Building Via FA vs Draft

[Mike]

There is an argument out there that its best to build by the draft and fans of this approach site the Steelers as an example. Other teams have more success building via FA like the Patriots. Obviously, any good team will take advantage of both FA & the Draft, so a combination would have been the best.

Now for the Bills, looking at their drafts of the last 10 years or so, you will notice how horrible they are. Just awful. Bust after bust, they just can not seem to get it right. Even when blue chipper falls to them like Orakpo they take Maybin! Ha,,,, that alone should speaks volumes. So its a team like Buffalo, who just can not get it right, better off trading those top picks for players that actually perform. Here is a list of players the Bills could have had, just over the last 4years, instead:

2009: Richard Seymour for 2010 1st rd pick trade
Gains Adams 2010 2nd rd
Jay Cutler 2009 1st&3rd 2010 1st
Matt Cassel & Mike Vrabel 2009 2ndr
Jason Peters 2009 1st rd
2008 Roy Williams 2009 1st, 3rd, 6th 7th (2010)
Jarred Allen 2008 1st & 3rd
Kris Jenkins 2008 3rd & 5th
Jason Taylor 2009 2nd 2010 6th
2007 Randy Moss 2008 4th
Darrell Jackson 2008 4th
Matt Schuab 2007 1st & 2nd 2008 2nd

Bills could have used their picks to land any one of these players or many of them & get an instant return that is nearly guaranteed. Many of these players remained studs, were considered studs, and are studs till this day. Lets see how it worked out for the teams getting the picks.

Here is a list of the corresponding picks chosen as a result of the above trades:
2010 Picks no included:
Denver Jay Cutler Traded
Knowshown Moreno (rookie)
2009
Buffalo Bills (traded Jason Peters)
Eric Wood (rookie)
2009
New England (traded Matt Cassell & Mike Vrabel)
Patrick Chung (rookie)
2008
Detroit Lions (traded Roy Williams)
Brandon Pettigrew (1st Rd - rookie)
Derrick Williams (3rd Rd - rookie)
Aaron Brown (6th Rd - rookie)
2008
Kansas City Chiefs (traded Jared Allen)
Brandon Albert (1st Rd - rookie)
DaJaun Morgan (3rd Rd - rookie)
2008
Miami Dolphins (traded Jason Taylor)
Pat White (rookie)
2008
Carolina Panthers (traded Kris Jenkins)
Charles Godfrey (3rd Rd)
Gary Barnidge (5th Rd)
2007
Oakland Raiders (traded Randy Moss)
John Bowie
2007
Seattle Seahawks (traded Darrell Jackson)
Braka Atkins
2007
Atlanta Falcons (traded Matt Schaub)
Jamaal Anderson (1st Rd)
Justin Blalock (2nd Rd)

When you look at both groups, its clear that the top group of veterans is far better than the bottom group. In fact, most of the bottom group are busts, some average players, and Zero All Pros!

Overall, drafting is very very difficult. I believe only a handful of teams and GMs really know how to draft. I would say the number of GMs that are great at it, can be counted on one hand! Now we know Buffalo does not have one of these 5 top drafting GMs. If anything, were are in the bottom 2-3 in our drafts. Knowing this, the Bills FO should instead focus on trading some of these top picks for all pros like Jarred Allen, Julius Peppers, Gains Adams, Randy Moss, Matt Schuab, etc... instead of drafting another Maybin, or Spiller, or even Wood.

[Ed]

Seymour is 32 years old.
Gains Adams is dead.
Matt Cassel is garbage and Vrabel is retired.
Cowboys way overpaid for Roy Williams and then got rid of him 2 years later.
Jason Taylor is 37 years old and hasn't been a factor on any team in years.
Randy Moss would have given the same effort here that he did in Oakland.

[OpIv37]

When was the last time a player came to Buffalo via a trade? I know we've traded players to get picks in return, but I can't remember the last time we got a player in return.

Our FO has sucked at FA and has sucked at drafting. I really don't think they would have been any better at trading for players.

[Ed]

When was the last time a player came to Buffalo via a trade? I know we've traded players to get picks in return, but I can't remember the last time we got a player in return.

Our FO has sucked at FA and has sucked at drafting. I really don't think they would have been any better at trading for players.
We traded a 3rd and 5th for Stroud a few years ago.

[SabreEleven]

With 10 years of drafts, don't you think the Bills should have lucked into one pick that contributed to them instead of 10 years of suckiness? It takes real skill to go for 0 for the decade in the draft. Congrats, Ralph. You are great at hiring people who fail.

[psubills62]

Why are the Patriots used as an example for building through FA? They won their SB's after building through the draft. They used a bunch of high picks on good DL, their OL are generally draft picks, Tom Brady was drafted, Asante Samuel and Deion Branch were drafted, etc.

They've certainly had some great FA pickups (Moss, Welker), but Adalius Thomas busted, Junior Seau was OK, and last I checked they hadn't won a SB since putting their eggs significantly in the FA basket.

[better days]

There is an argument out there that its best to build by the draft and fans of this approach site the Steelers as an example. Other teams have more success building via FA like the Patriots. Obviously, any good team will take advantage of both FA & the Draft, so a combination would have been the best.

Now for the Bills, looking at their drafts of the last 10 years or so, you will notice how horrible they are. Just awful. Bust after bust, they just can not seem to get it right. Even when blue chipper falls to them like Orakpo they take Maybin! Ha,,,, that alone should speaks volumes. So its a team like Buffalo, who just can not get it right, better off trading those top picks for players that actually perform. Here is a list of players the Bills could have had, just over the last 4years, instead:

2009: Richard Seymour for 2010 1st rd pick trade
Gains Adams 2010 2nd rd
Jay Cutler 2009 1st&3rd 2010 1st
Matt Cassel & Mike Vrabel 2009 2ndr
Jason Peters 2009 1st rd
2008 Roy Williams 2009 1st, 3rd, 6th 7th (2010)
Jarred Allen 2008 1st & 3rd
Kris Jenkins 2008 3rd & 5th
Jason Taylor 2009 2nd 2010 6th
2007 Randy Moss 2008 4th
Darrell Jackson 2008 4th
Matt Schuab 2007 1st & 2nd 2008 2nd

Bills could have used their picks to land any one of these players or many of them & get an instant return that is nearly guaranteed. Many of these players remained studs, were considered studs, and are studs till this day. Lets see how it worked out for the teams getting the picks.

Here is a list of the corresponding picks chosen as a result of the above trades:
2010 Picks no included:
Denver Jay Cutler Traded
Knowshown Moreno (rookie)
2009
Buffalo Bills (traded Jason Peters)
Eric Wood (rookie)
2009
New England (traded Matt Cassell & Mike Vrabel)
Patrick Chung (rookie)
2008
Detroit Lions (traded Roy Williams)
Brandon Pettigrew (1st Rd - rookie)
Derrick Williams (3rd Rd - rookie)
Aaron Brown (6th Rd - rookie)
2008
Kansas City Chiefs (traded Jared Allen)
Brandon Albert (1st Rd - rookie)
DaJaun Morgan (3rd Rd - rookie)
2008
Miami Dolphins (traded Jason Taylor)
Pat White (rookie)
2008
Carolina Panthers (traded Kris Jenkins)
Charles Godfrey (3rd Rd)
Gary Barnidge (5th Rd)
2007
Oakland Raiders (traded Randy Moss)
John Bowie
2007
Seattle Seahawks (traded Darrell Jackson)
Braka Atkins
2007
Atlanta Falcons (traded Matt Schaub)
Jamaal Anderson (1st Rd)
Justin Blalock (2nd Rd)

When you look at both groups, its clear that the top group of veterans is far better than the bottom group. In fact, most of the bottom group are busts, some average players, and Zero All Pros!

Overall, drafting is very very difficult. I believe only a handful of teams and GMs really know how to draft. I would say the number of GMs that are great at it, can be counted on one hand! Now we know Buffalo does not have one of these 5 top drafting GMs. If anything, were are in the bottom 2-3 in our drafts. Knowing this, the Bills FO should instead focus on trading some of these top picks for all pros like Jarred Allen, Julius Peppers, Gains Adams, Randy Moss, Matt Schuab, etc... instead of drafting another Maybin, or Spiller, or even Wood.

I guess you haven't heard, Buffalo Hired Buddy Nix. The Chargers had some great drafts while he worked for them, since he left, not so much.

[Dozerdog]

Either way works, but you have to be good at one of those 2 ways.


We suck at both. The only thing we are really good at is getting UDFA's - and that's because UDFA's usually flock to rosters that stink and they can get a job.

[Ed]

The current Packers are a great example of a team that has been built through the draft.

The best teams build the core of their team through the draft and use free agency to fill in key pieces at weak spots and add veteran depth.

You have to be effective at both drafting and signing free agents to be successful. I don't think you really give yourself an advantage by focusing on one more then the other. It's all about getting the right players. Big free agent signings or trades can be busts just like draft picks.

[better days]

Seymour is 32 years old.
Gains Adams is dead.
Matt Cassel is garbage and Vrabel is retired.
Cowboys way overpaid for Roy Williams and then got rid of him 2 years later.
Jason Taylor is 37 years old and hasn't been a factor on any team in years.
Randy Moss would have given the same effort here that he did in Oakland.

I might add that Adams was a bust in Tampa & NEVER played a down for the Bears before dying.

[Ed]

I might add that Adams was a bust in Tampa & NEVER played a down for the Bears before dying.
Yeah, I have no idea why Mike would include him in his original list.

[madness]

I guess you haven't heard, Buffalo Hired Buddy Nix. The Chargers had some great drafts while he worked for them, since he left, not so much.
In fact many blame Smith for driving out Nix, who they credit for choosing the talent, from the organization.

From a recent article:

In terms of talent acquisition, and team-building in general, Smith is in as big a slump as his quarterback, perhaps even bigger.
Comment:

His recent drafts have been pure muck (relatively speaking). Personally I think the loss of Buddy Nix was massive, another guy who lost the battle of AJ Ego.

[Ickybaluky]

The current Packers are a great example of a team that has been built through the draft.

The best teams build the core of their team through the draft and use free agency to fill in key pieces at weak spots and add veteran depth.

I think the best teams get good players by any means possible, be it the draft, FA, or trades.

For instance, while Green Bay has been primarily been built through the draft, they have a number of key pickups that came via FA or trades (Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Ryan Grant, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Sam Shields, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo).

Similarly, the Pats SB teams had had a number of players acquired via FA or trades (Mike Vrabel, Antowain Smith, Roman Phifer, Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, David Patten, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor, Joe Andruzzi, Christian Fauria).

Every team has hits and misses in the draft, FA or trades, but the best teams get enough good players using any method possible. There is no one way to build the team, good teams use any method available to get good players.

[better days]

I think the best teams get good players by any means possible, be it the draft, FA, or trades.

For instance, while Green Bay has been primarily been built through the draft, they have a number of key pickups that came via FA or trades (Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Ryan Grant, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Sam Shields, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo).

Similarly, the Pats SB teams had had a number of players acquired via FA or trades (Mike Vrabel, Antowain Smith, Roman Phifer, Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, David Patten, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor, Joe Andruzzi, Christian Fauria).

Every team has hits and misses in the draft, FA or trades, but the best teams get enough good players using any method possible. There is no one way to build the team, good teams use any method available to get good players.

Yeah, I think you are just repeating what Ed said. I think the Redskins & Eagles however have both proven FA should be signed judiciously. Signing too many players or the wrong player can upset team Chemistry.

I think guys on a team that are looking for a new contract get really pissed off when the team spends a lot on FA & not taking care of their own. That is why I like Nix's plan to pay the CORE players on the Bills rather than sign high priced free agents.

[psubills62]

I think the best teams get good players by any means possible, be it the draft, FA, or trades.

For instance, while Green Bay has been primarily been built through the draft, they have a number of key pickups that came via FA or trades (Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Ryan Grant, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Sam Shields, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo).

Similarly, the Pats SB teams had had a number of players acquired via FA or trades (Mike Vrabel, Antowain Smith, Roman Phifer, Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, David Patten, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor, Joe Andruzzi, Christian Fauria).

Every team has hits and misses in the draft, FA or trades, but the best teams get enough good players using any method possible. There is no one way to build the team, good teams use any method available to get good players.
Most of the guys you listed for GB (Shields, Williams, Walden, Zombo), I would have a hard time characterizing as FA's. For example, Williams was an UDFA that signed with the Texans, was cut at roster reductions and ended up with GB afterwards. Technically, yeah, that's FA, but not what people normally think of when they think of "building through FA." :2cents:

[Ickybaluky]

Most of the guys you listed for GB (Shields, Williams, Walden, Zombo), I would have a hard time characterizing as FA's. For example, Williams was an UDFA that signed with the Texans, was cut at roster reductions and ended up with GB afterwards. Technically, yeah, that's FA, but not what people normally think of when they think of "building through FA." :2cents:

Maybe they should think that way, because not every FA is a big-money guy.

Look at the Pats this year. Traded for Ocho and Haynesworth, both busted. However, nobody blinked when they signed Mark Anderson and Andre Carter (for much shorter money), and those 2 have combined for 16 sacks so far this year.

[Mike]

Seymour is 32 years old.
Gains Adams is dead.
Matt Cassel is garbage and Vrabel is retired.
Cowboys way overpaid for Roy Williams and then got rid of him 2 years later.
Jason Taylor is 37 years old and hasn't been a factor on any team in years.
Randy Moss would have given the same effort here that he did in Oakland.


Moss was the best WR for a few years after being sent for a 4th!!! Cowboys did overspend, but what became of those players? Nothing!!! Roy Williams is still better than the 3 players detroit ended up getting with Petigrew being the only potential exception. Matt Cassel is decent, he's better than most 2nd round QBs.

Now LOOK at the GOOD Examples: Jarred Allan, Jason Peters, Julius Peppers, Matt Schuan, Kris Jenkins, Jay Cutler, etc....

[Mike]

Seymour is 32 years old.
Gains Adams is dead.
Matt Cassel is garbage and Vrabel is retired.
Cowboys way overpaid for Roy Williams and then got rid of him 2 years later.
Jason Taylor is 37 years old and hasn't been a factor on any team in years.
Randy Moss would have given the same effort here that he did in Oakland.


All of those players are still better than the trash the Bill FO had drafted in that time span!!! Who do you prefer Maybin or Julius Peppers? Matt Schuab or Trent Edwards? Easly or Moss? Jarred Allan or Maybin? Jenkins or Troupe?

[Mike]

Most of the guys you listed for GB (Shields, Williams, Walden, Zombo), I would have a hard time characterizing as FA's. For example, Williams was an UDFA that signed with the Texans, was cut at roster reductions and ended up with GB afterwards. Technically, yeah, that's FA, but not what people normally think of when they think of "building through FA."


I love it. You take the one possible exception and use sementics and in the process you missed the whole point.

[Mike]

I guess you haven't heard, Buffalo Hired Buddy Nix. The Chargers had some great drafts while he worked for them, since he left, not so much.


Have you ever traded stock? How about invested in anything or with anyone? Do you have a stock broker??? Anyways the reason why I ask is that all investing, and thats what players are, an investment, come with a certain risk and as a result all financial institution or financial experts always say that "past success does not guarantee future results". And its the same in football. Now how is NIX doing? Not so hot.

[better days]

Have you ever traded stock? How about invested in anything or with anyone? Do you have a stock broker??? Anyways the reason why I ask is that all investing, and thats what players are, an investment, come with a certain risk and as a result all financial institution or financial experts always say that "past success does not guarantee future results". And its the same in football. Now how is NIX doing? Not so hot.

Well, I would invest in Nix before I would Jauron or AJ Smith. It is TOO EARLY to judge the Nix draft. It is a LONG TERM investment, NOT Short term.

[Ed]

Moss was the best WR for a few years after being sent for a 4th!!! Cowboys did overspend, but what became of those players? Nothing!!! Roy Williams is still better than the 3 players detroit ended up getting with Petigrew being the only potential exception. Matt Cassel is decent, he's better than most 2nd round QBs.

Now LOOK at the GOOD Examples: Jarred Allan, Jason Peters, Julius Peppers, Matt Schuan, Kris Jenkins, Jay Cutler, etc....
Yeah of course there are some good examples, but you're completely ignoring the fact that there are a lot of bad examples too.

[Ed]

I think the best teams get good players by any means possible, be it the draft, FA, or trades.

For instance, while Green Bay has been primarily been built through the draft, they have a number of key pickups that came via FA or trades (Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Ryan Grant, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Sam Shields, Erik Walden, Frank Zombo).

Similarly, the Pats SB teams had had a number of players acquired via FA or trades (Mike Vrabel, Antowain Smith, Roman Phifer, Rodney Harrison, Corey Dillon, David Patten, Ted Washington, Keith Traylor, Joe Andruzzi, Christian Fauria).

Every team has hits and misses in the draft, FA or trades, but the best teams get enough good players using any method possible. There is no one way to build the team, good teams use any method available to get good players.
Yeah I agree. The only three options a team has to acquire players is draft, free agency, and trade. So it would be foolish to limit any of your potential options. Good players are good players regardless of how you get them.

[better days]

Yeah I agree. The only three options a team has to acquire players is draft, free agency, and trade. So it would be foolish to limit any of your potential options. Good players are good players regardless of how you get them.

LOL Dream Team.

[don137]

The Bills build through the draft about as well as Obama does cutting the deficit.

[Ickybaluky]

Moss was the best WR for a few years after being sent for a 4th!!! Cowboys did overspend, but what became of those players? Nothing!!! Roy Williams is still better than the 3 players detroit ended up getting with Petigrew being the only potential exception..

That trade was terrible for Dallas.

Pettigrew is one of the best young TE in the NFL. He is a good blocker and had 71 catches last year, with 54 catches already this year. He is a way better player than Williams.

Dallas traded for Williams when he was about to be a FA, and gave him a 5-year/$45M contract. Unfortunately for them, while Williams has great talent he is a turd when it comes to work ethic. In 40 games before Dallas finally gave up on him they got 94 catches and 13 TDs.

And the point isn't even that Detroit took Pettigrew, because that pick could have been a lot of other players as well. How would Vontae Davis look in a Cowboys uniform? Or Percy Harvin? Clay Matthews? Alex Mack?

Trading for Roy Williams was the biggest mistake by Jerry Jones since he traded for Joey Galloway. I'm not sure which one was worse.

[better days]

That trade was terrible for Dallas.

Pettigrew is one of the best young TE in the NFL. He is a good blocker and had 71 catches last year, with 54 catches already this year. He is a way better player than Williams.

Dallas traded for Williams when he was about to be a FA, and gave him a 5-year/$45M contract. Unfortunately for them, while Williams has great talent he is a turd when it comes to work ethic. In 40 games before Dallas finally gave up on him they got 94 catches and 13 TDs.

And the point isn't even that Detroit took Pettigrew, because that pick could have been a lot of other players as well. How would Vontae Davis look in a Cowboys uniform? Or Percy Harvin? Clay Matthews? Alex Mack?

Trading for Roy Williams was the biggest mistake by Jerry Jones since he traded for Joey Galloway. I'm not sure which one was worse.

Well, Jerry's biggest mistake was firing Chan Gailey & he said so himself.

[Mike]

Well, I would invest in Nix before I would Jauron or AJ Smith. It is TOO EARLY to judge the Nix draft. It is a LONG TERM investment, NOT Short term.


Its not like you have to pick one or the other. When it comes to investing or betting and thinking that someone or something is going to pan out, you have more than 2 options.

But if I could bet on NIX or against Nix in Vegas and get even odd I would bet against him. Its that simple. If you were in Vegas, and you had to wager $10,000 what would you do? Would you bet on NIX to make this team a Contender?

[Mike]

Yeah of course there are some good examples, but you're completely ignoring the fact that there are a lot of bad examples too.


Thats the beauty of my point. Its easier to get all pros from other teams that continue to be all pros than to draft all pros. Most all pros are talented, hard working, individuals who want to succeed. There are the Albert Haynesworths out there, the Roy Williams, but they are far less than the Jarred Allens, Julius Peppers, etc... Most All Pro FA pan out. Most draftees dont pan out and only a very very few become all pros.

So in conclusions, if the Bills got rid of all of their pick from 2000-2009 and went after all pro talent the very worst they could do is miss on every single one which is exactly where they are today with their draftees. However, since most all pros pan out, chances are the Bills would have a far better roster now if they traded picks for all pros than they currently have.

[Mike]

Yeah of course there are some good examples, but you're completely ignoring the fact that there are a lot of bad examples too.


Can you show me these bad example of All Pros not making it after having a significant impact on their former team, ala Jarred Allen? Most All Pros do well with the new team, its more of the norm not the exception.

[better days]

Its not like you have to pick one or the other. When it comes to investing or betting and thinking that someone or something is going to pan out, you have more than 2 options.

But if I could bet on NIX or against Nix in Vegas and get even odd I would bet against him. Its that simple. If you were in Vegas, and you had to wager $10,000 what would you do? Would you bet on NIX to make this team a Contender?

Well, before you were talking about INVESTING, now you are talking about GAMBLING.

The draft is a crap shoot so if you pick against ANY team, you have at least a 50/50 chance to be right.

Nix worked for the Chargers before coming to Buffalo & Jauron was in charge of the draft in Buffalo before Nix got here so, those are your Choices, who would you rather invest or gamble on? Nix, Smith or Jauron? I would go with Nix myself.

[Mike]

Nix worked for the Chargers before coming to Buffalo & Jauron was in charge of the draft in Buffalo before Nix got here so, those are your Choices, who would you rather invest or gamble on? Nix, Smith or Jauron? I would go with Nix myself.

First if you do not know the full details of any investment its no more than a bet. And even if you do know everything there is to know about an investment there is still a chance, a good one, that your investment will go south. now to the meat!

Those are not your choices. You have more. For one, you can choose not to bet/invest. If you do bet or invest, you don't only have to choose from 3 Coaches, or Players etc... The whole league is available to you. In this hypothetical scenario, you can go to Vegas and bet on Nix or agaist Nix, what would you bet? If you had to invest in a team, financially invest and lets pretend that the top winners = best investments, who would you invest in? The Bills or the Packers?

So now that were comparing NIX to the rest of the league and not the previous administration we get a different answer, don't we? Now that there is competition, and the competition is teams like the Pack, now we may not bet on Nix. We might instead invest in the Pack.

Now if you look, this is the reality, why because the Bills are in fact competing with teams in the here and now. The previous administration, Jouron, all of this is a distant memory and it matters not how they do now. Nix is not compared against Jouron, he is compared against other current GMs in the league.

Given all of this, would you put $10,000 on NIX to build a contender in Buffalo?

[better days]

First if you do not know the full details of any investment its no more than a bet. And even if you do know everything there is to know about an investment there is still a chance, a good one, that your investment will go south. now to the meat!

Those are not your choices. You have more. For one, you can choose not to bet/invest. If you do bet or invest, you don't only have to choose from 3 Coaches, or Players etc... The whole league is available to you. In this hypothetical scenario, you can go to Vegas and bet on Nix or agaist Nix, what would you bet? If you had to invest in a team, financially invest and lets pretend that the top winners = best investments, who would you invest in? The Bills or the Packers?

So now that were comparing NIX to the rest of the league and not the previous administration we get a different answer, don't we? Now that there is competition, and the competition is teams like the Pack, now we may not bet on Nix. We might instead invest in the Pack.

Now if you look, this is the reality, why because the Bills are in fact competing with teams in the here and now. The previous administration, Jouron, all of this is a distant memory and it matters not how they do now. Nix is not compared against Jouron, he is compared against other current GMs in the league.

Given all of this, would you put $10,000 on NIX to build a contender in Buffalo?

Well, I am assuming you are a Bills fan. As a Bills fan those are your three choices. Jauron who was in charge in Buffalo before Nix was made GM, Smith, the GM from the team Nix left the Chargers, or Nix.

You cannot choose the rest of the league if you are a Bills fan. That is what we have to work with.

[psubills62]

Maybe they should think that way, because not every FA is a big-money guy.

Look at the Pats this year. Traded for Ocho and Haynesworth, both busted. However, nobody blinked when they signed Mark Anderson and Andre Carter (for much shorter money), and those 2 have combined for 16 sacks so far this year.
Big difference between those guys and rookie UDFA's. They're veterans, teams know what they can and will do in the pros. They're already developed for the most part.

I wouldn't call that "building" through FA. Anderson and Carter aren't core guys - they're supplemental players - as despite their contributions, they're still relatively replaceable.

And again, coming back to the veteran vs. rookie UDFA thing, signing veterans almost always has some value. Signing UDFA's is more of a risk, long-term investment, and not something you want to consider building a team around.

[jamze132]

We need to draft a QB who has more ability than Fitz. That would be a start.

No matter how bad the Patriots defense is, they always win 11 games every year because of 1 man.

[better days]

We need to draft a QB who has more ability than Fitz. That would be a start.

No matter how bad the Patriots defense is, they always win 11 games every year because of 1 man.

Well, they won 11 games the year Brady was injured also.

[The Jokeman]

Maybe they should think that way, because not every FA is a big-money guy.

Look at the Pats this year. Traded for Ocho and Haynesworth, both busted. However, nobody blinked when they signed Mark Anderson and Andre Carter (for much shorter money), and those 2 have combined for 16 sacks so far this year.
Yet the Patriots already had some important pieces in place (see Wilfork, Meyo, Chung and McCourty). What the Patriots and superior teams do is find core guys and than build around them with free agency, trades and the draft. The Bills have yet to build the foundation so there's a reason the house falls apart after soon being put up. Hopefully that could be changing with the likes of Dareus in the fold. It looks like Byrd might be developing into a long term answer vs a short term solution and hope that Sheppard might be another stone but doubtful.

[jamze132]

Well, they won 11 games the year Brady was injured also.
Cassell isn't a bad QB.

[better days]

Cassell isn't a bad QB.

I would not call him bad. I think he is average & the Chiefs over paid for him though.

[BertSquirtgum]

Cassell is being paid the same as Fitzputrid. They are both average QB's and above average back ups.

[better days]

Cassell is being paid the same as Fitzputrid. They are both average QB's and above average back ups.

I was talking about the draft picks they paid to the Pats* to get him.

[BertSquirtgum]

Well, in that sense, they got raped int he buttocks.

[Mike]

Well, I am assuming you are a Bills fan. As a Bills fan those are your three choices. Jauron who was in charge in Buffalo before Nix was made GM, Smith, the GM from the team Nix left the Chargers, or Nix.

If you had to put $10,000 down would you bet on Nix to turn the Bills into a contender or bet against him?

If your right you double your money, if your wrong you loose it all. What would you do?