If teams are built through the draft......

[billsburgh]

then the Bills are doing a terrible job. Lets look back at the top 4 picks in the 2002 - 2007 drafts. I'm excluding 2008 since it's still too early to judge. Out of these 16 picks, which should be the foundation that the team is built upon, at least 10 wont evern be on the team after this year. Yes it's true weve also found some undrafted and late round starters in Peters and Greer. this is the biggest reason the this team is not producing results on the field. Inferior coaching doesnt help either.

2002 top 4 picks yield a posession receiver and a average at best backup DE
2003 top 4 picks yield a overpaid average starting DE and 4th round steal in McGee
2004 top 4 picks yield a true #1 receiver and after this year nobody else on the roster
2005 top 4 picks yield a backup center and a punt returner
2006 top 4 picks yield 2 starting safeties. debatable as to whether Whitner was worth the 8th pick
2007 top 4 picks yield 3 solid starters


2002
1 4 Mike Williams Bust

2 36 Josh Reed Starter

2 61 Ryan Denney Backup - not worth 2nd

3 97 Coy Wire gone

2003
1 23 Willis McGahee gone

2 48 Chris Kelsay Starter - overpaid and average

3 94 Angelo Crowell Starter - will be gone

4 111 Terrence McGee Starter - Steal in the 4th

2004
1 13 Lee Evans Starter - worth 1st

1 22 J.P. Losman Bust - will be gone

3 74 Tim Anderson gone

4 109 Tim Euhus gone

2005
2 55 Roscoe Parrish 2nd round pick for a punt returner?

3 86 Kevin Everett gone - injured

4 122 Duke Preston backup - below average
5 156 Eric King gone

2006
1 8 Donte Whitner Starter - debatable as to worth 8th pick

1 26 John McCargo Bust

3 70 Ashton Youboty backup - injury prone

4 105 Ko Simpson Starter

2007
1 12 Marshawn Lynch Starter

2 34 Paul Posluszny Starter - disappointing

3 92 Trent Edwards Starter

4 111 Dwayne Wright gone

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

Why is POZ disappointing?

[northernbillfan]

Posluszny...dissappointing???

He's playing pretty dang good if you ask me. 2007 was the team's best year in those 5 you look at.

[northernbillfan]

Why is POZ disappointing?He's doing the number 51 with pride.

[Mr. Pink]

Posluszny...dissappointing???

He's playing pretty dang good if you ask me. 2007 was the team's best year in those 5 you look at.

Poz hasn't been disappointing, just no different than what we had on the field than Fletch. If the leadership comes, it's a great pick.

And I disagree I believe 2003 is the best one, by far. McGahee is a good back, no matter who wants to diss him because he hated Buffalo. Kelsay is a decent role player. Crow was a borderline all-pro. McGee would be a top nickleback if he played where he should and is a average to good corner plus a pro-bowl level KR.

[Oaf]

Not only this, but

Anyone see who made that first HUGE conversion on the final Pats drive on 3rd and long?
None other than Sam ****ing Aiken, the 4th round reserve who languished here for 5 years. He must have been so happy to do that against us.

Anyone else see Eric King playing GREAT for Tennessee recording multiple deflections?

[bigbub2352]

Becasue our Front Office is a joke and has been since we let Polian go, Even Butler was overrated god rest his sole, he had no concept of the Cap
We r stuck with these guys who were promoted from within and all they did was contribute to us not being in the playoffs in 8 seasons
U promote a Offensive cordinator from a guy who couldnt get anything out of JP and now u see the same struggles wit hTrent and same bad play calling
Fewell's scheme is a joke and has been since day one
how do you implement a scheme when u dont have the players to play it, then for 3 yrs not bring in people who fit the scheme
for anyone who doesnt know this Stroud doesnt fit the Cover 2 scheme and is suffering because of it
Ralph needs to fire and we need to start over AGAIN, but this time we got some peices and we need to bring in MOTIVATIONAL coaches
Not Skeletor DJ, he is awful check any post i ever poseted on here i have said it form day 1 about him Brandon, and his assistants

[EDS]

then the Bills are doing a terrible job. Lets look back at the top 4 picks in the 2002 - 2007 drafts. I'm excluding 2008 since it's still too early to judge. Out of these 16 picks, which should be the foundation that the team is built upon, at least 10 wont evern be on the team after this year. Yes it's true weve also found some undrafted and late round starters in Peters and Greer. this is the biggest reason the this team is not producing results on the field. Inferior coaching doesnt help either.

2002 top 4 picks yield a posession receiver and a average at best backup DE
2003 top 4 picks yield a overpaid average starting DE and 4th round steal in McGee
2004 top 4 picks yield a true #1 receiver and after this year nobody else on the roster
2005 top 4 picks yield a backup center and a punt returner
2006 top 4 picks yield 2 starting safeties. debatable as to whether Whitner was worth the 8th pick
2007 top 4 picks yield 3 solid starters


2002
1 4 Mike Williams Bust

2 36 Josh Reed Starter

2 61 Ryan Denney Backup - not worth 2nd

3 97 Coy Wire gone

2003
1 23 Willis McGahee gone

2 48 Chris Kelsay Starter - overpaid and average

3 94 Angelo Crowell Starter - will be gone

4 111 Terrence McGee Starter - Steal in the 4th

2004
1 13 Lee Evans Starter - worth 1st

1 22 J.P. Losman Bust - will be gone

3 74 Tim Anderson gone

4 109 Tim Euhus gone

2005
2 55 Roscoe Parrish 2nd round pick for a punt returner?

3 86 Kevin Everett gone - injured

4 122 Duke Preston backup - below average
5 156 Eric King gone

2006
1 8 Donte Whitner Starter - debatable as to worth 8th pick

1 26 John McCargo Bust

3 70 Ashton Youboty backup - injury prone

4 105 Ko Simpson Starter

2007
1 12 Marshawn Lynch Starter

2 34 Paul Posluszny Starter - disappointing

3 92 Trent Edwards Starter

4 111 Dwayne Wright gone

That 2003 draft is pretty strong when you consider that the team selected 4 starting caliber players.

If anything, this just shows the Bills are piss poor on the player retention side of things.

[psubills62]

If you were fair, you'd compare the drafts to other teams like the Patriots. Let's have a look-see:

2002:
1. Daniel Graham - not on roster
2. Deion Branch - not on roster
3. Rohan Davey - not on roster
4. Jarvis Green - decent backup DL-man

2003:
1. Ty Warren - good DL-man
2. Eugene Wilson - not on roster
3. Bethel Johnson - not on roster
4. Dan Klecko - not on roster

2004:
1. Vince Wilfork - worth the 1st-rounder
1. Benjamin Watson - solid TE
2. Marquise Hill - not on roster
3. Guss Scott - not on roster

2005:
1. Logan Mankins - has been pretty good for them
2. no pick
3. Ellis Hobbs - decent corner, not great
3. Nick Kaczur - decent tackle
4. James Sanders - depth, has not done much of anything at all

2006:
1. Laurence Maroney - been injured almost constantly
2. Chad Jackson - not on roster
3. David Thomas - backup TE
4. Garrett Mills - not on roster

2007:
1. Brandon Meriweather - starting S
2. no pick
3. no pick
4. Kareem Brown - not on roster
5. Clint Oldenburg - not on roster
6. Justin Rogers - not on roster


So at this point, the Patriots have about 9-10 guys who are on the roster, making a difference and who will probably make some difference in the future, from their top 4 picks in the 2002-2007 drafts.

Let's look at the Bills, from what you outlined: they have about 13-14 guys from their top 4 picks in the 2002-2007 drafts who have contributed a decent amount this year, and will probably contribute more in the future.

One of the problems is that the Bills' drafts have been skill positions, whereas the most significant draft picks for the Pats have been on the O-line and the D-line.

But the Pats are worse at player retention. They only kept one person from their 2007 draft, and other drafts were just as bad, except a couple here and there. We at least have had some guys come out of the later rounds to fill needs.

[HughC]

It's not possible to declare those drafts 'good' or 'bad' unless you compare them to the drafts of all 31 other teams. Without a point of reference as to the success rates of other teams, I don't know how anyone can declare those drafts as being either good or bad.

I would say that in comparison to the one other team in this thread, the Patriots, that the Bills should have had more success. First of all the Bills had a higher pick in each of those drafts, so they should have been able to land better players. Second, the Patriots had better players returning, so it is less likely that a rookie would be able to make their team or have an impact. And although their draft from '07 looks horrible, I would exchange in a heartbeat what they were able to do with their 2007 draft picks: land Brandon Meriweather, Wes Welker and Randy Moss.

[gr8slayer]

I would have rather just kept Fletcher than draft Posluszny, he doesn't even fit the system at MLB.

[Nighthawk]

I would have rather just kept Fletcher than draft Posluszny, he doesn't even fit the system at MLB.

The key to your post, I think, is the part about the system. The systems stinks and is broken, yet we continue to use it. Doesn't make sense.

[Yasgur's Farm]

2002
1 4 Mike Williams Bust

2 36 Josh Reed Starter

2 61 Ryan Denney Backup - not worth 2nd

3 97 Coy Wire gone

2003
1 23 Willis McGahee gone (Trade compensation = (2) 3rd rounders and a 7th)

2 48 Chris Kelsay Starter - overpaid and average

3 94 Angelo Crowell Starter - will be gone

4 111 Terrence McGee Starter - Steal in the 4th

2004
1 13 Lee Evans Starter - worth 1st

1 22 J.P. Losman Bust - will be gone

3 74 Tim Anderson gone

4 109 Tim Euhus gone (Trade compensation = Anthony Hargrove)

2005
2 55 Roscoe Parrish 2nd round pick for a punt returner?

3 86 Kevin Everett gone - injured (Very unfortunate)

4 122 Duke Preston backup - below average
5 156 Eric King gone (Didn't I see him starting for the Titans this week?)

2006
1 8 Donte Whitner Starter - debatable as to worth 8th pick

1 26 John McCargo Bust

3 70 Ashton Youboty backup - injury prone

4 105 Ko Simpson Starter

2007
1 12 Marshawn Lynch Starter

2 34 Paul Posluszny Starter - disappointing

3 92 Trent Edwards Starter

4 111 Dwayne Wright gone

[The Jokeman]

Posluszny...dissappointing???

He's playing pretty dang good if you ask me. 2007 was the team's best year in those 5 you look at.
If you consider we gave up a second and a third for him I'd say he was disappointing. As one could argue had we stood pat where we took him we could have had David Harris in the second and a quality young D-line like Jay Alford, Jay Alford or Charles Johnson in round 3.