A Sneaky Good Draft, With Potential...

[BadLandsMeanie]

2 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

One of the biggest misconceptions around here is that everyone says the Bills ignored the QB position which isn't true. They may not have made the picks everyone wanted them to make, or drafted a QB every year, but they did just like every other team that doesn't have a franchise guy has done and tried everything to find someone who would work. They went the veteran route, they drafted guys all over the draft, went to find potential diamonds in the rough in free agency, they even trade for some. Unfortunately it didnt work out to get them a true franchise guy and they kept having to start over or build a team around what they had. They may have kept some around too long, but it's not like they didnt make an effort to get someone.

No, they didn't. What the Bills just did was doing everything they could. It was VERY different. They traded away players. They traded away a first round pick last year. 

 

That is nothing like what the Bills have done in the past.  This staff did what they had to.

 

The Bills never drafted a QB in the top ten ever. Not one time.

 

In their 58 Year History The Buffalo Bills Selected just 3 quarterbacks in the first round. So roughly every 20 Years.

 

They picked Kelly at 14 and Losman at 22 and I forget where they got EJ. It should have been in the second round.

 

So please don't tell me I have a "misconception" that the BIlls have ignored the QB position. I have NO misconceptions about that. 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by BadLandsMeanie

[apuszczalowski]

Maybe they ignored QBs early in the 1st of the draft, but again, they have not ignored the position.  They just have gone many different ways to find someone and failed. Again they may not have done it the way you wanted them to, but they haven't ignored the position.

 

Also you bring up drafting one in the first, since Kelly they have done it twice (3 times now) both in the last 15 years. How many times have the Bill's had a top 5 pick in the draft? How many times have they been in the top 10?

[Lurker]

5 hours ago, DFT said:

I can’t speak to why they chose to pass.  But what Rosen said after he was selected is what I would want in my QB.  He’s a competitor, through and through.  

 

Agreed.   Nice guys finish where, again?   

 

Rosen's got a lot to prove, but the tools to do it...

[Wayne Arnold]

7 hours ago, DFT said:

 

I for one think Rosen will be a vastly superior QB and the best of this class.  I was sure he was their guy.  His upside was manningesque and his floor was Matt Ryan, in my mind.  

 

You think Matt Ryan is Rosen's floor??!? Take it easy, man. I preferred Rosen as well and also think he'll be better if he can stay healthy but Rosen was never a generational talent at UCLA.

 

There's a reason he fell to 10 and the team that did pick him actually preferred Allen over him.

[billsfan_34]

8 hours ago, DFT said:

Allen is all that stands in the way of many, that would give this draft an A+.   Nobody is wrong in thinking that way.  Allen represents the time honored conundrum of Elite upside vs Incredible risk.  For every single example of the risk panning out, 20 more examples could be given of the risk not and thus, setting a franchise back.  But I’ll admit, as word broke late of a Rosen resurgence at one Bills, I believed he was the guy.  I was all in and would’ve bet my career on it.  But alas, I’m officially wrong ten times out of ten.  And...   here we are.

 

 In my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, scout and have had the pleasure of working with some incredible folks along the way.   So I’ve asked a few their collective thoughts and the one thing that gives me pause, is the consensus of where they all seem to focus.   And it’s not Josh Allen.  Two names continue to jump out in conversations well before Josh Allen.  Those names are Harrison Phillips and Wyatt Teller.  They’re wildly popular picks among some very trusted and inciteful football minds and when weighed against some of the better documented commentary of ESPN, NFLN, CBS and others, it all aligns to a consensus.  These two guys are going to make some potentially big impacts for the Bills.  They are universal considered to be steals and should be, as both offer the same nasty demeanor, lunch pail Workmanship and high-level of play that a team and fan base like Buffalo, would covet.  But there’s more to this draft... So much more.

 

Tremaine Edmunds is a disturbing and intimidating freak of nature.  His skill set and potential to fill out his 19 year old frame is frightening.  Already considered “plug and play”, he has, what many feel, is the highest upside at his position.  While I don’t quite agree with that, I would suggest his upside is well described in “Urlacher” territory.  He will benefit most from the NFL S&C program, but oh my, what a budding star he could be.  

 

Taron Johnson was my second highest rated slot corner in this draft.  Pro ready, sticky in short areas, but lacking in long-speed, I thought he was a value add, where he was drafted.  I don’t expect to see him in anything but slot coverage, year 1, but I do expect him to potentially start in nickel and dime packages.  Good pickup.

 

Proehl, McCloud and Neal, are each decent picks, though I don’t see any (aside from McCloud on ST), having a sizeable contribution this year.

 

Then there’s that guy, Josh Allen.  A Jeff George arm, Elite athleticism, incredible offseason, but a shaky-at-best resume.  I struggle to get excited.  As a player, you just want to see this kid put it together.  If he could just be sorta good, he’ll have an incredible career ahead of him.  But when the pressure is on, in an environment such as Buffalo,  where fans are as unforgiving as possible, he’s got his work cut out for him.  But oh, how the McCarron signing is even more of a tremendous one.  This is where some of my colleagues, who offer much more than I ever will, have reminded me of what McCarron’s real value is.  He’s a coach.  Though limited in his own skills, he has off the charts acumen, Just like Allen’s mentor, Jordan Palmer.  He and our newly placed coordinator are the best things that could happen to Allen.  But Allen has his work cut out for him.   Though there’s not a lot of criticism for the pick, there’s not a ton of optimism.  Allen, Beane and McD will all have the stigma of “what would this draft have been if it were the other Josh at 7”.  I for one think he’ll be a vastly superior QB and the best of this class.  I was sure he was their guy.  His upside was manningesque and his floor was Matt Ryan, in my mind.   Time will tell, but I, like so many, can only be hopefully that these folks saw something that so many didn’t.  If they did, well then this draft will definitely be special.  If Allen rises to meet half of his potential, then my Durkee-covered crow is well-deserved and easy to eat.  I want that, badly.  I want to be steeped in wrongness.   I hope I am.

 

But the rest of this class, they’re going to pack an awfully well-received punch.  Stop me if you’ve heard this before...   “the Buffalo Bills drafted a versatile player”.  That’s what they did, that’s what they do and that’s what they’re creating.  Players with the morale and athleticism to fill whatever role is asked of them.  They succeeded with this draft, in my opinion, but if Allen himself isn’t successful and say, Rosen is, this draft may be lost on folks.

 

but Bills fans should be very excited about this draft.  This front office did an almost masterful job. There’s a lot of optimism surrounding what just happened.   Josh Allen is the only component of whether this will be looked as a great draft or seen as a generational draft, for the Buffalo Bills.  

One of the best threads I have read in a very long time!! Thanks for the insight- go Bills

[billspro]

5 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

 

You think Matt Ryan is Rosen's floor??!? Take it easy, man. I preferred Rosen as well and also think he'll be better if he can stay healthy but Rosen was never a generational talent at UCLA.

 

There's a reason he fell to 10 and the team that did pick him actually preferred Allen over him.

 

Rosen is more of an Eli Manning type player. He also has durability issues and struggles  protecting himself in the pocket which is why he dropped. 

[Wayne Arnold]

8 minutes ago, billspro said:

 

Rosen is more of an Eli Manning type player. He also has durability issues and struggles  protecting himself in the pocket which is why he dropped. 

 

I think Eli is a better comparison.

[Bockeye]

23 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

 

You think Matt Ryan is Rosen's floor??!? Take it easy, man. I preferred Rosen as well and also think he'll be better if he can stay healthy but Rosen was never a generational talent at UCLA.

 

There's a reason he fell to 10 and the team that did pick him actually preferred Allen over him.

Bingo. I preferred Rosen too,  but many are making it out like we passed on Peyton Manning.  None of the QB’s were considered exceptional or generational. All had their flaws. We happened to take the one which almost all the prognosticators considered to have the highest ceiling. Too many on the board are forgetting that. 

[Green Lightning]

6 hours ago, DFT said:

I can’t speak to why they chose to pass.  But what Rosen said after he was selected is what I would want in my QB.  He’s a competitor, through and through.  

I don't like the first pick either and I was also a Rosen guy. It doesn't really bother me what he said after he got picked, he's just a competitor and fierce. Why not feel that way? Time will tell which Josh will be better, I just hope our Josh develops. It means about 3 - 4 years to this franchise as well as McBeane's employment.

[NickelCity]

1 hour ago, billsfan_34 said:

One of the best threads I have read in a very long time!! Thanks for the insight- go Bills

 

Agreed. Came here to post the same thing. Thanks for the contribution, @DFT!

[Coach Tuesday]

If they’d taken the other (right) Josh and all of their other picks were the same, this would go down as a legendary draft.

 

What I keep coming back to is the risk factor - I understand why this regime wanted Allen, but I continue to feel like they missed an opportunity to stabilize the QB position.

[Bockeye]

1 hour ago, Coach Tuesday said:

If they’d taken the other (right) Josh and all of their other picks were the same, this would go down as a legendary draft.

 

What I keep coming back to is the risk factor - I understand why this regime wanted Allen, but I continue to feel like they missed an opportunity to stabilize the QB position.

Still could go down as a legendary draft. Lots of time to see what these gents can do. Having said that, if Allen isn’t “the” QB within the next three years, I’m not sure what the draft class would have to do in order for it to be called a success. I wonder what it would take? 

[DFT]

12 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

If they’d taken the other (right) Josh and all of their other picks were the same, this would go down as a legendary draft.

 

What I keep coming back to is the risk factor - I understand why this regime wanted Allen, but I continue to feel like they missed an opportunity to stabilize the QB position.

Agreed.  I don’t know the reason for Allen over Rosen, but the decision will see that these two young men will be tied to each other to start their careers.  Every fan that wanted Rosen over Allen will measure these two, accordingly for their first few years.  I will say this though...  my worry with Rosen (aside from my horrible ability to scout QBs), was that he would have struggled to handle the fan base and media in Buffalo.  I don’t have that fear at all, with Allen.  I think Allen, in that regard, has a tremendous leg up on every other QB in this draft.  He is definitely a coaches dream, from an acumen, talent and coach-ability standpoint.  Whether he can put it all together, remains to be seen.