http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050411/SPORTS03/504110313/1021
Bills have 55 reasons to seek trade
Losman deal forces Buffalo to find a way back into first round
Leo Roth
Staff writer
(April 11, 2005) — It's no secret that Buffalo Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe likes the action of the first round of the NFL draft.
Last year, he doubled his pleasure by dealing away several picks to the Dallas Cowboys in order to jump back into round one, using that pick to take quarterback J.P. Losman after picking wide receiver Lee Evans.
It was a move owner Ralph Wilson, another riverboat gambler, approved wholeheartedly. But now comes payback.
When the 2005 draft begins on April 23, the Bills won't have a first-round choice for the first time since 1998 when they sent their pick to Jacksonville for quarterback Rob Johnson. And in selecting 55th overall, it will be the longest wait for the Bills since taking wide receiver Don Beebe 82nd overall in 1989, the last fallout of the Cornelius Bennett trade.
Donahoe hasn't closed the door on pulling off a deal in order to get back into the first round. But while the urge to resist such a move will be like a ball bearing running from a magnet, it's very likely the Bills will stand pat, content to sip coffee and plot second-round strategy for most of the day.
One big reason is the overall talent pool.
According to scouts and analysts, this particular draft lacks marquee names and there still isn't a consensus top pick or even top five.
There is, however, very good talent and, consequently, exceptional salary cap value starting late in the first round and continuing through the second and third rounds, roughly Nos. 20 to 100.
The Bills have the 55th and 86th picks in that range and are confident they can address their strongest needs for offensive and defensive linemen, a tight end, and cornerback.
"Of course it is always better to be able to chose in the first round if you want to target the best players," said Frank Cooney of NFLDraftScout.com. "(But) it is true this year's draft doesn't seem to have even one truly special player that we saw in last year's draft, such as Robert Gallery, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Sean Taylor or Kellen Winslow Jr.
"Those players jumped out as players who definitely belonged in the top seven or eight spots in the draft, and then there was a bit of a drop to the second tier. This year there is really no single player who rates as highly as any of those special players from last year."
So while it is possible to name the best 20 players this year, it's nearly impossible to get everyone to agree on a top five. That has sent the 49ers and Dolphins, who hold the first two picks, scrambling to look for trade-down options. The problem is finding anybody to talk to. There simply is no impetus to acquire the first overall pick, for instance, and pay him the biggest signing bonus, if you can get the same value at the 10th, 15th or even the 20th position.
The 49ers need a quarterback, but Utah's Alex Smith and Cal's Aaron Rodgers are not considered as good as last year's top four QBs.
Running back Ronnie Brown of Auburn has soared to the top of many draft charts, but many are wondering how he can be the top pick when he couldn't start ahead of teammate Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.
Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards has also been mentioned as worthy of the first overall choice, but some scouts said he'd have been no better than the eighth receiver taken in last year's receiver bonanza.
All of this wavering at the top of the order has had a negative ripple effect on judging the overall strength of this year's draft, said Vic Carucci, national editor for NFL.com.
"I call it the Mike Williams factor," he said, referring to the USC receiver. "A Top 10 player is a guy who didn't play any football last year and in the eyes of some people, that brings down the curve. And how can Maurice Clarett, not a premier choice and who hasn't played in two years, still be on people's radar? I think that's the thing that has created skepticism."
Carucci and Cooney consider this draft to have exceptional depth at wide receiver, defensive end and corner and good depth at running back. If there's a perception out there that it's a poor talent pool, it's misguided.
"Even in years when there are big names in the draft you hear, 'It's not deep,'" Carucci said. "I think a lot of that talk is generated by scouts to alleviate the pressure if the draft doesn't pan out. Your skill as a talent evaluator has to show regardless of the talent pool. The challenge is to find players."
The Bills have an ace in the hole if they do decide to move up: running back Travis Henry, who desires a trade. Being aggressive is still a wise tact if there's a player Buffalo wants.
"I'm not sure what is meant by saying the strength of the draft is between the 20th and 100th positions unless that is in relation to value of the player at that position. Obviously, the top 20 players should be better than the next 20, and so on through the draft," Cooney said.
"So if we are saying that the value of this draft is from 20 to 100, then that is probably relative to the cost of the players to the team. In that regard, this draft is probably pretty much the same as any other draft at most positions. After the first 20 or so players, the ratings of players through the next three rounds is pretty close to what it usually is at most positions."
Losman deal forces Buffalo to find a way back into first round
Leo Roth
Staff writer
(April 11, 2005) — It's no secret that Buffalo Bills president and general manager Tom Donahoe likes the action of the first round of the NFL draft.
Last year, he doubled his pleasure by dealing away several picks to the Dallas Cowboys in order to jump back into round one, using that pick to take quarterback J.P. Losman after picking wide receiver Lee Evans.
It was a move owner Ralph Wilson, another riverboat gambler, approved wholeheartedly. But now comes payback.
When the 2005 draft begins on April 23, the Bills won't have a first-round choice for the first time since 1998 when they sent their pick to Jacksonville for quarterback Rob Johnson. And in selecting 55th overall, it will be the longest wait for the Bills since taking wide receiver Don Beebe 82nd overall in 1989, the last fallout of the Cornelius Bennett trade.
Donahoe hasn't closed the door on pulling off a deal in order to get back into the first round. But while the urge to resist such a move will be like a ball bearing running from a magnet, it's very likely the Bills will stand pat, content to sip coffee and plot second-round strategy for most of the day.
One big reason is the overall talent pool.
According to scouts and analysts, this particular draft lacks marquee names and there still isn't a consensus top pick or even top five.
There is, however, very good talent and, consequently, exceptional salary cap value starting late in the first round and continuing through the second and third rounds, roughly Nos. 20 to 100.
The Bills have the 55th and 86th picks in that range and are confident they can address their strongest needs for offensive and defensive linemen, a tight end, and cornerback.
"Of course it is always better to be able to chose in the first round if you want to target the best players," said Frank Cooney of NFLDraftScout.com. "(But) it is true this year's draft doesn't seem to have even one truly special player that we saw in last year's draft, such as Robert Gallery, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Sean Taylor or Kellen Winslow Jr.
"Those players jumped out as players who definitely belonged in the top seven or eight spots in the draft, and then there was a bit of a drop to the second tier. This year there is really no single player who rates as highly as any of those special players from last year."
So while it is possible to name the best 20 players this year, it's nearly impossible to get everyone to agree on a top five. That has sent the 49ers and Dolphins, who hold the first two picks, scrambling to look for trade-down options. The problem is finding anybody to talk to. There simply is no impetus to acquire the first overall pick, for instance, and pay him the biggest signing bonus, if you can get the same value at the 10th, 15th or even the 20th position.
The 49ers need a quarterback, but Utah's Alex Smith and Cal's Aaron Rodgers are not considered as good as last year's top four QBs.
Running back Ronnie Brown of Auburn has soared to the top of many draft charts, but many are wondering how he can be the top pick when he couldn't start ahead of teammate Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.
Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards has also been mentioned as worthy of the first overall choice, but some scouts said he'd have been no better than the eighth receiver taken in last year's receiver bonanza.
All of this wavering at the top of the order has had a negative ripple effect on judging the overall strength of this year's draft, said Vic Carucci, national editor for NFL.com.
"I call it the Mike Williams factor," he said, referring to the USC receiver. "A Top 10 player is a guy who didn't play any football last year and in the eyes of some people, that brings down the curve. And how can Maurice Clarett, not a premier choice and who hasn't played in two years, still be on people's radar? I think that's the thing that has created skepticism."
Carucci and Cooney consider this draft to have exceptional depth at wide receiver, defensive end and corner and good depth at running back. If there's a perception out there that it's a poor talent pool, it's misguided.
"Even in years when there are big names in the draft you hear, 'It's not deep,'" Carucci said. "I think a lot of that talk is generated by scouts to alleviate the pressure if the draft doesn't pan out. Your skill as a talent evaluator has to show regardless of the talent pool. The challenge is to find players."
The Bills have an ace in the hole if they do decide to move up: running back Travis Henry, who desires a trade. Being aggressive is still a wise tact if there's a player Buffalo wants.
"I'm not sure what is meant by saying the strength of the draft is between the 20th and 100th positions unless that is in relation to value of the player at that position. Obviously, the top 20 players should be better than the next 20, and so on through the draft," Cooney said.
"So if we are saying that the value of this draft is from 20 to 100, then that is probably relative to the cost of the players to the team. In that regard, this draft is probably pretty much the same as any other draft at most positions. After the first 20 or so players, the ratings of players through the next three rounds is pretty close to what it usually is at most positions."
