oldmanfan

You clearly have no clue what constitutes a successful organization.

Culture is essential to any successful organization. So is talent. So is strategy. But the culture leaders set in place helps define strategy and helps identify and nurture talent. If you are on a management position you know that. I work for a health care organization with around 15 k employees. We have a culture that is focused on one thing: the patient. That drives all we do. As for strategy all of those are planned with the cultural imperative of what is best for the patient. Talent? We attract talented people because they are attracted to our culture and buy in. We spend a lot of time on our top 10-20% of performers thanking them. We spend even more time with our 60-70% who need some development or that haven't fully bought in. We want them to be in that top 10-20%. Our lowest 10%, the ones who complain all the time, low performers, etc.? We spend no time with them, other than to escort them to the door. And as our culture fully integrates, we don't really have that bottom 10% issue very much. At this point they have gone on to poison other organizations, and we attract those who appreciate and buy into our way of doing things. All successful organizations require a solid culture. Including football teams. That is what McD is saying, I believe. It does not replace the need for talent or strategy, but it sets the tone whereby talent can come to the forefront and where strategies can be implemented with clarity of purpose. His idea of culture from what I see is a dedication to maximum effort, from the number one guy on the team to the practice squad. That is a sound method IMHO. Look at other successful sports franchises. Jordan won multiple titles in the NBA, so did Larry Bird, Magic. All of those guys practiced as hard if not harder than they played in games, held their teammates to that standard. Three guys among the best to ever play but they led cultures that demanded excellence. There's a reason Iverson never won anything. i am glad we have a HC with that mindset. No it does not mean they can win devoid of talent or strategy. Those claiming he said that are living in an all too common world now where everything has to be a black or white, either/or answer, when the world actually exists in greys. Does it mean he doesn't have to get more alienated guys at several positions? Of course not. But having a solid culture will ultimately help the players and the team be successful, as most any successful organization will tell you. Not alienated guys, talented guys. He'll bring in more talented guys, and the culture should allow them to thrive.

Linemen first. Build from inside out

He can't or won't. I've asked him to do so twice

My bad

Posing an either/or question on a false premise doesn't have merit.

People keep saying he wants culture over talent. He said no such thing.

I know of no successful organizations that do not have a successful culture. When he says culture trumps strategy it means you can have the best plays called, best coaching, etc. but if guys aren't committed to work and improvement it won't mean much. I note some here saying he does not want talent. That is nowhere to be found in his statement. His and Beane's jobs are to bring talent in and mold it into a successful team. But if the talent is not part of a broader success mindset and culture the talent will not be as successful as it should be.

Facts are difficult things for some. Like blaming Beane for Woods leaving in free agency when he wasn't even here. i continue to say this: McD and Beane have a plan and I will judge their success or failure on how they carry out their plan. They picked their QB and next year can bring in a tonbofbguys. If they picked the right QB and get the right guys they'll succeed. If not then they'll be looking for work. As it should be. hardly "glowingly positive". Not now. When you jump back on in a year. And we'll welcome you back.

And I'm sure you'll jump right back on the bandwagon when they play better, right?

Good. You do that then. I'll watch the game. Hope you don't mind.

To the OP: I am 62 years old, and sat at the Rockpile opening day 1960. So I have seen the ups and downs just as you have. The difference between you and I is to seem to actually want to wallow in misery, and I don't. You continually and mistakenly lump together the current regime and the past regimes. Your take on the Pegulas not caring about winning and just about money is over the top and just stale by now. If you're miserable about the team, then don't root for them. But rather than do that, you seem to have made it your mission to try and bring other fans down to your level. I do not now nor will I ever understand that mentality. As for your parents doing you a disservice, I am glad my dad took me to that first game. It has given me the opportunity to root for my hometown team for 58 years now. And I have a 23 year old daughter, not born in WNY, who I have raised as a Bills fan and she is as loyal a Bills backer as anyone I know. And I'm proud of that.

I think Teller or Boetigger replace Miller

Good question. From his pressers yesterday McD might be asking Daboll the same type questions.

Sure. I'll bet you're pretty smart. I've done pretty good academically myself. I think we could look at film and figure it out. But in a stadium with 50,000 hostile fans screaming? Large mean guys wanting to tear your head off a couple yards in front of you? Moving around all over to try and confuse you? And about 20-30 seconds to figure out blocking, etc. and know exactly where to go with the ball? Maybe not.

Steve Young says reading defenses is the biggest change guys go through coming into the pros. I think I'll go with his thoughts on it

Quote from Polian before the draft: Here’s what ESPN’s Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian says about most college QBs, who work out of the spread: “They don’t talk at the college level; the quarterback doesn’t talk. He doesn’t call a play, he doesn’t call a snap count, he doesn’t call a formation, very few audibles. They don’t use their voices. Everything’s done by symbol and cards in the spread.” If I’m a GM, I don’t move on one high, but I’m not a GM. I’m not desperate. But desperation is what it’s come down to, because teams aren’t winning Super Bowls anymore without a decent one. And, under the new CBA, rookie salaries are limited, so teams aren’t throwing $40 million at them. I wouldn’t have taken a Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson high in the draft, but it’s hard to blame teams for taking a shot. If they screw up, it’s not as punishing financially or on the field as it used to be.

This crap needs to stop. Woods left in March 2017. When Whaley was there. Beane started May 2017. Whaley could have resigned him if Woods had wanted to sign. Beane wasn't here when he left. Beane has absolutely nothing to do with Woods.

Interesting takes from two guys that played the position. I have to admit I tend to place more credence with Warner, because I can't get the image of Orlavski running out of the end zone to lose a game out of my mind.

I hope so as well. Sometimes though other factors come into play. Woods for example. I understood he wanted to get back to the West coast.

A pet peeve of mine is saying that when a free agent signs elsewhere that the team he left let him go. Woods was an FA.

No. We should recognize they have short and long term goals. Short term they got hurt with Richie and Wood. They could and should have improved on their WR core and I still think they should get a vet like Anderson at QB to play or mentor. Long term? Next off season makes or breaks them. Draft well and get some good pieces in free agency and they win. If not? Looking for work.

12 teams out of 32 made the playoffs last year. We were one of them. Now we're going to qualify how good or bad we were when we made the playoffs?

I agree that Allen should figure it out. You guaranteeing you could do it gave me a much needed laugh.

So you have nothing. Just as I thought.