Cody Ford to Arizona

[TPS]

19 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

It was sunk cost. The pick wasn’t a win. Trading up to acquire him wasn’t a win. Getting a 5th round pick back for him was a win. All of those things are true. 

I was wondering when someone would use this term--thanks!

[NewEra]

15 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

It was a failure recognized. 

Yes.  He failed when he picked him.  We all know this.  It’s been discussed for the last 3 season.  He sucks.  And Beane was able to trade a crappy player for a 5th round pick.  
 

We’ve crushed him for the pick already.  Now we should applaud the fact that he got a 5th rd pick for crap rather than continue to cry about the past.  Never accomplished anything but making people look stupid

[boater]

I promised no big trades, saying "I will eat my shorts."

 

Pass the A1 sauce. I heard it makes shorts more palatable.

 

I read your book Brandon Beane ... it's a play on the GEN Patton quote.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

At least with Chris Brown, the Bills made it clear he was speaking as one of their employees...

 

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

This should be a lesson for everyone, including me. This is how the league works. Remember how we heard that Ford was having a good camp? The team was leaking good news to reporters, in anticipation of setting up a trade.

 

Yes, other teams' FO scout the local press reports from camps when deciding whether to trade for players.....lol

 

1 hour ago, eball said:

 

Aaron Kromer turned him into a trade-able asset.

 

Doesn't forgive the original bad draft pick, but this is Beane at his best.

 

 

AZ obviously thinks that their staff can do better with Ford than Kromer can...

 

The Ford pick came at a time when he Bills WR room consisted of John Brown and Cole Beasley.  Instead of addressing this glaring need at a high impact position (and with a budding star QB), and with guys like AJ Brown and even Metcalf available for a 2nd, Beane went with a low impact pick (O-line).  Now he's flipping the same guy  before his rookie contract is up for a 5th.  

[julian]

41 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

No GM hits on every pick, especially in the 1st/2nd/3rd rounds. But it's hard to call someone a genius just because he flipped a bust for a 5th rounder.

 

Not really looking to turn this thread into a a debate about Beane but I really don't see him as the messiah some think he is.  This team wins a SB that's a different story but until then it's fair to criticize some of the more questionable draft picks he's made.

 

 

Along with McDermott he’s put together a super bowl roster with maybe the best QB in the league… winning the ring is now on the coaches, players and Lady Luck.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

34 minutes ago, eball said:

 

Seriously.  We'll win the goddamn Super Bowl and some of these fuggers will B word because the confetti mix had too much red and not enough blue.

 

 

 

Is this a good time to point out that you quit your 26 year season tickets because the Bills made a coaching change after the 2016 season?

 

You just can't grasp the nuance of following a pro football team...........it's all or nothing with you.

 

No amount of ridiculous takes like the one I'm responding to above are going to be enough contrition for that utter disloyalty...........you know that but you are trying to sell the rest of us on it and some of us know better.

 

It's always going to eat at you that you didn't believe in the McBeane regime........at least we can hope. 

 

 

 

 

 

[4merper4mer]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

At least with Chris Brown, the Bills made it clear he was speaking as one of their employees...

 

 

Yes, other teams' FO scout the local press reports from camps when deciding whether to trade for players.....lol

 

 

AZ obviously thinks that their staff can do better with Ford than Kromer can...

 

The Ford pick came at a time when he Bills WR room consisted of John Brown and Cole Beasley.  Instead of addressing this glaring need at a high impact position (and with a budding star QB), and with guys like AJ Brown and even Metcalf available for a 2nd, Beane went with a low impact pick (O-line).  Now he's flipping the same guy  before his rookie contract is up for a 5th.  

Dude your boy Bill drafted 2 third round TEs with Gabe Davis still on the board and cut one of them today so glass houses.

[muppy]

34 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

Tell me who you think is the best GM so I can take a look at their impeccable draft history…

 

By the way… I don’t think Beane is perfect by any means… the Ford pick wouldn’t even be in his top 3 F ups.., ( Star contract , trading for Benjamin trading Teller..)

 

But if the end result is him putting together a championship team than his individual mistakes along the way won’t mean squat…

Preach

[Beck Water]

29 minutes ago, Utah John said:

And we traded Wyatt Teller so we could keep Ford.  That will rankle for years to come.

 

This is pure undiluted horseshit.

 

Ford was drafted in 2019 with the hope he'd play RT - which, in fact, is the position he played during OTAs, training camp, and preseason

Wyatt Teller played 8 games at LG for the Bills in 2018, after "Teflon Juan" Castillo was finally persuaded to move on from Vlad Ducasse. 

 

So Ford and Wyatt weren't even competing for the same position on the OL in the 2019 off-season.

 

There are a couple of candidate players who likely influenced Beane to trade Teller:

1) Ryan Bates, who we traded a LB to the Eagles to acquire in early August [possible]

2) Spencer Long, who we signed as a back-up C in Feb 2019

3) Jon Feliciano, who came from the Raiders along with Bobby Johnson - he became our backup C, but had not played C in an NFL game prior to 2019

4) Quinton Spain, who was starting ahead of Teller at LG

 

 

 

[ColoradoBills]

19 minutes ago, Utah John said:

Sure.  I'm not condemning Beane, who I think has done a great job.  It's just one bad trade.

 

I'm sure there are GMs who work in a total vacuum.  Making trades and picks with no input.

 

It seems to me that goes against what the Bills are all about.  I would bet that a move like this went through McDermott and Kromer.

Just like the Teller trade went through McDermott and the OL coach who is not on the team anymore.

Not saying it's all on Johnson and/or Castillo, Teller was a team mistake.

 

The Ford pick was much more on Beane's shoulders.

[billsfan1959]

1 minute ago, NewEra said:

Yes.  He failed when he picked him.  We all know this.  It’s been discussed for the last 3 season.  He sucks.  And Beane was able to trade a crappy player for a 5th round pick.  
 

We’ve crushed him for the pick already.  Now we should applaud the fact that he got a 5th rd pick for crap rather than continue to cry about the past.  Never accomplished anything but making people look stupid

 

Right. They are not mutually exclusive. You can place blame with Bean for using a high pick on a player who ended up performing so badly, and also give him credit for getting a fifth round pick for a player who performed so badly.

 

In the end, it was a waste of a high draft pick and a net loss. It happens to every single GM.

[nosejob]

2 hours ago, MiltonWaddams said:

But, but, but… I was told that Aaron Kromer had reformed him into a serviceable player…

Not going any farther than this. This should have been done on draft night....just like 49, but that will come.

Sometimes you just miss on those 2nd round Oline picks.  It happens. Signed...Kujo

[Augie]

46 minutes ago, Utah John said:

And we traded Wyatt Teller so we could keep Ford.  That will rankle for years to come.

 

It will continue to look bad in retrospect no doubt, but I’m WAY over it. We can’t change it now, so I’ll just look at the present and toward the future. Live, learn, move forward.

 

To each their own, but I personally feel that is the healthier approach for me. 

[buffaloboyinATL]

2 hours ago, stevewin said:

The recent Athletic article with Dion calling out his attitude, pouting etc. I thought was striking.  Not a process guy apparently

If that is the case, I am happy they moved on from him, even if he was improving as a player.  It sends a message that if you negatively impact team chemistry, you will be gone.  

[NewEra]

3 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

Right. They are not mutually exclusive. You can place blame with Bean for using a high pick on a player who ended up performing so badly, and also give him credit for getting a fifth round pick for a player who performed so badly.

 

In the end, it was a waste of a high draft pick and a net loss. It happens to every single GM.

Correct. It would have been an even bigger loss if he got nothing for him.  

[John from Riverside]

So now the question becomes Ford was looked at as being that back up insurance guy at guard who is now the back up insurance guy

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

25 minutes ago, wppete said:

At least we got a decent pick for him. He was a free against after this year anyway right?

I'm guessing your auto correct mangled 'free agent', but there's just as good a chance that Ford will be selling Fords as playing football in not too many years.

[Since1981]

41 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

Polian was still the best GM, just like Levy was still the best HC.

Can’t agree. Vs free agency can’t be compared. Bean is balancing far far more. Free agency makes bean job much harder. Levy coach 0/4 Super Bowls. silver medal on 4 tries. McClappy has to adapt to players much more too. Levy/Polian were good but they had nowhere near the post free agent conductions. 

[Einstein]

4 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

Yes, other teams' FO scout the local press reports from camps when deciding whether to trade for players.....lol 

 

In part, yes.

 

I wasn't guessing or pontificating. I was outright teaching. A family member was a BLESTO scout for decades and the stories I've heard...

 

NFL front offices are made up of human beings, just like you and I. They are swayed by reports, rumors, etc. Have you ever wondered why coaches and GM's say they will not consider trading X player, only to trade them weeks later? It's because if teams know that you're trading a player, you lose leverage. The simple act of stating that you wont trade a player, even when it is incredibly obvious that you will, creates a tiny amount of doubt in some peoples minds and that's enough. 

 

McDermott had an incident in 2019 where he lost his cool on Matthew Fairburn and cursed him up and down due to a negative report he made. McD knows how much it matters. It is also why ever since McDermott and Beane took over, NOTHING escapes One Bills Drive. No rumors. No leaks. Only what they want to be known.

 

Tl;Dr - The current iteration of our front office has used the media wonderfully to their benefit. 

[eball]

11 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

AZ obviously thinks that their staff can do better with Ford than Kromer can...

 

The Ford pick came at a time when he Bills WR room consisted of John Brown and Cole Beasley.  Instead of addressing this glaring need at a high impact position (and with a budding star QB), and with guys like AJ Brown and even Metcalf available for a 2nd, Beane went with a low impact pick (O-line).  Now he's flipping the same guy  before his rookie contract is up for a 5th.  

 

What don't you understand?  It was a mistake of a draft pick, and rather than cutting him for nothing Beane managed a 5th round pick out of it.  What would you have him do -- torture himself over the original pick?

 

[billsfan1959]

1 minute ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

If that is the case, I am happy they moved on from him, even if he was improving as a player.  It sends a message that if you negatively impact team chemistry, you will be gone.  

 

Here is what Dawkins said:

 

“Cody is a fighter,” Dawkins said. “Last year, he was upset he wasn’t playing. This year, he’s taking it as a reality check and is handling it the right way."

 

“What we want to see is him respecting the challenge and not complaining about it. As long as he’s not pouting and keeping high spirits, as long as he puts his best work on film, he understands what needs to be done.”

 

“(Kromer) doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Dawkins said. “He’ll tell him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear. He’ll say, ‘This is ***** horrible,’ or, ‘You think that you’re doing it right, but you’re not. Cody’s heard that before, but now it’s from a different face. So now it’s not, ‘Oh, that’s Bobby being Bobby.’ Now you have two people saying it, so now you’re the one that’s wrong and not them.”

 

“I’m proud of him,” Dawkins said. “It’s easy when things are going wrong in this league to shut it down and go into a dark place. He’s not there. He’s working.”

[nosejob]

7 minutes ago, buffaloboyinATL said:

If that is the case, I am happy they moved on from him, even if he was improving as a player.  It sends a message that if you negatively impact team chemistry, you will be gone.  

Did anyone see the hands to the face penalty? Didn't that take us out of FG range? If you look at that close up, you can see that here was no need for it because the pressure wasn't that threatening and it looked like he just went straight for that move instead of any traditional blocking technique. I personally thought that should have been the last straw.

 

They played the replay and you could just see it in his face, he just doesn't seem to be mentally invested in his game....or just not mentally capable.

 

Now go look at the play where Edmunds got juked and ending up plastering Milano. I rest my case.

Edited August 22, 2022 by nosejob

[YoloinOhio]

3 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

Here is what Dawkins said:

 

“Cody is a fighter,” Dawkins said. “Last year, he was upset he wasn’t playing. This year, he’s taking it as a reality check and is handling it the right way."

 

“What we want to see is him respecting the challenge and not complaining about it. As long as he’s not pouting and keeping high spirits, as long as he puts his best work on film, he understands what needs to be done.”

 

“(Kromer) doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Dawkins said. “He’ll tell him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear. He’ll say, ‘This is ***** horrible,’ or, ‘You think that you’re doing it right, but you’re not. Cody’s heard that before, but now it’s from a different face. So now it’s not, ‘Oh, that’s Bobby being Bobby.’ Now you have two people saying it, so now you’re the one that’s wrong and not them.”

 

“I’m proud of him,” Dawkins said. “It’s easy when things are going wrong in this league to shut it down and go into a dark place. He’s not there. He’s working.”

Wow. Sounds like Bobby Johnson didn’t command/earn much respect for whatever reason 

[ColoradoBills]

3 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

So now the question becomes Ford was looked at as being that back up insurance guy at guard who is now the back up insurance guy

 

Speculate that it's Van Rotten at least until we see what happens to Ike.

Another option is Brown takes over RT and Quessenberry moves over to G.

Then again, the roster isn't set yet and maybe someone new comes in.

[JaCrispy]

2 hours ago, MiltonWaddams said:

But, but, but… I was told that Aaron Kromer had reformed him into a serviceable player…

He did…we were able to get him up to 5th round value from nothing…😉

[HOUSE]

It was the humane thing to do, the guy was suffering 

[Augie]

3 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

Here is what Dawkins said:

 

“Cody is a fighter,” Dawkins said. “Last year, he was upset he wasn’t playing. This year, he’s taking it as a reality check and is handling it the right way."

 

“What we want to see is him respecting the challenge and not complaining about it. As long as he’s not pouting and keeping high spirits, as long as he puts his best work on film, he understands what needs to be done.”

 

“(Kromer) doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” Dawkins said. “He’ll tell him exactly what he doesn’t want to hear. He’ll say, ‘This is ***** horrible,’ or, ‘You think that you’re doing it right, but you’re not. Cody’s heard that before, but now it’s from a different face. So now it’s not, ‘Oh, that’s Bobby being Bobby.’ Now you have two people saying it, so now you’re the one that’s wrong and not them.”

 

“I’m proud of him,” Dawkins said. “It’s easy when things are going wrong in this league to shut it down and go into a dark place. He’s not there. He’s working.”

 

Thank you! I had heard about the interview in ways that made it sound much worse than that. I have no problem with calling it what it is, and being proud of how he handled it. 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

Beanie must be reading this board

[Augie]

1 minute ago, YoloinOhio said:

Wow. Sounds like Bobby Johnson didn’t command/earn much respect for whatever reason 

 

Ford went out of his way to publicly promote Kromer. That was a good sign all around. Kromer is effective, and Ford heard the message. Good for BOTH of them! And for the Bills!!!

[KDIGGZ]

Moved UP in the 2nd round to draft him. If you are drafting a G that hight they better be a 10 year starter. Happy to get something for him and a 5th was way higher than I would have expected

[Rigotz]

1 hour ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Respectfully, YOU’RE not looking at this the right way.  Beane has not yet gotten on-field contributions from any of his second round picks as a GM.  Zero.  That hopefully will change this year (though the idea being floated around here that they’re hiding Cook in the preseason is hilarious), but so far we’ve got the Outgoing Cody Ford, Epanesa in his make-or-break season, another backup edge in Basham, and a part-time running back who they drafted because they got spurned at the altar by McKissic, a dime-a-dozen RFA RB.  Beane needs to stop throwing second round picks in the trash and he needs to stop giving stupid contracts and raises to guys like Star before we can declare him an “amazing wizard God-man.”

 

Based on the reaction your post got, I'd say you need to take a look in the mirror bud.

 

It's ridiculous to take any GM and say "he stinks at making picks in the ____ round" .... take a look at the body of work. He got Gabe Davis and Taron Johnson in the 4th. Does that mean he's exclusively good at drafting in the 4th? He got Josh Allen and Ed Oliver in the 1st. Does that mean he's good at the 1st round but not the 2nd?

 

How can you complain so much about the guy that turned our team from a 20 year drought to perennial playoff contender and Super Bowl favorite? Cheer up.

[billsfan1959]

4 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Wow. Sounds like Bobby Johnson didn’t command/earn much respect for whatever reason 

 

1 minute ago, Augie said:

 

Ford went out of his way to publicly promote Kromer. That was a good sign all around. Kromer is effective, and Ford heard the message. Good for BOTH of them! And for the Bills!!!

 

Here is another quote that speaks to your thoughts:

 

Ford admitted the attitude adjustment was necessary and overdue. He and Dawkins cited new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has been a significant factor. Asked about the difference between Kromer and previous assistant Bobby Johnson, Ford responded with eight seconds of silence. The corners of his lips curled upward as he mulled his reply.

 

“He’s doing a phenomenal job,” Ford said of Kromer. “I don’t know what that means, coming from me. But the way we’ve been coached and the techniques that we’ve learned is why I say there’s been so much improvement.”

[BADOLBILZ]

11 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

This is pure undiluted horseshit.

 

Ford was drafted in 2019 with the hope he'd play RT - which, in fact, is the position he played during OTAs, training camp, and preseason

Wyatt Teller played 8 games at LG for the Bills in 2018, after "Teflon Juan" Castillo was finally persuaded to move on from Vlad Ducasse. 

 

So Ford and Wyatt weren't even competing for the same position on the OL in the 2019 off-season.

 

There are a couple of candidate players who likely influenced Beane to trade Teller:

1) Ryan Bates, who we traded a LB to the Eagles to acquire in early August [possible]

2) Spencer Long, who we signed as a back-up C in Feb 2019

3) Jon Feliciano, who came from the Raiders along with Bobby Johnson - he became our backup C, but had not played C in an NFL game prior to 2019

4) Quinton Spain, who was starting ahead of Teller at LG

 

 

 

 

 

No.....RT was not "in fact" "the position Ford played during OTA's, training camp, and preseason"

 

Ford got shifted to guard in preseason.   That is the fact.

 

Ford wasn't doing well at RT.   Nsekhe at RT and Ford at RG looked like it was going to be the starting combo...........don't try to horsesh!t your fellow posters........the games are still available on NFL+.

 

With Ford at G........they suddenly had a logjam and someone had to go.

 

It was Teller or Boettger...........and Boettger had worked hard to cross train at every position on the OL(whether he was any good at them or not)..........so he was kept and Teller was dealt.

 

So yes.......Cody Ford failing to seize the RT job is why Teller was traded. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

Beane is off to a better winning percentage than polis though year five and second to him only in career winning percentage. 
 

I think he’s gonna stay a while 

[eball]

I see we have a lot of victims on this message board, living in the past.

 

Glad I don't live my life that way.  The future looks bright.

[Augie]

3 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

 

Here is another quote that speaks to your thoughts:

 

Ford admitted the attitude adjustment was necessary and overdue. He and Dawkins cited new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has been a significant factor. Asked about the difference between Kromer and previous assistant Bobby Johnson, Ford responded with eight seconds of silence. The corners of his lips curled upward as he mulled his reply.

 

“He’s doing a phenomenal job,” Ford said of Kromer. “I don’t know what that means, coming from me. But the way we’ve been coached and the techniques that we’ve learned is why I say there’s been so much improvement.”

 

Some will take this as an opportunity to condemn McD for having Johnson on the staff. “That’s all his fault! That’s on him! He’s the reason we couldn’t run the ball!” 

 

I like people who take every situation and try to make it better. It seems we have done that here. 

 

[Mr. WEO]

2 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

In part, yes.

 

I wasn't guessing or pontificating. I was outright teaching. 

 

 

Settle down, "Einstein"....

 

It's far more likely they send someone to practices open the public.

 

2 minutes ago, eball said:

 

What don't you understand?  It was a mistake of a draft pick, and rather than cutting him for nothing Beane managed a 5th round pick out of it.  What would you have him do -- torture himself over the original pick?

 

 

Strange question.  But the choice shouldn't only be that or lavishing praise on him for passing on a high impact need position and turning it into a 5th round pick 3 (really ) 4 years later. 

 

It's simply a "better than nothing" out, not an FO "at its best".

[Einstein]

Just now, Mr. WEO said:

 

It's far more likely they send someone to practices open the public.

 

Yes, they do that too. As well as to pre-season games of other teams.

[Shake_My_Head]

Beane is a wizard to get a 5th.

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Respectfully, YOU’RE not looking at this the right way.  Beane has not yet gotten on-field contributions from any of his second round picks as a GM.  Zero.  That hopefully will change this year (though the idea being floated around here that they’re hiding Cook in the preseason is hilarious), but so far we’ve got the Outgoing Cody Ford, Epanesa in his make-or-break season, another backup edge in Basham, and a part-time running back who they drafted because they got spurned at the altar by McKissic, a dime-a-dozen RFA RB.  Beane needs to stop throwing second round picks in the trash and he needs to stop giving stupid contracts and raises to guys like Star before we can declare him an “amazing wizard God-man.”

 

 

Getting a 5th for the mess that is Cody Ford is a win.............but man, the paltry production from second round picks by Beane is a thing.

 

It's been a thing with some other Bills GM's too............and I actually think there is an explanation for it.  

 

IMO, there is probably something of a letting down of the guard after spending months focused on that first round pick..........and a bit of "we're playing with house money" in round 2 undertone.     I've seen it with people at big auctions.........their focus is to buy the property..........and then after they get the property they get a bit euphoric and make a bunch of bad decisions regarding the next round of assets and it takes them a while to regain their bearings.    It's often a good time to steal something that the primary bidder shouldn't have let get away.

 

The way Beane treats the second round is very, very needily.    And that approach is not the best way to get the BPA.    People can talk about how moving around the board with trades makes it all work out just like BPA...........but if you know you are willing to use round 2 of the draft to fill immediate needs I believe that impacts how you stack your board in the first place.   It becomes corrupted by need.

 

I think when the pressure to find someone who can start immediately comes off.........you start seeing more sound decisions and good value.........even if they aren't all HR's.   I've liked Beane's work in round 1 more than any Bills GM ever.........but round 2 has been a dead zone production-wise for Beane so far.