BuffaloRush Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 (edited) OK after a few week... it's finally back. As the draft approaches, I'm taking a look at the past General Managers in Buffalo and who was the most successful with the draft based on hits and misses. While this is very subjective, I am defining a "hit" as any player that reasonably performed at or above his draft status. As an example, a player like Paul Pozlusny becoming a solid starting LB as a 2nd round pick. A "miss" is the opposite - a player who performed under or well under their draft status. If you draft a player in the first round and they are a marginal starter, I am defining that as a miss. Also, if a player doesn't have a great career for the Bills, but then has a better career on another team that is not a miss in my opinion. We are dealing strictly on what the draft selections brought to the table for the Bills - not another team. I do realize that this evaluation will certainly stir up some disagreement. However, this is the way that I choose to evaluate and rate player and it will be subjective. Now let's move onto to the next GM Buddy Nix. First, I have decided to give Buddy credit for the 2013 Draft, though some would lead you to believe it was Whaley who took over. Since Nix was GM, he will get the credit or blame. Before you do that - check out my previous evaluations: 1. Russ Brandon: 28% 2. Marv Levy: 25% 3. Bill Polian: 23% Buddy Nix took over the team which has a very poor structure and was largely considered a tire fire. Still many fans, including yours truly, thought Buddy was a terrible hire. Just another employee promoted from within because Ralph didn't trust someone from the outside to make decisions. His first hire as head coach, Chan Gailey, was equally as uninspiring - though I think if Chan would have chosen a better DC, things could have been different. Now how was Buddy in the Draft: Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2010 1 C.J. Spiller 9 RB 2017 0 1 3 34 90 712 3451 12 198 1484 9 Clemson 2010 2 Torell Troup 41 DT 2012 0 0 0 3 21 Central Florida 2010 3 Alex Carrington 72 DE 2015 0 0 0 7 59 4.0 Arkansas St. 2010 4 Marcus Easley 107 WR 2015 0 0 0 1 42 3 71 1 1 Connecticut 2010 5 Ed Wang 140 T 2010 0 0 0 0 6 Virginia Tech 2010 6 Arthur Moats 178 LB 2017 0 0 3 21 121 16.5 James Madison 2010 6 Danny Batten 192 DE 2011 0 0 0 2 16 0.5 South Dakota St. 2010 7 Levi Brown 209 QB 2010 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 24 0 1 Troy 2010 7 Kyle Calloway 216 T 0 0 0 Iowa 2010 Draft - I am sorry but this was a terrible terrible draft. Buddy gets a fat 0. 0 Hits, All misses. This is rare but he batted .000 - which really is hard to do. I am sure someone will try to argue for Arthur Moats or Marcus Easley, but no these were NOT hits. Seriously, this was such a terrible draft we should have seen Buddy's bad drafting coming. Taking CJ Spiller and Torell Troup in rounds 1 and 2 should have been a fireable offense. Spiller did have his moments with the Bills, but the bottom line is he was a Top 10 premium pick and he never realized his potential. This was a bad pick for a team that had Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch at RB. Hits 0 Misses 9 0% Success Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2011 1 Marcell Dareus 3 DT 2017 1 2 5 49 100 36.0 Alabama 2011 2 Aaron Williams 34 DB 2016 0 0 2 18 59 7 Texas 2011 3 Kelvin Sheppard 68 LB 2017 0 0 4 26 100 2 3.0 LSU 2011 4 Da'Norris Searcy 100 DB 2017 0 0 2 24 107 8 4.5 North Carolina 2011 4 Chris Hairston 122 T 2017 0 0 1 19 74 Clemson 2011 5 Johnny White 133 RB 2012 0 0 0 0 19 20 72 0 1 -3 0 North Carolina 2011 6 Chris White 169 LB 2014 0 0 0 4 51 Mississippi St. 2011 7 Justin Rogers 206 DB 2015 0 0 0 4 43 3 Richmond 2011 7 Michael Jasper 245 DT 0 0 0 2011 - Give Buddy credit. Unlike 2010, he made some very solid and safe picks and drafted well in Rounds 1 and 2. Hits: Marcel Dareus - He was drafted very high but when motivated, Marcel was one of the best DT's in the NFL. He played very well during his few years with the Bills....then Whaley signed him to a huge deal and he became another dude. He's still a pretty good player, though not the same cat who dominated in 2013-2014. Aaron Williams - It took him a few years, but Williams was a competent safety and the field general for the Bills. Injuries cut his career short but for a 2nd round pick, Williams delivered on his draft status. Da'Norris Searcy - He was never a star at safety but he started for about 1 1/2 seasons and played pretty well. Overall for a 4th round pick, it's a HIT. 3 Hits/6 Misses 33% Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2012 1 Stephon Gilmore 10 DB 2017 0 1 6 29 81 16 South Carolina 2012 2 Cordy Glenn 41 G 2017 0 0 5 34 78 Georgia 2012 3 T.J. Graham 69 WR 2015 0 0 1 7 47 5 19 0 61 794 4 North Carolina St. 2012 4 Nigel Bradham 105 LB 2017 0 0 5 33 88 2 6.5 Florida St. 2012 4 Ron Brooks 124 DB 2016 0 0 0 6 52 LSU 2012 5 Zebrie Sanders 144 OL 2012 0 0 0 0 Florida St. 2012 5 Tank Carder 147 LB 2016 0 0 0 5 78 TCU 2012 6 Mark Asper 178 G 2014 0 0 0 0 7 Oregon 2012 7 John Potter 251 K 2013 0 0 0 0 9 West. Michigan 2012 3 Hits/9 Misses 33% Success Almost identical to 2011. Solid picks in Round 1 and 2, 1 good pick in the 4th round, and a punch of crap. Gilmore started slowly but had several quality years with the Bills. Many fans (including me) might argue he never was a good as the billing some give him. He is not a lockdown corner. But there's no denying he's a very very good CB. Cordy in the second round was probably Nix's best selection. When healthy, you can make the case for Cordy being one of the too 10 tackles in the NFL. Bradham is a very good LB. Not a star or a Pro Bowl LB, but he can definitely contribute and become an important part of the defense. The rest of the draft was terrible. TJ Graham at #3 was a pick many thought was poor and it sure did turn out that way. Still solid drafting at the top of the round saved Buddy here. Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2013 1 EJ Manuel 16 QB 2017 0 0 1 10 30 343 590 3767 20 16 96 339 4 Florida St. 2013 2 Robert Woods 41 WR 2017 0 0 5 26 69 6 34 0 259 3232 17 USC 2013 2 Kiko Alonso 46 LB 2017 0 0 3 25 58 7 3.0 Oregon 2013 3 Marquise Goodwin 78 WR 2017 0 0 2 14 55 10 65 0 105 1742 8 Texas 2013 4 Duke Williams 105 DB 2016 0 0 0 8 58 1 1.0 Nevada 2013 5 Jonathan Meeks 143 DB 2016 0 0 0 2 38 Clemson 2013 6 Dustin Hopkins 177 K 2017 0 0 3 7 39 Florida St. 2013 7 Chris Gragg 222 TE 2015 0 0 0 1 32 24 251 2 Arkansas 2013 Buddy left the Bills with a crap parting gift the likes we haven't seen since John Butler's 2000 draft. 1 Hit/7 Misses 14% Success I am sure many people will debate 2013 and that's fine. One thing you can't debate is EJ Manuel. It was a reach for a 3rd round QB who might have been available two rounds later. This selection set the team back for 2 seasons. It wasn't until Tyrod Taylor actually helped bail the team out of QB purgatory (slightly). Roberts Woods is a tough call. He had a breakout season but remember - this is only his performance on the Bills. Overall, I'd say he was a solid WR for the Bills and that his performance was close to a 2nd round selection to warrant a hit. Goodwin also had a breakout year in 2017 but he couldn't stay healthy as a member of the Bills. His performance does not justify a 3rd round pick. Kiko Alonso is a player I am sure some will argue for being hit. He was certainly a fast LB who has a HUGE 6 games of his rookie year but his performance began to slip as the year went on. Overall I just don't think his play lived up to his 2nd round selection and no you say "well he was traded for Lesean McCoy so that makes him a Hit." Nope. OVERALL 7 Hits/28 Misses 25% Success Hey, Buddy had his moments at the top of the draft for a few season, but overall he missed out on too many great players. Rather than being remembered for solid picks like Gilmore or Cordy Glenn, I think fans will attach him to Torrel Troupe and EJ Manuel. Buddy was probably a very good scout but I think this list shows that scouting is where he should have stayed. So here are the standings so far: 1. Russ Brandon: 28% 2. Marv Levy: 25% 3. Buddy Nix: 25% 4. Bill Polian: 23% Edited March 20, 2018 by BuffaloRush
hmsmystic Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 Ugh seeing this all on paper like this makes me sick- these were some bad drafts. As you mentioned, there may be an argument for Moats as not being a miss. He had a decent career and a few starts for a 6th round LB
Roundybout Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, hmsmystic said: Ugh seeing this all on paper like this makes me sick- these were some bad drafts. As you mentioned, there may be an argument for Moats as not being a miss. He had a decent career and a few starts for a 6th round LB Plus didn't he put Favre out of his misery? Edited March 20, 2018 by BillsEnthusiast 2
hmsmystic Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 1 minute ago, BillsEnthusiast said: Plus didn't didn't he put Favre out of his misery? You know I was thinking about that as well- indeed he did 1
Boludo Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 Your rankings are so bad. Seriously, you are ranking Bill Polian as the worst GM the Bills have had and putting him behind Levy, Brandon, and Nix. Don't you think that should make you rethink things? Your hits and misses on Polian are all wrong, and you are also evaluating drafts that used to have 12 rounds in the same way you evaluate 7 round drafts. The whole thing is competely off base and nonsensical. 1 1
BuffaloRush Posted March 20, 2018 Author Posted March 20, 2018 Just now, Boludo said: Your rankings are so bad. Seriously, you are ranking Bill Polian as the worst GM the Bills have had and putting him behind Levy, Brandon, and Nix. Don't you think that should make you rethink things? Your hits and misses on Polian are all wrong, and you are also evaluating drafts that used to have 12 rounds in the same way you evaluate 7 round drafts. The whole thing is competely off base and nonsensical. Yeah the 12 round drafts definitely do hurt Polian. Still I stand by my rankings. If I cut Polian off at Round 7, he’d lose some of the good picks her made late in the draft 5 minutes ago, BillsEnthusiast said: Plus didn't he put Favre out of his misery? Moats is really close. Might need to reconsider
QCity Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 So a "hit" at the QB position is weighed the same as a "hit" that's a kicker? You've put in a lot of work here but I'm afraid it means very little. Any analysis that ranks Russ Brandon over Bill Polian is likely flawed. 1
Jay_Fixit Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 Still not sure how you think Brad Butler was a hit? And Kiko Alonso was most definitely a hit. 1
formerlyofCtown Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 3 hours ago, QCity said: So a "hit" at the QB position is weighed the same as a "hit" that's a kicker? You've put in a lot of work here but I'm afraid it means very little. Any analysis that ranks Russ Brandon over Bill Polian is likely flawed. Or you just don't actually know your draft history. I was surprised the first time I looked into it. The big thing Polian did was talk Jimbo into coming to Buffalo. The glory days were actually the work of 3 GMs. 3 hours ago, QCity said: So a "hit" at the QB position is weighed the same as a "hit" that's a kicker? You've put in a lot of work here but I'm afraid it means very little. Any analysis that ranks Russ Brandon over Bill Polian is likely flawed. Again Polian didn't draft Kelly. Your knowledge of draft history is flawed. Thanks for doing this. I had thought about it but it's a lot of work so it's greatly appreciated. How long before you kick the hornet's nest and evaluate Whaley.
BuffaloRush Posted March 20, 2018 Author Posted March 20, 2018 5 hours ago, Jay_Fixit said: Still not sure how you think Brad Butler was a hit? And Kiko Alonso was most definitely a hit. Not really... Alonso played one season for the Bills and they traded him. He played six very good games and 10 average to below average games. If you trade your 2nd round draft after one (technically 2 years) its pretty clear he’s not a hit 5 hours ago, QCity said: So a "hit" at the QB position is weighed the same as a "hit" that's a kicker? You've put in a lot of work here but I'm afraid it means very little. Any analysis that ranks Russ Brandon over Bill Polian is likely flawed. The key is the number of picks. Polian had 6 or 7 drafts with 12 rounds. He did hit on some, but he missed quite a bit too. Russ was GM for 2 drafts and surprisingly the 2009 draft was fairly decent at the top (outside of Maybin)
GunnerBill Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 Yea the 2010 draft sucked. Really bad. It didn't even make sense at the time let alone with hindsight. But again it was a result of the total organisational disarray the Bills managed to find themselves in that offseason. Jauron had gone, Russ had made clear to Mr Wilson he didn't see himself continuing as de-facto GM and they had three senior personnel people - Nix, Modrak and Guy who didn't really get on too well with one another as the only candidates for the GM job because Mr Wilson didn't trust any outsiders. Nix eventually got the job but held fire on the clear out of the personnel department until after the draft..... so Modrak and Guy stayed through the draft and the 2010 effort was what resulted. It was total and utter organisational mismanagement. This isn't like the Levy and Brandon assessments where I still say it is pointless to assess them as General Managers because they held the job in name only, but it is yet another example of where the muddled management structure and consequent muddled thinking is as much to blame for a terrible draft as the man who had his name on the GM door. These picks are rightly on Nix - but they are on the Bills awful organisational management as well.
Norwood for Wall of Fame Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 I would argue that Kelvin Sheppard and Kiko Alonso were hits because they became valuable trade assets. Sheppard was traded 1-for-1 for Jerry Hughes and Kiko was traded 1-for-1 for Lesean McCoy. In my view these are hands down hits and doubly so because the front office had the sense to leverage these guys for top players on time. 7 hours ago, BillsEnthusiast said: Plus didn't he put Favre out of his misery? Yes, ended Favre's career and also put a huge hit on Brady after he left the Bills (but not huge enough)
Jay_Fixit Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 2 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: Not really... Alonso played one season for the Bills and they traded him. He played six very good games and 10 average to below average games. If you trade your 2nd round draft after one (technically 2 years) its pretty clear he’s not a hit The key is the number of picks. Polian had 6 or 7 drafts with 12 rounds. He did hit on some, but he missed quite a bit too. Russ was GM for 2 drafts and surprisingly the 2009 draft was fairly decent at the top (outside of Maybin) He’s still in the league and playing good football. The fact he was traded means nothing. He was traded for the Bills current best player. He’s infinitely more of a hit than Brad Butler was.
Call_Of_Ktulu Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 I think Nix and Whaley were the major factors involved with this team taking a dive into the red. I wonder how much of the hard work that these GM's really do. For me it would be day and night compiling info on so many college players. When you hear Mike Mayock talk about draft prospects you can tell he has put in some major hours into evaluating players.
Enemarty Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 3 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: Not really... Alonso played one season for the Bills and they traded him. He played six very good games and 10 average to below average games. If you trade your 2nd round draft after one (technically 2 years) its pretty clear he’s not a hit I think you may be right about Kiko, but for different reasons. I think you have to evaluate the value of the pick, not the person picked (plus doing that adds a level of complexity that is perfect for message boards like this). So, Kiko's pick inherits the value the Bills as an organization received for that pick, in this case, McCoy's contribution to the organization has to be factored in. Now, here, because Whaley engineered the trade, he should get credit for the increase in the value of the pick that McCoy brings, not Nix, hence my opening sentence. There is also the matter of the trade-down that got us the pick, which although under Nix, has Whaley's fingerprints all over it.
BadLandsMeanie Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 I see Buddy Nix as a guy who needed a QB and drafted a running back. Needed a QB and drafted a defensive tackle. Needed a QB and drafted a cornerback. And then needed a qb and drafted one when there were not any. And then he retired. 1 1
BuffaloRush Posted March 20, 2018 Author Posted March 20, 2018 54 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said: He’s still in the league and playing good football. The fact he was traded means nothing. He was traded for the Bills current best player. He’s infinitely more of a hit than Brad Butler was. Right - the difference is, he only played football for the Bills for one season. It’s very hard to consider one season for a 2nd round draft pick a success. Also while he is playing, and I’d say he’s a serviceable starter, would you trade a 2nd round draft pick for Kiko Alonso at any time in his career (outside of his first 6 games?) Probably not Butler was a 6th round pick that the Bills got tremendous value out of. Though I can agree - it’s a close call
GunnerBill Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 1 minute ago, BuffaloRush said: Also while he is playing, and I’d say he’s a serviceable starter, would you trade a 2nd round draft pick for Kiko Alonso at any time in his career (outside of his first 6 games?) Probably not Someone traded us an elite running back for him.....
dave mcbride Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 12 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: OK after a few week... it's finally back. As the draft approaches, I'm taking a look at the past General Managers in Buffalo and who was the most successful with the draft based on hits and misses. While this is very subjective, I am defining a "hit" as any player that reasonably performed at or above his draft status. As an example, a player like Paul Pozlusny becoming a solid starting LB as a 2nd round pick. A "miss" is the opposite - a player who performed under or well under their draft status. If you draft a player in the first round and they are a marginal starter, I am defining that as a miss. Also, if a player doesn't have a great career for the Bills, but then has a better career on another team that is not a miss in my opinion. We are dealing strictly on what the draft selections brought to the table for the Bills - not another team. I do realize that this evaluation will certainly stir up some disagreement. However, this is the way that I choose to evaluate and rate player and it will be subjective. Now let's move onto to the next GM Buddy Nix. First, I have decided to give Buddy credit for the 2013 Draft, though some would lead you to believe it was Whaley who took over. Since Nix was GM, he will get the credit or blame. Before you do that - check out my previous evaluations: 1. Russ Brandon: 28% 2. Marv Levy: 25% 3. Bill Polian: 23% Buddy Nix took over the team which has a very poor structure and was largely considered a tire fire. Still many fans, including yours truly, thought Buddy was a terrible hire. Just another employee promoted from within because Ralph didn't trust someone from the outside to make decisions. His first hire as head coach, Chan Gailey, was equally as uninspiring - though I think if Chan would have chosen a better DC, things could have been different. Now how was Buddy in the Draft: Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2010 1 C.J. Spiller 9 RB 2017 0 1 3 34 90 712 3451 12 198 1484 9 Clemson 2010 2 Torell Troup 41 DT 2012 0 0 0 3 21 Central Florida 2010 3 Alex Carrington 72 DE 2015 0 0 0 7 59 4.0 Arkansas St. 2010 4 Marcus Easley 107 WR 2015 0 0 0 1 42 3 71 1 1 Connecticut 2010 5 Ed Wang 140 T 2010 0 0 0 0 6 Virginia Tech 2010 6 Arthur Moats 178 LB 2017 0 0 3 21 121 16.5 James Madison 2010 6 Danny Batten 192 DE 2011 0 0 0 2 16 0.5 South Dakota St. 2010 7 Levi Brown 209 QB 2010 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 24 0 1 Troy 2010 7 Kyle Calloway 216 T 0 0 0 Iowa 2010 Draft - I am sorry but this was a terrible terrible draft. Buddy gets a fat 0. 0 Hits, All misses. This is rare but he batted .000 - which really is hard to do. I am sure someone will try to argue for Arthur Moats or Marcus Easley, but no these were NOT hits. Seriously, this was such a terrible draft we should have seen Buddy's bad drafting coming. Taking CJ Spiller and Torell Troup in rounds 1 and 2 should have been a fireable offense. Spiller did have his moments with the Bills, but the bottom line is he was a Top 10 premium pick and he never realized his potential. This was a bad pick for a team that had Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch at RB. Hits 0 Misses 9 0% Success Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2011 1 Marcell Dareus 3 DT 2017 1 2 5 49 100 36.0 Alabama 2011 2 Aaron Williams 34 DB 2016 0 0 2 18 59 7 Texas 2011 3 Kelvin Sheppard 68 LB 2017 0 0 4 26 100 2 3.0 LSU 2011 4 Da'Norris Searcy 100 DB 2017 0 0 2 24 107 8 4.5 North Carolina 2011 4 Chris Hairston 122 T 2017 0 0 1 19 74 Clemson 2011 5 Johnny White 133 RB 2012 0 0 0 0 19 20 72 0 1 -3 0 North Carolina 2011 6 Chris White 169 LB 2014 0 0 0 4 51 Mississippi St. 2011 7 Justin Rogers 206 DB 2015 0 0 0 4 43 3 Richmond 2011 7 Michael Jasper 245 DT 0 0 0 2011 - Give Buddy credit. Unlike 2010, he made some very solid and safe picks and drafted well in Rounds 1 and 2. Hits: Marcel Dareus - He was drafted very high but when motivated, Marcel was one of the best DT's in the NFL. He played very well during his few years with the Bills....then Whaley signed him to a huge deal and he became another dude. He's still a pretty good player, though not the same cat who dominated in 2013-2014. Aaron Williams - It took him a few years, but Williams was a competent safety and the field general for the Bills. Injuries cut his career short but for a 2nd round pick, Williams delivered on his draft status. Da'Norris Searcy - He was never a star at safety but he started for about 1 1/2 seasons and played pretty well. Overall for a 4th round pick, it's a HIT. 3 Hits/6 Misses 33% Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2012 1 Stephon Gilmore 10 DB 2017 0 1 6 29 81 16 South Carolina 2012 2 Cordy Glenn 41 G 2017 0 0 5 34 78 Georgia 2012 3 T.J. Graham 69 WR 2015 0 0 1 7 47 5 19 0 61 794 4 North Carolina St. 2012 4 Nigel Bradham 105 LB 2017 0 0 5 33 88 2 6.5 Florida St. 2012 4 Ron Brooks 124 DB 2016 0 0 0 6 52 LSU 2012 5 Zebrie Sanders 144 OL 2012 0 0 0 0 Florida St. 2012 5 Tank Carder 147 LB 2016 0 0 0 5 78 TCU 2012 6 Mark Asper 178 G 2014 0 0 0 0 7 Oregon 2012 7 John Potter 251 K 2013 0 0 0 0 9 West. Michigan 2012 3 Hits/9 Misses 33% Success Almost identical to 2011. Solid picks in Round 1 and 2, 1 good pick in the 4th round, and a punch of crap. Gilmore started slowly but had several quality years with the Bills. Many fans (including me) might argue he never was a good as the billing some give him. He is not a lockdown corner. But there's no denying he's a very very good CB. Cordy in the second round was probably Nix's best selection. When healthy, you can make the case for Cordy being one of the too 10 tackles in the NFL. Bradham is a very good LB. Not a star or a Pro Bowl LB, but he can definitely contribute and become an important part of the defense. The rest of the draft was terrible. TJ Graham at #3 was a pick many thought was poor and it sure did turn out that way. Still solid drafting at the top of the round saved Buddy here. Year Rnd Player Pick Pos To AP1 PB St CarAV G Cmp Att Yds TD Int Att Yds TD Rec Yds TD Int Sk College/Univ 2013 1 EJ Manuel 16 QB 2017 0 0 1 10 30 343 590 3767 20 16 96 339 4 Florida St. 2013 2 Robert Woods 41 WR 2017 0 0 5 26 69 6 34 0 259 3232 17 USC 2013 2 Kiko Alonso 46 LB 2017 0 0 3 25 58 7 3.0 Oregon 2013 3 Marquise Goodwin 78 WR 2017 0 0 2 14 55 10 65 0 105 1742 8 Texas 2013 4 Duke Williams 105 DB 2016 0 0 0 8 58 1 1.0 Nevada 2013 5 Jonathan Meeks 143 DB 2016 0 0 0 2 38 Clemson 2013 6 Dustin Hopkins 177 K 2017 0 0 3 7 39 Florida St. 2013 7 Chris Gragg 222 TE 2015 0 0 0 1 32 24 251 2 Arkansas 2013 Buddy left the Bills with a crap parting gift the likes we haven't seen since John Butler's 2000 draft. 1 Hit/7 Misses 14% Success I am sure many people will debate 2013 and that's fine. One thing you can't debate is EJ Manuel. It was a reach for a 3rd round QB who might have been available two rounds later. This selection set the team back for 2 seasons. It wasn't until Tyrod Taylor actually helped bail the team out of QB purgatory (slightly). Roberts Woods is a tough call. He had a breakout season but remember - this is only his performance on the Bills. Overall, I'd say he was a solid WR for the Bills and that his performance was close to a 2nd round selection to warrant a hit. Goodwin also had a breakout year in 2017 but he couldn't stay healthy as a member of the Bills. His performance does not justify a 3rd round pick. Kiko Alonso is a player I am sure some will argue for being hit. He was certainly a fast LB who has a HUGE 6 games of his rookie year but his performance began to slip as the year went on. Overall I just don't think his play lived up to his 2nd round selection and no you say "well he was traded for Lesean McCoy so that makes him a Hit." Nope. OVERALL 7 Hits/28 Misses 25% Success Hey, Buddy had his moments at the top of the draft for a few season, but overall he missed out on too many great players. Rather than being remembered for solid picks like Gilmore or Cordy Glenn, I think fans will attach him to Torrel Troupe and EJ Manuel. Buddy was probably a very good scout but I think this list shows that scouting is where he should have stayed. So here are the standings so far: 1. Russ Brandon: 28% 2. Marv Levy: 25% 3. Buddy Nix: 25% 4. Bill Polian: 23% Kiko Alonso was actually really good this year for the Dolphins (despite being a thug). 7 hours ago, formerlyofCtown said: Or you just don't actually know your draft history. I was surprised the first time I looked into it. The big thing Polian did was talk Jimbo into coming to Buffalo. The glory days were actually the work of 3 GMs. Again Polian didn't draft Kelly. Your knowledge of draft history is flawed. Thanks for doing this. I had thought about it but it's a lot of work so it's greatly appreciated. How long before you kick the hornet's nest and evaluate Whaley. Cornelius Bennett wasn't drafted by Polian, but for all intents and purposes he was a Bills draft pick.
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