cage

Sure they did take that chance it certainly paid off w/ Thurman, but I'm sure there are other examples of teams that took a shot on an injured player that didn't work out. Each Front Office needs to make its own call on a given player based on the specific injury, their doctor's opinion on the injury and team needs. In this case, they certainly were focused on need with NT position and they had drafted Shawn Nelson the year before, who was considered a "steal" at the time. So passing on this one can be understandable... In the discussion on this topic, we're all often frustrated w/ the Bills, we're all disappointed in Troup to date. There's lots of things that front office can be criticized for, but it seems, in light of Polian's comments that selecting Troup over Gronkowski perhaps shouldn't be one of them.

Too many people in this discussion lose track of where the Bills were at the time as well... from the TE perspective, they thought they had drafted a huge "steal" in Shawn Nelson (the previous year). He was our 4th rounder in 2009, who was thought to be the down-field threat that we've been waiting for and just going into his 2nd year. Every choice they make in the draft has to be based on where the team is at the time and looking back on it a couple years later we totally loose that context.

I will say that I recall the discussion on this board leading up that draft and there WAS a huge amount support for drafting Cody. And even afterwards, many were surprised that the Bills picked Troup over Cody... that was certainly an immediate reaction on the board

THANK YOU!! ... my whole point in this thread has been to back up that the criticism of the Team (Nix) for not taking Growkowski should be viewed differently in light of Polian's statement. And I'll acknowledge that I've wrongly blasted him on TBD for that as well.

Can someone post a link showing that he had back problems going into the draft?

I'm NOT defending the Troup pick at all... the new revelation on the controversy about this pick is Bill Polian's comment on Gronkowski yesterday, which is the point of the person who started this thread. It puts some understanding about why Gronkowski didn't make sense for the Bills in the 2nd round at that time Did you read the link from C.Biscuit97? READ THIS, where does this talk about a back problem?!?!? This is not a bad write-up and doesn't indicate that he was a reach in the 2nd round. How on earth can you say he would have been there in the 3rd round? The context needs to go back to the information everyone had at the time of the draft, not on what's happened since...

Again,... we're all disappointed in Troupe, got it! The point is that we've (me included) have been criticizing Nix for picking him over Gronkowski, the local boy when TE has been as much of a need for the Bills as DT. Polian's comment put this criticism into some new light, showing that Gronkowski was a very risky pick at the time while Troupe wasn't. Every draft is filled with endless examples of who some team could have had instead of the bust (50% of the time) that they selected. The rationale and wisdom of every draft pick has to be evaluated in the context what the team saw/knew at the time of the draft, not a few years later.

Nice insightful comment and arm-chair analysis!! Troup problems sprung up last year, not before the draft. Ridiculous comparison. Also, I wasn't advocating that we should have picked Gronkowski, but commenting on how effective the Pats strategy has been working for them allowing them to take the risk, where a team like the Bills couldn't do that w/ their 2nd round pick. I'm as disappointed w/ Troup thus far as anyone, but he was picked as a position of need at the time...

You make a great point that had been overlooked in much of the discussion on this board related to Gronkowski. The Bills certainly weren't in a position to take a potential injury-risk TE. You also correctly point out the huge advantage the Pats draft stockpiling strategy bears in this. They likely also picked Hernandez in that draft as a hedge in case Gronkowski didn't work out. As both of these picks have blossomed, they've benefited hugely from their strategy. Hate to give the Pats credit, but I wish the Bills Front Office could be as crafty...

As I'm watching the Giants/Falcons game, we should add Perry Fewell to the list

typical crazy Bills decision to resign McGee being older and more often injured for higher dollars than they could have resigned Greer, who was younger,just as effective and would have been cheaper

Agree totally,... along with all the responses that precede this one. The LAST thing the Bills need to do is let Bell go and draft a top 10 LT. That would be just crazy. We clearly need more defensive studs on the field.

You said it for me... exactly what I was thinking when I read this post

I recall reading an article where Steve Tasker said attributed his longevity in the league and success to the fact that he was him in bed, asleep with his wife each night at a reasonable time and not out partying late like other players who didn't have such attachments... ...also I find that my child-raising raises my aggression levels. I always wanted to be DE, sack specialist. This post is useful comedy relief though as I read through everyone's reactions!!

You make a good point, but the one thing that really strikes me over this losing streak is that the teams that beat (read destroyed) us were all on the ropes until they played the Bills -- Jets couldn't move offensively and were questioning whether Sanchez was a bust until they played us and then he looked like a Pro Bowler moving them down the field like Tom Brady -- Dolphins record was pathetic until they played us and blew us out (2x now) -- Titans had a terrible record and owned us -- Cowboys were struggling and questioning Romo's future until they played us and he "Sanchezed" the Bills 'D' -- Chargers and Rivers were struggling mightily losing several straight games until they played us As we were moving toward this part of the schedule the talk on this board was that each of these games were winnable, now that seems so laughable as they weren't even competitive. I'm already afraid of the Bronco's now where Tebow will likely earn his first blowout victory, no need for 4th quarter miracles...

I had 3 categories in the post.. bad moves... moves I wasn't sure about... and moves that seem to be backfiring. The main blame (and basis for grade) goes into the first Bad Moves category, everything else is just supporting evidence -- I put the Williams signing in the backfiring category where as soon as they give him big money, he went out for the year -- I also put not picking the QB in the 2nd category, there's no options other than Fitz -- Brad Smith signing was biggest Free Agent signing. $4M is a lot of money for a Wildcat QB that we've abandoned, a KR that no long returns kicks and a player who is our 5th choice for receiver. We would have had more utility out of keeping Hangartner

Far more bad than good in this record. I think we need much more.

I basically started a similar topic, so we can just fold it into yours... here's my story on them... voted D- Given how the season has turned, I think its time to talk through their 2 year record... they've had lots of questionable moves and precious few hits of their own doing -- Extending Chris Kelsay last year for big money when he's not a difference maker -- Big signing of Brad Smith and then not using him enough or properly -- Very limited production in 2nd year of first draft class (Spiller, Troupe, Carrington, Moats, Batten) -- Edwards as Defensive Coordinator -- Trying to play with 300 lb outside LBs in a 3-4 -- Cutting Aaron Maybin without ever letting him on the field and then seeing him play well for division rival -- Cutting Hangartner prematurely -- Trading Marshawn Lynch and using a 1st round pick for the 3rd time this decade on a RB -- Everyone who's shown some level of played well (Fitz, Jackson, S. Johnson, Kyle Williams, Byrd, Wilson, Florence, Wood, Levitre) are leftovers from Jauron regime and not their guys -- As much as I want to see Gailey do well, this is now 7 weeks in a row where they are essentially unprepared to play on Sunday and are getting kicked around by teams that aren't very good in their own right Not sure yet whether to blame the following on them?? -- Troupe over Gronkowski pick, but tempted to given that Gronkowski is local kid and TE has been a NEED position for a long time -- Merriman pick-up/extension I suppose was a reasonable risk -- Never picking a young QB Other seemingly wise moves seem to have blown up in their faces -- Extending Fitz (they probably had to do that one as it looked like his price would go up as the season progressed) -- Extending Williams -- Picking Dareus over AC Green Their best moves appear to be finding some average players from 2nd/3rd tier FA -- Trading Lee Evans -- Pears, Chandler, Barnett, Nelson What am I missing? This doesn't seem like a very good record. If they're fired, the Bills will have an even more difficult time attracting GM/Coach than 2 years ago... Man, is this ever depressing!

Given how the season has turned, I think its time to talk through their 2 year record... they've had lots of questionable moves and precious few hits of their own doing -- Extending Chris Kelsay last year for big money when he's not a difference maker -- Big signing of Brad Smith and then not using him enough or properly -- Very limited production in 2nd year of first draft class (Spiller, Troupe, Carrington, Moats, Batten) -- Edwards as Defensive Coordinator -- Trying to play with 300 lb outside LBs in a 3-4 -- Cutting Aaron Maybin without ever letting him on the field and then seeing him play well for division rival -- Cutting Hangartner prematurely -- Trading Marshawn Lynch and using a 1st round pick for the 3rd time this decade on a RB -- Everyone who's shown some level of played well (Fitz, Jackson, S. Johnson, Kyle Williams, Byrd, Wilson, Florence, Wood, Levitre) are leftovers from Jauron regime and not their guys Not sure yet whether to blame the following on them?? -- Troupe over Gronkowski pick, but tempted to given that Gronkowski is local kid -- Merriman pick-up/extension I suppose was a reasonable risk -- Never picking a young QB Other seemingly wise moves seem to have blown up in their faces -- Extending Fitz (they probably had to do that one as it looked like his price would go up as the season progressed) -- Extending Williams -- Picking Dareus over AC Green Their best moves appear to be finding some average players from 2nd/3rd tier FA -- Trading Lee Evans -- Pears, Chandler, Barnett, Nelson What am I missing? This doesn't seem like a very good record. If they're fired, the Bills will have an even more difficult time attracting GM/Coach than 2 years ago... Man, is this ever depressing!

I think just mixing in other random observations in exasperation...

Sorry, no answers... PAIN!

Agree totally... Kyle Williams, Dareus, Barnett and possibly George Wilson are the only solid starters on 'D'. Maybe Sheppard, but the jury's still out on him Everyone else is 2nd rate at best. Florence can be a nickel CB, so there's 6-7 needed starters right there. On offense, we need 1 more legitimate OL, a WR and possibly still a TE. So we're looking at at something like 10 starters that don't appear to be on this pathetic team at this point Yeah, I'm feeling your pain too...

Just got around to listening to Gailey's post-game press conference... it's worse listening to him grasping for explanations that watching the Bills on the field. I'm just at a loss for figuring out how this team moves forward in a positive way. I can't recall a season that had such a promising first month, finish in such chaos. Yes, I know the Jauron 4-0 start, this easily down there with that? In the first month I felt like we were 2-3 starters away, now we're easily 10-12 starters away from being anyone... just depressing

not so fast we have Corbin Brown (is that his name)... do you have any idea how much money the Bills saved on that move? Goes straight to the bottom line!

Precisely,... they've spent plenty of high picks on Defense with nothing to show for it. They are just so frustrating to watch when the defense plays like this. I would definitely fire Edwards. There's no reason he should stay. Why shouldnt we expect that it can be done in 2 years... what should it take 4-5?