The Bills are doing good with FAs, now draft starters.

[thebandit27]

Correct Bandit - and I think if you compared that across the league it would not be massively out of step with the organisations who are winning consistently. The big difference is the route we acquired our Quarterback.

 

It's 50/50.

 

An organization like Denver or NE, for example, will be almost identical to Buffalo in terms of % of key players acquired via FA/trade. In fact, both of those organizations tied Buffalo for the same percentage by my count.

 

Others, like Green Bay and Pittsburgh, will be much lower. Each had fewer than 5 of their key players acquired outside of the draft.

[John from Riverside]

 

There isn't much wisdom to building for the short term at the expense of the future. No perennially successful NFL teams go wild in free agency like Buffalo did last year and maintain much beyond 1-2 seasons.

 

Unfortunately.....NOT trying to aquire talent has also not worked for the bills over the past 15 years......and you were bitching about the team then so?

 

Being consistently successful, i.e. a playoff contender each year is very hard but not impossible. I heard for years on this board that spending like Dan Snyder was bad because Washington wasn't building right. At that time the Bills were notoriously frugal in UFA. Now that they're spending big it's good because it shows they want to win. Which one is it?

 

Since we have actually only dont it for ONE year.....it is really hard to answer on how it is going to work out?

 

I see issues all over the field with this team. They're not sure enough on the QB to sign him long term, no doubt the result of meetings between personnel and coaches. They have a new defensive scheme that needs 2-3 new front 7 players. Their presumably starting RT has a serious medical issue, and there's little proven depth at WR, TE, and the OL. All of this after 3 seasons spent "rebuilding" the roster.

 

With all due respect...when have you NOT see issues all over the field with the team? Your stich is pretty much the same year after year. They are being cautious with the QB because a. Of the Fitz contract and b. Because they CAN. And....do we really know that we need 2-3 new front 7 players....or do we need to replace one that is left and the rest of the players needed TIME in the scheme? Once again....we dont know yet. AND ALL teams have problems with depth at one position or another......yet despite all this lack of depth the bills were still the number 1 rushing team in the NFL.

 

Just another reason to B word for you...it will never end

[FireChan]

And yes, Nix didn't leave Whaley much. The Bills were a bad football team when Whaley took over. We used to have a hard time filling a 53 roster. Now the cuts are tough, and Bills cuts/free agents get signed

Didn't leave Whaley much? Glenn, Gilmore, Dareus, Mario, Aaron Williams, Eric Wood, Kyle, Searcy, Bradham, McK.

 

Sometimes I really really really wonder if anyone on the Whaley is a great GM train ever went back and looked at who Buddy brought in or if they just tout that Buddy sucked to defend their boy.

[John from Riverside]

Didn't leave Whaley much? Glenn, Gilmore, Dareus, Mario, Aaron Williams, Eric Wood, Kyle, Searcy, Bradham, McK.

 

Sometimes I really really really wonder if anyone on the Whaley is a great GM train ever went back and looked at who Buddy brought in or if they just tout that Buddy sucked to defend their boy.

For some of us....Buddy was our boy to and dont hate on Buddy to like Whaley.

 

I personally think Whaley is a crackerjack GM. Not only has he drafted well but he has identified and made some successful trades.......Whaley also takes chances like he did with Sammy.....and in my opinion when your team is in the dumpster.....you gotta start getting aggressive.

[FireChan]

For some of us....Buddy was our boy to and dont hate on Buddy to like Whaley.

 

I personally think Whaley is a crackerjack GM. Not only has he drafted well but he has identified and made some successful trades.......Whaley also takes chances like he did with Sammy.....and in my opinion when your team is in the dumpster.....you gotta start getting aggressive.

You may be one of the few. In my experience, I've mostly seen Buddy get **** on while Whaley gets points for re-signing the top 10 players Buddy drafted.

Edited April 7, 2016 by FireChan

[BillsVet]

Nix was an awful GM.

 

Forget it, he's rolling.

 

Nix's teams went 16-32 and some defended him to the hilt.

 

Whaley's had teams go 23-25 and he's practically a living saint. Not that you could be one but there are some who'd like him to be.

[Deranged Rhino]

You may be one of the few. In my experience, I've mostly seen Buddy get **** on while Whaley gets points for re-signing the top 10 players Buddy drafted.

 

I'll raise my hand as one of the guilty ones...

 

I hated the Nix hire from the moment he was brought on. He was half retired, the game had already begun to pass him by, and (in my mind) brought in to keep the team from bottoming out during the last years of Ralph's ownership mainly because the job was very undesirable at that time -- or at least as undesirable as an NFL GM position can be which admittedly is still pretty desirable. I thought bringing in Whaley from the Steelers was a sharp move, but overall I was not a fan of the Buddy hire at the time nor did he do much to change my mind by the end of his tenure.

 

 

Nix was an awful GM.

 

I do tend to agree with this assessment.

[ndirish1978]

I don't understand the notion that the 2015 draft provided any indication Whaley is coming up Large. He hit on Darby and missed on everything else before and after Karlos Williams who looks like he is going to be severely limited in the availability column. He runs straight up and get trashed on anytime he takes contact.

 

Miller, Steward, O'leary, Lewis have shown nothing that would make me think we can't upgrade at those roster positions. Whaley still hasn't drafted a starting caliber Olineman. He saved face with the Incog signing which may or may not have been a Rex influence.

 

I'm not going to trash on Whaley but 2016 is make or break for a him. He has found talent but is still yet to form a TEAM worthy of anything above mediocrity. Last season we were all excited about how deep and talented we were...only Ryan Fitzpatrick stood between us and 6-10. Talent alone doesn't win in the NFL, talented TEAMS win in the NFL.

 

Forget the fact that you're labelling Miller, who was not awful, a Miss after his ROOKIE season alone. This post puts things so far out of context it makes me question your ability to form a coherent thought. Here are our picks from last year's draft:

2-50: Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State 3-81: John Miller, OG, Louisville 5-155: Karlos Williams, RB, Florida State 6-188: Tony Steward, LB, Clemson 6-194: Nick O'Leary, TE, Florida State 7-234: Dezmin Lewis, WR, Central Arkansas

 

You actually have the gall to complain about getting 3 starters with our first 3 picks and then complaining that our two SIXTH round draft picks and a SEVENTH didn't become superstars? You have no sense, common or otherwise.

[John from Riverside]

 

Forget it, he's rolling.

 

Nix's teams went 16-32 and some defended him to the hilt.

 

Whaley's had teams go 23-25 and he's practically a living saint. Not that you could be one but there are some who'd like him to be.

Instead of bitching about wins and losses (I know this is your favorite pastime but)

 

How was he compared to his counterparts......what were the wins losses of other GM's and where does that stack up in the NFL overall.....

 

You know.....actually data to draw from

[FireChan]

Instead of bitching about wins and losses (I know this is your favorite pastime but)

 

How was he compared to his counterparts......what were the wins losses of other GM's and where does that stack up in the NFL overall.....

 

You know.....actually data to draw from

The average GM went 24-24 in that span. So below average.

Edited April 7, 2016 by FireChan

[John from Riverside]

The average GM went 24-24 in that span. So below average.

OK....fair enough

 

Maybe after this next year he will be considered above average

[BillsVet]

Instead of bitching about wins and losses (I know this is your favorite pastime but)

 

How was he compared to his counterparts......what were the wins losses of other GM's and where does that stack up in the NFL overall.....

 

You know.....actually data to draw from

 

[3rdand12]

These last couple FA's have been dust settled and then some, guys.

But the more you dig into them, even Velasco, i can see good value and filling need positions. having depth is so under rated.

And Guys like Blanton and Moore may actually be better than advertised if the right circumstances prevail. For money strapped team they have done okay. Even Dray will probably workout well for what he was brought in to do