NaPolian8693 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) As anyone that has been around Bills fans could predict, fans are starting to feel that Fitzpatrick is "good enough" and the Bills need to address other areas, such as the O-line or defensive front seven with the number one pick instead of taking a quarterback. The problem is, that if you sure up some holes on this team and keep Fitzpatrick, next year the Bills will have enough in the tank to win about five or six games, and never get that chance at their next franchise QB. They will be right back on track to wallow in 7-9 mediocrity for a few more years. Fitzpatrick might not be the most glaring weakness on this team, but the reality is that he is not a playoff caliber QB. He's a scrappy competitor and I like that and would be happy to keep him as a backup, but he could never start for a good franchise. This upcoming draft will be the most important draft the Bills have had in a long, long time. Edited October 11, 2010 by NaPolian8693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Its a problem that will take care of itself. They don't play the Pats and Jaguars every week. Eight of their remaining opponents are currently ranked in the top half of the league, and probably six are legitimate top 10 defenses. By the end of the season, the argument will likely be settled and everyone will know whether he can play or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Point of View Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I will tell you this....the league is loaded with average QB's and I believe Fitz could be one notch ahead of most but hardly a QB that you build a team around. Should Buffalo draft #1 or #2 you have to make a move an go for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 The way that defense plays, I can't believe anyone thinks we should draft anything but defensive front 7.....again. The Bills cannot stop anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisonbrigade Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I'm not against drafting a QB. But is there that much difference betwwen Luck or Locker in the 1st round or Ponder or Mallet in the 2nd round? Why not get someone who can impact the team right away with the 1st pick. Unless Luck or Locker is the next Jim Kelly than forget what I said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdub Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 The way that defense plays, I can't believe anyone thinks we should draft anything but defensive front 7.....again. The Bills cannot stop anyone. Bingo. Our first 1 or 2 picks this draft need to be d-linemen and reliable linebackers need to be acquired also. We could draft a top tier QB and he'll help our O average 30 points a week, but when the D is giving up 35 points every week, what's the point? The last few years, I've been yearning to see the Bills field an offense that can be productive and a defense that can stop the run. They have a serviceable offense now, they do not have the defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 I can see this thread will be a good demonstration of how most of the Bills fan base doesn't really understand today's NFL well enough to value an elite QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akm0404 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Your choice: Use the #1 pick in the NFL draft to select a franchise-caliber quarterback. or Use the #1 pick in the draft to select a defensive lineman or linebacker. Let's think about the elite teams in the NFL. The ones that compete for the playoffs and championships every year. Go ahead, think of them along with me. Ok, good. Now, you will notice that those teams happen to be the very same teams that get elite-level quarterback play year in and year out. What a coincidence! If you don't have a franchise caliber quarterback, you are doomed to season after season of mediocrity, fighting for a flukey chance at a playoff berth while the teams who have the great quarterbacks are penciled in for division championship after division championship. Saying that the Bills should use the #1 pick in the draft to select an offensive lineman, defensive lineman, or linebacker is the same as saying that you want the Bills to rebuild back to 7-9. That isn't good enough for me. It shouldn't be good enough for you either. Franchise QB = decade of relevance. Franchise lineman = decade of who cares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003Contenders Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 While I value an elite QB and would be all for the team picking one (if available) in the draft, I wouldn't want that kid on the field until the OL is fixed. We've seen it over and over again in the league what happens when you stick a rookie QB behind a suspect OL. In fact, if the rest of this year is spent doing nothing more than fortifying the OL, then I would consider the season to be a positive one, regardless of record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FightClub Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 The way that defense plays, I can't believe anyone thinks we should draft anything but defensive front 7.....again. The Bills cannot stop anyone. +1000 Fitzpatrick is more than average. Get used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akm0404 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 While I value an elite QB and would be all for the team picking one (if available) in the draft, I wouldn't want that kid on the field until the OL is fixed. We've seen it over and over again in the league what happens when you stick a rookie QB behind a suspect OL. Um, in the modern NFL era, most all quarterbacks drafted #1 overall start immediately on bad teams (because well, you can't get the #1 pick without being pretty darn terrible). They come in, they take their lumps while the team rebuilds the rest of the team, and they hit their peak as the rest of the team comes together. That is how it is done by large part. Rebuild the offensive and defensive lines first if you want to rebuild to 7-9 and be a typical Bills team. Draft a franchise quarterback if you want to be a contender for a decade. Your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Fitzpatrick is more than average. Get used to it. LMFAO The only thing dumber than the front office is the fan base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FightClub Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 LMFAO The only thing dumber than the front office is the fan base. I completely agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I'm not against drafting a QB. But is there that much difference betwwen Luck or Locker in the 1st round or Ponder or Mallet in the 2nd round? Why not get someone who can impact the team right away with the 1st pick. Unless Luck or Locker is the next Jim Kelly than forget what I said. You're dreaming if you think Ryan Mallett is a 2nd round Pick...He's about a mortal lock for the Top 10 of the 2011 Draft...And Ponder will probably sneak into the 1st Round as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffaloaggie Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) I can see this thread will be a good demonstration of how most of the Bills fan base doesn't really understand today's NFL well enough to value an elite QB. Locker is not a #1 overall. Mallett is a junior, Luck, a Sophomore. If Locker is the only QB available in the draft, we go OT. I still think we go OT this year, and get Luck next year. This is not a 1 year fix, especially if we keep drafting prospects and positions where we're already well stocked. I actually like Kellen Moore from Boise State, if he were to come out, but not as our #1 overall. Ponder is not putting up NFL caliber numbers to be considered as anything more than our 2nd rounder. The more I look, is there even an OT worthy of a #1 overall? Edited October 11, 2010 by buffaloaggie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003Contenders Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Um, in the modern NFL era, most all quarterbacks drafted #1 overall start immediately on bad teams (because well, you can't get the #1 pick without being pretty darn terrible). They come in, they take their lumps while the team rebuilds the rest of the team, and they hit their peak as the rest of the team comes together. That is how it is done by large part. Rebuild the offensive and defensive lines first if you want to rebuild to 7-9 and be a typical Bills team. Draft a franchise quarterback if you want to be a contender for a decade. Your choice. The last QB I can think of where that happened successfully was with Troy Aikman, 20 years ago. He was almost killed as a rookie, and the Cowboys had the benefit of all those Hershel Walker picks to get that OL fixed in a hurry. The only other QBs taken #1 overall to have succeeded since then (really, just the Manning brothers and Carson Palmer [who didn't take a snap as a rookie, anyway]) were all placed in situations where the OL was already in pretty good shape. Michael Vick was a unique talent, so it is hard to correlate his early success (or lack thereof) to OL play. Jeff George, Tim Couch, David Carr, Alex Smith, and Matt Stafford are the other QBs we are talking about. The verdict is still out on Stafford, obviously, although he has certainly had problems staying healthy. Bradford looks to be a keeper; and the Rams just happened to draft a stud OT with their #2 overall pick last year. The likelihood of success for a QB drafted #1 overall is no better than 50/50, and teams with lousy OLs clearly have an almost certitude of failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherman Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I think a better way to ask the question is, " If you have the chance to draft the next Peyton Manning, Jake Long, Bruce Smith or Patrick Willis who do you take?" I know the draft is always a crap shoot but the franchise QB is the most important player on any team. They touch the ball on every play and if they are good enough they raise the level of play on the entier team. Bady's WR's when they won the Super Bowls were below average and did they have a running game? Manning alone makes the Colts a contender every season. I know it is very early but look what Bradford and Freeman are doing with their group of WR's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akm0404 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Say what? Most #1 quarterbacks start their first year these days. They are almost exclusively on terrible teams. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, but anyhow, draft a quarterback with the #1 pick overall, and build around him using the viable means to bolster the rest of your team (you can actually improve via free agency in positions OTHER than QB). Say what? Most #1 quarterbacks start their first year these days. They are almost exclusively on terrible teams. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make, but anyhow, draft a quarterback with the #1 pick overall, and build around him using the viable means to bolster the rest of your team (you can actually improve via free agency in positions OTHER than QB). Quarterback is the most important position in organized sports. Period. How is this even a debate?! Who wants their best player being some 300 pound offensive linemen? Bad teams are set up like that. Good teams have their best player be their quarterback. Arrgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 They cant take a QB for the sake of taking a QB. With that said, if there is a QB up there they see as a franchise QB, that is the pick. It is likely the Bills will get 1 or 2 more cracks at the front of the draft. Hypothetically, if they fall in love with him and if Luck doesnt come out and they dont like Locker or Mallett, they could potentially get Luck down the line. Why not draft the BPA who isnt a QB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 The more I look, is there even an OT worthy of a #1 overall? The answer to that question will be revealed as the draft draws closer. Based on preliminary evaluations by "NFL draft experts," there does not appear to be an OT worthy of the #1 overall pick. I am in agreement with the fans who want the Bills to draft a QB with their 1st round pick. I am not convinced, however, that the Bills' next "franchise" QB is going to be available in this draft. Why waste a high first round draft pick on a QB if you are not certain that that player has the skill set to be a top QB in the NFL. I don't think that Locker or Mallett are worthy of a top-three draft pick, and I still have my concerns about Andrew Luck (although he appears to be the best option). If the right QB isn't there, and there are no worthwhile OT's, then I think it's a no-brainer...select the best 3-4 DE available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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