SoCal Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Some of you think the Bills have drafted to many DB's in the 1st round since the 1990 Draft. here are the reasons why 1990 J Williams to start opposite N Odomes 1991 H Jones to be the anchor of the def for years 1993 T Smith to replace N Odomes Lost as a free agent 1994 J Burris to replace J Williams injured 1999 A Winfield It had been 5 years since they drafted a DB and both TS & JB were lost as free agents and were average at best. 2001 N Clements to start opposite of AW and AW was lost as a free agent. and he is good. So in the 2007 draft and with NC as a free agent I think that it would be wise to draft one in the early if not the first round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The reason why I do not like to see the Bills draft DBs in the 1st is because, for a variety of reasons, they don't resign them after their initial contracts. Given that it takes about half their initial contract to reach full potential, it seems awfully wasteful to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The reason why I do not like to see the Bills draft DBs in the 1st is because, for a variety of reasons, they don't resign them after their initial contracts. Given that it takes about half their initial contract to reach full potential, it seems awfully wasteful to me. So the problem is not with them drafting DB's in the 1st, its about the Bills not re-signing them when the time comes to re-sign them. That is a more reasonable arguement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 But most high profile positions have the same thing happen to them and with DB's you have to have 2 of them. You only have one QB, RB, LOT and so on. Usually WR's have 2 but one will get a big contract ie PP and suck for some other team. I beleive that Top flight DB's are the #1 reason for sacks. If the QB has to hold the ball someone up front will put pressure on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyBall4Buffalo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 The reason why I do not like to see the Bills draft DBs in the 1st is because, for a variety of reasons, they don't resign them after their initial contracts. Given that it takes about half their initial contract to reach full potential, it seems awfully wasteful to me. Exactaly re-signing these db's when they reach their potential would enable the team to draft other positions to fill out the roster in other crucial areas rather then consistently wasting high picks on the secondary. For as often as they drafted db's if you re-signed some of them you'd be able to get linemen, lb's, dt's, de's etc etc etc. Probably resulting in a better winning pct then we have had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Exactaly re-signing these db's when they reach their potential would enable the team to draft other positions to fill out the roster in other crucial areas rather then consistently wasting high picks on the secondary. For as often as they drafted db's if you re-signed some of them you'd be able to get linemen, lb's, dt's, de's etc etc etc. Probably resulting in a better winning pct then we have had. That's exactly why its a problem. They're constantly cycling through defensive backs at a cost of being able to draft 1st round prospects at other positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimBob2232 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 This isnt really a "bills not re-signing their DBs" problem, this is a "bills not re-signing their players" problem. When was the last time a big(ish) name bill hit the FA market and we kept him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitner20 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 My problem drafting a 1st round CB is what if Youboty becomes real good like many suggested? Youboty didn't play enough this year to warrent him starting time next season, which makes it real hard, but i've heard Youboty has lots of upsight and many people think highly of him. What would we do in 2 years when McGee, Youboty and our 1st rounder are ready to play? I think fixing the pass rush and the run is priority, getting a cheaper replacement for Nate and hoping Youboty develops nicly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRW Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 My problem drafting a 1st round CB is what if Youboty becomes real good like many suggested? Youboty didn't play enough this year to warrent him starting time next season, which makes it real hard, but i've heard Youboty has lots of upsight and many people think highly of him. What would we do in 2 years when McGee, Youboty and our 1st rounder are ready to play? Move McGee to nickel? That's a problem I'd love to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Some of you think the Bills have drafted to many DB's in the 1st round since the 1990 Draft. here are the reasons why1990 J Williams to start opposite N Odomes 1991 H Jones to be the anchor of the def for years 1993 T Smith to replace N Odomes Lost as a free agent 1994 J Burris to replace J Williams injured 1999 A Winfield It had been 5 years since they drafted a DB and both TS & JB were lost as free agents and were average at best. 2001 N Clements to start opposite of AW and AW was lost as a free agent. and he is good. So in the 2007 draft and with NC as a free agent I think that it would be wise to draft one in the early if not the first round. For one thing, you left out the most recent draft in which we drafted 500 defensive backs, and gave up a 2nd round pick in the process. Also, you list only the first round. This omits other early selections over the years YOU mentioned such as Tillman, Kerner, Irvin, Stevens, Wren, MaGahee, Youboty and Simpson. Add 7 first round picks and a few FAs to the mix and it is clear that the Bills focus more on defensive backs than amy other position except perhaps QB. Sorry, this makes no sense. We are a cold weather team where a ground game is a must. In fact, it is very hard to throw in Buffalo at least a couple of times per season, which would seem to make corners far less important than run blockers and run stuffers. Instead, we are small at most positions. The Bills are strong at DE, LT, and QB. These are hard positions to fill, and we have recently invested a ton in the secondary. Imo it is time to solidify the middle of both lines, and to firm up the LB positions before we hop back on the 1st round defensive back merry fo-round. Jmo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 For one thing, you left out the most recent draft in which we drafted 500 defensive backs, and gave up a 2nd round pick in the process. Also, you list only the first round. This omits other early selections over the years YOU mentioned such as Tillman, Kerner, Irvin, Stevens, Wren, MaGahee, Youboty and Simpson. Add 7 first round picks and a few FAs to the mix and it is clear that the Bills focus more on defensive backs than amy other position except perhaps QB. Sorry, this makes no sense. We are a cold weather team where a ground game is a must. In fact, it is very hard to throw in Buffalo at least a couple of times per season, which would seem to make corners far less important than run blockers and run stuffers. Instead, we are small at most positions. The Bills are strong at DE, LT, and QB. These are hard positions to fill, and we have recently invested a ton in the secondary. Imo it is time to solidify the middle of both lines, and to firm up the LB positions before we hop back on the 1st round defensive back merry fo-round. Jmo. I did a quick hand count of the players taken in the draft since 1990, and here's what I came up with. First day picks are in parenthesis: DBs--31 (13) LBs--13 (7) DEs--9 (6) DTs--12 (6) OL--27 (7) TE--10 (2) WR--23 (6) RBs--14 (5) QBs--6 (5) P--1 They've taken more DBs in the draft than any other position, including TWICE as many DBs on the first day of the draft as they have at any other position. This really shows the team's neglect of their OLs over the years. They've picked enough DBs on the first day of the draft to turn over the starting backfield 3 times. They've barely picked enough OL to do it ONCE in 17 YEARS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I think I'd feel better if we made an all out push to sign NC. I'm not sure we are going to be able to keep Fletcher and we will be needing a middle linebacker sooner rather than later and cutting the cord with him might be the wiser thing to do. I'm not sure why everyone is assuming NC is as good as gone. He would be the defensive core of the playoff run (Spikes and Fletcher may have used up most of what they have in the tank.) This is a long way of saying I think we should fight like hell to maintain the status quo in DB's (with quite good backups) and perhaps look to LB's after addressing the lines in this draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I did a quick hand count of the players taken in the draft since 1990, and here's what I came up with. First day picks are in parenthesis: DBs--31 (13) LBs--13 (7) DEs--9 (6) DTs--12 (6) OL--27 (7) TE--10 (2) WR--23 (6) RBs--14 (5) QBs--6 (5) P--1 They've taken more DBs in the draft than any other position, including TWICE as many DBs on the first day of the draft as they have at any other position. This really shows the team's neglect of their OLs over the years. They've picked enough DBs on the first day of the draft to turn over the starting backfield 3 times. They've barely picked enough OL to do it ONCE in 17 YEARS. there's some fuzzy math here. how do you get twice as many first day DBs as D-linmen? You conveniently split up DEs and DTs, but don't do the same for safeties and CBs. that's disingenuous ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 there's some fuzzy math here. how do you get twice as many first day DBs as D-linmen? You conveniently split up DEs and DTs, but don't do the same for safeties and CBs. that's disingenuous ... Perhaps he made a mistake. How do you feel about the point he makes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Perhaps he made a mistake. How do you feel about the point he makes? I don't know. A lot of good teams prioritize the secondary, and I've been a fan long enough to see the results of not having a good one -- i.e., teams instituting the mickey washington plan against the bills defense. Belichik, for instance, has always been part of teams that drafted secondary guys high -- milloy, law, glenn, samuel, wilson, eric turner, those giants teams in the 80s, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 If the point is that we do not put enough emphasis on the trenches, I think its quite valid. Great teams are built from the line of scrimmage back. We might have slipped into the playoffs, but late in the season our inability to stop the run doomed us and would have gotten us out of the playoffs early. Further, our weak pass protection would pretty much doom us in a playoff run as well. The fact is that we don't have ALL that much to do in the draft and free agency to address those two weaknesses, and we will be a contender THIS NEXT SEASON!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 there's some fuzzy math here. how do you get twice as many first day DBs as D-linmen? You conveniently split up DEs and DTs, but don't do the same for safeties and CBs. that's disingenuous ... I had initially planned to split the DBs, DLs and OL, but didn't have time and couldn't remember some of the more obscure players and whether they drafted to play CB or S, for example. And you are correct about the DL being equal. I was in a hurry when I did that and its an obvious mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I don't know. A lot of good teams prioritize the secondary, and I've been a fan long enough to see the results of not having a good one -- i.e., teams instituting the mickey washington plan against the bills defense. Belichik, for instance, has always been part of teams that drafted secondary guys high -- milloy, law, glenn, samuel, wilson, eric turner, those giants teams in the 80s, etc. Was Belichick in NE when Milloy and Law were drafted? I honestly don't remember. Drafting secondary early can at times work. I am just thinking that it is bad as a long term strategy, especially to watch them walk as UFAs. Want to see a nightmare in terms of drafting early DBs? We would both hate to see the Bills end up in this kind of shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Was Belichick in NE when Milloy and Law were drafted? I honestly don't remember. Drafting secondary early can at times work. I am just thinking that it is bad as a long term strategy, especially to watch them walk as UFAs. Want to see a nightmare in terms of drafting early DBs? We would both hate to see the Bills end up in this kind of shape. belichick was asst head coach when both those guys were drafted by NE. Re the Raiders, I dunno - I honestly thought they had one of the best defenses in the league this year. Their offense was incredibly bad, but it's not as if it wasn't loaded with high priced free agents and day 1 picks on the offensive line. I think it was really all about the terrible QBs, the terrible offensive playcalling, and a general lack of effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I had initially planned to split the DBs, DLs and OL, but didn't have time and couldn't remember some of the more obscure players and whether they drafted to play CB or S, for example. And you are correct about the DL being equal. I was in a hurry when I did that and its an obvious mistake. no problem - sorry if i sounded snarky ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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