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The problem with building VIA draft


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Ok, so were told we are building through the draft..Thats fine if I want to wait 3 more years..You see it takes 1-2 years to get any production out of your draft picks, so assuming we draft correctly and get good value ( meaning little to no busts ) and Fitz is the answer at QB, then last years draft class should really start playing at a high level next year, Spiller should be a pro bowl caliber runner, and moats / Carrington and CO. should be solid. but they can't do it by themselves, they need Marcell D. and Co. to catch up, so that's another year, plus with all the holes we still have we will need next years draft class to step up..So were talking giving Buddy and Co. a total of 4 years to get into the playoffs, last year and 3 more years...Now things will really get screwed up if we have busts like we always do and if Fitz is not the answer, cause we all know it takes 3 years before a QB can play at a high level..

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I guess my point is, why can't we do a little of both, build through the draft and sprinkle in a FA or two a year..My gosh if we added a TE, RT and ILB through FA THIS year we might get to 10 wins...and they would be on the team for 4 or so years, thats my point..why wait 4 years, when you can probably reach the playoffs next year..

 

PS Surprised you name is foreplay since it seems you want instant results

 

LMFAO, good point, enough said..

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I guess my point is, why can't we do a little of both, build through the draft and sprinkle in a FA or two a year..My gosh if we added a TE, RT and ILB through FA THIS year we might get to 10 wins...and they would be on the team for 4 or so years, thats my point..why wait 4 years, when you can probably reach the playoffs next year..

 

 

 

LMFAO, good point, enough said..

But they are doing both. Nobody we would sign in FA would have the Impact of Dareus. A decent RT like Clabo would be huge. Thigpen, although not a glory signing, fills a need.

 

Good teams develop talent and keep it.

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I guess my point is, why can't we do a little of both, build through the draft and sprinkle in a FA or two a year..My gosh if we added a TE, RT and ILB through FA THIS year we might get to 10 wins...and they would be on the team for 4 or so years, thats my point..why wait 4 years, when you can probably reach the playoffs next year..

 

 

 

LMFAO, good point, enough said..

 

I agree, we should use every means necessary to get better even trades if need be. building through the draft is the foundation but adding a proven FA can take you to the next level or cover some busts and Lord knows we've had too many busts. On a positive note we are looking at Clabo so maybe Nix has been bluffing a bit.

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I agree, we should use every means necessary to get better even trades if need be. building through the draft is the foundation but adding a proven FA can take you to the next level or cover some busts and Lord knows we've had too many busts. On a positive note we are looking at Clabo so maybe Nix has been bluffing a bit.

 

I'm sure he does his share of bluffing, and I hope we all get tickets to watch the Bills in the super bowl in 2 or 3 years...!

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The problem building through FA : See Redskins, Washington

 

Building through the draft: See Packers, Green Bay, Steelers, Pittsburgh. Chargers, San Diego

 

Packers are an excellent model, but they do what buffalo refuses to do, ocasionally paying a stud free agent. Minus Charles Woodson the pack never would ne in the SB.

 

Their previous SB title was based on trading for Favre and making one of the biggest FA splashes ever, signing Reggie White.

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The key to building through the draft is 1. getting lucky with the right players, and 2. keeping your core players when they develop. We have proven that we have a difficult time with both (ex: Nate Clements, Marshawn Lynch, Poz, and soon to be Whitner and Maybin).

 

And if you can't hit on draft picks, you need to be able to sign players in free agency to stay competitive. You can't just rely on backups to step in or wait for free agent left overs when everyone is done cleaning up the market. I hope we step up this year in free agency.

Edited by Got_Wood
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Yes, the problem with building through the draft is it takes patience.

i agree, but it also takes a personnel dept that has a clue. watching the yearly draft debacle from this front office has been tortuous the past 10 years, or more, if you include the erik flowers pick, and subsequent picks after him. it would be nice to "hit on" a few each year, then compliment thru free-agency. you cant continue to pass up quality players in the name of whitner, mccargo, chris ellis, etc, or completely wash out like what happened in 2007.

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Packers are an excellent model, but they do what buffalo refuses to do, ocasionally paying a stud free agent. Minus Charles Woodson the pack never would ne in the SB.

 

Their previous SB title was based on trading for Favre and making one of the biggest FA splashes ever, signing Reggie White.

 

 

I fully agree. I don't understand where it is written that teams who build through the draft must systematically avoid ANY and ALL significant free agent signings.

 

The teams that have been mentioned-- Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Diego-- have all built their foundations through the draft, yes; but that doesn't mean that they've slept through free agency, or refused to sign starting-caliber free agents to fill holes in their starting lineups.

 

In addition to Woodson, Favre and White, the Packers outbid the Bills in 2006 for Ryan Pickett, and makes a practice of filling needs with quality free agent signings. The Steelers signed James Farrior, Will Allen, and have re-signed guys like Randle-El and Larry Foote after stints with other teams. Even stellar draft classes yield a bust or two. Players hold out, get injured, prove ill-fitting in certain systems, clash with coaches and front offices-- in sum, not everyone fills the role for which they were intended/drafted, and some of those players were drafted to fill starting positions. In those cases, I don't understand why drafting a free agent with a history of success at the professional level hampers the nucleus acquired via the draft.

 

What's more, Buddy and the front office seem to take no issue in signing a free agent off another team's practice squad and plugging him/her into the Bills' starting lineup. His issue seems to be signing players with proven credentials that might cost money. I'm not for reaches, and I'm not for signing a bushel of marquee free agents every offseason at top dollar. But when we leave the draft with holes to fill, and create more holes by losing our own free agents, I'm not in favor of conceding seasons by fielding a team that the front office and coaching staff know is short-suited. This is a new front office and a new coaching staff, and I expect this evolution to take some time, but when your team finishes 4-12 and in the bottom 6 teams in offensive and defensive metrics, and when your previous draft class made only nominal contriutions, then your stated philosophies can and should be adjusted-- if only to fill new holes (with the loss of Posluzny) or improve positions you couldn't address in the draft. That isn't asking all that much.

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The problem building through FA : See Redskins, Washington

 

Building through the draft: See Packers, Green Bay, Steelers, Pittsburgh. Chargers, San Diego

 

What your missing is that the Steelers, Packers, etc. re-sign their good/slightly above average players like Ike Taylor, You can't "rebuild through the draft" and then fail to sign a player like Puz. Also, these teams add key missing pieces through free agency or trades. For example, Jerome Bettis was not drafted by the Steelers. Building through the draft alone is a recepie for failure. See Buffalo. We have a key missing player, a TE. We need to fill that with a top talent like the Steelers did and Packers as referenced above. The problem with the Bills is their refusal year after year to add any top FA's. And don't mention TO, no one else wanted him and they needed him to sell tickets. It was not a real top FA move.

Edited by RyanC883
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i agree, but it also takes a personnel dept that has a clue. watching the yearly draft debacle from this front office has been tortuous the past 10 years, or more, if you include the erik flowers pick, and subsequent picks after him. it would be nice to "hit on" a few each year, then compliment thru free-agency. you cant continue to pass up quality players in the name of whitner, mccargo, chris ellis, etc, or completely wash out like what happened in 2007.

This front office has only been the front office for 2 drafts, which the results are not conclusive from yet.

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This front office has only been the front office for 2 drafts, which the results are not conclusive from yet.

my comment(s) about building thru the draft and having patience were more of a general nature about the culture of the bills personnel dept , not specific to the nix regime. sure patience is required if that is the avenue, but when there is nothing to build on, it is frustrating. i actually like what nix and co are doing and do hope they build a foundation.

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