billsfan89

Fair point but I also don't think pro-football players are that impressionable. I don't have an issue moving on from Tyrod but either upgrade at the QB significantly or draft a rookie and have Tyrod be the place holder. I think a player like Alex Smith who you would have to give up at least a 2nd round pick and is due 18 million dollars isn't worth the price. I think peoples overestimations of Smith's value are based on the fact that he is on another team that has had success. Not realizing just how limited at time he was in KC and was playing in a similar conservative style that Tyrod also plays. I guarantee you if this team trades for Smith all the complaints about Tyrod (Check downs, missing receivers, playing too conservative, running too much) will be said about Smith and it will cost the team cap space and a premium pick to pay for that type of play.

I know a lot of people here are high on Alex Smith but I just don't see it. Smith's numbers in KC when he had less offensive weapons are very similar to what Tyrod put up these past 3 seasons. They counted on a great defense and a QB who didn't turn the ball over to win games. The one good offensive year he had was the 5th year in an offensive system under a great offensive coach and with 3 great offensive weapons. Put Smith around this level of offensive talent, learning a new system, and with this OC and I think the results are pretty much the same as Tyrod.

That's a solid point but in all honesty a good QB coach and offensive system cure that. I think a "QB you can learn from" is a bit of an overstated thing. A lot of the all time greats (Brady, Farve, Montana, ect) have been reported to be terrible mentors by the QB's that succeeded them or were backups for a long time. If a rookie can't beat out Tyrod's quality of play then they shouldn't touch the offense.

I'd say Smith is at best a marginal upgrade. Compare Smith numbers his first 4 years with KC to Tyrod's three years here in Buffalo, they are pretty similar. KC's defense has been way more consistent that's why they made the playoffs. It was only this past year in Alex Smith's 5th season in the same offensive system with 3 dynamic weapons (Hill, Kelce, and now Hunt) and a solid offensive line that he had even a good season. I am not saying Tyrod is that good but just that Smith isn't that much better.

My original premise was that the Bills should spend a high draft choice on a QB, maybe even trade up to get one. But then they should keep Tyrod for one more year in order to not have to start a rookie on a team that might not be ready or in a bad situation. Tyrod can be a placeholder QB for one more season, are the free agent QB's that you can get cheaper any better? No not really, are the QB's you would be trading for any better (At best a marginal upgrade like Alex Smith) I don't think it's worth it. Draft a QB early and have Tyrod be the guy they have to beat out for the job.

I have been watching all season, I have also seen who the Bills were throwing out at QB for the past 14 years before then. Although you could do a lot better than Tyrod I think you can do much much worse. If the choice is Alex Smith or Tyrod Taylor, a 2nd round pick, and 4.5 million dollars in cap space give me the latter. I would rather draft a rookie and have him beat out Tyrod. Having a decent QB such as Tyrod is a luxury, allow a rookie to sit for their first season, if they play good enough to beat out Tyrod then fine, but you don't address the QB situation by getting rid of the QB and not having a coherent plan in place to do so.

I honestly think that you can only move on from Tyrod if it is a substantial upgrade or a rookie with promise. A slight upgrade or lateral move like Alex Smith would not work, why give up assets and cap space to be marginally better at QB? Even if they draft a rookie I would still want Tyrod on the roster. Peterman is ass and they shouldn't force a rookie into action if that rookie can't beat out Tyrod. If a rookie can't beat out Tyrod let Tyrod hang in there for one more year and slowly build up the talent on the team around a young promising QB who can learn a system and get use to being a pro for awhile.

Terrible punt return. the might be best off trying to run out the clock.

That Benjamin penalty was a killer. Once they lost yards on the replay of 1st down I knew they weren't going to convert anything. They should have done something better on 1st down, even just getting 3 yards on that play would have changed the complexion of that series of downs.

They get gifted that off-sides and they botched it. At least they got points. The only good thing to come from that off-sides was that it did take time off the clock and the 2-minute warning.

Bills got a call, not the call that they should have (roughing the passer) so I think it evens out.

The Bills survive the turnover and now they are moving the ball a bit. Shady looking like Shady. They need some points on this drive.

Huge first down by Tolbert, need to at least shift field position.

Big defensive stop there to not give up more field position.

Tyrod is going to have to win the game offensively. It's a sobering thought but you have to play to win.

Sucks they couldn't get one more yard on that but at least those 9 yards allowed them to punt it back deep again.

A lackluster but not disastrous opening drive. They managed to shift field position a bit, which in a game that could be a defensive struggle is not a bad way to start.

I would say Watkins is going to command 8-9 million a year. That would put him in line with the 21st highest salary at his position. Watkins stayed healthy which is a big plus but he also didn't put up insane production which is going to hurt his value. He will get a nice contract but he isn't going to command that monster top 5-10 at his position salary that he was expecting.

Falcons and Titans won, looks good for the Bills as far as the other games go. Bills will have pick number 21 and 22 if they lose or pick number 22 and then a pick beyond 25 if they win. They also get the Rams 2nd round pick which is now locked in around the 23rd pick of the second round.

Andy Reid is an offensive genius, put Tyrod in that system with that talent and I think you see similar results. Alex Smith is a limited QB just as Tyrod is. It seems like at best a slight upgrade or a lateral move in my opinion.

Why pick up Smith when we have Tyrod who can manage a game about as effectively? Alex Smith isn't much of an upgrade from Tyrod at all.

The Bills need to resign Gaines unless he is commanding crazy money. I think the Bills could go as high as a 6 million dollar per year average, that would rank him 27th at his position in terms of annual average. I think anything more than that isn't smart since he has trouble staying on the field.

Shady is healthy enough to try and give it a go. But how effective will he be? If I was a coach I would make the backfield an even split between him and Murphy. Shady getting his normal heavy workload is going to result in him getting hurt more than likely, but maybe if you use him less you lessen the chance for him to be ineffective or get hurt.

Pass rush wise and pass defense wise they are extremely scary. They have 2 double digit sack players and 2 other players with 8 sacks each, safe to say they get after the QB. Their secondary is one of if not the best in the league. Ramsey and Bouye are all pros and the surrounding players are pretty good too. Their rush defense was bad but since Dareus has joined them their rush defense has been one of the best in the league. The Jags might have the best defense in the league. Their big issue is their offense which hangs their defense out to dry at times. Fournette is a good running back but he hasn't been dynamic only getting 3.9 yards a carry, Bortles has had a decent year but without Allen Robinson, their offense just doesn't have any consistent threats on the outside and Bortles at best is mediocre. To me it is obvious that the defense is going to have to be lock down, if the Jags score 14 points it is likely to be enough know the matchup on the other side of the ball.

I don't know what the Bills can do against this defense. They are a tremendous secondary, a very good pass rush, and since Dareus got there they are stout against the run. The Bills might need to do a lot of trick plays and exotic looks to try and get their offense going. They can't play too conservative because at home I think their offense will put up some points here or there. So the offense can't hang the defense out to dry.