BuffalooByrd
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Posts posted by BuffalooByrd
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His salary for 2017 is $15 mil and we will owe him 30 mil guranteed if he is on the roster past March 11th. His production is not worth the price for a team that is strapped for cash and that is why he will not be a Buffalo Bill after this offseason. It's truly as simple as that.
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No way the Bills are signing Jay Cutler to be the starter.
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Yes, Whaley is a bit unlikable in press conferences because he answers like a politician. But what did the media want him to say? Yes, my bosses (the Pegulas and Russ Brandon) made some horrible decisions that I didn't agree with but they overruled me. Or I didn't want Rex all along...told you so Terry and Russ. Come on. And if the owner of a company wants someone fired, he doesn't have to ask anyone else. He's the owner.
The positive thing to come out of all of this is Russ Brandon will not be involved anymore in the coaching search or the football operations. You want an answer for why this team has missed the playoffs for the last decade at least? It's because we haven't had a real GM, a football guy with full authority to do his job.
2006-2007: Marv (former coach) and Russ Brandon (marketing guy that started in baseball, not football) basically become co-GMs. Marv was obviously hired for public relations reasons and because Ralph trusted him (since Donahoe had alienated the fans, media, staff, and Ralph himself). But neither of these guys (despite Marv having been a great coach) were qualified for the position.
2008-2009: Marv steps down and Russ Brandon (with no coaching, playing, or scouting experience) becomes the GM and gains Ralph's trust and ear.
2010-2013: It is obvious that the franchise needs a football guy in the FO. They promote Nix (again trust issue stemming back to Donahoe) and bring in Whaley, an up-and-comer who is still probably too green to take over a franchise yet on his own. Russ becomes CEO. Nix is there to bring back stability, improve the roster, and groom Whaley to take over. He didn't turn the team around, but did do those 3 things (to an extent). In January of 2013, with Russ having been promoted from CEO to President (above the GM position) and Nix still as the GM, Doug Marrone is hired. This was obviously a Russ choice with the Syracuse ties, etc. And also, during Nix's tenure, Russ was the man who had Ralph's ear and probably spoke for him in the building, especially as Ralph's health continued to get worse. Then in March of 2013, just after the draft, Nix resigns and Whaley is promoted to the position with Marrone, a guy he may have agreed to, but was not his hand-picked option as his coach.
2014: Ralph dies in March. Brandon takes on de facto owner role. In November, Pegulas buy the team. And in December Marrone quits. Since the Pegulas want to observe the operation before blowing it all up, they lean heavily on Russ Brandon to get up to speed on the team and how the NFL works. Russ has been GM, CEO, President, and de facto owner, plus he was instrumental in the sale of the team to Terry. Whaley has been in his position for only 18 months and of course would want to ingratiate himself to the Pegulas to keep his job. But they are probably listening more to Russ on how things should go.
2015: Rex is hired. From all accounts, he went in and wowed Russ and the Pegulas. Terry and Kim liked him a lot and Russ was probably seeing a marketing boon (more national coverage, great press conferences, hope for the fanbase). Again, Whaley may have agreed with the decision, but Rex was not necessarily his choice. Even at the time it seemed like a Pegula/Russ choice from the reporting of it. So, again, he has to work with a coach he didn't hand pick. Rex was so eager to prove the Jets were wrong for firing him that he took the job. But if you looked at him in his last year in New York, the guy was burnt out and defeated. I know when you get burnt out at work, how long it takes to get back on track. Maybe Rex needed some time off rather than jumping into the deep waters again. Plus, because of the problems Rex had with his GM(s) in New York, he gets the Pegulas to agree that he will report to them rather than to the GM. Contrary to how most organizations function. So, Whaley is still somewhat treated as a Jr. GM, not fully in control...first under Nix, then Brandon, then with the communication structure with Rex and the Pegulas.
2016: Season does not go well, no improvement. Rex had a lot of influence over draft and player selection and adding to/changing the coaching staff with no results. The defense is bad (supposedly Rex's specialty). No doubt, especially as the hot seat warmed in the media regarding Rex, Terry and Doug had discussed what is wrong with the team including in the coaching department. But it seems as if they were going to let it play out, do their end of season evaluations, and then most likely fire Rex. Rex saw the writing on the wall, so he asked Terry straight out and in that moment Terry made the final decision then and there (an owner's perogative).
Doesn't seem that hard to figure out or believe or understand the decision making process (even if there were some bad decisions that turned out poorly).
But, from 2006 to 2016, Russ Brandon was basically GM for four years, CEO for 3 years (over Nix as GM), President and de facto owner for 2 years (over Whaley), and then President and closest advisor to the new owners for two years. His hand was heavy in both of the last two coaching choices (and possibly the last 4 coaching searches going back to Jauron). This guy, who didn't come up through any football ranks, has basically been running this team for the last decade. He may be a great executive, marketer, business man, but he should never have been involved in the football decisions (outside of possibly contracts).
The fact that the Pegulas were not afraid to admit Rex didn't work out and to fire him and to now remove Russ from all football decisions and actually hand the keys of the car to Whaley are all positive signs to me that they are trying to correct the problems of the last couple of years. Whaley was under Nix and Brandon for 3 years, GM for 10 months and hadn't even overseen a draft solo when Ralph passed, had to deal with new owners (and again Russ) who maybe weren't ready to let him make all the decisions yet, and he didn't get to hand-pick the coaches he worked with, etc. Let the man do his job and sink or swim on his own merit, where we don't have to guess if it was his decision or Buddy's, or Brandon's, or Ralph's, or the Pegula's.
And the fact that the media can't piece the puzzle together for themselves shows how inept they are. They focus (and get angry) about issues that just don't matter that much, like did Doug talk to Terry about wanting to get rid of Rex or why did Terry make that decision without the GM's approval. Who cares. Rex was going to get fired, we all knew it, Rex knew it and there is no way that Doug and Terry were not in agreement over that whether they talked about it or not.
Of course Whaley hasn't been perfect and I do believe that for at least the last three years, he has been pretty much in charge of the 53...but you can't say that the roster isn't much more talented than when he arrived. Give him a chance to do his job properly and to make his own decisions (with the Pegulas blessing of course). We might be pleasantly surprised.
Could not have articulated this any better. The clock is ticking for Whaley.
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Name one young QB we've developed in last 20 years?.... Plus I don't see the point in drafting another young QB when we already have a NC winner on the bench... Jones has all the physical tools anyone would ever need to become an elite QB... Right now, he just needs snaps, and the absence of Dave Lee to take that big step forward..
ya like jazz?
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We can only pray
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As a Bills fan, you hold Whaley partially responsible for The Drought. That's not how the rest of the NFL sees him.
There are only 32 HC jobs. Something like 8 of them are open each year.
And few of those 8 will offer a roster as talented as the Bills. While coaches get all the blame, often the terminated head coach had little to work with. This roster is at least average. In other words, Whaley has not been an abysmal failure at acquiring talent. A new coach will have a chance - if he coaches well - to reach the playoffs his first year. Most coaches think they coach well.
To sweeten the pot, the Bills have one of the wealthiest owners. Not only will the new HC command a healthy salary, he'll have enough money to hire the coordinators and position coaches he wants. You don't get that everywhere.
I'm not saying DW is a good GM. I do think, though, that many/most coaches looking for a HC opportunity would consider the Bills.
The Buffalo Bills will have 24 free agents heading into the 2017 offseason, the most in the league by a large margin. Yes, most of our core will remain is tact but for a team that already struggles with depth issues at key positions, this is extremely troublesome. To make matters worse, we won't be one of the teams with a ton of cap space to throw around.
What happens if the Bills aren't successful next year? How long of a rope does Whaley have? If Whaley goes, the next headcoach is going to go as well. If you can't turn the bills around after year 2, the Pegulas will most likely clean house. These are all things that potential candidates will think about. Sure, there's plenty of coaches out there that will take this job, but no quality coach is coming to Buffalo this offseason with all things considered.
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Can these threads stop right now? Anthony Lynn will be made the next HC of the Buffalo Bills. What quality candidate would even consider interviewing for Bills with Whaley as the defacto GM?
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Well maybe not at running the football.
But throwing the football, Tyrod is definitely better. Check the stats - Tyrod vs Vick
And somewhere out there is a video where Vick and Tyrod were working out together (years ago when Vick was in NFL) back at Virginia Tech because they are both Hokies. In that video, the people said, Tyrod is a lot like Mike Vick but with a better arm. And the stats and eye test both suggest they are right.
Wrong
Vick played in a different era. He led his team to the NFC championship game in his third year as a starter in the league. With the Eagles he put up better numbers than any season Tyrod Taylor has had with the Bills. What success has Tyrod Taylor had?
I thought I just read in the is thread that Tyrod was Vick with a better arm.
I'm just going to take that as a sign and try not to visit this thread again.
People quickly forget how explosive Vick was as a runner and throwing the ball. The guy had a cannon.
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Tyrod Taylor is no where near as good as Mike Vick used to be in his prime. I stopped reading after I read that.
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Moore is a lot like Fitzpatrick. He's a mediocre gunslinger that can't make the simple plays needed to win a game. That's what seperates guys like Moore, Fitzpatrick, and Cutler from Favre, Romo, and Winston. The latter can be field generals when needed but aren't afraid to take chances.
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His track record speaks for itself. My only concern with ANY new coach is that it's been shown to take 3 years to get the personnel to run the kind of team the new coach(es) want to run. That would make 2 decades and running of no payoffs..
Jim Harbaugh led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game in his first year as head coach.
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Whaley has not been perfect but has been good:
-didn't like the Sammy trade (screamed in joy at BWW because i thought he was picking Mack, then got passed when they called Sammy)
- Whaley gave Rex his players last year: TT, Lawson, Ragland have Rex all over them
Rex runs an over complicated mediocre defense on a loose ship team. That won't change.
Whaley stays, Rex goes
What superior talent has Whaley drafted in the time he has been with the Bills? His draft picks and free agency signing are average to poor with a few good decisions sprinkled in. He's the definition of mediocre and that is why he needs to go as well.
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Yup, oh well. I totally understand the frustrations from Bills fans. Its been way too long since they have been relevant. I believe that there is a lot of talent on the team that needs to be utilized. Safety needs to be addressed and Qb if possible. Bottom line is as a team we are scoring points but not stopping ppl from scoring. The d needs to be addressed.
Points scored doesn't paint the entire picture. How many times do we see this team go 3 and out? If you look at our schedule, on paper a lot of the games appear to be close but most of those games were over in the 3rd quarter with the exception of the Ravens and Seahawks.
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This is a great topic for conversation but the there really is no superior argument for one or the other. We can't clearly define what decisions Rex made vs what decisions Whaley made as it relates especially to the 2016 draft and free agency. This is why both of them need to go.
I will say this: The talent on the Bills roster is that of a .500 team so I don't believe Rex is failing us when it comes to coaching.
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If the season ended today, the bills would be selecting #13 overall. What player do you want to see the bills to select? And what players are you most excited to see next year from this draft class?
In terms of positional need, I would rank Safety, Offensive Linemen, Wide Reciever, and Quarterback as highest priority but Whaley's philsophy is the draft the best player available. With that said, my thoughts are below on those particular positions:
Let's start with Quarterback, the most important position but probability less of a need for the bills considering what will be available in the draft and FA relative to the players on our roster.
I would like to see the Bills bench Tyrod Taylor and see what the team has in Cardale Jones. If Cardale can show promise in the next two games, the bills should not feel pressured to draft a quarterback in a draft class that is very weak at the position. In the offseason, the team can restructure Tyrod's contract to something more commesurate with his skill and sign a Veteran QB.
My Projected 2017 QB depth chart
Cardale Jones/Tyrod Taylor/Brian Hoyer
The Buffalo Bills have showed over the course of the 2016 season that they lack depth at just about every position but none more glaring than Wide Reciever. Considering what the Bills have invested at skill positions with Lesean McCoy, the Watkins trade, and Charles Clay, the best option moving forward is to sign unproven talent to reasonable contracts. Cordarrelle Paterson is a player who showed great promise with the Vikings during his rookie year but fell out of favor. He can move around the field as a reciever or running back, and contributes to special teams as a talented returner. Paterson is the type of player that the bills can sign on a cheap contract that can pay dividends if utilized properly with good coaching(?). As a draft prospect, the bills should look at selecting Curtis Samuel, (WR) Ohio State in the second round. He's a do it all, versatile WR that can line in at slot or in the backfield and contributes value on special teams. Again, given all the Bills have invested at skill positions, I would prefer they look for a low cost/high reward option in Free Agency as a solution to our WR issues.
At Tight End, I would love to see the Bills sign Vernon Davis, another player that can be signed to a reasonable contract and has great versality in recieving and blocking.
My Projected 2017 WR Depth Chart
Sammy Watkins/Cordarrelle Paterson/Justin Hunter/Marquise Goodwin
My Projected 2017 TE Depth Chart
Charles Clay/Vernon Davis/Nick O'Leary
Next, I want to discuss the Offensive Line but really both the offensive and defensive line as one unit. The Bills FO needs to take a long hard look at what kind of players they have and how can they make these players successful. I believe the Bills can win now by bolstering talent we have in the trenches much like the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos to some degree.
First step, the bills need to resign Cordy Glenn to a contract extension as they do not have a replacement and cannot afford to lose their best offensive lineman. In the draft, the bills should look at drafting Cam Robinson (RT), Alabama with their first round pick, or the best offensive lineman available. In FA, the Bills should pursue Lions (OG) Larry Watford to shore up the left side of the line. Increasing the talent on the offensive line will take the pressure off our quarterback, benefit our ground game, and help create a ball-control offense that can win games right now without dynamic quarterback play.
My Projected 2017 Starting OL
Cordy Glenn/Richie Igcognito/Eric Wood/Larry Watford(FA)/Cam Robinson(Rookie)
On the defensive line, the Bills certainly have talent and so I don't anticipate or recommend much changes to the players. A philospical change will net the greatest return in my opinion which can be accompished by moving to a more traditional 4-3 defense. With Ragland set to return for the 2017, I would let Zach Brown go in Free Agency and roll with Reggie Ragland/Preston Brown as the primary backers.
With Aaron Williams most likely retiring at the end of the season and Corey Graham beginning to show his age, the bills will certainly need to address the positon of Safety in the 2017 NFL draft. I propose the Bills take a look at Jabrill Peppers (S) Michigan. Peppers reminds me of a franchise player that the bills have lacked on the defensive side of the ball. A versatile player that can impact the game from all over the field and at different positions, think: Khalil Mack, Troy Palamalou, or JJ Watt. Jabrill Peppers may look like a luxury pick that the Bills can't afford with their first round selection, but if Cam Robinson isn't on the board I hope the Bill select Peppers, a dynamic player that will shore up the backend of this defense.
What player do you want to see the bills to select in the 2017 NFL Draft/ Sign in Free Agency?
Cliffs:
Draft Cam Robinson or Jabrill Peppers in 1st round
Bolster offensive/defensive lines in round 2-5
Sign a premium OG in Free Agency (Larry Wolford)
Pick up low cost FA's at WR/TE to shore up depth issues
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Once again, I don't think Brady is your "best" player. Gronk is. Rex is going to let Brady make some 6 and 10 yd throws. Stopping Gronk is the biggest challenge. You keep referencing Bennett and Edelman and Hogan and Blount...yes, they are offensive weapons but they are not Gronk. He is a game changer.
I'll reference the Green Bay game again...the ball sometimes takes weird bounces at The Cap. Jordy Nelson dropped an easy TD pass in that game and our DB's played lights out against A-Aron. We need that same play from Gilmore, Darby, Graham, etc.
Both Gronk and Bennet pose a serious problem due to their size. If we don't have Aaron Williams we'll be in trouble. Not too much worried about Edelman or Blount
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To be honest, I wasn't able to watch the game today but I did check the boxcore and it looks like our first round pick notched his first tackle in the NFL. Anyone watch the full game and can speak to how Lawson performed overall?
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Which essentially can be counted on the hand of a bad woodshop teacher.
Bad shootings occur, there is no question. but to think that it is an epidemic against blacks to specifically target them by the police is to not only to be mistaken, but also to ignore the larger issues that destroy the black communities at much higher rates; black on black murders, horrible job opportunities, and of course the embarrassingly high rate of black children (72%) being born out of wedlock, left to be raised by neighboring gangs.
I'll take Kap seriously about problems in the black communities when he addresses the ongoing problems that lead to high crime in black communities, which naturally leads to a higher number of blacks being targeted by the police in high crime areas.
Kap's thinking is lazy, which is why many people see what he's doing as a diversion.
Ahhh, I was patiently waiting for someone to take this lazy approach to debating this topic: deflecting from the point of the protest to bring up other topics like 'black on black crime'.
Anyone that feels the need to disrespect Kaepernick or anyone who is protesting racism, discrimination, and inequality IS part of the problem. You can chose to ignore the numerous studies and statistics that state African American men are victims of racial profiling by police but you are also choosing to be ignorant.
did they do the choke hold until he submitted and died? Nah. But they did do it as he continued to jerk and try to throw them.
But, I guess because it was just cigarettes and he was just out in front of the building just hustin feed his daughter... oh its all good baby baby...
Give me a break. The guy was breaking the law and resisted officers. It sucks he died but he was a fat out of shape dumbass who brought it on himself. It could have been just as ridiculous if a cop fell from being pushed and broke their neck.
Sorry. I don't buy your nonsense reply
In the case your discussing, Eric Garner questioned why he was being arrested before that altercation took place. In a police state, I guess you could label that resisting arrest, but not in America.
Do you believe resisting arrest gives police officers the right to kill a man? We can be arrested on the presumption of crime but aren't we all innocent until proven guilty? Your argument holds no weight.
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No he's not. Gabbert took his job because he was hot garbage. Rumors of a dead arm swirled as he looked so putrid.
Gabbert got the job because Kaep was going off two surgeries and wasn't 100% healthy. We're talking about a guy who led his team to a Superbowl not too long ago. Kaep > Gabbert.
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If Kaep plays I actually think he gets hurt. I';m sure there are numerous guys just waiting to take a shot at him. Don't be surprised if there are a couple of "Roughing The Passer" penalties that are blatant. Also, he looks a little frail to be honest and these grown men on our defense are getting after it. I also think this leads to a few TO's as well for our team as he hasn't seen the field in a year and will definitely be rusty out there.
Why would their be 'numerous guys just waiting to take a shot at him'?
A rusty Kaep is still better than Gabbert.
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Bring the BAYONNE BEAST to Buffalo. PLEASE WHALEY
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IF he gets CUT, SIGN THE MAN. I watched this guy ball, and he can be a top 10 WR in the league with a decent QB if he stays healthy and trouble free.
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I'm very much excited about this upcoming season as I was years past. Doug Marrone seems like a solid coach, and his coordinators are much of the same. However, there is strong potential the Bills draft Ryan Nassib which I am deeply concerned about. Bills fans have already gone through the past 3 years with a coach that showed incompetence largely due to his fascination with a QB. In the NFL, a coaches destiny is tied tightly to the quarterback position and if Doug Marrone brings Ryan Nassib, we will see many similiarities from Chan Gailey's tenure. I hope Ryan Nassib can be a franchise quarterback. I hope Doug Marrone can be a successful coach for the Bills. I just don't see anything about Nassib that leads me to believe he can be that franchise quarterback for Doug Marrone and the Buffalo Bills.
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Anyone else concerned about this hire? Mike Pettine was often stripped of playcalling duties by Rex because the defense was not playing up to it's potential, and this season there d-line struggled to rush the passer. There is also reports that Pettine leaked info to the media, which added fuel to the ruckus that was the 2012 Jets season.
As enthralled as everyone is by this hire, remember that we have the student (Pettine) and not the teacher (Ryan)
Report: Greg Olson to Rams as QB coach
in The Stadium Wall Archives
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Hallelujah