Elite Poster Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 I think that you hit on what a lot of people were missing. They start talking about all of these other receivers from the draft that have played well. At the time of the draft only Evans was considered in his league and probably less than 1 out of 20 would have ranked Evans higher. Watkins was an ELITE prospect with a high ceiling and a high floor. He was clean on the medical end and had just a small off the field issue (think it was weed as a young player). He had just come off of a game where he ANNAHILATED an elite OSU secondary. Watkins was the highest graded player on many teams board in 2014 and higher than any prospect in 2013. He was, by many accounts, the best player to come out between the end of the 2012 draft and the start of the 2015 draft. He was considered the best receiver prospect since Julio and AJ Green and graded out similarly. Since coming into the league he has had some nagging injuries but that is bad luck. We didn't know that coming out. When he has been thrown the ball he has performed like the prospect that he was. The Bills need to get him healthy and to throw him the ball 10 times a game. if you do that he will unquestionably be a star. great post
K-9 Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 I think that you hit on what a lot of people were missing. They start talking about all of these other receivers from the draft that have played well. At the time of the draft only Evans was considered in his league and probably less than 1 out of 20 would have ranked Evans higher. Watkins was an ELITE prospect with a high ceiling and a high floor. He was clean on the medical end and had just a small off the field issue (think it was weed as a young player). He had just come off of a game where he ANNAHILATED an elite OSU secondary. Watkins was the highest graded player on many teams board in 2014 and higher than any prospect in 2013. He was, by many accounts, the best player to come out between the end of the 2012 draft and the start of the 2015 draft. He was considered the best receiver prospect since Julio and AJ Green and graded out similarly. Since coming into the league he has had some nagging injuries but that is bad luck. We didn't know that coming out. When he has been thrown the ball he has performed like the prospect that he was. The Bills need to get him healthy and to throw him the ball 10 times a game. if you do that he will unquestionably be a star. At the time of the draft, Sammy was considered by some to be the 2nd best player in the entire draft and a few teams even had him at the top of their board. The big knock on Evans was his route running, especially his tendency to flatten out every route. Sammy's been cursed by the injury bug and the inability to get him the ball and that's just not his fault. I get the impression some around here conflate his injuries with some sort of character flaw. Ridiculous.
4merper4mer Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Yea. I understand the concept McDermott and Beane want in players of being durable, but that is A LOT to ask for in this league.... EVERYONE gets injured and EVERY team goes through it. It's just the nature of the game. Having depth and/or a quality QB who can help carry your team makes up for the injuries to your starters. Still, it will be a mistake if Sammy misses a game or two and still has a great year but McDermott and company let him walk. It would be same old Bills spinning the wheels. I like what the new guys have done with the exception of all the Watkins stuff. It does not fit their profile on anything else and frankly just seems plain weird. The only thing that I can recall that is remotely similar is Donahoe thinking Pat Williams was useless. That was weird too. I don't want to watch Sammy shine for a decade with some other team while we basically have McDonahoe running the team. I seriously hope he gets his head on straight wrt Sammy.
Big Blitz Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) Fox Sports:11 recent NFL Draft picks on the verge of becoming busts http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/gallery/nfl-draft-players-busts-trending-becoming-picks-053017 Yikes. He is hopefully motivated for a big season in which he stays on the field. And the guy the Browns took 8th (the pick we swapped with them) is also on the list. Only us and the Browns could have screwed up that draft so royally. Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk Edited May 31, 2017 by Big Blitz
BuffaloHokie13 Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 And at the guy the Browns took 8 (the pick we swapped with them) is also on the list. Only us and the Browns could have screwed up that draft so royally. Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk We swapped pick # 9 with the Browns (where Minnesota selected Anthony Barr). The Browns then traded up to 8 for pick 9 and a 5th rounder to select Gilbert.
26CornerBlitz Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 And at the guy the Browns took 8 (the pick we swapped with them) is also on the list. Only us and the Browns could have screwed up that draft so royally. Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk The Bills actually swapped pick 9. Now Gilbert has been a bust, while Watkins has shined when he's been on the field. Sammy doesn't belong on that list while Gilbert OTOH has not produced at all.
YoloinOhio Posted May 31, 2017 Author Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) And the guy the Browns took 8th (the pick we swapped with them) is also on the list. Only us and the Browns could have screwed up that draft so royally. Sent from my SM-G928V using TapatalkGilbert is in his own class as a bust I don't think there is any "verge"... he's well over the cliff Edited May 31, 2017 by YoloinOhio
26CornerBlitz Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 We swapped pick # 9 with the Browns (where Minnesota selected Anthony Barr). The Browns then traded up to 8 for pick 9 and a 5th rounder to select Gilbert. Gilbert looks like even more of a bust with his recent 4 game suspension for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
likei've Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) Yea. I understand the concept McDermott and Beane want in players of being durable, but that is A LOT to ask for in this league.... EVERYONE gets injured and EVERY team goes through it. It's just the nature of the game. Having depth and/or a quality QB who can help carry your team makes up for the injuries to your starters. Still, it will be a mistake if Sammy misses a game or two and still has a great year but McDermott and company let him walk. It would be same old Bills spinning the wheels. First off, just because someone has a good season with one team doesn't mean they would with another. Secondly, you whiffed again. Same old Bills would be having just enough stars on the team to be perfectly mediocre. Are we watching the same Bills? It's almost like the Bills always did the exact opposite of what you think they did. Bizarro Bills. Edited May 31, 2017 by likei've
Big Blitz Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 And at the guy the Browns took 8 (the pick we swapped with them) is also on the list. Only us and the Browns could have screwed up that draft so royally. Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk We swapped pick # 9 with the Browns (where Minnesota selected Anthony Barr). The Browns then traded up to 8 for pick 9 and a 5th rounder to select Gilbert. That's right....my b Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk
mannc Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 I think that you hit on what a lot of people were missing. They start talking about all of these other receivers from the draft that have played well. At the time of the draft only Evans was considered in his league and probably less than 1 out of 20 would have ranked Evans higher. Watkins was an ELITE prospect with a high ceiling and a high floor. He was clean on the medical end and had just a small off the field issue (think it was weed as a young player). He had just come off of a game where he ANNAHILATED an elite OSU secondary. Watkins was the highest graded player on many teams board in 2014 and higher than any prospect in 2013. He was, by many accounts, the best player to come out between the end of the 2012 draft and the start of the 2015 draft. He was considered the best receiver prospect since Julio and AJ Green and graded out similarly. Since coming into the league he has had some nagging injuries but that is bad luck. We didn't know that coming out. When he has been thrown the ball he has performed like the prospect that he was. The Bills need to get him healthy and to throw him the ball 10 times a game. if you do that he will unquestionably be a star. Maybe it's revisionist history, but I have seen recent reports that before the 2014 draft, more than a few scouts viewed Watkins as a very good prospect (15th to 20th selection) rather than an elite one (top five). At the time, almost all of the reports I remember seeing fell into the former category and don't think there was any way Watkins would have dropped to 9, but apparently there were some doubters...
YoloinOhio Posted May 31, 2017 Author Posted May 31, 2017 Maybe it's revisionist history, but I have seen recent reports that before the 2014 draft, more than a few scouts viewed Watkins as a very good prospect (15th to 20th selection) rather than an elite one (top five). At the time, almost all of the reports I remember seeing fell into the former category and don't think there was any way Watkins would have dropped to 9, but apparently there were some doubters... that is definitely revisionist history
T-Bomb Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Good article, Sammy is definitely on the verge, and in my mind, is already a bust. Spiller 2.0 but with more injuries.
Kirby Jackson Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Maybe it's revisionist history, but I have seen recent reports that before the 2014 draft, more than a few scouts viewed Watkins as a very good prospect (15th to 20th selection) rather than an elite one (top five). At the time, almost all of the reports I remember seeing fell into the former category and don't think there was any way Watkins would have dropped to 9, but apparently there were some doubters... That's definitely some revisionist history. He was the top player on a bunch of boards (including the Bills). On a totally random aside you should google Chad Ford changes draft boards. He's (or about to be was) the ESPN NBA draft insider. He has been caught going back to alter old mock drafts to look less incompetent. It's pretty funny.
mannc Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 that is definitely revisionist history Maybe, but those scouts, if they existed, were probably right (and I'm a big Sammy fan).
Kirby Jackson Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Good article, Sammy is definitely on the verge, and in my mind, is already a bust. Spiller 2.0 but with more injuries. Well then you had Julio Jones as a bust through year three. You failed miserably on that one.
John from Riverside Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Good article, Sammy is definitely on the verge, and in my mind, is already a bust. Spiller 2.0 but with more injuries. your entitled to your opinion
26CornerBlitz Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 Well then you had Julio Jones as a bust through year three. You failed miserably on that one. Did he T-Bomb?
mannc Posted May 31, 2017 Posted May 31, 2017 That's definitely some revisionist history. He was the top player on a bunch of boards (including the Bills). I don't doubt it. As I said, there is no way Watkins would have lasted until pick 9, so the trade up was defensible at least from that standpoint. It drives me crazy when a team trades up for a guy who probably would have been available anyway.
Recommended Posts