BillsFan4

Yeah they seem like they've been somewhat frequent so far this preseason.

Yup. The Bills players - Kelly, Thurman, Smith, Reed etc. - have all talked about that. How the "bickering Bills" actually kind of helped lead to change and really galvanize them as a team. Which they all site (that closeness and culture that developed) as a big reason why they went to 4 SB's in a row.

I really do believe that there is such a thing as losing cultures in sports, and that it takes more to ultimately win championships than just having some good/great players. Don't get me wrong, you need good/great players to win championships. But not every great players is able to win one, either. He has to have the right team and culture around him to do so. I have heard too many players and executives (in the NHL, NFL etc) talk about the importance of culture over the years to believe it's made up. From my own experience playing sports, the best teams I played for almost always had one thing in common - what I would call a "good team culture". It almost always started with very good coaching and the best player(s) on the team being bought in and helping push the coaches message. The first year I won a league championship with my team, we had a bunch of good players but we also had a great team culture. We all had a lot of belief in what the coaches were doing. There was a great attitude during games and practices. Even when we were down in games, we always believed that we could come back and win. There wasn't that pouting attitude or any giving up. Not every team that I've been on with good players had this. Having the right mix of personalities with the right attitudes is a significant thing IMO. I've also played on teams with some really talented players that ended up losing quite a bit and there was a noticeable difference in the coaching and/or player attitudes & belief system on those teams. When you have talented players who don't give a crap or start to pout when losing, or don't buy in to that team, it's usually not going to end well, IMO anyway. Like this one year we had a few really talented players (and what I considered to be a good team overall) but the best players were kind of jerks that formed their own little clique in the locker room and were always talking crap about the coach as well as some of their teammates and it really had a major impact on the entire team. We never won nearly as many games as we could/should have. As soon as we'd get down in the game the entire demeanor of the team changed.

Man she's a trip. I got a kick out of her after Grimes injury with that picture on her phone.

No problem man. It's something I was told when I first signed up here. Just passing it along.

He never said that he didn't discuss whether Sammy fit into their long term plans, or the possibility of trading him. He just said that he didn't tell him there was a potential trade pending right before his first ever game as a head coach. I can almost guarantee that they discussed Sammy's future with the team long before that trade ever happened. They had been getting trade calls since spring when McDermott decided not to pick up Sammy's 5th year option. Plus Beane, McDermott and Pegula discussed the trade for hours after the game and they all came to a decision together. It was not just Beane doing it on his own.

Holy ****. Are you guys serious? It was just a joke. It's ok to laugh you know. Not everything has to be taken so serious. It's football, you know - a game. Man oh man some people sure are super raw and sensitive on this Sammy Watkins subject, huh? Calling out my intelligence for posting a picture.... And I'm jealous, insecure and bitter too? lol. What are you Sigmund Freud? if you interpreted that much from a simple picture I posted on a message board, are you by any chance for hire? I need a good psychologist. Thanks though, guys. I needed a good laugh. Especially coming from you ScottLaw considering the stuff you've been posting since this trade happened. Id say that i've basically been nothing but rational about this trade, while you on the other hand... And I don't hate Sammy BTW. I like him a lot and expect a monster season from him now that he's healthy and I think it sucks that it won't happen with the Bills. But it's not life and death stuff and I'm not so hurt that I can't attempt (and obviously fail) to make a joke about it.

Just to give you a heads up Cherrybone, this place is not like BBMB. It is frowned upon to continue starting random new threads. There is already a Tyrod thread ongoing. This should have just been posted there. It's how this place works. For example, I have just over 700 posts now and I have started maybe 2 new threads total out of those 700 posts. Before you start a new thread, they want you to use the search function for the topic you are thinking about starting. In this case the topic would be "Tyrod Taylor". So you use that search function on the top of the page to search for Tyrod Taylor, then post this there instead of starting a new thread (or you can just look and see there is a Tyrod thread on the front page). Anyway, just letting you know since you're relatively new here.

That was a good read. Sounds like they acquired him to be a deep threat. I wonder if they'll use him on the shorter bubble screens (etc) and allow him to do what he excelled at in college and get YAC. We never really got to see much of that in Buffalo. Sammy's a great deep threat, don't get me wrong. But he has so much more to his game than that. It'd be a shame if LA didn't take advantage of that either.

Lol. In other news, Rams also working with medical staff on a new uniform/equipment for Sammy to wear during games -

Yeah, with their 3rd string QB playing hurt and missing other key players too (like Gronk for much of the game). Do you remember Brady at the beginning of his career? For years he was more of a check-down game manager type QB. He wasn't always the same Brady that we see today, who has had the chance to literally perfect playing in that system. Again, Brady is amazing and will go down as one of the best ever. But that Pats team is so much more than just Brady alone. Giving Brady all the credit neglects giving Belichick just as much credit for what he's done. The Patriots are a very good all around team almost every single year, on offense and defense.

Eichel, Sabes set for a fresh start - https://www.nhl.com/news/jack-eichel-buffalo-sabres-ready-for-new-start/c-290672042 Good article with an interview from Eichel.

This would be a nice get IMO. I think he has a damn good shot at being an NHL defenseman. Whether that's a bottom pairing offensive specialist type, or a legit top 4 guy I don't know. But he would surely bolster Buffalo's depth on defense, that's for sure. I'd be excited if Botterill and Housley can get this done.

Not at all what I said. The QB is extremely important. But yeah, when you have maybe the greatest cosch in NFL history, I'd say that's a pretty big advantage. Brady is also a special QB. But I was saying that Belichick really helped in his development. The Patriots are an all around good team on offense and defense almost every year though, and Belichick is an absolute master at game planning and mid game adjustments. He's maybe the best I've ever seen in my lifetime. He is also fantastic at finding players that fit his team and getting more out of them than most others can. It's not just Brady out there by himself winning championships.

I think having a top 10 defense 4 of the past 5 years is pretty successful, no? They also were the NFC South division champions in 2013, 2014 and 2015 with almost an undefeated season and a SB appearance in 2015. I don't know. I've been a big fan of McDermott and Carolina's defense since 2013. They were a pretty impressive unit IMO. One of the better defenses in the NFL most years and usually pretty exciting to watch. And Beane didn't come up on the scouting side, but he does have some scouting experience. That's why he hired a top of the line scouting and personnel staff though. He recognized that probably wasn't his strong suit and he acted accordingly. When's the last time we've had a scouting and personnel staff like this? Pegula spared no expense. Paid top dollar in the NFL and Beane was able to get some top of the line people because of it (IMO anyway).

Maybe not the 5 of 7 Super Bowls. But yes, I think they would still be a very successful team even without Brady. He was a 6th round draft pick. I don't know if he ends up one of the greatest QBs ever without Belichick. Playing in the same offense his entire career is also a big help IMO. Belichick won 11 games with Matt Cassel! and went 3-1 with Garoppolo and Brisset. Brady is obviously s big reason for their success but Belichick is easily just as big a reason IMO. Brady isn't the most gifted QB in the NFL. There have been many more talented QBs than Brady in NFL history that never had nearly as much success.

That was a good read. It's going to be interesting to watch Jacksonville and Coughlin, especially if things don't go too well. He is a coach thru and thru and he's such a control freak. I think much of how this Marrone-Coughlin working relationship goes will depend on how long Marrone is able to put up with Coughlin going over every minute detail and how the power/control dynamic plays out long term. Marrone' a bit of s control freak himself.

Not if they re-sign Matthews. But even if they don't they still have a chance at 2 players for 1 (with the comp pick) so that does add depth to the team. If you think about it, keeping one player at a high cap hit (Sammy) when your entire team is lacking depth, actually does more to take away depth than to add to it. Especially when that 1 player will likely take up 1/2 or more of their available 2018 cap space. That could/would prevent them from adding much of that valuable veteran depth you mentioned. I think there's a good chance they offer Matthews a contract though.

I get what you're saying but i look at building through the draft as acquiring a bunch of picks and using them to build your team. I know Sammy was still young, but he wasn't really going to be a cost controlled asset after this year. His pay was going to sky rocket, especially if he has the type of year we all think he could/would. As I mentioned in my last post, I think they are also just looking at the timeline, as well as the entire situation. Had Sammy still had years left on his rookie deal they could have afforded to keep him around and wait to see. Or if McDermott (assuming that's who decided) had picked up the 5th year option it probably/maybe bought them this year to look at him. But since that decision was made before Beane got here (maybe a mistake from a rookie coach who shouldn't really be making those decisions yet, especially without the proper people surrounding him), Beane made the best of the circumstances he was dealt, IMO anyway. He got a player and (what could be a high) 2nd round pick, and he also got a replacement WR that's been just as productive on the field and could be cheaper to sign or if not they still likely get the same 3rd round comp pick as if Sammy had left in FA. So they maximized an asset as best they could. I'm not sure Sammy would have been worth as much in a trade on the franchise tag next year. It's a lot more expensive than his deal now (esp. considering the Bills already paid out a chunk of it this year, so his cap hit is super cheap for LA) and you usually don't see NFL players on expensive deals or on franchise tags getting traded for much value. Plus I believe him on the tag would kind of hinder that option for the next team, a staffing him the following year would be even more expensive (since it's the 2nd tag in a row). I also just don't think they felt that they're anywhere near at a time where they need (or want) to devote a big chunk of their cap space to a potentially elite WR that isn't really producing on the field (because of injury availability, under-utilization etc). I think they know that this team has massive holes and is severely lacking depth in so many areas, so they traded a UFA to be for multiple assets. It sucks that a talent like Sammy was traded, but this is the kind of forward thinking asset management that the Bills have not had in a while. I don't necessarily agree with trading Sammy himself, but when I look at the entire picture, especially from the point of view of someone who has no attachment to Sammy (like Beane), I can understand where they're coming from and I can appreciate the move. I don't know man. Just my opinion.

$13M 5th year option would have put Sammy in the top 5 or 6 paid WR's in the NFL. Not sure I'd say that's a good number for what he's done thus far in his career. I have a hard time arguing that he deserves to be paid as a top 5 WR right now, and I'm not sure one good, productive healthy year changes that (at least in the team's eyes). Also, I would think $13M per season is the lowest starting point he'd accept on a long term deal. Why would he accept less? He would be guaranteed $13M next year and get $17+M or more on the tag the following year. Plus he already said that NFL players are not paid enough and he wants to change the pay structure of the NFL. That says big bucks to me. And $13M next year would take up 1/2 of the Bills available $26M in cap space and they do have other players to potentially sign. I'm sure they will want to better the team, too. I agree that they should have probably just picked up Sammy's 5th year option though and I agree that they don't have any big star players to pay (although Eric Wood will command a good size payday if they want to re-sign him & id argue that he's been more important to the offense than Sammy has). Thing is, it doesn't look like the Bills had any interest in making Sammy a top 5 paid WR or using up 1/2 or more of their available cap space on him (and it would probably be more then 1/2 since the 5th year option wasn't picked up before a Beane was hired) with where the team is at right now. Maybe there were other factors at play too, but it's all speculation so I won't bother. Whether we like it or not, they felt that he didn't fit into their future plans for whatever reason. We've seen that Sammy has never been properly utilized in his time here. They're a run first team and don't have the QB to run a pass heavy offense. We don't know when they'll have the QB to use him properly yet either. We can speculate but as of now that QB doesn't look to be on the roster and may not be for years. Even if they draft a rookie next year he may not play in 2018 and if/when he does play they will still likely be a run first team in that QBs first couple/few years starting like other rookie QBs in the past (like Roethlisberger for ex). They may have felt that there's no reason to I'm not even saying I agree with the trade or like it. But I disagree that cap space was not a potential issue. I don't know why some people think it's such a terrible thing to build through the draft, either. That's how most of the best teams have been built. It's something the Bills haven't done in a long time. They've been trying to put a bandaid over a gunshot wound for years. Time to try something new IMO.

Rex Ryan was hired after an exhaustive coaching search. I believe they had interviewed somewhere around 15 people before they eveninterviewed Rex. Then late in the process they decided to give Rex an interview, for the sake of being thorough, and the rest is history... As for Beane, I don't think he's just a figurehead. From all accounts, he did the Sammy and Darby trades all in his own. McDermott didn't even know about the trades until the night before. I believe that McDermott was just following the Andy Reid model with the Beane hiring. McD has tons of respect for Beane and really trusts his football acumen. Pegula wanted the entire building to be in lock step with their vision, was impressed by Beane and hired him. It wasn't just a figurehead hire. They immediately put him in charge of revamping the entire personnel and scouting staff. A figurehead doesn't do that.

We need a lot more than just our QB... lol. Hence the abundance of draft picks. I hope TT does well too. O body is going to out-work him, and that's something you really want in a QB. He really seems to be playing with more of an attitude and a bit of s chip on his shoulder this year. I hope it serves him well. If he could somehow take a big step forward it would be the best thing for the Bills. I'm not really counting on it, but I am not convinced that he is done developing after 2 years as a starter, like some others are. I don't think it's impossible that he's able to take a step forward in year 3 (starting). A lot of it will depend on how well he's able to execute Dennison's timing offense and get rid of the ball on time.

That was a good article. It really gives you an idea of what the Bills plan is for team building - 'It's the exact configuration coach Sean McDermott believes is necessary for success. He wants players who place winning ahead of their own statistics. So far, that has been reflected in all of the moves McDermott and General Manager Brandon Beane have made in their major roster upheaval. "We’re building a team, we’re not accumulating talent," the coach said. "We’re building a team and that comes down to roles, it comes down to chemistry, it comes down to camaraderie, and it comes also down to unselfishness. That’s the qualities we are looking for in our football players." This is definitely a different approach to what Whaley took. Him being a scout, he valued talent over everything else. He just wanted to get the best player available. McDermott and Beane want to build a true team. No player is above the team. It's a very Belichick like approach.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. This is what none of us will probably ever know - what went on in the locker room, meetings, practiced, sidelines etc etc. I'm not saying Sammy was a problem. Just that we really don't know what went on behind closed doors. There is some evidence of him being a bit of a "diva" and "me first" type receiver (which I do think is common with many great WR's). But if you look at the type of receivers this new coaching staff has acquired -going after Maclin, getting Boldin, Zay Jones, Jordan Matthews - they clearly value high character, team first type guys. Guys who have all said "I don't care how they use me, I just want to help the team win" (not that Sammy didn't want the same thing).

This was my thought too. Sammy is obviously coming off major injury that kept him out of practice and games for a great length of time. Him not being in football shape makes sense. But Darby? (if true)