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Interesting read from Chuck Pollock...
I gotta agree on one point here.
Tom Donahoe's coaching decisions were miserable but he did get some great players via free agency & the draft.
I bolded a few of the names. I forgot how many of these guys seemed like training camp fodder at the time but developed into very good players.
Donahoe definitely made some savvy moves.
Donahoe derserves some credit for Bills’ turnaround
When he was ousted after last season, former president/general manager Tom Donahoe was blamed for everything from Western New York’s sagging economy to accumulations in the snow belt.
But these are the facts.
Losman was Donahoe’s acquisition.
After Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger were picked in the first round, Donahoe, who had already taken wide receiver Lee Evans with the 13th pick, traded back into 2004’s first round.
He switched first-round picks with Dallas (the Cowboys got the Bills’ opening rounder in 2005), plus giving up a second and fifth-rounder, for the right to take Losman with the 22nd pick.
And while J.P. struggled, fans concluded Donahoe had thrown good money after bad ... especially while Roethlisberger, playing in the Steelers’ structured, run-oriented, don’t-lose-the-game-for-us offense, won a Super Bowl.
Even Manning showed some promise last season while Rivers, after a holdout, sat and watched Drew Breese and didn’t earn a starting spot until this season.
But, in recent weeks, while Losman has blossomed and Rivers has lived up to his billing with the trade of Breese to New Orleans, Roethlisberger and
Manning have been worse than terrible.
It’s not unfair to suggest J.P. will have a superior career to either “Big Ben” or Eli.
Then there’s [Roscoe] Parrish.
Donahoe was blistered by critics who said that picking a midget wide receiver — explosive quickness notwithstanding — with Buffalo’s second-round pick (Dallas had the first-rounder in the Losman deal) when the team needed linemen on both sides of the ball, was unfettered arrogance.
As it turns out, though, Parrish could be a difference-maker.
And, oh yeah, take a look at the Bills’ starters.
On offense, Losman, Evans, running back Willis McGahee and guard Duke Preston were Donahoe draftees while tackle Jason Peters, guard Mike Gandy and fullback Daimon Shelton were his free agent signings.
Defensively, ends Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay, linebacker Angelo Crowell and cornerbacks Nate Clements and Terrence McGee were drafted by
Donahoe while linebackers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes were free agent acquisitions, as were punter Brian Moorman and place-kicker Rian Lindell.
The point is this.
On the issues of perceived arrogance and bunker-mentality paranoia, Donahoe is unexpectedly and disappointingly guilty.
But the indictment of him as a talent evaluator is ill-considered.
Of the Bills’ 24 starters — including kicker and punter — 16, or two-thirds, are Donahoe acquisitions.
He’s fully answerable for the misguided head-coaching hirings of Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey.
But in the area of talent evaluation, time could well prove him to be more than capable.
Chuck Pollock's column
For real. Some of these picks were incredible. Especially the less heralded pickups like Jason Peters, Terrence McGee, Angelo Crowell, Duke Preston, Daimon Shelton, & Brian Moorman.
I gotta agree on one point here.
Tom Donahoe's coaching decisions were miserable but he did get some great players via free agency & the draft.
I bolded a few of the names. I forgot how many of these guys seemed like training camp fodder at the time but developed into very good players.
Donahoe definitely made some savvy moves.
Donahoe derserves some credit for Bills’ turnaround
When he was ousted after last season, former president/general manager Tom Donahoe was blamed for everything from Western New York’s sagging economy to accumulations in the snow belt.
But these are the facts.
Losman was Donahoe’s acquisition.
After Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger were picked in the first round, Donahoe, who had already taken wide receiver Lee Evans with the 13th pick, traded back into 2004’s first round.
He switched first-round picks with Dallas (the Cowboys got the Bills’ opening rounder in 2005), plus giving up a second and fifth-rounder, for the right to take Losman with the 22nd pick.
And while J.P. struggled, fans concluded Donahoe had thrown good money after bad ... especially while Roethlisberger, playing in the Steelers’ structured, run-oriented, don’t-lose-the-game-for-us offense, won a Super Bowl.
Even Manning showed some promise last season while Rivers, after a holdout, sat and watched Drew Breese and didn’t earn a starting spot until this season.
But, in recent weeks, while Losman has blossomed and Rivers has lived up to his billing with the trade of Breese to New Orleans, Roethlisberger and
Manning have been worse than terrible.
It’s not unfair to suggest J.P. will have a superior career to either “Big Ben” or Eli.
Then there’s [Roscoe] Parrish.
Donahoe was blistered by critics who said that picking a midget wide receiver — explosive quickness notwithstanding — with Buffalo’s second-round pick (Dallas had the first-rounder in the Losman deal) when the team needed linemen on both sides of the ball, was unfettered arrogance.
As it turns out, though, Parrish could be a difference-maker.
And, oh yeah, take a look at the Bills’ starters.
On offense, Losman, Evans, running back Willis McGahee and guard Duke Preston were Donahoe draftees while tackle Jason Peters, guard Mike Gandy and fullback Daimon Shelton were his free agent signings.
Defensively, ends Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay, linebacker Angelo Crowell and cornerbacks Nate Clements and Terrence McGee were drafted by
Donahoe while linebackers London Fletcher and Takeo Spikes were free agent acquisitions, as were punter Brian Moorman and place-kicker Rian Lindell.
The point is this.
On the issues of perceived arrogance and bunker-mentality paranoia, Donahoe is unexpectedly and disappointingly guilty.
But the indictment of him as a talent evaluator is ill-considered.
Of the Bills’ 24 starters — including kicker and punter — 16, or two-thirds, are Donahoe acquisitions.
He’s fully answerable for the misguided head-coaching hirings of Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey.
But in the area of talent evaluation, time could well prove him to be more than capable.
Chuck Pollock's column
For real. Some of these picks were incredible. Especially the less heralded pickups like Jason Peters, Terrence McGee, Angelo Crowell, Duke Preston, Daimon Shelton, & Brian Moorman.
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