Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

[Albany,n.y.]

We may not know for a few years, but I'm glad the Bills lost on Sunday and gained 3 spots in the draft. In 2004 the Bills drafted 13th. If they had lost 1 more game that year, they would have drafted ahead of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh picked 2 spots ahead of the Bills, who tried desperately to get ahead of the Steelers & couldn't find a trade partner. The result was Pittsburgh drafted the player the Bills wanted, Ben Roethlisberger, and the Bills took Lee Evans at 13 & then made the dumb JP Losman trade with Dallas later in the 1st round.

Two draft slots in 2004 have set the Bills back for over a decade. Anyone who preferred a win Sunday for pick 13 instead of pick 10 doesn't understand the word meaningless. Even the inept Bills management understood it was better to lose on Sunday.

[Jimkelly12203]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

While i was hoping for an even bigger dumpster fire than the one we all saw last sunday, the outcome was close to perfect in my eyes. I only wish that the Jets had found a way to shut us out. This entire organization needs to die. We need to lose in embarrassing fashion next year in as many games as possible if we have any hope of breaking Pegula out of his sleep-walk.

[Ginger Vitis]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Donahoe should have offered the Bills 1st round pick in 2005 to the Texans or Jaguars to move in front of the Steelers... Why not he ended up giving that pick away in the end...Maybe he did but I would think one of those teams would have gladly moved back to 13 for a extra 1st rounder... The rumour at the time was the Texans really liked Dunta Robinson and were determined to stay at 10 and take him

[Jimkelly12203]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

By the way, i think we will screw up the 10th pick just as badly as we would have screwed up the 13th pick.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Rooting for the Bills to win is, in no way, affecting the outcome of the game.

I will root for the Bills to win every single game that I watch. I will not be mad about losing meaningless games.

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Hindsight is 20/20. It was widely reported that even the Steelers weren't that convinced about Roethlisberger that they didn't even had him for a visit. They were very high on Rivers, thought Eli was un-reachable, and had Losman in for a visit.

When Rivers was gone in the 4th pick, Cowher and Co. was ready to pick Vince Wilfork when Art Rooney brought up Roethlisberger. Back then it was 15 minutes between 1st round picks so history has it that Rooney had like 45 minutes to convince his football people.

Many people, including me at the time, thought Roethlisberger, a Junior when he came out, was more likely a bust compared to the others. But his unique size and intelligence combination made it work in NFL.

Isn't that interesting that all of those franchise QBs fell on teams laps - Mannings, Brady, Rogers, even Wilson, etc.? When teams start chasing QBs like trading all those picks trying to get them, it never works out. To me, it says all about team management. If you have a good plan, good people in place, you take business as they come and you make good decision on the spot.

[Victor7]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

It only means that whoever Whaley picks is going to be a bigger bust than the one we would've picked at 13.


Anybody know of a talented but injured player with 1st round talent ?? I'm sure Whaley would like to pick that one. Or perhaps a 5th round worthy QB with zero accuracy but some athleticism ?? Dougie love those!

[feldspar]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

It wasn't worth it to me...

[Ginger Vitis]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

I thought Cowher wanted the guard Shawn Andrews and Rooney overruled him because he didn't want another potential franchise QB slipping through his fingers like Dan Marino did...

[Historian]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Roethlisberger would either be bagging groceries, or in prison for rape had he been drafted by the Bills.

[trapezeus]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

eli didn't fall to the giants. they had to trade and get him, but I agree with ghz's point. and I also think Roethlisberger was pretty raw his rookie year. he was asked to manage that team to 15-1 or whatever it was and ultimately failed in the playoffs. but I think the bills d at that time was also pretty good and might have given him a chance to make it. I suspect whaley trades up to get a position we are already strong in and where you shouldn't draft in the first round. With the 4th pick via trade, doug will pick a running back.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Someone might want to trade up to our pick too.

[Jimkelly12203]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Roethlisberger would either be bagging groceries, or in prison for rape had he been drafted by the Bills.

Yup. Agreed. And i've long felt this way. At some point the problem is not who you're drafting (though it usually is that too for this team) but moreso the fact that they're going to be brought in to the losing culture of an organization that doesn't have any idea what the hell its doing.

We've made some clearly dreadful draft decisions. But i think it's inarguable that we've probably picked a few good players and then ruined them.

[Cleve]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

Mike Gillislee must have been in on the 'tank" for draft points - why else would he just stand there and watch a live ball slowly roll into his own endzone? lol

[Luisito23]

Re: Was Sunday's loss worth it to move from 13 to 10?

But, "winning a meaningless game establishes momentum and a winning culture"...