"If we put good people around him we can get to the dance with Ryan [Fitzpatrick]." -Buddy Nix

A review of Ryan Fitzpatrick's first full season as a starting QB in the NFL. I am 100% on board with Buddy's statement.

4 months ago BuffaloOwdaTwnr 25 comments 0 recs |

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Words cannot describe how disappointed I am by this statement. I’m not as high on Tannehill as I was, but this team is going to refuse to draft a high QB with Nix as GM, this team will not have a franchise QB for quite sometime.

Kenny Powers is back!

by atlantalove on Jan 17, 2012 4:18 PM EST reply actions

I don't see it as a refusal to draft a "high QB"

I see it as a refusal to draft a “high QB” for sake of drafting a QB early. What available “high QB” over the past 2 drafts do you propose the Bills should have chosen? Tebow, Ponder, Dalton, Gabbert? I’d take Spiller and Dareus over any of them. I don’t understand the insistance that the Bills are resistant to taking a QB early. I do however, believe the Bills are resistant to taking a “suspect” QB too early, and I am 100% in agreement with this resistance. If no QB was/is worth taking at #9, #3 or #10 repectively then they absolutely shouldn’t pick one just to pander to the fan base who unrealistically clamors for a franchise QB that isn’t neccessarily available.

"We're lost, but we're making good time"--Yogi Berra

by bschrief27 on Jan 17, 2012 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs

Who knows. Maybe if they draft Clausen he pans out. I still think the Spiller pick was absolutely horrible and reckless. I’ve said it before, Spiller could become the next Barry Sanders and it’d be a bad pick. At the time I wanted Clausen, it looks bad now, but maybe if he’s a Bill he strives to be better and succeeds.

Kenny Powers is back!

by atlantalove on Jan 17, 2012 9:26 PM EST up reply actions

I still think that Claussen was a media darling because he came out of Notre Dame, just like Brady Quinn was.

Obviously no NFL team liked him as every team passed on him once (except the Panther because they didn’t have a first rounder). As it turns out, every team was vindicated in passing him over. Claussen would have made no sense at number ten either.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 18, 2012 1:04 AM EST up reply actions

Maybe if they draft Clausen he pans out.

I think I was right about Clausen, and Still wish we could have got Locker.

Guess we get to see if I right about Locker next season (From what we saw in limited playing time this year, I think we are gonna find out I was, because he sure looked the part when he played)

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by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 8:11 AM EST up reply actions

Well said. I’m somewhat confident with a solid #2 that Fitz could take us to the big dance. We might need a good defense to compensate for him, but I don’t think we’ll necessarily need a top 5.

That said, even if Fitz is a solid QB, there’s no reason OBD can’t select a QB anywhere in the draft (1st, 2nd, 3rd round, etc.) and have learning for 2 to 3 years behind Fitzy.

As of 1/17/2012
No longer feeding the Buffalo Rumblings resident troll.
No longer responding to said trolls passive aggressive posts.
Not even if he baits by replying to a comment of my own.
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by NordicBillsfan on Jan 17, 2012 11:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I agree with this assessment.

The Bills need to build a TEAM, and they need to do it through several consecutive successful drafts and several great FA signings / trades. There is nothing wrong with drafting a QB prospect that makes sense at a certain round. There is also nothing wrong with letting him sit behind Fitz for a few years to learn. Some of the best QBs in NFL history sat for a few seasons to develop.

"The Amish Rifle is your god now." - Muzza34

by BuffaloOwdaTwnr on Jan 18, 2012 11:22 AM EST up reply actions

I'm very much agreeing that we shouldn't draft a QB for the sake of drafting a QB.

Look at the Lions, they waited years before they chose to draft Harrington, and they did that for the sake of drafting a QB (well more out of desperation for a QB at that point). Then they sucked more and could have drafted other QB’s while they were running with Kitna or Culpepper. They didn’t. Instead they waited for the right guy. It’s turning out pretty well for them now.

I firmly believe that once Nix sees the right guy, he’ll draft him. he just hasn’t seen the right guy yet.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 18, 2012 1:07 AM EST up reply actions

That's a poor comparison about Detroit CBF.

I have two words why

Matt Millen.

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by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 8:14 AM EST up reply actions

To add.

I firmly believe that once Nix sees the right guy, he’ll draft him. he just hasn’t seen the right guy yet.

When will he see the “right” guy? When he has the #1 Pick in the draft?

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DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!

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by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 8:21 AM EST up reply actions

When We Don't Have To Make A Questionable "Reach"

I wanted Clausen in the first round 2 years ago. I was upset when we passed on him in the first. I nearly put my foot through the screen when we passed on him in the 2nd. Looks like I was wrong and Nix was vindicated last season. A lot of draft experts said he was iffy and would be a very risky pick for anyone who took him. They were right.

This season there was nobody I wanted. I liked Jake Locker but I didn’t like him so much that I thought the Bills should even consider him at #3. Blaine Gabbert was the best QB available at that point and really the only guy Buffalo could’ve justified taking at #3. I was thankful they didn’t and after seeing his play this year, I’m even more grateful they didn’t do it. That pick likely would have set us back for 2-3 years and prevented us from getting the franchise-caliber defender we got instead.

There probably isn’t going to be a worthwhile QB available in this draft either so Buffalo is, once again, justified in not reaching for a guy at #10. The NFL is littered with stories of franchises that took a QB “just because” everyone said they should and then paid for it for years afterward. The Bills are in that line-up. See: J.P. Losman.

by SabreNation on Jan 19, 2012 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

And One More Thing...

What is the obsession with taking a QB in the top 10? It drives me nuts. People act like you can ONLY get a franchise QB if you draft one in the first 10 picks of the draft.

If you take a look at the top 5 QBs in the NFL this season, you’ll notice that only one was a top 10 draft pick. Only two even saw the field in their rookie seasons. 3 of that top 5 were taken in the 2nd round or later. Conventional knowledge says that if Rodgers slipped past Green Bay, he would’ve fallen to the 2nd round too.

So what’s with the top 10 obsession?

by SabreNation on Jan 19, 2012 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

It’s not a “top ten” obsession, it’s a “first-round grade” obsession, which, these days, usually means top ten.

And the reasoning is because an overwhelming majority of the “franchise” QBs in the league were first-round picks. Der Jaeger’s written numerous articles and posts on the subject.

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 19, 2012 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

Exactly

It’s not a "top ten" obsession, it’s a "first-round grade" obsession, which, these days, usually means top ten.

Sometimes the good ones fall out of the top 10 like Rodgers did even though he was projected sometimes they don’t.

But I think smart teams are gonna gamble more on QBs now with first round projections because before if you reached and lost the gamble, you were on the hook for a lot more money. But with the new CBA, you are not on the hook for so much.

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by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 4:46 PM EST up reply actions

But....

There are just as many epic busts with a “first-round grade” as there are franchise QBs, in fact there are many, many more. The draftniks are wrong every bit as much as they’re right on those first-round grades. For every QB you can name with a first-round grade who became a franchise QB, I can name 5 that went nowhere and instead ended up dragging an organization down for several seasons.

It has much, much more to do with the coaching, the system, and specific situations than it does with what round the draft-heads think a guy should be taken. Like I said – of the top 5 QBs in the NFL this season, only 2 had that coveted “first round grade.” Drew Brees and Tom Brady both just broke a passing record many thought would never be broken in the same season. Neither of them had a first-round grade. Brees was supposed to be too small to be an NFL QB and Brady barely even registered on the draftniks’ collective radar. Both of them fell into the right situations.

Buffalo is a situation that is ripe for plucking a QB out of the middle rounds and grooming him. We’re not desperate for a quarterback. No, Fitz is not going to be taking home an MVP award any time soon but this team can win games – TOUGH games – with him at the helm and that is proven. Regardless of what happened late in the season, Fitz WON the Oakland and New England games for us. He didn’t just not lose them, he WON them, and those were tough games – one of them against the potential AFC/Super Bowl Champions. There is no pressure for a young QB to play immediately. We have a young, deep offense and an offensively-minded head coach with a long reputation of grooming quarterbacks. We have one of the best route runners in the game at wide receiver and two running backs capable of turning an emergency dump-off pass into a 60-yard touchdown. This is the perfect situation to bring in one of those guys who DOESN’T have that first-round grade, let him sit for 2 years, and then show all the draftniks why their first round grade is meaningless.

More importantly, though, we have BIGGER NEEDS. This is not a team with the luxury of improving positions that are already solid. Our pass rush is a joke. Our cornerback situation is a mess. Nobody knows what’s going on with Stevie Johnson’s contract. Nobody knows who is going to start at left tackle on any given Sunday. We’re probably going to be in the hunt for a starting-caliber TE again because someone will pay Scott Chandler more than he’s worth based on his touchdown totals. We need a #2 wide receiver to take some pressure off of Stevie – assuming we even resign Stevie and if we don’t then we need a #1 and a #2 receiver. Our outside linebackers are a joke. We don’t even know if we’re running a 3-4 or a 4-3 or both – not that it matters since we don’t have all the personnel needed to run either.

Quarterback may not necessarily be the “least” of our worries but it is pretty darn close.

by SabreNation on Jan 19, 2012 6:33 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

I can name 5 that went nowhere and instead ended up dragging an organization down for several seasons.

Again, look at Der Jaeger’s compilation (I think since 1990). 46% of QBs drafted in the first round “pan out” or have successful professional careers. 23% of second rounders pan out, 13% of third rounders pan out, and the value continues to drop from there.

The point is this: If you’re going to go for your franchise guy, gambling on a later round pick is dumb, because chances are he won’t pan out. If you need the franchise guy, you need to get a first rounder to have any real chance at success with him.

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 19, 2012 9:12 PM EST up reply actions

I don't know that gambling on a late pick is dumb.

I wouldn’t bet the house on that pick becoming a franchise QB. But look at the Pats, they drafted Mallet in the 3rd. Was that dumb? They drafted Brady in the 6th was that dumb? I know it was extremely rare. But I think if you draft a guy who has good measurables (height, weight), a strong arm, accurate, and intelligent enough to play NFL QB that needs to be taught the position, (the drop back from under center etc.) you could develop him into a starting NFL QB. I think a big reason there are so many QB busts is coaching and system.
Late round picks don’t get the reps that early round picks do.

So am not sure. Obviously the stats favor your argument. But if we spent a 5th round pick on a QB (not named Russell Wilson, or Kellen Moore, don’t have the height (or athletic ability like Vick) necessary to have a reasonable chance to be a franchise QB) I wouldn’t mind.

You are now Watching The Throne.

by tomcs on Jan 19, 2012 10:24 PM EST up reply actions

The argument isn’t really about 6th or 7th rounders though. If they want to take a flier in the 6th round on a developmental QB, that’s fine. My problem lies in taking a 3rd round QB. That’s a terrible time to pick a QB, because you can get a contributor at another position in the 3rd round, and 3rd round QBs pan out 13% of the time.

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 20, 2012 10:57 AM EST up reply actions

I felt the exact opposite.

I liked Jake Locker but I didn’t like him so much that I thought the Bills should even consider him at #3. Blaine Gabbert was the best QB available at that point and really the only guy Buffalo could’ve justified taking at #3

I hated the idea of Clausen, hated the idea of Gabbert reminded me too much of Clausen. I think Clausen and Gabbert are proof that the draftniks aren’t always right about where a talent should be slotted.

Loved the idea of Locker, he reminded me too much of Elway. Seems like the Titans felt the same as me. I remember the shock of so many on this blog when he was taken at 8, but I wasn’t surprised. I had said many times on this very blog I doubt he will get past Washington at 10, and soon as Locker was taken, they traded right out of that pick.

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by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

I loved Locker too...

Though I compare him more to a young Favre than Elway. He took way too much blame for a crappy Washington team prior to last year’s draft.

That said, there was still an inherent risk in taking him – one that I did not feel was worth it. Not at #3 – not when you knew you would have your pick between one of two sure fire superstars in Von Miller and Marcel Dareus.

I wouldn’t necessarily have been mad if we picked Locker, I just would have viewed it as a risky pick and a missed opportunity to draft a player who was almost certain to become the cornerstone of our defense for a decade or more.

by SabreNation on Jan 19, 2012 6:38 PM EST up reply actions

He took way too much blame for a crappy Washington team prior to last year’s draft.

I thought Locker was the best QB candidate in the 2011 Draft (Cam Newton may have proven me wrong). I used to get infuriated with all the draft analysts who said Locker’s completion percentage was the reason he was not a first round caliber player. They must not have watched his games! Jake Locker may have had the most stone-handed receivers in football. They dropped nearly everything he hit them with. And still, somehow, Locker would overcome his $hitpile receiving corps, run the ball himself, and win games. It was simply amazing to watch. The analysts were simply wrong about him, and I believe he will prove it in the NFL soon enough.

"The Amish Rifle is your god now." - Muzza34

by BuffaloOwdaTwnr on Jan 20, 2012 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

Also too add.

Once they got that loser Millen out of Detroit, the FIRST draft pick they used was on a Stafford. It’s not like they waited to draft a QB, they just had to get Millen and his WR fetish outta there and boom, new QB.

Girls use hair spray, Men don't.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!

Don't be a Paully!

by The Buffalo Kid on Jan 19, 2012 8:26 AM EST up reply actions