SoMAn

Considering the lifespan of modern stadiums and the length of time it takes to get anything done in WNY, NOW is the time to start the downtown stadium study along with all necessary planning so they can have everything in place to begin construction in 2048. That might be the foresight needed to have a covered downtown stadium ready for the opening of the 2051 season. Picture that with the long-promised flying cars! 🙂

I didn't get the feeling that he was a great fit for this team. Nice guy, decent player, but I never got the sense the chemistry was there with Josh and the rest of the offense. More serious personality than the Mr. Brightside bunch that Josh seems more comfortable hanging with.

The smiley face emoji was supposed to let you know it was meant with tongue in cheek.

Ummm...that's a big 'NO' from me. With his NFL salary, endorsements, future pension, and smart investments, Josh will probably be a billionaire before his 40th birthday. He gets plenty from all of us via tickets, NFL Sunday Ticket, merchandise sales, endorsement purchases, etc. etc. Apart from the material indulgences, he also gets his bell rung by a Hollywood starlet, with an estimated net worth of $22M. He hardly needs trinkets from this group of keyboard idiots. Now, if he cares to donate something to my Roth, I'm all ears. 🙂

Realistically, we may be wise to look at the big picture. Suppose Elam turned into a pretty good CB and our round 6 pick spent most of his time inactive or on the practice square. We'd be in exactly the same position we are now and few people would be complaining about the round 6 CB not securing a starting role. We got lucky and the Bills were able to get a good starting corner, even though it wasn't the player that was taken late in round 1. You win some, you lose some. I don't know if it's our expectations or just luck, but Beane seems to have more success in mid rounds than he does in the first. Any time a GM is questioned about the process of drafting and bringing in young talent, they all have the same view; there's almost no player that is a 'sure thing', even though statistically there's a better chance of a top 10 pick being a starter. Go back and look at the first round picks over the past several years. I'll bet about a third never see a second contract with the team that drafted them.

I've stated this previously, so forgive me for being redundant... Beane was caught between a rock and a hard place when they reached for Elam. Levi Wallace was gone in FA. Tre White was coming off a serious injury and his immediate future and ability to contribute was in doubt. Then, the icing on the cake was the run on CBs in that draft before the Bills were up. I believe Beane desperately wanted McDuffie, but of course, our arch nemesis Kansas City snagged him a couple picks ahead of us. Ughhh! There weren't too many options in free agency. Beane had no other choice. There was a gaping hole in the CB position(s). He had to gamble. Elam seemed eager to learn and he had athletic ability. For whatever reason, it never worked out. I suspect he was simply unable to process the defensive schemes that rely on communication and everyone being on the same page. He was unable to be part of a bigger unit that had to work in concert. Unfortunately, I don't believe Beane learned his lesson. I hope I'm wrong, but I think he took the same 'desperation and need' approach when they took Coleman as a consolation prize after the run on WRs. Best of luck to Elam. Just glad we got something in return that can be used to find a contributing player or as trade capital when bundled with other mid round picks.

Another consideration might be the era of dynasties. First, the Pats, now the Chiefs. Even the 49ers, Steelers, or Cowboys who were dominant for multiple years didn't have dynasties that lasted as long as the Patriots and the Chiefs, who appear positioned to extend their domination for several more years. If not for Mahomes, Reid, and the Chiefs, Josh would probably have reached at least 2 super bowls by now. A play here or there can mean the difference. On the plus side, the Bills have remained competitive, even in what was thought to be 'a transition year'. Staying competitive annually increases their chances to eventually reach the super bowl. Whether or not they get there remains to be seen, but if Josh and the Bills don't get there, they won't be the first great QB/team combo to miss out.

Maybe a better comparison would be to include the most playoff wins by QBs before finally getting to the Super Bowl. I'm not going to bother doing the research, but I'm thinking Elway, Manning, maybe some others had as many playoff wins (as Josh) before finally getting to the big game.

Maybe. Then why would KC not use that pick for an economical RB that may be as good as Cook?

It is. Their big boys against ours. A reverse tug-of-war. I kind of agree that it’s not really in the spirit of traditionally accepted football skills, but fans like it, so it probably stays. Clocking the ball to swap a down for a time out isn’t in the spirit of the game, but it’s become part of time management in desperate situations. I won’t be surprised if the NFL revises or enforces the runners be aided by a group of their Offensive teammates. They’re not supposed to be pulled forward, but I’ve seen it done numerous times and haven’t seen it flagged.

I was also at both events. ‘74 opener Monday night with OJ out after early injury. The final minutes were not dissimilar to the 13 second game with several lead changes. I was also at first Bills’ Monday night game in Oct ‘73 against Chiefs. The Stones concert was Aug 8 ‘75. One of the sheets hanging from upper deck was spray painted “Mick Jagger- Starf__ker”. I didn’t know then that it was the name of a Stones song. Also saw them July 4 ‘78 at Rich.

I can't really argue too much with any of your player assessments or the grade. My only hope is that the team is able to develop a few of the questionable rookies into dependable veterans. But right now, I don't see anyone from the 2024 draft that has any more value than a journeyman 'prove-it-deal' one year signee.

Use some draft capital to move up if a 'difference maker' is available, particularly on the D-line. The constant end of round 1 picks are not yielding anything better than day 2 and sometimes day 3 picks. If there's no opportunity to move into the top 15 (+/-), drop back and accumulate more picks. Play the numbers game and hope to hit on a couple economical picks that turn into Kyle Williams, Shakir, or MIlano level players.

One of the challenges teams with elite QBs face is paying the main man and still having enough cap room leftover to sign or extend complimentary players. Commercial endorsements could bring in a substantial supplemental income for a star player that may be enough incentive to accept a 'below-market' playing contract, leaving additional funds to retain important teammates. I believe Brady used to accept a lower paycheck, preventing other key players fleeing in FA. Mahomes is probably making a small fortune doing TV ads and other endorsements. He could easily forego half of his QB paycheck to stay in the spotlight on an elite team, which would create more endorsement opportunities. If Josh can make a killing doing ads, while at the same time leaving more money for the Bills to sign others, more power to him.

O.J. Simpson hosted.

Not as a player who ever sees the field, but maybe as a practice squad, suited-up mentor - in a similar way that Hyde was used last season. But really, not much need there either. Supposedly, Hyde was brought in later the season to coach up Bishop, who was likely to get playing time. The Bills have been following the old Patriots model of 'better to cut them loose a year too early than to keep them a year to long'. Good scouting, development, and player attrition are the keys to keeping a team fresh and not over-extending veteran contracts, unnecessarily challenging the salary cap. Bring Tre back to lead the pre-game cheers as The Legend of the Game - in full goalie gear.

Who among us …?

As great as Allen is, his Achilles heel is poor timing on those long, over the shoulder, rainbow arcing balls that are so pretty when they connect (like the one Hurts threw that sealed the game for the Eagles). Josh can throw a ball 60 yards on a frozen rope, but rarely have we seen him throw a long ball in the air in which the receiver didn't have to slow down to make the catch, or where the ball sails just out of reach. Josh is good on crossing patterns, but the vertical timing passes aren't his strong suit. I still think we need some speed and quickness on the outside - a WR who can get separation consistently and possibly draw double coverage. Not of fan of Coleman. If he were a 4th round pick I'd be inclined to give him more latitude, but like the Elam pick, I think this was another desperation reach by Beane. Reinforce the D-line with penetrating DTs who can also stuff the run, and then find the WR in FA.

They wouldn't be giving up 3 players. The 1's would be swapped. Yes, they'd give up two 2's. Though they've grabbed a few good 2's in recent years, there've been a fair share of players that never amounted to much like Boogie Basham, Cody Ford, Zay Jones, Reggie Ragland. My point is that too often they end up with late first round picks like Colemans, Elams, Kincaid, Rousseau, Lawson, etc. Some are decent contributors, but hardly star players. Several are below average for the draft position. At this point, I'd be happy to trade the inconsistent Ed Oliver and the round 1 pick to get in the top third of the draft with the hope of getting that every down DT who can disrupt the middle of the line and stuff the run. If there was a player tagged as a blue chip prospect that could be had by trading those picks, I'd be good with it.

Of course. Would be nice to have (for example) a Justin Jefferson level player.

I wouldn’t be the least bit disappointed if they could trade both 2’s and the 1 to be able to grab an impact player in the top 12. Seems they’re always missing the blue chip players and reaching with their late round picks, usually ending up with someone never a threat to make any pro bowls. If they could somehow get a top tier edge, CB, or WR, it would be well worth swapping 1’s and missing round 2. With the amount of draft capital projected, it’s not hard to imaging they could trade back into the second round.

Gaza. Build that beachfront stadium !

Are you referencing the ‘65 AFL Bills? 😅Dementia too! What a wonderful world to live in. Yeah, Jack Kemp with his sub-50% completion was an all time great. It’s a travesty that he’s not in the HOF. 🙄

Yes, though he shouldn't wait to be waived and just retire with some dignity. He's too expensive for his level of contribution. Bad bang for the buck. It's funny, I try to like Von as a person, but part of me thinks he's a total ass-kissing phony who tries too hard to come off as 'the good guy'. The domestic abuse charges kind of confirmed for me who I thought he was.

It was the inferior league in ‘64 and ’65, proven by the lopsided Packers’ wins in the ‘Championship’ games. The AFL had to compete against the established NFL for the best college players in 2 separate drafts. There were only 7 other teams in the AFL. In 10 years of the AFL’s existence, the odds were fairly decent that any particular team could win at least one league championship. Even the Buffalo Sabres could have won a championship in an 8-team league. Kemp wasn’t even the best QB on the team. They stupidly traded Lamonica to the Raiders for Tom Flores and Art Powell. Kemp was a true leader, but his skill level didn’t compare to JA17, who has been described as one of the most athletic quarterbacks of all time. Rating Kemp over Kelly or Allen is laughable. Guessing that geriatric myopia is setting in as you approach your 70s. It happens. Godspeed on your journey.