VJ91 Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Link: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...3/909250347/tbd I've bashed Marv for drafting Donte with his valuable first round pick in 2006. (#8 overall.) Cutler, Ngati, and countless other great looking well known college players were staring Marv in the face, as I watched on ESPN, anxiously awaiting the next "new start" of my beloved Bills that April afternoon. Then the name is announced: "Donte Whitner from Ohio State". I'm sure I was not alone when I yelled at the TV: "Who???" Huff was the most well know safety available in the '06 draft, and he was just taken by the Raiders the pick before Donte. (And Michael Huff certainly hasn't played up to his lofty #7 overall pick the past 3 plus seasons either!) I was pissed then, and really to be honest, I've been disapointed in Whitner's play these past 3 plus seasons. But watching him finally get his first TD on that nice 76 yard int. runback last week, and reading the article above, I"m understanding why Levy drafted the kid. He truly does have high character, and that was always number one in Marv's book. Maybe he has needed 3 years to mature into the player Levy saw. Maybe the switch to free safety was one he always needed. Whatever the reasons, now that I see better the person Whitner is, I hope his play continues to blossom at free safety and he becomes the Bills' "Ed Reed" for the next 10 seasons.
stevewin Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Slightly OT but interesting in the article Police are calling it a larceny — here was no visible sign of forced entry — and while Whitner isn't commenting much, it's possible someone that he allowed into his home before the game developed sticky fingers as good as Whitner's were on the field. then later "I have family that wants to come up each week. Picture seven or eight people you let come to your house before each game and they get on your nerves asking all kinds of questions Seems likely he was ripped of by a relative or "friend"
Chandler#81 Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 I haven't flamed him or the pick we took him with, but the end story these last 3 years has lumped him into the overall disapointment. The next Ed Reed? Probably not, but how many of those are there? IMO, he wouldn't be riding the bench on many -if any- other teams and he has steadily improved to the point he's a true team asset for the long haul. As to the other story, the first thing I thought when I heard it was an inside job..
Phlegm Alley Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Link:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...3/909250347/tbd Huff was the most well know safety available in the '06 draft, and he was just taken by the Raiders the pick before Donte. (And Michael Huff certainly hasn't played up to his lofty #7 overall pick the past 3 plus seasons either!) I was pissed then, and really to be honest, I've been disapointed in Whitner's play these past 3 plus seasons. You're right about Huff being a pretty big disappointment in Oakland, but he currently leads the league with 3 INTs, so maybe this is his breakout year as well. Let's hope Donte continues being a leader on D and can make a few more plays this season and beyond to justify his 8th overall pick status.
Bill from NYC Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Link:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/articl...3/909250347/tbd I've bashed Marv for drafting Donte with his valuable first round pick in 2006. (#8 overall.) Cutler, Ngati, and countless other great looking well known college players were staring Marv in the face, as I watched on ESPN, anxiously awaiting the next "new start" of my beloved Bills that April afternoon. Then the name is announced: "Donte Whitner from Ohio State". I'm sure I was not alone when I yelled at the TV: "Who???" Huff was the most well know safety available in the '06 draft, and he was just taken by the Raiders the pick before Donte. (And Michael Huff certainly hasn't played up to his lofty #7 overall pick the past 3 plus seasons either!) I was pissed then, and really to be honest, I've been disapointed in Whitner's play these past 3 plus seasons. But watching him finally get his first TD on that nice 76 yard int. runback last week, and reading the article above, I"m understanding why Levy drafted the kid. He truly does have high character, and that was always number one in Marv's book. Maybe he has needed 3 years to mature into the player Levy saw. Maybe the switch to free safety was one he always needed. Whatever the reasons, now that I see better the person Whitner is, I hope his play continues to blossom at free safety and he becomes the Bills' "Ed Reed" for the next 10 seasons. Yikes.
djcalvin79 Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 You're right about Huff being a pretty big disappointment in Oakland, but he currently leads the league with 3 INTs, so maybe this is his breakout year as well. Let's hope Donte continues being a leader on D and can make a few more plays this season and beyond to justify his 8th overall pick status. Looks like Huff finally put it together, and hopefully Donte is in the zone for the rest of the season too.. Go Bills! (Haven't we noticed that we've had better luck with Buckeyes than Longhorns??)
Stl Bills Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 If he can continue playing like he has the first two weeks.....we will have a Pro Bowl FS. I wanted Ngata too but you can't play the coulda/woulda/shoulda game when it comes to the draft, if you get a good player you should be content.....its a crapshoot.
billsfreak Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Character was always one of the first things Marv Levy talked about when signing/drafting players. Almost every interview I have ever seen about him he mentioned character. Although, he must have known he was in his last season or based on his character issues, he wouldn't have drafted Marshawn Lynch. Maybe we can bring Marv back to run the off-season, since this past off season was a display in lack of character for quite a few Bills players and the several legal issues they encountered.
Bill from NYC Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Character was always one of the first things Marv Levy talked about when signing/drafting players. Almost every interview I have ever seen about him he mentioned character. Although, he must have known he was in his last season or based on his character issues, he wouldn't have drafted Marshawn Lynch. Maybe we can bring Marv back to run the off-season, since this past off season was a display in lack of character for quite a few Bills players and the several legal issues they encountered. After a win against Tampa, we are going to praise Whitner as a #8 and Marv as a GM? If we beat the Saints, can I expect to hear how McCargo, Youboty and Simpson were steals in the draft, and that Jauron is a good coach?
Cynical Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 After a win against Tampa, we are going to praise Whitner as a #8 and Marv as a GM? If we beat the Saints, can I expect to hear how McCargo, Youboty and Simpson were steals in the draft, and that Jauron is a good coach? You kidding? If the Bills beat the Saints, you can expect to start to hear "Jauron" and "Coach of the Year" being tossed about, at least among the apologists.
GOBILLS78 Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 There's no doubt he's an emotional, hard-nosed football player. And he should be commended for the charity work he does. But I'll save "great character" for players who don't put themselves in positions where they get arrested twice in their first three years on a job.
Webster Guy Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 First of all Whitner's pick was an overthrow caused by Kyle Williams QB pressure. It wasnt like he jumped a route or did something extraordinary. I just watched the play again on TIVO and the ball was thrown right to him. I like the guy, but let's see the play for what it was. Secondly, he was drafted to play strong safety and he got beat out by Scott, who was signed to back up Whitner. He can't play corner so there's only place left for the guy to play, and that's free safety. I personally think Byrd is going to be our starting FS next year, as he has better closing speed and he showed a real knack for INT's during a solid college career. Whitner is valuable to the team as an average NFL utility safety, but he's kind of a tweener in terms of size and speed. I don't think he's that good in coverage, but I would rate him as slightly above average as a tackler. In my opinion this guy would have been sitting there in the second round for us to get. If he demands a lot of money in his contract year and it doesn't fit our cap strategy for that year I would let him walk and i personally don't think we'd miss a beat. I'm going as Whitner on Halloween this year. My girlfriend is going as an NFL tight end and I'm gonna chaser her around all night (and not catch her), my other buddy is going as a cop with a taser (it's a fake one thank god), and my brother is gonna drape himself with 400k worth of fake jewelry and be one of Whit's high character hangout buddies.
loyal2dagame Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 There's no doubt he's an emotional, hard-nosed football player. And he should be commended for the charity work he does. But I'll save "great character" for players who don't put themselves in positions where they get arrested twice in their first three years on a job. hit the nail on the head
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Yikes. Care to elaborate at all? You really need to discard your own rose colored glasses and see things with an open mind once in a while. So what if you hated the pick? That shouldn't stop you from embracing the player that is on your team from that point on, recognizing that he is becoming a very good safety in this league, and realizing that extenuating circumstances regarding the multiple positions he has been forced to play early on in his career may very well have been the only thing preventing this from happening sooner.
Rico Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Character was always one of the first things Marv Levy talked about when signing/drafting players. Almost every interview I have ever seen about him he mentioned character. Although, he must have known he was in his last season or based on his character issues, he wouldn't have drafted Marshawn Lynch. Maybe we can bring Marv back to run the off-season, since this past off season was a display in lack of character for quite a few Bills players and the several legal issues they encountered.
John Cocktosten Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 So much for Marv's "character" picks. His only two first rounders are Lil Donte and Lynch and those two have been arrested more times than OJ! I've been all over Lil Donte for being an average safety but he has come to play this season. Hope he keeps it up.
tennesseeboy Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 character and 1.50 will get you coffee at dunkin donuts. Won't help you on Sunday afternoon. I remember us picking Mike Williams first overall instead of Bryant McKinney. Great character pick. How many probowls has Mckinney been in?
Lt. Dan's Revenge Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 character and 1.50 will get you coffee at dunkin donuts. Won't help you on Sunday afternoon. I remember us picking Mike Williams first overall instead of Bryant McKinney. Great character pick. How many probowls has Mckinney been in? Right. That has a lot to do with Donte Whitner. As if we passed on everyone's man crush Ngata that year due to character issues.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Yikes. I knew you'd love that post, being as you're the leader of the anti-Whitner fan club.
dave mcbride Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 After a win against Tampa, we are going to praise Whitner as a #8 and Marv as a GM? If we beat the Saints, can I expect to hear how McCargo, Youboty and Simpson were steals in the draft, and that Jauron is a good coach? Bill, Marv's reputation as a GM will rest on one thing at the end of the day: Trent Edwards. After watching the Colts-Miami game, it hit me again (for about the 477th time, actually). This is a QB-driven league, and if you don't have a QB, you have almost no chance. Sure, you can pick outliers like the 2000 Ravens, but that's truly an exception. If Edwards turns into a big time QB, who Marv picked in the fourth round of the 2006 draft or the second round of the 2007 draft will be irrelevant when judging his record.
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