2002: The year Donahoe killed the Bills

[patmoran2006]

Just finished this..

2002: The Year Donahoe Ruined The Bills ---FOX Sports (http://blogs.foxsports.com/patmoran2006/2006/02/14/2002_The_Year_Donahoe_Ruined_The_Bills)

[ArcticWildMan]

Excellent article! :bf1:

[justasportsfan]

Great Article. :bf1:

My question is, did Modrak play a huge role in that bust of a draft and if so, why was he retained by Marv? :idunno:

[McGahee420]

Enjoyed that article, like you said though, Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda. DAMN THAT DONAWHO.

[kdharge]

Sorry but it was Butler draft that sent us in a tail spin that we couldnt get out of for years to come . Giving up 9th over all for rob Johnson and then later that month picking d.flutie tearing the Bills nation apart ................Lets not talk about the E.flowers draft where there is not one person from that draft that is productive ...........no my good man we were digging out of the grave long before 2002 you just chose to make that your starting point but it was Butler and the salary cap hell plus shoddy drafting that got us in this position .................

[patmoran2006]

KD..
I totally agree with you that the futility plan was laid long before '02. John Butler made some shoddy draft picks and put in in Cap hell.

My piece was refering to the DOnahoe era.. THrough all the BS that TD dealt with to get us out of cap jail and make us contenders, 2002 was his big opportunity, and he blew it. We were in good shape for the first time, had the fourth overall pick and two second rounders..

To me anyway, thats the biggest of many reasons the Bills are 5-11 and picking 8th in 2006.

[The last buffalo fan]

Enjoyed that article, like you said though, Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda. DAMN THAT DONAWHO.

Actually his real name is , Tom Done****we :(

[feelthepain]

Where's MM, I thought it was all his fault???

[gr8slayer]

Where's MM, I thought it was all his fault???
Poor bastard is stuck on Broke Back Mountain in Miami.

[feelthepain]

Poor bastard is stuck on Broke Back Mountain in Miami.

You must be jealous!!

[The_Philster]

Giving up 9th over all for rob Johnson and then later that month picking d.flutie tearing the Bills nation apart Flutie joined us in January..before the trade with Jacksonville for RJ

[ChristopherWalken]

Great article man!!! Not that I was looking to pick things apart, but I found the following mistakes that you might consider editing.

What do Tiki Barber, Steve Smith, Tom Brady, Clinton Portis and Hines Ward have in common? Well besides being on playoff teams, none were taken in the first round they year they turned pro. Again, celebrated teams know when to find great pros at all levels of the draft.

Two of "they".

and

I think the proper term is: Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda (not "Coulda, woulda, shoulda" )

:bf1:

One of the best Bills articles that I have ever read. I'd love to see something like that in a newspaper rather then the same ol' crap you normally get.

[L.A. Playa]

I feel the lack of continuity between the GM and the Coaching staff, even though he handpicked his coaches, is what has caused the current demise. Players drafted could have been succesful if they fit the coaching staffs schemes and plans for them. Unfortunately Tom Donahoe was all knowing and felt as long as he put a talented player on the team they could succeed regardless of the coaching scheme.

New England and Pittsburgh, post Donahoe, have been very successful because management works with their coaches and brings in players that wil lfit the coaching philosophy rather than just talented players that maybe a great player but just doesnt fit in the scheme being run by the coach.

Marv Levy and Dick Jauron reportedly having a friendship and mutual respect for each other could be the most important development of the offseason. Having a GM that will listen to the coach and a coach that will listen to the GM and respect eachother is the most valuable commidity you can have in the NFL in the salary cap era.

Though Donahoe hand picked his coaches he picked guys that he felt he could rule over and dictate his way over, this is never a succesful marriage in any type of working or personal relationship.

[gr8slayer]

You must be jealous!!
Jealous that you got our reject for a coach? Not really.

[Billsrock4life]

great article! and a good read

[patmoran2006]

Christopher.. Good pick ups.. I'm no editor.. I'll start sending my crap to you before publising you keep that up!

[Bling]

And what do you do to fix the problem? Pick up an 80 year old man. I won't question his credentials, but when the team needs to review one last tape on whether to pick up Terell Davis or Sammy Morris in the 7th round, do you trust this guy is able to put in the extra hour? I'm a huge FSU fan, and I often times worry that Bobby is going to get into problems with his age. I wonder about your HC.

[feelthepain]

Jealous that you got our reject for a coach? Not really.


Hmmm, we'll see about that.

[kernowboy]

I agree that Donahoe just carried on a long line of bad drafts. No.1 is all important and I'm desperately trying to forget Flowers. Playing in a 3-4 what were they thinking?

I guess its always easy to look back - 'Sin in haste, repent at leisure' but Donahoe did bring us Aaron and Terrence so a little credit is due.

What we need to have is a couple of strong drafts, filling needs, being conservative, taking high character guys and what I want to see is us taking plays with good college records who have slipped on draft day rather than wild punts ... if players ranked as 2nd or 3rd rounders are available on Day 2 lets grab them !!!!!!!!!!!

OPINION OF A LIMEY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND.

[don137]

Very good read...I can't really blame TD for Mike Williams. Many people had him slated as a run blocking stud and were turned off my Mckinnie's attitude. I was at the Billszone draft party that year for a couple hours and I remember everyone pretty excited when we took Williams. I also remember many people wanting either Larry Triplett or Anthony Weaver in the 2nd round and were stunned when we took Reed. Some were even saying we should go after Bentley. I guess sometimes the fans do know better.

[ICE74129]

Sorry but it was Butler draft that sent us in a tail spin that we couldnt get out of for years to come . Giving up 9th over all for rob Johnson and then later that month picking d.flutie tearing the Bills nation apart ................Lets not talk about the E.flowers draft where there is not one person from that draft that is productive ...........no my good man we were digging out of the grave long before 2002 you just chose to make that your starting point but it was Butler and the salary cap hell plus shoddy drafting that got us in this position .................

Bull crap! I wrote an article on how NINE other teams had as bad or WORSE Cap situations than buffalo did going into 01. SEVEN of them have made the playoffs since then and one of them the superbowl ( Carolina) the Cap is an EXCUSE!

Tom screwed this up from day one!

[McBFLO]

i liked the article, but you're forgetting one thing:

The McGahee pick was essentially a "free pick". We wouldn't have even had a 1st rounder in 2003, but Donahoe, to his credit, slapped Peerless with the franchise tag and then traded him to ATL for their 1st rounder, 23rd overall. Now, I agree that an O-lineman would've made more sense from a need standpoint. However, I won't fault him for taking a chance on a top-3 talent.

[gr8slayer]

Hmmm, we'll see about that.
Kind of funny how all you moronic fish fans did nothing but make fun of Mularkey while he was here, but now that he is on Broke Back Moutain, "oh he is the best ever"

Stupid fish fans

[ICE74129]

Kind of funny how all you moronic fish fans did nothing but make fun of Mularkey while he was here, but now that he is on Broke Back Moutain, "oh he is the best ever"

Stupid fish fans

:roflmao: Brokeback mountain....:roflmao: