“We didn’t feel it was a gamble at all,” Polian said about giving up three high draft picks. The Rams reached the playoffs twice, then collapsed. The Colts had some residual success, winning one division title with Dickerson, then fell to the bottom of the AFC East. The deal turned out to be a steal for the Bills.īennett has been named to the Pro Bowl five straight seasons. The talks evolved into a three-cornered deal where the Colts got disgruntled Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson, and the Rams got two running backs and six draft picks. When Bennett refused to sign with the Colts, Polian began negotiating a trade. We were coming off a 4-12 year and our single biggest need was stopping the run.” We figured we’d get Woodson or Conlan with the eighth pick. When the Cleveland Browns took Duke linebacker Trey Junkin with the fifth pick, it allowed Conlan, a three-time Pro Bowler, to fall to the The Bills traded down from the third pick to the eighth. But the Alabama linebacker was destined for Indianapolis on the second pick once the Tampa Bay Buccaneers settled on quarterback Vinny Testaverde with the first. The Bills considered Bennett the best player in the draft. They also got fullback Jamie Mueller (third round) and defensive end Leon Seals (fourth), two players who were productive but who are no longer with the team. The Bills got inside linebacker Shane Conlan in the first round, cornerback Nate Odomes in the second, tight end Keith McKeller in the ninth and tackle Howard Ballard in the 11th. They wanted speed receivers and running backs. We approached the draft in 1987 - Marv and I - by saying that if you want to help Jim Kelly, build a defense. “That was the first thing we set out to do, build a defense. “Our approach was, you win championships with dominant defense,” Polian said. The defense arrived with that 1987 draft. Polian’s philosophy was to win with tenacious defense and a running game that would hold up on the frozen tundra of Rich Stadium in late December. He landed Bennett in a complicated, three-team deal with the Los Angeles Rams and Indianapolis Colts. In October, he came away with arguably the trade of the decade. Wheeling and dealing on draft day, he came away with six players who would start for the team. In 1987, Polian made the moves that ultimately elevated the Bills from also-ran status to legitimate contenders. The pieces were slowly falling into place. Polian and Levy had worked together with the Kansas City Chiefs and in the CFL. That November, Polian fired coach Hank Bullough and replaced him with Marv Levy. A 1983 Bills draft choice, Kelly opted for the run-and-shoot offense of the USFL Houston Gamblers over cold, barren Buffalo. In August 1986, Polian finalized contract negotiations that brought Kelly to Buffalo. Bills owner Ralph Wilson had wanted to take quarterback Doug Flutie, the Heisman Trophy winner, but Polian convinced him of the need for a dominating pass rusher. The reconstruction started with the selection of Smith, a defensive end, at the top of the 1985 draft. What’s more, 13 players acquired during Polian’s regime have been chosen for the Pro Bowl. In his seven years as general manager, the Bills have won four AFC East division titles and three AFC championships. Polian overhauled a franchise that had sunk to consecutive 2-14 seasons in 19 with a series of master strokes and a little good fortune. When Polian was promoted to general manager of the Bills in December 1985, he introduced himself to the Buffalo media as “Bill Who.” But it was not long before he was recognized for his ability to find good players and for his knack of getting them onto Buffalo’s roster. He had held similar positions with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he helped win two Grey Cups, and the ill-fated Chicago Blitz of the USFL. Polian, a red-haired Irishman from the Bronx, arrived in Buffalo in 1984 as director of pro personnel. Baltimore Sun eNewspaper Home Page Close Menu
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