This draft wasn't getting us a QB in the first round...

[HHURRICANE]

I keep hearing in the national media how the Watkins deal prevented us from getting one of the top two QBs. Last I looked we would be picking at 18? Did that mean we were a lock to move up and grab one of these guys?

And for the record both of these guys aren't locks at being stars or starters in this league.

I'm not so sure that the winner for a QB isn't the team that takes the third QB off the board.

Thoughts?

[feldspar]

Actually, the Bills would have picked 19th. And no, we wouldn't have gone QB in the first round. No way. We got quality players via free agency and trade, so we won't really miss the 19th overall pick anyway. Hopefully, the Bills will find a way to make the money work over time.

My thought is that certain people should just shut up and be glad Sammy Watkins is on the team. Harvin and Clay should draw attention away from him this year, in addition to Woods and an improved running game. No regrets here...can't wait to see what happens. It's going to be a really interesting year no matter what IMO, particularly on offense.

[Night Train]

I don't believe there are 2 top QB's in this draft.

Winston is it.. and he's a basket case off the field. Any other is a waste of a pick. Weak year.

Unless Manuel suddenly wakes up, the long term answer was always coming in 2016. Thus the additions of Cassel and Taylor.

20-24 NFL teams wish they had a better answer at QB.

So you field a top D, surround the QB with playmakers, improve the OL play and compete.

Welcome to the 2015 Bills.

[YardRat]

Good year to be looking for a QB without a first-rounder. Hopefully we won't be in a position to grab one of the top 2 next year either without trading up a huge amount of spots, because I'd rather make the playoffs in '15 and let the '16 off-season take care of itself.

[X-Era]

Petty may not be the best in the draft but I like what he brings to the table the most. I think he'll be the 3rd QB taken and I'd be fine if it was the Bills.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Looking back at that draft, as it stands right now, we overpaid for Sammy. I'm glad Sammy is on this team, but I would have been just as happy with one the other top wrs and our first round pick. A qb is not the only position we could have drafted at 19, obviously. But oh well, **** happens...go bills.

[feldspar]

Looking back at that draft, as it stands right now, we overpaid for Sammy.

Meh, maybe, but I don't see how that matters so much.

I read that the Browns would have taken Sammy at number 4 had the Bills not traded up. He was projected to go where we took him.

And like I said, the Bills made up for their lack of a first round pick in other ways this year, namely through free agency and trade. IMO, this all equals itself out at least. There's more than one way to skin a cat. I swear that a lot of folks think that the draft ends after the first round, and that first round pick should always be a guaranteed winner. You can see how little talk there is about the draft this year in Bills-land, which is coming right up shortly. Almost feels like there isn't a draft at all from the way people are ignoring it. Why? Because we don't have a first round pick. How many of those have we had before, and where have they all gotten us?

The only way we could ever be sure whether we overpayed for Sammy would be to know which two players the Bills would have picked otherwize...and we'll never know that.

I'd rather have Julio Jones than all the picks the Browns spent as a result of THAT trade, I'll say again...and by far. And it cost the Falcons a hell of a lot more to nab Jones. It's all relative, in other words.

[YardRat]

I'm OK with the Sammy trade.

[stuckincincy]

Looking back at that draft, as it stands right now, we overpaid for Sammy. I'm glad Sammy is on this team, but I would have been just as happy with one the other top wrs and our first round pick. A qb is not the only position we could have drafted at 19, obviously. But oh well, **** happens...go bills.

The draftniks called last year a good, deep WR draft class, as they are for this one.

And why not? Combine the way college ball is played these days with the NFL's pass emphasis, and you get a steady stream.

I'd really have to like a WR these days before I'd even think about spending a 1st.

[Mace]

If they had a first, I wouldn't want a QB anyway.

The way I look at it, is Watkins good enough to be a first round pick two years in a row, because he effectively is. I'd say no.

I go back again to the Julio Jones trade. Great receiver. Took Atlanta over the top ? No. Just fired staff and started over.

Watkins was the cherry on a cake that wasn't done, custom rims on an old toyota. He still offers great possibilities, no doubt, but drafting him number 1 two years in a row for 65 catches and 6 td's is insufficient.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/by...gory=Receiving

Look way way down there around 46. You might like him, he might have possibilities yet, but seriously, that's just not the shiznit.

But but he had no QB ! Yes, that's sort of a problem in spending that much on a WR at the wrong time.

[feldspar]

I go back again to the Julio Jones trade. .

So go back to that trade.

Look at all the players the Browns got in that trade.

Would you rather have Julio Jones, or would you rather have all the players the Browns ended up getting through that trade?

[Joe Fo Sho]

I read that the Browns would have taken Sammy at number 4 had the Bills not traded up. He was projected to go where we took him.

Should have let them have him.

And like I said, the Bills made up for their lack of a first round pick in other ways this year, namely through free agency and trade. IMO, this all equals itself out at least.

This is just making an excuse for overpaying for Sammy. We could have had the same free agency and still had a 1st round pick this year. Wouldn't that be better?

I swear that a lot of folks think that the draft ends after the first round, and that first round pick should always be a guaranteed winner. You can see how little talk there is about the draft this year in Bills-land, which is coming right up shortly. Almost feels like there isn't a draft at all from the way people are ignoring it. Why? Because we don't have a first round pick.

No team is perfect when it comes to first round picks, that's obvious. Statistically speaking, the first round of the draft yields better NFL players. It's that simple.

The only way we could ever be sure whether we overpayed for Sammy would be to know which two players the Bills would have picked otherwize...and we'll never know that.

Very true, but we can speculate. That's what sports message boards are all about...arguing with people you don't know over decisions you have no control over. I assume that we would have taken the next best WR on the board, which could have been Evans (probably not), Odell Beckham Jr, or Kelvin Benjamin. Any of which I would trade Sammy for if we also got a 1st round pick.

I'd rather have Julio Jones than all the picks the Browns spent as a result of THAT trade, I'll say again...and by far. And it cost the Falcons a hell of a lot more to nab Jones. It's all relative, in other words.

These are the players that Cleveland got in exchange for that trade:

WR - Phil Taylor (Used 1st from ATL to trade up a few spots to take Taylor)
WR - Greg Little
FB - Owen Marecic
QB - Brandon Weeden
RB - Trent Richardson (They used the 4th from ATL to help with the trade up to get Richardson)

So yeah, Cleveland got very little in return for that trade but it's mostly because they can't draft for ****. There were several good players available when CLE was picking that they could have had. For example, they could have drafted Cameron Jordan (or Dalton or Kaep), Randall Cobb, Julius Thomas, and Dont'a Hightower. If they would have gotten even one of those players, I think you would be singing a different tune. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 and that argument is a 'what if' scenario.

I think if you offer ATL 2 1sts, a 2nd, and 2 4ths for Julio today, they take it. There are very few players in the NFL today that are worth more than that.

[Mace]

So go back to that trade.

Look at all the players the Browns got in that trade.

Would you rather have Julio Jones, or would you rather have all the players the Browns ended up getting through that trade?

Well, you're asking me if I'd rather be the 7-9 Browns or 6-10 Falcons. Which would you rather be ? Probably the Falcons got a better talent and the Browns had more wins, go figure ?

Let's instead look at the Watkins trade. Would you want the 46th ranked receiver in the league over any of the other what, 24 possible 1st round players you could have gotten over 2 years with a good scouting dept ? Why would you think spending for the 46th best receiver with that many picks is a good thing and a fist pumping "yes !".

I honestly don't see what you're thinking in basic results besides hopeful maybes, and you know we often agree so I'm not arguing with you for the sake of it.

[feldspar]

Well, you're asking me if I'd rather be the 7-9 Browns or 6-10 Falcons. Which would you rather be ? Probably the Falcons got a better talent and the Browns had more wins, go figure ?

Let's instead look at the Watkins trade. Would you want the 46th ranked receiver in the league over any of the other what, 24 possible 1st round players you could have gotten over 2 years with a good scouting dept ? Why would you think spending for the 46th best receiver with that many picks is a good thing and a fist pumping "yes !".

I honestly don't see what you're thinking in basic results besides hopeful maybes, and you know we often agree so I'm not arguing with you for the sake of it.

I'm saying look who the Browns got in that trade with the Falcons.

Simple.

[Gilly]

I love the Watkins trade but judging if it was worth it after one year with Orton throwing to him is just plain dumb..

[WagonCircler]

The OP is asinine.

If we drafted Odell Beckham Jr and still had our first round draft choice this year, we could have traded for Sam Bradford.

The Sammy trade was stupid. That's not to say that Sammy isn't a good player, but he may not even be as good as Beckham, and he's certainly not as good as Beckham + Bradford.

[feldspar]

If we drafted Odell Beckham Jr and still had our first round draft choice this year, we could have traded for Sam Bradford.

I don't think that's true.

Reports are that the Browns were trying to trade for Bradford. Not only did the Browns have our #19 pick to offer, but they also had the #12 overall pick as well.

It would have been nice IMO, but I just don't think it would have happened. I wouldn't imagine that the Rams would just trade away Bradford and leave themselves with nothing at QB. That was a pipe-dream, one that I actively partook in too.

I still don't fully understand the Foles/Bradford trade, but that will be one of the more interesting story-lines to follow this year.

[YardRat]

The only picks that really count for comparison are last year's #9, this year's #19, and this year's #115.

[Mace]

I'm saying look who the Browns got in that trade with the Falcons.

Simple.

Ok, I'll be as simple. I'd rather be the team that won more games, so I guess that's Cleveland.

Just as simple, you'd rather be the team that won less ?

Sort of doesn't really mean a crap who you get for what if you can't use it and win less games anyway now does it ?

[Mace]

The OP is asinine.

If we drafted Odell Beckham Jr and still had our first round draft choice this year, we could have traded for Sam Bradford.

The Sammy trade was stupid. That's not to say that Sammy isn't a good player, but he may not even be as good as Beckham, and he's certainly not as good as Beckham + Bradford.

And he's not good enough to be worth two years of number 1 draft picks as the 46th ranked receiver in catches, tied with Woods by the way and behind Fred Jackson, who cost a couple fewer number 1's unfortunately.