BillsVet
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To me, the article went too easy on the staff, which in itself is eerily similar to what it was when Donahoe was around.
When good decisions were made beginning in 2006, everyone credited the front office, although that same front office was given a pass whenever something or someone didn't pan out. Examples are the free agent class of 2006 with Larry Tripplett, Peerless Price, Matt Bowen, Tutan Reyes, Anthony Thomas, Kiwaukee Thomas, Melvin Fowler, Robert Royal, Craig Nall, and Andre Davis. Only two of those guys are with the team two years after, and neither is much of a starter.
Some fans will attempt to minimize those signings because of the moderate costs, but the drafts haven't been stellar either. Try drafting a SS with a premier DT in Ngata on the board. Buffalo's been trying to find a DT since 2006, and I give them credit for acquring Stroud, but it should never have taken 2 full seasons to realize they didn't have the personnel to stop opposing RB's from running wild. In essence, this is the fault of management for going along with Jauron's failed scheme of smaller and quicker. I'm not a fan of micromanagement, but if ever there is a coach who needs some, it's DJ. Only 10 coaches in NFL history have a worse winning percentage that have coached 100+ games.
Additionally, only one franchise in the league has neither a GM or VP of Player Personnel. That team is the Buffalo Bills, a franchise that cannot miss on draft day in the first 2-3 rounds. With that in mind, I'd like to know who has final say on draft picks. With teams like Indy, GB, the Giants, SD, and most others, it's evident who that person is. If anyone's read The GM, it's a great insight on how another front office works.
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After reading the article, it seemed the Bills have their strategy mapped out, as all teams should.
It would be nice to see someone in the official role as General Manager or Player Personnel Czar, but that's been covered ad infinitum.
It's JMO, but John Guy is portrayed to be something of a FA guru, which as we all know, ain't exactly the case. His track record (or lack thereof) is only eclipsed by Larry Quinn's.
Of course it could all be untrue, and I'm sure no one wants to do a Marinelli and show their hand for no particular reason. Especially when they don't have to.
I'll maintain that savvy front offices are the deciding factor in a franchise's succcess. They find the players who ultimately get on the field. Although the coaches have their role, they can't do a thing until having the right personnel. These last two years, Buffalo's personnel has been severely lacking, and probably only the beginning of a rebuild plan that no one wanted to admit.
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A lot of this has to come back to the people of Buffalo. There are a lot of boring people here. They like talking about the same things all them time. In fact, I think some would rather just be miserable and whine about how bad things are, then actually have our teams whine.
And as much as I dislike some of the hosts on GR, they are doing what gets them ratings. Jerry Sullivan loves hoops and wants to talk about them. However, people here don't want to talk about it. GR has a monopoly and until that changes, the format will remain the same.
This is the point exactly. The morning show format is more about entertainment and perhaps shock value than anything else. It's JMO, but listeners respond (i.e. give high ratings) to stations which have the Schopp/White personality who rips everyone and barely allows them a sentence before throwing them off-air.
Locally, the sports world is the Bills and Sabres. Nothing else really figures into the picture and it's what we've got to live with. I honestly believe Schopp knows nothing about football and his tendency to find minutiae about the Sabres becomes tired real fast. At the same time, if I put myself into Schopp's shoes, I'd struggle to find topics for the day simply because the sports universe locally is quite limited.
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It's a fallacy to believe an agent would allow a team to short both he and his player millions of dollars just because they were late in getting their pick to the podium.
Case in point: Minnesota was set to select 7th in 2003 but failed to get their pick delivered on time. (EDIT: MIN selected DT Kevin Williams) Two teams (Jacksonville and Carolina) rushed their picks up and ended up getting to pick before the Vikings got their sh** together.
At contract negotiation time, Williams' agent demanded 7th overall pick money, and ended up getting it. The strategy didn't work then, and it's probably not going to work now for any team.
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I dont understand why they dont just put a cap on how much you can pay a rookie...didnt basketball do this?...make it so all rookies get a certain amout depending on what round they go in and after 1 year they then can negotiate a multi year contract..this would take strain off the draft and get rid of this "value at this pick" crap
It's called:
1) A union (NFLPA)
2) Player Agents
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WR Jerome Simpson Coastal Carolina
LB Phillip Wheeler Georgia Tech
G Mike McGlynn Pittsburgh
DE/LB Jason Jones Eastern Michigan
S Tyrell Johnson Arkansas State
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it seems that the Miami Dolphins have taken the title. they don't want to fork out the signing bonus for the #1 pick in the NFL. so they step in whenever they want to in order to pay less for the guy they want.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nf...lphins/home.htm
Perhaps one of the most inane posts I've seen on this board. The cap structure isn't kind to teams that are bad and it's no surprise GM's are attempting in vain to deal out of the top 10. They can't, primarily because paying unproven talent that much is on the risky side.
Why not take someone projected for the 3rd round and offer them normal money (3M guaranteed) At least your team wouldn't take a huge cap hit if the player fails to produce. Then again, not paying 35M to a player with zero professional experience is cheap.
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Kiper thinks we will draft a CB in 1st...WR 2nd...TE 3rd...
they all agreed that the Bills need to get some weapons offensively....
and a CB to push Greer
Kiper made the point that 11 is too early to draft Kelly, and that a better value would be DRC at CB.
Hoge loves Lynch and believes he's the power back a team loves to have. Now if only Schonert can get him involved in the passing game.
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Absolutely, but you have to look at the numbers (I'd prefer Combine numbers) to make sure he will be fast enough and does have enough acceleration to make it at the pro level.... No 4.6 WR is going to be a #1 WR at the pro level... I don't think you look at the numbers so much to see how fast, but is he fast enough? Does he have that burst? If he doesn't he isn't worth taking in the first round, and probably not in the second either.....
I seem to recall Jerry Rice turned out fairly well despite a "sub-par" 40 time in the neighborhood of 4.7.
Anquan Boldin ran a poor 40 a few years back and he's been pretty darn good.
Speed is nice, but I'd take a guy who finds ways to separate from coverage first. Ask Troy Williamson how his size equates to success in the NFL.
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I can't understand why NFL teams draft so many DBs in the first round. It seems recent history points to that. And why take a DB when all we're ever told is how important the QB and running game is to success and a winning record and playoff victories.
My thinking is: The way the league is, it's better to draft offense and make a splash with fans.
If public perception is so important, I think drafting offense is the only way to go.
USE FREE AGENCY to sign the top defensive talent. Because defense is what wins games and it's better to go with proven players on defense. You can't have busts on defense and it seems teams have been having a lot of busts on defense lately.
I would draft a QB EVERY YEAR.
Use him as trade bait to collect extra picks (not first rounders, too expensive) if he proves to be good, but not starting material on your team. I would draft a QB in any round. Including a first rounder. That way you could stock pile 2nd and 3rd rounders and build your team.
I would also draft a RB every year. Probably two RB's. They don't last long and you could always have quality players in the wings. Plus you could use them as trade bait if you get like three or four guys that are quality. Many teams like Tampa needed running backs. RBs go done more than QBs.
I wouldn't use a 1st rounder on O-line either. Too many Robert Gallery's, Mike Williams and Leonard Davis's out there. Take O-line in the later rounds and find those gems.
Is that you Tom Donahoe?
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Yes, GB's entire success can be attributed to Favre. No one takes the time to point out that GB's failures in 2005 and 06 could be, in large part, attributed to Favre's gunslinger type QB play. Did you watch the home game Buffalo played against GB in 2006? I was there, and Favre made several mistakes, namely a returned INT that effectively ended the game.
Before concluding that GB relied completely on Favre for success, remember his best season came last year, when GB could look to Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and a certain RB in Ryan Grant to diversify their offense. That, and a solid defense which relied a great deal on homegrown talent.
A QB alone cannot win games over the long term. Having good talent spread evenly on offense and defense does win. IMO, GB has done a fine job of assembling talent from the draft.
BTW, who says Rodgers isn't good? How does one know this? He performed well in Dallas on TV this year, and has the benefit of learning under Favre for 3 complete seasons. If the criteria is being Favre, of course he won't be.
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Hitting the jackpot at QB is what good teams do on draft day.
Thompson's built a fine defense, and aside from Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett, hasn't used FA all that much.
I just like the idea of having a GM or Personnel VP who has final say on personnel matters.
Teams that draft well generally win on Sunday. Teams that don't are back in the top 10.
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Free Agency is designed to fill holes and augment the draft. This principle was lost on Danny Snyder until this season, when he saw teams like the Giants not spend in FA, only to advance to and win the SB. It took him awhile, but teams are learning the way to win in the 21st century NFL.
The notion of a window of opportunity is no longer what it was in the mid to late nineties. Teams have adjusted and beter handled personnel to the point of knowing who is replaceable and who is not. Teams like GB just replace players with solid drafting.
Teams such as NE, IND, PHI, SD, PIT, JAC, NYG, and now GB will have a down season from time to time, but never go into the doldrums and be bad for a length. It's because they know who to rid themselves of and how to draft.
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Tomorrow's (Monday) 6pm SportsCenter will feature the Bills "On the Clock"
be sure to tune in and listen to Mort and Mel talk sh-- and make fools of themselves as they bitterly tear apart the Bills even though we are on the right track.
cant wait to see how poorly and lazily they analyze the team.
I can hear Mort right now:
"Buffalo's biggest mistake was firing the genius Tom Donahoe. They've gone downhill ever since then."
I'd like to see anyone out-do Marshall Faulk, and his assessment of the Bills (particularly their "need" for a OLT). I'll watch to see if they know who the starting QB is.
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I don't think taking BPA is always the strategy, but it's the better strategy most of the time. Buffalo won't be in the market for a top tier OLT, RB, or QB with their top pick, regardless of who's available. And both we and the front office know it.
OTOH, positions which aren't ever completely filled, like DE, should enter into the equation, especially if a Derrick Harvey is available. IMO, top DE prospects tend to go off the board quicker and aren't as likely to be found in later rounds. The physical requirements for a dominating DE, especially for edge rushing RDE's, aren't found in abundance.
WR is deep this season, with guys like Earl Bennett, Jordy Nelson, Andre Caldwell, and Jerome Simpson likely to be available in the second round. Conversely, DE's will be long gone in the second round this year. I'm fairly certain C. Long, Gholston, Harvey, Merling, C. Campbell, and perhaps Lawrence Jackson will be gone by pick 41.
Either way, it's about the front office using an "economy of force" and using the absolute minimum of resouces to achieve their goal.
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you do understand that this is year 3 of a complete rebuild from the Donahoe era? right?
for the past 2 drafts EVERY position was a need. and now we're finally starting to be able to focus that down. and next draft will be even better and more precise.
we have a plan, but we're just 2 years into it. we'll improve this year, and then the next.
The operative question is, how many years does it take to rebuild a football team? Especially with so many starters from one era to another. This isn't the Atlanta Falcons thing where Dimitroff needs probably 3 years. You realize Levy/Jauron inherited:
Clements, Schobel, Evans, Peters, Kelsay, McGee, McGahee, Crowell, Parrish, Losman, Greer, and a fine special teams staff including Lindell and Moorman. Tell me why it takes three whole seasons to rebuild a team with players like that on your roster?
Yeah, it's year three of a rebuild. Only it's not as comprehensive as some want to think it is, because that wouldn't provide the excuse if the team isn't good in 08.
I highlighted GB's model because they've acquired so much talent the last few years. I think it's safe to say their front office is darn good. Buffalo's front office has one proven executive in talent evaluation, and that's Modrak. He's the closest thing to a GM Buffalo has.
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The Bills draft trust may actually believe in this strategy as well, but don't forget that Ralph has -- and always has had -- a big say in who we draft. And unfortunately, he's not thinking about the future. Expect a WR.
Agree wholeheartedly. Ralph is from the old school, and meddling is part of his makeup. He cannot simply stand by and trust people to do what is right, despite the fact he is a businessman and not a NFL personnel type.
I agree. Lynch, Poz, Edwards, Whitner, McCargo, Simpson, Butler, Ellison and Williams were just wasted picks.Don't go to such extremes. Lynch, Poz, Whitner, and McCargo all were drafted because a giant need existed at their respective positions.
I'll refrain from doing revisionist history and suggesting an alternative pick. Rather, I'd point out that when a team consistently drafts for need, there is a problem with those drafting, not the players being drafted. All the aforementioned players were selected when a major need was evident, and this year is no different.
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Interesting read from about one of the best front offices in the league. GB's success on draft day is up there with any team in the league and they've made a habit of acquiring talent from top to bottom. Not surprisingly, they've been successful with picks like Corey Williams, Greg Jennings, Daryn Colledge, et al. Thompson also parlayed the franchised DT Corey Williams into a second rounder, or a player he was set to lose for a high pick. Good front offices make moves like this to further their team.
The draft is about the future, not the present. Buffalo's made a habit of drafting for need far too often the last two years because they remain in need of players at so many positions. This year probably will be no different, in that Buffalo must take a WR in the first two rounds, regardless of who's available when they pick.
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true but Colston was 6'5 ran a 4.5 and was invited to the combine putting up good numbers and Flagler wasnt invited to the combine and is only 6'1 and ran a 6'1 what is that !
GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stroud for Pro Bowl 2008
Please slow down. You passed go a long time ago.
Who cares if these players get interest from Buffalo They're 6th rounders or later, perhaps even UDFA's.
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don't worry.
The Bills will panic and severely overpay to move back into the 1st round to reach for one of the overrated WR "studs"
No matter that Bennet or Nelson will still be there when they would have picked.
You haven't heard that Buffalo doesn't reach, and that there really isn't such a thing as reaching.
Buffalo can't hide the fact that they've got a hole the size of the Grand Canyon at WR. No one can sugarcoat the fact they've got no one to play opposite Evans.
Earl Bennett is a good option in the second, and Nelson is as well. They won't win the name recognition battle most fans fight on this board, but they'll be available and won't require a trade back into the late first or early second round.
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The scary part is that Mayock is usually right.
This pick would be a travesty. The Bills were not a cornerback away from success last season - they were a passrush away from success and a run-stuffer away from success. They went and got themselves a premier run-stuffer. Wasting a high pick on a CB would be a disaster. The Giants proved that you're better off with waves of young, fast, athletic passrushers.
I value Mayock's opinion more than any draft analyst out there...on most things. This year, I've seen him be very stubborn to admit he's incorrect. He stuck to his guns on John Carlson being the best TE prospect, even after he ran a 4.9 at the combine. I like Carlson, but Mayock's thinking on the Bills going CB is just that...thinking.
It's the worst kept secret in the league (all right, second worst after Marinelli's admitted Detroit's targeted prospects) that Buffalo is going WR. Unless there's a great DE talent on the board, they've isolated themselves into taking a WR.
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Guess those arthritic knees are giving him problems in the colder weather.
Not worth the risk at 11, if this is true.
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Why Kelly has become the best WR prospect is beyond me. This board has become enamored of a receiver over 6'3. Height itself should not be the first quality a team looks for in a WR. There are plenty of receivers (Reggie Williams of Jacksonville comes to mind) who have the height, but will never be veritable receivers in the NFL. Separation, IMO, should be the more valuable quality.
The draft is not about filling a need for the upcoming season, no matter which round. Just because this team has distinct needs at TE and WR does not equate to drafting those positions first or second. Drafts are for the long term, not the problems of the near term.
Taking the best available should be the mantra, but I'm fairly certain the Bills will draft to fill needs as they did in 2006 and 2007. Taking Kelly in the first tells me all I need to know about the front office; specifically that the Bills are ignoring conventional wisdom and chasing their tails by drafting needs every year. Pass rushers are always at a premium, pass catchers not so much so.
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In the context of the late 80s and early 90s, you didn't have to have a great pass catching TE on the field. Things have changed considerably since then. It doesn't mean drafting a first rounder, but teams need to adapt to defenses which would literally and figuratively run circles around their predecessors of 20 years ago.
IMO, teams need to field at least 2-3 capable receivers, be they TE or WR. It matters not which type of scheme Jauron runs on offense. (and it will be his) Until the Bills have someone who poses matchup problems with opposing DB's, the offense will plod along to more 17 point games. I don't care who your DB's are, when there's a sizable receiving threat (Robert Royal does not come close) lining up at TE, opposing defenses take notice. Anyone remember how Antonio Gates gave Donte Whitner problems back in December 2006?
If Jauron's going to continue with his style of trying to win with defense and a bare minimum of offense, it'll be another long season. To make matters worse, the Bills have done nothing to help out a 2nd year QB they see as their long term starter. Think a reliable receiving TE who's about 6'5 and 250 would help Edwards? To me, it's all about giving Edwards more options and giving him a better chance to succeed. When's the last time the Bills went out of their way to help the QB with more receiving threats?
Bob Johnson > RJ
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
If only he could play center for us. We need one.