Article: Why I Drafted Jay Cutler

[Coach Tuesday]

Good read, this:

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2580349-why-i-drafted-jay-cutler-and-what-happened-from-there

 

EDIT: for some anachronistic or petty reason, links to Bleacher Report are not recognized. It's too bad, because they have some solid writers and content these days, including this excellent piece by the former GM of the Denver Broncos. Mods, if there is some reason to censor insightful content like this, please go ahead and delete my thread.

Edited October 22, 2015 by Coach Tuesday

[dave mcbride]

No offense to the mods, but the policy of blocking Bleacher Report is anachronistic now.

[LB3]

This has been brought up before. The reasons for blocking are in that thread.

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/173319-is-it-really-necessary-to-block-bleacher-report-still/

Edited October 22, 2015 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall

[dave mcbride]

This has been brought up before. The reasons for blocking are in that thread.

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/173319-is-it-really-necessary-to-block-bleacher-report-still/

Maybe so, but this is a really good article and better than 95 percent of the stuff that isn't blocked.

 

As for the article: a Bills nugget! Marv didn't know what the hell he was doing.

 

 

The prognosticators had been wrong. Two of the top three quarterbacks were now available at No. 8. Shanahan didn't want to risk anyone jumping up to grab Leinart. He felt this might be the steal of the draft if we could somehow orchestrate a trade. Dinger and I just looked at each other.

"Start calling," Mike commanded.

The Bills were a possibility. They'd selected J.P. Losman with their first-round pick in 2004, but they were quick to reply, "Our man is there." I was already on the phone with Detroit GM Matt Millen when Buffalo grabbed defensive back Donte Whitner."

Edited October 22, 2015 by dave mcbride

[LB3]

Maybe so, but this is a really good article and better than 95 percent of the stuff that isn't blocked.

 

As for the article: a Bills nugget! Marv didn't know what the hell he was doing.

 

The prognosticators had been wrong. Two of the top three quarterbacks were now available at No. 8. Shanahan didn't want to risk anyone jumping up to grab Leinart. He felt this might be the steal of the draft if we could somehow orchestrate a trade. Dinger and I just looked at each other.

"Start calling," Mike commanded.

The Bills were a possibility. They'd selected J.P. Losman with their first-round pick in 2004, but they were quick to reply, "Our man is there." I was already on the phone with Detroit GM Matt Millen when Buffalo grabbed defensive back Donte Whitner."

I personally hate their format so I wouldn't click their links either way, I just respect the reasons given by SDS.

 

Edit: Nice Bills nugget though.

Edited October 22, 2015 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall

[mead107]

Same.

[NoSaint]

Maybe so, but this is a really good article and better than 95 percent of the stuff that isn't blocked.

 

 

the problem is there are soooooooo many bad ones, and so few posters can tell the difference. its annoying when they have a gem, but i remember the 12 different threads daily from bleacher report, and not fondly

[BillsVet]

Maybe so, but this is a really good article and better than 95 percent of the stuff that isn't blocked.

 

As for the article: a Bills nugget! Marv didn't know what the hell he was doing.

 

 

The prognosticators had been wrong. Two of the top three quarterbacks were now available at No. 8. Shanahan didn't want to risk anyone jumping up to grab Leinart. He felt this might be the steal of the draft if we could somehow orchestrate a trade. Dinger and I just looked at each other.

"Start calling," Mike commanded.

The Bills were a possibility. They'd selected J.P. Losman with their first-round pick in 2004, but they were quick to reply, "Our man is there." I was already on the phone with Detroit GM Matt Millen when Buffalo grabbed defensive back Donte Whitner."

 

The man, in all likelihood, would have been there later.

 

For so many years it was the Bills standing pat and letting the draft come to them. And those picks were usually made rapidly when it came their turn.

 

Those were some dark days. Good read though.

[FireChan]

Every thread about Bleacher Report turns into a battle about why it is banned. That's why.

[Coach Tuesday]

Alright - sorry to re-kindle the flames, I wasn't aware of the debate. But again it's a good article.

[FireChan]

Alright - sorry to re-kindle the flames, I wasn't aware of the debate. But again it's a good article.

Seriously. Can't wait til Cutty is a Bill.

[keepthefaith]

Drafting a QB is a terribly un exact science filled with risk, mystery and luck.

[H2o]

Maybe so, but this is a really good article and better than 95 percent of the stuff that isn't blocked.

 

As for the article: a Bills nugget! Marv didn't know what the hell he was doing.

 

 

The prognosticators had been wrong. Two of the top three quarterbacks were now available at No. 8. Shanahan didn't want to risk anyone jumping up to grab Leinart. He felt this might be the steal of the draft if we could somehow orchestrate a trade. Dinger and I just looked at each other.

"Start calling," Mike commanded.

The Bills were a possibility. They'd selected J.P. Losman with their first-round pick in 2004, but they were quick to reply, "Our man is there." I was already on the phone with Detroit GM Matt Millen when Buffalo grabbed defensive back Donte Whitner."

A day that will live in infamy forever...........

[2003Contenders]

That was one of the most maddening drafts that the Bills ever had. Not only because they missed on some key players, but because they also had the opportunity to trade down but didn't. Marv made a mess of that draft. But there was plenty of blame to go around -- classic case where the suits didn't trust their scouts' opinions.

 

A reliable source told me the following:

 

1. The scouts had D'Brik Ferguson as their highest rated player. Modrak and Marv pursued the possibility of trading up, but the cost was deemed too high.

 

2. When the Bills picked at 8, the scouts had Ngata as the highest rated player on their board. However, there was some concern about his propensity to "take plays off". Also, perceived as more of a NT, Jauron was more interested in a 3-Technique type. He was supposedly clamoring for Broderick Buckley.

 

3. In the weeks before the draft, the scouts had done their due diligence reviewing the QBs. They had Cutler rated as their top QB in the draft -- ahead of both Young and Leinart. Marv believed that JP had not been given a fair shot up until that point and did not want to draft a first round QB to further "confuse the situation". Modrak agreed that Ngata deserved to be ranked higher on the board but felt that a potential franchise QB like Cutler trumped that. He REALLY wanted the team to draft Cutler at 8.

 

4. There was also strong consideration for Michael Huff, the DB from Texas. However, the Bills had more or less black-balled that school since receiving what they believed were inaccurate assessments about Mike Williams a few years before. (This was largely a Modrak prejudice) They also shared the view of many front office people around the league that Mack Brown was simply not putting out NFL-ready players. As it turned out, Huff went one pick before the BIlls to the Raiders anyway.

 

5. Given the varying opinions -- Ngata, Buckley, Cutler -- about who the team should select with that pick, Marv tried to play the role of appeaser. He instead tried to identify a player that everyone in the room could live with. Someone who was versatile. Someone who came from a big time college program. Someone who was still young and could be with the team for well over a decade. Someone with no character issues and a high floor (not necessarily a high ceiling). Someone who filled a position of need. Marv's consensus pick was Donte Whitner, who was barely 20 years old from Ohio State (renowned for cranking out defensive backs), and could play either corner or safety. The Bills had just recently parted ways with Lawyer Milloy and needed a replacement.

 

6. Once the decision was made on Whitner, the team never truly investigated the possibility of trading down. Most draftniks had Whitner as more of a mid-to-late first round choice. Meanwhile, both the Broncos (at 15) and the Eagles (a couple of picks further down) were trying to move up to 8. Both were willing to give up plenty to do so. However, Marv was worried that the Ravens (who supposedly also liked Whitner) would take him at #14. So he ignored any possible trade options -- and the team actually raced to the podium to make the Whitner selection. The Ravens wound up trading up one spot (with division rival Cleveland) to get Ngata.

 

7. While Whitner was the team's consensus choice, Modrak was still angry that they had passed on Cutler. He was rightfully insistent that JP was never going to be a franchise QB. The guy he loved in the 2nd half of the first round was John McCargo. So the dubious decision to move up from the 2nd to get him was Marv's way of pacifying Modrak.

 

Whew! At least they did land Kyle Williams in the 5th round in that draft -- and Whitner kind of was what they were looking for. A decent player that was not a bust -- but you ordinarily want more of an impact player with the #8 pick overall.

[Coach Tuesday]

Wow.

 

What a parade of idiots. Thanks for the scoop! That was fascinating.

[Nihilarian]

I can only wonder how good Cutler would have been if he had stayed on one team and been coached by a decent OC, QB coach most of his career. Bears OC Mike Martz

 

Ted Sundquist makes it sound like he and Mike Heimerdinger were the Brains on that Broncos staff, and I think that's far from the truth. That was Sundquist's only stint as an NFL GM. Shanahan had all the power on that team.

 

 

Anyway, Cutler was amazing at Vanderbilt having that team playing in the SEC, and putting up the numbers like he did surrounded by a bunch of nobody's. Like his teammate John Lynch said, "If this guy can take a bunch of future doctors and lawyers and have them competing against the Florida Gators, this guy is a stud."

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Donte Whitner. Ugh.

[GunnerBill]

Cutler would have been better than what we have had but ultimately would have has a similar career to what he has had. A guy who looks like he should deliver more than he does.

[/dev/null]

Drafting a QB is a terribly un exact science filled with risk, mystery and luck.

 

there have only been 2 lucks in the draft, Oliver in 1982 and Andrew in 2012

[Nihilarian]

That was one of the most maddening drafts that the Bills ever had. Not only because they missed on some key players, but because they also had the opportunity to trade down but didn't. Marv made a mess of that draft. But there was plenty of blame to go around -- classic case where the suits didn't trust their scouts' opinions.

 

A reliable source told me the following:

 

1. The scouts had D'Brik Ferguson as their highest rated player. Modrak and Marv pursued the possibility of trading up, but the cost was deemed too high.

 

2. When the Bills picked at 8, the scouts had Ngata as the highest rated player on their board. However, there was some concern about his propensity to "take plays off". Also, perceived as more of a NT, Jauron was more interested in a 3-Technique type. He was supposedly clamoring for Broderick Buckley.

 

3. In the weeks before the draft, the scouts had done their due diligence reviewing the QBs. They had Cutler rated as their top QB in the draft -- ahead of both Young and Leinart. Marv believed that JP had not been given a fair shot up until that point and did not want to draft a first round QB to further "confuse the situation". Modrak agreed that Ngata deserved to be ranked higher on the board but felt that a potential franchise QB like Cutler trumped that. He REALLY wanted the team to draft Cutler at 8.

 

4. There was also strong consideration for Michael Huff, the DB from Texas. However, the Bills had more or less black-balled that school since receiving what they believed were inaccurate assessments about Mike Williams a few years before. (This was largely a Modrak prejudice) They also shared the view of many front office people around the league that Mack Brown was simply not putting out NFL-ready players. As it turned out, Huff went one pick before the BIlls to the Raiders anyway.

 

5. Given the varying opinions -- Ngata, Buckley, Cutler -- about who the team should select with that pick, Marv tried to play the role of appeaser. He instead tried to identify a player that everyone in the room could live with. Someone who was versatile. Someone who came from a big time college program. Someone who was still young and could be with the team for well over a decade. Someone with no character issues and a high floor (not necessarily a high ceiling). Someone who filled a position of need. Marv's consensus pick was Donte Whitner, who was barely 20 years old from Ohio State (renowned for cranking out defensive backs), and could play either corner or safety. The Bills had just recently parted ways with Lawyer Milloy and needed a replacement.

 

6. Once the decision was made on Whitner, the team never truly investigated the possibility of trading down. Most draftniks had Whitner as more of a mid-to-late first round choice. Meanwhile, both the Broncos (at 15) and the Eagles (a couple of picks further down) were trying to move up to 8. Both were willing to give up plenty to do so. However, Marv was worried that the Ravens (who supposedly also liked Whitner) would take him at #14. So he ignored any possible trade options -- and the team actually raced to the podium to make the Whitner selection. The Ravens wound up trading up one spot (with division rival Cleveland) to get Ngata.

 

7. While Whitner was the team's consensus choice, Modrak was still angry that they had passed on Cutler. He was rightfully insistent that JP was never going to be a franchise QB. The guy he loved in the 2nd half of the first round was John McCargo. So the dubious decision to move up from the 2nd to get him was Marv's way of pacifying Modrak.

 

Whew! At least they did land Kyle Williams in the 5th round in that draft -- and Whitner kind of was what they were looking for. A decent player that was not a bust -- but you ordinarily want more of an impact player with the #8 pick overall.

Man that #1. I wonder if you asked Marv now if he would still deem the cost to high.

 

 

Some context is needed when you look back at those godawful Bills years. The Bills owner really had no clue anymore, and apparently didn't trust many people. So he hired an old friend who he sought out and asked him to be his GM. Marv was a HoF HC but never meant to be an NFL GM. Marv took the GM job probably thinking he could be the head coach again, and Ralph Wilson told he that wasn't going to happen. That became news worthy which suggests he was interested in being the HC again.

 

What led up to the Whitner pick is interesting because Whitner was a reach after the Raiders took S Michael Huff the pick just before the Bills pick. A safety was a basically a necessity after Marv got rid of a player he deemed to greedy meme type player in S Laywer Milloy.

 

What I'm kind of bothered by is that everyone seems to be so upset with the Whitner pick they forget the Bills traded back up into the first round and took a complete waste of a pick in DT John McCargo. Shades of Aaron Maybin on that one.

Some Bills fans need to let the Whitner pick go... seriously the guy is still playing in the NFL after all these years. Made the pro bowl three years in a row on a top defense that went to the SB. Besides, He didn't choose to be picked #8 overall.

 

 

Marv Levy knew what he wanted to build in Buffalo as the new GM. The problem was he went about it all the wrong way, and was guided by some really stupid people in the draft process. Plus, he made the worst choice of all in picking Dick Jauron as his HC. I'll take one bad draft pick over four years of bad teams any day!