Whaley: The Pittsburgh Model and no Big-Name FAs

[Thurman#1]

It's hard to disagree with this mindset. Works pretty much every time.

 

"I think it’s one of those things where there’s an emphasis on building through the draft and establishing a foundation. That’s how you can consistently compete for championships."

 

 

 

Gotta disagree here. It's the highest percentage way of building a good team, but it doesn't work anywhere near every time. You still have to draft extremely well consistently, and most teams don't.

[Thurman#1]

actually i disagree with you gaither comment. a player like him is just the type of talent they want. the problem with him is his character and lack of a work ethic and IMO the price was to high for a player with his questionable work ethic.

 

 

 

And I disagree with you. They make it clear in the article that the FAs they want are role players, not the standouts who are going to demand high salaries.

 

Gaither has been one of the best LTs in the league for a while now, and the rumors about his work ethic only started in the pros after he didn't show up for OTAs. They're essentially a technique to get him into camp. The Ravens want him. He's going to be a Raven this year, and if his work ethic was all that bad, if his play suffered, they'd chuck him out the door.

 

The Bills aren't going to pick up high-ticket guys. It's right in the article. "We're not trying to get a quick fix in free agency." "... go out and get solid contributing veterans that can start and will be here for most of their contracts ..."

 

They're not getting the big-name guys. Instead, they're getting guys like Cornell Green. He spelled it out in the article.

[Fingon]

Do you want to know why we won't sign any big name free agents? Its because I guarantee that if C.J. Spiller is a star, the Bills will re-sign him, and that is how you build good teams. Consistently good teams don't even let their stars get to FA.

[Thurman#1]

I don't know how others feel about the Bills "arriving" in three years. I'd be good with it if I knew that we were headed to the playoffs by 2013.

 

I remember in 1986 when the Bills were still not a good team but you could see they were heading in the right direction. They only had four wins. The next year, 1987, they managed 7 wins. But it was obvious the team was on the threshold of excellence. There was lots of excitement and hope and the promise for the future was starting to come into focus.

 

Ditto with some of the Sabres teams we've watched over the years.

 

It's always exciting for me when I'm witnessing a good, up and coming team…even if they are still a few years away.

 

I'm a long suffering Bills fan (1968) but I am willing to be patient if I sense that they are building the team the right way.

 

 

 

I'm with you.

 

I remember the years we had Greg Bell, and we sucked. Couldn't beat anybody. Except the Cowboys in 1985. Even bad years have their compensations, if you think you're headed in the right direction. The rookie DE we'd drafted, Smith, seemed like he might turn into something.

[Thurman#1]

Do you want to know why we won't sign any big name free agents? Its because I guarantee that if C.J. Spiller is a star, the Bills will re-sign him, and that is how you build good teams. Consistently good teams don't even let their stars get to FA.

 

 

 

It doesn't always work out that way. Pittsburgh has a history of letting some of their biggest stars go in FA. Kevin Greene, for instance.

 

And Spiller's contract is, what, five years down the road, four at least.

 

I agree with your point overall, though.

[Pilsner]

Do you want to know why we won't sign any big name free agents? Its because I guarantee that if C.J. Spiller is a star, the Bills will re-sign him, and that is how you build good teams. Consistently good teams don't even let their stars get to FA.

 

 

True dat Fingon. You made it clear as day.

[Mr. WEO]

Usually the way it works is the new guys come in and pledge their committment to building thru the draft, then when they don't draft well and lose, they try free agency, then when they cpntinue to lose they get fired.

 

It's nothing new.

 

Everyone wants to build thru the draft. The key is being good at drafting. The Bills have not been good at drafting and the college scouting personnel hasn't changed much from the Jauron era. They can talk about their plan all they want, but it's time for results.

OK, it seems we are always building throught the draft then. Nothing has changed. There is no "new" plan or philosophy. Seems we are just hoping these guys can draft better.

[Bob in STL]

This article speaks directly to those who have complained about not picking up guys like Gaither or McNeill. They're simply not going that way. They have a plan, and the plan is to build through the draft.

 

“I think it’s very similar,” Whaley said. “I think it’s one of those things where there’s an emphasis on building through the draft and establishing a foundation. That’s how you can consistently compete for championships. I see that that’s what we’re doing here. We’re not trying to get a quick fix in free agency, not over drafting to force a square peg in a round hole when we can just get the best player available. You can never have too many good players even at one position.

 

That also, with his reference to avoiding the quick fix, is yet another - very sub rosa as always - admission that we're rebuilding and that it's going to take a while.

 

And here's where he points out his FA strategy:

 

“I just see the blueprint being laid here that I’m comfortable with and used to and have subscribed to for the last 11 years,” he said. “Go out and get solid contributing veterans that can start and will be here for most of their contracts and draft the best players available. And that’s the recipe that once I heard that from Buddy and Chan I signed on and they haven’t deviated from that plan since they got here." He compares it to Pittsburgh's methods and makes it clear that it's because Buffalo was going in the same direction that he came to Buffalo.

 

There you have it.

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3...c0-c7ca9a662dd5

 

I love Gaither, but it's obvious that we're not going to get him or anyone like him. We're going to hope that one of our guys, Wang or Bell, will grow into the position, and if that doesn't happen, we'll draft someone else. And with this method, we're likely to draft high next year, so we should have a shot at some good players next year.

 

No more "We should get [insert high-ticket FA's name here] threads, hunh?

 

Too much to expect, I guess.

 

When the Bills hired crusty old Buddy Nix as their GM many in the media complained that they did not interview the best and brightest up and coming executives. Whaley was named on that list. It is comforting to have him on board right now. I fully expect he will take the reins as GM some day.

[Frez]

True dat Fingon. You made it clear as day.

 

 

Like Pat Williams and Antoine Winfield?

 

[Sisyphean Bills]

Like Pat Williams and Antoine Winfield?

 

And Jason Peters.

 

CJ Spiller is part of that equation. If he doesn't want to stay for whatever reason, the Bills wanting to re-sign him may fall on deaf ears.

[Doc]

OK, it seems we are always building throught the draft then. Nothing has changed. There is no "new" plan or philosophy. Seems we are just hoping these guys can draft better.

That's obviously part of it. The other part is coaching.

[spartacus]

It should be noted that San Diego's rebuilding took three seasons to become a playoff team. The Chargers were 5-11, 8-8, and 4-12 from 2001 to 2003. They made the playoffs with a 12-4 record in 2004, getting outstanding production from Brees and Tomlinson.

 

I'm not sure there are many fans who want to wait until the 2013 season to see a winner after 10 season minus the post-season. Building through the draft is a nice principle and all, but it doesn't mean using this method exclusively to put a team together.

 

Building thru the draft will only work if the players drafted actually produce.

 

 

wasting premium picks on turds like Maybin, Lynch, McCargo, Whitner, etc tends to set back the rebuilding (10 years and counting)

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Building thru the draft will only work if the players drafted actually produce.

 

 

wasting premium picks on turds like Maybin, Lynch, McCargo, Whitner, etc tends to set back the rebuilding (10 years and counting)

I can see it's going to be another jovial holiday in the Spartacus household.

 

C'mon Spartacus, lighten up.

[spartacus]

 

I can see it's going to be another jovial holiday in the Spartacus household.

 

C'mon Spartacus, lighten up.

 

you are correct

 

 

we should rejoice now that we have replaced Modrak, his 6 scouts and the remaining front office - who brought us such success over the last decade 

 

 

 

 

 

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I can see it's going to be another jovial holiday in the Spartacus household.

 

C'mon Spartacus, lighten up.

 

you are correct

 

 

we should rejoice now that we have replaced Modrak, his 6 scouts and the remaining front office - who brought us such success over the last decade 

 

You don't have to start putting words in my mouth. I just want you to try and have a nice 4th of July weekend.

 

Honestly Spartacus, I'm sure you're a great guy.

 

I always hope that when I see chronically unhappy posters on our board that those people aren't also chronically unhappy in the rest of their lives, outside The Stadium Wall.

[John from Riverside]

I am just glad they are going to let our young wide recievers play......we need to know what we have.

 

On the OL......we will have to see how it plays out. If they feel we have a LT on the roster then we have to let them do their thing and see.....

 

If DE's are beating our LT routinely this year there is gonna be some pretty PO'd fans

[4BillsintheBurgh]

Player character is overrated. Coaching is underrated. Good coaching has been making talented low-lifes into champions for as long as their have been championships to win. Whaley should know this. If Pittsburgh didn't draft extremely low character individuals Ben Roethlisberger and later Santonio Holmes they likely wouldn't have won either those two recent SB's.

Sorry, I shouldn't have used the "c" word, I forgot about the long drawn out discussion the board had regarding the meaning of character as it related to what Marv was looking for. I'll rephrase with "hard working and dedicated to football". In looking at Lynch, he may have issues outside of football, but his work ethic and dedication to the team is lacking. I remember NGU mentioning that we will see his true colors this offseason, and ML hasn't disappointed.

 

Coaching can help players perform better on Sundays, but there is no substitute for the mental toughness to work hard at something when no one is around. I always think of Jerry Rice or Walter Payton as an example of that. And while coaching can enhance a players abilities, working hard is really how a player can make the most of the talent level he is blessed with.

 

I will also say that Whaley should know how to recognize talented and hard working players. The issue is finding the talent and then having a coach that uses that talent well.

[Spiderweb]

Player character is overrated. Coaching is underrated. Good coaching has been making talented low-lifes into champions for as long as their have been championships to win. Whaley should know this. If Pittsburgh didn't draft extremely low character individuals Ben Roethlisberger and later Santonio Holmes they likely wouldn't have won either those two recent SB's.

 

Character can be divided into segments, such as personal and profession (in this case football). Levy himself spoke of character but he did add he was speaking more of professional/football character than personal.

 

In some cases, some of these scumbags (Rothlisberger, etc) actually put forth tremendous effort in their profession only to be complete turds personally (off the field). Their profession is what gives them their direction. Most of these guys have been stars (high school, college) and have been fairly well pampered and unfortunately, for the sake of their talent, a blind eye was given to their digressions. This is the one area of Goodell's reign that I like, and that's that there's finally a standard of conduct being applied to these guys. In some ways, Goodell could be much tougher, but it's start.

[SuperKillerRobots]

It should be noted that San Diego's rebuilding took three seasons to become a playoff team. The Chargers were 5-11, 8-8, and 4-12 from 2001 to 2003. They made the playoffs with a 12-4 record in 2004, getting outstanding production from Brees and Tomlinson.

 

I'm not sure there are many fans who want to wait until the 2013 season to see a winner after 10 season minus the post-season. Building through the draft is a nice principle and all, but it doesn't mean using this method exclusively to put a team together.

 

I think you could make the argument that SD was worse than we are now when that rebuild began. It mgiht not take 3 years here using the same plan. Hard to say until you see them play I guess.

 

The one thing we will have answer to about half way through the season is the question: How terrible was Dick Jauran as a coach? I doubt it's just me that thinks this, but I don't think we're as far away from being a good football team talent/draft wise as our record over the past two or three years indicated. Obviously we haven't answered two of the biggest questiosn on offense - QB and LT - but we do have soem players with some talent at the other positions and you got the feeling watching the team the past two years that if the schemes/coaching were a little better they would have won a few more games.