The Difference Between Best Player Available vs. Drafting For Need (Sal Capaccio Explains...)

[DCbillsfan]

Hopefully they draft a guy who starts his rookie year and is an impact player ?

[BillyWhiteShows]

Thanks everyone.

[Utah John]

Newspaper writers have to write something in the offseason and it's part of Beane's job to provide something to write about.  Never never never believe anything a GM says before the drat.  It is a complete disadvantage for them to give any hint about what their real plans are.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Utah John
typo

[CardinalScotts]

Was Josh Allen the best player available when the Bills moved up to get him ? You could argue yes - so they moved up to get the best player not because it was a need- although it was.

[IgotBILLStopay]

Well it shd be BPA for the main part but with some need consideration thrown in. If BPA is a QB and you already hv a franchise QB and the BPA is not a major upgrade, you pass on him or trade down ( like Indy last draft).

 

the basic idea is that if you rank someone as a top 10 talent and he is available at 16 AND it is an area of need, you grab him. That does not go against the philosophy of BPA.

 

Bottomline is BPA is rarely one player - usually u pick from a group you rank as BPAs. Let us say it is round 3 and you a couple of players ranked as round one value - then you pick amongst them based on need. If you have only one, you pick him regardless of need ( like Harrison Phillips and Taron Johnson last year).

 

BPA considerations become less important in rounds 5-7 where it is usually for need unless you have ranked someone with a significantly lower round value.

[BuffAlone]

3 hours ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

Brandon Beane’s comments on drafting continue to confuse me.  He had been firm in saying “we don’t draft for need” and that draft for need get in trouble.  He has said the famous cliche “best player available.”

 

But didn’t Beane draft for need and not BPA last year?  He traded up for Josh Allen and Edmunds because QB sand MLB were a giant need!  If he was drafting BPA, then he would have taken the best player available at 21 and 22.  But he said in his presser at the Senior Bowl that it was drafting for need because he traded up.  Huh?  Didn’t he trade up to....you guessed it, draft for need?

 

In fact, I’d argue that most teams draft for need.  If they didn’t, then we’d see more team draft 2 QB’s in 1 draft or draft a QB high behind an established QB.  This would be like the Jets drafting Haskins because he’s the highest ranked prospect available when they pick.  They won’t do it because they already have a young QB they drafted the year earlier.   Also when teams set up their board doesn’t need come into play with the rankings?

 

One time the Bills did draft BPA, was the selection of CJ Spiller in 2009.  The pick was lauded by nearly everyone in the media as foolish considering they already had a Pro Bowl RB in Marshawn Lynch and a solid backup in Fred Jackson.  Yet the sick was clearly a BPA.

 

I get the idea of drafting for need and best player available, however I think in most circumstances teams draft based on their needs. 

 

Can anyone explain what he means by drafting for need or drafting best player available.  Because it seems like the Bills drafted for need last year, and that it happens all of the time.  

Let me ask you this...were josh allen and tremaine Edmunds the BPA at the time??I'd argue all day that they were. Nice post

[BuffaloBill]

2 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Donte Whitner @ 8 (1 pick after the top safety had come off the board) = drafting for need

 

 

Amen... Whitney is not to be blamed for where he was taken in the draft but this is one of the worst decisions in Bills draft history.

 

[Thurman#1]

3 hours ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

Brandon Beane’s comments on drafting continue to confuse me.  He had been firm in saying “we don’t draft for need” and that draft for need get in trouble.  He has said the famous cliche “best player available.”

 

But didn’t Beane draft for need and not BPA last year?  He traded up for Josh Allen and Edmunds because QB sand MLB were a giant need!  If he was drafting BPA, then he would have taken the best player available at 21 and 22.  But he said in his presser at the Senior Bowl that it was drafting for need because he traded up.  Huh?  Didn’t he trade up to....you guessed it, draft for need?

 

In fact, I’d argue that most teams draft for need.  If they didn’t, then we’d see more team draft 2 QB’s in 1 draft or draft a QB high behind an established QB.  This would be like the Jets drafting Haskins because he’s the highest ranked prospect available when they pick.  They won’t do it because they already have a young QB they drafted the year earlier.   Also when teams set up their board doesn’t need come into play with the rankings?

 

One time the Bills did draft BPA, was the selection of CJ Spiller in 2009.  The pick was lauded by nearly everyone in the media as foolish considering they already had a Pro Bowl RB in Marshawn Lynch and a solid backup in Fred Jackson.  Yet the sick was clearly a BPA.

 

I get the idea of drafting for need and best player available, however I think in most circumstances teams draft based on their needs. 

 

Can anyone explain what he means by drafting for need or drafting best player available.  Because it seems like the Bills drafted for need last year, and that it happens all of the time.  

 

 

He just explained it in the PC last night.

 

"Beane has been like a parrot all season whenever he’s been asked about the Bills' draft strategy. He refuses to draft for need because that’s when teams get themselves into trouble. He wants the best player on the board and he’s committed to that plan for as long as he’s GM in Buffalo.

 

“'People say, "Well, last year you needed a quarterback and you drafted one." Well my answer to that would be: "We didn’t draft him at 21. We moved up to where we thought we needed to get to do that,”' Beane said. “If we had stayed at 21 and just taken whatever quarterback was left than that would be drafting for need. We’re at nine and we’re going to take the best player on offense or defense and we’ll continue to do that in round two, three and beyond.'”

 

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/2019/01/bills-brandon-beane-on-2019-draft-were-in-the-top-10-and-we-dont-need-to-be.html

 

Of course, teams do let needs affect the draft, particularly in ruling out certain positions in high rounds. The Bills aren't going QB in the first this year even if the BPA were a QB. They also aren't drafting someone at MLB early to compete with Edmunds. Nor will they go punter in the first three rounds.

But within reason they think they will draft the BPA.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Thurman#1

[Augie]

2 hours ago, Bills Oil Company said:

I don't understand why this topic is discussed so often.  It's a pretty simple concept. 

 

Maybe it’s discussed so much because we are simple people? 

[Kirby Jackson]

The best teams ALWAYS draft BPA. They don’t have a lot of needs. QB is a total exception and not a part of the conversation. You draft the guy that you think is most likely to make the biggest impact. Sometimes you factor in holes, or holes that may be there in a year but that breaks ties, it doesn’t dictate the plan. As an example, at 9, it could very well be an edge rusher. While Hughes, Lawson, and Murphy (plus Yarborough) are fine the chance to get a Josh Allen or even Montez Sweat May be something you can’t pass up. OL & Pass catchers are bigger needs but if Allen is 5 on your board and Jonah Williams is 11, Metcalf 13, they are taking the edge rusher. That’s the concept of BPA.

[Warcodered]

I mean just going off the top of my head:

 

-Where's your biggest need?

-Who do you have rated highest at that position?

-Where is the latest you can take him/is there anyone you have rated similarly that you could take later?

-repeat for all your holes in the roster

-piece it all together the best you can.

 

even that is more complicated than BPA or simply drafting for need so whatever system an actual GM uses is bound to be far more involved. So to me BPA and drafting for need are just buzzwords people like to use rather than think of the actual work that would have to go into this whole process.

[Augie]

13 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Amen... Whitney is not to be blamed for where he was taken in the draft but this is one of the worst decisions in Bills draft history.

 

 

That’s some might stiff competition!!! 

[BillyWhiteShows]

8 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The best teams ALWAYS draft BPA. They don’t have a lot of needs. QB is a total exception and not a part of the conversation. You draft the guy that you think is most likely to make the biggest impact. Sometimes you factor in holes, or holes that may be there in a year but that breaks ties, it doesn’t dictate the plan. As an example, at 9, it could very well be an edge rusher. While Hughes, Lawson, and Murphy (plus Yarborough) are fine the chance to get a Josh Allen or even Montez Sweat May be something you can’t pass up. OL & Pass catchers are bigger needs but if Allen is 5 on your board and Jonah Williams is 11, Metcalf 13, they are taking the edge rusher. That’s the concept of BPA.

 

Yes it’s that in theory but I don’t think it happens is actuality.  I do feel that need factors in.

 

Case and point, last year’s draft with Edmunds.  The Bills didn’t sign a replacement at MLB.  They were going to fill in the need in the draft one way or another.

 

Thats why I feel the whole BPA is a bit of ruse, which was the whole reason I asked

[BuffAlone]

12 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

Yes it’s that in theory but I don’t think it happens is actuality.  I do feel that need factors in.

 

Case and point, last year’s draft with Edmunds.  The Bills didn’t sign a replacement at MLB.  They were going to fill in the need in the draft one way or another.

 

Thats why I feel the whole BPA is a bit of ruse, which was the whole reason I asked

Who,in your opinion, was BPA at 16 last year??

[Bing Bong]

I hate how we call this some tough "choice". They're going to draft who they want (likely BPA at a position of need).

 

It's the same thing. Turns out the guy they want so bad fills a position of need. What are they going to draft Kyler Murray in the name of BPA? It's not hard to get BPA when he's not like one of the 3 positions you already have locked up.. punter kicker and QB. The rest always need depth anyway.

[Prickly Pete]

It's a balancing act. Sometimes you draft out of desperate need (QB in particular), and other times you have broader options.

I think it's obvious to them that they need to add to the Offense, but if they can't trade down, and the talent is all D-line, they pretty much have to go Dlineman.

 

It's all a roll of the dice. And missing on your first pick isn't the end of the world (the Patriots have overcome some poor picks). 

 

It's so early. Until the combine happens, it's hard to gauge some players. All the top guys have plays where they look fantastic...but not all of them can translate it to the pros, and WORK ETHIC is a huge factor in having success in the pros. We don't know that much about the prospects behind the scenes. You have to find out who really wants it, who has the motivation to succeed.

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by OJ Tom

[Kirby Jackson]

24 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

 

Yes it’s that in theory but I don’t think it happens is actuality.  I do feel that need factors in.

 

Case and point, last year’s draft with Edmunds.  The Bills didn’t sign a replacement at MLB.  They were going to fill in the need in the draft one way or another.

 

Thats why I feel the whole BPA is a bit of ruse, which was the whole reason I asked

It’s not. They had other options to fill that role as the draft went along (Warner, Leonard, etc..). I can promise that a team drafts on BPA. They have tiers of players and may move up or down depending on where they have guys. In a situation like Edmunds, they indicated that they were shocked he was still there. That tells me he was graded highly to them and there was a drop off to the next player. Fitting a need was a bonus. They went to get him though because of the quality of the player not the position. It is possible that they take a MLB (Devin White) at 9 this year.

[Bing Bong]

11 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

It’s not. They had other options to fill that role as the draft went along (Warner, Leonard, etc..). I can promise that a team drafts on BPA. They have tiers of players and may move up or down depending on where they have guys. In a situation like Edmunds, they indicated that they were shocked he was still there. That tells me he was graded highly to them and there was a drop off to the next player. Fitting a need was a bonus. They went to get him though because of the quality of the player not the position. It is possible that they take a MLB (Devin White) at 9 this year.

And the tiers have position of need! Bet you my life savings they don't draft Devin White. What were they going to say post draft last year? They needed an MLB but had to settle for the next best MLB Edmunds who they thought was a major drop off?

 

They didn't really need a QB but whoa JA was there. BPA AND NEED!

[NoSaint]

4 hours ago, BillyWhiteShows said:

Brandon Beane’s comments on drafting continue to confuse me.  He had been firm in saying “we don’t draft for need” and that draft for need get in trouble.  He has said the famous cliche “best player available.”

 

But didn’t Beane draft for need and not BPA last year?  He traded up for Josh Allen and Edmunds because QB sand MLB were a giant need!  If he was drafting BPA, then he would have taken the best player available at 21 and 22.  But he said in his presser at the Senior Bowl that it was drafting for need because he traded up.  Huh?  Didn’t he trade up to....you guessed it, draft for need?

 

In fact, I’d argue that most teams draft for need.  If they didn’t, then we’d see more team draft 2 QB’s in 1 draft or draft a QB high behind an established QB.  This would be like the Jets drafting Haskins because he’s the highest ranked prospect available when they pick.  They won’t do it because they already have a young QB they drafted the year earlier.   Also when teams set up their board doesn’t need come into play with the rankings?

 

One time the Bills did draft BPA, was the selection of CJ Spiller in 2009.  The pick was lauded by nearly everyone in the media as foolish considering they already had a Pro Bowl RB in Marshawn Lynch and a solid backup in Fred Jackson.  Yet the sick was clearly a BPA.

 

I get the idea of drafting for need and best player available, however I think in most circumstances teams draft based on their needs. 

 

Can anyone explain what he means by drafting for need or drafting best player available.  Because it seems like the Bills drafted for need last year, and that it happens all of the time.  

 

 

If you trade to where the best player available is also a need - you can make some really good choices.

 

its not that complicated. 

[ticketssince61]

If the BPA's at your draft slot don't match your needs, then you should trade down, fill a need later and get an extra pick.