Boring Draft

[Chuck Wagon]

Anyone else feeling this draft is just missing a lot of the lead up sizzle?  I know nothing can compare to last year for us as fans, the team equipped with a war chest of assets and a glaring need at QB, but this feels as meat and potatoes as it can get.  There's 2-4 QBs no one is quite sure where they might land, but other than that you might be looking at a massive run of offensive and defensive linemen through the first night of the draft.  But there feels like a very obvious lack of pre draft rumors, it's basically "the Cardinals don't know what to do (a surprise to no one)" / "no one wants Rosen" / "Jones or Lock may go before Haskins" and that's about it.

[TroutDog]

I’m excited about it with this regime. QB’s will always bubble to to the top and that should help us. 

 

We will get two to three game changers from this draft, in my opinion. 

[Virgil]

Yes, completely.  But after last year, the bar is set pretty high.  

 

It’s been said before, but I’m happy we aren’t looking for a QB or drafting for desperate need 

[billsherd]

Yes I feel the same way. I debated if I should make time to watch the draft on Thursday or go do something else. This may have something to do with we are not drafting a qb in first round. 

[bkep32]

This is a good thing, we dont have a glaring need that everyone knows we need to get.  We can go after BPA and if it doesnt fit need we are on with that.  Best scenario is Oliver falls to us at 9 if not I like white also.  Or an needy teams get jumpy and want to move to 9, either way I cant wait til thursday

[Bookie Man]

I think it makes it interesting that there are a lot of different directions we can go this year. 

[Chandler#81]

I hear ya, OP. Last year is impossible to top. We’d been QBless for nearly a quarter century and the FO did everything conceivable to garner trade up chips for a team coming off a playoff berth. ProBowlers flew off our shelves in trades for picks compiled to get into contention for the biggest QB Draft since ‘83. Then used the remaining collateral to move up again for a freak MLB. 

So the cupboard is bare sans a bunch of journeymen. Thus the 10 picks we grittily (sp?) acquired to begin to build around them this April. By all accounts, this is as big a Draft Class for those type of players (trench) as last years was for QB. 

 

Last year was a beer-filled frenzy. This year, chose a fine bourbon to sip.

[Inigo Montoya]

My son and I will be there so we won’t be bored.  I don’t think we will be selecting at 9.  The question is are we trading up or down?  I just don’t see Beane sitting there waiting to see what falls to him. That just doesn’t seem to be his style, he is more proactive.  I think he will either identify his guy(s) and move up to grab him, or if his guy(s) are already gone, trade back and stock pile picks, maybe 2020 picks, or use the extra picks from moving back to jump right back up into the 1st round for a second player.

 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Inigo Montoya

[Chuck Wagon]

It's impossible to compare to last year for us.  But even league wide it just feels like this year has no where near the jockeying for position we saw last year.  Kyler Murray (and maybe one of Haskins / Lock / Jones) feel like the only real wild cards.  Either the Cardinals are smokescreening (and don't even get me started on the stupidity of "smoke screening" the #1 pick) or they legitimately don't know what to do.  Other than that it's ?‍♂️

[Billzgobowlin]

All I'm thinking about is how we will get the best player possible at our draft position because of how active we were in free agency instead of drafting and reaching by need.  I'm excited.

[Kirby Jackson]

This year is an average draft IMO. It’s way better than the Eric Fisher draft for example. There are going to be some impact players in this class as pass rushers. 

[mjt328]

If you have time over the next week, I would recommend doing some research on the prospects.

The more you know about the players getting picked, the more fun and interesting the draft will be.

 

If you are just watching to see whether the Bills take a DE, DT, WR, OT or TE, it's probably going to be boring.

Especially because we don't have any glaring holes on the roster this year.

 

I usually try to get a basic understanding of the Top 100 guys, which roughly covers the Top 3 rounds.

You can get some good write-ups on NFL.com, ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Focus and Draft Breakdown, among others.

YouTube is also a great place to watch game film and highlights.

 

 

 

[formerlyofCtown]

33 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

Anyone else feeling this draft is just missing a lot of the lead up sizzle?  I know nothing can compare to last year for us as fans, the team equipped with a war chest of assets and a glaring need at QB, but this feels as meat and potatoes as it can get.  There's 2-4 QBs no one is quite sure where they might land, but other than that you might be looking at a massive run of offensive and defensive linemen through the first night of the draft.  But there feels like a very obvious lack of pre draft rumors, it's basically "the Cardinals don't know what to do (a surprise to no one)" / "no one wants Rosen" / "Jones or Lock may go before Haskins" and that's about it.

I find it exciting not knowing who or what we are going to pick

[mjt328]

3 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This year is an average draft IMO. It’s way better than the Eric Fisher draft for example. There are going to be some impact players in this class as pass rushers. 

 

The 2013 draft class was possibly the worst in my lifetime.

[PetermansRedemption]

I am counting down the days and hours. I like so many prospects this year, can’t wait to see where they go. Then again, my motto= Football is life 

[LABILLBACKER]

If we can trade down and still get Hock I will consider this draft off to a great start. But yes you're right, nothing can top last year. 

[JESSEFEFFER]

Considering the sum total of off season roster building and its impact on the future of the franchise, i think this year rates ahead of last year.  But, last year's draft was more important than this year's so I sense from where the lack of enthusiasm originates. 

 

But, two things have helped boost my interest:  The mock draft similators (never played with them much prior , they are fun and they do boost one's knowledge of what's available) and the sheer number of different players mocked to the Bills @ 9.  Off the top of my head, Oliver, Sweat, Hockenson, Metcalf, Gary, Fant, Dillard, Wilkerson, Taylor,  Williams (X3), Murphy.  These are just the ones mocked to the Bills by the professional opinions (not that they are any better than ours.)

[Victory Formation]

I'm bored as well. Used to get really deep into but i just can't anymore for some reason. I did do some research this year but I'll probably do more research after the draft when i see who Beane takes.

[FeelingOnYouboty]

Last year was too much. This year we're deciding on Oliver, Williams, Hockenson and there isn't a consensus.

[Virgil]

29 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If we can trade down and still get Hock I will consider this draft off to a great start. But yes you're right, nothing can top last year. 

 

I think I’m off the Hock train.  Well, I think the Bills are.  They don’t usually draft guys they don’t spend pre-draft time with. 

 

I find their lack of meeting with him interesting 

46 minutes ago, Chuck Wagon said:

It's impossible to compare to last year for us.  But even league wide it just feels like this year has no where near the jockeying for position we saw last year.  Kyler Murray (and maybe one of Haskins / Lock / Jones) feel like the only real wild cards.  Either the Cardinals are smokescreening (and don't even get me started on the stupidity of "smoke screening" the #1 pick) or they legitimately don't know what to do.  Other than that it's ?‍♂️

 

I would like to get you started please 

[eball]

I'm the opposite.  This draft holds a ton of intrigue and I think Beane will be bobbing and weaving all over the place.

 

Gone are the boring days of the Buddy Nix "we pick in the slot we're in" drafts.

[blacklabel]

Fair point, OP. I haven't had as much time to dive into the draft stuff this year as I normally do so I'm not as up to date on the prospects as others might be. Year after year though, we usually see a "consensus" top ten rankings but almost every year there's a team that drafts a kid that most people thought would've gone later. One of the bigger surprises I can recall was Tyson Alualu going third overall in 2010. Or maybe Donte frickin' Whitner going eighth overall in 2006, yeesh. 

 

Last year was actually a pleasant surprise when they drafted Edmunds, I didn't expect them to jump back into the first round after all the moving and shaking they did to position themselves for Allen. If I recall, Beane said that wasn't the plan but they couldn't believe Edmunds was still there so they had to go for it. Are there any prospects this year that they feel this way about? We'll find out soon enough. I'm gonna have to follow along on my phone since I'll be in line for the 10 PM Thursday night showing of Endgame. It was a tough call, draft or Endgame but for some reason the IMAX on Transit had either Thursday 10 PM or any other day with only one showing at 11 AM. /ramble

 

10 minutes ago, eball said:

I'm the opposite.  This draft holds a ton of intrigue and I think Beane will be bobbing and weaving all over the place.

 

Gone are the boring days of the Buddy Nix "we pick in the slot we're in" drafts.

 

Buddy "I'll be nappin' when free agency starts" Nix.

Edited April 19, 2019 by blacklabel

[HansLanda]

"Just" get a bunch of starters that contribute right away while on rookie deals. Don't reach.

 

Maybe try to get back into the 4th round and shed some of the 5-7th round picks that likely won't make team if Beane just drafts all 10 spots. 

[Patrick Duffy]

6 minutes ago, eball said:

I'm the opposite.  This draft holds a ton of intrigue and I think Beane will be bobbing and weaving all over the place.

 

Gone are the boring days of the Buddy Nix "we pick in the slot we're in" drafts.

I'm the same.I'm looking forward to it myself.

[ROCBillsBeliever]

1 hour ago, Virgil said:

Yes, completely.  But after last year, the bar is set pretty high.  

 

It’s been said before, but I’m happy we aren’t looking for a QB or drafting for desperate need 

 

Precisely, @Virgil Give me milquetoast drafts for the next decade! I'll take them over QB stressing and drafting for glaring needs!

[MrEpsYtown]

4 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I think I’m off the Hock train.  Well, I think the Bills are.  They don’t usually draft guys they don’t spend pre-draft time with. 

 

I find their lack of meeting with him interesting 

 

 

I do think it is possible that they have gone out of their way to keep their meeting with him secret. I think he is the kind of guy in this draft that you hide your interest in. No one seems to really know where he is going to go because no one has tipped their hand in terms of interest in him. That keeps people from trading up in front of you to get him and that Detroit at 8 is prime position for a trade up. I think Oliver or Sweat are the pick, if they aren't there Hock or Metcalf. I'm thinking one of those four, idk. It's also possible this regime is all in on Metcalf or Hock. If they draft a right tackle or Dillard I will be very dissapointed

[ROCBillsBeliever]

13 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

I think I’m off the Hock train.  Well, I think the Bills are.  They don’t usually draft guys they don’t spend pre-draft time with. 

 

I had heard somewhere (sorry; I cannot recall the source) that nobody has a reported meeting with Hock. That could mean that Hock and his agent are just not releasing the scoops, and they have requested that the teams they met with do the same. Just a theory; I may be totally incorrect.

[BarleyNY]

DTs aren’t sexy.  We’re also probably not picking high enough for a top DE.  Great prospects will still be available, but there’s so many options at 9 and so much disagreement about whom to take it’s tough to get psyched.  I expect a workmanlike draft that’s more productive than exciting - and I’m really good with that. 

[ROCBillsBeliever]

8 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said:

 

I do think it is possible that they have gone out of their way to keep their meeting with him secret. I think he is the kind of guy in this draft that you hide your interest in. No one seems to really know where he is going to go because no one has tipped their hand in terms of interest in him. That keeps people from trading up in front of you to get him and that Detroit at 8 is prime position for a trade up. I think Oliver or Sweat are the pick, if they aren't there Hock or Metcalf. I'm thinking one of those four, idk. It's also possible this regime is all in on Metcalf or Hock. If they draft a right tackle or Dillard I will be very dissapointed

@MrEpsYtown You beat me to it, but I agree!

[CaptnCoke11]

After rounds 2&3 this looks to be a pretty bad draft.  This is why i believe Beane will trade some of those late picks to get back into round 2 or end of 1

[Mrbojanglezs]

Yup. Just plug in players. No spectacle this year. That is unless Beane starts doing deals. 

[eball]

20 minutes ago, ROCBillsBeliever said:

 

I had heard somewhere (sorry; I cannot recall the source) that nobody has a reported meeting with Hock. That could mean that Hock and his agent are just not releasing the scoops, and they have requested that the teams they met with do the same. Just a theory; I may be totally incorrect.

 

Man, I wish I read that more on this forum!

[frostbitmic]

I'm pretty stoked for this years draft. We have a lot of picks and I can't see taking that many players so I could see moving up two or three times. Should be fun.

[Jobot]

It will be a great for last year's draft to be the most memorable Bills draft over the next 20 years.

[maryland-bills-fan]

1 hour ago, Inigo Montoya said:

My son and I will be there so we won’t be bored.  I don’t think we will be selecting at 9.  The question is are we trading up or down?  I just don’t see Beane sitting there waiting to see what falls to him. That just doesn’t seem to be his style, he is more proactive.  I think he will either identify his guy(s) and move up to grab him, or if his guy(s) are already gone, trade back and stock pile picks, maybe 2020 picks, or use the extra picks from moving back to jump right back up into the 1st round for a second player.

 

We are at #9.  It is very painful to move up from there. Look at the following from Johnson

 

move to           cost         additional pick in trade  (round-pick in round)

============================================

8                     50            4-26

7                     150           3-24

6                     250           3-4

5                    350           2-23

4                    450            2-13

 

Real good players,  potential impact players, are available al the way to maybe 12 or 16?   No need to give up a 3rd round pick (plus) unless there is really really a reason.

 

[HOUSE]

This draft is custom made for Buffalo. Some great talent should be available at #9 and we don't need a QB and we don't have a long list of needs

I am excited to fill out the roster with some younger up and coming players

If Brandon Beane can sniff out  a few more Matt Milanos, we are in great shape

 

..

Edited April 19, 2019 by HOUSE

[Max Fischer]

Not at all. For years I had little faith in the coaches and front office to put a legit team on the field.  Last year, it was more anxiety than excitement, but this year I can't wait to see how they could improve this team enough to put them on track for contention.  

 

 

[CNY315]

Nah, it's always exciting for me. I'm easy to please though

[1ManRaid]

I'm fine with even the most boring of drafts as long as we get our guys.

 

That being said I'm 90% sure Beane has something up his sleeve depending on how the first handful of picks go.

[Rocket94]

I really believe it will be BPA. Someone we do not expect, nor would it surprise us.