Fair.. or not.. It's happening

[patmoran2006]

I'm not saying that I think it will be justified or deserved, but you can bet your last dollar that in publications everywhere starting tomorrow when critics crown their "winners and losers" of the draft, the Buffalo Bills will be listed high among the losers.

Writers I saw tonight and people I talked to, at best are puzzled by the Bills draft.

You're probably going to read like a broken record over and over that the Bills two biggest needs coming into the draft were left tackle and quarterback, and they addressed neither in the first three rounds.

Spiller will be penned as a great talent, but too much of a "luxury" pick for a team that had so many other pressing needs and running back was anything but a position of weakness.

[B-DON]

ehhh, i think were all used to it

[Mr. Pink]

Pretty fair assessment on the 1st round pick.

But Troup and Carrington were also definite needs just as much as O-line.

[Jamiezzz]

f#ck 'em!!!!

[djjimkelly]

i said luxury last night but i get the pick

today the bills did very well towards building our front seven

[BILLSROCK1212]

This team was ****, we had to build for scratch essentially.

[Commissioner]

Mark my words.... Trent Edwards will be a pleasant surprise this year.

[TacklingDummy]

A couple years will tell who the losers/winners are. All anyones doing right now is talking out their ass because nobody knows.

Last time I checked if writers knew how to run a football team they wouldn't be writing.

[realdealryan]

f#ck 'em!!!!
That is EXACTLY what Buddy Nix thinks/feels/says on his own. This guy turns in his card about 17 seconds after we're on the clock. We might be starting over in 4 years, but I can't knock decisiveness.

[New Ro's Greatest]

Who cares what they think. When this run defense is improved and we have the OROY then what can they say then? GO BILLS:tongue:

[cpearl]

It's not like we were one QB and an LT away from the Super Bowl. This team has very little talent. Fred Jackson is not a great player, Spiller very likely will be. We found a pure 3-4 tackle - which we didn't have - to split plays with Williams. And we got a raw, athletic freak to rotate in at DE - a position we have only 1 true 3-4 DE at (Dwan Edwards).

Based on what we needed, we drafted properly.

And just because we have an average to above-average player at RB, doesn't mean you don't try to draft a great one. Average players don't win Championships.

[patmoran2006]

Firstly, I didnt say writers know more than GM's or anything along those lines.. I simply said how its' going to be reported.

I have no problem with this draft (at least for the most part) to this point.

Having said that, if the bills were listed as "draft day winners" at the of everyone's list the majority of you would love it.

[ct bills fan]

who cares what writers write. A draft can be fairly judged until 3 years out anyway. If we grab a good tackle in rd 4, like Campbell then I'm thrilled.

[kingJofNYC]

The last regime totally screwed this roster. We took one DT and one LB in the first 3 rounds while they were here, two if you want to count Maybin. Our front 7 was piss poor, let them say whatever they want. We picked up some bodies today, whether they can play or not remains to be seen, but at least we're filling holes.

Most of these guys had Campbell as a 2nd round pick, if we pick this guy up tomorrow (don't really care if we do or don't), they'll be waxing poetic even though he may be straight trash on the field.

Sexy names get you headlines. Lets make headlines by winning.

Remember when the Pats drafted Mankins in the first? No one said a word because they win. What about Vollmer, again no one said a word even though the "gurus" had him going much later.

[TigerJ]

Agreed, Pat. QB and LT are widely perceived as the Bills' most accute needs and neither has been addressed to this point. The probably are among the team's greatest needs, but nose tackle was too, and the guys penciled in at defensive end (besides Dwan Edwards) are guys more accustomed to playing a 4-3 defensive tackle.

The media will punish the Bills for not taking a QB or LT. Moreover, Torell Troup was not regarded as the best 3-4 NT still available. Cam Thomas and Linval Joseph both garnered more media accolades than Troup. Sometimes the media judgement turns out to be correct, but not always. Sometimes the Bills actually do make the smarter decision even when it's not popular. I don't usually try to grade the Bills draft myself. I think the way the season plays out does the best job of grading the Bills' draft. It's not been good enough in recent years. It probably won't turn out to be good enough this year. Hopefully when all is said and done it will at least start to look like a step in the right direction.

[Mercy]

I just don't understand - if it's really so terrible, then how can you log on to here?

[Bosco]

You can't fix all the holes on this trainwreck in one draft.

[Mercy]

Oh, man up.

[Oaf]

It's gonna be a pass rush guy next most likely acc to Nix in his post-day2 conference.

[trapezeus]

the defense needed some help...we have all our DE's dropping into the LB role. we have no real 3-4 DE....we do now.

we didn't have a real RB under 30 who wanted ot play. we do now. we also have a playmaker, which we don't have anywhere on this roster


if the players who we picked, were the best available, i have no issues.

i hated this QB class. and the LT class sounds so deep that we should come uep with someone early.

i realize i rag on the bills all the time, but i'm willing to give ethe new regime the benefit of the doubt.

[The Spaz]

It's gonna be a pass rush guy next most likely acc to Nix in his post-day2 conference.

Ricky Sapp maybe.

[Mercy]

It's gonna be a pass rush guy next most likely acc to Nix in his post-day2 conference.That's what I'm looking for.

[Dujek]

Sorry Pat, but anyone who names the Bills as among the biggest losers doesn't understand the Bills real needs.

The Bills biggest need after not trying to re-sign T.O. was an offensive gamebreaker with home-run speed and they got that with C.J. Spiller. After that they needed guys to improve both the offensive and defensive lines, and they went D-Line twice, both with guys who will be able to see the field from day one, maybe not as a starter in Carrington's case, but he will see plenty of action in the DE rotation in the 3-4.

In their first 3 picks the Bills got better on both sides of the ball. Surely that was the point?

[methos4ever]

Don't kill Pat, he's just the messenger. Just realize guys, it's far easy to point out the Bills as draft losers when they passed on his holiness Pope James Clausen 2 times as well as Charles Brown (who had injury concerns with the hammy and I believe neck) than it is to evaluate all 32 teams with whatever needs they had.

[Historian]

Ive disagreed on QB all along.

I think they want to see what Edwards can do with a little help around him.

[X-Era]

I'm not saying that I think it will be justified or deserved, but you can bet your last dollar that in publications everywhere starting tomorrow when critics crown their "winners and losers" of the draft, the Buffalo Bills will be listed high among the losers.

Writers I saw tonight and people I talked to, at best are puzzled by the Bills draft.

You're probably going to read like a broken record over and over that the Bills two biggest needs coming into the draft were left tackle and quarterback, and they addressed neither in the first three rounds.

Spiller will be penned as a great talent, but too much of a "luxury" pick for a team that had so many other pressing needs and running back was anything but a position of weakness.

So your saying that writers dont know what they are talking about? I agree. This team cannot make a luxury pick, we are not good enough anywhere. Except for CB.

[Spiderweb]

Mark my words.... Trent Edwards will be a pleasant surprise this year.
They're marked....

[Cleve]

My perspective from watching last season's games was the OFFENSE needed a lot more help than the defense.

One of the biggest things to 'help' that defense would be an offense that didn't go 3 and out on series after series. Did the draft help that? Not really. The running game didn't seem broken - Freddy Jackson had a lot of 100 yard games. The problems were an offensive line that leaked like a sieve during the pass rush, and a concussed quarterback who has a 'Deer in the headlights' mentality.

[Spiderweb]

I'm not saying that I think it will be justified or deserved, but you can bet your last dollar that in publications everywhere starting tomorrow when critics crown their "winners and losers" of the draft, the Buffalo Bills will be listed high among the losers.

Writers I saw tonight and people I talked to, at best are puzzled by the Bills draft.

You're probably going to read like a broken record over and over that the Bills two biggest needs coming into the draft were left tackle and quarterback, and they addressed neither in the first three rounds.

Spiller will be penned as a great talent, but too much of a "luxury" pick for a team that had so many other pressing needs and running back was anything but a position of weakness.

I thought Spiller was a luxury pick when it was made, but given the lack of offensive firepower we've had, a potential homerun hitter was a needed addition. Outside of possibly Lee Evans, we have no one who scares the opposition. If Spiller get the opportunities (and I'm confident Gailey find ways to use him far more than simply handing off to him), I think we will all be pleased in the long term. The last time we had a dangerous back with great speed, was drafted in 1969....

[tomz]

I thought Spiller was a luxury pick when it was made, but given the lack of offensive firepower we've had, a potential homerun hitter was a needed addition. Outside of possibly Lee Evans, we have no one who scares the opposition. If Spiller get the opportunities (and I'm confident Gailey find ways to use him far more than simply handing off to him), I think we will all be pleased in the long term. The last time we had a dangerous back with great speed, was drafted in 1969....


And he sure turned out to be dangerous...

[Dozerdog]

If we run 80% of the time we won't need to draft a QB

[alohabillsfan]

It's entertaining to see draft grades posted before a player even signs a contract let alone seeing the fied...

[Night Train]

Big shoulders.

Many here act like high school sophmores, terrified what the "cool kids" are saying about them.

Quit acting like the girls with acne problems and think for yourself.

[Hamilton Billsfan]

We've got six picks today, I'm sure we're going to go a long way filling holes. For true draft lovers, The Flashy part is over and now for the Meat!!!

Bring it on Baby!

[justasportsfan]

I'm not saying that I think it will be justified or deserved, but you can bet your last dollar that in publications everywhere starting tomorrow when critics crown their "winners and losers" of the draft, the Buffalo Bills will be listed high among the losers.

Writers I saw tonight and people I talked to, at best are puzzled by the Bills draft.

You're probably going to read like a broken record over and over that the Bills two biggest needs coming into the draft were left tackle and quarterback, and they addressed neither in the first three rounds.

Spiller will be penned as a great talent, but too much of a "luxury" pick for a team that had so many other pressing needs and running back was anything but a position of weakness.


and we care because????

are these the same guys who thought that Claussen was going to bills at nine? Bulaga was top 10?

[ddaryl]

We're used to it...

I so don't agree with the "We have to take a QB in this draft" metality. No QB outside of Bradford would have seen the field much for the Bills in 2010 anyways.


Will these same writers be singing praise next year if we land a top arm in the 2011 draft because we didn't shoot our wads in the 2010 draft. ?

[Cleve]

They're marked....

Not just marked- they will be mocked also by game 8 or 9. Deadwards = J.P. Loseman Lite - even down to adopting the same hair style and beard.

[patmoran2006]

lol.

In 2006 immediately after I gave the Bills the highest grade I've ever given them.

Whitner, McCargo, Youboty, Simpson, WIlliams, etc.

[Jan Reimers]

We haven't won in years, and this year's draft looks like we picked a guy we didn't need in the first round, and 2 rather unglamorous players next.

The national media won't like our picks until they help turn this mess around.

[Saratoga Slim]

and we care because????

are these the same guys who thought that Claussen was going to bills at nine? Bulaga was top 10?

I don't know whether this year the "experts" were really off their game, or whether I just finally got on to them, but I now officially could give a **** about what any of them (with a very few exceptions) say. They've been wildly inaccurate at all phases of reporting throughout the draft process, and I don't really see any reason to put too much stock in their post-mortem reviews.

It's nice to hear nice things about your team, but most of these either a) don't have any better idea of how to evaluate talent than we do, b) have no idea about the Bills' needs and how to thereby measure our draft or c) are embarrassed that their "expert" predictions didn't materialize and thus need to explain that by criticizing the teams that didn't do what they thought they should.

[Forward_Lateral]

I'd grade the first 3 rounds as a B+. I don't know what else the Bills could've done, really, besides reach for a tackle or QB at #9.

They got a potential game changing player on offense, and 2 solid D-linemen that could possibly start opening day.

[ddaryl]

I'd grade the first 3 rounds as a B+. I don't know what else the Bills could've done, really, besides reach for a tackle or QB at #9.

They got a potential game changing player on offense, and 2 solid D-linemen that could possibly start opening day.


If the Bills traded back a few times and started filling needs the analysts would have praised us...

Instead we took a player that many felt was a top 5 player in this draft....


I can understand why the analysts would slam our draft. We had so many holes the smart money was on trading back, but there should be equal money on Spiller as BPA at #9.... you're not supposed ot pass on the highly rated player that falls to ya

[Novacane]

Here's a little secret. The "experts" are not experts!

[Kenny]

Not a sexy draft at all, -but Im liking it.

Wasnt a big fan of the Spiller draft at first, -but I can understand it. Given how far Dan Williams and Bulaga fell, -and what was available for us to pick... Spiller really was the only option for us @ 9.

The other guys in rounds 2 and 3 I really like. They seem to be blue collar guys with a nasty streak.
I really hope this brings a new attitude to the team. I dont want to see guys like Whitner and co. laughing it up and enjoying themselves whenever we lose (God, I really hated that about Fletcher), and helping opponents up when they get knocked down.

Here's to smashmouth football!!!!

[Mercy]

OMG get out