Magox

I didn't say he was a game changer, but make no mistake about it, by signing Bolden, which they clearly didn't have to, it helps disprove the notion that they were looking to tank the season. In the past week they lost Watkins and picked up Jordan Matthews and Bolden. I'd argue that we aren't significantly worse off for 2017.

If they threw in the towel then why did they pick up Bolden?

No, they did what they thought to improve the franchise.

Good, I'd rather be 6-10 with 2 first rounders and 2 high second round picks and 2 possibly 3 third rounders and 2 fourth rounders going into next years draft which by most accounts is going to be a great year to go after a Franchise QB. This 8-8 B.S isn't getting us anywhere, we are stuck in some sort of negative feedback loop of mediocrity.

On offense for sure (unless Watkins gets injured again), but on defense not so sure. Darby they say is not as good of a fit for this defense than Gaines, and they both struggled last year so it probably isn't that much of a drop off.

Well, that's how organizations are built, they look into the future. McD/Beane were hired to install their vision of what they believe the team should look like. Clearly they didn't value Whaley's picks and they didn't want to gamble on an often-injured player who would have cost a lot more than what they were willing to pay. I have no problem with what they did, I actually think it makes a lot of sense. Are they better off for 2017, most likely not (unless of course Watkins gets injured again). But with 2 first rounders, 2 second rounders (one of them most likely almost a first rounder) and either 2-3 third rounders and 2 fourth rounders, they get to build this team from the ground up the way they see fit. I'm tired of mediocrity, and I'm willing to allow these guys who have proven to have won before a chance to build this team.

I think "throwing in the towel" is a complete mischaracterization of what transpired.

Doesn't really matter unless you're on the field.

Well for starters, Whaley was a GM that led us nowhere. I know, right? It's like these fools don't respect the fact that we've made the playoffs over his tenure. Oh.... wait..... Nevermind

Well considering that he was injury prone, in his last contracted year and that he expected to be paid like a top 3 WR, I think that the return on the trade was better than it appears on the surface.

I think they did with this trade, no?

I agree, such as the the time when we traded up to get Sammy. Exactly! Two separate things.

So it appears, from the journo's that cover the Bills that I respect and some well-reasoned arguments from a couple people from National publications, that the Bills were the projected winners of this trade. On the other side, you have some very emotional fans who apparently seemed content with the direction this Franchise had been moving over the past few years (Not surprisingly, most of these very same fans were Whaley supporters). Oh and Rodak seemed to not like the move.

Yeah, but they've had good WR's, no?

The mindset of everything you just posted was from judging this purely from a 2017 standpoint. My guess is that if you were to ask McD and Beane, they would be viewing this trade from a 2018 and beyond point of view.

Oh, so Rodak is now the voice of reason?

We'll know for sure if this was a good trade by the end of 2018 season.

I don't dislike or hate or believe that Sammy wasn't a good player. But let's be real here, he wasn't dependable due to all his injury issues. He may end up being a huge stud elsewhere, but to me it seemed quite clear that we weren't going to pay him the sort of money that he believed he was worth, which was probably to be in the top 3 in the league. The fact that in his last year of his contract that they were able to get a DB that will get playing time, save huge amounts of money so that they can sign other players and a 2nd round pick, well...... They could have done worse.

That is if you are thinking this to be in a vacuum. There are more variables than that, maybe this trade makes us worse than we would have been, which is very possible. Hypothetically speaking, if we end up being a 4 -7 win team, that enhances our odds of getting the franchise QB that we want. Maybe with Sammy we would be a 6-9 win team, which would decrease our odds of getting that franchise QB. Either way, if we end up getting that franchise QB, most people will look back at the moves this franchise made in 2017 as the beginning of it all.

It basically boils down to this: If the Bills end up getting a true bonafide franchise QB next year, then the trade ends up being the best move this franchise has done in a very long time.

He didn't mention it as fact but purely on speculation.

Uhhh Maybe because he didn't play?

I believe they have clear and concrete vision on what they would like this team to look like, whereas I never really got that feeling with Whaley. For me Whaley had an eye for talent but no vision. Whether or not this vision will lead us in the right direction, well...... I suppose we will just have to see.

That would suggest that Tyrod was in on it. So I find that to be highly unlikely.

And don't forget the 6th.