OldTimer1960

As far as I can see after watching a few full games, I think Kizer is one of the top 2-3 QBs in this draft. I would be fine with Kizer at 10 or Kizer in a trade-down. None of these QBs are perfect. EVERY one of them has a wart or two. I watched a couple of full-game 2015 videos of Kizer and I can see him as #1-#4 QBs. In my non-scout opinion, I think that all of the QBs have some major questions. I could get on-board with any of the top 5ish QB prospects. If you are going to force a QB pick in round 1, i'd be inclined to *reach* for Kizor....

Way over-blown, in my opinion... i DON'T want to work in an organization where there is a stick hiercharchy. I WANT a collaboration between the scouting department and the coaches. I don't understand the obsession to find a "hierarchy". Not many organizations that are successful,have a dictatorial/hierchical organization structure.

When I was watching video of Deshaun Watson, it was Williams who was making the plays catching off target passes. I haven't watched enough of Corey Davis to compare, but Williams looks outstanding to me. A guy as big as Williams is not going to get the kind of separation that a smaller faster guy like Ross will get, but he doesn't have to. Williams has very good hands and body control to go along with his size, IMHO. I would not be disappointed if they took Williams or Davis or OJ Howard. I just think that IF they don't like any of the QBs in the first, I'd rather continue to shore up the D. With Lawson and Ragland returning this year, some additional reinforcements for the D could solidify at least one side of the ball.

I am no scout, but have watched NFL football for 48 years and have followed the draft very closely since the early 80s. I've watched 3 games each on Draftbreakdown.com for Trubisky, Watson and Mahomes. My impressions: Watson - really athletic with great running and escapability. Has enough arm strength, but not a very accurate passer in my view. High completion percentage is mainly due to throwing a lot of behind the line/screens and Mike Williams making a number of great catches. To me, Mike Williams is a much better NFL prospect than Watson and I could not justify selecting Watson over Williams. I think Watson's inaccuracy will be a killer in the NFL. Mahomes - Clear that he has a tremendous arm. Makes a lot of short passes and a ton of ill-advised throws that he got away with in college, but would turn into a lot of INTs in the NFL unless he learns much better judgement. I will say that he does seem to see a lot of the field, even when scrambling around. I can understand whey some are very enamored with him, but to me he is a major boom or bust prospect. If he can get his game under control and not take nearly as many chances, he could turn out to be great, but man there is a lot of wildness to clean up. Trubisky - Makes more NFL type throws than the other two, looks smooth and athletic on the move. Seems to see the field well. Had some oddly bad throws mixed in that were kind of inexplicable compared to his typical accuracy. Really bothers me that he couldn't win the job at UNC until his predecessor graduated and there have been a lot of QBs that look good one year in college and then wilted the next (see Deshone Kizer for one). I'll be interested to look at some of Kizer's games as well, but of these 3, I don't see Watson as a good NFL prospect, Trubisky is interesting, but scary due to limited sample size and Mahomes is a gamble on greatness. Again, just my opinion. Others may see things differently.

I know that it was a throw away "entertainment segment", but did anyone see the "how fast can you throw " competition between Mahomes and David Carr on NFL Network? Throwing to a stationary receiver maybe 10-15 yards away, 2 of Mahomes passes were completely uncatchable (Carr had no such SCUDS). Now to be clear, I would not rule out taking Mahomes based on that, but it must cause at least a little concern.

I think Whaley has done a decent or better job as well. However, I am just getting tired of the "run him out of town" agenda of the local media and some fans to the point that it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will eventually be gone. If that is the case, just pull the trigger and get it over with. I can't stand to read any more "opinion" articles trying to position Whaley as a failure by asking "who gets the say if he and McDermott disagree?" "If they take a defensive player first, clearly Whaley has lost control", "he is clearly on the outs since the management is obviously preventing him from talking to the press", etc.

I think that I have 2017 draft depression. I am struggling to see any way that the Bills can improve significantly from last season's cluster-f*ck, even with a good draft. Bills are many players away from being competitive, chiefly a QB - but I am not a believer in anyone in this QB class. If I HAD to take a chance on a QB, my pick would likely be on Watson, but I think he was bailed out A LOT by the incredible WR/TE talent around him. Watching the National Championship comeback, the receivers made him look good rather than the other way around. Next up would be Trubisky, but his lack of starting experience is a red-flag to me. I am not a fan of Mahomes, but I can at least see why some like him so much. I just see a turnover machine early that will be run out of town for not succeeding instantaneously. There will be a very good WR available - whether your preference is Mike Williams or Corey Davis, one or both will be there. Still, without a decent starting QB, neither will have much of an impact. There will be a very good DB available - be it a CB or one of the 2 highly rated Safeties, there should be a good DB prospect available. However, with the Bills' abysmal 2016 defensive performance and the losses of Gilmore and Aaron Williams, they will at best be treading water with a DB pick. I really like Stanford's Thomas, but I can't see him being available. Even if a TOP DL prospect such as Jonathan Allen is available, he won't transform this woeful defense into enough of a strength to make a difference. In short, I don't see the possibility of a savior in this class and the first few picks will likely be spent treading water filling in for offseason losses of Gilmore and Williams and/or filling the gaping hole at WR. Best case scenario, IMHO, would be a trade down or two for an extra pick(s) in the 2nd/3rd round where reinforcements might be found. However, I think this is a long-shot in terms of finding a trade partner in a draft where there is a reasonably deep class with not a steep drop-off in key positions like DB in early round 1. If the Bills are lucky, some teams will not agree that this is a weak QB class and want to trade up, but given that there is no obvious pecking order for QBs, it is hard for me to believe that a team will have enough conviction for one of the QBs to trade up for them.

Please cite some specifics of how it has "worked out great". From my vantage point, what has worked out great is the throwaway 6th round pick on Tom Brady. I do not think that the Pats' drafts have been that great beyond Brady and Gronk. Having the GOAT QB covers a LOT of weaknesses and Bellichick is THE master at finding players that aren't very good in other schemes and making them work - especially in his defense. What NE has done well is trading picks in round n this year for picks a round earlier the following year (e.g. This year's (late) second for a first next year). How many fans and reporters (opinioners) would melt down on the Bills for such a deal? (They need help NOW, who will play THIS year? They will probably mess up the extra 1st next year anyway. But the drought...)

If they think that there is a QB that can be a long term good starter, then they should take him at 10 regardless of whether he needs to learn for a year or even two. Of course, that is a gamble that the guy will actually "develop " into a starter where maybe some other player at another position is already good enough to start - so less risk. That is the trade off that they must evaluate

The story said that police said the woman struck him and he pushed her away. No charges filed. He should not be putting himself in position for even the possibility of trouble this close to a big payday, but these are big guys on campus and I am sure are used to going out for "a good time"

Now you are just arguing to argue. I know that you know that in person interviews have value - every company does them. Of course the interview is only one piece of the process and a good interview doesn't guarantee a good hire (draft pick), but that doesn't mean that it is a waste of time to interview a job candidate. I see this as nothing more than the Bills doing their due diligence on the top QB prospects. It means that Trubisky is at least getting some consideration and they want to know if the owner would sign off on draft day if he is available and the GM and Coach think he is the pick.

There was a recent article where Houston's owner said that they signed Osweiler to his big FA contract without really sitting down to get to know him. Remember, they were in a fierce bidding war w Denver and thought that they stole him.

So, the Bills have or will have worked out the top 4 QBs in the draft. For sure, they are doing due diligence. I know that there are some ardent Mahomes fans here, but what other QBs do people like? Watson is intriguing with his leadership and big game moxie, but inaccuracy, turnovers and arm strength are a concern. Trubisky showed that he can make NFL throws, including anticipatory throws, but why was he a backup until this year? It is not uncommon at all for a college QB to look great one year and lose their luster the next - is Trubisky a one year wonder or a great prospect? Deshone Kizer looked great in 2015 and regressed a lot in 2016 when his supporting cast was weaker. He wasn't able to elevate his team without good teammates, but he is very young with a good arm and is reportedly very intelligent. Mahomes has a great arm and sees the field, but it is a wide open spread offense. In the games that I watched, I didn't see the timing/anticipation throws that a NFL QB needs and I saw more than a few jump balls that paid off for him, but could easily be turnovers in the NFL.

I agree - if the Bills are seriously considering taking any player, especially a QB, I think it is smart for the owner to meet him. Look at Houston, now lamenting signing Brock Osweiler without meeting him.

I think that we are in general agreement except with regard to the prospects. I like Watson, but his high INT rate on a very talented team and relative lack of arm strength worry me. Trubisky worries me as a 1 year starter. Last year at this time both Watson and Kizer would have likely bee high 1st round picks - but both had weaknesses exposed with another year of play. I could see why someone might take a chance on Kizer with his size, arm and good year prior to 2016. Finally, I don't know what to make of Mahomes - strong arm, seems to see the field well, but very reckless with the ball - lots of his off balance heaves would be INTS in the NFL. From that list, I don't know who I would choose if I made the decision to pick a QB in round 1 For sure, I am not a scout. If the Bills do pick on of these guys high, I hope that they are right

That isn't the question that I posed. How much of a premium is it prudent to be willing to pay for a QB who should go in the second round? Let's say the Bills' scouts have assessed the best QB in this draft to have a 50% chance of becoming a good, not great starter - Andy Dalton or Alex Smith - is that worth passing on a potential pro bowl cornerstone for your defense? If they think that there is another guy who has a higher ceiling, but has such a big transition to the pros that they believe that he has a 25% chance to be very good (not talking Hall of Fame though), would you spend the 10th pick on him? I think that this is the essence of the discussion. Some feel more comfortable with the gamble, others don't I am with you up to the part about having a shot at a very good QB prospect. I don't see any of the media/scouts saying that. Mike Mayock is well respected and he doesn't think any of these guys should be taken anywhere in the first. I will agree though, that if the Bills think one of these guys is a very good prospect, then they should take him in the first.

Well said. Almost everyone here agrees that the Bills need a better QB. However, just taking one and wishing and hoping that he will turn out to be the answer while ignoring prospects at other positions that you have painstakingly scouted and rated as better prospects is foolish. The QB position is almost always over-drafted (picked higher than players at other positions. That most everyone agrees that there are no top 10 picks in the group is telling. Just how much of a premium are you willing to pay for a QB that isn't thought of as a sure thing?

The importance of a good QB isn't lost on me. I am just not convinced that there is a good NFL QB available. To be clear, if they think that there is a good QB prospect available, then by all means I agree that they should take the QB.

Surprised that you didn't just say "that's all we need" and drop the mic after taking Mahomes. No need for any picks after that

So much obsession over comp picks. Some here seem to think that 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks hold a great deal of value. This article discusses the probability of success in the draft by round. By the end of the 3rd, probability of finding a guy that starts even 1 year in his career is pretty low - only about 30%. https://datascopeanalytics.com/blog/the-chance-of-a-bust-in-the-nfl-draft/

I'm sorry for not getting it, but there are a LOT of behind the line throws here and a lot of scramble throws. There is talent required for the on the run throws, but any competent NFL QB could make the behind the line throws. I still see a lot of off balance throws and few, if any, timing throws. I may be in the minority, but I still see a long-shot NFL QB.

Bandit: I really respect your opinion on these players. I am sure that you have watched more than the two games that I watched. I see the play making talent that you see, but I also think that there are some (many?) of those big plays that might be turnovers in the NFL. Can/will he learn to be more disciplined? Can/will he learn to read complex NFL defenses will running a more conventional offense? I don't know the answer. If he does, he could be outstanding, if not he might not last long in the league. If the Bills are in a gambling mood on draft day, I can see the talent that would interest them. I am just not sure it would be a good bet.

I know that it is Only Bucky Brooks' opinion, but this article is pretty in line with how I see Patrick Mahomes (see my earlier post) http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000796741/article/cleveland-browns-dont-need-qb-richard-sherman-trade-talk

After watching Mahomes against K-state and Texas I see a guy who can see the field in scramble situations, but a guy who is very careless with the ball on a lot of plays. I saw a lot of passes behind the line of scrimmage and very few passes where he actually set his feet and strode into the pass. There is some talent there, but I think he is a bit of a long shot to really become a good player in the NFL. While he makes some very very nice throws without really setting up properly, many throws are made while going backwards. In my opinion, and I am not a scout, there are a lot of things to clean up in his game, but I will say that he does seem to see the full field when plays breakdown. My opinion is that Mahomes could be a major league turnover machine in the NFL who won't last long if he has to play without a lot of development. As with most QBs, I don't know if he will ever really shed those habits that look dangerous for the NFL. I know some see a "gun slinger" like Favre when they see him, there are a LOT of "gun slingers" who never make it in the NFL and Favre is the exception rather than the rule. I'd have a VERY hard time taking Mahomes at 10 or even in round 1. I think that even in round 2 you are taking a long-shot gamble on him and likely missing out on a starting calibre DB or WR if you take Mahomes.

If they think that any of these QBs are long-term answers, then I don't care if they are ready to start this year or if they need a season or even two to learn and improve. The idea that you just can't take a player in the first round if they aren't immediately ready to start as a rookie is very short sighted. Many rookies, even at positions other than QB are not immediately ready to start. Now, I'm not sure that any of these QBs can be a long term answers, so my post is not necessarily advocating that the Bills draft a QB in round 1 or any round for that matter.