Drafting--Quality v Need

[BigBuff423]

I whole-heartedly agree with this debate and while I was initially on the official "WTF Bandwagon", I've since come back down to earth realizing that Nix is the antithesis to what we've had in the past....reach for total screw-ups like Whitner and Maybin and pass on guys like Ngata and Orakpo or even Cushing, which LB was a huge need last year too and they didn't take him, so now, I'm starting to come to peace with the fact that you need TALENT with a great work ethic to build on and that needs can get resolved in a process and to be honest we aren't going to fix everything this year anyways, so why not get a playmaker and believe that we continue to take the best available on the board give ourselves another draft to look forward to, yes I know, we all want to win NOW, but that isn't going to happen no matter what we do this year and we can still wait to see what happens with Lynch and other trades for the remainder of the draft.......long way of saying, I like the change in approach and hope that it will all work out

[birdog1960]

Ignore Sully. His only function is to agitate/stroke for $0.75 a day.

 

Set 'em up to knock 'em down is columnist Rule One...

please cite an instance where he's been proved fundamentally wrong re Bills. Admittedly, it's not that hard to be right when you're consistently negative but he's still been right the vast majority of the time. If you are correct, are you agitating or just speaking the truth?

[BillsBruce]

Is it way too much of a reach to say that the Spiller's pick makes the current O line and pass game (QB and WR needs) better, and thereby partially addressed those needs? Or am I just sniffin' paint?

 

Guess I'm feeling that since he was there at 9, I'm danged glad we took him.

 

Now let's get Jimmy and some Ts!

[Bill from NYC]

So which is it? What should Nix do? What would you do?

 

I would draft football players who would make the Buffalo Bills a big, strong football team, rather than use my best resources on small gadget players and defensive backs. This is what gets lost on this board; it always has.

 

Year in and year out we lose football games because our opponents kick our asses up front. It goes on and on. Playing at home should be a HUGE advantage for us. The weather is windy and often very cold, and the fans are loud and GREAT. Instead of using our top picks on big, tough linemen, we use them on tiny little ticket sellers (or so-so defensive backs).

 

Say what you will about Ralph. Call him senile, etc. but if he lives to be 200 (which I hope he does), he will know more about money than all of us combined, and I admire this. However, as a loyal, long term Bills Fan I think that we deserve a decent product.

A wild card playoff appearance would be nice, no?

[whaler]

Quality vs. Needs? Do you have the same theory for free agency?

[26CornerBlitz]

I would draft football players who would make the Buffalo Bills a big, strong football team, rather than use my best resources on small gadget players and defensive backs. This is what gets lost on this board; it always has.

 

Year in and year out we lose football games because our opponents kick our asses up front. It goes on and on. Playing at home should be a HUGE advantage for us. The weather is windy and often very cold, and the fans are loud and GREAT. Instead of using our top picks on big, tough linemen, we use them on tiny little ticket sellers (or so-so defensive backs).

 

Say what you will about Ralph. Call him senile, etc. but if he lives to be 200 (which I hope he does), he will know more about money than all of us combined, and I admire this. However, as a loyal, long term Bills Fan I think that we deserve a decent product.

A wild card playoff appearance would be nice, no?

 

How about Wood and Levitre last year and additional picks in this year's draft perhaps!!!

[timba]

The Bills picked up a true offensive threat that needs to be planned for. I'm going to try to be optimistic and hope he's like Chris Johnson running the ball and Reggie Bush catching the ball.

 

Just because we didn't address any of our major needs at 9 doesn't mean there aren't still talented players at those positions still available. I do NOT know how Nix can say they still have no plan on moving Marshawn. He's problematic off the field, taking up cap space, losing play time, and could be turned into draft picks so we can keep addressing our need positions.

[Lurker]

NFLFanhouse.com

We need a 'Shakes head, wonders how some people put their pants on' emoticon...

[joey greco]

Quality vs. Needs? Do you have the same theory for free agency?

 

No, the opposite applies in FA. The draft is a crapshoot. You never know what you're really getting. So take the most talented guy. Drafting "needs" means you're passing on improving your overall team talent, and have a good chance that you'll still be trying to fill that need next year.

 

FA you know what the guy can do as a pro. You're paying a premium. You only pay that premium to fill specific needs.

[The Senator]

+1 Take talent every time. Jerry Sullivan is not all bad but he's being a little b!tch right now by going both ways. Cant make a whiny patriots fan happy with anything. Why doesn't he just go back to boston and write there?

Probably because Boston's full of competent sports writers and Sullivan would never be able to 'cut it' there. (Dude's from Rhode Island, but apparently couldn't find work in NE and wrote for the Binghamton Sun-Bulletin and the Syracuse Herald-Journal before joining The Snooze.)

[ntjacks79]

You are flat out wrong!!! Spiller was their guy and there's no way he would have lasted had they traded down.

+1. Many called CJ Spiller the most talented player in the Draft. It's not like Buffalo is the only team that knew that. This was GREAT grafting by Buffalo... for ONCE they drafted on talent instead of reaching for someone to plug a hole. That's OK in round 4... NOT at #9 overall!!

[turftoe]

Probably because Boston's full of competent sports writers and Sullivan would never be able to 'cut it' there. (Dude's from Rhode Island, but apparently couldn't find work in NE and wrote for the Binghamton Sun-Bulletin and the Syracuse Herald-Journal before joining The Snooze.)

 

Would anyone expect anything different from Jerry Sullivan. Same old crap from a discontented grumbler.

He will look stupid as usual when Spiller is the rookie of the year and lighting it up on Sundays.

I love the Spiller pick. By far the best player on the board.

Seems I also remember a rant by Sullivan not too long ago about how we needed to replace M. Lynch.

Go figure!

[muffmonster]

LOL @ Spiller being a "gimmick" player. You may not like the pick since it didn't address a need, but let's not make stuff up.

 

52 touchdowns, 20 of which are over 50 yards....thats a gimmick I'll take any day. Any time he touches the ball whether it is a punt/kick return, screen pass, or sweep he has the potential to make a big play.

[Casey D]

I just read the grades for round one from NFLFanhouse.com and they gave the Bills a D+, mainly because all the needs were avoided and we already have Fred Jackson. The only team in the entire first round graded lower than us was the Jaguars.

And CBS gave the Bills one of a few As, and ESPN says Spiller was a tremendous value at 9. Again, I think these grades reflect the need v quality debate. If there was an OT or DT of roughly equal quality to Spiller, they would have taken him. But to take a player with a much lower grade to get a position seems like a mistake to me.

[K-9]

Is it way too much of a reach to say that the Spiller's pick makes the current O line and pass game (QB and WR needs) better, and thereby partially addressed those needs? Or am I just sniffin' paint?

 

Guess I'm feeling that since he was there at 9, I'm danged glad we took him.

 

Now let's get Jimmy and some Ts!

 

No, it's not a reach at all. When you are blocking for an elite talent like Spiller, you don't have to hold your blocks as long. By definition, a good running game SHOULD make your passing game better but I'm not convinced our QBs can take advantage. At any rate, our OLine should enjoy blocking for a guy like Spiller.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[marshawnsdreads23]

how are some people complaining about this pick? Hes an immediate impact guy, whos gonna get >10 carries a game >5 catches and a couple return opportunities. Thats 15-20 touches a game in his rookie year. This guy played at clemson who had an awful o-line this year and did just fine. If buddy keeps drafting the bpa as long as its not a secondary guy were gonna be rebuilt pretty quickly

[gobillsinytown]

No, the opposite applies in FA. The draft is a crapshoot. You never know what you're really getting. So take the most talented guy. Drafting "needs" means you're passing on improving your overall team talent, and have a good chance that you'll still be trying to fill that need next year.

 

FA you know what the guy can do as a pro. You're paying a premium. You only pay that premium to fill specific needs.

 

I don't think either philosophy is wrong. The Spiller pick seems to indicate that they pick the best player available regardless of need. At least in the first round.

I think rounds 2-7 will be different.

[Kelly the Dog]

I don't think either philosophy is wrong. The Spiller pick seems to indicate that they pick the best player available regardless of need. At least in the first round.

I think rounds 2-7 will be different.

I am amazed that so many serious football fans don't seem to understand how the draft works, and how all teams basically do the same thing. They may ultimately make poor decisions or great decisions, or a combination of both, but every single pick by every single team in every single round is a choice between BPA and BPNA (Best Player(s) of Need Available).

 

Each team has their board of overall best players. As soon as the team ahead of them makes the choice and they are on the clock they make the decision between the two theories. On every single pick, every single time. Is this BPA available going to help us more than the BPNA. If the answer is a LOT more, they take the BPA. If the answer is a little more or not much more, they usually go for the BPNA.

[RealityCheck]

We didnt draft either. We didnt have a need a kick returner, and kick returners should not be drafted in the top 10. Spiller is not a three down NFL running back - he is a gimmick player. Out of the 22 field players, only FB is less important that tailback. We just drafted a guy whos primary role is kick returner and whose position holds littel value on a football team.

 

The Bills made their pick in like 1 minute. They didnt try to trade back - which they could have down seeing all the trading that went on - and they could have gotten Spiller later on. Then they try to trade up later in the draft... with what? We dont have any extra picks as ammo. Of Coarse Denver is going to win out when they actually have picks to draft. Dummer than a bag of hammers.

 

I am speechless.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

[DarthICE]

We didnt draft either. We didnt have a need a kick returner, and kick returners should not be drafted in the top 10. Spiller is not a three down NFL running back - he is a gimmick player. Out of the 22 field players, only FB is less important that tailback. We just drafted a guy whos primary role is kick returner and whose position holds littel value on a football team.

 

The Bills made their pick in like 1 minute. They didnt try to trade back - which they could have down seeing all the trading that went on - and they could have gotten Spiller later on. Then they try to trade up later in the draft... with what? We dont have any extra picks as ammo. Of Coarse Denver is going to win out when they actually have picks to draft. Dummer than a bag of hammers.

 

I am speechless.

 

You aren't speachless, if you believe what I highlighted in Bold, you are just flat dumb.