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Running Bills Draft Grade


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1. Donte Whitner = D

1. John McCargo = C-

3. Ashton Youboty = B-

4. Ko Simpson = B

5. Kyle Williams = C

5. Brad Butler = F

6. Keith Ellison = Incomplete, no opinion

7. Terrance Pennington = Incomplete, no opinion

7. Aaaron Merz = Incomplete, no opinion

 

Overall Grade: D+

 

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2006 PICKS

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---DONTE WHITNER:

Surprise! The Bills must've watched the playoffs and saw how Troy Polamalu could affect a game and decided to get one of their own. I have nothing personal against Donte Whitner. In fact, I like him as a player A LOT. Here's a link to a post I made TWO WEEKS AGO praising a mock draft in which the Bills trade down and select Whitner at #17 overall: http://www.stadiumwall.com/index.php?showt...5195&hl=Whitner . The key there, though, is TRADE DOWN for value. Remember, Ed Reed was picked #24 overall while Polamalu was picked at #16 overall, and now Whitner has gone #8 overall. Look, Whitner is going to become a very good safety if healthy but he needs to become an All-Pro like Polamalu to justify this pick at #8 overall with no trade downs. With Philly and Denver both trying to trade up, we should've went ahead and accepted even a third rounder to trade down and still pick up Whitner for less salary; also, not that he has a great history of being right, but John Clayton reports that we could've gotten an extra second-rounder out of the trade from one of these teams...I would've loved to have picked up an extra second in a deep draft. Furthermore, Whitner had a knee injury his sophomore year that required a scope and kept him out of a couple of games. If you want to draft a slightly undersized safety in the top 10, I would want him to have a 100% perfect bill of health. After initially grading this pick an F, I've decided that it's too harsh a grade; an "F" should mean bad positioning AND player. Whitner is a very good player (but again, needs to become an All-Pro) that anyone who watched OSU saw was all over the field making plays, BUT the Bills didn't leverage the value of their draft position. Still, the huge positive out of this pick is that we should never have to see Matt Bowen or Coy Wire as a starting safety in our lineup. Whitner is also allegedly a great leader and hard-working person with much character, something that we need in the locker room and can't be assessed by just watching games.

 

---JOHN MCCARGO:

McCargo has pretty good upside and fits the Cover 2 well with his quickness. This wasn't a reach; I think the first round is where most teams that use small defenses have him slotted. I have nothing against John McCargo but again, I have a problem with the strategy we used on this pick. I hate that we traded away a third rounder in a deep draft to move up and get him. If it were up to me, I would've kept that pick and let the draft come to me at #42 overall; if McCargo didn't fall to 42, take offensive line help instead and then use both third rounders on the defensive line. There are other good DTs out there that fit our defense. I like Jonathan Lewis a lot... Jesse Mahelona... we didn't NEED McCargo enough right then and there to trade up for him when you balance that choice against our MULTIPLE roster holes and a deep draft. When a draft is deep and you have multiple holes, you want to preserve and gain as many picks as possible, and I think the Bills did a poor job with that with both the Whitner and McCargo picks. Furthermore, as with Whitner, McCargo does not have a clean bill of health and it remains to be seen if he can be durable in the NFL at his position. Note also that McCargo likely will not start but rather rotate with Tripplett at the 3-tech/undertackle position. We still need to find ourselves a more stout 1-tech/overtackle/nose type DT from this draft. Because McCargo does address the lines, and because we're not screwing up with a top 10 pick, this second round grade is a bit higher than the first round grade.

 

---ASHTON YOUBOTY

This pick was pretty good value because of Youboty's upside. He has the good size/speed/athleticism that people look for in a CB and is a good hitter but at the same time, let's not overrate this kid. He's boom or bust--good upside, but he could become a complete flop as well (unlike Whitner, who will at least be good). He really isn't a first round value based on game play and it'll probably be awhile before he can be trusted to make good reads in a cover 2 zone scheme. OSU fans can attest that he had a much better sophomore year than junior year, and actually, some teams in '05 (i.e. Minnesota) specifically picked on him all game long for big plays. He's a project, which is fine because he comes from a good lineage (OSU DBs), and because we have time to develop him behind Clements, McGee, and King. I don't like ignoring the offensive line the first day, though. Cornerback is the deepest position in this draft and we could've gotten a good prospect in the second day especially since it's not a pressing concern for us like the lines are. That needs to be taken into account when you grade this pick.

 

---KO SIMPSON

Well, it's quite obvious that the Bills are unhappy with how Vincent and Bowen/Wire project long-term to being Cover 2 safeties (as they should be). Simpson is a good value pick, period, even though this isn't an immediate need for the Bills. Very good upside and ball skills, but as with Youboty, his impact will probably be a couple of seasons down the line after he gets used to zone concepts.

 

---KYLE WILLIAMS

Blah. They just drafted Tim Anderson again, which isn't terrible. Anderson's not a BAD player and neither is Kyle Williams. Great motor, durability, and intangibles. I was just hoping to get somebody with good upside.

 

---BRAD BUTLER

Yuck. No upside whatsoever.

 

---KEITH ELLISON

No opinion

 

---TERRANCE PENNINGTON

No opinion

 

---AARON MERZ

No opinion

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Current Pick:  Donte Whitner

Grade: F

 

The Bills must've watched the playoffs and saw how Troy Polamalu could affect a game and decided to get one of their own.  Well, they better hope Whitner becomes an All-Pro as well because that is the only way to justify this reach.  Whitner is going to become a very good safety if healthy but Buffalo should've traded down to get him.  With Philly and Denver both trying to trade up, we should've went ahead and accepted a third rounder to trade down and still pick up Whitner.

 

1. Donte Whitner = F

2. ? = ?

3. ? = ?

3. ? = ?

4. ? = ?

5. ? = ?

5. ? = ?

6. ? = ?

7. ? = ?

7. ? = ?

 

Current Pick: F

Overall Grade: F

674625[/snapback]

 

 

I think F is a little bit too high a grade.

 

It's official: Bills are the laughingstock of the league!

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Yea and back when we drafted Mike Williams at #4 did all you guys give us an A!

675013[/snapback]

 

 

no, drafting a RT at 4 is just dumb...not to mention there was a LT on the board that was a better player

 

McKinney isnt Ogden but he is good and head and shoulders above Willaims

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I'm also giving them an F.  Horrible waste of value with the 8th pick.

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This true that it is a wasted pick in ranking the draft, but it still might be a good or great pick in building a football team if he produces on the field. We will see.

 

It all comes down to who knows really what the future will hold.

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This board is dominated by negative idiots.

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The world is dominated by negative idiots. ;) For the record, I hated this pick but to give it a F is stupid. We got a guy who just turned 21 and will be a starter at SS (and every down player) and potentially could be a corner. He also is a good special teams player. The goal of the draft is to get players that can contribute to your team for at least 4-5 years. I believe if Marv gets a DT in the second round, this pick will look a lot better. I give this pick a C with potential for improving (and I hated this pick at first).

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The world is dominated by negative idiots.  ;)  For the record, I hated this pick  but to give it a F is stupid.  We got a guy who just turned 21 and will be a starter at SS (and every down player) and potentially could be a corner.  He also is a good special teams player.  The goal of the draft is to get players that can contribute to your team for at least 4-5 years.  I believe if Marv gets a DT in the second round, this pick will look a lot better.  I give this pick a C with potential for improving (and I hated this pick at first).

675097[/snapback]

nice w/ the optimism

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Yea and back when we drafted Mike Williams at #4 did all you guys give us an A!

675013[/snapback]

I gave Mike Williams an F. Seriously. His bustability threat was too high being waaay overweight. Whitner will be a much better player than MW, though.

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nice w/ the optimism

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It's funny because i was just killing the pick with my brother. Time will tell and if he can be a solid 4-5 year starter for this team, it won't look so bad. But the Bills need to get a starter in the second round.

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The world is dominated by negative idiots.  ;)  For the record, I hated this pick  but to give it a F is stupid.  We got a guy who just turned 21 and will be a starter at SS (and every down player) and potentially could be a corner.  He also is a good special teams player.  The goal of the draft is to get players that can contribute to your team for at least 4-5 years.  I believe if Marv gets a DT in the second round, this pick will look a lot better.  I give this pick a C with potential for improving (and I hated this pick at first).

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Yes, our original reactions were the same then. We've both adjusted given some time to think it over. No, it's not an F, but you gave it a C and I'll give a D. If he becomes an All-Pro, it becomes an A. I know he'll become a good safety but he needs to become a game-changer like Polamalu or Reed to merit an A.

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Yes, our original reactions were the same then.  We've both adjusted given some time to think it over.  No, it's not an F, but you gave it a C and I'll give a D.  If he becomes an All-Pro, it becomes an A.  I know he'll become a good safety but he needs to become a game-changer like Polamalu or Reed to merit an A.

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I'm with you 100% on that. I really hated it. But the guy could be a solid, every down starter. That being said, they need to draft a starter in the second round.

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Marv and Modrak are friggin' idiots. Two reaches in the first round? They trade up to get a guy that easily would have been there when they drafted in round 2. They now officially have a grade of F.

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McCargo would not have been there in 2nd round.

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