Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

[MidnightVoice]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...back-purgatory

Purgatory is supposed to be a temporary place of punishment.

For NFL teams in quarterback purgatory, that temporary state can be interminably long and ultimately doom a franchise.

This is where Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley admitted his team currently sits.

"We are almost in quarterback purgatory. We're good enough that we won't be picking first or second overall," he told WGR Radio on Wednesday.

Whaley isn't wrong.

[gr8slayer]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

That has been the Bills biggest issue for the past decade, they're always just good enough to miss out on a franchise QB. Of course, the one year that they had a high enough pick for a franchise QB (2011), there were none to be had at #3.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

That has been the Bills biggest issue for the past decade, they're always just good enough to miss out on a franchise QB. Of course, the one year that they had a high enough pick for a franchise QB (2011), there were none to be had at #3.

You don't need to draft in the top 3 to get a franchise QB, but you do need to make an effort. The Bills' problem has been their refusal to draft QBs at all, and instead chase busted free agents or over the hill veterans.

[trapezeus]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

in addition, they've always giving guys who have proven nothing limited competition. You don't have to pick qb's every year, but if a qb isn't wowing you in t he first season and there is a guy who is falling fast in a draft and you had rated high, take him.

Take rodgers when losman has struggled. i forget who was available when we kind of knew edwards was falling apart. Instead we bring in holcombs and fitzgeralds and cassels.
If you blow it twice on QBs in 2-3 years, you will have a really bad team. not great for the GM who blew it because he'll probably get fired. but great for the team to actually have a chance to get better.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

Take rodgers when losman has struggled.

We didn't have a 1st in Rodgers' draft because of the Losman trade.

[Goobylal]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

And they wouldn't have taken Rodgers even if they had a 1st, because of drafting Losman the year before.

[Bill Cody]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

When does purgatory become hell? Any Catholics out there?

[BuffaloRedleg]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

Is there anything that can be done to the game to make it less dependent on having a great QB?

It is absolutely ridiculous that a professional sports league should be so dependent on one position, it's like 70/30 in making the playoffs and 90/10 when it comes to winning a Superbowl.

What can be done?

Question 2 I've always wondered... what is going on in College Football? Why such a dearth of decent QBs coming out? Maybe it's in my head, but are the prospects actually getting worse as the years go by?

For those of us, especially Bills fans, who are able to see behind the curtain at the league's "parity" know that there is not any real parity. Any given Sunday it'll look close, but it's all smoke and mirrors. No superb QB=No Superbowl except in very rare circumstances.

[gr8slayer]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

You don't need to draft in the top 3 to get a franchise QB, but you do need to make an effort. The Bills' problem has been their refusal to draft QBs at all, and instead chase busted free agents or over the hill veterans.

They haven't refused to draft a QB, they've tried and have been unsuccessful. They're just rarely in a position to draft a franchise QB, whether it's top 3, or in 2004 when they were 2 picks away from getting Roethlisberger.

[MillsapsBillsFan]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

Question 2 I've always wondered... what is going on in College Football? Why such a dearth of decent QBs coming out? Maybe it's in my head, but are the prospects actually getting worse as the years go by?
.

I think this is a combination of the differences in offense in college/high school and the offenses in the NFL. Many of the offenses in the lower levels are now being predicated on the ball getting in and out of the qb's hands as quick as possible, meaning that many QB's are only taught how to read one thing or only a part of the field. This simplification of offense (along with so much shotgun) obviously stunts a QB's development. Also in college offenses can adjust in order to cover up a qb's weakness. Its a lot easier to gameplan around a qb's deficiencies when theres a few great players on the field instead of everyone being great.

Also I think there's less of a focus on the fundamentals of the QB position (the footwork, throwing motion, etc.) because many places just plug in a qb that works.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

Once the bills tie up Gilmore, Dareus and Bradham, they should use all their picks for a qb either via draft or trade.

[trapezeus]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

We didn't have a 1st in Rodgers' draft because of the Losman trade.

sorry. i messed up.

but i remember a year or two after losman, there was a qb available and we decided to pass to give him more time. and then the next year we took edwards.

i guess my bigger point, especially with the rookie cap, you want a young qb who is good quickly, and have a strong team around him that you pay for. and once he gets good, then you let the other big contracts go to keep the qb.

it isn't hard to carry 2 first round qb's from back to back years and have neither of them develop.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

They haven't refused to draft a QB, they've tried and have been unsuccessful. They're just rarely in a position to draft a franchise QB, whether it's top 3, or in 2004 when they were 2 picks away from getting Roethlisberger.

Yes they absolutely have refused. Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season. It took the Bills eight drafts to draft one QB: JP Losman in 2004. Since Losman, we've taken three QBs in the following 11 drafts: Edwards, Levi Brown, and Manuel.

Four quarterbacks in 19 drafts!

For comparison, in 1997 Green Bay still had Brett Favre in his prime. They took 4 QBs (Ron McAda, Matt Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, and Craig Nall) before we took one. They've taken 5 QBs since drafting Aaron Rodgers.

New England has taken 7 QBs since Brady.

Indianapolis took 3 QBs while they still had Peyton Manning (before Luck), and Denver took another QB with their 2nd round pick immediately after signing Manning.

In the meantime, we've passed on Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Russell Wilson. Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater may ultimately join this list.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

They've been in QB purgatory since 1997.

[Bill Cody]

Re: Whaley: Bills are 'almost in a quarterback purgatory'

Is there anything that can be done to the game to make it less dependent on having a great QB?

It is absolutely ridiculous that a professional sports league should be so dependent on one position, it's like 70/30 in making the playoffs and 90/10 when it comes to winning a Superbowl.

What can be done?

Question 2 I've always wondered... what is going on in College Football? Why such a dearth of decent QBs coming out? Maybe it's in my head, but are the prospects actually getting worse as the years go by?

For those of us, especially Bills fans, who are able to see behind the curtain at the league's "parity" know that there is not any real parity. Any given Sunday it'll look close, but it's all smoke and mirrors. No superb QB=No Superbowl except in very rare circumstances.

To be fair, pull up a list of ALL the QB's that won SB's from 1966 on. It's a pretty damn impressive list with a few outliers. Even the losing QB's in SB's makes a great list. So the problem isn't new. But it is worse now, you're right. Why is it worse? It's almost entirely due to rule changes that have been made gradually over time to make it easier to pass and protect the QB from getting hit. Biggest among those changes are the 5 yard chuck rule, the way defensive holding is called, changes to how offensive holding is called, and what's considered a late hit on the QB. As a result of those rule changes and some advances in offensive strategy the game has tilted away from running and towards passing. Could the league make some new changes that could tilt that back? Of course. Will they? No, they like the scoring. Personally I think they've gone too far.