NFL Off Topic

[kingkilla56]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Who should the bills have drafted at that position in the draft then?

[Hooe]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Who should the bills have drafted at that position in the draft then?

If they were psychics, Odell Beckham. Otherwise, no one.

Using Pro-Football-Reference's Approximate Value metric, Watkins ranks 10th amongst all players in his draft class. He is tied for that rank with another wide receiver, Mike Evans.

The nine guys ahead of Watkins were mostly drafted after him - Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham, Zack Martin, C.J. Mosley, Teddy Bridgewater, Khalil Mack, Derek Carr, and Justin Britt have each accumulated better AV to this point, along with Blake Bortles who is the only player among the nine to be selected ahead of Watkins. That said, 10th out of 256 draft selections is by no means terrible.

I'm also not sure who of those nine guys the Bills would have reasonably considered at the time. Certainly not any of the quarterbacks, they were still all-in on E.J. Manuel, and saying now that they should have taken a QB then and cut bait on Manuel is purely hindsight bias. Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack wouldn't have been good fits, as the Bills had Mario Williams, Marcel Dareus, and Kyle Williams all playing great at the time, and Jerry Hughes was finally tapping his potential as well. They could have drafted C.J. Mosley, sure, but then they wouldn't have drafted Kiko Alonso in Round 2 and thus wouldn't have later traded him straight-up for LeSean McCoy. Guard probably isn't an option at #4 or #9 - heck the Cowboys heard some criticism for taking a guard at #16 - so Zack Martin wouldn't have been a realistic option over tackles Jake Matthews or Taylor Lewan, who have worse AV than Watkins.

That leaves Justin Britt and Odell Beckham. Britt was the last pick in the 2nd round and would have been laughed out of the room if taken at #4 or #9. While Beckham is quite obviously the best offensive skill position player in his class I don't know if too many people would have argued he was the best receiver in his class at the time that he was drafted. It's also not as if Watkins is some bum, he's clearly a capable and skilled starter in the NFL, which is what you want out of the #4 draft pick.

EDIT: I realize I'm leaving out the 2015 first-round pick the Bills traded away to acquire R1P4. It's impossible for us to know how the Bills would have used that pick in 2015, so I'm ignoring it. The Bills could have just as easily added Nelson Agholor or Devin Smith, two clearly inferior players to Watkins, as they could have added any other reasonable 2015 first-round pick anyone feels like naming who has panned out.

[PeoplesChampGB]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Name the last elite team built around its WR corps. Football is like baseball in this regard- build up the middle at premium positions and fill in the periphery and weaker points later. Not a perfect analogy but there are premium positions in the NFL too and WR is not one of them. WRs don't win you games. They are completely dependent on 2, maybe 3 if you're keen on play action, separate skill groups on offense to be proficient. If you don't have the QB, getting an elite WR is like buying a sports car when you have 3 kids and bills to pay.

That's why I don't care for drafting a WR that high unless you've dotted your i's and crossed your t's like the Raiders had before they grabbed Amari Cooper or the Falcons when they went after Julio Jones.

I still, to this day, don't see the justification for the Falcons trading that many picks away for a WR.

[slickdtc]

NFL Off Topic

That was a crapload of picks. The price to move up from essentially the top of the 2nd round to top of the 1st.

Plus, their own success probably hurt them; the Browns knew those picks would be on the back end of rounds because ATL would be good for the foreseeable future and they were immediately after drafting Jones but have fell off last two years.

The price to move up is steep, no doubt. But when teams stack 4, 5, 6 picks for just one back, it rapes your team of the depth that mid-round picks often turn in to. ATL has some top players, but some groups are extremely shallow and it has hurt them.

And this is with a player (Jones) whose been about as good as you could expect a player to be. Even with him panning out to/above expectations, that trade is still arguable. The Browns whiffing on literally every pick they got from it helps ATL's case too and it still feels like an overpay.

Makes me feel better about trading just one first rounder to move up for Watkins. Of course, if the Bills had been as successful as ATL, it would've cost us more to move up more then just the 5 spots we did, plus the lower picks would've made Cleveland ask for more quantity too.

I think I just rationalized being a middling team when it comes to trades in the NFL. Wow.

[rkwittem]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Who should the bills have drafted at that position in the draft then?

The NFL.com article highlighting the top 3 needs for each team offers this:

9. Buffalo Bills
2013 Record: 6-10
Team needs: RT, LB, WR
Analysis: The Bills are set at one tackle spot with Cordy Glenn but they could use an upgrade on the opposite side. They added Keith Rivers in free agency but he's never lived up to his first-round billing, so LB still remains a position of need. If Sammy Watkins would somehow fall to No. 9, it would be difficult for Buffalo to pass.

Trading up to 4 changed the game for them but I still would have taken Khalil Mack if I was Buffalo. Jake Matthews would have been my 2nd choice at the time, based on these needs. This was before they dumped Stevie Johnson, naturally.

IDK how good Matthews has been because I never see Atlanta games around here but I can pretty much guarantee without much argument that Mack has been head-and-shoulders better than Watkins.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Hooe actually addressed that part of your post already.

[Jr.]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Bought tickets for the Thursday opener tonight. Should be interesting in my Panthers gear in enemy territory.

[mestevo]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Nice. We were thinking about going to see NE @ AZ, but then it ended up being week 1 SNF and my oldest is starting school this year. Toss in no Brady and an already tough proposition became not worth pursing any further.

Now that Allegiant flies to KC from Vegas though I might have to go back to Arrowhead to see a game. Starting to price that out.

All that being said, my best bet at seeing an NFL game at the moment is the Raiders relocating to Vegas in 2019 which may not even happen lol.

[Jr.]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Nice. We were thinking about going to see NE @ AZ, but then it ended up being week 1 SNF and my oldest is starting school this year. Toss in no Brady and an already tough proposition became not worth pursing any further.

Now that Allegiant flies to KC from Vegas though I might have to go back to Arrowhead to see a game. Starting to price that out.

All that being said, my best bet at seeing an NFL game at the moment is the Raiders relocating to Vegas in 2019 which may not even happen lol.

This is the first time I've bought tickets myself (every other game I've been to, the ticket had been gifted). It's insane that NFL teams can get people to games every week. I couldn't figure out a way to buy tickets without getting nearly $100 in service charges on top of the ridiculous ticket prices.

[TracerBullet]

Re: NFL Off Topic

This is the first time I've bought tickets myself (every other game I've been to, the ticket had been gifted). It's insane that NFL teams can get people to games every week. I couldn't figure out a way to buy tickets without getting nearly $100 in service charges on top of the ridiculous ticket prices.

That's why I had to cancel my plans to watch the Lions on MNF last year (considering how it ended, probably for the best). Seahawks prices have risen by a ton in the last 5 years.

[mestevo]

Re: NFL Off Topic

This is the first time I've bought tickets myself (every other game I've been to, the ticket had been gifted). It's insane that NFL teams can get people to games every week. I couldn't figure out a way to buy tickets without getting nearly $100 in service charges on top of the ridiculous ticket prices.

I figure we'll make up for lost time as fans when we buy a pair of LV Raider season tickets w/ PSLs, lol.

[l3ulvl]

Re: NFL Off Topic

That's why I had to cancel my plans to watch the Lions on MNF last year (considering how it ended, probably for the best). Seahawks prices have risen by a ton in the last 5 years.

I love the fact that you remain a Lions fan in spite of all the signs in the universe directing you elsewhere

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Already got my tickets to Packers-Skins @ FedEx this year. End Zone seats, 2 rows from the field. Thank goodness I bought them when I did because the prices in that same section now...mannnnnnnn.

Still working on trying to get tickets to Packers-Eagles in Philly the following week.

[muggins]

Re: NFL Off Topic

I have pre-season tickets to the Bills vs Lions in Detroit, always play the fourth game so nobody plays =/ right behind the Bills bench.

Speaking of, the Bills have renamed their field New Era Field, which is really cool. I love New Era hats and its based on Buffalo.

[SPTO]

Re: NFL Off Topic

Speaking of, the Bills have renamed their field New Era Field, which is really cool. I love New Era hats and its based on Buffalo.

I mentioned that a few days ago. It would be really cool if they did something like what the Angels do in that you have a HUGE cap out in front of the stadium while a bit gimmicky it's kind of a neat idea.

The initials make me think of Nintendo though. (NES)