Buffalo gets C- grade in a draft they haven't picked yet

[JohnnyLV]

You're right, he's definitely not that, but he has shown some humor and personality at times.  He seems to be focused on coaching the team and doing the other things that a HC needs to be doing, rather than thinking up what props he needs to bring to the next press conference and stuff like that.  

 

I particularly like the very detached way he looks during the interviews for the Jets website.  The ones I've seen, it's very clear he thinks he has better, more productive, things he could be doing with that time.  And he almost certainly does, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with football or the Jets.

 

 

I think Mac will go back to doing the interview in the fourth preseason game. I always enjoyed that

[jeaniec]

True but we have seen Bowles super excited about selecting a QB in round 2. He will be much more balanced.

Johnnysd:  Sounds like you are starting to miss the swagger.  Just a joke.  

[ParmieP]

Look for Cassel or Taylor.  I would love to see EJ start but don't think it's going to happen.    Based upon what I have read about the playbook,  I think you'll see ALOT more than 5 plays.  As Roman puts it,  we're going to be a nightmare to play against.   

 

Just like SF was a nightmare to play against with Roman, right? The 5 plays comment is based on 6 years of Rex experience. The man doesn't do complex offense or terrifying offense. If anything, he does plodding and consistent once the run game gets going. Not necessarily a bad thing, but don't expect fireworks. Is Lal your receivers coach?

[JohnnyLV]

Johnnysd:  Sounds like you are starting to miss the swagger.  Just a joke.  

 

Actually he was fun to listen to, until you realized there was no substance behind all the sound bites and then it became annoying.

[jeaniec]

Just like SF was a nightmare to play against with Roman, right? The 5 plays comment is based on 6 years of Rex experience. The man doesn't do complex offense or terrifying offense. If anything, he does plodding and consistent once the run game gets going. Not necessarily a bad thing, but don't expect fireworks. Is Lal your receivers coach?

Yes,  Lal is the Bills Receiver Coach

[Integrity28]

Let's hope that Rex's time with the Jets was a good learning experience

 

I'm not hoping that at all. 

[Integrity28]

Integrity:  I'll admit Rex is a big part of the Bills' Fans excitement but there's a lot more that provides hope.  One is coming off a 9-7 season after 15 years of being in the tank.  2) The hires we have made (pre-draft) to enhance our defense that finished 4th.  in the NFL.  3)  New owners that are doing whatever it takes to build a championship team  4)  Greg Roman (I am really high on him) and Aaron Kromer.  

 

At this stage of the game,  these factors give us hope and more hope that we had (during off season) for years.  Here is where the excitement lies. Only time will tell if all these changes leads us to the playoffs, championship, etc. I think we will learn early on during the season if all these changes are effective.   If we win our first two games (Colts and Patriots),  I'd say our new team is in real good place.  

 

 

Two words: Jibba. Jabba.

[Matt39]

http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/18643/bills-miss-the-mark-with-darby-williams-selections

 

more typical Rex here

[Vinny16]

I'm not hoping that at all. 

 

Well, if his draft is any indication, he didn't learn anything.

[Jolot]

Rex still wasting draft picks on Clemson kids that he had beers with....that is a man who has without question learned from his past mistakes.

[Larz]

jeanie.  I hate to pile on

 

but

 

marty mornhinweg was known as a good OC who employed the west coast offense, and worked with a number of top flight QB's in his career.  Andy Ried even yielded play calling to him at one point.  I was hopeful he would bring geno along.  one criticism of marty was he was a little pass happy, and some wondered if he would get along with rex.  I read how rex wanted to be more aggressive on offense, so I was hopeful

 

well

 

things got so bad during the season, he called 49 run plays on MNF to prove a point to rex ryan about meddling with his game plans.  it was basically this;

 

"you want to run make me run the ball ?  fine, I'll ******* run it every ******* play"

 

I've never seen anything like it in 30 years following NFL football

 

of course everybody denied it. 

 

rex wants to be loved by the players (hey, he is already best buds with sammy watkins !)  and he wants to run the ball (trade for mccoy)

[Larz]

http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/18643/bills-miss-the-mark-with-darby-williams-selections

 

more typical Rex here

 

"The Bills, however, seem a step behind the times."

 

winning with the run game !!!  1920's princeton football !!!

 

lol

[Vinny16]

jeanie.  I hate to pile on

 

but

 

marty mornhinweg was known as a good OC who employed the west coast offense, and worked with a number of top flight QB's in his career.  Andy Ried even yielded play calling to him at one point.  I was hopeful he would bring geno along.  one criticism of marty was he was a little pass happy, and some wondered if he would get along with rex.  I read how rex wanted to be more aggressive on offense, so I was hopeful

 

well

 

things got so bad during the season, he called 49 run plays on MNF to prove a point to rex ryan about meddling with his game plans.  it was basically this;

 

"you want to run make me run the ball ?  fine, I'll ******* run it every ******* play"

 

I've never seen anything like it in 30 years following NFL football

 

of course everybody denied it. 

 

rex wants to be loved by the players (hey, he is already best buds with sammy watkins !)  and he wants to run the ball (trade for mccoy)

 

That was definitely one of the strangest games that I'd ever seen.  Got to give Morninwheg credit for that one, though.  There were definitely some creative run plays built into that gameplan.  Heck, it was working for a good portion of the game.

 

I also think that a little bit of it was a one-fingered salute to John Idzik as well for forcing Geno Smith on them as the starting QB.  I believe that came up in the media as a possible reason for the run-happy gameplan, which was of course, just like the other allegations, denied by all involved.

[jeaniec]

I'm not hoping that at all. 

LOL - I hear you 

[Integrity28]

LOL - I hear you 

 

Yeah, I don't think you do though.

[jeaniec]

Just like SF was a nightmare to play against with Roman, right? The 5 plays comment is based on 6 years of Rex experience. The man doesn't do complex offense or terrifying offense. If anything, he does plodding and consistent once the run game gets going. Not necessarily a bad thing, but don't expect fireworks. Is Lal your receivers coach?

ParmieP -  I was referring to Greg Roman's Playbook.  

[jeaniec]

Yeah, I don't think you do though.

I do but I am hoping things will  be different in Buffalo

[jeaniec]

Two words: Jibba. Jabba.

Be nice  

[jeaniec]

Well, if his draft is any indication, he didn't learn anything.

Our draft was mainly to build depth.  

[Vinny16]

Our draft was mainly to build depth.  

 

It's been pretty unanimous across the board that the Bills did not have a good draft.  

 

And it's good to see Rex continuing to take players from Clemson simply because his son played there.  There will be more terrible picks like that as long as Rex is there.

[jeaniec]

It's been pretty unanimous across the board that the Bills did not have a good draft.  

 

And it's good to see Rex continuing to take players from Clemson simply because his son played there.  There will be more terrible picks like that as long as Rex is there.

I'd like to explain exactly what I think of Mel Kiper but I can't in an open forum.  

[Vinny16]

Kiper isn't the only one that's said the Bills had a subpar draft.

 

I think it would actually be more difficult to find analysts who would say that the Bills had a good draft.

[jeaniec]

Just like SF was a nightmare to play against with Roman, right? The 5 plays comment is based on 6 years of Rex experience. The man doesn't do complex offense or terrifying offense. If anything, he does plodding and consistent once the run game gets going. Not necessarily a bad thing, but don't expect fireworks. Is Lal your receivers coach?

SF finished first and second in their diivision and went to one SB during Roman's tenure.  I'll take it 

[jeaniec]

Kiper isn't the only one that's said the Bills had a subpar draft.

 

I think it would actually be more difficult to find analysts who would say that the Bills had a good draft

 You're right,  we did receive a bad grade from most.    Our objective is to get to the playoffs this year.  I think Whaley has done an outstanding job with acquiring almost all players needed to meet this goal before the draft.  Our only need (entering the draft) was a G.  We acquired O'Leary who I think will be able to start this year.  The balance of the players (IMO) were acquired to build depth Since we are looking to make the playoffs this year,  I am more comfortable with acquiring experience as opposed to those without NFL experience.  If  you look at Geno Smith's college stats vs what he has accomplished for the Jets, you might agree that Whaley made the right decision with his pre-draft acquisitions.

[KRL]

Sounds very familiar doesn't it???  Guess Ryan was too busy giving an interview,

getting his truck painted, getting a tattoo or eating wings with Thurman Thomas to

meet with his potential draft picks.  And for those Ryan apologists, remember BUF

GM (Whaley) was going to be fired if Marrone stayed so Ryan is driving that organization:

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/18643/bills-miss-the-mark-with-darby-williams-selections

 

 

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In what was supposed to be a cut-and-dried 2015 draft for a team without first- and fourth-round picks, the Buffalo Bills opened themselves up to scrutiny after selecting a pair of players -- running back Karlos Williams and cornerback Ronald Darby -- with character concerns.

 

At the very least, Williams' and Darby's judgment -- and the decision by the Bills to add both players to their team -- should be questioned after each was connected to a pair of off-field incidents during his career at Florida State. (Neither player was arrested or charged.)

 

The most troubling case was a domestic assault allegation made last year by the pregnant ex-girlfriend of Williams, the Bills' fifth-round pick. The woman, who had another child by Williams, posted photos of her bruises on Facebook but later told police she did not want to press charges, ending the investigation.

 

At a time when there is heightened sensitivity to domestic violence allegations against NFL players, the Bills took a risk by selecting Williams -- a player they didn't even need, considering their depth at running back. And the Bills didn't handle the situation smoothly when speaking about the pick afterward.

 

General manager Doug Whaley said the Bills investigated Williams and felt comfortable with his past. Asked generally about which infractions would cause him to take a player off his draft board, Whaley singled out stealing from a teammate.

 

"To me that is stealing from your family and that to me is just not something I can deal with for what we're doing," he said Saturday. "We're trying to build a team and a family, and that locker room is sacred. And for that, I have a hard time with. Obviously there are some other things that if they're guilty for murder and all that stuff, of course, but the indiscretions we're talking about, yes that would be it."

 

What was left unsaid is whether Whaley considers domestic violence part of "all that stuff," like murder, or something less serious, perhaps even less grave than stealing from a teammate.

 

Darby, the Bills' second-round pick, was a witness in a rape investigation that focused on former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. Darby wasn't charged or disciplined by the school, but there are questions about what he saw and what, if anything, Darby did to stop the encounter between Winston and his alleged victim. In a separate incident, Darby fled the scene of a hit-and-run along with teammate P.J. Williams, the driver of the vehicle involved.

 

Upon arriving at the Bills' facility Saturday, Darby made a head-scratching comment when asked about his off-field issues and what he had to prove to teams.

 

"I didn't have to do anything at all. I was around a lot of stuff of course, but you can't control what you're around," he said. "But I was never the one that was getting in trouble or anything like that, but there was nothing for me to do."

 

Of course, Darby can control who and what he is around; in fact, that is the message that most teams deliver to their young players.

 

News conferences when players first join a team can provide some of their most organic thoughts -- teams have yet to coach players up on certain issues and how certain answers will be perceived by the public -- and in this case Darby didn't project the sense of responsibility you want from a young player.

 

There also are questions about how much homework the Bills did on Darby. He said he met with the Bills at the combine and "had a few words exchanged on pro day," adding, "That's about it, really." Combine interviews last 15 minutes, which hardly seems like enough time for the Bills to gauge Darby's character face-to-face. Darby said he didn't even meet coach Rex Ryan until arriving at the team's facility Saturday.

 

Outside of Darby and Williams, the Bills added some promising young players with their other four selections in the draft. Guard John Miller (third round) and tight end Nick O'Leary (sixth round) both could contribute this season, and linebacker Tony Steward (sixth round) and wide receiver Dezmin Lewis (seventh round) are developmental prospects who could earn spots on the back end of the 53-man roster or on the practice squad.

 

Yet the questionable selections of Darby and especially Williams will overshadow the other work the Bills did in this draft. There weren't pressing needs at either cornerback or running back, so the Bills will be wedging two players of questionable character onto their depth chart -- and into a locker room that already includes Richie Incognito, made infamous by the Miami Dolphins' bullying scandal of 2013.

 

NFL fans have appropriately expressed concern about the way the league has handled cases of domestic violence and other serious off-field allegations. Most teams -- some of which might have previously treated such incidents as comparable to a failed drug test or another lesser offense -- have been more careful about which players they allow on their teams and how they discuss those issues with the public.

 

The Bills, however, seem a step behind the times.

[ParmieP]

Sounds very familiar doesn't it???  Guess Ryan was too busy giving an interview,

getting his truck painted, getting a tattoo or eating wings with Thurman Thomas to

meet with his potential draft picks.  And for those Ryan apologists, remember BUF

GM (Whaley) was going to be fired if Marrone stayed so Ryan is driving that organization:

 

 

 

There also are questions about how much homework the Bills did on Darby. He said he met with the Bills at the combine and "had a few words exchanged on pro day," adding, "That's about it, really." Combine interviews last 15 minutes, which hardly seems like enough time for the Bills to gauge Darby's character face-to-face. Darby said he didn't even meet coach Rex Ryan until arriving at the team's facility Saturday.

 

 

 

Now I understand how we ended up with Kyle Wilson.

[JetBlue]

Now I understand how we ended up with Kyle Wilson.

 

Seriously, Darby plays like a slightly faster Wilson.  He has a hard time finding the football in the air and looks like a pass interference penalty waiting to happen. 

[FidelioJet]

It is amazing - that their draft looks very much like any Jets draft in his tenure...

 

If there was any question about how much influence Rex had in NY I think those questions are now answered.

 

 

So glad he's gone.

[Vinny16]

 You're right,  we did receive a bad grade from most.    Our objective is to get to the playoffs this year.  I think Whaley has done an outstanding job with acquiring almost all players needed to meet this goal before the draft.  Our only need (entering the draft) was a G.  We acquired O'Leary who I think will be able to start this year.  The balance of the players (IMO) were acquired to build depth Since we are looking to make the playoffs this year,  I am more comfortable with acquiring experience as opposed to those without NFL experience.  If  you look at Geno Smith's college stats vs what he has accomplished for the Jets, you might agree that Whaley made the right decision with his pre-draft acquisitions

 

With the playoffs as the stated goal for 2015, you're willing to excuse a bad draft?  Makes no sense to me.  You can still build depth while picking good players, which the Bills, by and large, did not do.  Picking bad players and simply calling that "depth" puts the team in a very similar situation to the Jets last year.  Decent to good starters at a lot of positions, but absolutely nothing backing them up.

[jeaniec]

With the playoffs as the stated goal for 2015, you're willing to excuse a bad draft?  Makes no sense to me.  You can still build depth while picking good players, which the Bills, by and large, did not do.  Picking bad players and simply calling that "depth" puts the team in a very similar situation to the Jets last year.  Decent to good starters at a lot of positions, but absolutely nothing backing them up.

 I'm not excusing a bad draft nor did "I" suggest we had one.  I agreed with the comment that we  received a bad grade from most columnists.   What's  most important is that we were able to accomplish what we wanted within the perimeters (no first round pick) we had.  

[jeaniec]

 

So glad he's gone.

So are we.  The BIills are glad he with us.  

[Vinny16]

 I'm not excusing a bad draft nor did "I" suggest we had one.  I agreed with the comment that we  received a bad grade from most columnists.   What's  most important is that we were able to accomplish what we wanted within the perimeters (no first round pick) we had.  

 

Well, virtually every analyst and every objective person on the outside thinks the Bills had a bad draft.  It's a simple and well known fact that Rex Ryan coached teams don't draft well, and he further reinforced that fact with what he did in this year's draft.  The fact that he continues to take players from Clemson that would go undrafted simply because they were teammates of his son would be laughable if it weren't also just sad.

[jeaniec]

I think bad draft choices would come back to haunt Doug Whaley.  Can't picture Whaley taking the fall for Rex's mistakes.   I am basing my opinion on what I have heard and read about Whaley.

[Vinny16]

We thought the exact same thing when Rex was here. 

 

I can tell you, and others have said exactly the same thing, the Bills draft this year had all of the hallmarks of a Rex Ryan draft.  Rex is steering the Bills right now, not Whaley. 

[jeaniec]

We thought the exact same thing when Rex was here. 

 

I can tell you, and others have said exactly the same thing, the Bills draft this year had all of the hallmarks of a Rex Ryan draft.  Rex is steering the Bills right now, not Whaley. 

Obviously with all the changes on the Bills team (Jets too),  there is going to be a lot of wait and see in terms of the results of what's going on this offseason.  Do you think Bowles is influencing Mac at all with the draft picks?