ESPN Insider: Anonymous Execs weigh in on Bills picks and QBs

[racketmaster]

ESPN link

http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2018/insider/story/_/id/23374287/2018-nfl-draft-execs-unfiltered-every-team-picks-baker-mayfield-saquon-barkley-josh-rosen-lamar-jackson-more

 

Below are the comments that are Bills related or on the top 6 QBS. 

 

Baltimore Ravens

"Lamar Jackson at No. 32 was my favorite pick of the first round," an exec said. "You get a fifth-year option for a quarterback who has a chance to come in and unseat Joe Flacco in a hurry and is a dynamic playmaker. It's a genius first round for me because they kept trading back and still got the guys they wanted. We compared the tight end [Hurst] to Todd Heap, so the fit really could not be any better in Baltimore."

Another exec compared Jackson favorably to Michael Vick, whose former quarterbacks coach in Philly (James Urban) holds the same job in Baltimore.

"Can you teach a guy to see it quicker and become accurate?" an exec asked. "That will be the question with Jackson. The talent is there. He is probably a better scrambler than Vick. He probably has better passing technique than Vick had, and if you really want to look at it, Michael Vick was the first pick in the draft who had a good career."

Not everyone loves Jackson as a prospect, or else other teams would have been scrambling to select him earlier in the round.

"Thirteen test score [on the Wonderlic], and his mom is his agent," one skeptic said.

Another insider bristled over the gap between Jackson's college production and where he was selected, particularly with so many questions surrounding the other quarterbacks.

"We will take Rosen, whose teammates dislike him and who makes a fool of himself on TV," this insider said, "but there were only a few teams that would have taken Jackson, even though he could be the best quarterback in this draft."

 

Arizona Cardinals

"I was hoping they would stay at 15 and get Lamar Jackson, but I don't have a problem with what they did," an exec said. "Everybody recognizes the talent with Rosen, but he is not the top guy in the draft because nobody likes him."

The Cardinals were in a difficult spot. They needed a quarterback, but they couldn't realistically trade up high enough to have their choice. They would land whichever quarterback lasted long enough to reach within striking distance. Rosen was prickly out of the gates, saying he would not "come in and be an a--h--- and think that my s--- don't stink," despite being "pissed" that teams drafting ahead of Arizona made "big mistakes" in choosing other QBs.

Exec after exec said the same things about Rosen. One called the former UCLA quarterback a combination of Jeff George and Jay Cutler who would struggle to lead a team. Another worried that Rosen was not durable, comparing him to current Cardinals starter Sam Bradford.

"I think they have it set up right in Arizona because [offensive coordinator] Mike McCoy can speak the kid's language and talk fast enough to try to stay ahead of the kid so he does not get bored," an insider said.

An exec noted that quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich, already considered future head-coaching material by former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, would become a shooting star if he could help mold Rosen into a success.

"Byron will be good for the kid if Rosen allows it," an insider said.

This insider then let out a chuckle.

"Byron in about a week will probably want to take a poke at him," this insider continued. "He's from f---ing D.C., and he ain't having a cake eater walk in and act like an a--h---."

 

Buffalo Bills

That is where Buffalo bet its future on Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen.

"It's a cold-weather quarterback who is big and strong, not frail and little, in a cold-weather city where it's windy," an exec said. "You are going to have to throw it through the wind and he can do those things. Good job for that. He is aw-shucks, likes football, makes his team visits with sweats and tennis shoes -- perfect for Buffalo. They don't need Baker Mayfield in f---ing designer clothes, OK? They need Jim Kelly."

For the Bills, this draft was about finding a quarterback and loading up on defense with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, cornerback Taron Johnson and cornerback Siran Neal in the first five rounds.

"The linebacker [Edmunds] is a play-making, run-around, off-the-ball 'backer," an exec said, "and guess what they play in Buffalo? A really simple scheme in which you make plays and run around. Perfect. Edmunds makes plays sideline-to-sideline, and can run through the line of scrimmage. He is raw, but has enough athleticism to defend the short-zone pass because guess what they play? Carolina's defense -- short-zone pass."

 

Cleveland Browns

What if someone told you two months ago that the Browns would select Baker Mayfield first overall?

"No F'ing way," said an exec. "I came to grips with it the night before, but I didn't fully come to grips with it until the card was turned in, and I was like, 'My God, what is going on here?'"

This exec said much of the quarterback evaluation process comes down to the feel a team has after meeting with a player.

"John [Dorsey] wants a leader of men," this exec said. "He must have thought Baker was a leader of men. The time teams spend with quarterbacks one-on-one really is a big factor."

Selecting Sam Darnold instead of Mayfield would have felt like the conventional play, but there was always the potential for someone to love Mayfield near the top.

"Do you trust Baker Mayfield or not?" one insider asked two weeks before the draft. "If you do, then Baker Mayfield would be No. 1 [among the quarterbacks]."

 

NY Jets

"It's like the biggest gift they have ever received," an exec said. "They may have played this thing perfectly. I almost wondered if they leaked that they liked Mayfield, which forced Cleveland to take Mayfield at 1 as opposed to getting him at 4. I do not know if that was the case, but if it was, that was masterful by them."

Another exec thought the Browns' hiring of Scot McCloughan played at least some role in steering the team toward Mayfield. However it happened, the Jets seemed to win.

"They are all-in at this point," this exec said. "If they don't get it right, they are all fired, anyway. You are all-in, and you got a really good quarterback. If he fails, they fail anyway. If they didn't get Darnold, look at the other quarterbacks. I think they would have been done because I think Darnold is probably the best one."

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

"I actually like Rudolph more than I like Josh Allen," this insider said. "Looking at the situation in Pittsburgh vs. the situation in Buffalo, I would almost bank on Rudolph's future more than Allen's future. Then, look at what the teams gave up to get a quarterback. The Jets are really happy Darnold was there for them, and it worked out great, and they need to be excited, but we cannot forget the No. 3 pick and three second-rounders they gave up to get him."

 

Not impressed with Pittsburgh's pick of Edmunds.   "His brother [Tremaine, chosen 16th by the Bills] is going to be awesome for Buffalo".

 

Washington Redskins

"I would have taken Tremaine Edmunds because he is 19 years old [20 as of Wednesday], and he is a three-down player no matter what. He can drop, he can pass rush, he can play the run. He could play inside linebacker, outside linebacker, defensive end -- you name it. And when he is 21-22 years old, he could be 245 pounds."

Edited May 4, 2018 by racketmaster

[racketmaster]

Biggest takeaways: 

1. There has to be something wrong with Rosen’s personality/character. Too many people don’t like the guy and in turn would pass on the player. 

2. Execs love the pick of Tremaine Edmunds and the fit in McDermott’s defense. 

[vorpma]

Just now, racketmaster said:

Biggest takeaways: 

1. There has to be something wrong with Rosen’s personality/character. Too many people don’t like the guy and in turn would pass on the player. 

2. Execs love the pick of Tremaine Edmunds and the fit in McDermott’s defense. 

Personality is my concern, but it took some time for the rough edges to wear off Jim Kelly too!

[jr1]

Rosen was impressive in the Cowherd interview though

[QB12]

A promising review @Bills...filled w/accolades all around.

[Alphadawg7]

17 minutes ago, racketmaster said:

 

Arizona Cardinals

"I was hoping they would stay at 15 and get Lamar Jackson, but I don't have a problem with what they did," an exec said. "Everybody recognizes the talent with Rosen, but he is not the top guy in the draft because nobody likes him."

The Cardinals were in a difficult spot. They needed a quarterback, but they couldn't realistically trade up high enough to have their choice. They would land whichever quarterback lasted long enough to reach within striking distance. Rosen was prickly out of the gates, saying he would not "come in and be an a--h--- and think that my s--- don't stink," despite being "pissed" that teams drafting ahead of Arizona made "big mistakes" in choosing other QBs.

Exec after exec said the same things about Rosen. One called the former UCLA quarterback a combination of Jeff George and Jay Cutler who would struggle to lead a team. Another worried that Rosen was not durable, comparing him to current Cardinals starter Sam Bradford.

"I think they have it set up right in Arizona because [offensive coordinator] Mike McCoy can speak the kid's language and talk fast enough to try to stay ahead of the kid so he does not get bored," an insider said.

An exec noted that quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich, already considered future head-coaching material by former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, would become a shooting star if he could help mold Rosen into a success.

"Byron will be good for the kid if Rosen allows it," an insider said.

This insider then let out a chuckle.

"Byron in about a week will probably want to take a poke at him," this insider continued. "He's from f---ing D.C., and he ain't having a cake eater walk in and act like an a--h---."

 

 

Literally exactly what I have been saying about Rosen.  Nobody likes him.  I have said repeatedly he reminds of Jeff George and Jay Cutler with the body of Sam Bradford.  And here you have NFL execs making the exact same comparison.  

 

This is why 3 teams chose a different QB and 2 other teams who most believe could use a QB (NYG and Den) also chose other players.  He could prove those risks wrong, but when you are draft a QB high in the draft with lots of talented prospects, having serious personality question marks and durability issues makes your stock fall.  AZ could have gotten a steal, or they just got a lemon.  Only time will tell, but all the reasons here are why I liked the Allen pick over Rosen and why I felt Rosen would be the last of the big 4 chosen.  

 

I still would have backed him if we drafted him, no denying he's got a lot of potential, but he was the one QB I didnt want to pay a ransom for.  I would have been ok with him at 7, but I liked Allen better after he won me over in the offseason.  

[racketmaster]

2 minutes ago, vorpma said:

Personality is my concern, but it took some time for the rough edges to wear off Jim Kelly too!

That’s true. I just find it interesting that so many scouts and execs question Rosen’s character. It makes it seem like he is a real douchebag. 

[Alphadawg7]

6 minutes ago, jr1 said:

Rosen was impressive in the Cowherd interview though

 

Anyone can pull it together for one interview, especially when your PR person coaches you.  

Edited May 3, 2018 by Alphadawg7

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, racketmaster said:

That’s true. I just find it interesting that so many scouts and execs question Rosen’s character. It makes it seem like he is a real douchebag. 

Well he probably comes off as a person that wants to make Bank but doesn't need to be in the NFL to do it.

 

When you're handed everything your whole life you end up rubbing people wrong.

[BuffaloBillyG]

4 minutes ago, racketmaster said:

Biggest takeaways: 

1. There has to be something wrong with Rosen’s personality/character. Too many people don’t like the guy and in turn would pass on the player. 

2. Execs love the pick of Tremaine Edmunds and the fit in McDermott’s defense. 

There have been multiple people that met with him during the draft process come out and say there just seems to,be something "off" about him. I never met him, so I dont know.

 

I will offer this though. Draft night after he was selected he came off extremely poorly. Here's a guy that "slipped" to 10 and acted like he fell to the 4th round. It wasn't just what he said either. His body language, eye contact and General presence was dare I say "Cutler-esqe". That's not the composure you hope to see from the face of your franchise. 

[st pete gogolak]

If we drafted Allen because he's a  "cold weather quarterback" or because he "fits the City of Buffalo" we're dumber than I thought we are.  If we drafted him because we were looking for a "Cam Newton type" who can run a Carolina offense, then we're still pretty dumb.  If, however, we drafted him because he has a lot of impressive physical tools and because in two or three years the FO believes he can be an elite-level NFL quarterback, then we may be pretty smart.  Man, NFL executives are idiots.

[racketmaster]

12 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

There have been multiple people that met with him during the draft process come out and say there just seems to,be something "off" about him. I never met him, so I dont know.

 

I will offer this though. Draft night after he was selected he came off extremely poorly. Here's a guy that "slipped" to 10 and acted like he fell to the 4th round. It wasn't just what he said either. His body language, eye contact and General presence was dare I say "Cutler-esqe". That's not the composure you hope to see from the face of your franchise. 

Could not agree more. He faced some “adversity” and handled it poorly. 

[quinnearlysghost88]

i always love the cold, snow, wind reasoning for picking a QBs. Let's look at those blustery game conditions last year: 

sept 10- 67*

sept 17- 87*

sept 24- 90*

oct 1- Dome

oct 8- 71*

oct 22- 79*

oct 29- 44*

nov 2- 71*

nov 12- 42*

nov 19- 73*

nov 26- 65*

dec 3- 47*

dec10- 29* (snow game!)

dec17- 25*

dec24- 49*

dec 31- 75*

 

playoff: 55*

 

You don't draft a guy based on his ability to play in cold weather, when two of your games are below freezing. 

[Augie]

20 minutes ago, jr1 said:

Rosen was impressive in the Cowherd interview though

 

I thought so too, but at the same time he seemed to think he was above “the process”. The whole “you whine when people don’t give you squat, then you whine if I speak my truth” comes off as better than thou. Play the stinkin’ game if you’re smart. Cowherd got a kick out of it, but I can see how it would be off putting to many, and concern you as the face of the franchise.  

[US Egg]

Wish reporters would cut the crap.

 

Arizona was thrilled Rosen was there at 10 to trade up for and it cost them a lot less than what iffy Allen cost the Bills. 

 

 

[1billsfan]

21 minutes ago, jr1 said:

Rosen was impressive in the Cowherd interview though

 

I had the opposite reaction. I thought he came off pompous in that interview. He may have said the right things, but the way he said them came across as disingenuous and self-centered. I was never a fan of the Bills drafting either Rosen or Mayfield.

 

I originally wanted them to draft Jackson, but since the draft I've done a 180 and I'm very happy Allen was their guy. I honestly didn't do much research on Allen because I was so focused looking for the next DeShaun Watson, that was pretty foolish in retrospect.

 

[Augie]

5 minutes ago, Ifartalot said:

Wish reporters would cut the crap.

 

Arizona was thrilled Rosen was there at 10 to trade up for and it cost them a lot less than what iffy Allen cost the Bills. 

 

 

 

Aside from the personality questions, I would have cringed every time he got sacked and his head bounced off the turf. I freely admit, he was my first choice at 7 at the time, but personality and durability would have been concerns. 

[Skins Malone]

18 minutes ago, No Place To Hyde said:

There have been multiple people that met with him during the draft process come out and say there just seems to,be something "off" about him. I never met him, so I dont know.

 

I will offer this though. Draft night after he was selected he came off extremely poorly. Here's a guy that "slipped" to 10 and acted like he fell to the 4th round. It wasn't just what he said either. His body language, eye contact and General presence was dare I say "Cutler-esqe". That's not the composure you hope to see from the face of your franchise. 

Which i thought was strange considering before the draft Rosen said it wasnt about how high he got drafted but that it was going to the right place and having a long career.  Then he slips a bit and hes all pissed off.  Nothing against the guy but if hes as smart as he thinks he is everyone knows you have to play the game a little bit.  Common sense should have told he kid that he needed to play the game a bit to get drafted high.  He talks about how so many people hate him...so clearly he knows he rubs people the wrong way.

Now nothing wrong with him just wanting to be himself but then dont complain that you slipped a little bit.

[The Wiz]

7 minutes ago, Ifartalot said:

Wish reporters would cut the crap.

 

Arizona was thrilled Rosen was there at 10 to trade up for and it cost them a lot less than what iffy Allen cost the Bills. 

 

 

So thrilled that they tried to trade to 7 to take Allen.

[JoPar_v2]

These guys sound like morons. Does anyone actually give a flip what kind of clothes Baker Mayfield wears? That factors in? Really?

 

no wonder these waterheads insist on anonymity.