Worst Bills Player of all time?

[boater]

I'm going to vote for someone who turned out to possibly be the Bills worst draft pick ever, Tom Cousineau. Check out the names here (wikipedia):

 

Cousineau was selected first overall in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, who acquired the pick as a part of a package of five draft picks from the San Francisco 49ers in a 1978 trade for O. J. Simpson. However, he never played a game for the Bills. He instead signed with the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, who signed him for double the money originally offered by the Bills. Cousineau became a star for the Alouettes, becoming the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in the 1979 season. He only played in four games in his third season because of an elbow injury while the Alouettes collapsed.

 

In 1982, Cousineau wanted to return to the NFL, choosing to forego two optional years with the Alouettes. The Houston Oilers attempted to sign him, but the Bills (who still held Cousineau's NFL rights) matched the offer. Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell had long been interested in signing him. As a result, Cousineau was traded from the Bills to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round draft choice (14th overall) in the 1983 NFL draft, plus a second and a third draft choice in subsequent years. That first-round pick was used on future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.

 

Due to his disappointing NFL career, Cousineau is considered to be a draft bust.

 

 

[Kaenon]

James Hardy

On 2/14/2025 at 2:34 PM, Rigotz said:

Personally, I factor 3 things into "worst Bills player"

 

1) What was the investment made in them?

2) How did they play while on the Bills?

3) Did they have any success for another team?

 

I'm seeing a lot of "Maybin" and "Peterman" answers. Maybin had some success on the Jets and Peterman at least was in the league for a while... and was a 5th round pick.

 

To me, there's only one answer:

Mike Williams of the 2002 draft.

 

#4 overall pick.

Terrible for 3.5 years before the Bills gave up on him.

No other team gave him another chance for 4 full years after that.

Then played half a season (terribly) at a different position for one team. Then done.

 

That's pretty unprecedented. #4 overall pick to nobody willing to give him a shot, he was so bad.

 

 

I just don't understand what happened between his esteemed college career, and the putrid failure in Buffalo.

[Solomon Grundy]

On 2/13/2025 at 6:54 PM, Mister Defense said:

 

Well, one of the biggest Bills' busts ever was their first round pick (#19) out of Clemson in 1982, wide receiver Perry Tuttle.

 

He had 107 yards his first year, then 261 in 1983, by far his best year as a pro. Then, cut or traded, and in his 3rd best year in the NFL he caught 1 pass for 7 yards.

 

Went on to have a good career in the CFL, but no one cares, at least in our country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He gets my vote!!

[John Gianelli]

15 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

I think that's because the Buffalo Bills didn't record stats like tackles in the early '70s 

 

He has a recorded sack for the bills so he definitely had a tackle.. the Buffalo Bills statisticians didn't track tackles till like 1978

Thanks. Now it makes more sense.

[RyanC883]

On 2/13/2025 at 6:25 PM, jimmynunn said:

There are busts, and then there are bad players. Nate Peterman was a mid-round pick who was thrown in too early, and with little around him. Bad player, absolutely. Bad situation, no doubt. Not a bust.

if the question is busts, Maybin is a good call, but many experts were stunned by that pick, so maybe that was simply a bad draft decision.

I might go with Mike Williams, I believe our highest draft pick in the drought era. Huge lineman, no heart for the game. Never made a contribution, took his $$ (and that was the era where 1st rounders got paid big time) and did NOTHING. 

 

I think Mike Williams is the correct answer.  He was supposed to be picked that high, and really never did anything.  Maybin is a close second, although, really, what was the FO thinking drafting an undersized one-year wonder.  

On 2/16/2025 at 11:39 AM, Wacka said:

Hobert. I think he played for NO before we got him. Played in one game and was a mile high heap of steaming dung . He admitted that he hadn't read the playbook! Bills cut him the next day.

 

totally forgot about him.  Was excited when we had him, then the whole playbook debacle.  

[JP51]

On 2/17/2025 at 7:23 PM, Kaenon said:

James Hardy

I just don't understand what happened between his esteemed college career, and the putrid failure in Buffalo.

Pizza and wings.... and a lot of em... I think he ended up getting to over 400lbs at one point... 

On 2/17/2025 at 8:41 PM, Solomon Grundy said:

He gets my vote!!

This is a great one... still Maybin for me... but the Tuttle pick makes you long for Beanes opinion and drafting of WR