To the Draft "Experts" out there: We like the Amish Rifle

by Why So Serious?! on May 2, 2011 8:34 PM EDT

We like Fitzy better than Jack Schlocker - (Sofia Vergara sized bust for sure)

We like Fitzy better than Gaine Blabbert

We like Fitzy better than Christian Ponder (at #12? Maybe #44 not #12 can you say desperate?)

We like Fitzy better than Kaepernick - (Okay maybe we like Kaep a little)

We like Fitzy better than Dalton - (Gingers have no soul)

We like Fitzy better than Herman Mallet

So when you grade the draft, keep this in mind.

Also take 30 seconds and google the 2010 draft or the Bills depth chart.

The Bills took a developmental QB in 2010 named Levi Brown. guess what they want to do with him? They may want to develop him and give him some reps. Shocker!

If you don't believe me look at the 2010 GMAC Bowl game. It speaks to Levi Brown's potential.

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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Comments

Not exactly

If Newton was there, he would have been the choice. If Dareus went to Denver, Gabbert likely would have been the choice. Who knows what would have happened if Ponder or Locker had been there in the 2nd?

We like Fitz, but we’re realistic about what he is.

by usuo mojinga on May 2, 2011 9:49 PM EDT reply actions

What Fitz is..........

He’s not sexy. Fitz is Flutie.
The organization wants sexy, which is why they abused Dougie so much.
They will do the same to Ryan.

"There is not a loser in this room." Marv Levy.

by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on May 2, 2011 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I, for one, thought Fluite was quite sexy.

Shun the non Billievers!

by Superduff on May 3, 2011 7:55 AM EDT up reply actions

You're not realistic about Fitz...

…if you were you’d understand why Nix and Chan didn’t take a QB in the draft: Buffalo is Fitz’s team. He’s the accepted leader (by the players & coaches) and Chan’s giving him a full opportunity to be THE MAN.

If Gabbert were the choice and Fitz was what you think he is, Dareus wouldn’t have stopped Nix from taking him. Can you imagine Nix taking Dareus over the next Peyton Manning or Dan Marino, if he knew they were available at 3? Of course not.

Newton was the only player who’s upside exceeds Fitz’s. Nix would have taken Newton in a heartbeat. Which means they see a lot more in Fitz than some of the Rumblers on SB Nation

by swampdog #1 on May 2, 2011 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Gabbert doesn’t have to be the next Manning or Marino to be picked – that is exactly the point. To do better than Fitz, you don’t need an all-time great. Gabbert would have done. Maybe Locker and Dalton would have done, too.

Of the top four QBs drafted, one went ahead of the Bills pick; one was their second choice at #3; and two didn’t make it to the second round pick (or even close). How many conclusions do you want to draw about Fitz based on that?

by usuo mojinga on May 2, 2011 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions

That doesn’t make any sense – If Gabbert is a better QB than Fitz, then Nix was a fool not to take him at #3 – since Nix took Dareus, he and Chan had to believe staying with Fitz was the better option than wasting a #3 pick on a guy who wouldn’t beat out Fitz.

by swampdog #1 on May 3, 2011 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Just because Gabbert is better than Fitz doesn’t make him worth the third pick – you acknowledge as much. But that doesn’t mean you can draw the conclusion that Fitz is better than Gabbert, or, more importantly, that Gailey and Nix think Fitz is better than Gabbert. That’s pretty much my point.

What does that say about Fitz? Not terribly much.

by usuo mojinga on May 4, 2011 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Think of it this way. I could buy a $50,000 Mercedes for $60,000 or a $20,000 Toyota for $20,000. Just because I buy the Toyota doesn’t mean I think it’s the better car. I just think it’s the better value.

by usuo mojinga on May 4, 2011 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Not exactly a good simile

It’s more like you have a 2005 Honda Accord that still runs like a charm.
A new car manufacturer comes out and is trying to compete with Acura.
The car dealer tells you the car is going to put the Acura TL to shame. However they have no track record for reliability and quality. You have some 0 to 60 times but thats about it.
Do you stick with 2005 Honda Accord or do you take a chance on the upstart car manufacturer thats going after Honda\Acura?
Gaine Blabbert, The Ginger, or Colin Kaepernick are not Mercedes, thats for sure.

by Why So Serious?! on May 5, 2011 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

No, it’s a perfectly fine metaphor, and you just missed the point. Just because Fitz + Dareus > Gabbert doesn’t mean Fitz > Gabbert.

And according to your metaphor, no rookie QB could ever be more valuable than a QB with experience – setting aside the issue whether Fitz “runs like a charm,” which is what we’re debating.

by usuo mojinga on May 5, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Nix would have taken Newton in a heartbeat!!!

What Bills insider did you get that info from????

by Winnie33 on May 3, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

he might have gotten it from the post draft press conference, where nix made it pretty clear he would have taken cam

by boomsauce on May 3, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

he just said that...

to try to boost Carolina’s ego… But in his mind he was thinkin’ “golly gee, I’m sure glad I didn’t have ta take that guy!”

:-)

Went to my first "BB" meeting today... When I stood, introduced myself, and admitted I was a Billsaholic, the other members threw beer cans at me!!

by Cinga on May 3, 2011 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions

What's with the love affair with Kaep?

"An offensive lineman from BC comes with a guaranteed pedigree stamp" - Wash. Post

by JMSF#1 on May 2, 2011 10:57 PM EDT reply actions

The kid did nothing but improve each year.

He used his teamates to become successful. They won big games together and he was as much a part of it as his whole team. He could run, but not always as the first choice which made him harder to defend. The kid has a lot of potential just not as immediate as Chix may have liked.

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on May 3, 2011 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m a give Fitzpatrick fan, there’s no dude I’d rather root for. I personally think with a full offseason under his belt as the undisputed starter, he’s going to blow up scoreboards next year.

But if he ultimately can’t overcome his shortcomings, we’ll need a quarterback very soon.

"What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don't like it any more than you men." -Unnamed NFL CBA negotiator

by BuffaloBlueBlood on May 2, 2011 11:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

“give” was supposed to be “big”. Not sure how that one happened.

by BuffaloBlueBlood on May 2, 2011 11:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Nix said that he considers Fitzpatrick his "Brees"

And he doesn’t mean the New Orleans one.

Nix will draft his new Rivers.

Starting the official Buffalo "Draft a Quarterback in the First Round in 2012" campaign.

by Der Jaeger on May 3, 2011 1:14 AM EDT reply actions

Phillip Rivers... You mean Dan Marino version 2.0

Does that mean Fitz will become a Super Bowl winning quarterback after he leaves us too?! No!

by Baron Hashimoto on May 3, 2011 3:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree with this.

Until then we should all be patient and enjoy, not ridicule the decisions. We are still better off at this point than we were a year ago. Isn’t that a good thing.

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on May 3, 2011 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Who’s ‘we’? I love Fitzpatrick but I’m not rooting for a guy at QB to be the long term solution who has just about a 0% chance to get us deep into the playoffs, let alone to a Superbowl victory.

The 2011 Colorado Rockies - Starring Johnny Herrera as THE ANSWER
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by UZ on May 3, 2011 7:21 AM EDT reply actions

I would have taken Ponder in a heartbeat if offered to start next year over Fitz for the next few years.

by UZ on May 3, 2011 7:22 AM EDT up reply actions

We all want a franchise QB that can take us to the playoffs every year.

Some of us would just like to get a winning record first, or maybe compete with in our division first, or develop a full offensive attach with a running game to compliment the passing game or even vice versa. We are the people that believe that Nix and Gailey feel they have a plan in place and eventually will get us to the future we all want.

YOU ARE OUT of you kuku fufu mine craker laker Flaber baber FUNKI chunki brain. WE want to winn every year -- abayarde

by VanScottM on May 3, 2011 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Fitz is constantly analyzed, compared and probed otherwise in regards to his stats and career wins, but it is rarely mentioned he has been on some pretty crappy teams when he has played. Given better talent around him, he obviously will do better and I think to say he will NEVER bring us deep into the playoffs is premature and unfounded.

by garcia76 on May 3, 2011 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

Went to my first "BB" meeting today... When I stood, introduced myself, and admitted I was a Billsaholic, the other members threw beer cans at me!!

by Cinga on May 3, 2011 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

If Trent Dilfer can be the QB on a Super Bowl winner than basically anyone can. It’d be nice to assemble a good team around Fitzpatrick and see where it goes from there. Then maybe pick up someone to develope behind him or maybe given the right amount of teaching, Brown can be that guy…

"So you think 25 percent of the country is retarded?! Yea. Atleast 25 percent. Well lets do a sample. There are 4 of us an you're retarded. Thats 25 percent." Southpark; Mystery of the Urinal Deuce
RIP Corey Keller, James Taylor, M. Jay Darby, Derek Davis.

by gorillakilla34 on May 4, 2011 3:09 AM EDT up reply actions

O god this argument again

Dilfer and his arguably best defense of all time got to a Super Bowl. In the past 10 years there has been 1 example of a guy like Dilfer getting his team to a Super Bowl and people think it happens all the time. Look over the past few years, the game has changed, Quarterbacks win championships, Quarterbacks win super bowls, a good defense helps.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes

by panekattack on May 4, 2011 3:35 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm not making this as an argument that it happens all the time.

Just that it can happen. I’m not saying Fitzpatrick is anywhere near as bad as Dilfer either. All I’m saying is that you don’t have to have P. Manning, Brady, Rogers ect to win. Does Eli Manning serve a better example for you as an imperfect Super Bowl winning QB? If all you need is an excellent QB the why isn’t Phillip Rivers hoisting a Lombardi Trophy? Because you need a complete team, not just a QB.

by gorillakilla34 on May 4, 2011 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

And also Big Ben during his first Super Bowl year.

He certainly wasn’t a big play QB then. Just more of a game manager.

by gorillakilla34 on May 4, 2011 11:20 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

He certainly wasn't a big play guy

but he wasn’t exactly just a game manager either he did throw 17 td’s as a rookie QB who didn’t even start the season as a starter until Tommy Maddox went down with injury. But if that’s the case then there is only 3 times in the past 10 superbowl’s that a defense has carried a team to the superbowl and won it. Those teams are the Ravens in 2001, the Buccaneers in 2003, and the Steelers in 2006. Other than those years teams won the superbowl because they had a franchise QB and a good defense obviously helped, but the franchise QB won the game. Also as I pointed out, it hasn’t happened since 2006 which is now 5 years ago. As we’ve seen more recently it’s the franchise QB’s that win championships not so much defenses anymore.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes

by panekattack on May 4, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Like Roethlisberger and the Steelers, I don’t think you can put the Bucs in that category. They get that reputation because Brad Johnson had such an odd, inconsistent career. But the year they won the SB, he had the 3rd highest QB rating in the league. And one of the two players he finished behind was Rich Gannon who he beat in the SB.

Dilfer is the only QB to play like Fitz has and win a SB doing it unless you go back 20 years and count Hostetler as a backup QB.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 4, 2011 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Eli Manning should be in there with Dilfer too. So, two QBs in a very long time.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 4, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Ah I did not know that about Johnson that year

thanks for the info. So that does help support the argument I have made though. As for Eli, yeah he certainly isn’t great or incredible but I still view him as a franchise QB because he does have moments of brilliance and his team isn’t looking for another guy. Did he take over and win the super bowl, certainly not but without him playing for the Giants I don’t think they’d ever make it there.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes

by panekattack on May 4, 2011 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions

He was a game manager in the sense that they didn’t ask him to throw the ball that much. But he had the third highest QB rating in the NFL that year. He averaged 8.9 yards per pass attempt. He put up numbers that year that Ryan Fitzpatrick simply isn’t capable of doing.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 4, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Well between me and you

I think we shut this guy down haha. I like Fitz, just he’s not a franchise QB is all.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes

by panekattack on May 4, 2011 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Nah actually afternoon shift shut me down. Lol.

But I wasn’t at all saying Fitz is a franchise QB. All I’m saying is that you don’t necessarily need a franchise QB… well not right away anyhow. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with building a team up around Fitz until that guy is found, that’s all.

by gorillakilla34 on May 5, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Yea that's basically what I meant.

A game manager only in the sense that he was asked just to manage the game and not win it. Ben obviously had way more talent from the get go. You can do that with a young QB if you already have a strong supporting cast. Which was where I was going with my original comment. Build a team up while Fitz is here. If they happen to make the playoffs while he’s the QB excellent but if not, the guy they deem the franchise guy will be put into a better position to succeed.

by gorillakilla34 on May 5, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions

fortune tellers bore me.

and how many would have predicted what fitz did last year?

with no 1st team prep until the 3rd week of the season?

geez, fitz has exceeded expectations everywhere he has been.

who is to say he cannot be the next fran tarkenton?

forget flutie….

seriously, what is it with this “cannot” crap…

he has been making believers out of doubters every step
of his football career…

by simonpure on May 3, 2011 11:08 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Alot of people predicted the team to win 4 games.............

and how many would have predicted what fitz did last year?

He was the main QB on a 4-12 team……………

The score dictated they pass

by norcaliangelsfan on May 3, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

What would they have been with TE?

Who knows, but it is quite possible we would have been 0-16 and we would be talking about Cam Newton in B-lo right now. I’d like to see what Fitz can do with better play around him.

by garcia76 on May 3, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

were would we have been with brohm or edwards?

It didn’t look good. Besides we lost what 3-4 games by four points or less. Some would qualify this as a need for better offense others a better defense. Defense won in the draft and everyone should get over it and look forward to see the new guys compete. He was a fresh breath of air and it seems the team supports him. Why not get behind him and see what he can do with tools around him? As I said before this also makes a better transition for a new Qb when your team doesn’t suck , have to worry about depth and should actually care about winning.

by billleve on May 3, 2011 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

sure – but how many games did he play? 13 – not 16.

he was 4-9 as the QB. for the 3 games that other QBs played or started they had zero wins.

our defense was ranked 32nd against the run – allowing 15 yards more per game than any other team – along with getting run on is a lack of time of possession our offense gets.

When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.

by J2 on May 3, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

to me, that says this was a great draft J2, we plugged up the middle, got a potential thumper at MLB and added corner depth, Buddy has said the QB issue will be addressed (albeit from a depth perspective, rather than a franchise guy).

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

by HurricaneJay on May 3, 2011 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

not to mention 4-4 after the break

by bruuuuuuuce on May 3, 2011 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

who is to say he cannot be the next fran tarkenton?

Tarketon was a 3rd round pick who walked into the NFL and had success pretty much immediately. It’s not a comparable situation. If we’re looking for Fitz to be the next player X by comparing his path to success to other players in history, than Rich Gannon is the only name that comes to mind. I don’t think people really understand just how statistically unlikely it is that Fitz ever finds sustained top 10 type success in the NFL. It’s just not going to happen. And unfortunately for Bills fans, that’s what it takes for teams to have the type of sustained success necessary to have a decent shot at winning a Super Bowl.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 3, 2011 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Well you could also include Steve Young and Kurt Warner

if you want a comparable path age wise. But I get your point, he’s highly unlikely to become great, and I agree. But even if he can be above average for the next 3-4 years it would be extremely useful. Maybe the production he had this year minus a few INTs. He could be a nice placeholder for whomever they deem the next guy while the rest of the team forms around him.

by gorillakilla34 on May 4, 2011 3:24 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s not just age though. It’s the combo of everything. Lack of physical ability. Time spent in the NFL (traded by his first team for a 7th rounder, let walk by his 2nd team in FA, now on his third team entering his 7th season). Complete lack of statistical success until last season (if you can even call that statistical success). It all adds up to being unlike any QB who has developed into an elite player other than Rich Gannon. At least he’s the only one I can think of.

Steve Young would kind of be close, although he was always regarded as a guy with elite potential. When Warner finally got his shot in the NFL when Trent Green went down, he was instantly an elite player, so I don’t think he’s comparable.

He could be a nice placeholder

Exactly. But to be a placeholder, you actually need somebody to take that place at some point.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 4, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

only time will tell, what was brady picked again?

what are the odds of brady being a 6th rounder and going down as
one of the 3-4 best QBs of all time?

statistics are great, but as a social scientist, i can also tell you
they explain a lot less of the variation in outcomes than most
people give them credit for….

here’s another stat: freddie jackson

and another: kurt warner

and another: david nelson

and…..

seriously, he is doing it on the field…

how anyone can argue with his performance last yr
on one of the worst teams in the league, with hardly
any defense to get him the ball back….

i mean, for example, what was his 3rd down first down
completion record?

most likely a new Bills record….

the guy delivered a lot of quality QBing with little to
work with…..

and he developed a bond with rookie receivers that
was truly statistically close to impossible…..the results
were hard to deny……

can he get better? of course he can, as I showed last season,
take a look at Eli Manning’s stats with a better team, and no one
threatening his job for 5 seasons, and tell me Fitz cannot match
those or do better?

when I said another Tarkenton, I mean, not physically impressive,
but finds a way to get it done…..

I think Fitz can take the Bills to the playoffs, esp if, perhaps only
if, like most playoff teams, they have a good to great defense…

by simonpure on May 3, 2011 7:22 PM EDT reply actions

Social Scientist Huh???

And you come to Rumblings? Are you working on a thesis by chance? I’m sure we give you plenty of study on this board!!!!

:-)

Went to my first "BB" meeting today... When I stood, introduced myself, and admitted I was a Billsaholic, the other members threw beer cans at me!!

by Cinga on May 3, 2011 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Fitz is Better than Eli Manning

..and Sanchez of the Jets. Fitz is a leader. He’s got moxie, big cahones and a taste of swashbuckler in him. He’ll be a winner with this team, if given the chance.

Some guys can’t see that because they want the glitter of a big name.

by swampdog #1 on May 3, 2011 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Or maybe

some guys just aren’t drinking the juice as much as you are. I like Fitz, but my reasons for wanting a franchise QB aren’t because I need a big name, it’s because I want a leader who also has the physical abilities to win games. Fitz doesn’t have that. He’s certainly got the leadership but he doesn’t have the arm or ability to carry the team on his back and win you a Super Bowl.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes

by panekattack on May 4, 2011 3:33 AM EDT up reply actions

statistics are great, but as a social scientist, i can also tell you they explain a lot less of the variation in outcomes than most people give them credit for….

Perhaps that’s because you’re only looking at one statistic? You list Brady as a late round pick and then some undrafted players, but I’m not just talking about Fitz’s draft status. How many players get traded by the team that drafted them for a 7th round pick and find big time success in the future? How many players don’t break out until their 6th or 7th season? Fitz has been a very unsuccessful player up to this point in his career and it’s caused two teams to move on from him already. The combo of that and a lack of natural physical ability leave him very, very, very statistically unlikely to progress much further than he already has. If anything, I’d say that from a purely statistical point of view, he’s more likely to regress this year than to improve. Comparing his career so far to players with similar career arcs and they rarely amount to anything at all.

seriously, he is doing it on the field…

That’s pretty debatable. In a similarly poor situation, Jason Campbell put up identical numbers with the Raiders. Fitz is near the bottom of the league in comp% and turnover rates. I think this is our big disagreement because I don’t think he was all that good last year. Just a solid, middle of the road QB.

"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington

by kaisertown on May 5, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

to be fair though – he really has only been a major contributor for the last 3 seasons between Buffalo and Cincinnati – he’s never gone into an off season as the unquestioned starter.

I understand what your saying to a point – but you suggesting that he’s going to regress to me is the opposite of what I expect. The fact that he gets a full off season (as much as the lockout allows at least) to work with his receivers in a system that both him and his receivers are on the same page with would suggest he should improve – not regress

When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.

by J2 on May 5, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

I like Fitz

but Franchise QB he is not. Plain and simple he’s an average starter, a journeyman QB that won’t really help you but won’t hurt you (too much). He’ll win you some games and cost you others. I like the guy, but as for the football player I’m still hoping we find an upgrade. I’m betting a 1st round QB in 2012 will happen.

"I promise you, ... When I come back, I'm going to be like a mad dog in a meat house." -Takeo Spikes