Reasons This Has Been an AMAZING Draft

[Boludo]

- They knew they needed a QB, they highly valued taking a shot at a franchise QB, and they aggressively went out and got their guy.

 

- They avoided taking Nassib at 8 when he's clearly a late round talent.

 

- The three biggest positions of need were QB/WR/LB. They went out and addressed these positions with their top picks, and took legitimate top tier prospects at each.

 

- Robert Woods is ready to step in and contribute immediately.

 

- The EJ Manuel Sports Science video.

 

- Marone is putting his thumbprint all over this offense right from the beginning. The organization on the whole is more highly valuing putting points on the board than in years past.

 

- Bruce Smith is EJ Manuel's Godfather.

 

I am thrilled with this draft and couldn't ask for anything more.

 

Post your one liner reasons why this is the best draft ever!

[Dennis in NC]

Thank you for your optimism. There are so many gloomy people posting here, your bright outlook is refreshing.

 

I am very excited for what this new regime is doing. They have a plan, they have a clue (!), and the Bills are headed in the right direction IMO.

 

And how the hell can people complain when the Bills draft a guy with 4.27 speed? He's a friggin' Olympian fer chrissake!

 

That's not how it was on MY BOARD...

[Johnny Hammersticks]

We now have 2 WR's with world class speed and a QB who can actually hit them in stride on a go route. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing

 

Defenses will no longer be able to stack the box against this offense. Glad I kept CJ Spiller in my keeper league because he's going to have one hell of a season.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

We now have 2 WR's with world class speed and a QB who can actually hit them in stride on a go route. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing

 

Defenses will no longer be able to stack the box against this offense. Glad I kept CJ Spiller in my keeper league because he's going to have one hell of a season.

 

I think we are turning into the Raiders

[NorthWesternBill]

Buff Bar....have faith my brother.

 

Boludo, we are witnessing a local maximum in Bills history, and I absolutely agree with Johnny Hammersteez,

 

That being said;

 

"Convinced myself, I seek not to convince" - Edgar Allan Poe

Edited April 27, 2013 by NorthWesternBill

[swnybillsfan]

after listening to the way the qb carries himself, and of course all that raw physical talent, love the pick. (and i have to appologise, after watching the gruden camp with manuel, i got the impression he was nervous and had a bit of false bravado. this kid is humble and has a confidence about him. once again, appologees.)

 

woods seems like a real good get.

 

kiko might be a fan favorite from day one if he comes in with the motor and passion that he is being described with.

 

and also a small speed demon who is very far from brittle who looks like he is a bit of a muti-purpose back/reciever.

[CSBill]

all thins considered, a very good draft so far . . . lets keep it up today ... I can't wait for mini-camps

[playman]

and some talent still out there. extremely happy so far

[BringBackFergy]

The best thing about this Draft is "energy" from the top down - Marrone, Hackett, youth, EJ, Kiko, Marquise...everything you see is energetic. EJ is proud to be a Bill, the speedsters, CJ tweeting he is excited, just a lot of energy and it will rub off on the other vets I think...

 

...maybe Mario will stock his fridge with 5 hour energy for all the guys.

 

Go Bills!!

[Dr Doom]

Dooooooooomed!!!!!!

[3rdand12]

I like the shape Bills are taking under Marrone.

Not proven yet,but darned fun to watch the pieces starting to fit

[l< j]

The best thing about this Draft is "energy" from the top down -

 

Go Bills!!

 

While the energy is good, I would say that the best thing about this draft is that there is evidence of a strong plan behind it. While some of the picks surprise, they all fit a vision of a new team being built. Everything--everything--seems to follow from that. It doesn't feel like they are following someone else's script the way it has with some picks in the past.

 

kj

[eball]

I think we are turning into the Raiders

 

If it's the Raiders of the 70s/80s that's a good thing.

[maddenboy]

Number 1 reason?

 

My Sig

[TC in St. Louis]

USA Today just named Kiko Alonzo worst pick of day 2 (tied with Dallas's pick of a tight end). They said we should have taken the guy from Kansas State. Personally, I was wondering why they took him in the second round, when most prognisticators had him in the 4th or 5th.

 

But then I remembered that our team snagged such gems as Torrell Troup in the second, Aaron Maybin in the first, and TJ Graham (traded up for this one) in the 3rd.

 

I hope they're right. I really do.

[mjt328]

Only time will tell.

 

Nix has been horrible at drafting over the last 3 seasons, especially in the mid/late rounds. It's absolutely VITAL for teams to find solid starters in Rounds 3-4, and solid depth after that. He hasn't done that so far as the Bills GM, so it's hard for a lot of us to trust his eye for talent - especially when he steers so far away from expert opinion and what seems like the common sense approach.

 

 

In my opinion, Kiko Alonso has the potential to be a decent starter and would have been a nice addition as our 3rd round pick. But over Arthur Brown? On the surface, this looks like a stupid move.

 

The same with Marquise Goodwin, who is basically a track star with no receiving ability. Most likely, this guy will eventually settle in as our #4 or #5 receiver - assuming he develops some hands and route running skills. Is he a terrible player to take a chance on? Not necessarily. But in the 3rd round, we need to be targeting STARTERS, not sleepers and projects.

 

 

Most of us thought TJ Graham was a reach last year... but we were told the Bills front office knew what it was doing. One year in, Graham doesn't look like anything special.

Edited April 27, 2013 by mjt328

[RealityCheck]

I see no reason to hate on any of these picks. They are brand new pros with, at the very least, some exceptional tools who will be on our favorite team. I have no reason not to be optimistic. Today will be interesting! Do they get any big men for the trenches?

[8-8 Forever?]

- They knew they needed a QB, they highly valued taking a shot at a franchise QB, and they aggressively went out and got their guy.

 

- They avoided taking Nassib at 8 when he's clearly a late round talent.

 

- The three biggest positions of need were QB/WR/LB. They went out and addressed these positions with their top picks, and took legitimate top tier prospects at each.

 

- Robert Woods is ready to step in and contribute immediately.

 

- The EJ Manuel Sports Science video.

 

- Marone is putting his thumbprint all over this offense right from the beginning. The organization on the whole is more highly valuing putting points on the board than in years past.

 

- Bruce Smith is EJ Manuel's Godfather.

 

I am thrilled with this draft and couldn't ask for anything more.

 

Post your one liner reasons why this is the best draft ever!

Rebuilding year. Adding talent where they need it. New QB, new coaches. new schemes. fresh start. here we go. 4 -12.

 

While the energy is good, I would say that the best thing about this draft is that there is evidence of a strong plan behind it. While some of the picks surprise, they all fit a vision of a new team being built. Everything--everything--seems to follow from that. It doesn't feel like they are following someone else's script the way it has with some picks in the past.

 

kj

Complete rebuild. from ground up. we should have absolutely no expectations for this year. man, what a mish mosh of guys. We will see. Glad I cancelled the sunday ticket for this year. NFL Rewind , here I come.

[mrags]

Shaping up to be the best draft ever in my opinion.

 

Loved the EJ pick even at 8. If he's your guy, you get him where ever you can no matter what. And he is clearly their guy.

 

Got an extra draft pick, and picked up a starting LB in the process. Didnt know anything about Alonso but the kid is quick and hits. Very energetic and we need that, especially on D.

 

Woods might be the best WR in the draft. I don't care what people say about Austin, the guys a small runt and will not be anything more than a mix between Parrish and Hester. Probably with Parrish's injuries though because of his size. Woods will contribute right away, not like Hardy before him.

 

Goodwin- what the hell can you say when the kid had the fastest time at the combine. Was an Olympic athlete? If we took him earlier I'd say we were the Raiders. We Didnt, we took him right where he should have went. No reaching and moving up like TJ Graham last year. I haven't seen this kid play so I expect to watch some videos, but from what I hear is he's very physical in the blocking game for his size. That excites me. If he was our first and or only WR taken I'd be a little upset about it, but Woods will be starting opposite Stevie here. That makes me very happy. As far as his size goes, he's not as small as Austin, from what it sounds like is much more physical, and the speed makes up for it a bit.

 

Still have needs at C, LB, DB, TE but I'm assuming we can pick up some more guys today and maybe some in the draft to fill them all out nicely for our 53 man roster. I'd expect another LB or TE early today with hopes they can find a diamond in the rough. But whatever they're board says, ill stick with that. I love it so far.

 

Depending on whenever EJ wins the starting job, but this has been mostly what we wanted, an all offensive draft. A TE and were set I think for years to come. And it should be damn exciting to watch EJ, CJ, SJ, TJ, Woods, and Goodwin for quite a while.

 

If we don't get a TE, I expect Chandler to be ready week 1.

[Phlegm Alley]

This team reminds me of the early 90's Oilers.

[mrags]

 

Rebuilding year. Adding talent where they need it. New QB, new coaches. new schemes. fresh start. here we go. 4 -12.

 

 

Complete rebuild. from ground up. we should have absolutely no expectations for this year. man, what a mish mosh of guys. We will see. Glad I cancelled the sunday ticket for this year. NFL Rewind , here I come.

hey, Mr. Pessemistic does it again. Change your SN and get out. If you got nothing good to say about it, why bother? People are jumping on the NewYork Jets/Geno Smith bandwagon all over the country. Be our guest and join it.

 

This team reminds me of the early 90's Oilers.

but were the Bills, so how about the early 90s Bills?

[akm0404]

Personally, I was wondering why they took him in the second round, when most prognisticators had him in the 4th or 5th.

 

Sorry, but this is highly misleading and pretty much a lie.

 

Every scouting service I've found has had him listed as a late second or third round guy with upside because the knocks are character and not athletic.

 

Haven't found one that has a 5th round grade on him (possibly the Hug A Kitten Character-First scouting service?).

 

Consensus was either the third or fourth rated ILB in the draft behind Ogletree and Te'o and possibly Bostic.

 

Arthur Brown is going to play OLB due to his lack of size.

 

If the Bills felt they needed an ILB (not a huge stretch), they got either the highest rated ILB available or the second highest rated ILB with upside.

 

Burn them!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

(edited Boludo's post for the points I want to address)

 

- They knew they needed a QB, they highly valued taking a shot at a franchise QB, and they aggressively went out and got their guy.

- The three biggest positions of need were QB/WR/LB. They went out and addressed these positions with their top picks, and took legitimate top tier prospects at each.

- Bruce Smith is EJ Manuel's Godfather.

I am thrilled with this draft and couldn't ask for anything more.

 

I'm glad you're thrilled. I must say, it isn't a head-scratcher draft where the biggest needs appeared to be X, Y, and Z and weren't addressed until the 4th round.

I 'm less certain. This is a Boom or Bust draft. Most pundits seem to regard EJ Manuel as a project player, and Marquise Goodwin as a track star trying to play football.

If the Bills prove right, it's genius.

If the Bills prove wrong (and each of them taking 3 years to develop = wrong for 1st and high 2nd round), it's more of the same-'ol same-'ol Bills tryin' to outsmart the world and lookin' dumb

 

We do appear to have real scouts who put in the legwork now, which is more than I can say for days past.

 

The thing I like best about the EJ Manuel pick is actually his apparently-close relationship to Bruce Smith - his father close buds with Bruce, close relationship as Godfather.

Bruce is a guy who learned to strap his head on straight, the hard way - underperformed as an overweight, under-trained rookie and resolved "never again", became a "Film Room Guru"

I feel comfortable that EJ Manuel will keep his head on straight and put in the right work with the right attitude or Bruce will come into Buffalo and whup him onto the straight road.

[NewEra]

 

 

I think we are turning into the Raiders

 

Thank goodness. I like our chances of competing much more now

 

 

 

Sorry, but this is highly misleading and pretty much a lie.

 

Every scouting service I've found has had him listed as a late second or third round guy with upside because the knocks are character and not athletic.

 

Haven't found one that has a 5th round grade on him (possibly the Hug A Kitten Character-First scouting service?).

 

Consensus was either the third or fourth rated ILB in the draft behind Ogletree and Te'o and possibly Bostic.

 

Arthur Brown is going to play OLB due to his lack of size.

 

If the Bills felt they needed an ILB (not a huge stretch), they got either the highest rated ILB available or the second highest rated ILB with upside.

 

Burn them!

 

Brown will play OLB due to his lack of size?? Playing in a 3-4? What are you talking about? Explain please.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

I though manuel was the best QB in the draft. I may be right or wrong in hindsight but I am at least as good a talent scout as buddy nix! =)

 

I am wondering about this second wr... He seems to be like a less accomplished roscoe

[jaybee]

We now have 2 WR's with world class speed and a QB who can actually hit them in stride on a go route. That, my friends, is a beautiful thing

 

Defenses will no longer be able to stack the box against this offense. Glad I kept CJ Spiller in my keeper league because he's going to have one hell of a season.

 

Not to mention the options they'll have hitting these receivers with short routes...in space and give them the ability to make plays. We've gone from gaping hole at receiver to stacked in a weekend. Now...if our TE can stay healthy we are going to have a passing game that defenses will have to respect. I'm all giddy with this draft so far !!!

 

jb

[BuffaloFan68]

I wanted Buffalo to keep DeHaven but Marrone didn't feel that he had enough energy so he went with his buddy from Det.

[NeverOutNick]

Love this draft so far...Big fan of how Nix started out the draft by making a trade down! I wasn't even sure he knew he was allowed to do that (jk)...We get another 2nd rounder and take the guy we were planning on taking all along in EJ Manuel (most potential of any QB in draft...Big Ben 2.0 w/out the rape), next we get a polished WR (woods) who plays like Stevie and not afraid to get dirty down the middle and can CATCH!, We get a nasty LB (kiko) with crazy athleticism, the one question I had was with another speedster WR in Goodwin but after reading up on him I see nothing wrong with the pick (can't wait to see how we use all this speed). For the rest of the draft we've got to stick to BPA. I know we all would like TE and maybe even secondary/offensive line help but I say stick to BPA no matter the position at this point! If QB is the highest rated player on the board then go get him to hold the clipboard. Nothing wrong with more competition and obviously everyone knows EJ is the future franchise QB but would be nice to have a good backup for once (not Tyler Thigpen!)...No one is sold on Kolb/Jackson especially for the next 4+ years

[Doc]

I've been pulling for Manuel for awhile now. He's got all the physical and psychological qualities you want in a QB. He's also intelligent. Whether he has football smarts remains to be seen. He just strikes me as a Kapernick kind of player who needs a little time to sit, watch, and learn. He'd be a great face for the franchise and hopefully he pans out.

 

Woods was a great pick and should contribute right away.

 

I'm a big fan of nfldraftscout.com. They had Brown as the 5th best OLB and Alsonso as the 3rd best ILB. What does it mean? We'll see on the field but they needed an ILB more than an OLB and the kid has talent, although his off-field issues make him a risk.

 

As for Goodwin, I watched some film of him and the kid is not just a track star playing football. He's got good hands and is blazing fast. Not sure how he is beating the jam, but there are other ways to get the ball in his hands than lining him up on the LOS.

[Just in Atlanta]

I think we are turning into the Raiders

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Having said that, I'm pretty happy with this draft sans the Goodwin pick...seems to be another TJ Grahm. Shoulda plugged our OG hole there.

[Uncle Joe]

Only time will tell.

 

Nix has been horrible at drafting over the last 3 seasons, especially in the mid/late rounds. It's absolutely VITAL for teams to find solid starters in Rounds 3-4, and solid depth after that. He hasn't done that so far as the Bills GM, so it's hard for a lot of us to trust his eye for talent - especially when he steers so far away from expert opinion and what seems like the common sense approach..

 

Pretty much my sentiment.

41% of folks polled on billsdaily wanted a QB. We will see how EJ plays out.

Robert Woods is a pick I like. Would have like Ertz then Woods but couldn't happen.

After that we are back to wait and see. I hope Kiko pans out better then Shep. We don't need another ILB that gets pushed around.

Marquise - wait and see.

[xsoldier54]

USA Today just named Kiko Alonzo worst pick of day 2 (tied with Dallas's pick of a tight end). They said we should have taken the guy from Kansas State. Personally, I was wondering why they took him in the second round, when most prognisticators had him in the 4th or 5th.

 

But then I remembered that our team snagged such gems as Torrell Troup in the second, Aaron Maybin in the first, and TJ Graham (traded up for this one) in the 3rd.

 

I hope they're right. I really do.

All you had to say was USA Today. I stopped reading after that.

[TC in St. Louis]

All you had to say was USA Today. I stopped reading after that.

 

Then why did you quote the whole thing? Draftek has him as the 98th pick, we took him at 46. Footballs Future has him as 5th rated LB.

 

But I do hope he pans out. I'm just quoting prognosticators.

 

Sorry, but this is highly misleading and pretty much a lie.

 

Every scouting service I've found has had him listed as a late second or third round guy with upside because the knocks are character and not athletic.

 

Haven't found one that has a 5th round grade on him (possibly the Hug A Kitten Character-First scouting service?).

 

Consensus was either the third or fourth rated ILB in the draft behind Ogletree and Te'o and possibly Bostic.

 

Arthur Brown is going to play OLB due to his lack of size.

 

If the Bills felt they needed an ILB (not a huge stretch), they got either the highest rated ILB available or the second highest rated ILB with upside.

 

Burn them!

 

Hey, I don't know you, but I think it's a little extreme to say I am lying. I'm just questioning the pick. It's my right to do that. I'm not lying. That's a bit of an overreaction.

[xsoldier54]

Then why did you quote the whole thing? Draftek has him as the 98th pick, we took him at 46. Footballs Future has him as 5th rated LB.

 

But I do hope he pans out. I'm just quoting prognosticators.

 

 

 

Hey, I don't know you, but I think it's a little extreme to say I am lying. I'm just questioning the pick. It's my right to do that. I'm not lying. That's a bit of an overreaction.

Because when you hit the "quote" button it quotes the whole thing. And for the record, there are any number of sources for ratings. The only ones that count are the ones in the Bills draft war room. CBS sports had him as the 3rd best OLB.. Mayock just referred to him as a "human wrecking ball". I'll take him in the second.

[DCBongo]

EJ's sports science video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOLEMyMkDdU

[davspo]

As many of you know, I am Mr. Negative. I didn't like Marrone as I though it was a marketing plan to get Syracuse ticket buyers. I thought they would take Nassib for the same reason. Well, I am here to eat crow. I have not been this excited about this team in a long time. Marrone looks like he knows what he is doing. They have a plan and they are executing it. Some of these players may not pan out (a good draft produces 3 starters), but I am very confident in the decisions that were made at OBD for this draft. E.J will be a star in this league. I just watched 15 mins of video on Woods- this guy is polished. Still not playoff material, but if these guys work out- watch out NFL in 3 years. Speed, speed and more speed!!

 

I haven't said this in a while-- GO BILLS

[Boludo]

Another reason after the Duke Williams (and Kiko Alonso) pick:

 

- i love that as an organization the bills are finally moving past the whole marv levy CHARACTER organizational philosophy and actually trying to draft good football players instead of model citizens now

[Boludo]

USA Today just named Kiko Alonzo worst pick of day 2 (tied with Dallas's pick of a tight end). They said we should have taken the guy from Kansas State. Personally, I was wondering why they took him in the second round, when most prognisticators had him in the 4th or 5th.

 

they needed to take an ILB with the pick

 

alonso was anywhere between 3rd and 6th ILB prospect depending who you asked before the draft, and when they picked teo and minter were already off the board. he was clearly among the best remaining ILB prospects at the time of the pick and had his stick diminished a bit with very minor off the field issues. very solid pick.

 

Rebuilding year. Adding talent where they need it. New QB, new coaches. new schemes. fresh start. here we go. 4 -12.

 

 

Complete rebuild. from ground up. we should have absolutely no expectations for this year. man, what a mish mosh of guys. We will see. Glad I cancelled the sunday ticket for this year. NFL Rewind , here I come.

 

wait wait WAIT

 

you will pay for the sunday ticket to watch RYAN FITZPATRICK AND CHAN GAILEY wallowing in mediocrity but you aren't interested in seeing the infusion of young explosive talent and leadership that we have all been waiting for? you aren't absolutely pumped to watch the development of your new franchise quarterback and scrutinize all his plays and watch his progress?

 

lol wow bro you should not only cancel you sunday ticket you should probably just top watching nfl football entirely because you really don't get it

[playman]

brown is what? 6 foot? alonzo listed at 6-3. coverage skills. gronk. see?

[jethro_tull]

this is turning out to be possibly the best bills draf in their history.

manuel and woods- these are indisputable consensus picks.

 

but these guys are scary good too-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je7sPrc4RnQ

 

 

i love this draft!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited April 27, 2013 by jethro_tull