Buffalo Bills worst draft choices.

[artmalibu]

3 hours ago, Mango said:

 

Huh? 

 

WG rushed for 1100,1200, and 990 yards while he was here. Then made 2 pro bowls after he left.

 

Thats just a wild accusation. 

 

 

 

You had me until Lynch and McGahee. I can sorta get McGahee. He didn’t play for a year, but he was still good. Lynch was an All-Pro back. We never should have traded him. 

 

I didnt say they were not good players, its just that the team was in decent shape at RB without them.  They needed help on the OL.  When you look at the draft capital that was used on the RB position to not make much improvement.  Didnt they have Freddie, Henry, and Lynch at the same time?

[Phil The Thrill]

4 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

 

CJ Spiller had a Pro Bowl season where he rushed over 1200 yards.  The next season, he had over 900 yards.

He was a decent NFL player, who should have been viewed as a change-of-pace RB instead of a 3-down workhorse.

 

The problem with Spiller was expectations, since he was a Top-10 pick.  

If he was taken in the 3rd Round, people would have been fine with his career production.

 

Guys like Aaron Maybin and Torrell Troup were worthless, and had no business even being on NFL rosters.

 

Yeah but what makes a player a “bust”’is where you took him in the draft.  If you drafted a player in the Top 10 and his career turned out like Spiller’s did, I think you have a right to expect more than a 3rd round pick.

 

This discussion point doesn’t add much to the conversation 

20 minutes ago, chris heff said:

I don’t understand why no love for “AC” Al Cowlings. He was the fifth overall pick and the only reason was because OJ wanted his buddy in Buffalo. This might be the worst reason to draft someone in the history of the NFL.

He gets a pass because he drove OJ in the Ford Bronco (great car)

29 minutes ago, soflabillsfan1 said:

Much of the Bills drafting in the 2000's is so atrocious.  Downright embarrassing.  Terrible picks, terrible strategy.  Mel kiper would have been a better GM for the Bills in those years.  Thank God we finally have a front office we can feel secure with.

Every Bills GM Post Donahoe was hot HOT garbage including the Bills HOF coach, the guy with the cool Southern accent, and the GM that put the team in cap and couldn’t find a QB that a small portion of the fanbase loves.  All bad

[Phil The Thrill]

3 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I think there are some important differences that we should discuss. I haven’t read the thread so they may have already been mentioned. There’s a big difference between a guy that they shouldn’t have picked and a guy that couldn’t play. The Bills shouldn’t have picked Spiller or Whitner. Maybin and McCargo couldn’t play. For me, it’s much worse to take a guy that couldn’t play over a guy that you shouldn’t have taken.  
 

If I’m to declare a “worst pick of the last 20 years” it has to be Maybin. He checked both boxes. He shouldn’t have been picked (Orakpo was the top available option at the position) and he couldn’t play. He was drafted to rush the passer and had as many sacks in a Bills uniform as I did. Glad to see him making a difference in his post-football life but he’s the worst pick that we’ve had.

What’s your opinion of how the Bills needed a QB in 2013 and REACHED to draft EJ - a QB many considered the be a 3rd round prospect and is out of the NFL?   Oh and he signed Kelvin Kolb.  Ugh.  
 

This pick showed me how poor of a job Buddy did managing the most important position in the NFL - QB.  Bad GM

[Straight Hucklebuck]

40 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

This pick showed me how poor of a job Buddy did managing the most important position in the NFL - QB.  Bad GM

After Donahoe the Bills stopped trying to find a Quarterback for a decade. They really settled into a mode of playing simple football, and trying to build around backups.
 

They tried Losman, and he gave away to three years of Trent Edwards, three more years of Ryan Fitzpatrick, EJ Manuel for a year, talked Kyle Orton out of retirement, then three more years of Baltimore’s backup Tyrod Taylor.

That’s 10 years of trying to max out as a try hard Wildcard team. 
 

So it started with Marv, carried through with Russ Brandon, Nix and then Whaley.

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Straight Hucklebuck

[Kirby Jackson]

41 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

What’s your opinion of how the Bills needed a QB in 2013 and REACHED to draft EJ - a QB many considered the be a 3rd round prospect and is out of the NFL?   Oh and he signed Kelvin Kolb.  Ugh.  
 

This pick showed me how poor of a job Buddy did managing the most important position in the NFL - QB.  Bad GM

EJ was a big reach but that was an institutional failure above all else. The Bills backed themselves into a corner NEEDING to draft a QB in the worst QB draft maybe ever. I don’t quite have that as bad because if you’re going to force yourself to take a QB at least take the big, strong, charismatic guy. He couldn’t play but when they were backed into a corner I can at least try to understand the flawed reasoning. He belongs way up on the list of worst picks but I blame the mismanagement of the position above all else.

[NoName]

10 hours ago, dhg said:

Erik Flowers - John Butler's parting gift to the organization. 

Agreed.  Eric Flowers or Mike Williams (whatever that rt name was) would get my vote for the absolute worst.

[Mango]

57 minutes ago, artmalibu said:

 

I didnt say they were not good players, its just that the team was in decent shape at RB without them.  They needed help on the OL.  When you look at the draft capital that was used on the RB position to not make much improvement.  Didnt they have Freddie, Henry, and Lynch at the same time?

  
Fair point if we are casually discussing players and drafts. But to make the point about a possible HOF player and a pro bowler on a WORST DRAFT PICKS OF ALL TIME thread is so far out in left field. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 hour ago, Phil The Thrill said:

The better question is - who was the WORSR Bills GM?  So many to choose from:

 

- Tommy Donahoe

- Marv Levy

- Russ Brandon

- Buddy Nix

- Douglas Whaley

 

From that sorry group, I organize it like this:

 

1 Donahoe

2 Whaley (bad GM)

3 Nix (bad GM)

4 Russ Brandon (terrible GM)

5 Marv (sorry he’s the worst)

Stay on topic.  Start your own thread, and proofread while you're at it.

Edited April 7, 2020 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Mango]

6 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

EJ was a big reach but that was an institutional failure above all else. The Bills backed themselves into a corner NEEDING to draft a QB in the worst QB draft maybe ever. I don’t quite have that as bad because if you’re going to force yourself to take a QB at least take the big, strong, charismatic guy. He couldn’t play but when they were backed into a corner I can at least try to understand the flawed reasoning. He belongs way up on the list of worst picks but I blame the mismanagement of the position above all else.

I also think he might be the best QB from that draft. I know he isn’t in the league anymore, but it’s not because he wasn’t on a roster, it’s because he decided to retire rather than be a career back up. 

[Kirby Jackson]

10 minutes ago, Mango said:

I also think he might be the best QB from that draft. I know he isn’t in the league anymore, but it’s not because he wasn’t on a roster, it’s because he decided to retire rather than be a career back up. 

Yeah, it was just an awful decision to force yourself to need a QB in 2013. There weren’t any available. EJ was pushed up the board because of how bad the group was. It was an atrocious decision to make 2013 the year. It would have been ideal if the year before when they traded up in the 3rd that they took Russell Wilson instead of TJ Graham. 

[John from Riverside]

Without a doubt

Aaron Maybin

[MassHog]

I find it crazy that people can have McGahee, Spiller and Whitner on the same list as Maybin, Williams or Losman

[njbuff]

What about Terry Miller?

 

He was the 5th overall pick in 1978 and was out of the NFL in 1981.

 

A bust of epic proportions considering James Lofton when right after him 6th overall to GB.

[dpberr]

4 hours ago, Ennjay said:

 

I have to split one hair here.  CJ Spiller could actually play football and had some good moments.  What made him such a bad choice was that the Bills didn't need him, but DID need a lot of help elsewhere.

 

Everybody else on your list was just a wasted pick, at least in the round the Bills used on him.

 

C.J. Spiller was a phenomenal athlete but a terrible football player.  He couldn't understand a playbook and IMO, that was his downfall as a professional player.    

[Boatdrinks]

14 hours ago, BuffaloBills1998 said:

With the draft coming up I wanted to know some of  your guys lists on the worst players we ever drafted here.

 

mine starts off with Aaron Maybin, Mike Williams, Willis McGahee, CJ spiller, JP Losman, Trent Edwards, Dante Whitner, Erik Flowers, James Hardy, and John McCargo, EJ Manuel etc

Willis McGahee was a pretty good player. To me, he looks out of place on that list. Whitner wasn’t awful, but was drafted way too high for his talent. 

[KD in CA]

I can live with whiffs like Mike Williams and Zay Jones because they should have been good players and somehow just didn't translate to the NFL.   But I can not excuse the level of sheer ineptitude that came out of OBD on draft day for nearly 20 years.   A group of people with months to collaborate and decide all looked around the table and agreed to draft Aaron Maybin, based on.......?   It's like they all blew off their homework for three months and then just picked a name at random off the board at the last second.   It could not possibly ever get worse than that pick, thus it wins for All-time worst pick.

 

Other category winners include:

All-time panic pick:  JP Losman;  after missing out on the top QBs

All-time trade up:  John McCargo, the 3d best guy on his college team's front 7.   Yes kids, that really happened.  They traded up into the first round to draft a guy that was the 3d best out of 7 on his 7-5 college team.   It's ok to laugh now.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

I always wondered what EJ Manuel could have been if they would have stuck it out with Gailey.  I feel like he could have made him into a very competitive QB. 
 

Aaron Maybin will always stick out like a sore thumb to me. He was clearly the wrong pick. Eric Wood calling him out in TC is the moment when I feel like everyone knew what was going to happen. 
 

Those were some rough years. 

[Buffalo716]

9 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

I can live with whiffs like Mike Williams and Zay Jones because they should have been good players and somehow just didn't translate to the NFL.   But I can not excuse the level of sheer ineptitude that came out of OBD on draft day for nearly 20 years.   A group of people with months to collaborate and decide all looked around the table and agreed to draft Aaron Maybin, based on.......?   It's like they all blew off their homework for three months and then just picked a name at random off the board at the last second.   It could not possibly ever get worse than that pick, thus it wins for All-time worst pick.

 

Other category winners include:

All-time panic pick:  JP Losman;  after missing out on the top QBs

All-time trade up:  John McCargo, the 3d best guy on his college team's front 7.   Yes kids, that really happened.  They traded up into the first round to draft a guy that was the 3d best out of 7 on his 7-5 college team.   It's ok to laugh now.

NC State had a great defense . And Henry Ruggs was the 3rd leading WR at Alabama and will be a top 15 pick

[McBean]

I haven't read a single post in here, but I can tell you right now it's Terrell Troup. Not even a close second.

 

We had our very own GRONK in our back yard and by passed him for Troup who was freakin AWFUL.

 

Some might say Mack, but Watkins is still in league. Troup is bagging groceries somewhere. Absolutely pathetic and that idiot Buddy Nix should've been ran out of town when the selection came in.

[Jay_Fixit]

No chance Trent was a bad pick.