Eric Wood/ Last Bills Oline drafted in 1st round/2009

[BADOLBILZ]

7 hours ago, Best Player Available said:

they drafted Andy Levitre in the 2nd the same year

 

 

They drafted Levitre (guard) and Byrd (safety)............two non-premium positions.........and they met or exceeded all expectations on their rookie deals.........but at the end of those contracts they let them both leave in free agency without much effort.

 

If they play very well and you have cap space and just choose not to re-sign them...........they were dumb picks.

 

But what good are a high paid guard and safety when you don't have enough difference makers at the premium positions?     

 

You aren't winning without being good at premium positions...........and you don't just stock those and forget about it...........it requires annual maintenance to stay on top of it and have the best players at those positions that you can acquire and afford.

 

Say no to non-premium position players early.     

 

Yeah the Bills haven't drafted a guard or center or safety or any runnin' bax in round 1 since the 00's..........but they have basically been pretty solid at the one premium OL position at LT for 11 years and counting now because of the two second round picks they used there.    Just throwing a pick at the OL for the sake of it is stupid.   See Cody Ford.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by BADOLBILZ

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

Wood was a very good center not even close to average 

 

every time he went out the line suffered … he was a top 10 center his entire career and had some bad leg breaks

 

and he could really move

 

 

He was awful under Marrone.

 

Awful.

 

He was a system player.........if allowed to move he was very good........but he was on skates in a power scheme............even Wood himself thought he was going to be cut after 2014.

 

So if his effectiveness was very limited to system/style.......that makes it it fair to call him an average center on the whole.

 

Greg Roman resuscitated his career.

Edited March 9, 2023 by BADOLBILZ

[MrEpsYtown]

11 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

Levitre was also good.  If the standard is that any pick where a player picked later turns out better is a bad pick, then all GMs and almost every pick is bad.

I’m not overly concerned with where the player is picked, what bothers me is when you study and target a position and take the wrong guy. It’s an error in scouting imo. Wood over Unger, Williams over McKinnie, Ford over Elgton Jenkins, Zay Jones over Cooper Kupp, Sammy Watkins over OBJ, Evans etc. That type of thing. All pro guys at a position you literally just used a draft pick on. 

[Figster]

On 3/9/2023 at 12:45 AM, MrEpsYtown said:

I’m not overly concerned with where the player is picked, what bothers me is when you study and target a position and take the wrong guy. It’s an error in scouting imo. Wood over Unger, Williams over McKinnie, Ford over Elgton Jenkins, Zay Jones over Cooper Kupp, Sammy Watkins over OBJ, Evans etc. That type of thing. All pro guys at a position you literally just used a draft pick on. 

I agree, 

 

Brandon Beane has done a good job getting Buffalo to where they are now IMO. Revamping the Oline will be a challenge. Myself personally, I don't care how its done. As long as it gets done and gives Allen better protection.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Figster

[GreggTX]

I'd be really happy if we land Dawand Jones at 27. He's a mountain of a man who has a regular habit of leaving DE's on the ground. If he's gone, I want O'Cyrus Torrence. I don't think Bijan Robinson will be there at 27, but he'd be my 3rd choice.

[Figster]

 

On 3/10/2023 at 1:41 PM, GreggTX said:

I'd be really happy if we land Dawand Jones at 27. He's a mountain of a man who has a regular habit of leaving DE's on the ground. If he's gone, I want O'Cyrus Torrence. I don't think Bijan Robinson will be there at 27, but he'd be my 3rd choice.

 

[Don Otreply]

On 3/8/2023 at 12:40 PM, MrEpsYtown said:

Yeah an average center won't help with any of that. 

Not a center specific thread…, it’s about O-line improvement in general EW being the last time an O-line first rounder was selected is just used as an example of the neglect that the Bills GMs have shown to this aspect of the teams construction, you seem to have missed that…, 😁👍

[Rigotz]

Personally, I think you might get more value out of a round 1 WR.

 

IOL will take a year or two to develop, then best case you have a $10M-$15M guard.

 

WR you could get a day 1 contributor at one of the highest paid positions.

 

Save Free Agency money for Guard and draft your value guys.

[MrEpsYtown]

2 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

Not a center specific thread…, it’s about O-line improvement in general EW being the last time an O-line first rounder was selected is just used as an example of the neglect that the Bills GMs have shown to this aspect of the teams construction, you seem to have missed that…, 😁👍

Fair enough. I just get emotional about the dark days.