OGTEleven Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Assuming the Bills stay put at #11 and assuming they take a guy seen as a quote unquote major reach, which player would you regard as ok? I am asking this because of what happened with Whitner. All of the experts assumed the Bills could have traded down and still selected Whitner, but in reality that was anyone's guess. The Bills filled a need and moved on. I'm not saying he is my top choice at #11 (hey, #11, I like that slot), but if the Bills picked Quentin Groves I think everyone would scream, but I would be perfectly happy. How about yours? Reamember, he has to be a major reach in the expert's eyes.
Beerball Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 I would be OK with Thomas. Unhappy with any other WR.
JStranger76 Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Although WR is probably a reach this year, you really can't complain when your offense is as bad as ours has been. So Thomas or Sweed for me.
scribo Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 I cannot say I'd be happy with any one who would necessarily be called a major reach. I was OK with the "reaches" of Whitner and McCargo. But I think we are too close to being a playoff contender to reach at this point. Here are the guys I'd be OK with at #11 in no particular order: Devin Thomas, Sweed, Ellis, McKelvin, Albert, Harvey, Merling, Gholston, Dorsey and Rivers. Trade down to #17 or lower, and I guess I'd thrown in Harvey, Jenkins, DRC and maybe even Fred Davis.
Brandon Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Phillip Merling. Don't like him at all. Brandon Flowers. He's a 2nd round type, IMO. Honestly, I can't think of any other picks that I'd be too upset with, as I don't see them making a major reach. Perhaps Antoine Cason, as I expect him to go about 20 picks later, but I think he'll be a solid starting CB in the NFL and I wouldn't complain too much.
ans4e64 Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 I cannot say I'd be happy with any one who would necessarily be called a major reach. I was OK with the "reaches" of Whitner and McCargo. But I think we are too close to being a playoff contender to reach at this point. Here are the guys I'd be OK with at #11 in no particular order: Devin Thomas, Sweed, Ellis, McKelvin, Albert, Harvey, Merling, Gholston, Dorsey and Rivers. Trade down to #17 or lower, and I guess I'd thrown in Harvey, Jenkins, DRC and maybe even Fred Davis. We are drafting 11 overall, what does that tell you? We also have the Patriots in our division, which leaves us having to get 1 of only 2 wild card spots to make the playoffs.
scribo Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 We are drafting 11 overall, what does that tell you? We also have the Patriots in our division, which leaves us having to get 1 of only 2 wild card spots to make the playoffs. What does that tell me? It tells me that the Bills won seven games last year. But it doesn't tell me that they had a nearly historic rash of injuires, that they had a very tough schedule, that they had a rookie RB, that they switched to a rookie QB during the season, that they played the Pats* very tough, and that they nearly beat the Cowboys and the Super Bowl Champion Giants. What did the fact that the Browns picked 3rd overall last year tell you? Or that Chicago picked 31st last year? You may also want to note the Packers only picked four spots higher last year than the Bills do tomorrow.
marauderswr80 Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 If you are drafting a guy who fits well with "YOUR" teams system, how is it classified as a reach? I dont care about the name or college he's from. If his talents fit your teams system well, you draft him. I never really understood this "reach" thing.
OCinBuffalo Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 If you are drafting a guy who fits well with "YOUR" teams system, how is it classified as a reach? I dont care about the name or college he's from. If his talents fit your teams system well, you draft him. I never really understood this "reach" thing. It's easy really, any guy who plays on the O or D line is not a reach and is an excellent pick. Any guy who doesn't is a reach and we could have traded down for him. See it's simple.
marauderswr80 Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Seriously though.........You draft according to your teams needs. If the guy fits the system he fits no matter where you select.
apuszczalowski Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Seriously though.........You draft according to your teams needs. If the guy fits the system he fits no matter where you select. Exactly. And a reach isn't taking a guy a couple of picks ahead of where they say he should be drafted. A reach would be taking a guy who is projected in the 2nd-3rd round early in the first. Taking a guy who is the top player at their position 5-10 picks before the "experts" say he should go, is not a reach.
ganesh Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Assuming the Bills stay put at #11 and assuming they take a guy seen as a quote unquote major reach, which player would you regard as ok? I am asking this because of what happened with Whitner. All of the experts assumed the Bills could have traded down and still selected Whitner, but in reality that was anyone's guess. The Bills filled a need and moved on. I'm not saying he is my top choice at #11 (hey, #11, I like that slot), but if the Bills picked Quentin Groves I think everyone would scream, but I would be perfectly happy. How about yours? Reamember, he has to be a major reach in the expert's eyes. The problem with the Whitner pick was that, if someone else picked Whitner, then you had no alternative until the 2nd/3rd round, hence they really did not want to risk it. However, with this years pick, you could move down 6-7 spots and still one of the equally-targeted WRs in Thomas, Sweed, Jackson and Hardy will be available for the Bills. That is why it is easier decision to trade this year rather than the year we picked Whitner.
OCinBuffalo Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Seriously though.........You draft according to your teams needs. If the guy fits the system he fits no matter where you select. Hey look, I couldn't agree with that, both this post and the one above, exactly as stated, more. I look at it this way: it's gotta start with the head coach and the position coach of whatever guy you are looking at. If the guy they want is available and they have done their homework on him they should take him, and to hell with whatever anybody else thinks, they aren't the ones who are going to be fired if the coach/gm pick the wrong guys. You can't be have all the responsibility but none of the authority. If it's your job then you do what you want, and live with the results. Like Marv said: "If you listen to the fans, you'll be sitting next them". Is there any reasonable Bills fan left who still wants to call Donte Whitner a reach? I bet after this season, there won't be any one able to reasonably call McCargo a reach either.
Philly McButterpants Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 All of the talk regarding trading down is great . . . but you need a partner with whom to trade without losing your shirt in the transaction. Fill a need! Who cares where in the draft it is? We won't know the true value of any of the players taken in this draft for at least one year and more likely 2-3. Who gives a flaming pile of dog doo whether Mel Kiper or any other arse-hole on ESPN thinks it was a reach???? If Kiper or any of these other goons were so !@#$ing good at evaluating talent, they would be working the draft for a team, not a network. Sorry . . .rant over . . . we now return you to the previous discussion, already in progess.
Buftex Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 Seriously though.........You draft according to your teams needs. If the guy fits the system he fits no matter where you select. I am not disagreeing, in theory. The question/problem seems to be though, how long, and how much is your team committed to their "system". Remember when Jauron came, and we were committed to the Tampa 2 defense? All of the sudden, they said, we didn't need size in the middle of the d-line, just speed and athleticism...that lasted about two years, and, quietly, the philosophy changed. The Bills pick up Stroud (because maybe, now, all of the sudden, having a big DT is good?), and seem to be wanting to add size again. We didn't need to have top flight corners, so it was said, because the system didn't call for it. Now, we have some decent nickle backs playing corner, and we are looking at the possibility of drafing a corner with the #11 pick in this years draft.
OCinBuffalo Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 The problem with the Whitner pick was that, if someone else picked Whitner, then you had no alternative until the 2nd/3rd round, hence they really did not want to risk it. However, with this years pick, you could move down 6-7 spots and still one of the equally-targeted WRs in Thomas, Sweed, Jackson and Hardy will be available for the Bills. That is why it is easier decision to trade this year rather than the year we picked Whitner. The other problem was there was no definitive partner to trade down with. The #8 pick was too expensive for the the teams that might have wanted to trade up, so they didn't, which made the whole issue moot. And then Whitner proceeded to win D player of the month, provided leadership last year, and is poised to take a shot a the Pro-Bowl this year, but because some posters here can't admit they were wrong, we are still talking about him being a reach, or not a good pick.
ax4782 Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 I hate the term "reach" when referring to draft choices. The only reason the so-called experts use that word is to hedge their bets when they talk. If they call a guy a reach, and he doesn't pan out, they say "See, I was right. He never should have been drafted there." If the guy does pan out, they say "well, we thought that was a bit high, but he was definitely first round potential." That being said, I would be happy if the Bills "reached" and drafted" Groves Thomas Hardy
apuszczalowski Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 The problem with the Whitner pick was that, if someone else picked Whitner, then you had no alternative until the 2nd/3rd round, hence they really did not want to risk it. However, with this years pick, you could move down 6-7 spots and still one of the equally-targeted WRs in Thomas, Sweed, Jackson and Hardy will be available for the Bills. That is why it is easier decision to trade this year rather than the year we picked Whitner. In your opinion though, the Bills may not see it that way, they may have only 1-2 WR's that they feel are heads and shoulders above the rest for what they need a WR for. otherwise I agree with everything else.
BuffaloBilliever Posted April 25, 2008 Posted April 25, 2008 I'm taking a guess at "major reach" is being someone who Hair Kiper or any of the "experts" have on their big boards going 4 or 5 slots behind 11? To me, Major Reach would be taking Arman Shields in the first round. That would be, oh, ridiculous. Taking Limas Sweed, James Hardy or Devin Thomas at 11, aka the best recievers of the draft, wouldn't be a reach in my mind. If you're slotted at 11, and your next pick is in the 40's, how is it considered a reach?
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