QB Draft confessional

[Dadonkadonk]

I propose before posting about the QB position you disclose your past.  

I have been a TT supporter and wanted the Bills to trade down as they did and then trade back up in 2017 draft for Kizer when he fell.  I thought they were trading up for Kizer when they took Zay Can't catch Jones.  I thought he should have stayed in school but he could sit a year or two behind TT.  I think jury is still out on him.  Will be so interesting to see what Cleveland does. 

I know at least 25% or more of this board wanted Manziel.  I'm not saying just because you wanted Manziel you should not have a voice in the discussion but those that did should come clean and own that draft suggestion.  Most of us knew he was a bust waiting to happen. 

As for 2018 and as of now, Josh Allen would be my top rated QB but likely will be gone or cost too much to move up and get.  

 

[TtownBillsFan]

I've been a TT supporter, b/c he's been the best QB we've had since at least Flutie.  And, as Flutie was, I love rooting for the underdog.

 

I'm a humongous Sooners fan, and I'm hoping we end up with Baker.

 

If we choose not to move around in the draft, and Mayfield is not there for us at our first pick, I hope we get Rudolph.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I think TT is garbage. I also think we should trade the farm for Rosen, and if we don’t we should take Rudolph.

[swnybillsfan]

full disclosure...i wanted ryan nassib. and i was hoping he would be there when we picked at #8 overall. so , while i may be intrigued by these prospects, i will defer to those that know much more than i do.

[GunnerBill]

The closest I get to a confessional is that I had Blake Bortles graded as the best Quarterback in the 2014 class. I have rewatched some of Derek Carr's college games since that draft and even knowing what I know now I still would have a 1st/2nd borderline grade on him.  He has, in 2015 and 2016 certainly, played better than that in the NFL but I stand by the grade I put on his college tape.  And Bortles is the first QB from that class to play in a Conference Championship game..... so there's that. 

[Blokestradamus]

2011 was the first draft class that I really paid attention to. I'll list 'my guys' from that point on.

 

2011 - Colin Kaepernick

2012 - Russell Wilson (honourable mention to the blue turf beast himself, Kellen Moore)

2013 - Matt Barkley (I've watched those USC games back, still would draft him)

2014 - Teddy Bridgewater/Zach Mettenberger

2015 - Loved Jameis, liked Marcus, hated everyone else like they slept with my sister.

2016 - Early Wentz truther, Goff lover, Dak appreciator. Paxton Lynch still looks like he should be in a knock-off Pirates of the Caribbean film.

2017 - Deshone Kizer, king of my heart. I'm going to die on this hill. If anyone knows where Hue Jackson lives, I have a package to send him.

 

As far as the Bills go, I'm on record as being a Tyrod 'hater' from his second preseason game. Not because I think he's terrible, just that he's the type of guy you cling to for years because of the odd spark here and there. I worried the team wouldn't strive to do better than 'on his day, he can be good enough.'

 

Hated the Peterman pick, disliked the EJ pick. Long live Kyle Orton.

Edited January 22, 2018 by Blokestradamus

[BuffaloBillyG]

Not from the draft, but a QB confession just the same. I thought Brian Brohm was going to be a find. 

 

The year we drafted EJ, didn't like any of the QBs, so I talked myself into Matt Scott because at least it would be a low round pick spent on him.

 

When we signed TT, I hoped he would win the starting position. Only because the other 2 options were horrible. 

[KRT88]

The only time I knew they should trade a QB was Wilson.  The Bills traded up in the 3rd round and I though, yes they are picking a QB then, CJ Graham.  Watch him at NCS and knew he had those intangible qualities you want. 

 

I would have loved Carolina passing on Cam Newton because we would have picked him at #3.

 

I can't believe the QB Cleveland has passed on. 

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, Blokestradamus said:

2011 was the first draft class that I really paid attention to. I'll list 'my guys' from that point on.

 

2011 - Colin Kaepernick

2012 - Russell Wilson (honourable mention to the blue turf beast himself, Kellen Moore)

2013 - Matt Barkley (I've watched those USC games back, still would draft him)

2014 - Teddy Bridgewater/Zach Mettenberger

2015 - Loved Jameis, liked Marcus, hated everyone else like they slept with my sister.

2016 - Early Wentz truther, Goff lover, Dak appreciator. Paxton Lynch still looks like he should be in a knock-off Pirates of the Caribbean film.

2017 - Deshone Kizer, king of my heart. I'm going to die on this hill. If anyone knows where Hue Jackson lives, I have a package to send him.

 

As far as the Bills go, I'm on record as being a Tyrod 'hater' from his second preseason game. Not because I think he's terrible, just that he's the type of guy you cling to for years because of the odd spark here and there. I worried the team wouldn't strive to do better than 'on his day, he can be good enough.'

 

Hated the Peterman pick, disliked the EJ pick. Long live Kyle Orton.

 

My history in terms of really spending time on it goes back to 2014.  The guys I had rated as first and second rounders since then are:

 

2014 - 1st round: Bortles, Bridgewater; 2nd round: Carr, Garoppolo.

2015 - 1st round: Mariota, Winston; 2nd round: None.

2016 - 1st round: Wentz, Goff; 2nd round: Cook, Prescott.

2017 - 1st round: Watson, Trubisky; 2nd round: Kizer.

 

 

EDIT: And I was right there with Blokes on Peterman.  Hated, hated, hated the pick.  

Edited January 22, 2018 by GunnerBill

[mead107]

I’m not telling. 

Get me some Mayfield 

[VirginiaMike]

I wanted T-Mobile to succeed and attributed some of his bad games to schemes and the people around him, but after watching this year, I was wrong.  Taylor is a good back-up who can come in and not hurt a team, but he is not leading the team to a win consistently.  

QB's I have wanted in the past -- biggest push was for Cousins in the 3rd round.  This year, I've been on the Mayfield bandwagon and I think he could be good, but there will be some developmental time for him and the aging Bills don't have that time.  I'm now on the Alex Smith bandwagon and with him, I think the Bills can make and advance in the playoffs in 2018.

[dave mcbride]

I don't watch college systematically enough for my opinions to matter. That said, I liked the idea of getting Wentz until it became implausible (given how high he went), and the hill I will die on is Darnold, who I think is going to be a great NFL qb. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

When Ryan leaf and Peyton Manning were coming out, I told people that Leaf was a sure thing and Manning was the 1999 equivalent of “meh.”

 

so, not sure I have a lot of credibility. 

[Guest K-GunJimKelly12]

Full disclosure, I was living in Florida in 2004.  I had two roommates,  one a Dolphins fan and one a Pats fan.  We had a friend over who was a Bucs fan.  I was the lone Bills fan and when the Bills traded up with the Cowboys, before the Bills picked, I was repeatedly saying out loud, not J.P. Losman, not J.P. Losman...  the Buffalo Bills select, J.P. Losman, quarterback, Tulane.  My friends died laughing.

Edited January 22, 2018 by K-GunJimKelly12

[dave mcbride]

6 minutes ago, JR in Pittsburgh said:

When Ryan leaf and Peyton Manning were coming out, I told people that Leaf was a sure thing and Manning was the 1999 equivalent of “meh.”

 

so, not sure I have a lot of credibility. 

I think fans evaluate college qbs on their occasional bad games and not on their overall body of work. That's what I think is going on with Darnold now, who was mostly really good. I'm not saying he's going to be Manning, of course.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

3 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I think fans evaluate college qbs on their occasional bad games and not on their overall body of work. That's what I think is going on with Darnold now, who was mostly really good. I'm not saying he's going to be Manning, of course.

 

I agree. Occasional bad game and occasional good ones. If a guy has a huge bowl game (eg, sammy watkins), he suddenly skyrockets through the roof.

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I think fans evaluate college qbs on their occasional bad games and not on their overall body of work. That's what I think is going on with Darnold now, who was mostly really good. I'm not saying he's going to be Manning, of course.

 

It is definitely what happened with Deshaun Watson last year.  He had two years of being mainly excellent and 4 games at the start of least season where looked kind of off for whatever reason.  Those 4 games led some people to say he couldn't play in the NFL and should be a mid round pick.  

[BuffaloHokie13]

I tend to cling to a single prospect in multiple areas of the draft rather than liking a bunch that will go in the same general spot. Here's the guys I liked:

 

2010: Zac Robinson Day 2, Dan LeFevour Day 3

2011: Cam Newton Top 5 pick, Ryan Mallett Day 2, Tyrod Early Day 3

2012: Luck obviously, Russ Wilson Rd 2

2013: Geno Smith Rd 1, Landry Jones Day 2

2014: Blake Bortles Top 10, Aaron Murray Day 2

2015: Marcus Mariota Top 5, Garrett Grayson Day 3

2016: Jared Goff Top 5, Cardale Jones Day 2, Brandon Doughty Day 3

2017: Deshaun Watson Mid-1st, Davis Webb Day 2, C.J. Beathard Day 3

 

2018: Josh Rosen Top 5, Mason Rudolph Late 1st, Riley Ferguson Day 2, Mike White Early Day 3

[baskingridgebillsfan]

I was an E.j supporter.  Still feel like the first year really messed him up . and no I an not saying he would have been a top 10 qb but better then what we lived through the last two years .  

Gave Taylor year one and over the last two years came to realize he is way below average.   Average qb play and this team wine 11 games this year .  

I have to admit I am like the Bills I haven't loved any of these qb's over the last few drafts enough to make a big move to get one.   I like grabbing one every year in the mid rounds however.  For some reason they didn't do that for a lot of years.  

This year. I am all about getting a quality vet.  Weather it is Dalton, smith, Bradford they all can play. Bradford gets hurt i get it . If he didn't get hurt you wouldn't be able to sniff him . 

I would Draft someone in the Middle rounds again , White, Ferguson Falk work they all have some skills to work around.  

I do not see a way to trade in for the top two guys so that makes the decision not to move up easier to make   

[Hapless Bills Fan]

In general, I do not have strong opinions on specific QB.  I don't watch enough college football.  The only time I had a strong general opinion was when Blaine Gabbert was being touted pre-draft as a #1 pick, maybe better than Newton, because I see Mizzou sometimes.  I did not agree and did not want to see the Bills draft Gabbert!  The only time I had can recall being irate at a draft is when the Bills passed up Russell Wilson and traded up for TJ "are you kidding me?" Graham.   I was also opposed to Manziel - at a minimum I think NFL QB need a strong and consistent work ethic to succeed, and it was clear from the stories pre-draft he didn't know what "work ethic" meant.

 

I have been irate for years at how little "draft capital" the Bills have expended on QB, and how they are always trying to find a "hidden gem" on the second-tier trade or FA market or in the late rounds, and taking that as sufficient.    The way fans here go over-the-top supporting and overvaluing late round picks who have not shown anything exceptional in TC or preseason or game glimpses (like Levi Brown, Cardale Jones, and Nathan Peterman) is a symptom of this IMHO.

Full disclosure: I was delighted when we ditched Trent Edwards for Ryan Fitzpatrick.  He was remembered in St Louis as a gamer and a guy who showed some flashes.  I thought he had a chance to improve and grow into a starting QB when he brought us back in some games.  I also thought Tyrod Taylor had promise.  I think the relative success of "meh" QB like Josh McCown and Case Keenum shows that offensive scheme and playcalling (and the weapons around a guy) have an effect.  I still think fans here go "over the top" dissing them as "garbage" and "worst" and all - it's not that I think they're top-10 QB, they had their shot and they didn't take the needed step - but I feel the over-the-top fan critique is also symptomatic of the underattention the Bills have given to the QB position in the last 2 decades.  We don't need Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers to succeed, and bringing in "dark horse FA" and late- round draft picks is fine - but we have to stop doing this one at a time and giving each of them 3 years apiece as the unquestioned starter.  We should have drafted and brought in someone else Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2nd year, and Tyrod Taylor's 2nd year.  

 

Bottom line: in general, I am less in favor of some specific QB in the draft than of something the Bills have lacked for the last 2 decades, a coherent and high-effort strategy to acquire and develop high-level QB play.

 

 

35 minutes ago, JR in Pittsburgh said:

When Ryan leaf and Peyton Manning were coming out, I told people that Leaf was a sure thing and Manning was the 1999 equivalent of “meh.”

so, not sure I have a lot of credibility. 

 

I had no opinion either way, but you were not alone, and if everyone else who favored Leaf "came out of the closet" there'd be plenty of space in that closet.