BigBuff423

Pretty well thought out post and I can’t argue the merits entirely. However, I also think it’s a reason why AJ was acquired. Because the Bills anticipate the sacrifice they’ll make this year and don’t want to put a Rookie QB in a situation where he is essentially set-up to fail. That said, I am not a fan of trading up unless it’s to #7 where the Bills only need to give up a 3rd this year or something comparable. I feel the Bills need all these Draft picks and I think a QB like Jackson will be there - admittedly I’m a Jackson convert.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Mason Rudolph is going to have a very good NFL career, IF he goes to the right team and plays in just about anything that is NOT a WCO. He can play in the Pats or Steelers Offense and be very good immediately, but he would probably sit for a year or two behind two of the best QBs of their era. That said, if it were me, I'd prefer to have him on a West Coast team or in a domed stadium. I just think it's how he would excel. In addition to the two I mentioned, I think he'd be a good fit for Jacksonville or San Diego. Those four teams, where you've got a starter and Mason can learn the NFL Offense for a year, build some knowledge, and not be rushed into absorbing the NFL game too quickly, he could be very good for a long time. IF he goes to a team like that, in three years time (1 year to sit), he will be a top 10 QB in the NFL. And before you jump all over me, I've already posted this in the eating crow thread - so I'll be back one way or the other. If he never gets a chance to start on his Rookie contract, absent a devastating injury, I'll consider that worthy of eating crow also. Not just bad, but failing to be good enough at some point in his first few years to get the starting QB nod. I'm fine with that and you can hold me to it. I'm not too proud to admit my mistakes, I just also happen to think he'll be that good.

Thanks but I can't take credit. Freezing Cold Takes posted it on Twitter.....so i didn't really do anything other than share it. Just found it interesting this same debate continues with heated arguments on both sides and yet arm talent rarely translates to being a good or great QB in the NFL unless you have it between the ears also....most don't. Most of the time you're always trying to play the middle: find a guy who has the mental sharpness to be a great QB and "enough" arm to get the job done.

You're right but I should have also said, I could care less about "big arm" if it doesn't translate to winning games.

Whether it's Mayfield or someone else, I want a QB that can make reads, audible at the line, be very ACCURATE, anticipate a WR open, get passes to all levels of field to multiple receivers, know how to change a protection play, lead the team in the 4th Quarter down 4 with less than 2 minutes and SCORE a TD!! I don't care if it's Allen or Mayfield or friggen Big Bird, but I want the Bills to figure out this QB puzzle permanently ( ok - quasi-permanently because obviously you can't have an 80 year old man in a wheelchair passing the football - although he might be good enough on 'roll-outs').... I'm not sold on Mayfield due to his incredible Offensive line giving him yards of protection that he won't get in the NFL and I'm not sure that in a collapsing pocket he'll be able to get the ball out - BUT, obviously there ARE QBs in the NFL with less than ideal height and they're doing it well...that said, just figure this damn thing out! Oh, and the Draft needs to be here and done already....I'm going to need (more) medication.

Given the earnest and incessant debate on this message board about which QB the Bills should Draft, whether they should trade up, stay put or take one in the following rounds, I find it interesting that nearly 20 years ago to the day - April 5, 1998 - this same debate raged on, regarding the Colts #1 selection. The argument about taking a very gifted QB with all the physical traits a GM and HC would covet versus a QB with the mental acumen to play QB in the NFL but lacks the "wow" factor in the arm. It's not news breaking or anything revealing that such a debate continues, but that it continues with such zealous representation I do find interesting. Because, history does NOT seem to be on the side of physical ability when the mental acumen is missing. And please, do NOT turn this into a Lamar Jackson discussion as that has been beaten to death elsewhere. But, maybe more about the general idea of how a QB is valued in the Draft over how he is valued once the lights come on and the games matter. Brady is one who didn't have a great arm but there are others throughout history who've done well absent a great arm. Either way, I thought it was a nice topic of discussion given how salient this debate is to us as fans this Draft season.

If EVER there was a year to trade Lesean McCoy, this would be it....as others have posted, there will be some very good NFL ready RBs available in the mid to late rounds. McCoy's replacement value has never been higher as this one of the deepest RB Drafts in a long time. That said: Anthony Miller Ogbonnina Okoronkwo Josey Jewell - by OP's link standards, but I think he's 3rd round material Kalen Ballage Tyrell Crosy or Kolton Miller - but hard for me to think Miller lasts until 4th Round O'Daniel would be a coup of sorts for this Bills team.

I'll give you a 2019 7th round pick and a box of Thin Mints....

Please see above for response to this ^^^^ post.....

That's what she said

I'll give you this....you are consistent Bud.

So what would you call Kelvin Benjamin? And while Zay has a rough Rookie year, he also had a torn labrum. Additionally, NFL history has shown some of the greatest WRs of all time have had poor Rookie campaigns. So there’s still time for Zay to reveal his true value. Bills need to add talent at WR, but there is still the Draft and FAs yet to be claimed. Factually, you’ll need to explain or simply abstain from making a comment if you’re not going to clarify.

Recent history has shown that WRs tend to be overvalued by fans, and not so much by winning teams. Seahawks best WR is a 5th Round player, Pats didn't win it all with Cooks hence the trade, Watkins has done squat, Odell is great but he doesn't move the needle toward wins, Mike Evans has been a beast and the team can't even be taken seriously in their own division which is weak outside of the Saints. WR position has become the equivalent of the RB position 5 years ago....find a value guy, and you'll succeed. Thielen, Kupp, Antonio Brown, Keenan Allen...yes there is Julio and AJ Green, but they are the exception. Bills have some depth and can and will probably Draft another decent WR....all good.

This young man is getting chewed and spit out because he's honest....sorry, but for someone who is in recovery, honesty and transparency is the key to maintaining sobriety. There is a saying in the recovery rooms: secrets keep you sick. I'm not saying that's entirely his motive, no one really knows that but him, but I am saying many people coming through recovery, especially those still in their first year or two, overemphasize the honesty portion of recovery. For so long they lied, manipulated, and cajoled the people around them to enable their unhealthy and destructive choices and behaviors so deception is literally, second nature. In an effort radically course correct their lives, they go to the opposite end of the spectrum. It usually takes longer in being clean and sober for that person to know where that boundary is when deception is not failure to disclose every bit of truth. However, I will give him credit for making some of the personal strides he's made and wish him well. I agree, I think he has a long, arduous uphill battle to come back to the NFL and these statements don't help him. But in the end, it's about the person. So since none of us know where he is mentally, psychologically or spiritually, I can only hope he continues his path of clean and sober living and giving his efforts and time to truly rewarding pursuits.

Yes, I've been saying it since the middle of the season and I was nearly crucified for it....Jerry is most likely moving on up....to #2. (And he whispers....McCoy too )

Fair point....and I certainly can't argue *against* it....it just seems given the limited amount of time and number of visits the NFL affords each team, that it *might* be more resourceful to bring in guys that you have more questions about or just need to spend more time with based on their projected value in the 3rd to 5th round....for example, because Smith has so much detailed video out there plus the Combine plus any other interactions that have occurred, it would seem they pretty much know what they're getting. But, a guy like Lauletta (just as an example) who played in a sub-par division, you'd really want to spend time with him by putting him through the ringer and go through the whiteboard thoroughly with him...because as a contingency, the Bills may need to know him through and through based on how the Draft falls, but you don't get to have a good understanding about his abilities at the next level because of the lower level of competition he played against....see what I mean? I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, and I understand all the valid points people are making and I can't argue against them, it just seems like there is a better way to utilize the aforementioned limited resources. But hey, Beane knows what he's doing....

All very true, I suppose I don't put as much validity in the intentionally bringing in players just for "smoke screen" train of thought...but as someone pointed out, Beane has said that himself. It seems like a waste of resources, really more time and effort, if you truly have no intent on Drafting a guy....I agree you need to have contingency plans, and that is truly the most thorough way to do things....but, as many have said here, all the preliminary trade up scenarios have been discussed with probably just about every top 10 team and at this point, you'd think they'd have a pretty good idea as to what it would take to trade up...could it change? Of course....but it seems they would know by now what the plan is, so if they have every intent on trading up, wouldn't it make more sense to have guys in for a visit that could warrant your trade up or guys you are very likely to be able to Draft with the remaining Draft capital? In the end I trust Beane and his staff, so if they think this makes sense, then so be it.....either way, this feels like crossing off days on the calendar before Christmas.

Per Cover1 who is citing Jason Butt of the Telegraph in Georgia, Roquan Smith has been scheduled to visit with the Bills. Considering the Vander Esch news and now this piece of enlightening information, it does seem that the Bills have not completely sold out to the idea of trading up because neither of these guys will be available beyond the early 2nd round - early 1st for Smith and late 1st to early 2nd for Vander Esch. This means, IMHO, the Bills are still very much unsure about trading up and if they do, how far because otherwise these are two guys they would NOT spend their limited number of visits on due to their probable Draft position. It makes sense a guy like Penny is visiting because he's probably a 3rd or 4th round back in this year's Draft class, but any player potentially going in early 1st to early 2nd coming in to the Bills would be a waste of their time and money if they were committed to trading so far up that they needed to give up early picks. I could see them trading with Tampa to get to #7 and only giving up a 3rd or 4th this year which would keep those other two players at least "possibly" in the discussion. Hold on to your seat folks, it's still another LOOOOOOOOOONG 3 weeks to the Draft. Go Bills!

You're probably right, but count me among them who would NOT be disappointed. I'm not saying the Bills shouldn't Draft a QB, but given what is likely to be available at 12, i.e. Lamar Jackson, I'm fine with staying put and doing what needs to be done to overhaul the roster. That said, moving up to a place like #7, isn't going to demand a ton of Draft capital and might get the Bills to where they need to be....however, as much as I like Jackson, I don't think they need to trade up for him. So, it would need to be one of the other consensus top 4 QBs who were still able to be picked at #7 for it to be worth ANY forfeiture in Draft picks, JMO.

You don't like Jackson as a prospect, fair enough....but please for all that is football holy, stop with the false narratives about Jackson. He played in a Pro Style Offense, the only other person to do that more than he did was Josh Rosen - as far as the top 5 QBs - and he was not a ONE READ QB!!! The same Offense that the Patriots, and like it or not most likely the Bills, will use this upcoming year - Jackson ran with proficiency at Louisville. For the love of God people, stop clinging to false claims just because you don't like that he looks like Tyrod. I was NOT a Jackson supporter until late November into December when I stopped taking one look at "stats" or taking the general statements about him to be factual and started doing my own research and depending on the likes of those who know far more than I do but had video and breakdowns to support the fact that in his final season Jackson was a POCKET PASSER and had a complicated Offense to learn and manipulate. Does he need to work on his footwork mechanics? YES! This has been well-supported, but Jackson is a pocket passer with tremendous potential. As for his decisions about not using an agent, I'm fine with it....he wants to save a little bit of money on what is essentially a pre-determined contract - that's cool. He's a Heisman trophy winner with an incredible work ethic, and wants his first contract to be mostly his....good God, can you blame him? The next contract will be far more complicated and intricate and he will need an agent at that point, but for now - I applaud his decision to go contrary to what everyone else thinks and is making his own decisions. Also, why would you knock a guy who's allowing his mother who has consistently been his biggest supporter and his strongest critic to represent him instead of some money-grubbing agent who won't be able to change much of anything in his first contract? His mom has his best interests at heart and if you read about his history from high school to college, you'll see just how instrumental she was and is in his development. Dude should be getting more credit for this....I want a leader who will listen to others, but choose his own path based on his personal convictions and not be swayed by popular opinion. For God's sake, Baker Mayfield is getting a statue of himself being built in Buffalo for having the "leadership" qualities because he's competitive and yet has made some questionable decisions off the field related to juvenile stupidity and Frat Brother antics, but Lamar Jackson makes the mature decision to listen to his mother, the woman who has nurtured his career from the start, and eschew the influence of an agent so he can keep more money in his pocket and facing the criticism square on and some here want to question his "decision making ability".....wow....hypocrisy much?

I can't agree with you on Jackson. He is going to surprise a lot of people - he is coachable, has worked hard at improving his pocket presence which he's done a hell of aj job at, is more accurate than people realize (see adjusted completion percentages), has a wicked arm, mobile, very hard working, quiet leader, and much better than Allen or Rudolph (and I'm a Rudolph supporter, although not nearly as much as Chris Trapasso). Jackson is not Tyrod, for those who say he is....he is a very good QB who will do well, but even better if the team that Drafts him understands him and what he needs in order to achieve greatness.

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate and nobody will know until years from now when NFL Network does "Caught in the Draft" about this year's Draft process. Because, I think the Colts wanted to stay as close to #3 as possible, and with Jets at 6 and Bills at 12, they didn't want to fall out of the top 10 despite two 1st round picks....

Listen, if Mayfield is drafted by the Bills, of course I will be all in and support him the way I would hope any fan would. That said, I'm hoping it's not Mayfield. I'm just not convinced he'll be able to translate his college game to the NFL. If the Bills were to go balls out and go up to #2, I'm hoping it's for Rosen. If Mayfield is till there at 7 and Rosen is gone (which of course he will be) that's fine....it is what it is....you can't make NFL teams want to trade with you and you can't force guys to slip down draft boards. But to me it's only Rosen who is worth the full asking price to go up to #2. Otherwise, I'd prefer they stay at 12, take Jackson or only trade next year's 3rd or something to go from 12 to 9 for Mayfield (to get ahead of the Dolphins who reportedly love the guy).

That's not entirely accurate....but whatever. As for turning down a potential Indy job with McDaniels, "more money" and returning home are what you've got? Ok, so the opportunity to coach Luck, probably work closely with what is considered one of the foremost Offensive minds in the NFL, be at least in part credited with what would have been a resurgent Indy Offense, and play 8 games in a new stadium and in a division where parity seems to win every year that would only advance his career, isn't even part of your equation? This marks the end...you've officially gone off the rails, and for whatever reason, have an ax to grind to keep it negative. Fine. Off to your pagan rituals with chasing girls with cold water and whipping them with sticks.

I'm good...no Cheerios needed, but based on your negativity, you may want to take your own advice. As for "They have no one on the staff who is considered a current great offensive mind or an up and coming offensive strategizer", this is might be your most laughable statement thus far. Brian Daboll was on the short list to be hired back by NE if McDaniels was to take the Colts job. Saban and Belichick speak volumes about Daboll's ability....and you remember the National Title game, right? Where Hurts was pulled and Tagovailoa started the 2nd half, only to throw for 166 yards and 3 TDs - including the dagger in OT....that same Offensive Coordinator who couldn't overcome a really poor 1st half by his run-first QB to change schemes on the fly and get the win? That guy? That's the one who is not worthy of at the very fricken least, a little time, like, I don't know, half a season, to see what he can do? As for Offensive minded staff, if you look at Daboll's history, you can see where he and McD fit. Daboll is in fact an OC who did much more in running the ball, especially his last OC job in KC....here's the caveat, the QBs he had to work with were worse than Tyrod, so he ran the ball - because like McD, they had no other choice. In fact, considering how poor the QBs were, his ability to scheme for getting the yards on the ground the way he did with teams knowing the QBs weren't worth a postage stamp, says he's better than you're currently giving him credit for. Will he be a great OC for Buffalo? I have no idea....but to discredit him before he's even had a chance with the Bills' new (and I would hope improved) QB and a decent supporting staff, if the Bills can Draft or sign a good boundary WR opposite Benjamin, is merely finding reasons to be negative, with no real purpose in mind.