Trader Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. I would rather take a 5+ year vet then an UDFA. If under a 4 year career, I would pass to avoid vesting the player. There is no advantage to getting the 3rd string guys - other then the story thrown in your face every year that Player X was an UDFA and now starting and doing well at position Z... well, UDFA are over rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Given what we know about marrones preparation I'd imagine he has quite the book on these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteski Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 We will be poaching from practice squads too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 We will be poaching from practice squads too. oh yeah, in that case. 19-0! Super Bowl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipster19 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I like this thinking. It's an area of resource that definitely needs cultivating. I do believe that the Bills could reap a handful of quality players if they do the proper research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I like this thinking. It's an area of resource that definitely needs cultivating. I do believe that the Bills could reap a handful of quality players if they do the proper research. I am not saying I disagree, I just cannot fathom the logic. We are spending a lot of time scouting players for the draft; so much so that we have been what seems like we are not even interested in free agency... So, what? Are we going to invest what in to looking at a guy to get after the draft? I think we need to keep an eye on who may be an UDFA... but I would rather spend as much time looking at who's available now, with experience and who we can get in the top 4 or 5 rounds of the draft. The last, 5 and 6, 7 - just go off the Scouts big boards, play it off the hip, best on the board kind of deal...we need depth at every position right now, including RB. I just cannot believe the team is going to spend time looking at UDFA but seemingly spending 0 time on UFA's. Maybe I am just grumpy, but that is just stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipster19 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Oh, it's you again. Nobody is saying not to spend time in other areas, just that this is another area that shouldn't be ignored. How about that the Bills should be diligent in EVERY aspect in improving this team because we suck so bad that we need as much help as we can get? There, that should make EVERYBODY happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Oh, it's you again. Nobody is saying not to spend time in other areas, just that this is another area that shouldn't be ignored. How about that the Bills should be diligent in EVERY aspect in improving this team because we suck so bad that we need as much help as we can get? There, that should make EVERYBODY happy. Shouldn't that be true all the time for every team? Good or bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipster19 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Shouldn't that be true all the time for every team? Good or bad? One would think so but that is not always the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 I'm glad you posted this subject Trader. One of the things that's been on my mind lately is how successful college coaches have been lately at building up NFL programs. You look at the work that Harbaugh and Carroll have done and while I don't have the figures to back it up, it's my impression that they've done a very good job in drafting and signing undrafted free agents. I'm thinking/hoping that because Marrone and Company coached, coached against, recruited, and scouted (for gameplanning purposes) many of these players that they might have a bit of an advantage on some of the teams which have established NFL staffs. Just a thought I've been kicking around for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 I'm glad you posted this subject Trader. One of the things that's been on my mind lately is how successful college coaches have been lately at building up NFL programs. You look at the work that Harbaugh and Carroll have done and while I don't have the figures to back it up, it's my impression that they've done a very good job in drafting and signing undrafted free agents. I'm thinking/hoping that because Marrone and Company coached, coached against, recruited, and scouted (for gameplanning purposes) many of these players that they might have a bit of an advantage on some of the teams which have established NFL staffs. Just a thought I've been kicking around for awhile. We clearly have more opportunities for jobs than other teams do. I don't know that the scouts need to do anything different than they are doing now I do not think that identifying who they are is a problem. It seems that in the past few years the Bills have brought in a lower number of UDFA's to camp than other teams do. Also some of the name players at critical positions seem to go to other teams that are already loaded. I fall off my chair every time a UDFA picks a team like New England. Perhaps the Bills need to increase the bonus cash for these players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
first_and_ten Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. Not sure why you think the Bills will have more opportunities for these athletes than 90% of the other teams. Is it because they have been so bad for so long that The undrafted will think they have a better shot here? It's more than that. Teams have to first of all be able to identify the possible diamonds in the rough and then be able to convince the player to come here. But really, good teams round off their teams this way, they don't depend on it to make the team good. The Bills need to first get the draft right. I certainly hope out-recruiting other teams for undrafted players is not the top goal of this organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 San Francisco has 14 picks in next years draft. The Bills have 6. The Bills have lost a large number of players this year to free agency. They have brought in one. Yes the Bills have been so bad for so long that the undrafted do have better opportunities here there is no doubt about that. I agree the draft is number one. Vet free agency is number two. UDFA and FA in general should be number three priorities but given more attention than they are now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. So, what's the message? "Hey, we suck so we may have a place for you!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
first_and_ten Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 San Francisco has 14 picks in next years draft. The Bills have 6. The Bills have lost a large number of players this year to free agency. They have brought in one. Yes the Bills have been so bad for so long that the undrafted do have better opportunities here there is no doubt about that. I agree the draft is number one. Vet free agency is number two. UDFA and FA in general should be number three priorities but given more attention than they are now. I can definately agree with this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybee Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. Agree. Just curious as to why the Bills have more opportunities than 90% of the teams. Not disputing this, just trying to understand. Thanx, jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simpleman Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Right. If you spend some serious time dumpster diving and really moving things around you do have better odds of finding something edible than if you just sneak a peek inside a couple times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 The undrafted ones. Post the April draft there will be 100 or so quality athletes that go undrafted. Some of those players will go on to have long and outstanding careers in the NFL. Some of them will play in the pro bowl. The Buffalo Bills will have more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league. The Bills leadership needs to start banging the drums now with the agents that influence these players to make the Bills the preferred destination for such players. This regime needs to have the most successful UDFA signings in Bills history this season. Out recruiting the competition should be among the top goals for the front office this season. I'm unclear on why this is a competitive advantage for the Bills or on why you feel the Bills will have "more opportunities for such athletes than 90% of the other teams in the league". I could see that UDFA might feel they have more opportunity on the Bills than on 90% of the other teams, unfortunately that doesn't represent a "competitive advantage" for the Bills, it simply indicates that the cupboard on the Bills is barer than 90% of the other teams (hence the greater opportunities). One can find some good UDFA players. Unfortunately they typically take longer to develop than top-round talents. Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the talented players the Bills already have through draft or FA (Spiller, SJ, Williams, Dareus, etc). Tick-tock. That's why UDFA is not commonly regarded as a great way to build a team, more a way to keep a winning team's talent level high after FA/salary cap losses if the eye for talent and the talent development are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 So, what's the message? "Hey, we suck so we may have a place for you!" Yes. Why do you ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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