BillsFan4

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)

I don't get the tanking talk, but what I really don't get is why some think that Sammy Watkins makes or breaks the Bills season. This is a totally different team from last year. I believe there are something like 30 players left from last year, and over 50 new guys. We really have no idea what this team is going to be. I get that we traded the more talented player away in Sammy. But he hasn't really produced big numbers on the field here. I like to think this is the season that it was finally going to happen, but as of now they got back a receiver who's been just as productive but more available on the field. What I'm worried about is Cordy Glenn still not able to play and going to Wisconsin for some type of injection. This foot thing looks to be a lingering issue and we have no depth a LT (unless rookie Dion Dawkins is able to step in and play well). We could be in big trouble without Glenn...

I agree that the pick was likely the main piece. But I think getting a receiver back for this year was also important. I really do think Matthews is a great fit here, at least character wise. He's definitely a McDermott/Beane type of player to a T. They've kind of given that same line about a lot of players. I think it's really important to them that they have players who want to be here and are bought in. We will just have to wait and see what happens. Matthews could fit great and end up pricing himself out anyway. The cool thing is that even if he does walk, they likely still get the same 3rd round comp pick they'd have got if Sammy walked.

He never said that Rex demanded an answer. Here are his exact words - 'As the call came to a close, Pegula said Ryan asked to speak to the owner privately. Pegula said Ryan then directly asked him about his future beyond this season. "I was asked a point-blank question and based on the discussions we've been having all year, I felt it was better to tell Rex that we were going in a different direction," Pegula said.' Though Pegula was going to wait to evaluate Ryan's job after the season, he said he probably would've come to the same conclusion now as he did a week ago. Pegula based his decision on his own observations, input he's received from his front-office staff over the course of the season, and also on previous discussions he's had with Ryan regarding addressing the team's struggles. "(Whaley) had input on the basis of conversations throughout the year, what the problems were," Pegula said. "But did Doug ever say, 'Are we firing our coach, are we keeping our coach?' We never had that conversation. I took it upon myself to tell Rex on the basis of conversations about the games and the aftermath of certain games that, hey, things aren't going well." https://apnews.com/0532b3f5c39c48c6a459e129de478c74/apnewsbreak-bills-owner-outlines-reasons-he-fired-rex-ryan That's seems different than a stunning ultimatum, Rex demanding an answer and Pegula being uncertain about what he was doing. He knew Rex was gone, he just wanted to wait 1 more game to do it. There were rumors for weeks on end that he was a goner.

I know what you're referring to with Marrone (although I don't know if he ever issued an ultimatum. It was reported he asked for extensions for him and was told no, then asked for extensions for his coordinators and Pegula again said no, then (I think it was a day or so later) used his out clause . That's a bit different than giving an ultimatum). But what "stunning ultimatum" did Rex give Pegula? If you are talking about Pegula saying that Rex asked if he was going to be fired and if so could he just leave now instead of having to coach the last game against the Jets, I'd hardly call that a stunning ultimatum. I'd call it a question. He asked Pegula's permission to leave now and not to have to face all the questions in NYC if he was going to be fired right after that anyway. Maybe you're referring to something else though?

They said that they're going to let things play out a bit first. But if he fits in well and has interest in staying here, they will be interested in signing him.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?teamId=3200&type=team

Actually, it is pretty smart if you think about the whole situation. If they felt that Sammy was going to be too expensive to re-sign for their tastes, they did a good job at asset management IMO. They got what should be a high 2nd rounder for Sammy, plus they (separately) acquired a receiver who although is a step down from Sammy has been just as productive on the field and should be cheaper to re-sign. But if he walks they will still have a shot to get the same 3rd round comp pick that they would have got if Sammy left in free agency. In the end they got a replacement CB for Darby who should fit the scheme better, plus a 2nd, 3rd and either a good replacement wide receiver for this year and maybe long term (Matthews, if re-signed) or the same comp pick they'd have got if Sammy left. Edit - it's also worth mentioning that the comp pick they potentially would have got for Sammy wouldn't have been until 2019.

I definitely think they are aligned. Here's a couple,quotes from McDermott's press conference that make me think that - "... to address the second part of your question, really with the draft picks, as we talk about short term and long term, that's a big part of with planning for the future. We believe that you build through the draft and in order to get us into a situation where we can achieve success and sustain it, building through the draft is the way" "...it's got to be the right deal. It's got to be the right situation for us to do something like this and I feel like we're moving in the right direction. I honestly believe that. I will end by saying this - I have the ultimate trust in Brandon and his staff." It would be pretty shocking if they weren't on the same page. McDermott seemed to push pretty hard for Beane to be hired from what we can gather. When you listen to each of them talk, they are always talking about similar things - high character, team first, full buy in, players must fit the team/system/culture. If you look at the type of players they both have acquired, they all fit the exact same mould. (McDermott) Zay Jones, Tre White, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer. (Beane) Anquan Boldin, Jordan Matthews, EJ Gaines. They are all players noted for their very high character, and as being 100% team first guys. It's very noticeable when you listen to each of those players talk just how cut from the same cloth all of them are. That's one of the things that really excites me about this new coach/GM combo. They really seem to be in lock step and share an identical vision. I don't think the Bills have had anything like that in quite some time.

They had like $19M in cap space entering this offseason with something like 26 players to sign. Like I said, it's in better shape now after some tough cuts, http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/ Spotrac has the Bills at $6M in cap space this year and $26M in cap space next year. Has they kept Sammy and tagged or,paid him, that likely takes up at minimum $15M of that $26M in cap space. So that leaves $11M or less to make other improvements to the team.

It's not about improving depth for 2017. It's about 2018, 2019 and beyond. Theyre stockpiling draft picks to build this team. They hired the best scouting/personnel staff that they possibly could and plan to build through the draft. It's something the Bills haven't done in a long time. I'm willing to give it a chance.

"... So youre looking at a guy whos walking into his free agent year," Beane said. "I mentioned where our cap situation is at, you just dont know how youre going to be able to afford him. You dont know exactly what his market is going to be but you see where some of the guys are being paid now, so that had to be a factor in this decision, Beane said. I couldn't find his initial quote on the Bills salary cap situation. But it sounds like that was a big factor. They are trying to get the Bills cap back in order, which is something that needed to be done. They were a mediocre 7 win team that was in rough cap shape with a ton of free agents to sign entering this offseason. That situation has gotten better after some tough cuts and the Sammy trade. I didn't at all get that he wasn't willing to pay anyone.