Sporting News Magazine didn't like our draft

**Earthquake Enyart** · 04-30-2003, 05:03 PM

What a surprise. St. Louis got an A.

They are so biased...

**ArcticWildMan** · 04-30-2003, 05:10 PM

How could they give the Cards a C-????

**TypicalBill** · 04-30-2003, 05:18 PM

Jacksonville had one of the top 3 drafts IMO, they didn't get into the top 10?

**Ingtar33** · 04-30-2003, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by ArcticWildMan
How could they give the Cards a C-????

easy... the cards traded away a #6 for two 1st rounders and a second, then promptly drafted 2 2nd rounders in the first (Pace and Johnson), a 3rd to 4th rounder in the 2nd (Anquan Bolden), and only one NFL ready prospect the rest of the way (Hayes in the 3rd)... Truthfully, a lot of us in the War room were laughing our heads off at the 'zona picks... one guy in particular said, "what, are they trying to waste their picks?!"

**ArcticWildMan** · 04-30-2003, 05:51 PM

That's what I meant Ingtar. I think a C- is being way too nice!! I'd grade them as an F!!!

**northernbillfan** · 04-30-2003, 06:02 PM

Back peddaling now AWM.

My question is how can they give Minny an A?

This is the second year they blew their pick, and they will still have to give 7th money to their guy instead of 9th.

**venis2k1** · 04-30-2003, 06:12 PM

Minny cought my eye too, I think that Williams was a HUGE reach.

**venis2k1** · 04-30-2003, 06:12 PM

ST. Louis getting Kennedy at 12 may be seen as a steal in a few years.

**Demon** · 04-30-2003, 06:42 PM

I dont like their grades but Minnesota i think is a good grade. Kevin Williams is just what they need and they also got EJ Henderson who was predicted early/mid first round in many mock drafts. WR Nate Burleson could be a very decent #2/3 WR and Onterrio Smith will b a very decent backup for Bennett.

Also Mike Nattiel is a solid pick at 6th round who could actually be a starter for them.

**Billsouth** · 04-30-2003, 06:59 PM

its always going to be difficult for teams drafting late to have a "good draft" for mags like sporting news because by defininition they are picking over a turkey that has already been eaten.

however, none of them felt that the bucs had a good draft last year, or that the pats had a good draft the year before. If success in the draft is determined by getting the best rated players then I am glad we got a C rating because that means we drafted late. Remember during the superbowl years we never were rated as having a "good draft."

WG · 04-30-2003, 07:18 PM

"24. Buffalo C+ (Comment: The Bills took a big risk on a player who plays a position that wasn't a need. That said, RB Willis McGahee could end up looking like the best pick of the draft.)"

I can't speak for the rest of the teams, and quite frankly, I haven't even looked yet. But they are right on w/ us. If you go read their online analysis, they say that nothing we selected will help us this year. They're right.

100% of this draft is for future years in spite of the fact that there were several positions that we could have used this season. Backup OL-men, backup WR, backup/starting LBs. I know most of you are ready to put Posey up on the wall, facetiously, but there's a good chance he won't be much better than Newman or Robinson.

McGahee, well, his upside is just as TSN says, a huge risk! No one can deny that. They can rationalize it away, but 3 major injuries in college and H.S. is probably more than any pro player expected to play at that position should overcome. Even Thurman's injury was his first I believe.

If you read up on Kelsay, the majority say he's primarily a run-defending DE w/ only so-so speed off the corner. Is that really what we need? I don't think so.

And I'm tellin' ya now, Crowell won't amount to much. He was a reach in the third IMO. I'm guessing he wouldn't have been selected if his surname hadn't already been floatin' around the NFL.

We don't need McGahee, and we won't need him next season either if Henry improves this season. If Kelsay starts this year, then we're hurtin' and it'll mean that McKenzie is washed up completely and that Jones didn't pan out.

This reaction to anyone criticizing our draft is just a mob-mentality "rah-rah Bills" mentality.

This draft will not help us out this season at all, and if it does, it'll likely only be out of a lack of decent options. Besides, our top two picks are both injury babies!

TSN is right on. It's a C+, and if we knew now the status of McGahee as being what he was at Miami, it would jump to an A+. On the flip side, right now, the players in rounds 2-7 being as unknown as they are, if it were known that McGahee's injuries would prevent him from being great in the NFL, then the grade for this draft would be a D, solidly. Our 4th round picks, IMO, were a joke. For the life of me, I cannot imagine that there were not a couple of better players out there. I wish we had played the "best player available" scenario in rounds 2, 3, and 4 too!

C+, that's what I'll run with as well! It's way too risky to assign it anything higher at this point!

**Ebenezer** · 04-30-2003, 07:40 PM

Wys, I don't disagree but I will say this. The way that TD appears to be operating I can live with drafting for the future. If TD is set on and continues to pick up these many free agents each year then I have no problem using the draft as a "foundation for the future". My biggest beef against Butler was the fact that he never did what was necessary to move bodies in that could help immediately (except in isolated years) and he never moved down to get more picks to help the future. TD is steering a sane course for building. As a result the low grades are justified...until we look at this, and all drafts, 3 to 4 years down the road.

WG · 04-30-2003, 07:49 PM

OK, fine. But wouldn't have EJ Henderson been "future" too, and present?

Why does future have to mean "lack of present?"

As well, "this future" is anything but guaranteed, eh. That's my point. Much of the aire around here is that there's some sort of guarantee once this season goes by. This just in, there isn't.

**Lone Stranger** · 04-30-2003, 08:08 PM

I'm with WYS on this one. Except I think that a C+ is quite generous. We did not serioulsy beef up our offensive and defensive lines. TD stated that this draft was loaded with defensive lineman. Well we should have stocked up because Williams and Adams are 31 and 30 respectively. They may only have a year or two left.