tBBC NFL Draft 2016 – Buckeyes -> Bills
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NFL Draft 2016 – Buckeyes -> Bills
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Image courtesy of buffalorumblings.com)
The Buckeyes and the Bills seemed to have struck up a mutually beneficial relationship in this year’s NFL Draft. As tBBC’s Western New York Correspondent©, I may be able to delve a bit deeper into this relationship.
The Bills are an original franchise team of the AFL and began play in 1960. They are entering their 57th season of play. For a team to play, it needs players. What is the historical connection, in terms of the NFL Draft, between the Bills franchise and the Buckeye “franchise”? Let’s take a brief look of ‘what was’, then look at ‘what is’.
Until the 2016 Draft, there had been only 17 Buckeyes drafted by the Bills, so the connection is not necessarily deep nor strong. Here are the Buckeyes the Bills drafted, including this year. Let’s just say the draft history of Ohio State and Buffalo has been “on again, off again” for both parties. Some were selected during the joint/competing NFL/AFL drafts in the ’60’s. Some Some players had solid tenures in Buffalo. Some were with the Bills for a couple years; others for a cup of coffee..
Year RD Player Pos
1960 1 Birtho Arnold OL
1960 1 Jim Houston E
1962 20 Sam Tidmore E
1963 23 Bob Middleton E
1964 4 Paul Warfield WR
1965 1 Jim Davidson T
1966 18 Greg Latushtka E
1971 2 Jan White TE
1974 8 Greg Hare QB
1979 1 Tom Cousineau LB
1995 3 Marlon Kerner DB
1999 1 Antoine Winfield DB
2001 1 Nate Clements DB
2001 7 Reggie Germany WR
2004 3 Tim Anderson DT
2006 1 Donte Whitner DB
2006 3 Ashton Youboty DB
2016 3 Adolphus Washington DT
2016 4 Cardale Jones QB
I have a couple observations:
So, how do the 2016 Buckeye draftees fit in? I gave a hint in the weekend draft recap. Let’s look a bit deeper. First up:
Adolphus Washington
Adolphus was selected by the Bills with the 17th pick of the 3rd round. Per my recap:
The Bills defense went from “great” in 2014 to “abysmal” in 2015, particularly in the realm of sacking the quarterback. A-Wash can provide an inside burst that was lacking last year. I doubt that Adolphus starts, initially, but I can see him in the DT rotation with Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Although “only” 32 years old, Williams is oldest player on Bills roster. AWash may rotate into the starting lineup if all goes well.
But there’s really more to it than that. There was a fair amount of turmoil for the Bills, particularly on the defense last year with the change in defensive philosophies. Former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz ran a fairly simple to implement aggressive approach and the defense prospered. Rex Ryan takes over as coach and installs “his” defense, which according to player comments was complicated, confusing and passive. Perhaps, but a lot could be that it may take more than a year for a defensive philosophy to sink in.
Adolphus wont’ have his life cluttered with this philosophical change. For him, it’s all new; he has no bad habits to extinguish. On Buffalo’s defensive line, Kyle Williams brings steady play-making to the team, but he’ll be entering his 11th season. I do see Adolphus getting a legitimate shot to work into the starting lineup of Williams/Dareus. Although I think that AWash needs to work on being a bit stouter against the run, his quickness at point of attack is important and can’t be taught.
Next, the pride of Glenville High School:
Cardale Jones
When: 4th Round, 41st Pick
Where: Buffalo Bills
Cardale was selected by the Bills with the 41st pick of the 4th round. Per my recap:
The Bills have two QB’s on their roster; Last year’s starter Tyrod Taylor and former #1 pick EJ Manual. Tyrod was somewhat effective as a starter, but there is doubt if he is the long term answer. EJ is probably a functional back-up. His problem was that he was drafted too high, which created expectations that he in no way could fulfill. With Cardale going in 4th round, time has been bought for his development. Plus, his strong arm will be an asset on throwing in late season Lake Erie winds.
A few minutes after this selection, a brother-in-law texted me that he “loved the pick”, along with various ‘heart’ and ‘thumbs up’ emoticons. The next morning, another brother-in-law emailed me looking for “the book” on Cardale.
Strong armed kid, mobile in the pocket. when he makes a mistake, he has a “short” memory – he gets back in the huddle and rallies the team. His skill set didn’t mesh that well with Ohio State’s fast-tempo zone read philosophy. He’s mobile enough to keep pass plays alive. He doesn’t have quick sideline-sideline mobility, but is very good at downhill running once he breaks contain. I think that Cardale will be a better professional than college QB. He and his girlfriend have a toddler (daughter) so Cardale does have some serious motivation to make this work.
A 4th round pick is about right for him.He’ll need a year or two of tutoring. He may be the QB the Bills expected to get when they drafted EJ..
Obviously, Bills General Manager Doug Whaley is of similar mind.
“We think our situation’s good for him,” Whaley said, via the Buffalo News. “He’s going to come in and be a three, be able to develop, be able to learn under some professionals that have been at their craft for a while, with EJ and Tyrod.
“We like his skill set. He’s got the talent to possibly be a franchise guy. Is he there yet? Absolutely not. He’s got a lot of work and a lot of ways to go. But this guy’s driven, this guy’s a proven winner; he’s undefeated.”
I anticipate Adolphus and Cardale to have solid NFL careers, hopefully with the Buffalo Bills. Maybe this creates more “Buckeyes -> Bills” situations, we’ll see. Regardless where their travels take them, they will be contributors to their teams.
The post NFL Draft 2016 – Buckeyes -> Bills appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Image courtesy of buffalorumblings.com)
The Buckeyes and the Bills seemed to have struck up a mutually beneficial relationship in this year’s NFL Draft. As tBBC’s Western New York Correspondent©, I may be able to delve a bit deeper into this relationship.
The Bills are an original franchise team of the AFL and began play in 1960. They are entering their 57th season of play. For a team to play, it needs players. What is the historical connection, in terms of the NFL Draft, between the Bills franchise and the Buckeye “franchise”? Let’s take a brief look of ‘what was’, then look at ‘what is’.
Until the 2016 Draft, there had been only 17 Buckeyes drafted by the Bills, so the connection is not necessarily deep nor strong. Here are the Buckeyes the Bills drafted, including this year. Let’s just say the draft history of Ohio State and Buffalo has been “on again, off again” for both parties. Some were selected during the joint/competing NFL/AFL drafts in the ’60’s. Some Some players had solid tenures in Buffalo. Some were with the Bills for a couple years; others for a cup of coffee..
Year RD Player Pos
1960 1 Birtho Arnold OL
1960 1 Jim Houston E
1962 20 Sam Tidmore E
1963 23 Bob Middleton E
1964 4 Paul Warfield WR
1965 1 Jim Davidson T
1966 18 Greg Latushtka E
1971 2 Jan White TE
1974 8 Greg Hare QB
1979 1 Tom Cousineau LB
1995 3 Marlon Kerner DB
1999 1 Antoine Winfield DB
2001 1 Nate Clements DB
2001 7 Reggie Germany WR
2004 3 Tim Anderson DT
2006 1 Donte Whitner DB
2006 3 Ashton Youboty DB
2016 3 Adolphus Washington DT
2016 4 Cardale Jones QB
I have a couple observations:
- The Bills were fairly unsuccessful when drafting Buckeyes when both leagues were competing for talent. Maybe the players felt their skills were better honed for the more button-down NFL approach to the game. Maybe they were more comfortable with what they felt was a more stable situation in the NFL. Who knows?
- As you see, there were a few stretches where Buckeyes were not drafted by the Bills, notably from 1980-1994 and 2007-2015. For NFL teams, draft day can be hit and miss. You hope for more “hits” than “misses” and you hope your “hits” are big ones. A quick scan of the Bills draft day history showed some sketchy decision making.
- The few draft “hits” of Ohio State by Buffalo were probably in the position group of defensive back. There didn’t seem to be an attraction by Buffalo to OSU defensive linemen, and let’s face it: Ohio State isn’t ‘Quarterback U’.
So, how do the 2016 Buckeye draftees fit in? I gave a hint in the weekend draft recap. Let’s look a bit deeper. First up:
Adolphus Washington
Adolphus was selected by the Bills with the 17th pick of the 3rd round. Per my recap:
The Bills defense went from “great” in 2014 to “abysmal” in 2015, particularly in the realm of sacking the quarterback. A-Wash can provide an inside burst that was lacking last year. I doubt that Adolphus starts, initially, but I can see him in the DT rotation with Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams. Although “only” 32 years old, Williams is oldest player on Bills roster. AWash may rotate into the starting lineup if all goes well.
But there’s really more to it than that. There was a fair amount of turmoil for the Bills, particularly on the defense last year with the change in defensive philosophies. Former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz ran a fairly simple to implement aggressive approach and the defense prospered. Rex Ryan takes over as coach and installs “his” defense, which according to player comments was complicated, confusing and passive. Perhaps, but a lot could be that it may take more than a year for a defensive philosophy to sink in.
Adolphus wont’ have his life cluttered with this philosophical change. For him, it’s all new; he has no bad habits to extinguish. On Buffalo’s defensive line, Kyle Williams brings steady play-making to the team, but he’ll be entering his 11th season. I do see Adolphus getting a legitimate shot to work into the starting lineup of Williams/Dareus. Although I think that AWash needs to work on being a bit stouter against the run, his quickness at point of attack is important and can’t be taught.
Next, the pride of Glenville High School:
Cardale Jones
When: 4th Round, 41st Pick
Where: Buffalo Bills
Cardale was selected by the Bills with the 41st pick of the 4th round. Per my recap:
The Bills have two QB’s on their roster; Last year’s starter Tyrod Taylor and former #1 pick EJ Manual. Tyrod was somewhat effective as a starter, but there is doubt if he is the long term answer. EJ is probably a functional back-up. His problem was that he was drafted too high, which created expectations that he in no way could fulfill. With Cardale going in 4th round, time has been bought for his development. Plus, his strong arm will be an asset on throwing in late season Lake Erie winds.
A few minutes after this selection, a brother-in-law texted me that he “loved the pick”, along with various ‘heart’ and ‘thumbs up’ emoticons. The next morning, another brother-in-law emailed me looking for “the book” on Cardale.
Strong armed kid, mobile in the pocket. when he makes a mistake, he has a “short” memory – he gets back in the huddle and rallies the team. His skill set didn’t mesh that well with Ohio State’s fast-tempo zone read philosophy. He’s mobile enough to keep pass plays alive. He doesn’t have quick sideline-sideline mobility, but is very good at downhill running once he breaks contain. I think that Cardale will be a better professional than college QB. He and his girlfriend have a toddler (daughter) so Cardale does have some serious motivation to make this work.
A 4th round pick is about right for him.He’ll need a year or two of tutoring. He may be the QB the Bills expected to get when they drafted EJ..
Obviously, Bills General Manager Doug Whaley is of similar mind.
“We think our situation’s good for him,” Whaley said, via the Buffalo News. “He’s going to come in and be a three, be able to develop, be able to learn under some professionals that have been at their craft for a while, with EJ and Tyrod.
“We like his skill set. He’s got the talent to possibly be a franchise guy. Is he there yet? Absolutely not. He’s got a lot of work and a lot of ways to go. But this guy’s driven, this guy’s a proven winner; he’s undefeated.”
I anticipate Adolphus and Cardale to have solid NFL careers, hopefully with the Buffalo Bills. Maybe this creates more “Buckeyes -> Bills” situations, we’ll see. Regardless where their travels take them, they will be contributors to their teams.
The post NFL Draft 2016 – Buckeyes -> Bills appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
