The Cincinnati Kid Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 James Starks is guy that we most certainly could have had at some point in last year's draft. Obviously, the new regime were not Lynch guys, and wanted to move that beast outta town. So we needed a replacement. We took Spiller. He is a guy with super talent, but he can't remember the play, misses assignments and can't block. So, he is rarely on the field, save punt returns, when he fumbles. James Starks can block, remember the play, and hold onto the football. Is he the dymanic athlete? Nope. Would he have helped Buffalo this past season and next season? Yup. Could we have taken a guy like Jason Pierre-Paul who gets after QB's? Or Jermaine Grisham who catches passes from the TE position? I really hate the "Best Player" approach to drafting. If you are building a team, you have to put guys in the fold who are going to help other guys be better. A legitmate pass rush equals better LB and DB play. A legitmate OT makes better QB and WR play. Just cuz Spiller was the "Best Player" doesn't mean he was the best player for this team. All that said, I really hope we get a pass rusher in this draft at #3, because then the LBs DBs and RunD all get better as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estro Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'd rather have Spiller. I think Starks should have a fine career, especially given the fact that he should be playing on one of the NFL's better offenses for the next few years. I'd still rather take Spiller though, as his explosiveness will create many mismatches in the future. James Starks is more in the mold of a Freddy J, which is great, but we already have a freddy J for the next couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 (edited) Aside from the Wildcard game against the Eagles, Starks hasn't been good. Take away his 23 carries and 123 yards from that game and Starks is averaging 15 carries for 48 yards on the ground with 3.2 yards per carry. I mean....seriously? Edited February 3, 2011 by Bangarang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Dumb question. Neither have done anything in their NFL career so far to warrant a comparison. Very little body of work which makes this question impossible to answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreReed83 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Starks because he would've been cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VirginiaMike Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Starks because he would've been cheaper. Neither -- would have rather had either a defensive player or tackle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I agree that BPA is a bad approach. It makes you take luxery picks. Spiller could very well be a special player for us but right now i dont see it. As a UB student who has seen Starkes play live, Kid is really good and a big powerful back and he will be a good player in the NFL down the line. But we need to take players who can help immeaditly especially in the first round. Starks wasnt able to play until November? So i dont think Starkes would have been a good pick for us instead of Moats in the 6th round and i still am not a huge fan of the Spiller pick. A RT would have been a better pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Didn't Samkon Gado have a really good couple games with Green Bay a few years back? How'd that work out for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Neither -- would have rather had either a defensive player or tackle. yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 James Starks is guy that we most certainly could have had at some point in last year's draft. Obviously, the new regime were not Lynch guys, and wanted to move that beast outta town. So we needed a replacement. We took Spiller. He is a guy with super talent, but he can't remember the play, misses assignments and can't block. So, he is rarely on the field, save punt returns, when he fumbles. James Starks can block, remember the play, and hold onto the football. Is he the dymanic athlete? Nope. Would he have helped Buffalo this past season and next season? Yup. Could we have taken a guy like Jason Pierre-Paul who gets after QB's? Or Jermaine Grisham who catches passes from the TE position? I really hate the "Best Player" approach to drafting. If you are building a team, you have to put guys in the fold who are going to help other guys be better. A legitmate pass rush equals better LB and DB play. A legitmate OT makes better QB and WR play. Just cuz Spiller was the "Best Player" doesn't mean he was the best player for this team. All that said, I really hope we get a pass rusher in this draft at #3, because then the LBs DBs and RunD all get better as a result. I would have rather had Starks because this is Buffalo and you need a tough inside runner who can move the pile and Starks shows flashes of that. He will also get bigger and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 James Starks is guy that we most certainly could have had at some point in last year's draft. Obviously, the new regime were not Lynch guys, and wanted to move that beast outta town. So we needed a replacement. We took Spiller. He is a guy with super talent, but he can't remember the play, misses assignments and can't block. So, he is rarely on the field, save punt returns, when he fumbles. James Starks can block, remember the play, and hold onto the football. Is he the dymanic athlete? Nope. Would he have helped Buffalo this past season and next season? Yup. Could we have taken a guy like Jason Pierre-Paul who gets after QB's? Or Jermaine Grisham who catches passes from the TE position? I really hate the "Best Player" approach to drafting. If you are building a team, you have to put guys in the fold who are going to help other guys be better. A legitmate pass rush equals better LB and DB play. A legitmate OT makes better QB and WR play. Just cuz Spiller was the "Best Player" doesn't mean he was the best player for this team. All that said, I really hope we get a pass rusher in this draft at #3, because then the LBs DBs and RunD all get better as a result. When I read your title, my reaction was "can I pick C: Neither of the above?" It kinda sounds like that's your point, too - we could have left RB alone as a position where we had decent players, and gone after a DL or even maybe an OL? It is what it is, we can't "do over" but I'm with you - we got to put guys on the field who can help the team and help other guys be better, instead of pissing away our draft choices hiring urologist after urologist, I mean, drafting DB after DB and RB after RB etc. But ultimately, if we can't do a better job evaluating talent and drafting than McCargo, Maybin etcetera it really doesn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scraps Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Neither -- would have rather had either a defensive player or tackle. I think his point was that Starks was drafted 193rd overall. We had 6 chances to get him, not including the first round pick. So would you rather have a DL, OT, LB with the 9th pick and taken Starks instead of Easley, Wang or Batten, or would you rather have Spiller at 9? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Starks was hurt his entire senior season plus in GB camp. The only reason he's even on the Packers is because they needed RB help in the middle of the season when he was eligible to come off the PUP list. I can imagine the "bust" post he would have generated here if he were a Bill. Starks ought to be a lesson that not every player who gets hurt early and failed to light things up right away is a bust. Not that I'm suggesting people here are hasty to judge. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scraps Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Starks was hurt his entire senior season plus in GB camp. The only reason he's even on the Packers is because they needed RB help in the middle of the season when he was eligible to come off the PUP list. I can imagine the "bust" post he would have generated here if he were a Bill. Starks ought to be a lesson that not every player who gets hurt early and failed to light things up right away is a bust. Not that I'm suggesting people here are hasty to judge. PTR Oh I'm not so sure. I think most peoples expectations of a 6th round pick aren't nearly the same as for a high 1st round pick. I also think Bills fans are rightly exasperated with the Bills propensity to pick projects or out right busts in the 1st round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I think his point was that Starks was drafted 193rd overall. We had 6 chances to get him, not including the first round pick. So would you rather have a DL, OT, LB with the 9th pick and taken Starks instead of Easley, Wang or Batten, or would you rather have Spiller at 9? If one wanted to throw salt in this gaping wound, it is probable that the Bills at least might have had an offer to trade down and get another draft pick for Spiller AND selected Starks, a local talent. But, they ran to the podium as if they were selecting Joe Greene, Peyton Manning, etc. The truth is, this is what we face as Bills Fans. It's too late for me; I am in this thing forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristocrat Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 i think the question should be...would you rather have bryan bulaga and james starks instead of danny batten and cj spiller. starks did come off PUP at mid season so its very possible he could have gotten some solid backup work behind freddy(this is all speculation anyways). we need to establish a line that will allow any talented rb to come in and be a solid rb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meathead Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 <happy with spiller pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zow2 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I started a similar thread a few weeks ago. I was not ripping on the Spiller pick but was pointing to another example of how late round and FA RB's can be very productive. As for Starks' 3.2ypc after the Philly game, it's not surprising. Very few teams ran the ball against Atlanta and Chicago and several of those carries were late game or short yardage obvious running situations. I don't expect him to tear up the Steelers either. You're not usually going to have a killer YPC average against solid defensive teams like those three. I don't think Spiller's average would be any better. I do agree with the comparison to Freddie Jackson, except Starks has more breakway speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'd still rather take Spiller though, as his explosiveness will create many mismatches in the future. When do you anticipate that this will happen? Mismatches with whom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 i think the question should be...would you rather have bryan bulaga and james starks instead of danny batten and cj spiller. And perhaps another 2nd round pick, no? <happy with spiller pick It is fitting that this post points to your avitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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