BigBuff423

Again, I don't really see your point....if you're saying that you have to have 1 RB in every situation, there just aren't many (in fact very few) teams who do that...if you're talking about utilizing your feature back, I still don't get the problem with using a good Rookie. Say, like Kamara? The Rookie RB will do well in the Offense if he has vision, speed, and can break tackles and the Offensive line can block for him....where's the problem. I don't think Shady is worth the money when a good RB, ala a 2nd round pick, can do a good job for much less, meanwhile that same money can go to solving the RT issue or DL issue or the CB issue, and on and on it goes....

Obviously both...but if I had to choose one, I'd say QB. For many of the reasons already stated, but also because the QB's reach extends beyond the LOS, it goes to checking the Defense, calling the right audible, getting WRs / TEs in place before the snap so that they can get open, directing RBs where to position themselves in certain calls, of course throwing the ball all over the field of play and being the "leader" of the team....the intangibles do come into play to some degree here for the QB, which can also elevate the line's ability to play / pass protect / run-block.

But why would you need to put the Rookie RB in on obvious passing downs? Even if the Bills don't re-sign / keep Cadet, there will be vet RBs available for 3rd down pass protection, should they feel they need it...

I truly doubt he's back....also, the last Rookie QB and RB combination did fairly well....see Prescott and Zeke. It's more about the Offensive line, IMHO... I don't think he's worth the money at this point, the same money can be spent on LB or DL or if there's one available, OL...put his money and Tyrod's and maybe Kyle's toward some good FAs that can help the team for the future as well as now. Also, Hughes won't be here...it's a total overhaul that is essentially finished that was started last year.

You're right....McD has a long, long, loooooong ways to go to demonstrate longevity and sustaining power in the NFL....but I AM hoping he has even more than 10 win seasons for more than 12 years....I want a very, very long term HC and hopefully QB beginning in 2018 that shows 15 years of true success.

I agree Wood has been overrated for much of his career, although I like him as a person from what I can tell, but the weakest spot? In all due respect, in my mind it belongs to Mills and it's not even close....putrid is the word I'd use for Mills....not good, maybe average in one respect or another is the way I'd describe Wood.

Look, I am not a proponent of dirty hits or trying to injure a player, regardless of whether it's "legal" or not....but if there was ever a player due for some Karma in the pain department, Burfict is the prime candidate given his history since coming into the league... As for being like the Gronk fiasco, hit....to me, not even close....main reason being, both players were knowingly, actively engaged in the play while it was occurring....Tre was down, play was over, whistle blown, out of bounds...about as egregious as it gets IMHO....

To me 8-8 is bad...so we differ on that point, but I can understand why it's not seen as "bad", it's just to me in the era of unprecedented parity in the NFL, 8-8 is the equivalent to being "bad"....not awful to watch, but awful in terms of moving the team closer to the intended goal: Championship. And Dawkins wasn't flipped when Glenn was healthy, and to my knowledge (and I certainly could be wrong), what I remember was McD and co. never indicating even considering moving Dawkins to RT or the right side despite, most of us thinking that was the intent when he was Drafted due to Glenn and Richie on the left side...but, maybe the goal was always to have Dawkins or Glenn switch to Guard but on the left side after this year, we shall find out in 2018....also, from what I remember PFF had Miller ranked fairly in his second year and then had ups and downs last year, but to me still better than Ducasse, maybe there's something we don't know? Because I too have been baffled by why Ducasse is starting all these games.... And I apologize that I missed the intricacy of your point regarding "fastest" vs "best".....I'm not sure I agree still, because I think you forfeit that experience and capability on the line leading to more pressure on the QB, which is what is happening to Cousins now, but it does change my understanding about what you said. Thanks.

If you'd like to consider 8-8 "good", fine....but to me that's the same mediocre hell the Bills have been in for most of the 17 years....and of course I said Dak and Zeke were made better by the Offensive line 33 players signed include Tyrod and Shady, and I am quite doubtful they return either by trade or being cut....also, RT and RG are both an issue and if it was just an easy flip to the right side for Glenn or Dawkins, I think they would have done that by now....I think it's at least "possible", the Bills let Incognito go due to contract and make one of them a LG, which is more plausible to me....so that means RG and RT need to be addressed in some measurable way, unless somehow Mills does another magic act convinces yet another GM to keep him, since Beane came in after FA and Draft, I won't count that one against him....yet. Day 1 or Day 2 OL does not guarantee success and can be a real adjustment, especially if you stick a Rookie RT next to a Rookie RG...that could be bad. It makes more sense to Draft RG in Day 2, sign a good to great RT (if available, and there may not be) and Draft your QB in the 1st or 2nd and allow him to be your guy....Cousins is fine, I don't have an issue with him if we were a team like say the Cardinals or a couple years ago when they did that with Palmer or the Jags right now....but the Bills are not an "otherwise complete team absent the QB" type of situation....they have a bunch of pressing needs in various areas.

WR as a whole position does need to be addressed, but as others have said despite your request to avoid the QB issue - it really IS the issue. That said, depending on how the Bills address their FA time, who goes and who stays with the team and where the final Draft positions land us (KC and B-lo), I think they probably find a depth FA WR and maybe a late round WR for STs and speed.... Others have also stated, there are bigger issues because if you invest a high pick in a QB, you need guys to block for him and the right side needs help and that's assuming Glenn stays, which I think he will if for no other reason there are just too many issues to address in one season....you just hope his feet / ankles can get healthy.

Totally my bad, sorry....in my head I was confusing Rudolph with Allen....so I would basically just switch out the names in my post, which would essentially put us in agreement. Monday yips....thanks. I'm certainly not saying to not Draft offensive line, but Dallas was bad for several years with a good, young, developing Offensive line, their Defense was just abysmal....then came Zeke and Dak and their Defense wasn't great, but it wasn't on the field a bunch either, which made it look better and the Offense was scoring points....as for the Bills, you can't get the whole Offensive line in FA, heck, given who will most likely be available, you'd probably be lucky to get one good to great starter unless you trade for one (which is a nice option, but teams don't trade great O-linemen)....so, you would want to get one good to great starter in FA, Draft one between 1st and 3rd round, and still have another 2 FAs signed as quality depth guys and again next year, make it a priority... Point is, it won't be solved all at once, but if you put Cousins in with a line that he's constantly running from pressure and they can't get the ball moving in the run game, you've just spent a bunch of money on a guy who doesn't move the needle....because as good as an Offensive line CAN become, ala Cowboys, because they're weren't all Drafted in one year, there were various stages of growth and development, so when one Rookie came in, there was another guy who had 2 or 3 years of experience to help the learning curve....and, given the situation, I would rather not take 3-4 years before we see a good Offense....

However, in 2020 I don't want to be on this message board with basically the same conversation....well, Cousins crapped out, now we have a bunch of young players who are just about to hit their prime years and no QB to utilize them, we'll be back to where we started. Use the FA money to get the supporting cast, then take your QB of the future and see how well they fare, see Prescott, Dak for a Rookie's ability to do that when supported and coached properly....he's shown he's not at the point where he can carry the entire Offense, but with a good running game and Offensive line, he is definitely capable of being a good QB....as you mention Goff / Wentz, they were the franchise, and then their respective GMs got them the supporting cast. The Bills will have the FA money and yes Draft picks to do that this year. Even IF the Bills had to give up both their 1sts, and a 2nd this year and a 2nd next year, they're still left with a 2nd / 3rd / 4th / maybe 2 5ths plus FA money to get their guys....a young QB who will become the franchise and can coalesce the fan base is an important part of what the Bills are missing....

I think your personal disappointment is clouding your judgment....in no way, will Rudolph be available beyond the 1st and I don't even think he makes it into the 20s...he's a superb arm talent with a terrific resume...Bills should be high on him, along with Rose and Darnold...Allen is good, but if any QB slides, I'll call Allen the one who drifts into late 1st and 2nd round...

I'm good with Rudolph, Darnold or Rosen....I don't want to trade up for Mayfield or Allen. I'd also take Finley at 20 if necessary....as for those clamoring for Cousins, that price tag is steep...and consider this: would you rather get a young QB who can be surrounded by FA vets and in their prime guys, or pay for a QB in his prime, with a bunch of young up-and-comers who need to learn the nuances of the game? Chances are, your high-priced new QB will look pedestrian...whereas your young QB will look sublime based on the supporting cast.

It's a bad year to need a QB if you're below the top 5, and a good year to need a QB if you're in the top 5....elite talent at the top, presuming Darnold comes out because that puts Rosen, Darnold, Rudolph, Allen in there, plus Finley as a good QB option at the bottom of the 1st but if it were just Rosen and Rudolph, man there would be bidding war to get in those top 2 picks.... I'll say this: only the Browns can truly mess this one up. With 2 to 3 truly elite QBs coming out this year, it would make sense for them to try and stick with Kizer and miss out on a great one. If I'm the Bills, I see one franchise after another pass me by for 17 f-ing years....I do whatever it takes to get my guy, whatever it takes. We are not like any other franchise....the fans have suffered through 17 years (and counting) of a playoff drought....enough. A top QB is the ONLY way out of this mess. Also, presuming the Bills part ways with Tyrod and LeSean, and Kyle retires, and the other guys go that we think will go, there will be some real Cap money to use...so, that's where you fill your holes, FA....you get LBs, CBs, WRs, and if available DL and OL. There will be money for those positions because you don't have to have elite talent at all those positions, you need good talent who can play as a team. Elite talent is the QB, that makes everything and everyone else around them look so much better.

Which should be in 2018 since they'll most likely have a top 5 pick.

Oh, of course....because it's too much to ask a team to play with passion and NOT take stupid penalties....how does that work for other teams? Good teams play with focus...that means they're impassioned about their play, but they don't let that override their sense of reason (too often). Look, I'm not saying a guy can't EVER take a penalty for playing to the whistle, but his is not a once a year or every five or six games thing...it happens almost every week and there is not enough in return to justify his contract and the lack of positive gained from those negative yards.

I think the Tre White injury definitely hurts the team more, just from the stand point that Defense has been winning the football games for the Bills and they can still run the ball with Shady. With Peterman, since the playoffs are basically a lost cause at this point, I'm back to seeing what the Bills actually have in him (and sorry, ONE game does not define a career, nor does mop up duty in two other games - good or bad). Not that I think he will play sooooo well that the Bills are considering passing on a QB early, meaning 1st or 2nd round. But he is still an unknown commodity...and at this point, playing Tyrod doesn't make sense for him or for the Bills AND, it is infuriating to watch him play.

But in hindsight, something none of us are afforded in the present, the Chargers game was much, much harder to win - with or without Tyrod - as shown by how they have handled their schedule and have done an extraordinary job since their awful start. Also, the Denver and Atlanta wins no longer hold the luster they once did...with Tyrod starting.

No, it's not about "character" anymore....I would like the team to have all decent men who conduct themselves professionally and reasonably both on and off the field, but at this point it's about what Hughes costs the team while IN the game. If we were to take every positive Hughes play, ala TFL and Sacks, meaning ones that can be measured and not just, "he set the edge but he doesn't get credit" - because those can't be measured - and then added the negative yards he gets for stupid, selfish penalties (not saying yesterday was one of them, not saying it wasn't), what would be the NET yardage afterwards? I've said before, I don't think Hughes is on the team come 2018, and it's not because he's a bad player, it's because his lack of discipline does not fit the McD and Beane mold. Additionally, what good is getting a sack for negative 7 yards only to give up 15 yards and a first down either one or two downs later or at some crucial point in the game? I don't see the benefit when viewing the game or season as a whole.

Thank you. It is appreciated. However, it begins a different part about the significance of those stats. Obviously, Tyrod is much, much more elusive and fast, but it would be great to know ( and I don't think anyone has taken the time to do this) how many of those rushing yards were due to him waiting too long in the pocket? When he was essentially forced to run because he didn't get the ball out on time? In Eli's case, nearly everyone of those kinds will turn into an incomplete pass or a sack, so that's just something I wonder....not asking you specifically to know that or find out, I'm just more curious....and it doesn't have to be Eli, it can be any other standard QB who doesn't run much or often.

I didn't take issue with the numbers, but rather that they were misleading....especially as it pertains to QBs. If you say QB John has total yds / game of "X", 99% of people will jump right to passing yards, because in general that's how QBs are measured - in passing yds / passing TDs / INTs / and completion %.....but, yes, including the rushing yards is part of the QB evaluation when you consider Tyrod, even though we may disagree about its intrinsic value to the position. Appreciate the discourse, #GoBills

Which is irrelevant....and again, what I "expected" is not the issue...if you give out total yards, and don't express how you reached as much, your presumptions are your issue, not the readers'..... It still does not change the argument that Tyrod will never be anything close to Eli in terms of a good QB. Athlete is a different concern, Tyrod is very clearly the dominant athlete, but he does not possess the tools to be a great QB, like Eli.

No, but delineating it properly does...simply indicating passing yards as one measure, rushing yards as another measure, and then adding them together gets you "x" number of yards, which would be the total of both...sort of like showing your work when you were in 5th grade? Remember?

You assumed wrong when you speak of QBs....do we take into account WRs passing yards when we say total yards per game? I doubt the average fan does....and you can "blame" me for not knowing your intentions but, I think the error is clear. It does not change that Tyrod is not, nor will he ever be, close to Eli's capability...even in Eli's current state.