CodeMonkey

There is always an element of luck involved when you play the game the way the Browns played it last night. The Bills did not gamble, they mortgaged next draft to make sure they got the player they wanted now. It's tough to argue with the player. The price however can be debated (and is in several threads). The Browns did gamble, and it paid off for them (at least to the extent that they seemed to have accomplished what they set out to do). I doubt their strategy hinged on Kiper's chart (or his hair ). But based on the number of moves they made in a fairly short period of time, it is pretty clear they had it well choreographed ahead of time. I guess it is fair to say that the Bills reached for Manuel while the Browns gambled on Manziel dropping like a rock. Both teams got what they wanted. Time will tell how it will work out for them both. Also, Manziel may have a lot to prove. But he was drafted at 21 was it? Manuel was drafted at 9 and was considered by some to be a reach. Who has the most to prove?

I tend to agree with the pundits here. I love the player, he is exactly the player that the Bills needed to give Manuel every opportunity to succeed. i dislike the price. I never like mortgaging the future to that extent. The 1st next year doesn't sit well. But I trust that Whaley knows what he is doing long term.

He made some good plays, and at least as many horrific plays. Was inconsistent (being kind) with the long ball. And couldn't stay on the field. It looks like the Bills are trying to give him everything he needs to succeed with the trade up last night. And we will know in the next season or two if the Bills have their starting QB or not. For me, the jury is very much still out. Too early to call him a bust, but equally too early to put him in the HOF as well.

I agree. Particularly if they get a good OT and TE in the remainder of the draft. And it is very possible they will.

It is interesting to hear someone talk about a team other than the Bills this way

Gruden sure seems to have a man crush on him for sure. I thought he was going to cry by the 10th pick and JF was still on the board. I personally think the Browns won the first round. Got exactly who they wanted and ended up with an additional 1st next draft as well.

Manziel Justin Gilbert (CB) Wow there were only 2! With all the wheeling dealing I thought there were 3! (But you could say 3 if you include the Bills 1st next draft ) Also, saw this quote while I was Googling ... Seems like he is good for ticket sales if nothing else.

Not sure I understand the basis for the sarcasm. Manuel has shown almost nothing (yet). Manziel and Bortles have obviously shown nothing yet. The Browns ended up with 3 players in the first round, and by a combination of GM draft pick trading skill and luck ended up with what I have to believe are the exact players they wanted, including getting what some if not most believe was the best QB in the class. And in a position of their greatest need. And if that wasn't enough, ended up with an additional 1st round pick next year in the process. No one knows how it will end up. But crowing about the Manuel pick last season seems premature at best.

No reason to bring Marcel into this

Yes, a little. The way things were going Evans could well have have been there at 9. But Watkins is a solid player in a position they needed badly. Plus hindsight is always 20/20.

Spiller never was, was never intended to be, and probably never will be "the man". He is a situational skatback that makes some electrifying runs, but the majority for little or no gain. I would love to have a beer or 5 with Gailey and/or Nix and find out what their thought process was with that pick. I'm sure they had a plan, but I can't fathom what it was. I want Watkins or Evans. But unless the Bills trade up I fear they will be gone by #9. If Manuel has any chance of succeeding, he will need a stud to throw to.

I gotta go with Bandit and say Evans.

Didn't PigBen get suspended for 4 games without even being arrested? I don't believe a player has to be convicted or even charged to be suspended. (Not saying he will or should by the way)

I agree commish. In fact, might I suggest having it really be draft "day" and instead of 10 minutes per team you make it 45 minutes (and require teams to take the full 45) to make it last the full 24 hours for the first round at least! Just imagine how many ads ESPN could sell in a 24 hour program!

I mean no disrespect to you either. Immaturity at that age I think gets amplified if you have been a star athlete your entire life. And I also wish him the best. But man you have to be smarter than that when you are in his position you know. It makes me a little (ok maybe not so little) crazy when I see stuff like this.

I'm not sure. 1) Thank you. 2) You are right, there was no reason or logic to include 'liberal'. 3) I totally get why you think I am a cold person after reading this. And BTW, do we know for a fact that any of this has any relevance to Dareus? Do we know he just doesn't like pot (even the fake kind)? I mean, I like it (eating it anyway).

My father died of brain cancer about 2 years ago after suffering (chemo etc) for 18 months. My brother died this past December. Not murdered, but it was completely unexpected. I did get over it. And do you know why? Because I had to. I have a family to support and I do not make millions of dollars a year and get half the year off. In my opinion you sound like a over the top bleeding heart liberal ... or maybe just when it comes to Bills players. It's life, bad things happen. You need to pick yourself up (and not reply on someone else to do it for you), dust yourself off and get on with your life. Yeah it sucks, and yeah it hurts, but for gods sake its not the end of the world. Time to grow up. But more than likely he was just likes pot but couldn't smoke it because of the drug testing coming up. Which should be legal and allowed everywhere and not specifically banned by the NFL like I think you stated earlier because it is not performance enhancing.

I thought I read somewhere that Roger wants to make it 5 days as well.

I hear ya. But consider this. Being "all in" with Manuel is going to be a defining moment for Whaley and Marrone. So ask yourself, does Ebron or Lewan give Manuel enough help to make him succeed this season? Both would help, but not nearly as much, in my opinion, as a stud WR. Right now the Bills have no #1 WR and my belief is that Whaley and Marrone recognize that they need one, and that 2 are available.

I would be very happy with it. But no team in their right mind trades for SJ with his current contract.

Vastly different. But my point is that PigBen was never even charged of a crime then, much less convicted of one and was still suspended. Roger has considerable leeway in these situations it seems.

I don't know. PigBen wasn't even arrested I believe and he got suspended, right? Hard to say what King Roger will do here.

That's all well and good. But what ever happened to being responsible for your own actions? Do you think every employer should take a "solutions oriented approach" when every employee has problems? Or is it just for multimillionaire athletes? I don't mean to gang up on you (or C.Biscuit for that matter), but the whole "no one is responsible for their own actions, everyone needs to be coddled" (particularly athletes) attitude of our society these days is a hot button for me.

No. That's why he gets HIMSELF help if he needs it. Lots of people have hard lives. He does not now. He gets paid millions of dollars a year to play a game, and has half of the year free to do whatever he wants whenever he wants to do it. So do not expect me to cry a river for any of these spoiled athletes when they get caught doing something stupid. And smoking this spice crap is just plain stupid. People need to stop making excuses for these guys because that is part of their problem. He certainly has the time and the means, so if he needs help with anything he just needs to take responsibility for himself, grow a pair, and get it.

No one will want SJ with his current contract. If the Bills cut him I expect lots of teams to be interested, but with a much more reasonable (i.e. cheaper) contract.