mjt328

Not sure going by the "average" numbers from these 15 quarterbacks is a going to be an accurate measurement. Quite simply.... some QBs get better with experience and development. These guys become stars, franchise quarterbacks and solid starters. Some QBs hit a wall and fail to progress. In some cases they get worse as defenses catch-on to their tendencies. These guys turn into busts. For example, Jared Goff's completion percentage jumped by nearly 8 points from his rookie season to Year 2. He went from a 5-7 TD-INT line to 28-7, and increased his yards per game by almost 100. Meanwhile, Robert Griffin III was a Pro Bowler as a rookie, and went steadily downhill afterwards. His completion percentage dropped by 5 points. His TD-INT ration went from 20-5 to 16-12. His yards per game went up, but his yards per attempt dropped from 8.1 to 7.0. In my opinion, you aren't getting a realistic picture by averaging out the results from Goff and Griffin. One guy got better. One guy got worse. How much does Allen's processing/understanding improve? How about his mechanics and accuracy? How will he respond to defenses focusing on stopping his scrambles? Hard to quantify that by looking at a dozen or so completely different players, and averaging out their stats.

Mitch Trubisky improved a lot in his second year. But he looked really bad last night. (To be fair, Aaron Rodgers didn't look that great either). It will be interesting to see if Green Bay's new additions have drastically improved the Defense, if the offenses were just shaking off some rust, or if Trubisky has hit a wall in his development.

Totally agree about the Quarterback. I was referring more to the idea (which has become very popular among many on this board) that you MUST HAVE star players at RB and WR to succeed. But I guess we'll see. The Bills are building a roster with solid role players and strong depth, and making sure they don't have glaring weaknesses. Similar to what you see out of New England. The Jets and Raiders went out and obtained high-dollar Pro Bowlers, but still have big holes elsewhere. Let's see which approach has more success.

There are conflicting reports about how hard the Bills/Beane actually went after Antonio Brown. Some say we just did our due-diligence and checked on the price tag. Others say a deal was almost done, and Brown himself nixed it. Either way... I am so happy we avoided this headache. NFL history has shown it over... and over... and over. Success is about the "sum of the parts" more than individual star-power. Coaches will deal with off-field problems, legal troubles, and even a lack of talent. But nobody wants to deal with a selfish "me first" guy who causes distractions in the locker room.

The argument isn't whether good players like Bell/Brown can help make a team better. They obviously can. The argument was whether having them on the team makes them more respectable. I would argue it does not. The Jets and Raiders are still not a desirable destination for anyone, unless their only goal is to get paid. Nobody thought higher of the Buffalo Bills because we had LeSean McCoy. Nobody. Experts in the media have been predicting us to win 5-6 (or even less) games every season for the last decade plus, with him or without him. All the mess about Brown not wanting to come to Buffalo... that was with McCoy slated as our starting running back. In terms of Cleveland, don't forget that Buffalo is approximately one season behind them in the rebuild process. The Browns began tearing down the roster for draft picks before the 2017 draft. The Bills began tearing down the roster for draft picks after the 2017 draft. The Browns took a big step forward in 2018. If things go as planned, the Bills will take a big step forward in 2019. Odell Beckham was also traded to Cleveland. So it's not accurate to say he WANTED to play for the Browns. In fact, he was pretty upset about it. Besides, the majority of our roster is EXTREMELY young and hasn't gotten a chance to develop yet. Tre White and Matt Milano were (in my opinion) both having Pro-Bowl caliber seasons in 2018, and both were in their second years. Let's see what happens to them with another season under their belts. Not to mention Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, Ed Oliver, Levi Wallace and a ton of other young guys who have shown promise.

Having LeSean McCoy on our roster didn't make us more respectable. Before his release, all I heard were "old" jokes about our backfield and how Shady's best days were behind him. Boasting a top player does not make your franchise more respected around the league. Do you think higher of the Jets because they threw a lot of money at Le'Veon Bell? Are the Raiders less of a joke because they traded for Antonio Brown? Even when McCoy was at his prime, everyone was still laughing and mocking us. The only thing that brings Buffalo respect is WINNING. That's why I don't care about ESPN's power rankings or how many primetime games we get. That's why I don't care when we get shunned by veterans who don't want to come here, or when our good players get ignored during Pro-Bowl voting. The Bills haven't done squat to earn respect in nearly 20 years. If they can start busting teams in the mouth and winning games, you will be shocked how quickly the narrative turns around on this franchise.

It's amazing. 15-20 years of watching the New England Patriots stomp their @$$e$, and most NFL executives STILL don't get it. You don't need big play makers. You don't need Fantasy Football superstars. You don't need a team full of Pro-Bowlers. In fact, many of those guys become locker room distractions and drains to the salary cap. What you need is a top QB. What you need is strong depth, and solid guys across the board who do their job. What you need is a smart game plan, and the ability to be flexible depending on opponent. Many of the league's strongest backfields use a committee-approach. The most efficient passing games are often those who spread the ball around.

One thing people tend to forget, is that cap space carries over from the previous year. Just because we have tons of space, doesn't mean we need to go crazy. As stated, we can probably start looking at early extensions for Matt Milano and maybe Dion Dawkins (if he has a really good year). We get a 5th Year Option on Tre White, so it may be a year too soon to extend him. If the Bills position themselves as contenders, don't be surprised if they target a big-time player through trade.

That's actually a poor indictment of Doug Whaley. Brandon Beane walked in the door and immediately started over. He was GM for only a few months when he began tearing down the roster. Doug Whaley tried to transition from his predecessor (Buddy Nix) and always believed the team was close to becoming a contender.

No. But he is proving to be a very good General Manager. There were many different reasons that our previous GMs failed. Some were good drafters, but couldn't manage the cap. Some were great in Free Agency, but constantly picked busts on draft day. Some lacked forward thinking when building the roster. Some just couldn't get on the same page as their head coach. But Beane seems to be the complete package. In order to be successful at trading, a person needs to: a) Know the strengths and weaknesses of not just his own roster, but the other teams in the NFL. b) Develop strong relationships around the league, and be willing to work the phones. c) Be clever enough to sell another front office on a deal. Let's be honest. Not every GM has these qualities.

People who cover the Bills seemed to give Wyatt Taller a 50-50 shot of making the team, especially after the addition of Ryan Bates. The fact that we traded him for future picks makes it pretty clear. He wasn't going to make it. What's astounding is, Teller played pretty well this offseason and is still very young. It says a lot about the talent Brandon Beane has added at O-Line. Prior to Free Agency, he was possibly our second best linemen. Five months later, he's on the outside looking in. It also says something about Beane's ability to get something out of nothing.

Backup QB is an unused luxury... until it isn't. Without Nick Foles, the Eagles don't win the Super Bowl - and are instead complaining how an injury to Carson Wentz destroyed their season. There are MANY instances where a good backup can win 1-2 games during an untimely injury, keeping a team in a playoff race. How many times did Frank Reich come through for us during the Super Bowl years?

Every coach is different. Some want to use Game 3 to shake the rust off, and have no problem giving starters significant time. Some just want to get through the Preseason without injuries, and keep their key players on the bench. Watching our strategy (on offense in particular), it was clear that Sean McDermott uses each game to practice a different aspect of the scheme. For instance, Game 1 saw the offense working almost exclusively on downfield routes. In Game 2, we switched to mostly short/high efficiency passes. Then Game 3 was almost entirely running the ball, until the 2 minute drill.

So Miami gives up a (probably high) 2nd Round Pick.... to rent Jadeveon Clowney for exactly one-year... during a season most are expecting them to win less than 5 games. And then after the season concludes, he will become a Free Agent and sign with Seattle or Philadelphia. I'm 100% down with this.

Not sure the Bills even need a practice squad QB. Based on what we've seen against preseason 3rd stringers, Tyree Jackson is nowhere close to being capable of running an offense. He won't be active on gamedays. And in the event we needed a #3 quarterback to actually play, our front office would certainly scan the waiver wire for vets before putting Jackson on the field. We don't really need to develop another "future" guy. Both of our current Quarterbacks are young, and should be around for the next several years. Jackson is obviously not displacing Josh Allen anytime soon. At worst, Allen will get another 3-4 seasons to prove himself. Matt Barkley is also only 28, and has developed into a dependable NFL backup.

Know what? I didn't say the Bills would win 10 games and make the playoffs. I said that IF this rebuild goes as planned, we would win 10 games and make the playoffs.

Not sure I would give up a 1st Round Pick under any circumstance. Even if it was conditional. Most draft classes just have too much talent in the Top 20-25. General Managers who know what they are doing (which I believe applies to Brandon Beane) will hit on these picks the vast majority of the time. The highest pick I would consider is a conditional 3rd Rounder, which then turned into a 2nd Rounder. I'm OK with trading players like LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, Jerry Hughes, Lorenzo Alexander.... pretty much anyone who won't be contributing to our team within the next 2-3 seasons. Bottom line... If this whole thing goes as planned, the Bills will be a 10-win playoff team this year. By next season, they will be displacing the Patriots atop the AFC East. By 2021, they will be serious contenders for the Super Bowl. Obviously it's important to build confidence and start winning NOW. But all roster moves need to be made with the future in mind. When we start talking about using future draft picks for high-priced vets, I start getting really skeptical.

If we can get Clowney for a 3rd Round Pick or less, I'm perfectly OK with that. That way if we lose him to Free Agency, we can possibly recoup high compensatory pick. If we can get Clowney for a player (or combination of players) who may not be with the Bills in 2020-2021, I'm perfectly OK with that. Those players probably won't be around if/when we become true Super Bowl contenders, so no big loss. Anything that requires us to sacrifice a high future pick, or a young player who could help this team for years to come... in my opinion, that would be risky and foolish. It's the type of move that would backfire on this franchise 9 times out of 10.

I've watched plenty of Texans games. I'm sorry, but the guy just doesn't stand-out much to me. Yeah, I guess it isn't fair to judge him based on "sack numbers" alone. My fault for bringing that up. But at the same time, I'm not going to call him a superstar just because PFF gives him high grades. Regardless of Clowney's talent, my main point still stands. The Bills cannot sign him to a contract extension. Which makes trading anything of significant value a HUGE risk. If we trade a 1st Round Pick, and then he becomes a Free Agent, it would be considered one of the worst decisions in franchise history.

But what happens if Clowney doesn't want to re-sign with us? Even if his new team verbally agrees to terms, there is nothing that requires either side to honor that agreement after the 2019 season. Let's say he verbally agrees to a 5-year, $100 million contract. Then he gets seriously hurt. How many teams are going to honor that contract? Flip it around and imagine he notches 20 sacks, while earning DPOY honors. What's stopping him from demanding even more money? I have absolutely no problem with Clowney being a Buffalo Bill, despite the questions about his effort and work ethic. Since we have plenty of cap space, I'm even OK with him getting a bloated overpriced contract. What I'm not OK with, is parting with significant resources for a 1-year-rental.

I'm not sure I understand the fascination with Jadeveon Clowney, or why the Bills may be interested. I keep seeing the terms "All-Pro Talent" floating around his name, and it makes me laugh. The guy has been in the NFL for five seasons and still hasn't recorded a double-digit sack season. And that's with offensive coordinators focusing their blocking schemes against stopping J.J. Watt. He's a good player, but certainly not a dominant one. For all the comparisons I see to Mario Williams (which I think is a fair comparison), I don't think Clowney is anywhere close to the pass rusher Williams was at this point of their careers. And as many have pointed out... whoever trades for Clowney cannot sign him to an extension until after the season is complete. The NFL rules forbid it. So unless you are foolish enough to trust a verbal agreement, this would be nothing more than a 1-year rental. Next season, he becomes a Free Agent and can sign with anyone. Now I'm as excited about the upcoming season as anyone, and I'm very optimistic we can make a playoff run. But let's be honest. This team isn't competing for a Super Bowl yet. It would be really dumb to trade any kind of valuable player/draft assets for a guy who may only be in a Bills uniform for one season. Now if we are talking a Day 3 draft pick, or a player like LeSean McCoy (who will also probably be gone next season), that's a different story. Anything earlier would be a bigger waste than Kelvin Benjamin.

The overreactions here are hilarious. The regular season can't get here soon enough. Yes. The "hero ball" throw was an absolutely poor decision. I wasn't happy with it, and I don't want it to become a habit. But it was literally ONE THROW. The idea that veterans don't ever make that throw (you hear this quite a bit) is totally false. Even Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers occasionally do things like that . And we all recall Hall of Famer Brett Farve making regular decisions like that well into his 40's. Now if it eventually becomes a Jay Cutler or Ryan Fitzpatrick type situation, then we can talk. Until then, give the guy a break. And outside of that ONE pass, Allen barely even threw the ball last night. His 3 incompletions were all tough throws into tight coverage. Oh well. It was clear the offensive plan was to focus on the running game. He wasn't even asked to pass, except to convert third downs.

Every coach utilizes preseason differently. The idea that Game 3 is the "dress rehearsal" for the regular season doesn't always apply. The coaches have been talking up Zay Jones and his versatility all offseason. I think the reason he played well into the second half, was because they wanted to give him actual game reps out of the slot (which he isn't going to do with Cole Beasley on the field). I would be absolutely shocked if Jones gets cut. To me, he is absolutely safe - along with John Brown, Beasley, Robert Foster and Andre Roberts. I agree that WR#6 comes down to Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams and Ray Ray McCloud. My guess is that McKenzie has the leg-up in this competition, but they are going to have a really tough time letting Williams go after his performance the last two weeks. It felt like they wanted to give him a chance to earn his place, and he's stepped up big. They may be forced into keeping 7 receivers. McCloud hasn't stood out in preseason games, and he's still eligible for the practice squad. He's on the outside looking in.

At best, the average fan is just "piggybacking" off the information they obtain from media sources. They need to watch ESPN or read CBS Draft Scout before even knowing WHO the top prospects are. The professional scouts are literally starting from scratch. They spend all year long researching hundreds of college players, from all over the country. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with regular guys with watching YouTube game film on players. And I think it's very possible for non-professionals to develop well-researched opinions on various prospects. It's actually one of my favorite things to do in the offseason. But it's also important to keep in mind when you are scrutinizing Josh Allen's film and bashing the bills for drafting him -- a QB from Wyoming wouldn't have even been a blip on your radar if not for the professional scouts. Personally, I wanted the Bills to draft Josh Rosen instead. But I'll willingly admit to being wrong.

Said it before. The Internet has changed the way people debate, and not necessarily in a good way. Everyone thinks they are an expert at everything. And very few are willing to admit when they are wrong about something. Most people will double-down, and refuse to budge regardless of the evidence. Josh Allen has always been a PERFECT example of how the general public (a.k.a. the fans) differs from the NFL professionals, when it comes to scouting a college prospect. Fans usually HATE when their teams draft players based on physical potential. They want their GM to take the guys who put up the big stats and had lots of college success. They want guys like Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow. But NFL scouts are paid to see past the NCAA results, and try to forecast how good a guy CAN be. By most accounts, Allen was absolutely loved by most NFL scouts. He had all of the physical, athletic and mental traits desired in an NFL quarterback. The only reason he lasted as long as he did, was because 2018 was an exceptionally strong QB draft. Up until the flood of Draft Websites and YouTube channels, the average fan could scream how STUPID his team was for not drafting Manziel.... but never had to own up to it when that guy turned out to be a bust. Now all of the Internet "experts" are learning how difficult scouting really is, and they can't hide all of their old opinions. But instead of admitting "Maybe the Bills actually did draft the right Josh"... they choose to criticize EVERY inaccurate pass, and downplay any success Allen has. It's actually kinda sad and pathetic.