Brees more proof....Always take your QB FIRST

[buffaloaggie]

Draft a QB first and you'll be drafting QB's first every year.

 

PTR

While I see some point in this statement, if you see a unique talent like Clausen at #9, you have to take him. Build your OL with FAs if you pick a QB. There are no FA QBs that are really a huge upgrade to what we have now.

 

The Bills have a ton of needs. You take the best talent at your need position(s). Best QB, DT, DE, LB or Left OT available.

 

We could luck out with a Matt Ryan or Aaron Rodgers, or we could get another JP. I'd think Clausen has a better chance of being a Ryan or Rodgers.

[Talley56]

Basically, drafting a QB first is always a risk. You'll have your Peyton Mannings, Drew Brees', Matt Ryans but then you'll have your Ryan Leafs, JP Losmans, and Akili Smiths. It's all hit or miss and there's no gaurantee either way no matter how much you want to analyze it. That said, I personally would like Colt Mccoy as I like his arm and pocket presence. For all I know he could turn out to be a wash but I wouldn't mind us going after him if it weren't for the fact that he's played in Texas all his life and I don't know that he would be able to handle Buffalo's December (and God willing January) weather.

[prissythecat]

good points...but as to sanchez and big ben...remember that the Jets has used two drafts to upgrade their offensive line before drafting sanchez. D'brick, Mangold, the acquisition of Fanaca were major upgrades (as well as getting some very good running backs) that helped Sanchez become successful. Pittsburgh always had good offensive line and good smashmouth runners, so Big ben was successful partially as a result of all the pieces being there when he came in.

 

 

Is Pittsburgh's O line really good? Don't they have major pass protection issues? I seem to recall that in the past 2 seasons, Big Ben has taken quite a beating from the pass rushers of the opposing team. I think a large part of the success of the Steeler's passing games is due to Ben's toughness and ability to shrug off a potential sack and make a good throw.

[PDaDdy]

Lets not forget Brees is now a Saint as opposed to a Charger.

The Chargers had 3 years to evaluate before giving up on Brees

The Saints never drafted him.

Maybe you should include always take the best FA QB first as well. This philosophy worked for GB this year.

The teams were already there the QB was just a missing piece of the puzzle.

The Jets with Sanchez and the Steelers with big Ben prove your theory right as well.

We need to get a solid QB but we also need to keep building our team in the process.

It seems as though if you don't draft one of the top 2 QB's your rolling the dice on someone that help in the short term.

 

 

+1000. Believe it or not I always had faith but Drew Brees was an up and down QB for the Chargers. His first truly good year came the year that the Chargers effectively gave up on him as the franchise QB of the future and ended up with Phillip Rivers. That year he seemed to put it together. After a shoulder injury the Chargers promptly dealt him and the rest is history for the Saints.

 

If ANYTHING this shows that adding a FA QB to an existing good team with a good line is sometimes all that is needed to take your team to the next level or even to the super bowl.

 

Saints? What?

Vikings? What?

Cardinals? What?

Texans? What?

 

There are also several examples of teams with great offensive lines and running games that have had great success with rookie QBs?

 

Jets? What?

Ravens? What?

Falcons? What?

 

Long story short. Get an offensive line. Don't expose your rookie QB to playing to early and ruining their career developing bad habits and getting gun shy behinds a bad line.

[silvermike]

Brees proves that if you have a shot at a 27-year-old UFA QB with a pro bowl resume, you should take it.

[PDaDdy]

Is Pittsburgh's O line really good? Don't they have major pass protection issues? I seem to recall that in the past 2 seasons, Big Ben has taken quite a beating from the pass rushers of the opposing team. I think a large part of the success of the Steeler's passing games is due to Ben's toughness and ability to shrug off a potential sack and make a good throw.

 

 

Sorry to be a jerk but when the hell are people going to get the clue that the exception doesn't invalidate the rule? Seriously! I'll go with the draft a QB before o-line if you can find me a 6'5" 241lb first round talent QB who is half as tough as Big Ben. I assume some jackass already brought up the other exception, Aaron Rogers. He had 3 - 4 years on the bench to learn the game before being thrust into a starting role and his and his teams play improved appreciably after the "talk" where they discussed o-line play and getting rid of the ball earlier.

 

PLEASE do not try to use these examples to say we don't need a line first. It's the same weak ass argument that people try to make for drafting late round QBs because one team, NE, has struck gold in the last 40 years doing so.

[PDaDdy]

.remember that the Jets has used two drafts to upgrade their offensive line before drafting sanchez. D'brick, Mangold, the acquisition of Fanaca were major upgrades (as well as getting some very good running backs) that helped Sanchez become successful. Pittsburgh always had good offensive line and good smashmouth runners, so Big ben was successful partially as a result of all the pieces being there when he came in.

 

This guy gets it. Don't forget the Pitt traditionally has great defenses too! QB is of huge importance but we actually have greater needs right now. There are a few FA QBs out there that can help us now and potentially even be the QB of the future.

[Lori]

Brees proves that if you have a shot at a 27-year-old UFA QB with a pro bowl resume, you should take it.

[PDaDdy]

Jim Kelly was coming off a shoulder injury out of Miami and we did good with him so I would take either of these 2 guys if available.

 

 

Unlike Bradford, Kelly had a huge arm

[PDaDdy]

There are no FA QBs that are really a huge upgrade to what we have now.

 

 

I have to STRONGLY disagree with that!

[JohnC]

In 2001, Drew Brees was the "Colt McCoy" or "Tim Tebow" of this years' draft class. Obviously he was the second best QB prospect behind Vick, but unlike either Clausen or Bradford, whichever one you have ranked second this year, he had some limitations. He was only 6'0 tall and was not considered a "true first round"-worthy pick. In fact, when the Chargers took him with the first pick of the second round, I remember reading and hearing some experts accuse them of "reaching" at that early place in the draft, because they needed a QB so badly. Yeah sure, Brees was quite a "reach" wasn't he?

 

So just like with Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo, every team that had a first round pick in 2001 passed on Drew Brees. (Including the Saints!) And that simply amazes me because every year there are always at least 15 - 20 NFL teams that desperately need a true QB of the future. I understand the Ryan Leafs, Akili Smiths, Tim Couches and other classic first round QB busts make every NFL team gun-shy about investing so much money into first round QB's. But how can you not keep trying if you go 26 years between drafting Pro Bowl QB's like the Bills have?? (That is not a misprint - Kelly was drafted in 1983, and this past draft was 2009.) One Pro Bowl season out of Flutie and one Pro Bowl season out of Bledsoe, two QB's already past their prime, is not an "answer!" The Bills could have taken Brees with the number 21 pick of the 2001 draft instead of Nate Clements. What an absolute joke. Donahoe had Rob freakin' Johnson and had just decided to dump Flutie that April. And he passed on Brees. Along with every other team of course.

 

So now the Bills have another chance to draft Clausen or Bradford, or get even bolder if they are both drafted by their number 9 pick, and take McCoy or even Tebow there. Many experts and fans will mock them and call them idiots for reaching so far for McCoy or Tebow. But I would applaud them for "getting the QB first.

 

Part of your reasoning escapes me. With respect to Clausen or Bradford (my preference) you make a lot of sense taking them at the nine spot. Why would you do that with McCoy when he probably could be had in the second round? The Chargers drafted LT with their first pick and got Brees in the second round. Did they know he would be available early in the second round? Of course not. But if they had a big conviction about Brees they would have traded down in the first round and then taken him there.

 

Teams which are successful don't reach with their picks. They take players on their board on the basis of how they are ranked. It is not clear cut and of course you have to factor need but it usually doesn't work out when you take a player ranked nine or so when the player is ranked 30-40.

 

The Bills jumped the ranking line when they took Losman and McCargo because they felt they had major needs at those two positions. Not surprisingly it didn't work out. The mediocre Bills have so many needs that it is embarrassing. Why reach for one need when you can get a player who stands a better chance of succeeding and still fill one of your needs?

 

No one is foolish enough to argue that the qb position isn't the most critical position in football. But why take a bigger gamble on a player at a high pick when you are more assured of a successful pick at another position. Colt McCoy would be a reasonable pick in the second or even third round. It would be ridiculously foolish to take him in the first round.

[Guest dog14787]

Funny how a successful QB generally corresponds with teams having great management/coaching. How far were the Jets away from the Superbowl with a rookie QB. Organizations that understand it takes proper management, coaching and top notch player personnel in all three phases of the game win Championships.

 

Edwards, Fitzpatrick, and Brohm all have untapped potential the Bills need to explore in my opinion.

[prissythecat]

Sorry to be a jerk but when the hell are people going to get the clue that the exception doesn't invalidate the rule? Seriously! I'll go with the draft a QB before o-line if you can find me a 6'5" 241lb first round talent QB who is half as tough as Big Ben. I assume some jackass already brought up the other exception, Aaron Rogers. He had 3 - 4 years on the bench to learn the game before being thrust into a starting role and his and his teams play improved appreciably after the "talk" where they discussed o-line play and getting rid of the ball earlier.

 

PLEASE do not try to use these examples to say we don't need a line first. It's the same weak ass argument that people try to make for drafting late round QBs because one team, NE, has struck gold in the last 40 years doing so.

 

 

 

Ummm. That post was really meant to point out the flawed perception that Pittsburgh has a great O line.

 

I never said anything about the need to draft a QB first. I am more a supporter of those who believe that the you need to build quality lines first to have a shot at winning.

[offyourocker]

Must not have watched the same game I did. Seems to me that Brees had plenty of time to throw. Only one sack. Bills need an offensive line.

[John from Riverside]

actually....whether you realize it or not you just explained why NOT to get your QB first.....

 

We also "reached" for a QB named JP Losman....we gave up more then one pick to do that....and prior to that we traded a 1st rounder (and them some) for Rob Johnson

 

our reaches for a first round pick are why I am scared to death of reaching this year as well......I am proud to say that this year I would like that first pick to be a boring old road grating pass protection defensive end thumping left tackle.

[Meark]

In 2001, Drew Brees was the "Colt McCoy" or "Tim Tebow" of this years' draft class. Obviously he was the second best QB prospect behind Vick, but unlike either Clausen or Bradford, whichever one you have ranked second this year, he had some limitations. He was only 6'0 tall and was not considered a "true first round"-worthy pick. In fact, when the Chargers took him with the first pick of the second round, I remember reading and hearing some experts accuse them of "reaching" at that early place in the draft, because they needed a QB so badly. Yeah sure, Brees was quite a "reach" wasn't he?

 

So just like with Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo, every team that had a first round pick in 2001 passed on Drew Brees. (Including the Saints!) And that simply amazes me because every year there are always at least 15 - 20 NFL teams that desperately need a true QB of the future. I understand the Ryan Leafs, Akili Smiths, Tim Couches and other classic first round QB busts make every NFL team gun-shy about investing so much money into first round QB's. But how can you not keep trying if you go 26 years between drafting Pro Bowl QB's like the Bills have?? (That is not a misprint - Kelly was drafted in 1983, and this past draft was 2009.) One Pro Bowl season out of Flutie and one Pro Bowl season out of Bledsoe, two QB's already past their prime, is not an "answer!" The Bills could have taken Brees with the number 21 pick of the 2001 draft instead of Nate Clements. What an absolute joke. Donahoe had Rob freakin' Johnson and had just decided to dump Flutie that April. And he passed on Brees. Along with every other team of course.

 

So now the Bills have another chance to draft Clausen or Bradford, or get even bolder if they are both drafted by their number 9 pick, and take McCoy or even Tebow there. Many experts and fans will mock them and call them idiots for reaching so far for McCoy or Tebow. But I would applaud them for "getting the QB first."

 

Um.. are you forgetting that Brees sucked his first couple of years and the Chargers traded him and went with Rivers? Sounds like something the Bills would do. How would you feel if we traded Edwards and he went on to win a Superbowl with another team?

 

NO ROOKIE QB THANKS!

[PDaDdy]

Funny how a successful QB generally corresponds with teams having great management/coaching. How far were the Jets away from the Superbowl with a rookie QB. Organizations that understand it takes proper management, coaching and top notch player personnel in all three phases of the game win Championships.

 

Edwards, Fitzpatrick, and Brohm all have untapped potential the Bills need to explore in my opinion.

 

 

It's such a freakin long shot but Troy Smith! PLEASE!!! We have a lot of nothing at QB right now. Yes, they could be better with a better line but we are talking backup quality talent. I would rather get someone that has at least the slightest chanve to be more than what we have now. We know what is on our roster. Sometimes you just have to admit you backed the wrong candidate and move on. I don't want to waste one more single, year, off season, starting rep or game on Edwards. I said it a couple years ago. AT BEST Edwards could be our Frank Reich. Let's stop fooling around and find our Jim Kelly.

[PromoTheRobot]

While I see some point in this statement, if you see a unique talent like Clausen at #9, you have to take him. Build your OL with FAs if you pick a QB. There are no FA QBs that are really a huge upgrade to what we have now.

 

The Bills have a ton of needs. You take the best talent at your need position(s). Best QB, DT, DE, LB or Left OT available.

 

We could luck out with a Matt Ryan or Aaron Rodgers, or we could get another JP. I'd think Clausen has a better chance of being a Ryan or Rodgers.

I agree...except the part about Clausen. He's not a unique talent. He's the latest Irish hype that will flop when he hits the NFL, especially in a rebuilding situation like the Bills. If I were to draft a QB this year I'd pick Dan Lafevour in round 3 or 4. A guy with a 4 year record of starting and winning. 3 conference titles in 4 years. over 70% completions in a place with worse weather than Buffalo. Let him back up Brohm or whatever free agent we pick up, and prep him to start by 2012.

 

PTR

[Bob in STL]

In 2001, Drew Brees was the "Colt McCoy" or "Tim Tebow" of this years' draft class. Obviously he was the second best QB prospect behind Vick, but unlike either Clausen or Bradford, whichever one you have ranked second this year, he had some limitations. He was only 6'0 tall and was not considered a "true first round"-worthy pick. In fact, when the Chargers took him with the first pick of the second round, I remember reading and hearing some experts accuse them of "reaching" at that early place in the draft, because they needed a QB so badly. Yeah sure, Brees was quite a "reach" wasn't he?

 

So just like with Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Tony Romo, every team that had a first round pick in 2001 passed on Drew Brees. (Including the Saints!) And that simply amazes me because every year there are always at least 15 - 20 NFL teams that desperately need a true QB of the future. I understand the Ryan Leafs, Akili Smiths, Tim Couches and other classic first round QB busts make every NFL team gun-shy about investing so much money into first round QB's. But how can you not keep trying if you go 26 years between drafting Pro Bowl QB's like the Bills have?? (That is not a misprint - Kelly was drafted in 1983, and this past draft was 2009.) One Pro Bowl season out of Flutie and one Pro Bowl season out of Bledsoe, two QB's already past their prime, is not an "answer!" The Bills could have taken Brees with the number 21 pick of the 2001 draft instead of Nate Clements. What an absolute joke. Donahoe had Rob freakin' Johnson and had just decided to dump Flutie that April. And he passed on Brees. Along with every other team of course.

 

So now the Bills have another chance to draft Clausen or Bradford, or get even bolder if they are both drafted by their number 9 pick, and take McCoy or even Tebow there. Many experts and fans will mock them and call them idiots for reaching so far for McCoy or Tebow. But I would applaud them for "getting the QB first."

 

You proved nothing. In fact, the great Gregg Williams says he wanted to draft Brees in Buffalo with his frst pick. John Butler considered Brees first round material when he drafted him at San Diego.

 

Drew Brees on the the Bills, with last seasons support cast, would have been better than Edwards but still no playoffs. It is highly unlikely Brees would have developed into the QB he is today had Greggo Williams drafted him as he so arrogantly states he would have.

 

To develop a QB you need a line. You need playmakers. You need a consistentcy in the offense you are running to enable the critical learning that all young QBs go through.

[PDaDdy]

Um.. are you forgetting that Brees sucked his first couple of years and the Chargers traded him and went with Rivers? Sounds like something the Bills would do. How would you feel if we traded Edwards and he went on to win a Superbowl with another team?

 

NO ROOKIE QB THANKS!

 

Drew's first couple years sucked but his last 2 years in San Diego were great. He averaged over 3300yds and 25 TDs. That is an important middle part to the story. Matter of fact Drew's 3rd year as a starter was a 27 TD year. Wake me when we see that kind of potential in Edwards....YAWN!!!!