PolishDave

You don't know what year is going to be your year. You are supposed to try to win the championship every year. Isn't that what you are telling your players? Not trying to win is friggin nonsense. The Bills also gave a 6th round pick away. The Bills could have gotten a compensatory pick as high as round 3 for Watkins if he ended up going somewhere else for a big contract. Getting rid of your best players when they are dirt cheap to keep this year is downright stupid if you are honestly trying to win games on your way to the playoffs for a chance to compete for the title. I wonder what kind of car Beaner drives. I would like to trade him an old rotbox rusty plymouth with a big dent in the rear quarter panel for whatever he is driving. I'll throw in a free tank of gas too. The car I am trading to him might not pass inspection next year. But what the hell? He obviously doesn't like having nice cars to drive around in when he can still get to work in a rusty old plymouth that might be worth $100 more next year than it is this year. Think he makes the deal?

Huh? They are both free agents after 2017. You likely got way more bang for the buck with Sammy this year than you are likely to get from EJ Gaines.

In case you didn't already know this - um - it was never up to Tyrod to determine how many times they threw the ball last year or any year. It was up to the guy calling the plays. And the number of times they threw the ball correlated exceptionally well with where they ranked in terms of total yards. Look it up. Just as the number of total rushing yards also correlated well with the number of times they ran. Look it up. If you are pissed that the Bills are running the ball too much you should be pissed at the guy calling the plays - A.K.A. the offensive coordinator.

The list of reasons to trade Sammy right now is WAY shorter and less meaningful than the reasons to NOT trade him. I'll stop there as this isn't a Sammy trade thread. But I had to say it since you brought it up. If the coaches don't value top talent at the receiver position (that is already on the team instead of having the draft gamble) then fine. It still isn't a reason to ditch one of your top 3 offensive threats, especially when the guy was dirt cheap this year and in a contract year where he is expected to give 110%. And then pretend that having a second round pick next year is somehow better for this team than having an already proven top tier receiver - It's just stupid.

I know what he meant by it. It is just my opinion that Sammy was more of a team player than either Hughes or Dareus has been or is. So that excuse rings hollow with me. Very poor excuse. He is grasping at straws for an excuse to justify downgrading at WR this year when they certainly didn't have to.

If that was his primary concern then guys like Hughes and Dareus should have been gone by now. If you're gonna talk the talk - better walk it too.

Pretty soon they will start bringing in McDermott's buddies from back in high school. After all, who cares about talent. It's all about the team. And I bet he still has a tight bond with those chums from back in school. Maybe they can make a big paper banner that the players can run through when they stampede out of the tunnel before each game. That would be very team-ish. Maybe they can get a touchdown Jesus like Notre Dame. Or perhaps this one:

Good lord dude. You are reading too hard into it. When you are at work - and your boss comes over and chews you a new ass, do you walk away smiling because it puts you in a great mood - or does it basically ruin whatever good mood you might have been in and make you pissed and miserable? It's simple human nature. When you get chewed out by someone whose respect/love/friendship you strongly desire - it tends to piss you off. And pissy moods are highly contagious. Just look at this board.

Let's see how they play as a unit. I expect them to be bad. And with Preston Brown playing MLB - other teams will be making hay all day with short passes to whoever he is responsible for. Hopefully the pass rush is good enough to force errant throws resulting in turnovers. Otherwise - look out man.

I think this Bills secondary has the potential to be among the worst ever. Could be totally wrong about that. As it stands right now I see teams putting up big numbers through the air this year absolutely destroying the Bills over the middle. And without a healthy Sammy on offense, I see worse production from the passing game. Something tells me that Dennison isn't the type of coach who is going to be going for the deep pass often at all. And if he doesn't, teams will stack the box. They will defend the run much better than they have and begin having more success with their pass rush against Buffalo. Could become a downright ugly season. The biggest factor I think is going to be how well the secondary performs. If they suck, these games are going to be a joke. Bills will get blown out repeatedly. I really hope this secondary and linebacking core surprises to the upside.

Dude, if the Bills make the playoffs and win a couple of games - they are either playing in the AFC Championship game or the Superbowl depending on whether they got the first round bye or not.

What would the Bills get? Chad Kelly?

Their decision isn't going to be made based on this Thursday's preseason game. If it is, then Beaner is a total idiot.

And he is hedging his bet by getting rid of Tyrod's favorite target. If the Bills stink out of the gate this year (regardless of whether it is mostly the offense or defense at fault) I suspect the rookie Qb to come in and the coaching to throw in the towel. And as a season ticket holder who pays thousands of $$ every year for this - count me as pissed thinking that is what they are intending.

The more I think about it, the more I am leaning towards it being a coincidence that those passes went to Sammy back to back. It was a glimpse of what this season could/may have been like with a healthy Sammy and Tyrod in Dennison's offense. - Pleasant dreams gone "poof" up in smoke. If Beaner is lying, he is damn good at it. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt unless these things become a pattern.

This is what I am thinking also.

The matter must have been discussed back during the discussion/decision about picking up the option or not - as Nucci pointed out. I don't think it necessarily means they discussed the specifics just prior to the game.

That second round pick isn't getting you a QB that is likely better than the one you have now. And its not going to be enough trade ammo to get you to be the first team picking QB. If you want to have a dominant offense - you need to have some players who are dominant at their position. The Bills just traded one away. That makes them less competitive. It makes it harder for the offense to become dominant. Pretty simple logic if you ask me.

No it doesn't. Trading Tyrod could have forced the acquisition of a different quarterback. - still no guarantee you get a better one. Trading Sammy Watkins facilitates you having a less explosive passing attack. It in no way facilitates you getting a better QB - not this year or next year or ever. Your logic is fubar.

Chris Hogan

People are just saying that now because so far their record running the Bills in meaningful games is 0-0. If the Bills suck horribly the next two years, most people will want the Pegulas to send this whole staff to the guillotine.

If the offer was sweet enough, I have little doubt this staff would hesitate in trading Tyrod. It appears they are long term thinkers more so than short term thinkers.

No doubt. Imagine how hard it already must be for players to pu the thought of "getting traded" or getting cut - out of their minds. Then you have it happen to one of the most talented guys on the team that everyone likes - All of a sudden the players start thinking - hey that could be me today or tomorrow - and they start thinking - Does this coach/GM even really want to win this year or not? Doesn't exactly help players to keep a positive attitude about their job and/or their season.

One could come to the conclusion that the new regime thinks that talented receivers are a dime a dozen. Or perhaps they believe that having elite talent at receiver is not a meaningful factor in winning Superbowls.

Odds of this happening have likely increased since the Watkins trade. One thing overlooked in this is how Tyrod has a tendency to be more hesitant throwing to receivers he doesn't have a LOT of chemistry with. We saw it last year when the receiving core was depleted. Which receivers is Tyrod going to have great chemistry with in the early games this season? Will the Bills have any receivers that Tyrod trusts enough to just let the ball fly and allow the receiver to make a play? My opinion - maybe Boldin because of his and Tyrod's history together and because of Boldin's vast experience and history of proving himself - Probably no other receivers on this team though. In early games we could see a very skitsy Tyrod who wants to hold the ball too long.