Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

[BuffaloBlitz83]

2011 NFL Draft Grades:

Teams that draft well (i.e. Steelers, Packers, Colts) win Super Bowls. Teams that screw up in the NFL Draft every year never make the playoffs. Buffalo hasn't qualified for the postseason in more than a decade, and if you want to know why, all you have to do is look at how they draft.

The Bills screwed up yet again. How the hell did they come away from the 2011 NFL Draft without a quarterback? Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the answer. Every football person outside of Buffalo knows this, yet the Bills stubbornly continue to settle for mediocrity at the most important position in football.

Protecting the quarterback and getting to the other quarterback are two things that are also very important to every team in the league outside of Buffalo. No rush linebackers? No offensive lineman until the 122nd pick? And what's with all of these running backs and cornerbacks?

I really feel sorry for sensible Buffalo fans who know that their front office is clueless. The Bills are like the fantasy owner in your league who drafts a kicker in the eighth round every single summer. You quietly laugh at them during the draft, and smile when they hand in their league dues because you know they're going to finish 5-8 for the 10th year in a row.

Overall 2011 NFL Draft Grade given on 5/1/11: D



2011 NFL Draft Individual Grades:

3. Marcell Dareus, DE/DT
This pick is not an A because the Bills need a franchise quarterback and are once again passing up on the opportunity to acquire one. Buffalo will never be a playoff contender until it finds a franchise signal-caller.

However, Marcell Dareus is a terrific prospect and should be a fixture on Buffalo's defensive front for years to come. The Bills' stop unit has just improved exponentially. (Pick Grade: B)

34. Aaron Williams, CB/FS, Texas
So, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a franchise quarterback, eh? I like Aaron Williams, but he does not fill a need at all. As I've been saying, new regimes mean new rush linebackers, cornerbacks (safeties) and "pass-catchin' runnin' backs" in Buffalo. (Pick Grade: C)

68. Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU
I mocked Kelvin Sheppard to the Bills atop the fourth round for a while, so I can certainly understand why they're taking him, albeit a round early. Buffalo had to find an upgrade next to Paul Posluszny. (Pick Grade: B)

100. Da'Norris Searcy, S, North Carolina
What are the Bills doing? How many defensive backs do they need? This is a slight reach, so it's not even like Buffalo is getting good value. (Pick Grade: D)

122. Chris Hairston, OT, Clemson
This is a decent pick. The Bills had to upgrade their offensive line, and Chris Hairston fits the range as a right tackle in the bottom of the fourth round. (Pick Grade: B)

133. Johnny White, RB, North Carolina
Where does Johnny White fit in with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller entrenched as the team's top running backs? I don't get this pick. It's not like White is an incredible value or anything. (Pick Grade: D)

169. Chris White, ILB, Mississippi State
This pick is a slight reach and doesn't fill a need. Some of Buffalo's selections have been head-scratchers. (Pick Grade: D)

206. Justin Rogers, CB, Richmond
Another defensive back? I'd like to say I'm surprised, but the Bills draft this way every year. It sucks for their fans. (Pick Grade: C)

245. Michael Jasper, G, Bethel
Here's how you know this is a crappy pick: NFL.com lists Michael Jasper as a defensive tackle even though he's really a guard. Oops.

Update: I've been bombarded with e-mails telling me that Jasper played both ways at Bethel, and that I'm an idiot for not knowing so. Well, maybe I'd know so if the Bills drafted a guy ranked in the top 1,000 on draft boards. (Pick Grade: D)

[BillsWin]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

We should stop bringing that tool's smut to these boards.

[BuffaloBlitz83]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

We should stop bringing that tool's smut to these boards.

Who runs that page? Any one with credentials?

[justasportsfan]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

if we grabbed a qb ,they would still have graded us low because they'd say we still can't stop the run. walterfootball loses its credibility when they post articles like that

[BillsWin]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

Who runs that page? Any one with credentials?

He has zero legitimate credentials to my knowledge. Just a guy with too much time on his hands. That, or he is Mel Kiper's alter ego.

[BertSquirtgum]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

that dude is a moron. he should hang himself.

[Buffalo Thriller]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

Hes an idiot with no football smarts. He reads up on ESPN and puts it on his website.

[Slim]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

He's always very harsh on the bills.

[ublinkwescore]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

He is gay. he sits on lollypops and guesses what flavor they are kinda gay.

[Bangarang]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

Something tells me that if we drafted Gabbert instead, he would be saying that we're morons for passing on Dareus. Either way, whoever wrote that is a damn fool.

[TigerJ]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

Walter Cherepinsky has some decent draft information on his website. When it comes to the Bills, he has become a bit fixated on their QB issues. Consequently, he has lost some objectivity if he ever had it. It's true that Buffalo needs better quarterbacking at some point, but if it's not there (in the draft) Buddy Nix can't manufacture it out of thin air.

[dreamwalker]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

First off I am a Miami fan even with my bias I would rank the draft as follows
1.Bills- best 1st round pick of the bunch
2.Miami
3.NE (simply for the 1st and 2nd round picks they picked up)
4.Jets (I think they maintained statis quo but did nothing to get better this year) they better not do that again next season because they could find themselves at the bottom of the division.

Regardless of whether or not Fitzpatrick is the answer I like him and I would love to have him in Miami. I think the bills did right not going after a qb this year. Like I said I am a Miami fan praying for the bills to pick up a QB in round 1- so ultimatly that means the bills did right by not doing what I was praying for them to do.

With NE i have lost faith in BB's draft choices. You cant question their success but I think since pioli left they have been treading water (reluctantly spending their draft choices)

[Oldbillsfan]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

duh wallter. the bills picked up probably the best player in the draft

[DrGraves]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

any legitimate points he makes are lost in the fact that he expresses his opinions like a 5 year old

[Ingtar33]

Re: Walter Football is ******ed. Buffalo Graded D

i'm mixed on this article.

On one hand i agree with him. RBs, DBs, and Kick returners weren't anywhere near the top of the bills need list. Front 7 (both pass rush and run stopping), OL (particularly both Tackles), and QB were our biggest needs.

This is why i was very displeased with this draft. I'm not a huge fan of any of the DBs outside of the tweener we got in round 2 (he's not bad, he should be able to contribute at either CB or safety). I'm sorta ok with the OT... I love the Dareus pick.

That said, where i don't agree with him was his complaining about QB. no one in this draft was worth a 3rd overall at QB. Hell, no one was worth it at 28th either. The only QB left on the board who was worth a 2nd round pick was Kaepernick when our pick came up in round 2. I'm 50/50 on if i'd of taken him instead of Aaron Williams (seriously... i liked both players, and while i think Williams was a slightly safer pick, QB was a bigger need so i'm not sure where i'd go there)

Anyway... other then his wish for a QB (this was NOT the draft to get one) i sorta agree with most of what he wrote.

What i find interesting is how most of this board is eviscerating him as if the last 10 years hasn't happened. We have drafted like crap. And just like he said, we usually are good for drafting RBs, WRs, and DBs too. I probably would have used every single pick on the lines and linebackers this year. and used FA to fill whatever holes i had in my roster.

this was a b- draft just because they didn't do the unthinkable and skip Dareus (easily the best player in the draft)... after that... not much to be happy about.