There are so few things that are guaranteed in the NFL. I won’t get into analyzing the Patriots success and some traits we can follow, but aside from them there are very few things you can predict with much certainty.
Even players you think will always be good could be injured tomorrow or be greatly affected by the loss of a complementary player.
For that reason, the Bills approach this offseason has been very promising. Don’t let your love of a player on the roster or in the draft dictate what you do. Bring in the best mix of players you can at every position and let the best persons stay.
Our best WR last year was an UDFA rookie. Our best #2 CB by the end of the year was an UDFA rookie. Every team past them over through 7 rounds in the draft (including us that drafted players at their positions).
Robert Foster is 6’2” with a 4.4 40 time from powerhouse Alabama. So many people are saying the CB position is set because of Levi Wallace. Why wouldn’t the WR position be set because of Robert Foster? After one year you still don’t know what you have in either player (good or bad). That is why you sign Brown, Beasley, Duke Williams, Gaines and Kevin Johnson. They set the floor while Zay, Foster, Wallace, Taron Johnson, draft picks and others find their ceiling.
People clamoring for “gold standard” players could be getting pyrite instead. Marcell Dareus or Kyle Williams? Mike Williams or Jason Peters? Lee Evans or André Reed? Of course I’m cherry picking names to make a point. There are great 1st rounders each year, but just because we take someone in the first round doesn’t mean they’re the answer to our prayers.
