jeffismagic

Agreed on all counts.

John, I think the problem is you are assuming a greater competence in the Bills ownership than they deserve. There is a capricious nature to how they run their teams that continues to this day. I can highlight this with a few key points: Sabres: After running into Lafontaine twice Terry offers him the GM job. Remarkably, Terry Pegula, after having met Pat LaFontaine just twice, offered him the Sabres’ general manager job during a dinner with the former Sabres player. Keep in mind, LaFontaine had never been a general manager. LaFontaine turned it down pointing out that he didn’t have the skills for that job. What kind of hiring and firing process is this? It’s one that seems spastic and inconsistent. This unorthodox and unrigorous process has resulted in at least one bad outcome: a newly hired President of Hockey Operations who resigned after just a few months on the job, leaving the Sabres with yet another public relations nightmare. Now, during his time here, LaFontaine did hire Tim Murray to be the GM and it may be that Murray turns out to be a stellar personnel man. But, if it does, it has the feel of the blackjack player who hit on 17 and got a 4. It would be a lucky outcome from a bad process. https://www.buffalorising.com/2014/03/the-pegula-process-why-sabres-fans-should-be-worried/ Then we have the hiring of Rex Ryan when the Bills GM Doug Whaley told the Pegulas not to hire him for football reasons but the Pegulas were in love. Then we get the firing of Rex Ryan and the Pegulas now fall in love with Sean McDermott before even interviewing him. They decided to meet McDermott first, on their yacht, without those pesky football guys (Whaley and Monos) getting in the way first! It was notable that, the day before the "formal" interview that would include Whaley and former director of player personnel Jim Monos, the Pegulas invited McDermott to join them for dinner on their yacht in Boca Raton, Fla. He had the Pegulas at "hello." He impressed them so much, that as Kim drove McDermott to the airport after the next day's six-hour session, she was already telling him to have his wife (who had been invited to Boca Raton as well, but couldn't make the trip) call her for information about housing and other essentials in Western New York. Whaley's virtual disappearance from public view after McDermott's arrival wasn't a coincidence. It was a fulfillment of a condition of McDermott's employment. http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/01/vic-caruccis-bills-wake-call-new-gm-wont-change-structure/ Again, the decision to fire Whaley was not a carefully thought out plan. He was part of the coaching search! It was the end result of falling love with the young DC from Carolina before ever even seeing him and handing him Chip Kelly type authority. There are two methods you can use to evaluate players. 1.Scouting 2.Analytics I believe actual old school scouting is the best method and should carry the most weight. One of the people I talked to said his nickname for Zay Jones was "glue" because he believed NFL DB's would stick to Jones like glue. Then there is the analytics data. I think this should be applied by smart teams to top them off or recheck their work. Zay Jones also sets off alarm bells there. https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/zay-jones/ Lots of nice athletic numbers but an alarmingly low yards per catch.

I think everything depends on context. If the Bills were truly doing a rebuild and the trade for Sammy resulted in a bottom 3 finish (top 3 pick!) and 2 2nds I could be persuaded. But my understanding is that Sean McD and Beane sold Pegulas on making the playoffs with Tyrod this year.

There's a reason why players who go to Buffalo lose value in dynasty leagues. Getting drafted by Buffalo is a death sentence for an NFL wide receiver. Sammy Watkins would be a huge star if he was playing with a real QB and a modern NFL offense.

I don't think anyone has ever accused me of drinking the Koolaid on this board and I can state that Sammy Watkins is a special talent who the Bills would be foolish to trade for a low 1st or 2nd round pick.

How do you know this? Just standing next to Gary Kubiak is enough?

Sorry, was driving around. 5:39

Correct. He wasn't calling the plays. So maybe this means something, maybe it doesn't. I expect another bottom 5 passing offense finish.

I agree that the team with the better QB wins. And so what did we do? Did we hire an offensive coach who also is a QB guru? If we had hired a Shanahan or a Jim Bob Cooter I would be thrilled. No, we hired another zone defense coach. And what was this new coach/GM's philosophy? Bring back Tyrod Taylor after he FAILED last year to do enough to justify picking up the option. And for what purpose? Because this is a playoff team? Because we need to win now? If so then win now. If you're going to rebuild, rebuild. Bills always try to middle things and it gets mediocre results. Not only that the contract is bad. 8,500,000 dead cap for a guy we might cut after this year? This is not smart planning or analytics. It's a punt from the 42 yard line. Now let's get to the draft. Tre White was drafted in the right place. I won't get into who they passed because that has been exhausted to death. But it was a QB prospect that someone who was his former boss and QB guru wanted. That should have alerted Sean that he might not have the winning hand. Now to Zay Jones. I think he was not only a reach but we spent a 2nd AND 3rd on him. Terrible value for a future 2nd or 3rd possession receiver. Dawkins I love as a pick and where we got him. But again, to fill the need they gave away picks. You don't trade away picks when you are building or rebuilding to fill needs. This same carelessness with draft picks came to their FA signings. Vlad Ducasse? WHY??? You don't pick up fat slobs that can't play when you just let your #1 corner and #2 WR walk for big money. You need to get value back using the NFL's formula. Now to the time frame. I believe you are right that an owner should pick the best guys and show patience. But when have the Pegulas demonstrated this? They have fired their last two hired coaches in 2 or less years. You can hope this will be different but if the Bills win less then 8 games in 2017 and 2018 I believe we will be hiring a new GM and coach in January 2019.

Tuel and Peterman both throw floaters. There was a pass Peterman threw at the Senior Bowl to the sideline where the ball seemed to just take forever. That might work against 3rd stringers in a preseason game but against NFL corners they will step in front of that and run in for 6.

The Bills decided to go with admin type guys. At head coach I would have preferred a top X's and O's guy. At GM I wanted to do a full search and hire the best talent evaluator money could buy. The draft was an attempt to replace players that left for cheap. Not the hallmark of the best drafting teams in the NFL. And now the head coach who was handed Chip Kelly power by the Pegullibles decides not to pick up Sammy's option and start tough guy bravado on Dareus. To me it feels like winter is coming.

I hope this doesn't happen but I can understand why Sammy wouldn't want to play here. Dinosaur football, no QB, fans that blame him for getting injured.

I doubt these guys would know a QB if they walked up and tapped us on the shoulder. I am starting to think Tyrod will be brought back in 2018.

Zay Jones is not Antonio Brown. That's the point of drafting for upside.

Zay Jones is not and never will be a #1WR. If Beane thinks that get him out of here.

If they trade Watkins they will have to spend another first to get a #1WR. And whoever they draft will not be as good as Sammy.

Trading Watkins doesn't help get a QB. Unless you're trying to tank. If you tank do it right and don't have Sean Jauron his way to 6 or 7 wins.

Trading Watkins is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. Then again this is the Bills.

And so it begins.

This was the thinking that led to trading Marshawn Lynch.

Absolutely. And from what I heard, Whaley and Brandon's relationship was never the same after Rex was hired. Whaley was brought in by Brandon and they thought they could make Whaley do their bidding. But Whaley thought he could convince people to get better and he never realized what the game actually was. Once Rex was hired Whaley was a dead man walking.

Speaking of hindsight! Sure, after Rex is hired Pegula says that.

Doug Whaley told them to hire a Hue Jackson or a Kyle Shanahan and keep Jim Schwartz defense in place. Russ Brandon wanted Rex for non-football reasons. Brandon's view won out.

The football guys including the GM told the Pegulas not to hire Rex. It's on them for listening to Russ Brandon over Doug Whaley. But of course Whaley got fired and Brandon remains.