Schauf: A rebirth for McGahee in Baltimore?

Mar/14/07 08:12 PM Filed in: Willis McGahee
Ever since the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft, I've been telling every Bills fan who would listen that his team made a horrible choice selecting Willis McGahee with the 23rd pick. One general manager and two coaches later, the franchise finally conceded that I was right by dealing its leading rusher to the Ravens. Back then, the Bills had just finished making big improvements in their second year under head coach Gregg Williams, going from 3-13 to 8-8 in 2002. They had enjoyed huge seasons from Drew Bledsoe, Eric Moulds and Peerless Price, as well as 1,400 yards from second-year back Travis Henry. Buffalo seemed to be a player or two from making the playoffs and, at the very least, set at running back for a little while. Yet, there the team went on draft day, taking the injured stud from Miami who would be sitting out at least a year (and if the Bills really wanted a back, Penn State's Larry Johnson was healthy, fresh off a 2,000-yard season and still sitting on the board).
 
Long story short, McGahee sat out while rehabbing his injury, Henry got understandably fed up with the franchise and left, and the Bills have sputtered their way to a seven-year playoff drought. Now the newest regime, after having its own trouble with McGahee, decided it would rather send him away than keep working on a contract extension. To top it all off, the team got just two third-round picks (one this year, one next) and a seventh-rounder. Some (e.g. Peter King) might say that's too much, but it leaves the Bills with just third- and seventh-round players to try to help the team this year. Even Wes Welker brought the Dolphins a second-round pick. Bills mistakes aside, though, McGahee has been the most significant player fantasywise to change teams this off-season, and the move could help his production.