theoretical debate P-Willy vs Beast Mode '07 draft

[Shady25]

looking back on the 2007 draft.. and yes i understand we cant change anything.. but it is the off-season and we need to discuss something..

back in 2007 i remember wanting Peterson, or Willis. Peterson went #7 to Minnesota, and Willis went one pick before us #10th overall to SF. We went on to select Lynch with the 11th pick, and then I believe traded up for Poz in the 2nd round.

if you were the GM did this situation play out in your favor? was Lynch the better pick then Willis? tons of things to discuss here.. lets open up pandoras box!

what made me think of this is that both players are retired now.. so in theory if both players played all 9 years here in Buffalo.. would we be any better off?

[Bill Cody]

If Willis had been on the board I believe he would have been the pick. Moving up a couple spots at that point in the draft is expensive so that's why Willis was not a Bill. Or Rothlisberger if you want to go there. In hindsight both would have been worth the cost to move up.

Lynch wasn't spending 9 years here. He misbehaved his way out of Buffalo. Basically Lynch was a wasted pick, he wasn't even better than Jackson here. Because of his antics we got 10 cents on the dollar when we moved him so count me as not being a Beast Bum fan. I could give a **** what he did after he left here, he's a talent but give me Willis all day every day and twice on Sundays. Willis would have give our D an identity.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

No debate what so ever - the guys you mentioned were not available. Like the Roethlisberger pick - had Rooney didn't jump in to convince Cowher and GM at the time, Donahoe would still be the GM here in Buffalo today.

[Victor7]

Love me some beast mode but I think Willis would've been the pick. After all running backs are easier to find and we did have a couple of them back then.

Beast Mode did end up having a better career than Willis though.

Shame he's calling it quits. Love the way the dude runs.

[Bill Cody]

Beast Mode did end up having a better career than Willis though.



No he didn't. Willis was All Pro 6 times in 8 years it's not close.

[Joe Fo Sho]

I like Marshawn as much as anyone, but I don't think this debate is even close. I'll take an All-Pro Linebacker over and All-Pro Running Back almost every time, definitely in this case.

You might be able to say that Marshawn finished his career better than Willis, but overall Willis was better.

[stuckincincy]

FYI, here's the NFL draft history link. Handy reference to bookmark when topics like this one are posted...

http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=2004

[Victor7]

No he didn't. Willis was All Pro 6 times in 8 years it's not close.

Beast mode is a SB champ. Would've been 2 timer if not for Carroll and the worst call of all time.

Remember the league loves to use Super Bowls as an individual statistic to define all.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Beast mode is a SB champ. Would've been 2 timer if not for Carroll and the worst call of all time.

Remember the league loves to use Super Bowls as an individual statistic to define all.

I think that's a pretty thin argument. As much as the league loves Super Bowl winners, we all understand it's a team game.

You could say that Willis was the leader of a defense that got a team led by Colin Kaepernick to the Super Bowl and I would say that is just as impressive.

[Victor7]

I think that's a pretty thin argument. As much as the league loves Super Bowl winners, we all understand it's a team game.

You could say that Willis was the leader of a defense that got a team led by Colin Kaepernick to the Super Bowl and I would say that is just as impressive.

Agreed

Although I think that's more Harbaugh than anything. Kaep sucks!

[Mr. Pink]

Considering Patrick Willis wasn't available at the Bills pick, what's the point in this thread?

[Shady25]

Considering Patrick Willis wasn't available at the Bills pick, what's the point in this thread?


im sorry i forgot this was north korea and we were not allowed to speculate during the off-season.

[DesertFox24]

To find out Levy and the rest of them were very high on Revis makes me sick to know we passed on him for a RB. There is no need to draft a RB in the first round in my opinion. Only way I would consider it is if I had a QB, two OTs, two Pass rushers, and two corners, and a WR, and a TE.

So in other words never.

[The Jokeman]

FYI, here's the NFL draft history link. Handy reference to bookmark when topics like this one are posted...

http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=2004

I prefer http://www.drafthistory.com as it has articles and let's you sort drafts out by team, by year, by round etc. Just a better overall site IMHO.

[ublinkwescore]

I wanted Patrick Willis so bad. I was pissed when San Fran took him.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I don't think many would have bemoaned missing Willis if Pozluszny had worked out. I remember at the time a lot of fans were excited that we landed him in the 2nd.

[mdcas22]

its a lot easier to replace a all pro runningback than a alpro middlelinebacker.

[sudzy]

This thread is as useful as the one about "would you have drafted Paul Horning or Len Dawson in the '57 draft?" And the correct answer is, I would have passed on both to draft Jim Brown. Wow, the NFL was racist back then.

[sudzy]

Oh, and the correct answer to this one is Darrelle Revis. The one time the Bills passed on a CB in a draft and he turns out to be one of the best to ever play the game.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Oh, and the correct answer to this one is Darrelle Revis. The one time the Bills passed on a CB in a draft and he turns out to be one of the best to ever play the game.

Not really. Revis has held out like 3 times now. Even the Jets got tired of it and moved him. We'd have shipped him out two years earlier then they did. If there's one thing Bills fans hate, it's mercenary players.

The real correct answer would be Joe Staley, Greg Olsen, or Eric Weddle.

[Mr. Pink]

im sorry i forgot this was north korea and we were not allowed to speculate during the off-season.

Why not speculate something that had a possibility of happening...

Like Nick Mangold instead of John McCargo.