ACor58 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me Drew Brees an icon on the level of Jim Kelly. Gregg Williams the next Marv Levy. The San Antonio Saints. It's interesting how one draft choice you didn't make can affect so many lives and two franchises. Think back to the 2001 draft. Gregg Williams, the coach of the Bills, was teaming for his first draft as a head coach with GM Tom Donahoe. Before the draft, when Williams attended a workout for Brees, the smallish Purdue quarterback, he thought he was the best quarterback prospect coming out that year. "I fell in love with him,'' Williams said the other day. "Not just his ability; he had plenty of arm. But his moxie as a leader. You need that in your quarterback, and I loved his." The Bills determined they would use their first-round pick to get Nate Clements, the Ohio State cornerback (they actually traded down a few spots in the first round and still got him), then focus all their attention trying to move up from the 46th overall pick in the second round -- their slot -- to pick near the front of the round. That's where they projected Brees getting picked. So Buffalo began calling around, trying to see if Brees was still there when they picked, could the Bills move up to get him? No team bit. And then, as the second round dawned, San Diego used the 32nd overall pick to select Brees. "I almost pulled a hamstring in the draft room, jumping up and down because I was so mad,'' said Williams. Think about how this might have changed the current landscape of pro football. A year later, Buffalo wouldn't have been in the market when New England went to deal Drew Bledsoe, so Bledsoe would have been traded elsewhere in 2002. It's likely Brees would still be quarterbacking the Bills. "I'll tell you this: I wouldn't be sitting here in New Orleans right now,'' said Williams, who's certain the drafting of Brees would have led to a great marriage between he, Brees and the Bills, and he'd still be the Bills coach. As if my Monday morning didn't suck as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 This has already been discussed, but SD had Brees and drafted his replacement because he looked bad for the first 3 years of his career. I doubt it would have been any different in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACor58 Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 This has already been discussed, but SD had Brees and drafted his replacement because he looked bad for the first 3 years of his career. I doubt it would have been any different in Buffalo. I know that I would have been calling for his head after two bad games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 All this assumes Brees would have had 10 other guys around him that could have made things work. The Bills have been QB killers for a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennjay Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 The Biggest Word in the English Language: "if" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 another reason to hate my life as an 'Ills fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Here's a couple more gems from PK's MMQB: "e. A 28-point loss at Miami, sad to say, could well have sealed Dick Jauron's fate in Buffalo for the luckless Bills. That and an eight-game losing streak in the division. f. Three picks for Trent Edwards ... lots go into picks, including far too much pressure over an inexperienced offensive line, but Edwards can't be throwing three interceptions." To e., I can only hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ko12010 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 All this assumes Brees would have had 10 other guys around him that could have made things work. The Bills have been QB killers for a decade. We also could have jumped up to get Big Ben, and he almost fell to us anyway. But how would he have fared in Buffalo? I doubt he'd be the superstar he is today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 We also could have jumped up to get Big Ben, and he almost fell to us anyway. But how would he have fared in Buffalo? I doubt he'd be the superstar he is today. The Bills tried but no one was willing to trade down. And Big Ben probably would have been a superstar in Buffalo. It's not like he has a great O-line in Pgh and they won the SB again after his OC left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 The Biggest Word in the English Language: "if" Do you ever wonder what would have happened "IF" Mularkey does not quit and Jauron is never hired? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoner7 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 As if my Monday morning didn't suck as it is. F that story. Really who the hell can get that mad that they tried to land him and couldnt. Go back to 2005, AFTER Brees had proven himself as a stud QB, he is a free agent. The Bills elect not to pursue him via Free agency, and draft JP instead. Talk about a commitment to losing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills44 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I think that some of this is revisionist history from Greggo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Years later we could have had Brees in free agency too. Certainly no hamstrings were pulled at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 The endless cycle of horrible coaching and OL play would have killed him. Brees would be the back-up in Seattle or somewhere by now if he'd been drafted by Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billfan63 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 The endless cycle of horrible coaching and OL play would have killed him. Brees would be the back-up in Seattle or somewhere by now if he'd been drafted by Bills.Playing in the UFL perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Playing in the UFL perhaps? Losman would be backing him up in Las Vegas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizell Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 IF Gregg Williams didnt suck as a head coach, he might still be a head coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 F that story. Really who the hell can get that mad that they tried to land him and couldnt. Go back to 2005, AFTER Brees had proven himself as a stud QB, he is a free agent. The Bills elect not to pursue him via Free agency, and draft JP instead. Talk about a commitment to losing. Wrong. The Bills drafted Losman in 2004. Brees was a FA prior to the 2005 season. There were serious concerns about his shoulder, hence the reason Miami (where Brees really wanted to go) didn't sign him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haven Moses Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Gotta love all this Gregg love from people don't remember what a lousy HC he was. 4th and 2 from the 32 punt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 All this assumes Brees would have had 10 other guys around him that could have made things work. The Bills have been QB killers for a decade. Your point is on spot. There are a lot of players in the draft or free agency who are desired but unattainable. That same situation applys to every team in the league. The issue for the Bills isn't that anyone one particular player is a savior, but the real issue is that this organization doesn't have the front office staff capable of building a quality team. What good is it to have a Peyton, Brady or Brees on the roster if the OL is horrendous and the defense is constantly overwhelmed by the opposition? The team would still lose and the "special" player's talent would be squandered. The organization is doomed to fail because of the caliber of ownership and the ineptitude of the front office and staff he has hired. There is no quick solution to the many flaws in this embarrassing franchise. It is my belief until there is a more competent owner things won't change much. No question that Dick Jauron is a mediocre HC. He was not highly regarded when he was signed by Levy. The real issue is why was he hired in the first place? Why does the owner stubbornly refuse to bring in someone who knows what he is doing to run the football operations? Elevating the "marketing guru" to take over for Levy was just as foolish as hiring the congenial Levy to be a GM for an already dismal franchise. No one should be surprised at the state of affairs at One Bills Drive. When an organization is stupidly run the outcome is easily predictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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