Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills 2017 Preseason #3 at BAL Saturday 8/26 7pm. Anquan Boldin retires.

[SoFFacet]

That's ultimately the point. The majority of late 1st round qb's fizzle out like Losman. Rodgers is the exception not the rule, and of course Flacco is better than anything we've had since Kelly, our qb situation the last 20 years has been one of the worst in the entire league. Bottoming out and getting the highest pick possible doesn't assure us we get a franchise qb, but it gives us a better chance.

A higher pick helps, but not by a lot. Rebuilding doesn't work the same in the NFL as it does in the NHL.

 

[Samsonite23]

Can we stop acting like tanking in the NFL is viable? Since 2005 there have been 32 QBs selected in the first round. Those QBs have a whopping 4 SB appearances (Rodgers, Flacco, Ryan, Newton) and 2 SB wins (Rodgers, Flacco).

Here's draft position of the last 15 super bowl winners:
Tom Brady 199
Peyton Manning 1
Tom Brady 199
Russell Wilson 75
Joe Flacco 18
Eli Manning 1
Aaron Rodgers 24
Drew Brees 32
Ben Roethlisberger 11
Eli Manning 1
Peyton Manning 1
Ben Roethlisberger 11
Tom Brady 199
Tom Brady 199
Brad Johnson 227

Other than the Mannings, we would have been in position to draft any of those other guys.

I doubt that all the QBs will get picked ahead of us anyway... The last time a draft was hyped this much a year ahead of time was the 2012 draft: Luck, Barkley, Cousins, Weeden, and Foles were all highly thought of prospects. Barkley stayed in school an extra year and everyone outside of Luck was good but not great and fell in the draft. Hopefully we'll get a guy, no matter where we land in the draft.

You're going to exclude everybody that doesn't have superbowl appearances even though Brady skewed the superbowl category?

I'll take my chances on top of the draft qbs anyday:

Ryan
Manning
other Manning
Mariota
Newton
Luck
Winston
Rivers
Stafford

It gives you a better shot at being a year in year out contender.

 

[billsandsabres]

there is a reggie ragland for philip dorsett idea being floated a number of places, including buffalo rumblings, not sure it's a legitimate "rumor" at this point though. makes a lot of sense. thoughts?

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...p-dorsett-trade-rumor-makes-sense-bills-colts

 

[Chad Thundercock]

This debate is focusing too much on the exact picks.

Having high picks increases your assets in the goal of obtaining a good QB.

A team needs to obtain a QB they believe can win and there's many ways to do so. However, a GM has a few chances at most to get it right.

Where I get ornery is when teams, especially the Bills at many times in the last 15 years, aren't even trying to find that winning QB.

 

[Chad Thundercock]

there is a reggie ragland for philip dorsett idea being floated a number of places, including buffalo rumblings, not sure it's a legitimate "rumor" at this point though. makes a lot of sense. thoughts?

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/20...p-dorsett-trade-rumor-makes-sense-bills-colts

No thanks. Dorsett isn't a Jerry Hughes-like situation where he was always in the wrong defense and roll the dice. He got ample opportunity and is one of the worst WRs in the league at getting open.

 

[Onslow]

No thanks. Dorsett isn't a Jerry Hughes-like situation where he was always in the wrong defense and roll the dice. He got ample opportunity and is one of the worst WRs in the league at getting open.

It's quite likely that Ragland gets cut anyways. Might as well try to get something for him.

 

[Takeo]

This debate is focusing too much on the exact picks.

Having high picks increases your assets in the goal of obtaining a good QB.

A team needs to obtain a QB they believe can win and there's many ways to do so. However, a GM has a few chances at most to get it right.

Where I get ornery is when teams, especially the Bills at many times in the last 15 years, aren't even trying to find that winning QB.

Right, it's about increasing your odds of drafting a higher rated prospect who in turn has a higher chance of achieving his upside. There will always be homeruns and busts, but you have to play the odds for a better chance of overall success. Overanalyzing individual picks becomes a distraction.

Bottom line is the Bills should be drafting in the top 10, with extra picks to move up a few spots if need be, in a draft that should have 3-4 quality QB prospects in their range.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Right, it's about increasing your odds of drafting a higher rated prospect who in turn has a higher chance of achieving his upside. There will always be homeruns and busts, but you have to play the odds for a better chance of overall success. Overanalyzing individual picks becomes a distraction.

Bottom line is the Bills should be drafting in the top 10, with extra picks to move up a few spots if need be, in a draft that should have 3-4 quality QB prospects in their range.

I'm giddy over this draft year. It could be franchise altering of management plays their cards right.

 

[TehDoak]

I'm giddy over this draft year. It could be franchise altering of management plays their cards right.

Ah yes, looking forward to the draft before the season starts. The Buffalo way.

 

[TalkingProuder]

This debate is focusing too much on the exact picks.

Having high picks increases your assets in the goal of obtaining a good QB.

A team needs to obtain a QB they believe can win and there's many ways to do so. However, a GM has a few chances at most to get it right.

Where I get ornery is when teams, especially the Bills at many times in the last 15 years, aren't even trying to find that winning QB.

Bills like using other teams backups such as Rob Johnson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Tyrod Taylor. Say, maybe we can grab Josh Dobbs from Pittsburgh in a few years?

 

[Dubi Doo]

Ah yes, looking forward to the draft before the season starts. The Buffalo way.

So true. I don't have much hope for this season.

 

[stealth1]

This debate is focusing too much on the exact picks.

Having high picks increases your assets in the goal of obtaining a good QB.

A team needs to obtain a QB they believe can win and there's many ways to do so. However, a GM has a few chances at most to get it right.

Where I get ornery is when teams, especially the Bills at many times in the last 15 years, aren't even trying to find that winning QB.

Its cause most times they use their picks to plug holes in positions they have let walk. The Bills seem to be the worst at re-signing their own talented free agents. The worst part is the amount of fans that like to defend every move the team makes. The newest phrase I hear is "Believe in the process"

 

[Reddawg]

I'm giddy over this draft year. It could be franchise altering of management plays their cards right.

annnnnnnnd....there's the rub.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

SEAN MCDERMOTT: "AS A FOOTBALL TEAM WE ADAPT" (15:14)

Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott addressed the media prior to practice topics include; the retirement of Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin, opportunities for younger players at the wide receiver position, and an injury update.

MCDERMOTT: ADAPTING TO CHANGE IS THE KEY

Change is inevitable in the NFL. Sometimes it's also completely unexpected. Such was the case with the Anquan Boldin retirement, but head coach Sean McDermott says this league is about adapting.

 

[TehDoak]

http://www.theonion.com/article/diehard-8-year-old-buffalo-bills-fan-showing-early-56727

 

[26CornerBlitz]

JORDAN MATTHEWS: "VERSATILE AND CONSISTENT" (19:24)

Bills WR Jordan Matthews came on the show after today's practice, and discussed how he's fitting in here in Buffalo. He also talked about how he's recovering from his recent chest injury, and why he wears number 87 on the field.

JONES: "EACH DAY PRESENTS ITS OWN OPPORTUNITY" (2:15)

Bills WR Zay Jones talked to the media following the team's practice. Jones shared his reaction to WR Anquan Boldin's retirement and how his role has changed at wide receiver since joining the Bills.

TYROD TAYLOR: "BUILDING CHEMISTRY" (4:06)

Bills Quarterback Tyrod Taylor addressed the media inside the locker room after practice topics include; the retirement of Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin, young wide receivers stepping up, and keeping focus moving forward.

 

[SoFFacet]

Its cause most times they use their picks to plug holes in positions they have let walk. The Bills seem to be the worst at re-signing their own talented free agents. The worst part is the amount of fans that like to defend every move the team makes. The newest phrase I hear is "Believe in the process"

Drafting players to replace departing FAs is a thing that literally every NFL team does. Trust the process is a 76ers meme.

 

[brian_griffin]

So what % of QBs not taken in the top 5 are starters? Let's also factor out QBs that had no business being taken at the top of the draft but were because desperate teams reach for QBs. Would you rather draft and have your pick of any QB or would you rather have the top 4 already drafted and you can choose from the rest?

The false narrative is that any single pick after the top of the draft is more likely to return a starter than any single pick in the top 5. If you make 243 picks versus 10 picks over 15 years more successes will come from the 243.

No. NO. NO! You absolutely cannot factor out QBs taken towards the top of the draft who fizzled out because a desparate team reached for a QB, because that is the risk you take enacting a trade-up strategy. I'm not saying it's always a bad strategy to trade up; I'm saying you can't ignore the bust risk when calculating the odds.

Right, it's about increasing your odds of drafting a higher rated prospect who in turn has a higher chance of achieving his upside. There will always be homeruns and busts, but you have to play the odds for a better chance of overall success. Overanalyzing individual picks becomes a distraction.

Bottom line is the Bills should be drafting in the top 10, with extra picks to move up a few spots if need be, in a draft that should have 3-4 quality QB prospects in their range.

Agreed.

Redskins traded up from 6 to 2 using 3 1sts and a 2nd. Beane currently has 3 1sts, 3 2nds, and 3 3rds in the next two drafts as ammunition. I think the Bills can be as low as 10 and still get into the top 3 for a QB.

*The price will change depending on how the QB class shaped up.

The Bills aren't doing it right if they don't trade McCoy and/or Taylor. I'd personally trade McCoy for three reasons: the pick, to tank, and to ensure he doesn't turn into a disgruntled employee, as any elite player in a tank might. I'd probably keep Taylor, but would need to see what was available.

Might as well throw in every NFL starter the Bills have on a rookie contract. And if that isn't enough, every non-starter on a rookie contract and also any starter the Bills trade partner wants who can still fit under their trade partner's cap, whether re-structured or not.

As my top reply said, there is non-zero downside risk. And I personally still struggle with the very high likelihood of a roster bereft of non-QB talent and little-to-no ability to adequately address via the draft for several years. You can only get so much talent from UDFAs, offseason UFAs, and castoffs from other teams.

legit question to the board:
if a top-3 2018 draft QB is selected, and it takes all picks in 1st 3 rounds of '18 and '19, and possibly other legit NFL starter talent on the current roster, to select that QB, how long before Bills have adequate talent at the remaining positions to complement that QB? 2023? 2025? I am not arguing against the strategy, I am asking the question to those who follow roster construction, other example teams, etc., And please don't give me the Patriots model of prepetual plug and play effective replacements as an example.

 

[pigpen65]

It's striking how similar the position the Bills and Sabres are in at the moment. Both are recovering from GM's who didn't understand the difference between actually building a team and just collecting pieces, and both are having to fight the negative opinions from the fans who also don't understand the difference. The Bills aren't tanking and they aren't rebuilding anymore than the Sabres are. The Bills are fixing mistakes, the same as the Sabres are. The cool thing for us as Sabres fans is with both teams having the same owner with the same approach to both, we get to watch the Bills for a preview of the Sabres. I know the Sabres have a Watkins and a Darby who will be traded. I'm intrigued by the possibility of adding a Boldin before they do it, seeing how there are a few NHL Boldins floating around at the moment.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

The discussion I was in wasn't about trading up. It was about tanking for a higher pick. Yes I would trade an entire draft for a QB. And if it didn't work I'd do it again the next year.

 

[brian_griffin]

The discussion I was in wasn't about trading up. It was about tanking for a higher pick. Yes I would trade an entire draft for a QB. And if it didn't work I'd do it again the next year.

But the going rate to trade up is likely more than a single draft's worth of top pics. So your chance to do it again is a couple years out. Therefore, you'd further gamble that the QB class a couple years out is on par with the one who traded up and whiffed on. Not arguing, just clarifying.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Dingo44]

http://www.theonion.com/article/diehard-8-year-old-buffalo-bills-fan-showing-early-56727

 

[Chad Thundercock]

It's striking how similar the position the Bills and Sabres are in at the moment. Both are recovering from GM's who didn't understand the difference between actually building a team and just collecting pieces, and both are having to fight the negative opinions from the fans who also don't understand the difference. The Bills aren't tanking and they aren't rebuilding anymore than the Sabres are. The Bills are fixing mistakes, the same as the Sabres are. The cool thing for us as Sabres fans is with both teams having the same owner with the same approach to both, we get to watch the Bills for a preview of the Sabres. I know the Sabres have a Watkins and a Darby who will be traded. I'm intrigued by the possibility of adding a Boldin before they do it, seeing how there are a few NHL Boldins floating around at the moment.

You can't compare hockey and football roster building.

Hockey has more team chemistry, players that need to mesh, and one player can make a much smaller difference. You really need to build a team.

With football, you don't win until you have a QB. Teams find talent that matches the coach's scheme (which continues to be a big problem with the Bills and their revolving coaches), and chemistry is near insignificant outside of the OL.

 

[Djp]

Bills like using other teams backups such as Rob Johnson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Tyrod Taylor. Say, maybe we can grab Josh Dobbs from Pittsburgh in a few years?

See brett favre

Its cause most times they use their picks to plug holes in positions they have let walk. The Bills seem to be the worst at re-signing their own talented free agents. The worst part is the amount of fans that like to defend every move the team makes. The newest phrase I hear is "Believe in the process"

The team hasn't had stable coaching. You change voaches, you change systems, and then change personnel.