BigBuff423

1. QB - obviously....this Marrone-ism just happens to apply here 2. LB - need both ILB and OLB, so based on the measure of need across the field, this one is #2 to me - and an ILB that can run the Defense a QB of the D per se 3. DT - no one needs an explanation here 4. Offensive Line - short of Dawkins, I think it needs a total overhaul 5. WR - again I don't think it needs an explanation, but keep in mind - KB and Zay are already on the team for next year, technically making this a low tier issue And, to me RB and CB are both sneaky type needs for the Bills. RB because I don't think Shady returns unless there's less money involved, plus he's a good chip to trade which I think Beane likes. Also, CB is painfully obvious that the Bills need a good CB opposite Tre and depth. The bigger question will be HOW the Bills go about handling these needs, not to mention the normal depth issues. The current FA list, which will change drastically by the time FA actually begins since teams will start signing their own players, ala Devonte Adams in GB, is stronger for the OLB position than it is ILB position which means either we need to trade for an ILB (which I doubt) or we have to Draft one, which makes the most sense. I'm very interested to see how Beane and his team approach the Off-season. This is the first time in a long time the Bills have so much Draft capital, decent amount of FA money and that's BEFORE any trades or cuts which could make the available pool of money even deeper. I suspect we see more value FAs that some of us scratch our heads only to see them do well - see, Poyer and Hyde.

As as I said it’s my opinion, why wild speculation? Am I not allowed an opinion on a medium that is driven by say, opinion?? No, I don’t think he’s back as Beane looks at his Cap hit and the number of Draft picks they have, before trading period even begins - and I think Beane sees the value of being able to use Shady’s money to spend on an OLB / O-lineman or WR that this team could use right away while still being able to Draft a good RB.

No one knows who will become a good or great QB out of this Draft. But I would have an easier time accepting your take on Mason if it weren’t for his numbers steadily improving each year from his completion percentage, to yards, to TDS, while his INTs remained constant. He also checks all the physical boxes - and IMO is a good fit for a WCO. If McD changes OCs, then maybe he wouldn’t be right for the team, but hard to see where a guy who can demonstrate that type of proficiency over 3 years and show measured improvement isn’t worth taking. Mind you, he still threw for 63% and 31 TDs as a Sophmore in his first year, so it wasn’t like he was bad to begin with, but he got better. That kind of progress shows me he can learn and grow - at a measurable rate.

Put down the crack pipe and check yourself into rehab...there is help, there is hope.

Interesting ....but count me among the minority that doesn’t believe Shady will be in Buffalo next year. I think he’s traded and the Bills use the savings on Offensive line / WR and Draft a RB in the mid robuds. However, I don’t think Tyrod is here either, but the two aren’t linked - IMHO.

To me this sets up Buffalo to trade back in 1st round IF they stay put with both picks, meaning they don’t trade up.

I was thinking the same thing all game...McCoy gutted it out, but in the first half you could tell he wasn’t the same Shady. I thought Murphy did well enough to get him on the field for some plays and yet he was absent from the game plan.

FWIW, a guy - and I can’t remember the name so I don’t have a link - took the Bill Parcels criteria and separated all the “major” names for the Draft and only 2 checked all 7 boxes: Mayfield and Rudolph. Out of those two, I’ll take Rudolph and think he’s a good fit for the Bills in the current Offense.

Tyrod and Alex Smith are the same as steel and aluminum - both qualify as metals, but one was made to last and ensure and the other folds under pressure and underperforms. Smith can be a very good bridge QB, Tyrod has no QB capability - he’s an incredible athlete, but does not have the pocket presence, height, accuracy, or mental acumen for the position. Alex Smith has all those things. There is a reason Smith was a former #1 overall pick - in the right system Alex Smith is as almost any QB in the NFL save, Brady - Rodgers and Brees.

Did you watch the game? Or just taking the score or box score out of context? The next time Tyrod does this, it will be his first.

Seriously? So, running the NFL rushing leader just 10 times during a game they held an 18 point lead is Smith’s fault? Or the Defense yielding the lead or pure luck of Mariota passing a pass to himself for a TD? For the 1st HALF Smith passes 19/23 for 231 yds and 2 TDs....a HALF! Sorry, but I’d take that every single week and 2x in playoffs, for 2 years while the long term future grows.

That is total nonsense...A. Smith’s arm talent is better, he actually audibles at the line, he’s more accurate, anticipates receivers open, all things Tyrod can’t do - except the arm, Tyrod’s is pretty good.

I just read the ESPN article, and it is a truly well done masterpiece of story telling and factual bits intertwined for a phenomenal piece. It is interesting to see and hear all of the complexities of the organization and the tense bond that remains between the big three of the Pats and how a simple trainer and health adviser could crash the NFL's greatest dynasty through subterfuge and careful construction of a role within an organization of which he is not employed. Also, and it's loathsome to admit, it's remarkable that the Pats continued to win Championships through terse lips and frigid relationships, given how dependent each person is of the other. Also, it paints Belichik in quite a different light - the fact that he's investing in his assistants to help groom them for their next step, talking to Kyle Shanahan in the weeks after the Super Bowl loss to help him learn from what they did wrong in that loss and then calling him and offering Jimmy G. at a reduced price because he believed Jimmy G. would be a good fit for Kyle's Offense and Kyle would benefit from a good to great QB. All insightful pieces of information....for anyone who loves football, has disdain for the Pats, and admires greatness, this article is a fantastic read. Worth the time.

And that may be the way to go, I'm not offering my opinion on what I think the Bills should do until FA comes around the Draft is just days away, I was merely pointing out that it seems incongruent to place the tag of "developmental guy" and then list those qualities that make him developmental when those same qualities nearly make him a top 10 QB....so, if we're going to take a developmental guy, he will need to have a larger issue with his quarterbacking skills than some other unknown. If his arm is elite, his accuracy is good to elite, he's a good leader and has the intangibles and is of prototypical NFL QB size, there's not much left to make him a developmental guy, that was my only point. Edit: in looking through some scouting reviews, so it's not just my take, Mike White's arm is about average, so I would have to disagree that he has a "big" arm, which explains why he's currently projected to go somewhere between the 6th round and UDFA.

I'm not trying to pick on you here, but you realize what you outlined as a "developmental guy", is pretty close to a franchise caliber QB that goes in the top 10? Good size Big arm Accurate Intangibles / Leadership There's not much left except for Pro Style Offense experience and history of using audibles at the line....which very, very few do. So, if you're taking a "developmental guy", you're probably taking a guy who is missing the big arm or the accuracy or the size....I don't think you can teach or coach too much of the intangibles, to some degree, but either you have good character by the time you enter the NFL, or you don't....

Whaley has an eye for talent in many ways, probably better at pro personnel assessment, but his failure came to understanding value more than anything else. Trading UP from #9 to #4 for a WR is not a good idea in the modern NFL....you can see teams like Pats and Seahawks who have over the years routinely done well with guys drafted in the mid-rounds but have that elite QB and in Seattle's case an elite Defense. You just don't make that kind of leap, and despite the belief he was helping EJ Manuel, you just don't leverage another 1st round pick to select a WR....time has not been kind to that decision but what exacerbates it, is the fact that some other truly great WRs came later in that draft and you could argue much better, i.e. Beckham. However, in terms of recognizing talent in various positions - and as someone already mentioned - specifically Defense, Whaley is certainly capable. However, as someone else also said - I agree that it should be for a #2 position. He gets credit for some of the current players, as much as he gets the blame for the failures, and to that end, he just needs someone who can balance his assessment at certain positions, especially the most important one: QB.

Given the topic, this seems to bare repeating (from another thread): Just food for thought, here is Matt Miller's synopsis regarding Rudolph: Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State Senior | 6'4", 235 lbs | No. 41 overall prospect "The lone senior on this list, Mason Rudolph has incredible numbers operating in Mike Gundy's wide-open Oklahoma State scheme. He carried a Day 3 grade into the season but has shown improved accuracy, decision-making and pocket presence. He also has the most experience of all the quarterbacks listed here. If you follow Bill Parcells' quarterback rules, you'll love Mason Rudolph. Of Parcells' four rules, Rudolph checks the box on all of them. You know who follows Parcells' rules? Tom Coughlin. Rudolph is the type of smart, accurate quarterback the Jaguars need to balance out a great run game and dominant defense." Also consider, as someone mentioned his lack of accuracy, he has completion % of 62.3% as a Sophmore, 63.4% as a Junior, and 65% as a Senior. He's gone up each year by a percentage point while throwing 21, 28, and 35 TDs respectively. Also his INTs have virtually remained unchanged, at 9,4, & 9... while his yards have also gone up, from 3,770 to 4,091, and this year as a Senior 4,553. He's improved over 800 yards in three seasons, kept his INTs the same, while increasing his TDs by 14. I don't know what kind of NFL Rudolph will be, but IMHO, in a WCO that has a lot to do with timing and giving receivers ability to do YAC, he seems like a good prospect. Edit: He also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

I agree, virtually a non-existent possibility - was just stating that IMHO, if you’re a fan of trading up, it’s needs to be for that homerun type QB.

By what measure? He’s played in 8 games this year, has 3 INTs, 9 passes Defensed and ranks as “Above Average” by PFF for the games he’s played this year. So, if you consider that “mediocre” so be it, but that would be a standard higher than the “average” CB, which is synonymous with mediocre. And I didn’t object or disagree with trade of Sammy, that I did understand.

This helps the Bills tremendously. As for trading up, it really depends on how far up...if you’re trying to get to 1 or 2, then it should be for a Luck / Manning type prospect. But, if you’re trading up into the 8-4 range, you need to know the value - cold. Because there’s more risk in the player and still a hefty tag. With that in mind, I’d prefer to stand pat, and take Rudolph in later 1st if possible or wait until late 2nd or 3rd and take Lock.

I’m sorry but disagree that Darby is a “mediocre” player....

Whoa, maybe chillax a little....I disagreed with the Darby trade and I still do. For one, he wasn't "horrible", he just had a great Rookie year as he had, "fifth-highest grade by a rookie CB in the PFF era" and definitely had a "sophmore slump" in 2016 no doubt, but for a CB with that kind of promise, it seemed premature and silly given the fact he is so young and playing on a Rookie contract. Additionally, he ranked 28th out of 117 possible CBs that were graded for 2016, so not good but not "horrible" either. Secondly, the Bills didn't trade for him until August, which means it could have been him and Tre White on the boundary and there is no guarantee his injury would have occurred in Buffalo, so he may or he may not have played for the entire season, that to me makes him a worth while prospect and doesn't make sense to trade a young, very promising CB. As I said, I liked all the other moves, but that one made the least sense to me given the fact the team was going to depend on Defense to remain competitive and that Zay was a natural slot WR which is where Jordan Matthews excelled. However, EJ Gaines has done really well so I give that to Beane and company...again, I'm just saying that I like where this team is heading and liked NEARLY all their moves, save the Darby trade.

When I watch Lock, I think of that raw, malleable talent that could benefit from NFL coaching and the ability to learn behind an existing NFL QB. So, if the Bills get a guy like Keenum or trade for A. Smith (insert Dunkirk's revenge here) then a guy like Lock with their second 2nd round pick or their only current 3rd round pick would make a lot of sense. He has all the physical traits you're looking for and put up some gaudy numbers in the SEC this year. That said, his accuracy is suspect and you wonder about the decision making at times. Again, why to me he is the "Mahomes" of the Draft in terms of raw talent but needs to develop the Pro Style capability. His arm talent is exceptional, and I like his moxie but he does need to mature a bit - so even IF he declares, I'm not so sure he's the guy first year in.

It was basically expected after his poor performance but honestly, I was hoping he'd come out just so that's one more arm another team could take leaving more of a selection for the Bills. To me, this just means the Bills will need to decide once the season is over, if they're all in on their guy to move and get, or if they'll sit tight and let a QB fall to them that they can "live with"....not advocating one way or the other because now that the playoffs are a reality, I understand the reluctance to sell the farm for one player. That said, I also know - as just about everyone else does - you're not winning with Tyrod at QB for the future and without a franchise caliber QB, you have a near repeat of the drought years.

It's one game, so we'll see how he does not only on Sunday but from here on out - but with that caveat, it just adds to Beane and his staff's ability to unearth good talent anywhere. It just adds a small piece of confidence as I look to 2018 and beyond into what he and McD can do to achieve the level of success we're all hoping for, this year notwithstanding since nobody here wants to go 9-7 every year and cross their fingers for a miracle to get into the playoffs. But, it is an auspicious first season.