Archives for August 2017

'If I were the GM of the Bills I would not have traded away Watkins. I thought the Bills made the right decision in deciding not to pick up the 2018 option year on his contract. The best course of action was to see if Watkins could stay healthy this season and then decide his future. I think Sammy is an extremely talented receiver who can bring explosive plays to the field. If he stayed healthy and was productive, the Bills could have then pursued a multi year contract or at the very least used the franchise tag.'

'"It was fast," Darby told reporters at Philadelphia Eagles practice Saturday morning. "I just heard I was being traded, like closed my eyes, opened them, I'm on a plane, closed my eyes, opened them, I'm laying down in the hotel and now I'm out here, everything has just been moving really fast."'

'Rolle, who began his NFL career with the Bills as a undrafted rookie free agent now rejoins the team after spending parts of two seasons (2014-2015) with the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.'

'“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Robert. “To have two of your sons, we actually have three, to make it to this level, it’s a wonderful opportunity. Just the ride over here – the nervousness that you feel, you just want both to do well. Someone has to win, someone has to lose. But, I love the fact that both of them have worked their butts off and have gotten to this point. I am just excited to see how they do on the field.”'

'PFF has Matthews with a total of 2,389 receiving yards out of the slot the last three seasons to lead the league. Behind him are names like Randall Cobb, Jarvis Landry, Doug Baldwin and Larry Fitzgerald.'

'Of course, dealing no worse than the second-best offensive player and a quality starting cornerback, has left some Bills’ fans wondering whether it signifies Tank City … that is to say accept losing this year to improve draft position. After all, Gaines and Matthews were deemed expendable by the Rams and Eagles, respectively, yet are likely to move into starting roles with Buffalo almost immediately.'

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'"Rosters change over. It’s a new regime, so to speak," Bills General Manager Brandon Beane said. "We’re trying to do everything that we can to build the right team the right way. Sustained success is the word I used the day I took this job and that’s where I’m at today."'

'Regardless, these are the men who are on the harpoon for the Bills' past drafts. They were the general managers, and here's what's left of their legacies on the 2017 Buffalo Bills roster after Friday's trades of 2014 first-round pick Sammy Watkins and 2015 second-rounder Ronald Darby.'

'"I've been there," he said Friday after practice. "It's a business. He has to understand that. I can understand the type of way he feels right now, getting traded for a guy that he's probably better than. So I understand. But he'll be all right.'

'The trades, which I applaud, made them worse in the short term. You don't deal a starting cornerback and potential superstar wide receiver and get better.'

'So this isn't a tank, like the Sabres three and four years ago, or the Browns and Jets the last two seasons. In typical fashion, the Bills are middling it this season, looking to win in the short term while looking to get better down the road.'

'But throughout their news conferences at One Bills Drive, McDermott and Beane acknowledged they hurt their chances of winning this year.'

'The moves also close the door tighter on the Doug Whaley era. Whaley's biggest blunder was trading the 2015 first-round pick to move up a few spots and take Watkins fourth overall in 2014, a draft that was deep at receiver.'