Butler Vindication

[JohninMinn.]

But Butler, rest his soul, looks a lot better now. Sure, he overpaid his players to win. There were salary cap ramifications. But Butler's players justified the investment. They won and made the playoffs. In the days under former college scouting chief Dwight Adams, the Bills drafted players in the lower rounds (John Holecek, Jay Riemersma) who could actually play. Pro personnel director A.J. Smith found free agents (Flutie, Washington, Gash) who outperformed their contracts. They discovered an undrafted free agent, Pat Williams, who to this day is one of the few bargains on the team.

 

All you guys who only play video games and fantasy football and therefore bashed one of the best GM's we ever had... even Jerry Sullivan has changed his tune.

B)

[Mike in Syracuse]

All you guys who only play video games and fantasy football and therefore bashed one of the best GM's we ever had... even Jerry Sullivan has changed his tune.

B)

63487[/snapback]

 

Really, what exactly did we win? I seem to remember some playoff appearances but I must have forgetten all the superbowls we won under Butler.

 

Are Holocek and Jay Riemersma still playing?? How bout that gem, Eric Flowers or what about Friggin Lonnie?

 

Look at this gem of a draft he had in 2000:

 

College Pos

1 26 26 Erik Flowers Arizona State DE

2 27 58 Travares Tillman Georgia Tech DB

3 27 89 Corey Moore Virginia Tech LB

4 27 121 Avion Black Tennessee State WR

5 27 156 Sammy Morris Texas Tech RB

6 28 194 Leif Larsen Texas-El Paso DE

7 27 233 Drew Haddad

 

You have to be very careful with your interpretation with history.

 

 

If I wanted to root for a team that almost gets it done every year I'd be a Dolphins fan.

[BF_in_Indiana]

Butler made the playoffs as GM in 1993 (This was Polians team with no real work from Butler), 1995, (still a lot of guys that Polian brought here), 1996 (a few more Butler guys spread in there), 1998 (This was a Butler team), and 1999 (Also a Butler team).

 

He was GM for 8 years and we made it 4 times. Not good, but better then TD has done.

 

I still think he was a terrible GM though.

[Chef Jim]

Look what he did in San Diego. Put THEM in salary cap hell and with and they had a pathetic team.

[Ramius]

Best GM's ever...for what, keeping the Bills at status quo for the rest of the 90's?...lets see, what legacy did Butler leave us?

 

1.) a couple of playoff wins

2.) a QB controversy with 2 marginal $25 mil QB's

3.) Salary cap hell

 

sounds to me like butler made a mess and got out when the going got tough...great GM my ass...

[nodnarb]

because jerry sullivan says so it's true?

 

Look at Butler's 2000 draft and look me in the eye and tell me he was a great talent evaluator. Bullschitt. His best players were inherited from Polian.

 

A load of crap.

[justnzane]

Really, what exactly did we win?  I seem to remember some playoff appearances but I must have forgetten all the superbowls we won under Butler. 

 

Are Holocek and Jay Riemersma still playing??  How bout that gem, Eric Flowers or what about Friggin Lonnie? 

 

Look at this gem of a draft he had in 2000:

 

College  Pos

1 26 26 Erik Flowers            Arizona State DE

2 27 58 Travares Tillman Georgia Tech      DB

3 27 89 Corey Moore          Virginia Tech        LB

4 27 121 Avion Black          Tennessee State    WR

5 27 156 Sammy Morris        Texas Tech    RB

6 28 194 Leif Larsen            Texas-El Paso DE

7 27 233 Drew Haddad

 

You have to be very careful with your interpretation with history.

If I wanted to root for a team that almost gets it done every year I'd be a Dolphins fan.

63494[/snapback]

 

 

the sad thing is that the only player from that draft that was on the Bills preseason squad was 7th rounder

[KurtGodel77]

Butler's biggest problem was that he didn't find us a QB. His QBs were Todd Collins (inept), Billy Joe Hoebart (inept), Rob Johnson (too easy to sack), and Doug Flutie (too old, not a long-term solution, not accurate enough). We had a good defense, and an offensive line that could run block well, and some talent at non-QB skill positions, but without a QB you really can't build anything long term.

[KurtGodel77]

Two of Butler's four playoff appearances came when we had Kelly under center. Kelly was a pre-Butler pick. The first of the two non-Kelly appearances came when Flutie replaced Johnson, the second when Johnson replaced Flutie. A few years later, both players would be replaced, and neither would be starting for another NFL team.

[Buftex]

Butler may have been a lousy GM (I disagree), but I would take his evaluation of talent ability over TD in a second. You many say "where are guys like Holocek, Rimersma (actually with the Steelers) but Butlers' picks contributed to more wins than losses, and were at least productive while in a Bills uniform. He knew how to draft guys that fit the Bills system, and Wade Phillips knew how to coach them. You can bring up the bust that was Erik Flowers, but Butler was far more on than off in his drafts. Butler was not as shrewd as TD with the business end of things, but was very above average at acquiring talent. Butlers' skills at talent evaluation were a large contributing factor to Bill Polian's success in Buffalo.

 

Let me ask, what has Tom Donohue ever won? He makes his bosses happy, and gets us excited, but the result is a miserable product on the field. I am not giving up on TD yet, but I think people who continue to knock Butler are foolish.