Rico Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 (edited) 12 minutes ago, MTBill said: I am in that group of "shame"... I grew up watching Fergy & Joe Cribbs as my entry into the Bills fandom.... Those were some rough seasons with some still happy moments. I don't disagree with your top 5. Other names I think were helpful (honorable mentions) - if not superstars (without deep research other than memory): Marvcus Patton - LB 8th round 1990 Jeff Wright - DT 8th round 1988 Keith McKeller - TE 9th round 1987 (the real name behind the K-Gun - not Jim Kelly) Gary Anderson - K 7th round 1982 - who infamously sabotaged himself in Buffalo so he could play elsewhere.... I think he missed every FG in pre-season or something like that. Rob Riddick - RB 9th round 1981 Before '81 is not my time (or my memory failed to recognize any names in the NFL Draft database). Let's see... Bobby Chandler was a 7th-round pick, I would have to take him over Stevie. Also, Roland Hooks was a 10th-rounder, he at least deserves a mention. Charles Romes was an 11th rounder, I like him more than Schulz. All MO. Edited February 16, 2018 by Rico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 1 hour ago, Rico said: Let's see... Bobby Chandler was a 7th-round pick, I would have to take him over Stevie. Also, Roland Hooks was a 10th-rounder, he at least deserves a mention. Charles Romes was an 11th rounder, I like him more than Schulz. All MO. ...Again I’m not going back to 1960. This is the past 30 years here 1 hour ago, MTBill said: I am in that group of "shame"... I grew up watching Fergy & Joe Cribbs as my entry into the Bills fandom.... Those were some rough seasons with some still happy moments. I don't disagree with your top 5. Other names I think were helpful (honorable mentions) - if not superstars (without deep research other than memory): Marvcus Patton - LB 8th round 1990 Jeff Wright - DT 8th round 1988 Keith McKeller - TE 9th round 1987 (the real name behind the K-Gun - not Jim Kelly) Gary Anderson - K 7th round 1982 - who infamously sabotaged himself in Buffalo so he could play elsewhere.... I think he missed every FG in pre-season or something like that. Rob Riddick - RB 9th round 1981 Before '81 is not my time (or my memory failed to recognize any names in the NFL Draft database). Before 88 is not my time which is why I keep these to the past 30 years. Patton, Wright, and McKellar were all stellar choices. I wouldn’t put them in the top 5 though. Pattin turned out to be a very decent starter. One of my personal favorites too. McKellar should have been awesome. He was primed to breakout but after the injury in 91 he lost his spot to Metzelaars and was never the same. Jeff Wright I feel was very overrated and a weak link on defense. I think he was a beneficiary of playing on a line with Bruce and Phil Hanson and Leon Seals (to a lesser extent). Still finding a starter at that position is fantastic value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanbillsfan2206 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 1 hour ago, MTBill said: Gary Anderson - K 7th round 1982 - who infamously sabotaged himself in Buffalo so he could play elsewhere.... I think he missed every FG in pre-season or something like that. Is this true? I’ve never heard that before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 6 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: As the draft talk swirls around this message board its interesting to look back at the Bills draft history to see where some of the players were drafted and the level of succsess they had with the team. We all know about the numerous disappointment the Bills have had in the first round - Losman, McCargo, Maybin, EJ Manuel, Lawson, but what I find more interesting are the players who turned out to be stars that were drafting toward the end of the draft. Below are the Top 5 Low Round Draft Picks That Succeeded. Each of these players were drafted in the 7th round or lower. #5 - Carlton Bailey 1988 9th Round GM: Bill Polian Bailey was a steal as a 9th round draft pick. Drafter in 1988 he rode the pine for a few years before beating out starter Ray Bentley at ILB. Bailey would start for two more seasons for the Bills and had a memorable TD to get the Bills to the Super Bowl. A stellar job by Polian, Butler, and Crew/ #4 Kurt Schultz 1992 7th Round GM: Bill Polian He knows nothing! Schultz contributed on special teams for a few years before moving in as starting FS in Wade Phillips' defense alongside Henry Jones. Schultz has several 6 INT seasons and solidified one of the top defenses in the NFL. Ironically he had one of his best years with Detroit the season he left town. Still an excellent find for Polian - one of the more underrated Bills defensive players #3 Jay Riemersma 1995 7th Round GM: John Butler After missing his rookie year, Riemersma came out of nowhere to be a solid target for Buffalo Bills. Essentially he was the player the team hoped Lonnie Johnson would be. Reimersma was a good blocker and solid target in the red zone that helped the team to multiple playoff appearances. The knock on Jay could be injuries. While the player most games during the year, he was often hobbled which affected his play. Still a 7th round pick went on to be one of the top target on offense. Great pick #2 Howard "Da House" Ballard 1988 11th Round GM: Bill Polian Ballard was drafted in the 11th..yes the 11th round and sat the bench for a few seasons before moving in as a starter for nearly 6 seasons. While Will Wolford got a lot of acclaim, I always thought House was a bit underrated on the Right. #75 was a great run blocker and excelled in pass protection..not bad for an 11th round pick! #1 Stevie Johnson 1996 7th Round GM: Russ Brandon (w/ Dick Jauron/Tom Modrak) Yes sir - the only man in Bills history to gain over 1,000 yards receiving for three consecutive seasons was a 7th round pick. When Chan Gailey came to town, Stevie's career seemed to take off. An unlikely star thanks to an unorthodox running style and a larger than life personality, Stevie became "The Face of the Bills" during the early 2010's. He had a huge impact both on the field and off the field and is one of the most beloved players in Bills history. Well that’s my list. It’s ironic that out of all the great picks that Hall of Fame GM’s like Bill Polian and John Butler made, it’s Russ Brandon - quite possibly the worst GM that made the best pick. Also telling that some of the more unsuccessful GM’s didn’t make this list. Lets hear your thoughts! Bills history goes back further than 1988 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, Helpmenow said: Bills history goes back further than 1988 Yep not interested in going there. Narrowing down the time period makes it easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Research Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanbillsfan2206 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 OP- “if I’ve never heard of them then they don’t exist”... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 18 minutes ago, Seanbillsfan2206 said: OP- “if I’ve never heard of them then they don’t exist”... Not true. Just a better poll when you can focus on more modern years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
without a drought Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 With 1994 being the first year with only 7 rounds, this doesn't really work comparing it to years with 12 rounds or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Tom Sestak, 17th round pick, perhaps best DT we ever had... http://talesfromtheamericanfootballleague.com/big-tom-sestak-of-the-buffalo-bills/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ol Dirty B Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) I'm not sure why the 7th round is where the dividing line, nor do I care. So save your breath. Terrence McGee deserves a mention imo regardless of what arbitrary restrictions the OP made. 6 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said: This is an area that the Bills have excelled. Peters is going to the HOF. Pat Williams and Tom Sestak were elite players. Robert James had a short but dominant career. Freddie had a lot of yards, Stevie had 3 1,000 yard seasons. Stratton is on the WOF. House Ballard was a key member of the Super Bowl teams. Daryle Lamonica is on the list. Gary Anderson too if we are talking career. That’s an odd way to divide it because the draft is a fraction of what it used to be. It should be (after 7th round then). It's actually completely irrelevant. Cutting the draft in half or just after half is stupid. A 7th round pick isn't early in any era, and neither is a 4th round pick either. Anything after the 2nd or 3rd is found money in my opinion. Just because they let you get rights to even more players at the draft doesn't change the expectation or skill level of guys in the 4th round or later. The talent pool has only grown in the time that the draft has been shrunk. Also doubt it is an area the Bills have done better than other teams. Edited February 17, 2018 by Ol Dirty B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 7 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said: Robert James and Jason Peters. Robert James was in the top five best players in Bills history. Better than Kelly and Reed, who were fabulous players, and did more for the franchise. But that is not the same question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 9 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: Correct...these are the bottom of the barrel draft selections. 7th round or lower. Also this list only from the last 30 years of Bills drafting. I’m not going all the way back to 1960 How is Fred Jackson not on the list? He was a UDFA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanfan Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 7 hours ago, BuffaloRush said: Yep not interested in going there. Narrowing down the time period makes it easier Some of us older folks could educate you on some great players you're missing. Too bad your mind is so closed off, you could learn something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Mark Pike- he and Steve Tasker made me interested in Special Teams, year after year. Darrick Holmes had a good Rookie year. Ran hard. I think he had a big game v Cleveland on a Monday Nite- in the rain, against a familiar defensive co-ord. Browns has a complement of former Giant Lbers. Justin Armour had a big game. Didn’t he get a SB with Denver too. Did Bryce Fisher get a SB with Seattle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 6 hours ago, matter2003 said: How is Fred Jackson not on the list? He was a UDFA Because he was a free agent - not a draft pick. It’s really not that hard 54 minutes ago, Shamrock said: Mark Pike- he and Steve Tasker made me interested in Special Teams, year after year. Darrick Holmes had a good Rookie year. Ran hard. I think he had a big game v Cleveland on a Monday Nite- in the rain, against a familiar defensive co-ord. Browns has a complement of former Giant Lbers. Justin Armour had a big game. Didn’t he get a SB with Denver too. Did Bryce Fisher get a SB with Seattle? Darrick Holmes is certainly an interesting choice. Didn’t put him in the list because I thought the others were bigger contributors. Armour was a 4th round pick - not eligable. Fisher didn’t do enough in Buffalo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, Ol Dirty B said: I'm not sure why the 7th round is where the dividing line, nor do I care. So save your breath. Terrence McGee deserves a mention imo regardless of what arbitrary restrictions the OP made. It's actually completely irrelevant. Cutting the draft in half or just after half is stupid. A 7th round pick isn't early in any era, and neither is a 4th round pick either. Anything after the 2nd or 3rd is found money in my opinion. Just because they let you get rights to even more players at the draft doesn't change the expectation or skill level of guys in the 4th round or later. The talent pool has only grown in the time that the draft has been shrunk. Also doubt it is an area the Bills have done better than other teams. A 14th round pick in 1979 is an UDFA today. Why are we differentiating them? We should either do 7th round picks through UDFA, or picks between rounds 4 and 7 (or whatever). There are no guys (as of now that will be eligible from this year’s draft) and like 20 guys from some old drafts. Anything after round 3 or so is found money, I 100% agree. The criteria here is just random. Why 7th instead of 6th or 5th? In terms of the Bills I would think that they UDFA’s (specifically) rank with most/any teams. Pat Williams, Fred Jackson and Jason Peters is a really solid start. Edited February 17, 2018 by Kirby Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 6 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said: A 14th round pick in 1979 is a UDFA today. Why are we differentiating them? We should either do 7th round picks through UDFA, or picks between rounds 4 and 7 (or whatever). There are no guys (as of now that will be eligible from this year’s draft) and like 20 guys from some old drafts. Anything after round 3 or so is found money, I 100% agree. The criteria here is just random. Why 7th instead of 6th or 5th? In terms of the Bills I would think that they UDFA’s (specifically) rank with most/any teams. Pat Williams, Fred Jackson and Jason Peters is a really solid start. We’re really getting into the weeds here. This is a list for low round picks. I would do exclusive 7th round picks but the old drafts were so deep it wouldn’t work. I think the Top 5 UDFA’s is a completely different list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, BuffaloRush said: We’re really getting into the weeds here. This is a list for low round picks. I would do exclusive 7th round picks but the old drafts were so deep it wouldn’t work. I think the Top 5 UDFA’s is a completely different list Why is an UDFA today different than a 14th round pick in 1979? It is the same thing. A guy that was obtained after the 7th round. Why even use the 7th round then? It could make some sense if it was “guys drafted in rounds that no longer exist.” The 7th is totally arbitrary. Edited February 17, 2018 by Kirby Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRush Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 16 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said: Why is an UDFA today different than a 14th round pick in 1979? It is the same thing. A guy that was obtained after the 7th round. Why even use the 7th round then? It could make some sense if it was “guys drafted in rounds that no longer exist.” The 7th is totally arbitrary. We’ll have to agree to disagree here. I think the UDFA should be a different Top 5 List Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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