I need a Bills history lesson

[X-Era]

I'm going back through our drafts leading up to the SB years. Its interesting that it was 5 years after draft Bruce Smith that we went to the SB. Anyways, how did we get 2 picks in each of the top 4 rounds?

1985 draft:

1	1	Bruce Smith [1]	Defensive End	Virginia Tech
1	14	Derrick Burroughs	Defensive Back	Memphis
2	29	Mark Traynowicz	Guard	Nebraska
2	42	Chris Burkett	Wide Receiver	Jackson State
3	57	Frank Reich	Quarterback	Maryland
3	63	Hal Garner	Linebacker	Utah State
4	86	Andre Reed	Wide Receiver	Kutztown State
4	112	Dale Hellestrae	Tackle	Southern Methodist
5	130	Jimmy Teal	Wide Receiver	Texas A&M
6	141	Mike Hamby	Defensive End	Utah State
7	169	Ron Pitts	Defensive Back	UCLA
8	197	Jacque Robinson	Fullback	Washington
9	225	Glenn Jones	Defensive Back	Norfolk State
10	253	Chris Babyar	Guard	Illinois
11	282	James Seawright	Linebacker	South Carolina
12	333	Paul Woodside	Kicker	West Virginia

[seanbillsfan]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Mark Kelso was also in that draft class

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Kelly comes in in the 1983 draft, 14th pick overall
Bruce Smith is drafted in the 1985 draft, 1st overall
Andre Reed is drafted in 1985, in the 4th round
Thurman Thomas is drafted in 1988, in the 2nd round

So it took Jim Kelly 7 years before he gets to the SB (he debuted as a Bill in 1986 so 4 in the NFL). And at least 2 years for any of these players to get there.

Does history teach us its going to take time?

[Ground Chuck]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

I think we got the 2nd and 3rd for trading Joe Delaimelliere. Don't remember how we got the other number 1.

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

I think we got the 2nd and 3rd for trading Joe Delaimelliere. Don't remember how we got the other number 1.

It looks like that happened way earlier:

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2010/9/1/1657300/september-1-1980-joe-delamielleure

" the Bills completed a deal to send the All-Pro guard to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' second-round choice in 1981 and their third-rounder in 1982. "

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

I found it.

http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2004/01/01/1985_buffalo_bills_the_cornerstone.php

It was through a series of trades including trading for Pete Metzelaars.

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Polian swapped picks to jockey for position and for extra picks in 3 successive years... 1985, 1986, and 1987. In part, thats how we built the SB teams. He also traded his 1st and 2nd round picks in the 1988 draft for Cornelius Bennett.

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Other interesting facts:

House Ballard was signed by us in 1988.

Bruce Smith was suspended for 4 games in 1988 for violating the drug policy.

Bruce Smith was signed before he was drafted to a 4 years 2.6 mill contract...

[raphael120]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Kelly comes in in the 1983 draft, 14th pick overall
Bruce Smith is drafted in the 1985 draft, 1st overall
Andre Reed is drafted in 1985, in the 4th round
Thurman Thomas is drafted in 1988, in the 2nd round

So it took Jim Kelly 7 years before he gets to the SB (he debuted as a Bill in 1986 so 4 in the NFL). And at least 2 years for any of these players to get there.

Does history teach us its going to take time?

Recent history teaches us this scouting staff has no clue how to find the next Kelly/Smith/Reed/Thurman. We have Edwards/Maybin/Hardy/Spiller. Pretty comparible huh?

[Ground Chuck]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

I was trying to do it by memory..

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Recent history teaches us this scouting staff has no clue how to find the next Kelly/Smith/Reed/Thurman. We have Edwards/Maybin/Hardy/Spiller. Pretty comparible huh?

Well its Nix's time to shine. I hope he learns from our past.

[Beebe's Kid]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Recent history teaches us this scouting staff has no clue how to find the next Kelly/Smith/Reed/Thurman. We have Edwards/Maybin/Hardy/Spiller. Pretty comparible huh?

There really is a hard on for Spilled already?

WE COULD HAVE HAD BEST!!!!! WHY GOD?!?!

Two games tells the tale, I suppose.

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

There really is a hard on for Spilled already?

WE COULD HAVE HAD BEST!!!!! WHY GOD?!?!

Two games tells the tale, I suppose.

Two games isn't enough time to tell anything IMO.

[OpIv37]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Its the age of free agency. Most players don't even last here for 5 years, let alone 7. Also, if I remember correctly, the team became competitive around 87 or 88, so it took less than that for the team to come together.

People need to realize that the league has changed a lot since those days. Just because Wright played NT at 290 and Smith played DE at 270 doesn't mean we can get away with doing it now. Just because Kelly and co could suck in preseason and turn it on in the reg season doesn't mean the current heap of **** roster can. And just because it took 7 years to build a team in the 80s doesn't mean we can take that long building one now.

[X-Era]

Re: I need a Bills history lesson

Its the age of free agency. Most players don't even last here for 5 years, let alone 7. Also, if I remember correctly, the team became competitive around 87 or 88, so it took less than that for the team to come together.

People need to realize that the league has changed a lot since those days. Just because Wright played NT at 290 and Smith played DE at 270 doesn't mean we can get away with doing it now. Just because Kelly and co could suck in preseason and turn it on in the reg season doesn't mean the current heap of **** roster can. And just because it took 7 years to build a team in the 80s doesn't mean we can take that long building one now.

If anything it means we need to be even more aggressive now. Were not, and we probably never will be, but It may be warranted.

I think we need to get the franchise QB this offseason, add the WR in the 2012 draft (Lee's last year on his current contract), Spiller may be the future RB. On the OL, we need to add an early round OT (maybe RT this year), and if Bell doesnt pan out, get the LT in the 2012 draft. And add to the D in both drafts.

So:

2011 draft:
QB
RT
OLB
ILB
SS

2012 draft:
WR
LT- depends on Bell
G/C- depends on where Wood isn't starting
SS/ILB/OLB- whatever we didn't get in 2011