mjt328
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Posts posted by mjt328
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Even if McDermott/Beane are the perfect pairing, there may be some growing pains early. It's very rare that a team overhauls its coaching staff and front office, then takes a big step forward the next season. It usually takes the players time to adapt on the field to the coaching changes, and it takes some time for the GM's work to filter down through the roster.
There are some reasons to be optimistic, and hope we are the exception to the rule however:
1. Rick Dennison was Tyrod Taylor's QB coach for a year, and allegedly tried to recruit him to the Broncos. He should be very familiar with what Taylor does well and what he struggles with, so hopefully that means a step forward instead of a step backwards.
2. The offensive line is experience with zone blocking concepts, so hopefully the change up front won't be a problem for the run game. LeSean McCoy seems to excel in any scheme anyway.
3. Our defense never really fit Rex Ryan's 3-4 scheme, and most of our players are very familiar with the 4-3 system. This could be more of a return to what we do best, instead of just another scheme overhaul.
4. Even if we struggle badly and lose a lot of games, that could put us in a better position for one of next year's top QBs.
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A lot of factors here but here is the where the wrench gets thrown in - Only saying this from prior experience...........
He has an above average season but he pulled through on wins for the Bills toward the end of games for the 2017 season that helped the Bills have a great winning season or even the playoffs - and the Bills decide to let him go anyway
I see a lot of us here on this board hollerin and cursing!!!
I think the bigger factor is his health. Even more than his actual stats/production.
Sammy's foot has progressively gotten worse over the last 2 seasons, and nobody knows for sure how it will respond going forward. Remember, he first had surgery after the 2015 season and missed all of OTAs last year. Everyone believed he was 100% and good to go Week 1. But then he re-aggravated the injury, played hurt for awhile and then missed half the season in Injured Reserve.
Maybe another surgery fixes the problem for good. Maybe it doesn't. If Sammy plays 16 games without a setback, then I think we can be confident the foot injury is finally behind him. But if he ends up re-aggravating it again, we may have to consider that Sammy will never be the same guy again and the foot will be a problem the rest of his career.
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Under the Pegulas, the Bills do not have a "cheap" mentality.
I can guarantee you they are pulling for Sammy Watkins to come back 100% healthy and to become a Pro-Bowl receiver going forward. Just like I can guarantee you they are pulling for Tyrod Taylor to take a big step in his development, and become a hands-down franchise quarterback. They are not hoping for these guys to fail, just so they can get away without giving them a big $$$ extension.
The Bills front office is just being cautious, and playing it safe before locking themselves into big/long-term contracts. Personally, I think it's a smart avenue to take.
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Even if the draft board wasn't "set" back in January, I'm sure the Carolina coaching staff knew what players/positions the team happened to be interested in. That is one of the main reasons (if not the primary reason) that Doug Whaley wasn't fired until after the draft. Even back in early January, Whaley had tons of information that could have assisted other teams in knowing the Bills strategy.
Sean McDermott didn't need a mole inside the Panthers' draft room. If he was truly in control of this year's draft, then I would imagine a good chunk of his intel on prospects came from his time with the Panthers, and not just the last 4 months on the Buffalo staff. That should just be common sense. Not a conspiracy theory.
Not to mention, this GM search was never a slam-dunk for anyone. The Pegulas are making the hire and not McDermott. It was only 4 months ago that Anthony Lynn was pretty much guaranteed the coaching job, and the whole interview process was being called a show for the public. Well, we all know how that went. Maybe the Pegulas go with Brandon Beane, because he is a legitimate GM candidate with strong ties to our head coach. Maybe they go in a completely different direction. It would be foolish for Beane to help out another NFL team, without 100% knowing he was going to get the job.
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Vic Carucci "has doubts" Bills are motivated to extend contract-year WR Sammy Watkins, even after the season:
Not sure how Carucci has come to this conclusion. There are way too many unknowns for him to be making assumptions like this.
First of all, the Bills haven't even hired a General Manager yet. So one of the main people making roster decisions is not even in the building. So how can Carruci know what that guy thinks about Sammy Watkins? The only person Carucci could possibly try and get a "read on" is Sean McDermott. And from McDermott's statement this week, it's pretty clear this decision was based completely on Watkins health and injury concerns.
If Watkins comes out in 2017 and stays 100% healthy, while playing like one of the best WRs in the league, I have a hard time believing the Bills wouldn't even consider bringing him back.
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I think the Bills have legitimate concern that Sammy Watkins' foot will never fully recover.
If the Bills were to pickup his 5th Year Option, that would fully guarantee him $13 million in 2018. Imagine if Watkins foot gives out again this year. Maybe it requires another surgery, or severely hampers his ability to perform on the field (just like it did last season). That option would be giving Watkins Top 5-10 Wide Receiver money for a guy that misses half the season and is hurting every time he's actually suited up. We aren't talking about a cheap rookie contract. The 5th Year Option is cheaper than Unrestricted Free Agency, but it's not cheap.
By declining the 5th Year Option, the Bills would STILL have the ability to franchise Watkins for around $16 million (for up to two years, keeping him in Buffalo for 2018-2019). They don't need to let him walk next year. Their decision in no way stops them from retaining Watkins rights for at least the next 3 seasons, if they truly believe he is worth the money. And nothing is stopping them from working out a long-term deal at any point along the way.
It's basically a $13 million risk versus a $3 million risk.
If Watkins proves his foot can withstand 16 games, I believe the Bills will make every effort to give him a long-term extension. But if he has another setback with that foot, it's time to start considering him damaged goods. A Wide Receiver with foot problems is never going to reach his potential, and things will only get worse as he gets older.
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The kid had no serious character concerns.......we should have picked him at 27 cleaned his shoulder up and have a beast at linebacker for the next 4 years . I rather have him then pick a DB in a DB rich draft. This is when you need a GM who can look at long term as oppose to a first year coach trying to get team ready this year......good thing I gave up my club seats Sec 231 row1 seats 5-10. I can watch this tire fire free on TV. My 12K can go towards something else
No serious character concerns?
I loved Reuben Foster as a prospect, and thought he was an excellent fit in our defense. But the guy was a walking red flag.
The pre-draft process is a football player's equivalent of a job interview. Foster was not only kicked out of the combine for an "altercation" with a hospital employee, but he also failed a drug test. Even if his "drank too much water" excuse is legit, it still shows ridiculously poor judgement with millions of dollars on the line.
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I looked at the number of players we drafted from 2013-2016, how many remained with the team, and how many are still in NFL. The latter is very important because that is an indicator of your "ability" to spot talent in the drafts. I then compared your performance to that of our esteemed rivals, New England Patriots. And the results are interesting:
In those 4 years we drafted 28 players to Pats' 36. Of the 28, 15 still remain with the team as of today. That's 54%. Looking at the pats, of the 36, 18 players are still on their roster as of today. So we have exceeded Pats' team retention by 4%. Nice.
Now let's look at over-all talent evaluation. How many of our players are still on NFL rosters, vs. those who are no longer NFL players. Of the 28 players we drafted, 24 are still in the league, or 86%. Of the 36 players the esteemed Pats drafted, only 27 remain in the NFL. That's 75%. Here, Bills and Whaley have outperformed World Champions by 11% points.
Doug, it is clear now. it's not your fault this team hasn't won. You can only bring them in. You aren't the one coaching them.
The Patriots are an average drafting team, and have been for a very long time. Their success is built mostly on Tom Brady at QB, and Bill Belichick's unbelievable ability to get production from decent "role players." Once Brady/Belichick are gone, that team is going to fall hard.
If you don't have a Hall of Fame QB or Head Coach, your standards for drafting must be higher. Especially when your team is constantly picking Top 10-15.
Doug Whaley hasn't been a complete train wreck in the draft. He usually lands 1-2 solid players each year. Which is enough to keep us floating around .500, but not enough to push us over the top. To stay a contender, I believe a GM needs to land a franchise QB and consistently get (at least) 3 solid starters per draft.
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It's hard to be optimistic after the last 15+ years of watching this pathetic organization.
Firing coaches, scouts and front office personnel is only a small part of the equation. We've done it dozens of times before, only to circle back to the same place of losing and mediocrity. The only way the Buffalo Bills will ever get better is by hiring brilliant football people to run the place from the top down.
I'm not upset about Doug Whaley getting fired. The guy was a mixed bag - with some really good moves in free agency and making trades, but also a very average record with drafting and constant rumblings about him clashing with coaches. An argument can be made that he deserved another year. But he also made plenty of mistakes worthy of termination. Whaley certainly wasn't dreadful as GM. But in the 3-4 years he's been running the team, it's hard to see any real progress. Kicking him and the scouting staff out the door gives us a clean slate. Now it all depends on who we bring as replacements at One Bills Drive.
Unfortunately, watching Terry Pegula stumble over himself at the press conference yesterday gives me very little confidence he can find the right General Manager to take Whaley's place. I truly believe the man wants to win for the Buffalo community, and is willing to shell out the money to do so. But I truly question his ability to bring in the right people. The front office organization comes across as a complete mess, with no leadership, no direction, no accountability and no clear indication of who will be running the show.
Sean McDermott seems like a nice guy, and he's had some success as a Defensive Coordinator in this league. People like him because he's disciplined and organized, and is well respected around the league. (Basically the opposite of Rex Ryan). But at the end of the day, it all comes down to winning. Not personality. By late September, the honeymoon will be over and fans will demand results.
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The Bills started with 6 picks.
1, 2, 3, 5, 5, 6
As of right now, the Bills have 6 picks
1, 2, 2, 5, 5, 6
And they added another 1st Rounder for next year. I think the trading around worked.
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You are getting way too hung up on the position we drafted and not the player.
Every single team goes through the cycle of drafting players, then watching those players walk out the door as Free Agents. It's not a Buffalo Bills phenomenon. Because of the salary cap, it's impossible to re-sign everybody. The key to getting ahead of the game is:
1) Keep the pipeline full by hitting on enough of your draft picks
2) Make smart decisions about which players to extend, and which players to let go
3) Try to find the bargains in free agency
4) If you do hand out a big free agent contract, that player better make a huge impact
In my opinion, letting Stephon Gilmore leave was a smart decision. Yes, it created a hole. But his overpriced salary would have eventually (if not this year, then 1-2 years down the road) created a burden on the salary cap, that wasn't worth it for his impact on the field. Now if he was Darrelle Revis in his prime, or Richard Sherman, or Patrick Peterson, then his impact may have been worth that salary. But I just saw too much inconsistent play out of the guy.
In my opinion, drafting Tre'Davious White was also a smart decision. Many of the top analysts and draft sites had White ranked as the #2 CB in one of the deepest secondary drafts in decades. We got him at #27, after adding a 1st Rounder next year and a 3rd Rounder this year.
The fact that Gilmore and White play the same position means absolutely nothing.
I agree.
I agree with all of this.
I agree with all of this as well.
I only sort of agree with this. Gilmore was a good, not great pick - solid starter who seemed like he could be elite but never really was. And I definitely think letting him walk for the money involved was the right move. But if we step back and look at it as a whole, we spent the #10 pick in the draft and got 5 years of good-not-great CB play, and now have nothing to show for it - not even a comp pick. Is that good team building? For a team with a franchise QB tying up lots of cap $, maybe. For a team in the 6-10 to 9-7 range, I personally don't think so.
I separate the trade down from the White pick. I love the trade down and I'm fine with the White pick but don't love it. I would've hated drafting Lattimore at #10 - that would truly be a "spinning our wheels" scenario. On the other hand, if White becomes good-not-great and walks after 5 years, we at least got a 2017 3rd and a 2018 1st out of that #10 overall pick.
Have they? The only high-pick DBs that the Bills have signed to second contracts since the Winfield days were McKelvin and Aaron Williams. And only Williams really fits the bill of a guy who panned out and then got a upper-market contract - if McKelvin had gotten a Gilmore/Clements/Winfield type offer, the Bills would've let him walk. Now, the Bills have shown they'll pay players - Cordy Glenn, Marcell Dareus, Aaron Williams, and Eric Wood are recent high picks who've been re-signed. Jerry Hughes could maybe count as well, since he was re-signed after his 1st-round rookie contract expired. If you want to look at all picks, you can add Stevie Johnson and Kyle Williams to the mix.
(As a sidebar, I'm really surprised how short the above list is - I was expecting more names.)
Most of those guys play on the lines - these are the kind of foundational players that typically are prioritized in the early rounds. On the other hand, here's my list of high picks who panned out but then weren't re-signed: Robert Woods, Gilmore, CJ Spiller, Jairus Byrd, Andy Levitre, Marshawn Lynch, Paul Posluszny, and the list can go on but that's pretty far back already. Only 1 of those guys plays on either line, 2 are DBs, and 2 are RBs.
The Bills also paid Terrence McGee.
Out of all the guys you mentioned not being re-signed, how many were actually mistakes?
Marshawn Lynch (who was traded because of off-field problems)
Jason Peters (who you didn't mention, but definitely should be on the list)
All of the other guys completely busted as Free Agent signings, or were nothing more than solid/decent.
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Because its all the same thing.
McDermott is talking about coming in and competing. That's what every coach the last 97 years here talks about. Working hard.
Because for the 11th time since 1990 the Bills have taken a corner.
Because once again the Bills have kicked the can down the road at Quarterback. You have to hope now that Watson and Mahomes don't pan out, or else that's two more AFC teams you will have to try and hop over if you ever want to win anything again.
Its not that I'm mad, but golf clap, we take another corner and are trending towards the same 6,7,8 wins again. That's why. Pretty simple.
This is a very superficial way to look at the NFL draft.
Fans need to get over rooting for us to draft "a position" and simply root for our front office to make smart decisions.
I've been following these boards long enough to remember the OUTRAGE when the Bills passed on guys like Jimmy Clausen, Ryan Mallet, Johnny Manziel and Bryce Petty. People complained about us taking other positions instead of QB. But if we would have drafted any of those guys, our team would be infinitely worse than today.
It's possible that passing on Mahomes/Watson will come back to haunt us. But it's also possible we dodged a bullet.
Right now, it's impossible to know.
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1. Some people had their heart set on a certain player, such as OJ Howard, Malik Hooker or Reuben Foster. So they are mad we passed on a guy they liked.
2. Some people were going to be upset unless we drafted a Quarterback. Period.
3. Some people think that because we let a starting Cornerback leave in free agency, it is stupid to draft his replacement in the First Round.
4. Some people are going to complain no matter what we do.
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I think it was a good trade for both teams.
Kansas City has been a consistent playoff team, but stuck in neutral because they have reached their ceiling with current QB Alex Smith. They really liked Pat Mahomes and believe Andy Reid can develop him into a franchise quarterback within the next 1-2 years.
Buffalo believes they can compete for a Wild Card spot this season, but know they are 2-3 years (at bare minimum) from being a legitimate contender. Thanks to a new coaching system and free agent losses, they have a lot of holes to fill. Getting an extra pick this year helps. Getting an extra pick next year may help even more.
Either way, it will take a few years to know for sure who made out in the deal. Most of that will depend on how good Mahomes ends up, and how the Bills use the Chiefs 1st Rounder next year.
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We'll see if this was the smart move soon.
How good is the player we draft with the Pats 5th Round Pick? What kind of production will we get out of our backup RBs? What happens if McCoy goes down with an injury?
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Do you understand where the NFL's money comes from? The people at the top of the food chain have no interest in Buffalo having a good team. They want the teams in Dallas and New York to do well. That's not a theory. That's business.
That's why the Pegulas need to stop just talking to their other buddy billionaire friends and get some real outside the box thinking in here. I would not let the other NFL teams "advise" me who to hire as they are in competition with me.
I've kicked around conspiracy theories like this in the past. It just doesn't hold water.
If the NFL was all about "market size" and favoring teams with larger fan bases, then why are the Jets always a laughing stock? Why do the Bears have one Super Bowl win and virtually no sustained success in its entire history? Why are the Steelers and Packers two of the most consistently successful franchises in the league? Why did the NFL ignore the large Patriots market until the turn of the century? What happened to the Cowboys after their dynasty players retired in the late 90s?
The small market excuse is bull. It always has been.
The Bills are on the same playing field as everyone else. They just have a history of hiring the wrong people to run the organization. This trickles down to bad GMs, bad coaches and bad players. This equals losing.
The ONE TIME in 50+ years this team actually hired a brilliant guy to head everything up (Bill Polian), he ended up bringing in a Hall of Fame coach (Marv Levy) and building one of the best football teams ever to step on an NFL field. We won consistently and went to 4 Super Bowls. Nothing any of the "big markets" could do to stop us. And of course we eventually ended up firing Polian, which should tell you something about the decision-making coming from above him.
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You can't re-sign everybody. Every team loses Free Agents.
Every. Single. Team.
The Bills have actually managed to retain the majority of their top free agent talent over the last few years. Jerry Hughes, Marcel Dareus, Cordy Glenn and Ritchie Incognito were all brought back. The only major free agent the Bills let walk since Doug Whaley took over was Jairus Byrd. Fans whined and complained about that. But it was clearly the right decision (even though nobody wants to give this front office credit for being smart). Byrd was ridiculously overpaid and hasn't done squat since leaving Buffalo.
The Patriots always let young guys walk, and are notorious for hard-balling anybody that wants a decent contract. The latest example being Malcolm Butler. In many cases they will actually trade a guy before he hits free agency, just because they don't want to pay him. See Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins. Teams like Pittsburgh and Green Bay are also stingy with re-signing players and are rarely active in free agency.
I know the drill. Bills fans are tired of losing. So they criticize every move this front office makes. But the truth is, the Bills have done a very good job in free agency since Whaley took over. They have re-signed the right players. They have known when to let players walk. They have found bargains that have made a strong impact.
The biggest problem with this franchise (when it comes to player acquisition) continues to be sub-par drafting. The good teams can afford to let free agents walk, because they have strong replacements groomed and waiting in the wings to step up. The Bills continue to spin their wheels because every free agent they don't re-sign creates another hole.
On average, Whaley's drafts are yielding about 2 solid starting players per year - with virtually all of his success coming in the first 3 rounds. His Day 3 picks and undrafted free agents aren't even contributing as decent depth. Now, that number may be an improvement over the disastrous Marv Levy/Dick Jauron years. But that still just isn't good enough to keep the pipeline full.
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Has to be the Bills...Whaley is the King of reaches and he knows a QB is the only position that could extend his employment...this is why he constantly makes poor draft decisions...his choices are always for the wrong reasons...
I'm not a big supporter of Doug Whaley, but what is your reasoning for this comment?
Since he took over as GM, I can't think of too many players that were considered "reaches" where they were drafted. Certainly not at the top of our draft classes.
Most actually considered Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland huge bargains last year.
And how do you know what Whaley's reasoning is behind draft picks?
As fans, let's judge Whaley by his results and not speculation.
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OK. Getting used to the folks here still. As for Gillislee, if they wind up matching a lot of folks will look pretty silly.
I think most of the criticism is how the Bills handled the situation to begin with.
They could have made him untouchable for a higher tender, which only amounted to about $900,000 more in salary.
Now they will need to pay him an additional $2.2 million to match the offer sheet, or let him walk to our biggest division rival.
It's really a lose-lose situation now. Letting Gillislee walk for only a 5th Round Pick makes us look dumb, because it leaves us with no RB depth on the "run-heaviest" team in the NFL. Matching the offer makes us look dumb, because it costs us an extra $1.5 million in cap space just because our front office gave him a lower tender.
The only way the Bills walk out of this situation looking smart, is if they replace Gillislee's production with a cheaper RB or if they draft a stud with the 5th Rounder they get from New England.
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From what I can tell, the NFL did something weird with both the Pats and Falcons schedules specifically. Was it just coincidence that these are the two reigning conference champs? Will this be more common for conference champs moving forward? Is it all about trying to keep the Pats and Falcons from clinching their divisions for as long as possible?
Both Pats and Falcons play 5 of final 6 inside division. And Falcons even have four straight to end the season inside the division. I've occasionally heard of 4 or 5 or three straight all inside the division to end a season before but never what the Pats and Falcons have this year.
I checked out the final six for all the other teams in the NFL and it looked like at most I saw 3 of final 6 games inside the division. In fact it looked like quite a few teams did not have a schedule back loaded with divisional games, many with only 2 in the final six. Jets only have one in final seven for some reason.
Of course the Bills, Dolphins, Saints and Bucs have a lot of divisional games to end the season but I think that has more to do with the Pats and Falcons schedules than it does those individual teams.
Interesting observation.
I haven't looked at everyone's schedules, but our NFC games are all early and our biggest AFC East games are in the last month.
It makes sense from the NFL's standpoint. By doing that, it would keep most division/playoff races alive later in the season and make it harder for teams to clinch early.
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It's always hard to judge a schedule before the season even starts, because so many things can change.
But based on what these teams looked like last year, this schedule looks pretty tough.
- There are only 5 games against teams with worse records than us last year (Jets twice, Panthers, Bengals, Chargers) and 1 game against a team with the same record (Saints).
- There are 7 games against teams with double-digit wins last year (Falcons, Raiders, Chiefs, Dolphins twice, Patriots twice)
- There are only 3 games against teams with unresolved QB situations (Jets twice, Broncos)
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If it the "best" RB draft, why are the Patriots signing Gillislee?
Tom Brady has already defied the odds by playing at a high level this long. He wants to continue going like this for 6-7 more years, but the chances of that actually happening are very small. Regardless of his training/diet, there will be a point that Brady drops off. And I think the Patriots know this.
All of their moves this off-season have been VERY unlike typical Patriot behavior. This is a team that historically has shunned big-name free agents, traded away big players before their contracts expire, and stockpiled draft picks. But this year, the Patriots have:
1. Been reluctant to trade Jimmy Garoppolo, despite the fact he is a free agent next season
2. Traded a 1st Rounder for Brandin Cooks. Next year, his 5th year option will jump his salary to over $8 million. Then he is also a free agent.
3. Signed one of the most overpriced free agents on the market in Stephon Gilmore.
The Patriots are obviously mortgaging their future for another Super Bowl run.
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Clearly the GM role differs depending on the organization.
Who handles the players day-to-day outside of "on field" issues? In some (few) teams it is the coach. In many it is the GM.
Who is the face of the front office? Again, it's normally split between what happened in-game (coach) and "everything else" (GM).
The trust an organization places in a GM can probably be seen better in who is representing the team publically. Most of the time we fans won't really know who pulled trigger on a player decision - through the gamut of whether drafting/FA prioritization, deciding to choose/sign, financial considerations, etc - but we can see who the team chooses to place front and center.
Exactly. Every organization front office is run differently.
On the Patriots, all of the personnel decisions are made by the Head Coach (Bill Belichick). On the Cowboys, all of the personnel decisions are made by the owner (Jerry Jones). These were two of the most successful franchises in football last year, and neither operates with a GM at the top of the pyramid.
I see people calling Doug Whaley a "weak" GM, or claiming the guy is trying to duck responsibility for team failures. Neither of those things is necessarily true. Although it isn't the model Bills fans are accustomed to, it's not rare for the hiring of a Head Coach to be done by someone other than the GM. And few GMs in this league have seen the strange ownership/front office/coaching staff turnover as Whaley has been forced to endure.
Consider Whaley's history here for a second:
1. Most GMs are brought into failing organizations from the outside. Whaley sat behind Buddy Nix (as Assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel) for 4 full drafts before getting promoted to the job. So while most GMs are starting with a clean slate, Whaley always has the decisions of his predecessor hanging over his head. Especially the 2013 draft.
2. The front office changes have been ridiculous. Doug Marrone was hired before Whaley officially took over the GM position. A season later, Ralph Wilson died and there were questions whether the team would even remain in Buffalo. Then Marrone quit. The Pegulas flirted with hiring Bill Polian to take over for Whaley before finally settling on Rex Ryan. Of course, Ryan then lasted less than 2 seasons.
3. The Bills have changed defensive coordinators every season (Pettine, Schwartz, Thurman, Ryan, Frazier) since Whaley stepped onto the job. That can't be easy for continuity.
This is why I've been willing to grant some patience to Doug Whaley, while most others are calling for his head. But my patience is nearing it's end. This will be Whaley's 4th full off-season assembling a roster. So far, we haven't gotten better in the win column. The roster is full of holes, and we don't have a ton of cap space. Like his predecessors, Whaley's drafts have been filled with too many misses and busts. In my opinion, next week will be his last chance. Whaley doesn't need a home run. He needs a grand slam and this team to make the playoffs. Anything less than I'll be leading the charge to kick him out myself.
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I never criticized Doug Whaley for letting Chris Hogan walk out the door. But I believe his handling of Mike Gillislee has been done poorly.
It's not about matching the offer sheet. It's about the fact that we could have paid Gillislee less than $1 million more and locked him up for sure.
Hogan was never going to be a big producer on our offense. He always fit the Patriots system better than ours. And even if he was still on our roster, we would still be looking for an upgrade opposite Sammy Watkins - with Hogan sitting as our #3 or #4. However, with our run-heavy offense and Shady's age, it would be foolish to enter the season without an experienced backup RB that can carry the offense if needed. We know that Gillislee fits our offense and we know that he can produce big when called upon.
Maybe it's all about the system, and we'll have no problems plugging in another guy that can produce 7-8 TDs and over 5.5 YPC.
But if Shady gets hurt, and our run game falls off... there will be no place that Whaley will be able to hide from this decision.
Bills Hiring Joe Schoen as Asst. GM
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
It's not about young or old.
It's not about humble or egotistic.
It's not about whether a coach is brand-new or recycled.
You will see versions of all different approaches successful throughout the NFL.
If the Bills are going to be successful, then the Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane collaboration will simply need to be smarter and better than the other NFL front offices. They will have to make brilliant decisions about roster building, drafting, extending contracts, etc. The talent will need to be properly used on the field, in ways that we can win the vast majority of our games. It sounds like common sense, but I think fans get too caught up in style instead of substance.