BillsFan4

Eh, I think a lot of it comes down to winning. From what I remember, the Bills were a pretty marketable team back in the glory years of the '90's. They were actually one of those trendy teams that gathered bandwagon fans. You'd see people wearing Bills gear all around the country, and even the world. They'd have bills apparel in Hollywood movies and you'd even see celebrities wearing Bills gear. It would probably take an amazing run of winning/championship(s) to get anywhere near the marketability level of the top teams, especially after 17yrs of total irrelevance. But like you said, start winning games and get a star QB and we will get more TV coverage for sure.

I find it kind of ironic that you count Tyrod's 4 years sitting on the bench (where he threw a grand total of like 35 passes in that entire 4 years, and was learning a completely different system than the one he ended up starting in, in Buffalo), yet you make no mention of Jim Kelly's years as a starting QB in the USFL after college, before he ever started a game in the NFL. Kelley was drafted in '83, but never played a game for Buffalo until '86. He spent those years starting for the Houston Gamblers, where as Tyrod spent 4 years sitting on the bench. So which one was more prepared to start their NFL career? It's debatable. I don't know if Tyrod will get much better than he is now, but it's not impossible like you seem to think. He's only started in the NFL for TWO YEARS. Not 6. If this new system fits him better, it's very possible that he could take a step forward. But even if he doesn't, he is a serviceable starting QB until we draft and develop a true franchise caliber replacement, which is what you seem to be completely ignoring.... If we dump Tyrod, tell us, who do we replace him with right now that would be as good, let alone better? And don't say Cardale...

Very well said. Beane's hired an all star cast of talent evaluators to surround himself with. And for the record, he does have years of experience evaluating talent under Dave Gettleman. DG was training him in that area. We've had a scout running the team and it didn't end up working out all that well. I like that Beane is very well rounded in almost every aspect of running an NFL team and I think he seems to have a clear vision on how he wants to build this thing. There are entire teams of scouts and personnel directors for a reason. I'd rather have a collaborative vision and talent evaluation anyway. I actually kind of like that he's not a scout. If the Bills drafts are not up to par, he can fire some of our current talent evaluators and bring in someone else, where as if an ex scout GM doesn't end up being too great at drafting, we are stuck with his sub par drafts until he is fired.

Most of what you said is so far off that I am not even going to bother trying to address it. But, as for my excuses - tell me, what excuses did I make for Tyrod in my post? I did not see any. And as for you're "I told you so" comment - I am rooting for Tyrod because he is the Bills starting QB and I want the Bills to be successful. I could care less about your "I told you so". What are you, 12? Should we all say "I told you so" if/when Cardale ends up most likely getting cut (or is at best our 4th string QB), and is out of the NFL in a matter of a few years, while Tyrod will still be a starter or backup somewhere for many years to come? I won't bother though because it's childish, and nobody cares about some random poster on a message board who wants to act like they know everything... and I am also not rooting against Cardale because he is a Buffalo Bill, therefore I want him to succeed. I would never root against an active Buffalo Bills player because I am an actual Buffalo Bills fan. You are clearly not a true Blls fan. You'd rather have Tyrod fail so you can say "I told you so" than have him succeed and, in turn, have the Bills succeed. I didn't realize that you were BuffaloBud420 though, so I'm done now. It's pointless even trying to have a discussion with you.

Yeah, then Bruce Allen publicly stating that Cousins and his agent were not even willing to exchange any contract offers, I think it's pretty safe to say that Cousins is as good as gone next season (if they don't give him the exclusive tag again). I think he's been as good as gone for over a year though, IMO. I don't know exatly why, but there is definitely something preventing them from getting a deal done. I read a rumor a while back that he was unwilling to stay as long as as Allen was running things. I don't know how much truth there is to it but I sure don't find it too hard to believe.

There are a very small handful of QBs in the NFL that can consistently put their a team on their shoulders and win games, and even the few who can were not necessarily able to do it in their first couple seasons starting, and almost definitely not on a consistent basis. If the Bills are getting rid of every QB that's unable to do that consistently, we won't have a QB to play the games. Tyrod is by no means elite. He has plenty of flaws to work on to be considered a franchise type QB, and he may never get to that level. But like him or not, he's the best QB the Bills have had in easily over a decade, probably more like 2. You don't just throw him away for the dream of an upgrade (and no, Cardale is by no means an upgrade as of now). All we can hope is that our new GM and coach will continue to draft and develop QBs until one of them cements themselves as that true franchise caliber guy. But there's nothing wrong with starting Tyrod until someone legitimately EARNS the starting job away from him. If Cardale is able to do that, great! But he hasn't even come close to doing it yet. By almost all accounts he has really been struggling so far, and is 4th (last) on the depth chart right now for a reason... I also disagree about Cardale being able to put a team on his back. IMO I've seen him do it once, maybe a couple times if I'm being generous. His very first start was fantastic, but he tailed off in his next 2, then struggled big time the next season. Ezekiel Elliott and Ohio State's run game carried that team way more than Cardale ever did. That team was fantastic, and one of the best coached teams in college football. That 2014 offense was the 2nd highest scoring offense in team history (only behind the 2013 offense) and it had nothing to do with Cardale (he didn't even play till the last 3 games to end the season). That offense was built to put up points. Ezekiel Elliott and QB JT Barrett carried that team in 2014 and Elliott again in 2015, and even though Barrett didn't start the first 7 games he still blew Cardale out of the water in TDs. In 2014 Barrett threw for 34 TDs, Elliott had 18. In 2015 Elliott ran for 23 TDs, JT Barrett accounted for 22 TDs (11 rushing, 11 passing, and that was with Cardale starting the first 7 games), and Cardale accounted for a total of 10... I would also argue that Tyrod carried his college team to more wins than Cardale ever did at Ohio St. But college is college, and the NFL is the NFL. All that matters is what he's able to do in the NFL, and so far he hasn't been able to do squat. He struggled even running the practice squad! I have really seen nothing from Cardale that makes me think he has the ability to put a team on his back and carry it so far. I'd be thrilled if he does, but as of now it looks like there's a better chance he will be cut, and if he's lucky will end up on some team's practice squad. He has a ways to go before he's even close to ready to be an NFL starter, and that's just the reality of the situation right now (not to sound like a jerk or anything). And last - it's terrible that you are rooting for TT to fail. That means you are rooting against the Buffalo Bills. Hard to call yourself a Bills fan when you say you "can't wait for TT to fail"...

This kind of lends a bit of credence to a theory I've brought up a number of times over the past couple years - that one of the reasons I felt Gilmore would not end up re-signing in Buffalo was because he wanted to play on prime time TV much more often. IMO, He always seemed jealous to me that he wasn't mentioned as one of the top CB's in the NFL, and I really think that he felt the reason for that was because he didn't get the national spotlight that some other CB's get. I don't think that was the only reason he didn't sign here. Money and winning were likely bigger factors, but I do think it was part of the reason.

I do think that some front offices "tank" on occasion (like the Browns recently, and possibly the Jets this season). I'm not sure if their ultimate goal is losing (although i find it very hard to argue that the Browns had any aspirations of winning games when they basically purged their roster of the little talent that it had 2 seasons ago and I suspect that's part of the Jets plan this year - lose games to get a top QB next year, but that's just speculation on my part at this point), but they're definitely not trying to win either. I guess that's just part of a full scale rebuild, though. But I agree in that I don't think any NFL coach or players try to purposely lose games. I also agree with what you said about the Bills not tanking. Like you said, Tyrod and Kyle (etc) would not have been brought back if that was the goal. I don't think Tyrod is only a $1M dead cap hit if cut next year, though, is he? It shows an $8.6M dead cap hit on overthecap.com (pre-June 1st) and a $9M cap savings, which still isn't terrible especially since it's only for a season. I think a post-June 1st cut is cheaper, but spread out longer? I'm not sure though. But yeah, I just don't see what the Bills are doing as tanking in any way, shape or form. I'm not really even sure what someone could point to as to (legitimate) reasons why the Bills are tanking... I don't think they would have signed Hyde, or went afte Maclin and Barnidge, or traded up in the draft twice to plug holes on their roster if the goal was to tank.

Were are these quotes from? I read the article once and just skimmed it quickly again, and I didn't see these quotes. Did I just overlook them (twice)? Or are these from another article? If so, do you have the link? I'd like to read it. Thanks. Great read btw Yolo. Thanks for sharing!

Lol Let me know what you think if you do try them. They are one of my favorites.

When your head coach (Rex) is the last guy in the building and first one to leave most days, it sets the tone for the rest of the team. So far I like what i see from McDermott. It sounds like he's the first guy in the building and the last one to leave every single day. That's a good start. You've also already heard guys talking about the much higher tempo practices too. Having to run from drill to drill, on and off the field (etc). I really like what seems to be a very detail oriented, teaching approach too. That's one of the things Belichick is said to excel at, and Rex struggled with (he even said as much) - teaching his scheme. I've always done better learning something when it was broken down in a more detailed way, and I was taught Why you are doing something, along with how. Hopefully the new approach at OBD will pay off in the long run. I don't expect miracles. I think year 3 is where I will expect to see things really taking shape. That's what happened in Carolina anyway. Year 3 under McD that defense took a big step forward (to be one of the top defenses in the NFL).

Making chicken and potatoes tonight. I do diced up chicken (cut into small pieces) and cooked in Italian dressing in a frying pan on top of the stove. Then my favorite part, the potatoes... I slice the ends off the potato and then cut them into thin, roughly 1/8th to 1/4 inch slices (depending on how thick and/or crispy you want them to get), so they kind of look like potato chips. Then takes the sliced potatoes and dip them into olive oil to coat them (or whatever oil you want, I guess). Then lay them on a baking sheets. I put tin foil down on the baking sheet first, more/less to make clean up easier and to keep the potatoes from sticking. Then you take a mixing container, add about 2 cups of SEASONED bread crumbs (have to be the seasoned ones, otherwise you need to add a lot more stuff) and mix them with roughly 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle garlic powder and a little pepper on the potatoes that are spread out on the baking pan (after dipping/coating in olive oil). Then sprinkle/coat in the bread crumbs/Parmesan mix. I lightly cover the potatoes in it, but I don't go too heavy. Then bake at 350-ish until done to your liking (I like mine a bit crispy, but others don't) and just as they're about done, pull them out of oven and sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese over the potatoes, stick back in the oven for a few minutes to melt and Eat! Mmmmm. Good stuff.

Rex wanted to lead the NFL in rushing. You can't expect to have a potent passing offense when you run the ball as much as the Bills did under Rex. Something else that nobody who constantly criticize Tyrod's passing yards ever brings up - the Bills were dead last in the NFL in yards after a catch, which are added in to a QBs passing yard stats. Which is why passing yards are not just a QB stat. They are an entire offense stat. IMO Greg Roman's offense was not designed well for YAC. San Fran was near the bottom of the NFL in YAC in all 4 of his years there (with 2 different QBs, one of which, Alex smith, now has KC near the top of the NFL in YAC (I think around 10th IIRC)) and that continued with the Bills. (Again, IMO) Passing yards are a terrible way to evaluate/judge a QB anyway. It has no real correlation to winning. There's a reason why passing yards are considered by many professionals to be one of the last stats you look at when evaluating a QB. Now, I'm not saying that our passing game doesn't need to improve. It does. But I don't think that all the blame can be laid at Tyrod's feet. Not by a long shot.

Man, LeSean McCoy is going to take a lot of **** on Instagram/Twitter (etc) if Maclin doesn't sign here. That would be a pretty big disappointment if we don't get Maclin at this point, though.

any day now...

“Witness what he did with the secondary in Carolina last year. They lose their linchpin player and they’ve got to play two rookies who aren’t ready to play,” said Polian. “By the end of the year they were performing at a maximum level and he never uttered a negative or cross word through the whole situation. That tells you a lot about what a guy is going to be as a head coach.” This is one of the reasons why I like McDermott. It wasn't just last year, either. That defense wasn't filled with a ton of big names (at least at the time). Like Josh Norman - he was originally a 5th round draft pick. It wasn't like he was some huge star. McDermott did an excellent job developing him. Back at the start of 2013, Carolina's defense was looked at as filled with a number of lesser known players, not a lot of star power, and they ended up being one of the top defenses in the entire NFL. Being able to develop players and get the most out of what you have is extremely important IMO, and I think it's something McDermott has been very good at.

Any details on what happened?

If they still worked for the Bills I'd believe that they were breaking up a fight. But since they were fired, I'm sure that they were the ones starting it! lol Seriously though, It really is hard to tell either way from that short 10 second clip. Rob grabbing a guy by the throat doesn't exactly look like someone breaking up a fight, but we didn't see anything leading up to that point so he very well could have been. I don't really care one way or the other. I'm just glad that they are not representing my hometown team anymore. Rex seemed like a lot of fun, but I want someone who is truly dedicated to putting in the work necessary to win and from what's been said, it sounds like Rex was the last one in the building and first one to leave. IMO it seemed like he liked the celebrity that came with being a HC more than he liked the actual (endless) work it involved. I didn't like all the BS and trash talk either. I hated seeing my team made into a punchline so often. I wish him the best at ESPN though, even though he was too bitter to wish the same for my Bills.

I just hope he's able to actually be on the field with his teammates practicing come training camp. Put up or shut up time for Sammy in Buffalo.

Just seen the McCoy recruiting Maclin stuff, and seen that BF insider Twitter account said a deal could get done. They're usually pretty reliable. Hopefully this is one of those times!! I'm excited now. Trying not to get my hopes up though (too late... lol). Our WR depth chart would look great with Maclin added to it. I think he could be a huge veteran presence in that room too. That's a guy every receiver in that WR room could learn from (and look up to). The Bills have really needed a guy like him for quite some time IMO. This would be such a great signing. I'm very happy the Bills seem to be showing heavy interest in him. It'd be a smart move (again IMO) We sign Maclin and all the sudden our WR position looks like more of a strength than a weakness. Please get this done OBD! As long as the price is reasonable that is.

I flew out of JFK (terminal 5 JetBlue) yesterday and it was a total nightmare. They are doing runway construction and most Jet Blue flights had MAJOR delays. I spent the entire day in the airport watching my flight get pushed back again and again and again. I was supposed to leave at noon and didn't even get on my flight until after midnight, so I was there over 14 hours (got there @ 10am). From talking to other customers there, I guess this has been going on all month with Jet Blue (since construction started). Thing is, construction is scheduled to go on until sometime in 2018 IIRC. I am wondering if anyone else has had a similar (or better) experience on another airline since this runway construction has been going on? In my experience, JetBlue is not too good at dealing with delays, so I'm wondering if this issue is as bad with other airlines flying out of JFK. Trying to figure out if I should fly in/out of LaGuardia next trip, or if other airlines (out of JFK) are running ok still.

I haven't been able to find it either, and haven't seen it linked in any of the articles that covered the Whaley interview. Hopefully you'll have better luck than me. But I'm wondering if it's not available since SiriusXM is a subscription based service. There's probably some copyright issue with sharing it, is my guess.

glad to see someone else notice this! I started looking right away when I seen a guy named "Granty1983" wrote the article. I said, who TF is that?! and how does he know all this stuff he claims to know? No links to any sources in the article either. Ive never heard of this site before and have no idea if he/they truly have any real sources. Have they ever broke a story in the past? If not, this article/site probably amounts to no more than a fan who is purely speculating. But hey, it's good for conversation in the offseason I guess... lol. I'm sure not going to get all upset or worried over it though, and start cursing the Bills and McDermott/Beane. Not yet anyway.

Not to interrupt all this arguing to post about the original topic of this thread, but... It's nice to see Rodak write a positive Bills article. Unusual, but nice. It's hard to imagine the Bills being actual trend setters for the rest of the NFL though. But you never know I guess. I do think Beane has hired an "all star" cast on paper. Whether or not the results follow is TBD. But I really like that he's not allowing his ego to get in the way of hiring top qualified candidates. It's eased a lot of my concerns about him. Although he does have some experience with scouting and player evaluation, he came up more on the administrative side of the business. But he has hired a very strong scouting and personnel staff around him. If they all do work together in a collaborative effort, I see good things happening.

I actually think it matches the McDermott hire. Both are well educated/smart, driven and detailed. Both work their ass off. Both are well spoken and don't brag. Both had a great reputation around their respective leagues and came highly recommended by the NHL/NFL. Both seem to believe very much in character in their players and coaches. Botterill just said in his most recent interview that he will put a major focus on finding character players in the draft, even if it means sacrificing a little talent, and he said how it's about finding the right players for the Sabres. When I heard that all I could think of was "he sounds just like McDermott, did he steal these lines from him?" and even the Lafontaine hire I see similarities in just fact that both were ex NHL players and both played for the Sabres. Why don't you think it matches those hires? To me, Rex doesn't really match the Lafontaine and mcdermott hires. He's the total opposite of both those guys. The only thing I can see in common between the Ladontaine and Rex hires is that they were both well known names, but that's about it... I definitely see a lot of similarities between the McDermott hire and the Botterill hire though.