PromoTheRobot Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 At the start of the 2004 season, TD was not looking like a genius. His first head coach bombed out. Many of his draft picks were underperforming. The McGahee pick looked like a waste. For him to admit the Bledsoe trade was a bust at that point, he might as well tendered his resignation. Fast forward to 2005. McGahee turns out to be a great pick. Lee Evans and Terrence McGee emerge. And Mike Mullarkey is showing great leadership. Now Tom Donahoe is looking smart again. Now he can lean hard on Bledsoe. Admitting the DB trade was a bad one now is not as damaging to his reputation as it would have been one year ago. Comments? PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunTheBall Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I don't think the trade was a bad one at the time. We needed a spark and a leader to come in after the RJ/DF fiasco. It's too bad DB didn't work out and we're overpaying for him now, but that can be rectified. I was one who was clamoring for JP after the NE debacle, but hey, I'm glad we were playing meaningful football in December and I don't think we would have been with JP at the helm. I'm glad TD is playing hardball with Drew. I wouldn't mind seeing DB stick around as JPs backup while he learns. I don't think the emergence of McGahee, Evans, and Mcgee really has a bearing on TD's decision making with Drew. RunTheBall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 Didn't you already post this 15 minutes earlier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 At the time I thought the trade for Bledsoe was HUGE and a still think it was the right move.....but two things I also expected to happen were: - A major emphasis on improving the line including players and coaching.....lets face it....when Drew did well he had a nice cozy pocket to work from in New England - A push for a big quality pass catching, run blocking, pass protecting Tight End.....and that just didn't happen The bottom line.....Drew Bledsoe has taken such a beating including the multiple concussions from the year before last that he cannot do anything more then facilitate a offense that does all the above and predominately runs the ball....... And that is NOT going to get to the next level....we had a top 3 defense....a top of the league special teams.....a running back who got 1K yards in what....EIGHT GAMES And we didn't make the playoffs...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I think Donahoe would argue that he got most of the mileage he expected out of the Bledsoe trade. He was a veteran stopgap that could keep the Bills reasonably competitive until Donahoe could a) rebuild the team's talent base, and b) find a young QB to takeover. Bledsoe largely filled that role and now that Donahoe appears to have finished both of those tasks, Bledsoe is expendable and the Bills hopefully have a better player waiting to replace him in Losman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 I think Donahoe would argue that he got most of the mileage he expected out of the Bledsoe trade. He was a veteran stopgap that could keep the Bills reasonably competitive until Donahoe could a) rebuild the team's talent base, and b) find a young QB to takeover. Bledsoe largely filled that role and now that Donahoe appears to have finished both of those tasks, Bledsoe is expendable and the Bills hopefully have a better player waiting to replace him in Losman. 207302[/snapback] This is why the mistake was not trading for Bledsoe (which I have argued many times citing the results for both the Bills and the Pats was a wash at worst for us) but the mistake was resigning him. Even though we hung onto him in the most palatable manner possible (resigning him to a deal with a lower immediate cap hit rather than honoring his existing contract) it still has put us in a position where if were to cut him or trade him before June 1st we are taking a big cap hit. TD is up to something. I hope this is a sign that the braintrust sees good signs in JPs development and the team around him that it is reasonable to push Bledsoe to the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 At the time I thought the trade for Bledsoe was HUGE and a still think it was the right move.....but two things I also expected to happen were: - A major emphasis on improving the line including players and coaching.....lets face it....when Drew did well he had a nice cozy pocket to work from in New England - A push for a big quality pass catching, run blocking, pass protecting Tight End.....and that just didn't happen The bottom line.....Drew Bledsoe has taken such a beating including the multiple concussions from the year before last that he cannot do anything more then facilitate a offense that does all the above and predominately runs the ball....... And that is NOT going to get to the next level....we had a top 3 defense....a top of the league special teams.....a running back who got 1K yards in what....EIGHT GAMES And we didn't make the playoffs...... 207287[/snapback] Yes that is exactly right. Add to that list a true, productive slot receiver. For whatever reason, TD did not address the *middle* of that offense, which is what was needed most for Drew to be successful. No power guards, center, TE, or slot receiver - really a huge mistake. I don't get it. That all being said, as I've suggested here ad nauseum, I don't like having a QB on the roster that requires so many pieces in place for him to be successful. With a true pocket passer, you're fugged as soon as you lose an o-lineman to an injury. The economic realities of the salary-cap era would suggest it's better to have a mobile QB (not necessarily a runner, just mobile) so that you don't have to pay premiums for top-tier o-linemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBuffaloDisease Posted January 16, 2005 Share Posted January 16, 2005 At the time I thought the trade for Bledsoe was HUGE and a still think it was the right move.....but two things I also expected to happen were: - A major emphasis on improving the line including players and coaching.....lets face it....when Drew did well he had a nice cozy pocket to work from in New England - A push for a big quality pass catching, run blocking, pass protecting Tight End.....and that just didn't happen The bottom line.....Drew Bledsoe has taken such a beating including the multiple concussions from the year before last that he cannot do anything more then facilitate a offense that does all the above and predominately runs the ball....... And that is NOT going to get to the next level....we had a top 3 defense....a top of the league special teams.....a running back who got 1K yards in what....EIGHT GAMES And we didn't make the playoffs...... Where was that "top of the league special teams" against the Steelers? That "top 3 defense" against the 3rd stringers of the Steelers? That running game that was supposed to set-up the offense against the Steelers? The answer was they were all absent as well. That type of OVERALL team effort won't get you to the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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