The Bills Score High Grades in Draft

Attitude and Instinct the Theme on Draft Day

There's nothing worse than being stuck in traffic with a sore back and a standard transmission. Such was the case Saturday night as I headed home in the wind/rainstorm that produced a number of fallen signs, wet bystanders and grumpy callers from Western New York about the Bills' first day draft choices.

I have to admit, I was a bit concerned myself when I looked up and saw Michael Oher, one of the top rated tackles in the draft still on the board at 23, and the Bills making no effort to trade up. Eric Wood, projected as a second round choice, was the Bills's choice for the first round pick they'd picked up from Philadelphia in the Jason Peters' trade. And the fans were not happy about it. For over an hour I listened to callers complain about the Bills penchant for "reaching". You'd have thought they'd done the scouting themselves, by the way they frequently referred to the Bills' needs and what the team should have done.

Of course, that's the great part about being a fan. And the Bills haven't been in the playoffs since 1998, so they have reason to be cynical. When I looked through the descriptions and scouting reports however, I found a common theme among the Bills' choices.

Not a single problem athlete. As a rule, the Bills drafted hardworking players who will put their nose to the grindstone, play with injury, and work well with their teammates. This has been the mantra of New England (who always escapes criticism from the experts because they've proven to be very effective at picking in the later rounds) for the past decade, and they've done pretty well.

Take the case of Eben Britton, the highest rated tackle still on the board before the Jags picked him with the 39th pick. His quote, "every team that passed on me will regret it for the rest of the history of their franchise'' says everything you need to know about why the Bills passed. The reason they traded Peters was essentially his poor attitude. (I'm better than two of the guys on the line, so why are they making more than me.) After which, he went out in 2008 and had an ordinary year, while demanding top dollar.

And when we talk about attitude, I'm not talking about confidence or a mean streak. Those are good things. (Center Eric Wood, who New England apparently loved, possesses both of those qualities) We're talking about arrogance, the kind that kills a locker room. Any one who has played team sports understands how important this is, and that a team can be greater than the sum of its parts if they play together. (Which makes the Terrell Owens deal even more mystifying)

The other theme behind the Bills' draft choices is that they chose football players over great athletic ability. (See Raiders, Oakland, for comparison) Even Maybin, still raw after essentially a one year career at Penn State, is considered an instinctive, smart, fluid player.

The second day of the draft looks even better to me, especially the tight end from Southern Miss., Shawn Nelson, who should immediately upgrade the passing game. The Bills will have a number of corners for their cover 2 zone in camp, and hopefully Maybin will address their pass rushing issues. The only question, really, is whether Langston Walker can hold up at left tackle. If he can, than this draft goes from good to great.

-Steve