2020 Our Year For Sure Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Its been a while since you could call the Bills predictable. For years now, they've been botching their most obvious decisions. I'm not talking about a decision like replacing JP Losman with Trent Edwards...I'm talking about decisions that unite nearly all observant followers of the team on one side. Decisions that were far simpler than those in charge made them out to be, and which were plainly obvious to anyone interested in seeing the Buffalo Bills rebuilt successfully. Decisions like prioritizing the offensive line, rather than bringing in scraps from other teams, like your Tutan Reyes' or your Bennie Andersons. Decisions like acquiring playmakers in the middle of your defensive front. For a long time, a three-year stint from an aging Sam Adams was the only serious attempt to do so. Decisions like building a core group consisting of young players rather than retread veterans, who would give your team only a small window before leaving behind a position that would need to be reloaded. Free agency would come and go, 1st and 2nd round draft picks would come and go, and we'd all hold our breath over and over again hoping this team was finally serious about getting better. Opportunity would pass us by, pick after pick would be wasted, and we'd come away disappointed year after year. Enter Marv Levy and Dick Jauron. We held our breath in their first draft, and finally were not disappointed: we spent three draft picks- yes, we did what was needed- to acquire perhaps the last potential impact DT remaining on the board. The result of which is not yet known, but the concept is difficult to refute. We held our breath again during the following season's free agency period, and again, we were strangely satisfied with the results: Buffalo spent over $74 million in total to fix a then-woeful offensive front. The result of which was the 11th fewest sacks allowed in 2007. We held our breath yet again during this season's free agency period, and many of us were simply blown away when Buffalo acquired 3-time Pro Bowl DT Marcus Stroud to anchor their defensive front. The offensive and defensive lines had finally been stocked. The thorn in the Bills' side that the previous management had ignored for years had at last been addressed. Are Buffalo's lines perfect? Absolutely not. But both units have been stocked with brand name players, and both units have without refutation been brought at least to a level of competency. So Buffalo felt comfortable turning their gaze to their other needs. Even the most obvious courses of action will have their detractors...on a personal note, I was one of the more outspoken of those who didn't think Buffalo needed a cornerback. But when the Bills went on the clock in the 2008 NFL draft, many obvious picks that could have addressed arguably more glaring needs (like a pass rusher off the edge, for instance) were off the board. If Buffalo's value board is an accurate representation of future NFL performance, their selection of Leodis McKelvin in the 1st round will indeed be a wise one. And we all knew what Buffalo ought to have been targeting with their next pick. We all knew what the glaring need was that stuck out like a sore thumb. But we had been through this before. We had seen this team fail to address it's most obvious of needs, wasting opportunity after opportunity, season after season, wading through a seemingly endless state of mediocrity. The prospects who could fill the role of the big wide reciever, who could give us the help in the red zone and the compliment to Lee Evans we so badly needed began to dwindle. The Bills came on the clock for their 2nd round selection with three names on the board their faithful fans had agreed upon: Limas Sweed, James Hardy, and Malcolm Kelly. I don't know about the rest of you. But when the 'current selection' notice started flashing on the marquee, I did what the Bills had conditioned me to do for years. I did the only thing I knew how to do. I held my breath. And in the few moments leading up to the revelation of the pick, I nervously repeated the words, "Sweed or Hardy, Sweed or Hardy, Sweed or Hardy..." I did not believe Buffalo would do what I wanted them to do. What I, and nearly all of my fellow fans, believed they needed to do. After all, considering this team's track record over the last 10 years...how could I? And when "James Hardy, WR, Indiana" was revealed as the pick, I could enjoy one alleviating exhale. Finally, I realized the days when we'd pick a Willis McGahee, with a Travis Henry on our roster and an Eric Steinbach on the board were finished. The slate had finally been cleaned, the page finally turned. And what did they do with their next pick? The Bills went out and found the very thing I was so disappointed we were unable to get in the 1st round...they got me my edge rusher. Considering their three-year history, one could say the Bills now have a tendency to actually address their most glaring needs. That sounds elementary, but it is a vast difference from how the franchise had previously been run, and a change that Bills fans can revel in. If nearly all observers of the team can see a certain course of action is best, you can bet those in charge can see it, too. In a way, the Bills have become predictable. As predictable as their fellow NFL franchises, and as predictable as you can be in the topsy-turvy, cutthroat, 24/7 world of the NFL. They're predictable, and I'm loving it. I don't feel the need to hold my breath anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deep2evans Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 awesome post. sums up my current feelings perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Búfalo Blanco Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Nice post I was another one who didn't think they needed a CB until later in the draft, but they stuck to their board and took what they thought was the best athlete left at #11 in a "need" position... and still came away with their choice at WR... Predictable indeed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNW_Bills_Fan Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Nice post I was another one who didn't think they needed a CB until later in the draft, but they stuck to their board and took what they thought was the best athlete left at #11 in a "need" position... and still came away with their choice at WR... Predictable indeed!! I'll buy a round after that post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwightSchrute Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Great Post... I was in McFaddens in NY surrounded by Bills fans and you could hear a pin drop when the Bills made their 2 picks. Then, pure elation. Our D is going to be NASTY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Nice job, Big Bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billadelphia Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 B-cubed, your massive missive is so thorough, well-thought and well-articulated, and so absolutely correct that I can think of only one word to add... 19 and 0 baby!!!! GO BILLSSS!!!! Posluszny!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted April 30, 2008 Author Share Posted April 30, 2008 Thanks, everybody! Nice post I was another one who didn't think they needed a CB until later in the draft, but they stuck to their board and took what they thought was the best athlete left at #11 in a "need" position... and still came away with their choice at WR... Predictable indeed!! And thats not a bad thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCCEO Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Great Post... I was in McFaddens in NY surrounded by Bills fans and you could hear a pin drop when the Bills made their 2 picks. Then, pure elation. Our D is going to be NASTY. I bet. I apologize for regurgitating this but it was one of the scariest moments of my life when espn was showing DeSean Jackson. It was like the feeling of being pulled over going 75 in a school zone while driving an uninspected unregistered vehicle without a license. After the 2nd round the rest was gravy. Also, awesome post, I feel the same way about the team right now. B-cubed, your massive missive is so thorough, well-thought and well-articulated, and so absolutely correct that I can think of only one word to add...19 and 0 baby!!!! GO BILLSSS!!!! Posluszny!!!!! Don't the patriots have that trademarked>>>? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Don't the patriots have that trademarked>>>? Not quite - I believe what the choke-job *Patriettes* have a trademark on is "18 and Doh!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyDingo Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I am so sick and tired of the belly-aching I hear about Lord Donahoe's tenure. Ya know what he brought to the table that this team is missing right now? SIZZLE! That's right. I said it. Whats better than having a marquee rusher on your team and then drafting ANOTHER with his leg broken in half? Thats Drama, baby! Thats what puts butts in the seats. If Lord Donahoe was still here you would be in SO MUCH TROUBLE! We couldve had Drew Bledsoe, JP Losman, Matt Leinhart and Brian Brohm all on the roster AT ONCE! You guys dont know a good GM when you see him and now he's gone...and he'll never work again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCinBuffalo Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I am so sick and tired of the belly-aching I hear about Lord Donahoe's tenure. Ya know what he brought to the table that this team is missing right now? SIZZLE! That's right. I said it. Whats better than having a marquee rusher on your team and then drafting ANOTHER with his leg broken in half? Thats Drama, baby! Thats what puts butts in the seats. If Lord Donahoe was still here you would be in SO MUCH TROUBLE! We couldve had Drew Bledsoe, JP Losman, Matt Leinhart and Brian Brohm all on the roster AT ONCE! You guys dont know a good GM when you see him and now he's gone...and he'll never work again. You forgot that crazy trick play calling Mularkey, boy did making him a head coach add sizzle. And who can forget those sizzling plays that made Mularkey famous. You won't see plays like that in the NFL for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 bravo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I did exactly as you did especially on the 1st two picks..... First pick....holding my breath "trade down....god please trade down" My feeling of the number one priority of the draft was getting a quality wideout.....then the pick McKelvin came across the screen...... I am like WTF WTF now they are going to have a hard time trading back into the 1st to get a wideout.....but...for some strange reason ......wideouts were not coming off the board ......I kept waiting for the trade up ......but wideouts were not coming off the board ......and teams who you would thought would pick wideouts kept going with other players The tension kept biulding at the end of 1st round. I am thinking "there is going to be this huge run on WR's now....we are going to HAVE to take Malcom Kelly .....then a WR I never heard of came off the board in Avery...I said WTF .....then a WR who I thought had no business going till the late 2nd or later comes off the board and I say WTF .....and our pick gets closer .....and I am screaming for them to move up....sure it wont cost that much to do it now! ....and our pick gets closer ....and Thomas comes off the board...oh great....here goes Hardy and Sweed......we are going to be stuck with some other WR or wont get one at all ....and our pick is next. Now I am really sweating it. They didnt trade up so maybe they just dont want a wideout? NO NO NO ....and our pick is announced JAMES HARDY.....YES YES YES YES!!!!!! And then it all sinks in just how smart the bills are....if they had listened to me they wouldn't have that 3rd round pick to take Ellis.....they would have had to give up something for something they could have if they were just patient which I was not....... HARDY....6'6" insane touchdown machine Hardy.....and they were smart enough to take value at the 11th pick and still got their wideout..... This team is going to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Its been a while since you could call the Bills predictable. . . . And when "James Hardy, WR, Indiana" was revealed as the pick, I could enjoy one alleviating exhale. Finally, I realized the days when we'd pick a Willis McGahee, with a Travis Henry on our roster and an Eric Steinbach on the board were finished. The slate had finally been cleaned, the page finally turned. That was a great post. One of the best I've ever seen on these boards. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted May 1, 2008 Author Share Posted May 1, 2008 That was a great post. One of the best I've ever seen on these boards. Thanks. Appreciated HA, that means alot coming from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeF Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 You nailed it BBB..... Addressing needs was just too pedestrian for an intellectually superior being like TD. Even Modrak looks happier these days -- kind of like Bill Richardson after ridding himself of the Clintons... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Búfalo Blanco Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Thanks, everybody! And thats not a bad thing! Not a bad thing at all... Like you said, its a welcome change from TD's chaotic surprises!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Appreciated HA, that means alot coming from you. You're welcome. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed with respect to two things: 1. Will McKelvin be given an extension, or allowed to walk after his first contract is over? 2. Will Hardy and Ellis work out? If both those things go the Bills' way, this will have been a very successful draft indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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