RussellDopeland

Getting Watkins was about getting an "elite" talent in this draft. To be able to draft such elite talent, one either has to A) Draft in the top five or B) Facilitate a trade to move up to that level. That's exactly what the Bills did. There were 4 elite talents in this draft (Clowney, Watkins, Robinson, Mack)- then a drop-off. Whaley targeted his guy and went up to nab him. This team has been devoid of "elite" talents for years. On the roster currently, who's elite? Mario Williams and who else? Maybe Glenn and Alonso can become elite players- it's hard to say. We have very good players (Dareus, Kyle Williams, Spiller), but not many elite ones. So I'm on-board with the effort to add elite talent to a roster that shows significant promise and upside. As far as this article is concerned- the national media considers the Bills to be a laughingstock- thus they will question any/all moves this team makes until such time as the Bills become a legitimate playoff team once again. There's nothing that can done about that but wait and see, not to mention hope that the Bills can do exactly that. ESPN can instead focus on the Jets, Cowboys and Manziel all they want. And instead of spending your hard-earned money on ESPN "Insider", go into your bathroom and flush that money down the toilet (the end-result is the same).

I wouldn't concern myself with the national media pundits and their views of this team. They certainly would've praised the Cowboys or Jets if they had been the ones to make a deal to move up for Watkins. That's just the nature of the national media types when it pertains to the Bills. This franchise is considered to be a joke- let them continue to think that way. If (and I know this is a BIG if) the Bills were to finally put it all together and win 11 games this year- then the national media people will be in love with this "loser" team that has risen above all expectations. I like the idea of the Bills just lurking in the background without much attention or praise from the media establishment. The reason I do is because of the fact that if the Bills were to rise-up and start kicking New England's ass, their collective jaws would drop. Let's be honest- they know next to nothing about this team or its roster- that's why they keep saying that the Bills gave up too much given "all of the needs" that they have. In truth- there aren't many needs, or holes, on this roster at all.

Obviously Marrone is intent on putting his stamp on this team. Obviously he expects accountability on the part of the players. Obviously this is the obvious case.

Wait a few weeks and all we'll start hearing is how the 2015 draft is going to be the best QB draft in years. The pundits say this year after year.

All I know is that I'm already sick of hearing about Manziel. This media circus is akin to the Tebow garbage we were subjected to. All it does is compel me to root against the guy. It speaks volumes that even Jerry Jones wouldn't bite and grab Manziel at 16.

I'm surprised by all of the animosity that I'm reading about this. I have long-defended Stevie- but this deal is a no-brainer. Makes sense for both teams. And there have been countless people on this board clamoring for the Bills to get rid of Johnson for years- now all of a sudden there is this outcry about his being dealt. The schizophrenia here is absolutely amazing!

Goodell's main aim is to somehow have a new stadium squeezed onto Goodell Street downtown.

Rick Smith wins the "Napoleon Bonaparte" award for overplaying his hand.

Marcell and Bradham now want him drafted at 9 BAD!!

I thought it had already been revealed:

Give me Watkins, Clowney, or Mack. Give me an elite talent. The idea of sitting on our hands and drafting an OT at 9 is nauseating.

This is a point that hasn't been really discussed. Lattimore's injury had a lasting impact on Clowney- and how couldn't it? I you're young, impressionable and anticipating being in the NFL- and you seen what happened with Lattimore- of course you're going to take the foot off the gas, so-to-speak. Most of the whispers about his work ethic are coming from angst-ridden South Carolina people who feel he "betrayed" them in some way by not going all-out (from their standpoint).

I'm a Notre Dame fan- Martin's a pretty good college tackle...but far from elite. And I sure don't want to see this at RT in the fall:

I enjoy Bill's weekly post-game analyses, but I disagree with everything in this post.

My sentiments as well

I was thinking today- was it coincidental that all of the rumors about the Bills wanting to trade up seemed to sprout right after the A&M pro day? Could all of the talk about Watkins, Clowney, etc. just be smoke and the desire on the part of the Bills is actually Manziel? I hadn't really thought about it in those terms. It would be a Russ Brandon type of maneuver.

Echoing something another poster stated- if the Bills draft Martin at 9, I'll go to the stadium and fight Whaley.

"Good Article" and the name "Rodak" do not go together- the guy's a hack. If a GM is worried about trading a future pick because he fears that last year's number one may fail, that GM should be fired immediately! If you have any reservations about Manuel- you use this year's pick on a QB. If Whaley is "afraid" to part with a 2015 number 1 because of concerns about Manuel- deal with those concerns NOW! And the so-called draft "experts" are always telling us that next year's draft class is going to be a bounty of talented players. Last year we heard that Bridgewater was going to be a stud, and a top pick. Now there's a distinct possibility that he will fall right out of the first round entirely. Two years ago all of the talk centered on Matt Barkley- that sure was spot-on.

Jake Mathews, Taylor Lewan or Zack Martin are not going to "transform" this team from a perennial 6-10 squad to a 10-6 type of team. Howard Ballard in his prime couldn't have that type of impact.

You scoff- but remember this when the Bills put Kelsay onto the Wall of Fame (they may have to fast-track this move before the old regime is replaced).

Apparently Brian Brohm was unavailable? And I feel that when teams sign Thigpen they're under the assumption that they've actually signed Yancey Thigpen.

This post nails it right on the head. Couldn't agree more. Get an "elite" player in the draft for once. There are only a handful this year-then there is a definite chasm between the elites and the next tier. Last year trading back made sense- it was a draft lacking in top-tier talent. This year a trade back amounts to depth players that "may" compete for starting jobs. Get a stud at the top (Clowney, Watkins, or Mack) and enjoy watching them in the fall

Sign Tebow, trade up to draft Manziel (packaging Spiller in the deal of course), release Manuel, trade Stevie Johnson to Carolina for a 7th rounder, bring T.O. back, sell the team to Trump- this is a recipe for a flaming dumpster fire if there ever was one.

The replay of the "Bucky and Sully" show is shown in a loop in Dante's Eighth Circle of Hell (Hitler hates it too- he wishes they'd just go back to running the "Who's the Boss?" episodes they used to show).

Woods couldn't carry Watkins' jock. And if it boiled down to drafting an Ebron in rd.1 and a Morgan Moses in rd.2- or having Watkins instead- I'd take Watkins every day of the week. And why on God's Green Earth do we need to "upgrade" LT???? Hell, Glenn is already probowl caliber--- what is wrong with Bills fans!!!??????! They always think that other teams' players are better than their own. And they always want to unload their best players..."let's trade Spiller"..."let's trade Stevie for a 6th rounder"..."we need to upgrade left tackle- Glenn can move to guard". Just asinine!