Worst pick ever

[emouldman80]

One pick cannot take my confidence and belief that TD is the best GM in the league, but c'mon. I've seriously never been so angry about a pick in my life. Sure he won't play this year, but after Henry has another great year it will be nothing more than a wasted pick or a RB controversy. Horrible choice TD and Modrak, and shame on Mr. Wilson for accepting it. I have alot of faith in Henry and I just don't understand this at all. WHY?! Boss Bailey is on the board still, could have given us that speed rusher we wanted. I really hope TD redeems himself in the rest of this draft, because I'm very dissapointed. If TH fails and McGahee comes in and becomes a star, I will be the first one to admit I was wrong. But until then, it was nothing more than a wasted pick to me.

[The Beef]

You can't be serious. THenry is great, love him to death. WM has HOF potential though. If eh retunrs to healthy, he takes that great TH brings, and moves it to a whole nother level. I loved Joseph and Boss there. Still, it's likely neither of them would've started. So if we're going to draft a backup, why not draft the backup with the most potential??

[Minus]

If I were a Bills fan,I would be questioning this pick because this was luxury pick not a need.I think Mcgahee will be a stud but IMO this pick was bad pick.

[CookieG]

TD's ego may have just overcome his common sense. What on earth do we do with Henry? What kind of a year does Henry put in knowing he is a lame duck?

[bv]

You never know how good Mcgahee can be. Imagine near the playoffs if henry got hurt and Mcgahhe steps in and looks like Thurman.

[Pablo]

He wont even play until next year,if then. Henry was extended and Bills signed Gary. This was a wasted pick as the Bills have too many other needs. Iw ould have been happier if they had trraded down..still could have picked up a good TE and a DE.

[Gonk]

One of the worst picks I've seen... and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Phins fan.

You guys were already stacked at RB... I just don't understand this.

[The Beef]

Hey, anyone who read articles leading up to the drafft, all upp mangment guys siad, stick to your board no matter what, needs, potential etc. Willis must've been the top player left on our board, because TD isn't going to make a pick to shock, he's going to stick to his guns, and go with his top pick.

[matthew94]

haha, henry isn't a lame duck guys! mcgahee was the best value pick. he would have been a top pick w/o the injury. all this pick does is give us possibilities in the future.

[askabry]

I have two words for all of you: Ricky Williams.

[Wolffman]

Why would we draft a RB when we just signed Henry through 2005 and Olandis Gary to a 2 year deal. Its stupid. Now what willl Henry think?

[junglesouljah]

I like the pick, because as good as henry is he did have fumble problems last year and McGahee has probowl potential. He is rehabing faster than expected and I wouldn't be suprised to see him be the backup for henry by week 8.

[Minus]

Originally posted by askabry
I have two words for all of you: Ricky Williams.

LOL no ...Not even close to strength and power of Ricky but I'll tell you what Mcgahee is a real gamebreaker unlike Henry.is still bad pick and people don't try to sugar coat it.

[Mouldsie]

Stupid. Tom is human though I guess....

[TheAnswer74]

The fumbles cost us too much. Willis is definatly going to play this year. He will be the starter by week 8. I see a Ricky Williams and McCalister type situation next year. I think Henry gets traded after next year, and the Bills get a 1st for Henry after next year.

I told everyone a couple weeks ago that the BILLS HAVE NO FAITH IN HENRY. And this proves it.

[Max997]

thumbs down

[Gonk]

You guys really needed a TE, or a WR atleast. Willis won't play at all this year...

[gmnj]

Originally posted by CookieG
TD's ego may have just overcome his common sense. What on earth do we do with Henry? What kind of a year does Henry put in knowing he is a lame duck?

I don't think Henry thinks he's a lame duck. we just extended him by a year. it's not on the last year of his contract. i think it will motivate henry and there's no reason he won't have a great year. wm probably won't even play this season. only thing i wonder is if you pay wm more than henry is making. i'm sure it will be an incentive laden deal for certain.

[Alluro]

Donahoe got a top 3 pick at #23 !! This was a great pick ! in five years, people will view mcGahee as the best player from the draft. He could be Terrell Davis to Bledsoe's Elway and carry us to the promised line....Travis Henry and his limited breakaway speed was not going to get it done. Henry's longest run from scrimmage was 23 yds.

[MR. GIBBERISH]

I think its possible that TD has something planned on June 1st for this man and I think we will reap the benefits then, if not then I don't know what the hell TD is thinking

[kr632]

i wanted boss bailey mike doss or big willie, we got willis and how well our second round goes will decide how well i like this pick

[BledsoeMVP]

Think of it this way, every pick is a risk. Carson Palmer is the biggest risk of them all. Our pick was kinda like a bonus pick and at that pick its rare to get a great player. Given the situation, i think the pick was great. We could be a year later and see an injured henry with mcgahee being the next faulk. I love TD, has guts.

[bv]

I dont think the pick is stupid at all. Alot of the players that the Bills probably wanted for the 23rd spot were already taken. Mcgahee was probably the best player on thier list at the time.

[bv]

Travis Henry and his limited breakaway speed was not going to get it done. Henry's longest run from scrimmage was 23 yds.


I would LOVE to see the Bills have a runner who is better than Thurman Thomas was. Ya never know

[BledsoeMVP]

I think TD wasnt joking when he said he drafts on quality not on teams needs, i love the guy.

[CookieG]

Someday Willis may go to the pro bowl but Travis Henry went there this year. Even if WM gets 1,800 yards, you just used your 1st pick to gain 300 extra yards per season. Big deal.

[eyedog]

Should have picked Joseph, Harris, or Woolfolk.

[wolfpack]

Remember Denver? Davis, Anderson and Gary, they select Portis in the second, out of no where I might add. And from what I have heard, WM is heads and shoulders above rookie of the year Clinton Portis.

[bigdog]

My feeling is that even if mcgahee turns out great it's still a goofy pick. Yeah he's a potential steal at 23 but we already have a probowl starting RB with excellent depth. We will eat a 23 rookie salary and signing bonus on a kid that WON"T play a snap in 2003. Value or not he doesnt't help the team in 2003 and is simply a distraction to a pro bowl RB in Henry.

Analysis = BAD PICK

[ptybill]

TD has GUTS. We might not even have had a first round pick this year if not for the Peerless trade...and TD managed to turn a non-pick into Willis McGahee! Clearly we have other needs, but after the run on DL I much rather have this potential steal than a reach pick a-la Denney, Flowers, etc... The only negative is the effect this might have on Henry (???).

[Austin 34]

look people.. we weren't even suppose to have a pick this round... give TD credit..... don't slay td just because he didn't take who you wanted or who i even wanted... they had him high on their board... they even had their doctors check him out... so give the Bills staff some time.. and if it ends up to be bad.. well then yes.. bash them ... but right now he hasn't even stepped onto the field much less stepped into buffalo... wait and see.. remember better to have someone now then not having anything at all in the first round

[The Beef]

He'll play 'a snap' this year. The season starts in September, 9 months after his injury. It's 4 months after his injury now, and he's what, 3 months ahead of schedule?? Come Week 10 at the latest, Willis will have taken 'a snap'. He's going to bring us some options. Can realy catch the ball, can really run the ball, could hold your breath, return some kicks for us later in the season?? who knows, i can't wait.

[ak47]

I think it's a very interesting pick.. I heard people say that after the 1st 12 or 13 players, the other players had secound round grades.. McGahee if healthy is a top 3 pick for sure.. When I saw Micheal Haynes and McDougle go I figured that the Bills were going to take the best player on the board and they did..

[Austin 34]

this was from ESPN's NFL DRAFT summary about him.. read this and you'll see for yourself....

Summary: McGahee had rare RB skills prior to blowing out his left knee, and he is working hard and might contribute this season. His place on draft boards will be very subjective. Expect a team who can be patient, and with a deep backfield, to take a chance on him on the first day.

[Alluro]

Travis Henry is a solid back..He just isn't a SUPER BACK ! McGahee has the OMG ("oh my God") factor on his side. Donahoe is a much better GM than i thought. why take a pick with a 23rd pick value when you can wait a few months and arguably get the best player in the draft? Henry's longest run was 23 yds.

[DolfanISS]

I think you guys have the luxury of waiting for McGahee to fully recover from his injury and have no need to force him into the lineup which is a good thing. The Bills will be much improved next season whether he contrbutes right away or not and they are now 3 deep at the RB position. If McGahee returns to form by 2004 the Bills could really be a scary team especially is Josh Reed becomes anything close to what Peerless Price was.

[MarcP]

All of the possible picks mentioned here don't come close to McGahee. This guy can score from anywhere on the field and runs with power . Oh yes doesn't fumble a lot. What did you expect when everyone we wanted was gone . We got a gift at 23 and regardless of need you don't turn down somebody like McGahee.
Remember a guy named Thurman Thomas who slipped into the second round because of a torn up knee, the result of a basketball accident.
Don't worry about T.Henry . The same people here that are saying this was a dumb pick are probably the same people who were calling for Henry's head last year when he fumbled. We now have a ton of talent at the RB position. Besides do you give a contract extension to someone whos a lame duck --NO. I've seen many posts here on what do we do if Henry gets hurt. Here's your answer.
It was well worth the gamble than taking some second rate DL who 's future would be at best a backup.

[coastal]

What the f... are you people smoking. This guy was going to go number two overall. Assuming he is totally healthy after rehab, we had the number two pick overall in this draft. Rock on TD. You can never have enough talent.:beatchair

[Mouldsie]

I'd rather have 19.5 sacks and 75 QB pressures.

[eman77]

Plus you guys got to remember the money this guy is going to ask for. We'll be lucky if we sign him before training camp. It will be a huge blow to our salary cap for a guy who probably won't play next year.

[Brady Sucks]

This absolutely blows... when you have a probowler at the RB position, in the prime of his career... YOU DON'T DRAFT A RB WITH YOUR FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK!!!!!!!!!!

[Smapdi]

I think this is an amazing pick by TD. At first I was in shock and hated the pick; why would we pick a running back when we have the 4th best running back in TH. You don't find talent like Willis McGahee every day. He was a top 3 pick if not number one uninjured. We were not even supposed to have a 1st round pick. Now we have the option of trading Henry or Gary or even maybe Willis. I think we pick up Mathis in round 2 and we are set. :uhhuh:

[Zan186]

The Bills this year had a luxury pick! We took the best player available regardless of needs or position. Wake up and get real Running Backs get injured a lot in the NFl. As most coaches will say "you can never have too many good quaterbacks or running backs." He will probably see limited action in 2003 which is good because there wont be any controversy.
Next what if he turns out to be a superstar? Now you have the option to trade a pro bowl running back.
What if a team desperately needs a rb? Say just for example Carolina or the Titans. Maybe we trade Henry or Willis for say Julius Pepper or Jevon Kearse. This is just a speculation like reading tarot cards about the future but you never know. The kid has the tools and you assume he is gonna recover fully until proven otherwise. What if he becomes a Walter Payton! Supposedly before he got the knee injury everyone was saying he would go in the top 3 overall!

[bv]

Hey its better than picking ERIC FLOWERS!

[Mouldsie]

But Erik Flowers isn't in this draft.

What is better... taking Flowers or taking Blair Thomas? :D ;)


The point is you never know... and the Willis pick just doesn't sit well with me.

[Ryan Butch]

Originally posted by emouldman80
One pick cannot take my confidence and belief that TD is the best GM in the league, but c'mon. I've seriously never been so angry about a pick in my life. Sure he won't play this year, but after Henry has another great year it will be nothing more than a wasted pick or a RB controversy. Horrible choice TD and Modrak, and shame on Mr. Wilson for accepting it. I have alot of faith in Henry and I just don't understand this at all. WHY?! Boss Bailey is on the board still, could have given us that speed rusher we wanted. I really hope TD redeems himself in the rest of this draft, because I'm very dissapointed. If TH fails and McGahee comes in and becomes a star, I will be the first one to admit I was wrong. But until then, it was nothing more than a wasted pick to me.

Drafting Boss Bailey would have been a stupid pick. Where is he going to play? We JUST signed Spikes and Posey. So we have two 1,000 yard rushers on our team, why are you so mad? I did not think we would draft him, but I do like the pick.

Bailey? At least make an argument for a position we actually need help at.

[gwillrich]

This pick is just awsome! I jumped up and screamed for joy for a solid minute. I'm amazed that people would criticize this pick. What's TD's track record over the last few years? Are you guys kidding? McGahee was the top player on Tom's board before he was hurt and our doctors checked him out great at this point in his rehab. We just picked up Tom's #1 pick overall for #23 money. If the worst of our problems over the next few years is finding the carries for two pro-bowl running backs then I'm stoked. This was an absolutely fabulous pick by the Bills.

Just in case you guys missed it in numerous posts by folks around here leading up to the draft - before his injury, McGahee was a much better player than Clinton Portis while at Miami. His work ethic to rehab the injury has been superhuman and now he has something to prove. Willis McGahee is the man!

[RixBills]

Those who doubt, don't understand.

Great first and second picks for the Bills!!!! I don't care how many of you try to put a negative spin on this.

By the way, I can't wait to see how many of you change your minds after seeing that we'll have one of the deadliest RB duos in the NFL over the next 3 years!

[buffmaniac]

Can't judge this pick right now. You have to wait to see what McGahee does. He's a guy who can score any time he touches the ball if he returns to form. My one question, though, is when both these guys are healthy in 2 years what do you do? Rotate them in and out. Have one as a starter and one as a backup. Or do you trade one of them.

[ROOK]

I had a feeling that this was something up the sleeve for Buffalo-Henry being extended for just an additional year should show that they are expecting more from him. Who is to say Henry and McGahee in the same backfield--power between the tackles and outside speed--if anything both have shown inside and outside abilities---nothing to lose--And a world of talent to gain--As for Miami fans --I read a comment about over loaded at RB what the heck was Miami on defense and LB??? Your not making sense, you hate our pick but a old lb is the difference in the AFC???

[MVDaBomb]

Originally posted by TheAnswer74
The fumbles cost us too much.

That is just bull. How many of the 8 fumbles REALLY cost us? He made the Bears&Lions games closer than they should've been by coughing up the ball, but the only one that really cost the team was the Denver game; and we didn't deserve to win that game anyways. Also, most of his fumbles came in the 1st half of the year.
Not that this means anything, but overall I'd say Drew's int's were much more ill-timed than TH's fumbles.

[MauvaisSang]

Originally posted by MOULDSROCKS
I'd rather have 19.5 sacks and 75 QB pressures.


Me too, but which defensive lineman on the board at #23 was likely to produce such numbers?

None.


This pick would've bothered me if someone like Suggs or McDougle had been available. But for who was on the board at the time, it was the best pick IMO. Any DL they would've picked at #23 wouldn't have been much of an upgrade over Kelsay.

[N.Y. Orangeman]

Good franchises sign FA's to fill holes, in order to make runs in the current year; they draft the BPA to remain to put them into that position.

[bps21]

Extending Henry for a year only increases his trade value after this season.

Now someone can get a starting running back with two affordable years left on his contract...instead of one.

[Mouldsie]

19.5 sacks and 75 QB pressures was what William Joseph put up.
He was there, but mayeb TD saw a flaw in him.

[sahlensguy]

He looked great on the highlights...

[sahlensguy]

...and I liked the thought of him spelling Williams and Adams.

Oh well. Willis could take over a game or season. Can't deny the potential.

[mykiljonz]

Well, well, well. I have to say I am shocked. I WAS one of the people who wanted us to get him in the 2nd round. I do not know about the first, time will tell.

The only thing I can say is that since Kelsay was on our boards as a #1 pick, and we ended up getting him in the second, it all kinda equals out in the end.

I HOPE his contract is some sort of incentive laden deal, which could very well save us a TON of money on the front end if this pick does not work out. I could see them talking before the pick and discussing a contract of this type.

I wanted Washington with the #1, Mcgahee with the #2, and Dockery with the #3. Hmmm. Still think a WR is something needed.

Hopefully TD will prove his genius.

GO BILLS---

[emouldman80]

Exactly my point CookieG

[TigerJ]

I admit that I don't get any reasons for the McGahee pick, or the Crowell pick either, for that matter. TD has earned some trust in my opinion, and I think I'll hold off on calling this draft a flop until it proves to be so.

[GhostoGardner]

I'm blindsided. But im happy we got Kelsay, he was one of my favorites going in.

[GhostoGardner]

Also, Im in australia, so I'm effectively out of the information loop. Was Magahee talked about approaching the draft. I saw nothing mentioned online.

[Mouldsie]

not for the Bills

[BBDAVE7]

i love the pick

[Adamostella]

I was there today sitting dead center in the room, when they announced McGahee's name, I just jumped out of my seat, it had to be one of the most exhillerating things ever. All across the theater Bills fans were jumping up. It was such a huge move, unbellievable. This guy is the real deal. What strikes me most has been his attitude, anyone with the heart and character to be fighting back from what he had is alright in my book, he is the perfect player for this team.

[poinciana bills]

Why take a good player at #23, like Kris Kelsey who the Bills got anyhow, when you can reach for the stars and gamble on greatness. The Bills took a gamble with the first pick in 1987. It was a back that nobody wanted because of knees. THURMAN THOMAS. I say why not remember Eric Flowers!!!! The Bills drafted him around #23.