Is it odd to anybody else that...

[DraftBoy]

The most porlific reason we are getting bad draft grades isnt even due to a draft pick but due to not getting the TH deal done? That bother anybody else?

[Mahdi]

well they keep saying that there is still a trade in the mix, so maybe we can get a good player for TH.

[BAM]

No, not really.

Jim Morrison said it best, "People are strange."

[STAMPY]

The most porlific reason we are getting bad draft grades isnt even due to a draft pick but due to not getting the TH deal done? That bother anybody else?

METS beat your BRAVES :evil:

[OpIv37]

I think the bad draft grades go to the fact that we drafted an undersized receiver when we needed an oversized DL or LT, didn't get a kicker, didn't get a CB to replace Clements...

[Meathead]

The most porlific reason we are getting bad draft grades isnt even due to a draft pick but due to not getting the TH deal done? That bother anybody else?
You're right that it makes no sense. I said someplace else that unless Henry was actually traded for picks his situation has no relevance to the draft. What if they did a player for player swap, what would that have to do with the draft? Nothing.

So until it has something to do with the draft, it has nothing to do with the draft.

How many times will I use that sentence in my lifetime?

[ShadowHawk7]

I think the bad draft grades go to the fact that we drafted an undersized receiver when we needed an oversized DL or LT, didn't get a kicker, didn't get a CB to replace Clements...

-agreed w/ first point

-Don't need a kicker enough to warrant a day one pick on (i think we will sign a UDFA tho)

-Who says we have to replace him? I think the draft was a sign that we'll keep him.

[ddaryl]

I haven't seen any bad draft scores for the Bills. I've C's and B's and that pretty much the way I see it.

[OpIv37]

-Who says we have to replace him? I think the draft was a sign that we'll keep him.

I hope you're right- he's a big part of our defense and ST. But two things- first, we may not have the cap space. Second, other teams have a habit of screwing up our FA plans by offering our guys way more than they're worth. I thought we'd keep Williams but I didn't anticipate Minnesota throwing money at him like he's the second coming of Reggie White.

[BuffaloRanger]

I think the cap will jump about 10 mil next year due to the 50% raise in TV revenue, etc.

[Tatonka]

I think the bad draft grades go to the fact that we drafted an undersized receiver when we needed an oversized DL or LT, didn't get a kicker, didn't get a CB to replace Clements...
did you know who mcgee was before we drafted him? how do you know what king is capable of? your ****ting on the guy before he even plays... and i would assume that since we did not take a guy high, we will do everything we can to keep clements.

:hockey:

[The_Philster]

I think the cap will jump about 10 mil next year due to the 50% raise in TV revenue, etc.

I doubt it...it's never made that big a jump. They'll average out the jump it would make for this deal over the life of it. So unless you see it going up $10M each of the next 8 years....

[Stewie]

I think another reason we're getting bad grades is because no one counts Losman as part of this draft. I don't see why. We used this years 1st rounder to get him. A year early, no less. When you add that up, it doesn't look so bad, does it?

[EDS]

Does it really matter what grade the Bills draft is given before any of the drafted players even practices with the team?

[DraftBoy]

I think another reason we're getting bad grades is because no one counts Losman as part of this draft. I don't see why. We used this years 1st rounder to get him. A year early, no less. When you add that up, it doesn't look so bad, does it?


You cant count losman this year as much as you cant count Travis Henry. What year was Losman drafted in? 04 not 05, how should he count in the 05 class? bc we sent a 05 1st to get him? It just doesnt make any sense bc he would not of even been avail this year since he was a senior last year.

[Dicknoze69]

Draft grades are stupid

[TigerJ]

I agree with ddaryl. I haven't seen bad draft grades for the Bills. I've seen mostly average grades, the same grade I would assign, average. As others have mentioned some of the factors are the discounting of Losman as part of the draft, and the lack of addressing the most obvious need area for the Bills, the lack of an obvious starting left tackle.

I think it should be obvious that the Bills are aware of that need area. The question is why didn't they address it? I think the answer is they could not address it in a way they were satisfied with. They don't think LJ Shelton is a quality starting left tackle. They thought Adam Terry was too much of a reach in round 2, and after Terry was gone there wasn't a left tackle remaining in the draft that would help them this year.

[Stewie]

You cant count losman this year as much as you cant count Travis Henry. What year was Losman drafted in? 04 not 05, how should he count in the 05 class? bc we sent a 05 1st to get him? It just doesnt make any sense bc he would not of even been avail this year since he was a senior last year.

I disagree completely. Every year, each team is given 7 picks. I judge a draft based on how teams turn those picks into players. If you trade a pick for a current nfl player, that counts to me. You wouldn't have that player without first having the pick. The same goes for trading future picks for players.

[DraftBoy]

I disagree completely. Every year, each team is given 7 picks. I judge a draft based on how teams turn those picks into players. If you trade a pick for a current nfl player, that counts to me. You wouldn't have that player without first having the pick. The same goes for trading future picks for players.


You can only judge a draft class based on who they drafted hence the name of draft class. Its unfair to seperate out other variable and add them in or take them away. Give the players drafted a grade and then at the end say that the grade could be lowered or raised due to X variables like trades or yadda yadda yadda.

[mysticsoto]

I agree with ddaryl. I haven't seen bad draft grades for the Bills. I've seen mostly average grades, the same grade I would assign, average. As others have mentioned some of the factors are the discounting of Losman as part of the draft, and the lack of addressing the most obvious need area for the Bills, the lack of an obvious starting left tackle.

I think it should be obvious that the Bills are aware of that need area. The question is why didn't they address it? I think the answer is they could not address it in a way they were satisfied with. They don't think LJ Shelton is a quality starting left tackle. They thought Adam Terry was too much of a reach in round 2, and after Terry was gone there wasn't a left tackle remaining in the draft that would help them this year.
Here is my diary of the draft:

I was initially upset that the Bills didn't take anyone for which I thought they might go for. But as time is passing, my anger is fading into realism. The Parrish pick absolutely infuriated me initially. It wasn't that I minded them picking up a WR, it's just that I thought that was kind of high for a 3rd/slot receiver - and maybe I still think so. But the Bills position in each round seem to leave them little value for the rd. I was extremely shocked that Matt Jones went that early and that Spencer (C) went that early also (along with Baas). So for the 2nd round, maybe Justin Miller (CB) would have been my choice, but other than that, a WR was definitely probably the right choice. And on reflection, this guy does seem like he will fit into our offense very well and help JP out.

For the 3rd rd, a TE pick once again infuriated me, as everything that I had read said that Campbell and Euhus were recovering just fine. I felt like this had Mularkey written all over it and that he was being biased b'cse he was a TE and was placing a little too much importance to this position. And yet, from everything I hear, this TE might be something special worth getting. We have helped JP out with better chances to succeed due to our 1st 2 picks.

In the 4th, Preston puzzled me. Here was a Center I had never heard of. I argued with my friends on this one all of yesterday - why not Jason Brown? But as I continue to read more about him, it seems like the Bills have analyzed this Preston guy alot and gave concrete reasons why they preferred him. With McNally being involved and apparently having a big say on choosing this guy, I've relented. If he sees something in him, I'm willing to trust his judgement more than most other people. This is his specialty and where he excels!

For the 5th, I still thought there were some good prospects, but it always seemed like we would keep getting beat to the man I was interested in. ILB McCune and WR Larry Brackins were taken 1 and 2 spots right before our 5th pick. Didn't know too much about Eric King before they picked him, but it does appear that he has a certain go-getter attitude that the Bills are targeting.

For the 6th, I thought Anttaj Hawthorne might be a possibility to grab now for us, but he went immediately at the top. OLB Jared Newberry did also, and from there on, I really didn't see anyone outstanding. I might have preferred Jeremy Parquet - OT to the OG they took Justin Geisinger though. I thought OT might be a more needed position than a Guard on our team. However, I know McNally seems to be the one driving the Oline picks and so if he preferred this guy - so be it.

For the 7th round, there weren't many options left. I thought Cornelius Wortham was a good prospect at OLB and he went the pick right before ours to Seattle. I wasn't ecstatic that they picked a RB, but I know that they may believe that at some point, a TH trade may materialize - especially once someone gets hurt. Given that I haven't seen what Dante Brown has to offer yet, I guess it's okay - though I still think highly of Shaud Williams.

As far as the undrafted, I was disappointed that they didn't bring in Brandon Browner (CB) and Erik Pears (OT) and a few others, but I do like the FB Goldsberry, DE Grause and LB Ezekiel. I know virutally nothing of some of the CBs they've brought in, but they did find Greer last year, so I trust in that they know what to look for. I still would like them to try a Kicker also, but it looks like they are giving Lindell another chance to redeem himself this year. Maybe he will do better, who knows. Clearly, if he doesn't, we will have a Kicker here next year ready to oust him!


So...after all my initial anger, reflection is showing me that some of these picks really aren't that bad. They just weren't what I was expecting. The attitude and mentality of the players seem to play a big role in this draft. Unfortunately, we are not privy to know these like the scouts and GMs are, so we can only go with what we hear. But if most of the draft picks contain that go-getter type attitude that Eric King seems to have, perhaps it wasn't such a bad draft after all...

[Philagape]

Draft grades are stupid

:bf1:

How is judging players months before they play in a game not stupid?

[jamze132]

I think draft grades are pretty gay. How many top 5 picks never made it in the NFL and how many 6-7 round picks made the hall of fame? The draft is a crapshoot. Wasn't Tom Brady a 6th round pick? What kind of grade did the Patsys get when they drafted that year? I bet it would have been an A+++ if you could look into the future. If we have to have draft grades, than maybe they should come out 3-4 years after the draft. Than you could trully assess what a GM did.

[BuffaloRanger]

The Bills brought Duke in for a visit in early April. Just like last year, the guys they bring in pre-draft end up Bills on draft day.

I understand the Bills don't like Shelton. But he at least played the position in the last 2 years. The Bills choices now at LT have no recent, in most cases zero experience. Call me chicken little, but that might be a problem.

And Philster, I base my big bump in the cap from the Buffalo News:

"NBC is happy about taking over Sunday night games. ESPN is giddy to get Monday Night Football. But when the NFL announced its new broadcast package, the happiest ones of all were the players and agents. Total broadcast revenue will increase by at least 50 percent when the new deals go into effect in 2006 - from $2.45 billion a year to at least $3.75 billion. The players get 65 percent of revenues, so you can expect a big bump in salaries in '06. It'll be a great time to be a free agent. Nate Clements, are you listening?"

[BAM]

Draft grades are stupid

:up:

Getting upset over it... even stoopidder.

[Jan Reimers]

As I've said before, it's clear that MM wants fast, athletic skilled guys to build the O around, and that's what we've taken the last 2 years in the early rounds. McNally wants bright, coachable, overacheiving, technically sound linemen, who are often more available in the mid to late rounds - when the uncoachable prima donnas that have gotten along on talent alone are gone.

Thus, from TD's and MM's standpoints, this was a very good draft. Except we keep overlooking the defense. Come on Gause, Ezekial and Leonhard!

[Stewie]

You can only judge a draft class based on who they drafted hence the name of draft class. Its unfair to seperate out other variable and add them in or take them away. Give the players drafted a grade and then at the end say that the grade could be lowered or raised due to X variables like trades or yadda yadda yadda.

I agree with that.... to an extent. It would be 100% true if the only thing you can do with a draft pick was to select a college player. However, since we all know you can use draft picks to acquire players by other means, it is only logical to include all players acquired through the seven alloted picks in a given year.