In 2006, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson fired then General Manager Tom Donahoe and brought in former head coach Marv Levy to help return the Bills to the playoffs. That has not happened, the Bills are 0-for-8 making the playoffs in the '00s.
While Donahoe's personnel decisions between 2001 and 2005 are often criticized with cause, the decisions since then under Levy from 2006 and 2007 are equally as suspect when it comes to retaining veteran defensive players who left via free agency, and how that impacted the draft strategy in following years drafts.
What follows are four examples, two from each era. First, the Donahoe years...
Antonie Winfield
Paired with Nate Clements, the two formed a fierce corner tandem during the early part of the decade. Drafted by the Bills in the first round of the '99 draft, Winfield left via free agency in '03.
Since joining the Minnesota Vikings, Winfield has been a part of a dominating defense consistently ranking in the top ten, as well as making his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2008. Though there was not as drastic a drop-off with Clements still the number one corner from '03-'06 and McGee promoted to the number two spot, the Bills failed to find any suitable replacement, drafting the likes of Eric King and Ashon Youboty.
This would cause a more long-term issue which I'll address after the later departure of Clements.
Pat Williams
Along with Sam Adams, Williams set the tone for a intimidating defense not seen in Buffalo since the Bruce Smith days of the early nineties. Signed as an undrafted free agent, Buffalo allowed Williams to walk after the 2004 season.
Since then he's been to three Pro-Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings and established another dominant line with teammate Kevin Williams.
After the departure of Williams, the Bills unsuccessfully filled the spot with a variety of free agents and draft picks until trading for Jacksonville's Marcus Stroud prior to the 2008 season.
If the Bills had retained Williams, they would not have had to trade up in the 2006 draft to acquire tackle John McCargo to fill the void left by Williams departure. While Adams was entering the twilight of his career, Williams had yet peaked.
McCargo has yet to make an impact and this season failed a physical, voiding a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. Instead of McCargo, the Bills could have also drafted center Nick Mangold, who went to the New York Jets two picks later, and currently anchors one of the most dominant lines in the NFL.
And under Levy...
Nate Clements
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