Maybe I should've posted this in the "Let's Talk About the Bills" thread, but whatever.
It's true that the Bills got some good players out of trading the 2017 10th overall pick to KC, but they'd hop into Doc Brown's Delorean and draft Mahomes in a heartbeat, dicks in hand.
Also, this gem: "Now they have a proven playoff winner in Allen and an all-star supporting cast to go with him and continue to build around." By his standards, Alex Smith is also a proven playoff winner.
Let's make one thing clear before we go any further: The Buffalo Bills don't need to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game Sunday night to somehow justify a 2017 draft-day trade that enabled the Chiefs to draft Patrick Mahomes, even if he is the best quarterback in the NFL now and on his way to becoming the best of all time.
Both teams did what they needed to do that day, and it couldn't have worked out better for either one.
The Chiefs were much closer to a finished product when they gave the Bills their first-round pick (No. 27) and a third-round pick (No. 91) in 2017 and a first-round pick in 2018 (No. 22) for the Bills' first-round pick (No. 10), which they used to select Mahomes.
Mahomes went on to become the league MVP and lead the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title since Hank Stram ordered up the 65 toss power trap.
But the Bills were able to turn their haul into a plentiful bounty that includes cornerback Tre'Davious White, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and left tackle Dion Dawkins.
They were not as close to a finished product as the Chiefs were then. But thanks in large part to the value received in that original trade, they are on equal footing now.
Besides, their choice of Josh Allen with the No. 7 pick in 2018, four spots after the New York Jets moved up to take Sam Darnold at No. 3, landed them a quarterback who has blossomed into one of the league's elite.
You don't need the best quarterback in the history of the world to win the Super Bowl. But you do need to put a team around one you can win with, which the Bills might not have been able to do had they stood pat and just drafted Mahomes that day.
Now they have a proven playoff winner in Allen and an all-star supporting cast to go with him and continue to build around.
White became an elite player almost immediately. Ditto for Edmunds. Both have been Pro Bowl selections in each of the last two seasons, and White was an All-Pro in 2019.
Dawkins needed a little more time to find his way, but eventually he emerged to become a key component of a team at or near its athletic peak.
"They got a good player in Patrick," coach Sean McDermott said, via ESPN, "and I think we made out as well with Josh, Tremaine and Tre'Davious -- however you kind of shape that, in terms of picks that became picks. I think both teams fared awfully well."
So before turning this contest into a referendum on that trade, try to think of how good the Bills would be right now with Mahomes but decidely lesser players at left tackle, cornerback and linebacker.
Only one team can win on Sunday, but both won on that day. That much is certain.
Regardless of Sunday night's result, this trade already has gone down in history as one both teams had to make.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro [Reply]
They can church it up all they want. They are just one of the many teams who passed on Michael Jordan/Lebron James/Tiger Woods/Muhammad Ali/Pelé/Babe Ruth. [Reply]
But you have to consider that nobody really knew what Mahomes would become. I mean, they just didn't. Not even Andy and Veach, who suspected that he could be very, very special but what he actually IS is just not even a realistic projection in 2017. It's just not.
The Bills got 3 pro bowl players, one of which is a really promising QB in his own right. Like an elite top 5 type guy very soon if not already.
Would I trade Mahomes for those 3 guys? Hell no.
But it's not like it didn't work out well for them too, all things considered.
They blew a chance to draft the GOAT-but would he be who he is now if they had? Or does Andy Reid have something to do with that too? I think so.
And anyway, that trade also has them in the AFCCG. So it's not like they totally blew it.
I'm sure if they had it to do again, they'd have taken Mahomes at #10, but it wasn't like they got screwed. [Reply]
I don't take any issue with that article. And lets not forget, Mahomes landing in KC with Andy Reid is what made the selection a home run. I think Patrick would have been good anywhere he went, but I'm not sure he would have been this special. [Reply]
My understanding is that Buffalo blew it because of ownership. Their owner fired Rex Ryan but kept the GM.
Then the GM led a coaching search where McDermott became the coach. He not only got the job he started working on stabbing the GM in the back and convinced the owner to give him total control.
So the 2017 draft is approaching and there is a power struggle taking place while the coach has a plan to hire his buddy from Carolina.
So McDermott decided not to look too seriously at QB because his people aren't in place.
Mahomes is called in and apparently wowed Buffalo ownership and some scouts but the coach wants a corner and to focus on QB in 2018.
This opens the door for KC as Buffalo is happy to stockpile assets for 2018.
Originally Posted by Dallas Chief:
Hmmm no mention of them being on the rise because Brady moved on. Would they be here if he hadn’t? I’m guessing probably not.
I'm guessing they would. The Brady Patriots were mediocre in 2019. I don't see them getting better. The Bills got a lot better. [Reply]
Mahomes landed in a great spot with talent around him and a mentors to teach the game. Remember the reason the Chiefs had to trade up is because they were already a playoff team. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chris Meck:
before this season, I'd have laughed at this.
But you have to consider that nobody really knew what Mahomes would become. I mean, they just didn't. Not even Andy and Veach, who suspected that he could be very, very special but what he actually IS is just not even a realistic projection in 2017. It's just not.
The Bills got 3 pro bowl players, one of which is a really promising QB in his own right. Like an elite top 5 type guy very soon if not already.
Would I trade Mahomes for those 3 guys? Hell no.
But it's not like it didn't work out well for them too, all things considered.
They blew a chance to draft the GOAT-but would he be who he is now if they had? Or does Andy Reid have something to do with that too? I think so.
And anyway, that trade also has them in the AFCCG. So it's not like they totally blew it.
I'm sure if they had it to do again, they'd have taken Mahomes at #10, but it wasn't like they got screwed.
They didn't get Allen in the Chiefs trade, just to be clear. [Reply]