Trading Down

[KRT88]

I agree with you.

 

The trade down scenario, IMO, is a real risk for the Bills. As I argued last year, when it was Lynch going 'too high', if you like the guy, just take him and be done with it. If you trade down, you're basically telegraphing your pick and giving all of the WR-needy teams still picking after you an incentive to jump ahead of you in the draft order. Just make your pick and be happy that you got the player you wanted. The only time I'd do it is if I had several WRs that graded out equally on my board and brought the same skills to the table. I'm not sure that's the case here.

 

On the other hand, if your plan involves trading down and then fishing through the scraps at WR, then it seems to me that you're not entirely sure what you're looking for. Better bet? Skip the WR altogether in R1 and just draft another position that you're more sure about.

 

Think about it, Kelly, Sweed and Thomas are all basically equal. There does not appear to be one WR worth the #11 pick. Why not move back 8-12 picks, still get one of those guys, grab and extra pick. Now you more amo to move up in round 2 or 3. If we could take the #11 pick and package that into 4 or 5 guys in the top 3 round, we could really fill holes. The Bills are gonna need some athletes to play on special teams. Maybe they only nab 1 or 2 starters but we have the firepower and perhaps the leverage we need to use it. If the opportunity never presents itself, then fine.

[Brandon]

Think about it, Kelly, Sweed and Thomas are all basically equal. There does not appear to be one WR worth the #11 pick. Why not move back 8-12 picks, still get one of those guys, grab and extra pick. Now you more amo to move up in round 2 or 3. If we could take the #11 pick and package that into 4 or 5 guys in the top 3 round, we could really fill holes. The Bills are gonna need some athletes to play on special teams. Maybe they only nab 1 or 2 starters but we have the firepower and perhaps the leverage we need to use it. If the opportunity never presents itself, then fine.

 

I'm not sure how similar they really are. Its one thing to see the height/weight/speed stuff, but on the field, I think they may have enough differences to argue that they're not completely interchangeable. In particular, Thomas brings a skillset quite a bit different than the other two and is much more quick and explosive than they are. Kelly and Sweed are fairly similar, but even there, I think Kelly separates better and has better hands.

[Flbillsfan#1]

I'm not saying that Whitner was a mistake by any means, he's a solid player, but who can honestly say he's done all that we have hoped that he would through 2 seasons??

 

Here's a quick look at 4 SS's that were taken in the 1st two rds of the 2006 draft. (2007 stats, two years in the league)

 

7. Michael Huff (OAK) 89 tckl 0 sck 1 FF 1 INT

8. Donte Whitner 85 tckl 1 sck 1 FF 1 INT

40. Daniel Bullocks (DET) 0 0 0 0

43. Roman Harper (NO) 90 tckl 4 sck 2 FF 3 INT

 

Is it just me or is there one player on this list who has far and away out performed all the others??

 

Yes Detroit might have taken Whitner at 9, but (hindsight is 20/20) a man by the name of Roman Harper would have been available in the 2nd had we not traded that pick away for McCargo.

 

I like Whitner, I do, but the point I'm trying to make is that why reach for a player when realistically there are other, potentially better options out there?

 

Also just a side note, Whitner out of the 3 SS's that played had the least amount of tackles, and when we all know how poor our run defense was and how RB's were getting past our D-line and linebackers one would think he would be leading in at least this category...

 

And as for the smiley, I'm new to this board, and I wanted to put it at the end of my post but for some reason it put it there, lets just say its for the good weather we've been having...idk? lol

You forgot about Jason Allen, picked by Miami @ #16 to play SAFETY. Whitner has outplayed Huff, who was drafted ahead of him & Miami would have taken taken Whitner if Detroit didn't. Jason Allen for Miami was a HUGE MISTAKE, Donte Whitner was NO MISTAKE.

[Christopher Capolupo]

I'm not saying that Whitner was a mistake by any means, he's a solid player, but who can honestly say he's done all that we have hoped that he would through 2 seasons??

 

Well actually you did say it was a mistake.. You said in your first post:

 

"I mean why make the same mistake twice as they did with Donte Whitner?"

[Billsfanfourlife]

Think about it, Kelly, Sweed and Thomas are all basically equal. There does not appear to be one WR worth the #11 pick. Why not move back 8-12 picks, still get one of those guys, grab and extra pick. Now you more amo to move up in round 2 or 3. If we could take the #11 pick and package that into 4 or 5 guys in the top 3 round, we could really fill holes. The Bills are gonna need some athletes to play on special teams. Maybe they only nab 1 or 2 starters but we have the firepower and perhaps the leverage we need to use it. If the opportunity never presents itself, then fine.

 

That's what I'm saying there's no one clear cut winner as far as WR's go. Thomas has the most potential but only had one big year, Sweed has injury problems, Kelly's speed has come into question. So chances are one of those players would be in the middle to late first round.

 

And again, I'm not saying Donte Whitner was a mistake, it was a mistake to take him early when potentially we could have gotten him later. Just at the 8th overall pick I would like someone who plays up to Troy Polamulou's level or something along those lines.

 

As for Jason Allen they had him listed as Drafted as a DB so he wasn't a clear cut SS whether he was drafted for that idk. Also they have him listed as a FS, and if you want to look at his numbers from last year if he was such a mistake then here they are: 62 tackles 0 Sacks 1 FF 3 ints. He's a FS so obviously he won't have as many tackles, so to say he was a total mistake wouldn't be all that true....just check that next time.

[Steely Dan]

That's what I'm saying there's no one clear cut winner as far as WR's go. Thomas has the most potential but only had one big year, Sweed has injury problems, Kelly's speed has come into question. So chances are one of those players would be in the middle to late first round.

 

And again, I'm not saying Donte Whitner was a mistake, it was a mistake to take him early when potentially we could have gotten him later. Just at the 8th overall pick I would like someone who plays up to Troy Polamulou's level or something along those lines.

 

As for Jason Allen they had him listed as Drafted as a DB so he wasn't a clear cut SS whether he was drafted for that idk. Also they have him listed as a FS, and if you want to look at his numbers from last year if he was such a mistake then here they are: 62 tackles 0 Sacks 1 FF 3 ints. He's a FS so obviously he won't have as many tackles, so to say he was a total mistake wouldn't be all that true....just check that next time.

 

Sweeds injury isn't much of a concern anymore it looks like it's going to fully heal.

[Trader]

As an avid Bills fan I have like thousands of others have scoured the net in search of every mock draft created by pros or one that some kid made during his study hall...nonetheless I have not seen I don't think anyway, one that had the Bills trading down later in the first round? The way I see it if the Bills don't take a WR at the #11 position then one isn't taken until around the 22-27 pick range? So why don't the Bills find a potential suitor that wants to move up and take their first rd pick and possibly their second round pick also? I mean why make the same mistake twice as they did with Donte Whitner? We took him way early than anyone else had him going? We could have traded down and got Whitner later in the round, and to tell me someone wouldn't want to move up to the 8th pick in that draft would be insane. If we're going to take a reach on a Kelly or Thomas and it doesnt pan out again, our friend Mel Kiper and his enormous hair is going to have a field day on us. This is my ideal (kind of realistic) draft situation:

 

At Pick 11 Derrick Harvey if still available.

 

Then trade away a few of our hundred picks we have available and get into the late 1st early second round and take a Limas Sweed, Malcom Kelly, etc... I mean if Malcom Kelly's pro day doesn't pan out for him, he could easily slip to us in the 2nd round also...So you never know. Lets all hope for a successful draft, mirroring the one we had last year (arguably one of the best in NFL)

 

Most Mock drafts do not have trades as someone else wrote. However walter's football does have a alternative scenario that contends that there will be many possibilities to trade the number 11 pick. it going to be in demand especially if the Bills brass plays their cards close to the vest and keeps the rest of the league guessing as to what they will do at 11.

 

Most teams do not want to be in the top ten. 11 is another story.

[Dibs]

.....And again, I'm not saying Donte Whitner was a mistake, it was a mistake to take him early when potentially we could have gotten him later. Just at the 8th overall pick I would like someone who plays up to Troy Polamulou's level or something along those lines......

And potentially we might not have gotten him later. I personally would prefer our HO to get the player that they want rather than their second(potentially 3rd or 4th) choice.

 

I would like to see someone who plays up to Troy Polamulou's level or something along those lines from the #8 overall pick as well(though with a better support cast we just might see that from DW)......but I am quite content to get a top 15 safety from the #8 overall pick considering that around 50% of top picks bust out.