This offseason Quarterback options

[SoTier]

 

And constantly waiting and giving guys like Losman, Edwards, Fitz, EJ even Tyrod 3 years a time to prove it while taking no shots has serious long term negative consequences too. SEVENTEEN freaking years of them.

 

It generally takes three years of starting to determine if a QB is good or not, primarily because on most teams the starting QB gets like 90% of the reps, and the backup gets about 90% of the rest. The third guy, on the roster or on the practice squad, gets to crumbs from the coaching staff and generally just impersonates the opposition QB. It's hard to determine how good any backup QB might be in that standard scenario. Other than Flacco in 2008, who else could the Bills have realistically drafted once they had Losman and/or Edwards???

 

Fitzpatrick was in B-lo from 2009 (started as backup) through 2012. Drafting any of the QBs other than Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins during the time Fitzpatrick was here would have been a waste of resources.

 

Taylor joined the Bills in 2015. Like Osweiler and Garrappolo, he was really an unknown. He actually took the starting job away from Manuel and the veteran that the Bills had on the roster in 2015. Neither Jameis Winston nor Marcus Mariota were available for the Bills in 2015 but maybe the Bills could have traded up for Wentz in 2016, although like Greybeard, I'm not sure that the few QBs who were both realistically available to the Bills and who were successful would have been particularly successful with the Bills.

 

 

People act like the Bills didn't know they needed a QB. The reason the Bills don't have playoff appearances and the reason they don't have a franchise QB are the exact same thing. They repeatedly chose the wrong guy to both run and coach the team. They had a process and all kinds of scouting and I'm sure hundreds of meetings over the years addressing it and spent a lot of resources, they just chose the wrong guy to be in charge who chose the wrong guy to the be the QB, and had bad luck as well.

Put aside the qb position and then look at how this franchise has in general drafted. It's been mediocre. Not only that but the decisions to move up and gratuitously trade picks away for draft day maneuvers has too often not worked out well. It's very often said drafting is not an exact science. That's true. But what is evident is that some teams do it better than others.

 

After McDermott was hired he essentially brought in his own GM. Our scouting department was summarily dismissed after the draft. I'm not only not worried about this thorough cleaning out of the old guard I am celebrating these coherent organizational reconfigurations.

 

The Bills smartly have positioned themselves very well in this upcoming draft. This roster is competitive although in my view they are not a not a playoff team. In my view this roster lacks the depth required to go through the rigors of a long season. (Would love to be proven wrong.) I'm just hoping that this new regime drafts well enough to take advantage of their extra picks and give this roster a boost so that it can have some sustained success.

 

The Bills drafting hasn't been significantly worse than most teams' in the NFL. They have actually been very good at getting talent from later picks and UDFA, so they do find value. The problem is that the Bills DO NOT KEEP MOST OF THE GOOD PLAYERS THAT THEY DEVELOP, and that's been something that's been going on since even before the Donahoe era. It is what the Bills do: develop a player into a Pro Bowler and then send him off, getting nothing or virtually nothing for him while the Bills fill his spot with a JAG or ST refugee.

 

We have no idea if McDermott/Bean will be any good at drafting. The 2017 draft was essentially just filling needs, not looking toward the future. If Mahomes becomes a stud, he'll get added to the list of the good ones the Bills let get away.

Edited October 27, 2017 by SoTier

[bigK14094]

I would be inclined (if I were the Bills' GM) to draft a QB pretty high, and probably the first round. I am not inclined at this point to try and trade up since I don't see a clear consensus ranking of the top 6 or 7 QBs. Six months ago, Sam Darnold was a lock to be drafted first overall, now, not so much. I would let the draft come to me, and if the value just wasn't there when the Bills draft in the first round, I think there are some really promising guys who will be available a little later, even though I'm looking to find one in the first. As early as it is, everything is subject to change, however.

Yes, Darnold had a bad day against the the golden Domers.......likely still first round material, but when, who knows. I personally like Rosen, the guy at UCLA...great accurancy and a football head. Lets see who is there when the Bills pick comes up......I agree with not trading up....still smarting from the Watkins deal. I would not obj\ect to a first round wr either...or a lb for that matter.

Totally agree....I think for the first time in a long time we finally have a solid backup

That is TBD....he hasn't seen the field. When and if the bills are out of it....we will see him.

[GunnerBill]

 

Fitzpatrick was in B-lo from 2009 (started as backup) through 2012. Drafting any of the QBs other than Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins during the time Fitzpatrick was here would have been a waste of resources.

Well draft one of those 3 then. The mistake the Bills made was not drafting EJ... it was failing to take one in 2011 or 2012 when they had a caretaker in place in Fitz.

 

They have a caretaker in place now who is even a little better than Fitz, they should not waste this opportunity like they did under Nix to take a guy who they can afford not to rush.

 

I just fundamentally cannot get my head around the "well what if they take one and he is bad?" mentality. Easy. Take another one. Doesn't have to be the next year (although Carolina did it with Clausen when it was obvious he couldn't play) but if by the end of year two you are only lukewarm on the guy then you better take one that year. And if you miss again you dust yourself off and you take one again.

 

I'm repeating Badol's statistic here but this Franchise has never in its whole history taken a QB with it's originally alloted first pick in an NFL draft. NEVER. That's not just bad luck in picking a few wrong guys.... it is a bad plan executed badly. Since Kelly retired 20 years ago the Bills have picked TWO 1st round Quarterbacks. Two.

 

Eventually you have to stop giving them a pass, stop finding excuses for them not to pick one and start acknowledging that their lack of success as a franchise is inextricably tied to their approach to filling the most important position on the field.

[nedboy7]

Not sure what this has to do w the raiders game or this season. Try to stay focused.