Modrak MUST GO!

[Driffill]

Modrak MUST GO! Let's look at his #1 Picks and see why this numbskull must go. Nix's own words,"#1 picks have to be contributors, you cannot afford to miss on that pick"

 

 

Year Player College Position

2000 Erik Flowers Arizona State Defensive End (Gone, terrible pick)

 

2001 Nate Clements Ohio State Defensive Back (Gone, questionable pick, average NFL career)

 

2002 Mike Williams Texas Tackle (Gone,Possibly biggest bust ever, McKinnie on board at the time)

 

2003 Willis McGahee Miami (FL) Running Back (Gone,Terrible pick, sat out a year, at best average NFL career)

 

2004 Lee Evans Wisconsin Wide Receiver (Might be gone, so-so pick, jury is still out on NFL career)

 

2004 J.P. Losman Tulane Quarterback (Gone, Terrible pick, another bust)

 

2005 No 1st Round Pick, Roscoe Parrish (2nd Round) Miami (FL) Wide Receiver(ok for a 2nd round, below avg NFL career)

 

2006 Donte Whitner Ohio State Safety (avg NFL career, probably not coming back)

 

2006 John McCargo North Carolina State Defensive Tackle (BUST)

 

2007 Marshawn Lynch California Running Back (BUST, gone for a 3rd round pick)

 

2008 Leodis McKelvin Troy Defensive Back (maybe avg NFL career, jury is out on this one)

 

2009 Aaron Maybin Penn State Defensive End/Outside Linebacker (BUST, probably won't be in the NFL next year, Orapko was on the board at the time Maybin was selected ) this pick alone should get Madrak fired

 

2009 Eric Wood Louisville Center (Good Pick, the kid has promise, especially as a center)

 

2010 C.J. Spiller Clemson Running Back (Terrible pick with more needs at the time on OL & DL, LB, jury is out on him)

 

So there you have it 4 of the last 10 years picks still on the team with only McKelvin, Wood and Spiller coming back next year. If Andrew Luck were somehow to slip to #3, this numbskull would pick some DB from Boise St. Wake up Buddy, you claim you are a football guy, send Modrak into retirement as so many Bills fans are waiting to see. It's are only hope, he a Donahoe guy and they never got it right.

[mattsox]

Agreed. Not sure how this guy has a job with us still...

[Ghost of Rob Johnson]

Year Player College Position

2000 Erik Flowers Arizona State Defensive End (Gone, terrible pick)

 

Not that I care for Modrak, but he wasn't hired until 2001.

[RkFast]

OK, Dickerson.

[bkc]

He does not make the pick . He sets the board and lets the powers make the pick. If they reach or make a mistake it is not his fault. Clearly he sets a good draft board when you see how many late round and undrafted players make the team.

 

 

[The Senator]

Haven't seen a good ' MODRAK MUST GO!!!! ' thread in quite a while (at least a couple of days).

 

I think Donahoe had more to do with the 2000-2005 picks than Modrak; likewise, Levy/Jauron with the 2006-7 drafts (BTW, we got a 4th-round pick for Lynch - not a 3rd - and that "BUST" may well emerge once again as a fine RB, even better than his 1000-yard rookie season in 2007 and his 1000-yard Pro Bowl season in 2008). I'm pretty sure Maybin was a Dick Jauron decision, not Modrak.

 

Now tell us again - why does Modrak have to go?

 

 

 

Man, it's gonna be a long off-season.

[BillsVet]

What's funny about these anti-Modrak posts is the timing. If he wasn't fired by Nix last year, what makes anyone think he's going anywhere? They're so deep into the college scouting process that if they haven't axed him by now, it's not happening.

 

No one can fire anyone without RW's approval, Modrak included.

[ieatcrayonz]

Can anyone think of anything Modrak must do?

[The Senator]

Go.

[PromoTheRobot]

Let's shoot the trainers and the water boys while were at it?

 

PTR

[bkc]

Let's shoot the trainers and the water boys while were at it?

 

PTR

 

 

they will get there it is only january

[DanInSouthBuffalo]

Modrak is just the chief scout. Who actually makes the pick for Buffalo? Ralph? Sure as hell hope not!

 

If someone offers us a killer deal for the #3 pick, who has the power to make the deal? I don't think anyone know with this franchise.

[Bob in STL]

Modrak MUST GO! Let's look at his #1 Picks and see why this numbskull must go. Nix's own words,"#1 picks have to be contributors, you cannot afford to miss on that pick"

 

 

Year Player College Position

2000 Erik Flowers Arizona State Defensive End (Gone, terrible pick)

 

2001 Nate Clements Ohio State Defensive Back (Gone, questionable pick, average NFL career)

 

2002 Mike Williams Texas Tackle (Gone,Possibly biggest bust ever, McKinnie on board at the time)

 

2003 Willis McGahee Miami (FL) Running Back (Gone,Terrible pick, sat out a year, at best average NFL career)

 

2004 Lee Evans Wisconsin Wide Receiver (Might be gone, so-so pick, jury is still out on NFL career)

 

2004 J.P. Losman Tulane Quarterback (Gone, Terrible pick, another bust)

 

2005 No 1st Round Pick, Roscoe Parrish (2nd Round) Miami (FL) Wide Receiver(ok for a 2nd round, below avg NFL career)

 

2006 Donte Whitner Ohio State Safety (avg NFL career, probably not coming back)

 

2006 John McCargo North Carolina State Defensive Tackle (BUST)

 

2007 Marshawn Lynch California Running Back (BUST, gone for a 3rd round pick)

 

2008 Leodis McKelvin Troy Defensive Back (maybe avg NFL career, jury is out on this one)

 

2009 Aaron Maybin Penn State Defensive End/Outside Linebacker (BUST, probably won't be in the NFL next year, Orapko was on the board at the time Maybin was selected ) this pick alone should get Madrak fired

 

2009 Eric Wood Louisville Center (Good Pick, the kid has promise, especially as a center)

 

2010 C.J. Spiller Clemson Running Back (Terrible pick with more needs at the time on OL & DL, LB, jury is out on him)

 

So there you have it 4 of the last 10 years picks still on the team with only McKelvin, Wood and Spiller coming back next year. If Andrew Luck were somehow to slip to #3, this numbskull would pick some DB from Boise St. Wake up Buddy, you claim you are a football guy, send Modrak into retirement as so many Bills fans are waiting to see. It's are only hope, he a Donahoe guy and they never got it right.

 

 

I usually ignore the "Kill Modrak" posts but this one needs help.

 

Flowers was drafted by John Butler, Modrak did nto even work for the Bills at the time.

 

Clements was drafted by Donahoe and he was a good player. Evans is also a good player.

 

Williams, McGahee, Evans, Losman and Parish - all Donahoe picks (Modrak worked for Donahoe)

 

After Donahoe came the Levy era came and a draft by committee format. The "inner circle", as they were called, did the drafting and they consisted of Levy, Jauron, Brandon and Wilson. They drafted Whitner, McCargo, Lynch and McKelvin. All of these picks are suspect IMO. The inner circle did not include Modrak until the next draft which was 2009 - Maybin and Wood. Modrak has gone on record as lobbying for Cushing, not Maybin with the first pick. Jauron has been blamed for the Maybin pick.

 

The Nix era, starting in 2010, drafted Spiller. To calll Spiller a terrible pick may be premature at this time.

 

Bottom line is that three GMs - Donahoe, Levy and Nix, have all kept modrak in place. Wilson has allowed it.

 

The Bills first round draft performance has been abymsal. Modrak should get some of the blame but not all. Wilson and the GM's are even more at fault.

Edited January 4, 2011 by Bob in STL

[I hate the Bills !]

If he worked for any other team he would be fired but in Buffalo we embrace losing. Other teams can turn around a losing team in a year or two we are on year 11 and we are getting worse !

 

"It's time for him to go" - Al Gore

[Gabe Northern]

Totally agree Modrak needs to go. He is in charge of the draft: scouting operation, film, player recommendations, profile attaches of each player. His first round picks have a hit rate of well under the average of 50%, his mid-round selections are about 1-for-10, and the success of some late-round and UDFA finds obscures the fact that very few (1:100) of these players pan out either.

 

That said, Modrak did not join the team until 2002 and has been overruled on some #1 picks, especially Whitner (he wanted Cutler) and Maybin (he wanted Cushing).

 

But your post is correct. People will complain that it wasn't his fault because he had a boss/Ralph meddling/etc. etc. etc.

 

Imagine if this (the Bills draft record) was your resume. Of course you'd argue that you were overruled on all key selections.

 

And anyone outside of Modrak's immediate family would have to be an idiot to believe it.

 

 

Now tell us again - why does Modrak have to go?

 

 

His record of draft futility extends well beyond the first round picks from 2002-2010. Even assuming you're correct with respect to him being overruled (he did leak to the press that he wanted Cutler (2006) and Cushing (2009)), we're still dealing with a really terrible roster due largely to Tom Modrak whiffs.

 

2003: Chris Kelsay over Osi Umenyioura (who was the next DE off the board)

2007: trade up for Poz over David Harris (next ILB off the board)

2008: Needed a WR and CB. Modrak recommends McKelvin and Hardy. Pass on Rodgers-Cromartie (pro bowl CB) and DeSean Jackson (WR)

2009: He wanted Cushing but rated Maybin as best pure edge rusher over Orakpo/Matthews. (see Chris Brown about Orakpo taking plays off, per Bills' scouts).

 

And this ignores the mid-round futility, which would require much more time and space.

 

This is dreadful. Why you defend this man and his record is beyond me.

 

Modrak is just the chief scout. Who actually makes the pick for Buffalo? Ralph? Sure as hell hope not!

 

 

Yes -- Modrak is in charge of collecting and analyzing information about potential draft choices. Kind of a key function in terms of the whole draft process, wouldn't you say?

 

This is so incredible to that people make this argument.

 

If you have a job, or have had a job, think for a moment what you're saying.

 

Basically anyone out there who has a boss cannot possibly be evaluated on the output/production of his or her division of the company because it's impossible to ascribe the precise amount of blame/credit for said output.

[2003Contenders]

I tend to defend Modrak mainly because I am not sure who really is to blame for the poor drafting record over the years. The fact that the Bills have done much better with late round picks and undrafted free agents is certainly noteworthy. I was pretty certain after Nix took over last year that Modrak's head would roll shortly after the 2010 draft. I am not sure what to make of the fact that Modrak is still around. Does Nix like him -- and believe that he can work well as part of the Nix/Chan alliance? Or, as some of you have suggested, has Ralph labeled Modrak untouchable? If it is the latter, surely Ralph's recent comments about the lousy drafts over the past 10 years must indicate a change of heart on his part, no?

 

Let's also remember that there are numerous reasons for a player to have an unfulfilled career.

 

1. Lack of talent

2. Lack of motivation

3. Inability to respond to coaching (nice way of saying the player isn't especially bright)

4. Inability to endure grind of the NFL (i.e. toughness)

5. Bad luck (injuries, etc.)

6. Poor coaching

 

In some cases, we can lay this at the feet of the decision makers who drafted the player, but that isn't always the case. So many of our busts have fallen into varying categories that I have described above. It is funny how too many NFL people needlessly complicate things. I remember when Bill Parcells took over for the Jets back in 1997, his philosophy regarding taking over the 1-15 team was very simple: "Identify the reasons why you are losing -- and then don't do those things." The same goes for drafting players. That is, find me a guy that physically talented, self-motivated, smart, tough, and durable. Chances are this guy will NOT be a bust.

[Enemarty]

Imagine if this (the Bills draft record) was your resume. Of course you'd argue that you were overruled on all key selections.

 

And anyone outside of Modrak's immediate family would have to be an idiot to believe it.

 

This is an absolutely true statement were Modrak currently looking for a job with another employer and trying to sell himself. However, Modrak presently is not looking for a job. He is employed by the one person who would know whether ten years of first round drafting futility was Modrak's fault or the fault of someone else.

 

So you're left with two possibilities, Ralph is so loyal to Tom that he ignores his incompetence, in which case, calls for his termination are wasted.

 

Or perhaps Tom sets a pretty nice draft board but is only allowed more say in the decision-making process in the later rounds. As a result, the decision-makers, including now Mr. Nix, realize that Tom provides a valuable service. I dont know the answer, but the almost immediate dismissal of John Guy along with the various leaks concerning who Modrak might have drafted had it been his decision suggest there may be something to the second option.

 

So, to play a little devil's advocate (apologize for the length):

 

2002 - Williams - consensus top ten pick. We were all asking for OT; McKinnie had attitude issues. Good pick - bad player. Although he turned out a real bust, can't fault Modrak or Donahoe.

 

2003 - McGahee - this has Donahoe written all over it. A risk that might have been worth it, but should have focused on need.

 

2004 - Evans - solid pick. Had a strong defense and an aging Moulds and Bledsoe needed more weapons.

- Losman - no way does Modrak make the call to move back into the first. Donahoe panic - but it could have been Ralph worrying about Bledsoe's contract and wanting someone in place. Too bad, as we might have gotten A. Rogers in 2005.

 

2006 - Whitner - Jauron prints all over this. Frankly, had there not been so many terrible picks both before and after Whitner, we might not be so harsh on this one.

- McCargo - again, I don't see Modrak making the decision to move up to get this guy. In fact, this pick is a direct result of picking Whitner over Ngata. We should have gone DT then S, but picking Whitner leads to this wasted pick. Modrak may have graded McCargo too high, but moving up to get him comes from higher authority. However, Modrak certainly has to take his share of blame for this, as a more realistic grade might have dissuaded the decision-makers from making this move.

 

2007 - Lynch - the McGahee pick directly leads to this. I actually like Lynch and have no problem with the pick given the circumstances at the time. Certainly not a Modrak issue.

 

2008 - McKelvin - Jauron and we'll see. Like Whitner, had other picks worked out better, we could live with this. I will say that McKelvin over Cromartie at the time can't be viewed as foolish. And taking Jackson (who the Eagles took at 49) over Hardy when we already had Parrish and needed a big man against strong AFC East CBs would have caused a major meltdown on this board in 2008. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

2009 - Maybin - Modrak on record about this. Frankly, his going on record at all speaks volumes about what he thought at the time and suggests his influence in the early rounds was not as great as we might think.

- Wood - likely one of Jauron's better decisions. At least Modrak had him graded properly.

 

2010 - Spiller - Nix pick and may yet be a good one. May not have been the wisest pick, but if Modrak graded him high, so did everyong else.

 

As for the later rounds, those are always going to be more challenging, but imagine how Modrak would be viewed if picks like Byrd, Williams, Parrish, Levitre, Brad Butler, even Poz were filling in around first round blue chippers instead of trying to fill in for them.

[mattsox]

Totally agree Modrak needs to go. He is in charge of the draft: scouting operation, film, player recommendations, profile attaches of each player. His first round picks have a hit rate of well under the average of 50%, his mid-round selections are about 1-for-10, and the success of some late-round and UDFA finds obscures the fact that very few (1:100) of these players pan out either.

 

That said, Modrak did not join the team until 2002 and has been overruled on some #1 picks, especially Whitner (he wanted Cutler) and Maybin (he wanted Cushing).

 

But your post is correct. People will complain that it wasn't his fault because he had a boss/Ralph meddling/etc. etc. etc.

 

Imagine if this (the Bills draft record) was your resume. Of course you'd argue that you were overruled on all key selections.

 

And anyone outside of Modrak's immediate family would have to be an idiot to believe it.

 

 

 

His record of draft futility extends well beyond the first round picks from 2002-2010. Even assuming you're correct with respect to him being overruled (he did leak to the press that he wanted Cutler (2006) and Cushing (2009)), we're still dealing with a really terrible roster due largely to Tom Modrak whiffs.

 

2003: Chris Kelsay over Osi Umenyioura (who was the next DE off the board)

2007: trade up for Poz over David Harris (next ILB off the board)

2008: Needed a WR and CB. Modrak recommends McKelvin and Hardy. Pass on Rodgers-Cromartie (pro bowl CB) and DeSean Jackson (WR)

2009: He wanted Cushing but rated Maybin as best pure edge rusher over Orakpo/Matthews. (see Chris Brown about Orakpo taking plays off, per Bills' scouts).

 

And this ignores the mid-round futility, which would require much more time and space.

 

This is dreadful. Why you defend this man and his record is beyond me.

 

 

 

Yes -- Modrak is in charge of collecting and analyzing information about potential draft choices. Kind of a key function in terms of the whole draft process, wouldn't you say?

 

This is so incredible to that people make this argument.

 

If you have a job, or have had a job, think for a moment what you're saying.

 

Basically anyone out there who has a boss cannot possibly be evaluated on the output/production of his or her division of the company because it's impossible to ascribe the precise amount of blame/credit for said output.

 

It's time for the Bills to sack Modrak