Rochesterfan

I would expect RB to be a need going into next off-season no matter what. You have 2 guys in Shady and Gore that will make this team and will be most likely done after this season. That would leave only Yeldon left - now add Singletary and you have 2 - they will need additional help next year, but they will have had an entire year to see exactly what they have in Singletary and what they need to further address the position. Additionally, Singletary has a lot of wear on the body and this year will allow some time to recover - while still getting to know what he can do. He will not be the primary back and may be deactivated some weeks as he learns, but this pick was not necessarily about 2019, but looking at value on their board and 2020 as a goal.

My guess is all of this is true, but for QB what drives getting drafted - interviews, wonderlic, and especially how they do at the board diagnosing plays and understanding what they are seeing. I think what the stats miss is just how intelligent Josh Allen was and how well prepared his coach made him. Most people tried to tell Tyree he needed another year of college to mature and learn and I think that was the biggest difference.

Why we have 2 on the roster and both are more than adequate!

So trust them then - the RB is a pick looking ahead - like a real front office does. There was almost no WR in this draft that was significantly better than the 9 guys we already have - we can get the same level of talent as an UDFA. I have no issues with it because they seem to have a real plan as to what they want from this roster. Great Job Beane!

I guess I would ask what does he bring different to the team. I do not see any of these guys being a big upgrade to the WR position currently with the Bills. You have 2 speed guys on the outside, You have 2 slot guys that can split out wider, you have 2 young gimmicky slot WRs/RB types, you have 2 guys in Phillips and Duke Williams that are strictly WRs, and you have your designated returner. That gives you 9 guys right now and 99% of the WRs in this draft were no better and provided nothing. The one thing they may be looking for is the 6’5 big body guy like a Stills that could provide them something a bit different. Other than that any other WR picks are just wastes with a very slim chance at making the roster. At least that is my opinion.

Depends on your spin - especially with Watkins. We had 2 4th round picks that became 1 player in the third round. Hence a loss of 1 pick. If you hate the Sammy Pick - then our 2 number 1 picks became a different #1 that we used - so 3 number 1 picks on Sammy for the haters ?.

It is not 2 less chances because they got a 3rd round pick for it. So at most it is 1 less chance, but in dropping that 1 chance we increased the odds significantly by drafting a guy rated significantly higher. The move up in front of NE also appeared to lead directly to them trading out of the 3rd - probably because we stole the TE they were targeting there. Another huge plus.

I just love this - you give them a C and say well the skill players are unknown (to you maybe) or it is just a bunch of average guys, but guys that study the NFL for a living like CBS, BR, PFF, John Wawrow,, ESPN, NFL network are all talking about how the Bills are killing it. Who should I trust? CBS has giving them all A’s and a B+ for the picks, PFF has them as one of the top 5 best drafts. The guys actually scouting this draft have listed Oliver as the best 3 technique in the draft (but he is only safe to you) Cody Ford was projected to be a 1st round pick with position flexibility and can play the right side - which is what the Bills are looking for. Singletary (depending on the board) was considered top 2 or 3 RB depending on what you were looking for and based on production and film many sites had him listed as early 2nd round pick. Knox was another guy that fit exactly what they are looking for and many guys had him as the 3rd or 4th TE depending on what you want. He was the 2nd best dual threat TE behind Hock because of his usage in college. So please forgive me if I am not to worried about your C - because the guys that really understand the draft think they are hitting it out of the park and I see that they have a real plan and identity that they are drafting to.

Can’t tackle and lots of penalties - Dropped his stock a lot looking at him on film.

I agree - I also thought when interviewed - I had the same impression. Williams talked and looked like a young kid, but even with the enthusiasm- I thought Ed Oliver spoke and looked like a man with experience. Just really impressed me with how he sounded.

Look guys I am not going to give the OP any crap - as I said I went field because to me they addressed offense during FA period and I think they wanted DLine and then Oline at 9. The only potential pick from the OPs original group would have been Hock (maybe Fant with a move back and most other players selected) - I did not see Jacobs or Metcalf as legitimate first round picks for the Bills at all. I will give the OP some credit because Hock did go off the board at 8 and if Detroit had gone Oliver instead - that could have been our pick, but I think then they actively try to trade back - especially with Pittsburgh for Bush. I still think even then they go Oline over Fant, but that is only an opinion. The board called it right with the field and that was the correct pick.

Yep - on Twitter from the Bills also.

Sad Sad news - God Bless you Pancho.

In addition if you kept the picks - you could get your shutdown corner at the end of Round 1 - like a Tre White (several potential picks in this draft). The end of round 2 is usually a sweet spot for CB depth or Safety help. Several starters were drafted last year in that area - like Jessie Bates and Jackson. Now maybe neither of them equals Clark to you, but I think that combo helps you win more important games versus good passing teams than Clark does. You could also go WR as many talented WRs are taken at the end of Rd 2/early rd 3 - just look at Pittsburgh for examples and that could buffer you in case the Hill situation becomes worse and he gets a DV suspension or Sammy is injured again. They could also look at RB to help replace Hunt or LB to help with coverage - especially in nickel that they will be playing a lot. I understand the trade, but they forced themselves into it and I do not think they are a better team right now compared to last year and Clark although an improvement to the current roster is not an improvement compared to the guys he is replacing at significantly more money.

But you also would get to keep Ford. I understand changing scheme, but the Chiefs dumped two older pass rushers this off season that got less money combined than Clark and then gave up a first and a second in a draft this year that is the sweet spot for some top flight DBs - that they actually need to improve the defense. In the end - Clark is the better player and fits their new scheme, but the defense is not as good and you gave up picks that could easily be used to make the defense better. KC created multiple holes on the defense and then traded away multiple picks to fill holes they created and on top of that they way overpaid for a guy that is marginally better than the players they let go. I think their main competition- NE, Indy, Rams, and NO are less worried about KC with Clark because they can use a quick short/intermediate passing game to combat outside pass rush and KC defensive backfield is putrid. KC is going to pt up points - they need DBs that can actually cover, LBs that will not be exploited, and safeties that are going to be able to handle other teams passing games because they will be in shoot outs. I would have less issues with the trade if the Chiefs were a pass rusher away from being SuperBowl Champs, but they were not. The pass rush was not the issue - the LBs and DBs were the issue and the team just got rid of their top 2 rushers to replace them with a better overall player, but not one that increases the pass rush output and eliminates a chance at elite DB talent in this draft.

This is to me is the puzzling piece. Essentially they traded Ford, a first, and swapped thirds for Clark. Then they pay Clark a crazy sum of money on top of that. I would rather have Ford, the first rd pick (CB’s are perhaps the sweet spot there) and the earlier 3rd. Maybe Ford does not fit what they want, but with the lack of defense they showed - not sure Clark gives them much more and the loss of the first is the killer to me. Great spot for corner back help that they need.

Nope - I think he should start a new thread complaining about his answer. LOL - look exactly what was done - ??

It is interesting and I think each bust/failure has unique reasons. Some like Jamarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf - attitude and desire got the better of them. Their natural abilities were always enough to make them stars, but when you get to the NFL - you need desire and a hard work ethic to improve and they threw that away. Others like Trent Richardson - played on the best team and that matching to their talent made them world beaters in college. Once you got to the pro’s - the line could not bulldoze the same and the LBs and Safeties aren’t afraid to hit and suddenly you become average. His vision was never really tested at Alabama because the O-Line opened holes right where he was supposed to go and therefore it made him look so much better. Even now with the defunct AAFL he could no longer break away, but give him the ball near the goal line and he was money. There are others - like Maybin where scheme fit is a huge issue. He was expected to be something he was not, but he did not fit the role being asked. It was obvious he feasted on lesser talent, but he never really fit a role in the NFL. A definitive measurement of heart and desire would go a long way to identify these potentially borderline players, but there can be more than that to make a final judgement.

Why blame Goodell - this is what the NFLPA fought for. They took this phase 1 crap and less money. Poorly run Union - Goodell Just has to enforce the stupid NFLPA rules.

I thought I had seen that in other discussions. I have done a ton of thought drafts and studies and always at least one of those guys dropped. Even still I had to do the math over to make sure I was not missing something. I think pick 9 really pushes the end of the top line talent and although we are going to get a good player it may not be the best team fit player simply because it is what is left. That is why I am dying to see the Bills true board as I would love to know how they have these guys tier ranked compared to you and I and any other mock people.

So are you assuming Murray does not go #1? Picking 9 means one of those 8 players you listed is available if 1 QB goes. I do not see any way at least 1 QB is not picked before us. If it gets to pick 9 and all 8 of the position players mentioned are gone - I then think we are getting a lot of action for QB needy teams looking to get ahead of Denver. My issue with pick 9 is that there are 6 or 7 of those 8 guys that I think are great fits and it could easily be we are left with 1 or 2 guys like Taylor, Sweat, or Gary that are high ranked, but may not be ideal and the top QBs are gone leaving us with lots of choices, but maybe not the consensus guy.

This is especially true as you are sitting with the number 1 pick. You may get a bunch of stuff for the pick, but if you feel Rosen is only going to get you to 6-8 wins regularly then it will cost you more in future drafts to move up than take the guy right now.

Well if you really want to hear her side of the predictive model for her Mock - they are having her on One Bills Live - so people can complain about her and Tasker. or People can listen and learn that it is not a mock looking at what teams are expected or should pick, but a mock looking at which picks can give the best potential return based on increased won/lost records based on players and needs.

Maybe I am way off base, but I don’t think so. The issue with the current draft set-up is exactly the problem with this argument. Teams near the very top of the draft - top 10 - 15 picks end up drafting more true BPA. Because of the pressure and scrutiny- they end up drafting great athletes that do not always fit need or culture of the team or overpay for the QB position and do not get the value of the pick. The teams drafting on the back half of the draft - are getting the BPA with need and fit included and that makes for more successful drafting in my opinion. For example - Detroit ends up with WR as BPA early in the draft 3 out of 4 drafts or the NYJs drafting DL in the first round 4 out of 5 years. These teams drafting early struggle because you are not always getting good fits and good players. The teams drafting later have their choice of both BPA and fit/need and that to me is why they have more success. You see it with NE, Pittsburgh, etc even going back to the Bills and SF of the 90s. You also see high drafting teams struggle to break out like Cleveland, LA Rams, Buffalo, NYJ, SF - until they hit that one or 2 times were need/BPA/ fit all come together and they begin to transcend. That is where I stand on this point.

I disagree - the biggest issue that I heard was by drafting a RB that high - his annual salary outpaces the rate of most other RBs and almost eliminates the 5th year option. You are overpaying right out of the gate if you draft a RB in the top 10. Barkley on his rookie contract is top 8 for RBs even after this off season and it will continue to rise. Whereas a position like DE/DL - Miles Garret is 36th ranked. QBs like Goff, Wentz, Mayfield - are all in the 20’s for positional pay. WR - rookie contracts are in the 40’s, tackles late 30’s, LBs are in the 40’s, and CBs are in the 40’s. Drafting a RB in the first round early - especially top 10 is a huge waste especially for the rookie contract. More and more teams are realizing you are wasting rookie deals with the RB and then the wear and tear is an additional problem because of the 5th year option and 2nd contracts. Teams are better off drafting a mid to late round RB every couple of years or picking up a FA as needed.