of the most productive backs in the league, one of the best gunners in the league, a solid starting 3-4 DE, and a good backup LB constitutes horrendous to you? You must not be very familiar with the draft process if you think that's terrible.

 

How many games have we won due to Spiller's dominating performance. Also,look at the # of TDs Spiller has scored. Spiller might be a great player but is an average player on an mediocre team.

[Bill from NYC]

 

So, one of the most productive backs in the league, one of the best gunners in the league, a solid starting 3-4 DE, and a good backup LB constitutes horrendous to you? You must not be very familiar with the draft process if you think that's terrible.

 

I have been watching the draft for a few years and yes, that one was pretty horrendous from the first pick on. I guess the pick that I thought was the best in terms of value was Moats, which really is pretty bad.

[PromoTheRobot]

I was looking over the NFL Draft History. I thought I'd have another look at the Rams 2000 draft, which at the time I thought was the worst, most pompous draft in history. Martz liked to show his brilliance at the draft.

 

But then I started going through the Bills drafts since then. Wow, it's no wonder we never make the playoffs. We traded up in the first to get Losman, and then McCargo. Who does that? We took Aaron Maybin in the first!! Erik Flowers!! There are so many whiffs, it's awesome.

 

But the last couple have been pretty productive. Let's hope they don't screw this up. I know that there are egos involved in keeping things secretive, and pulling surprises. But it seems that our new GM knows what he's doing.

 

Hope so.

 

If you are going to judge drafts you have to judge more than the top pick. Everyone from the #1 to the last UDFA should be judged. How many players ended up contributing.

[Bill from NYC]

 

 

If you are going to judge drafts you have to judge more than the top pick. Everyone from the #1 to the last UDFA should be judged.

 

I am not looking for a heated argument, but I don't completely agree with the above. While I give a ton of credit to the Bills for bringing in udfas such as Jason Peters and Pat Williams, there was a bit of luck involved because they could have signed elsewhere. Getting Kyle Williams in the 5th was a great pick. They drafted him and owned his rights. See the difference?

 

Again, the above is not to downplay the accomplishment of signing a good udfa. I however link it less to the draft and more to the concept of free agency overall.

 

Jmo.

[MyHorseAteTheKid]

The real key to any good draft is a GREAT GM... There are damn few of them out there and when you have one, you can't let them get away... Bill Polian was/is a master of the craft, yet has a knack for pissing owners off and getting himself fired... As a fan though, I can only imagine where the Bills could have been had he spent his career in Buffalo...

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

 

 

Sadly we still have many in the scouting department from now to then. Nix's first draft was horrendous:

 

 

2010 Buffalo Bills Draft Selections Round Overall Player Position College 1 9 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson 2 41 Torell Troup DT UCF 3 72 Alex Carrington DE Arkansas State 4 107 Marcus Easley WR Connecticut 5 140 Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech 6 178 Arthur Moats DE James Madison 6 192 Danny Batten DE South Dakota State 7 209 Levi Brown QB Troy 7 216 Kyle Calloway OT Iowa

 

http://en.wikipedia....lo_Bills_season

 

only Easly, Spiller, Carrington and Moats are in the league and non are stars. UGH sigh

 

 

 

Doubtful

 

 

 

nix sux

 

It wasn't nix. Modrak was was the mastermind of draft debacles year after year. Once Nix benched him and subsequently canned him everything improved dramatically.

[thewildrabbit]

Just about every player drafted by this team after the second round the last 14 years didn't amount to very much. But its not just the scouting department, as the entire org has been bad in about every respect. No GM for the longest time, no accountability on the HC until the three years are up. Bad drafts, bad choices in free agents, bad coaches, bad schemes. Recently nine of the eleven starters on defense were all 1st or 2nd round picks, and still near last in the league in stopping the run. Even last year under Mike Pettine they still stunk against the run.

 

In order to get that elusive franchise QB teams usually spend their first round pick on them, save Buffalo. Would you believe that EJ is the very first QB taken first in the first round by this team in the 50+ year of the history of the team.

 

 

Things did improve last year in many ways for the defense, as for the offense not so much.

[PromoTheRobot]

I am not looking for a heated argument, but I don't completely agree with the above. While I give a ton of credit to the Bills for bringing in udfas such as Jason Peters and Pat Williams, there was a bit of luck involved because they could have signed elsewhere. Getting Kyle Williams in the 5th was a great pick. They drafted him and owned his rights. See the difference?

 

Again, the above is not to downplay the accomplishment of signing a good udfa. I however link it less to the draft and more to the concept of free agency overall.

 

Jmo.

 

I don't think it's luck to get UDFA's to sign. You target and recruit them.

[Buffaloed in Pa]

E.J. was Buddys last pick. The rest were Whaley and staff. Buddys been hiding since. Hope EJ tears up this year,it`s our only real weak spot. Hate to say it,but Gailey was light years ahead of Buddy Hackett.

[ganesh]

E.J. was Buddys last pick. The rest were Whaley and staff. Buddys been hiding since. Hope EJ tears up this year,it`s our only real weak spot. Hate to say it,but Gailey was light years ahead of Buddy Hackett.

 

Other than running the bubble screens what did Chan do? Nothing. Equally inept. THe problem is when you have a poor to average QB, the play calling is limited.