Logic

If anyone out there still doesn't think team culture matters, or wants to see an illustration of what is so special about what Buffalo is currently building, look no further than McDermott's original quote and the fact that multiple players and family members have validated the truth of the statement. Awesome stuff.

The bolded part is true. That being said, I have absolutely no idea how you could conclude that Ford "hasn't panned out well so far". He struggled at times in his rookie season, sure, but MOST rookie tackles struggle. He also had stretches where he played quite well. The offensive line as a whole was also MUCH improved from 2018. The running game, in particular, went from bottom 5 to top 5 in the league. Combine that with the fact that we have yet to really even see him at what is likely his best position (guard), and it's just bizarre to me that anyone would conclude that he "hasn't panned out well so far".

To be fair, the Bills offensive line was HISTORICALLY awful in 2018, and it's hard to get the ball to your wide receivers if you can't stay upright. I liked Metcalf, too, but to mention passing on Metcalf without also acknowledging that the player they picked instead ALSO filled a gigantic -- and arguably more important -- need for the Bills is only telling half the story.

Not surprising. He's a good player. I kind of figured he might be out of the Bills' price range anyway, assuming they don't want to spend big bucks on a 1 to 2 down linebacker.

Another trade win for the Beaner.

Agreed. He's another one. It's actually a sneaky great class of FA linebackers for what the Bills like to do. Whether or not they sign any of them will tell us a lot about how they feel about Joseph and Thompson.

RB1

Agreed. This occurred to me when the "17 games" inevitability was announced. And like you say, the Bills not only got in -- they got in TWICE. ?

It'll be interesting to see which direction the Bills go in to fill their vacant linebacker spot this offseason. They could go for more of a "Zo replacement" in Kyler Fackrell, or they could go for someone who more closely fits the mold of their other linebackers, like Alec Ogletree. Alternately, they could draft a youngster and have him compete with Corey Thompson and Vosean Joseph for the role. Will be one of the better camp competitions this year.

Meh. Bills made the playoffs that season. They still have two draft picks to use that ultimately resulted from that trade. Dareus, meanwhile, made about a half a season of impact for the Jaguars, did nothing the next two seasons, and is now being cut. I still say the people that freaked out about it when it happened were -- predictably -- overreacting and have been proven wrong. Just my opinion.

Now's the time for all the people who complained that the Jaguars fleeced the Bills in the Dareus trade to show their faces.

Good thing you're not the GM. The Bills under Beane tend to only commit so much money to one position group. With Morse the highest paid center in football and Dawkins about to receive a lucrative left tackle contract, I don't anticipate the Bills ponying up enough dough in free agency to get a surefire starter at RT. It's not a matter of if the Bills have enough money OVERALL -- they do. To me, it's more a matter of how they seem to like to allocate funds. Based on the big contracts of Morse and (soon to be) Dawkins, I anticipate the Bills either going the cheap competition route (a Joe Haeg or a Daryl Williams) or the rookie route. I'd love to be wrong, too. I have no problem paying big money to offensive tackles -- particularly when your prized young QB is entering a pivotal year three campaign.

I'm hoping they sign a legitimate RT in free agency, but with the money they're about to have invested in Dawkins and Morse, that may not be likely. Instead, we may see a cheaper option brought in to compete at that spot, like a Joe Haeg. Alternately, I would be thrilled if one of the big four OTs falls to the Bills in round 1. Given the money they'll have invested on the o-line and given how Beane tends to operate with respect to not overspending on one position group, a rookie right tackle for the next five years sounds like the winning choice.

Ruggs is my number 1 choice for the Bills in the 1st round. - Game breaker, touchdown maker - Not JUST a fast guy, can run routes and has good hands - Already likes Brian Daboll and knows his playbook, could hit the ground running After likely running in the 4.3s or even 4.2s, I don't see him making it to pick 22.

I don't see how this substantially improves the team more than, say, re-signing Quinton Spain to a reasonable contract. Guard play was not the problem with the o-line last year. The only offensive line position I'd be happy to see chosen in round 1 is offensive tackle. While Cody Ford MAY be a serviceable RT, he appears to have the potential to be an All-Pro at OG. Can he play tackle? Yes, he probably can. I just don't think it's his best position. As such, why not move him to what DOES appear to be his best position and, if you're taking a 1st round o-lineman, take a tackle instead.

Fair take. I believe that SOME NFL team -- maybe not the Bills, but someone -- will take him in round two. Personally, I'm not put off by the D-II thing. Doesn't bother me. And like I said, I believe the defense needs more playmakers/ball-takers, so if they think Dugger can substantially improve their defensive production as a team, then I'm all for it. I do understand the hesitation on the part of others, though.

It seems to me like Joseph's skillset would make him a good fit at WILL linebacker in McDermott's defense. The problem, of course, is that Milano is likely to be re-signed and be a long term fixture at that spot. This coming season, then it seems likely that Joseph will play special teams and back up Matt Milano. Could he play strongside linebacker? Maybe. How the team chooses to attack that position in free agency and the draft should tell us more about how they feel on the matter.

That was a good, balanced take. Certainly much more fair and reasonable than I would have expected from a Jets fan. The thing that has me encouraged is that it sure SEEMS like the weaknesses in Allen’s game are correctable — and not fatal — flaws. Whether or not Allen can actually correct them remains to be seen. I actually think the tougher schedule next year will be a good thing. I say cut him loose, take the governor off, and let him sink or swim. Its going to be a really interesting season.

Thank you for that post. I had actually not heard of the Convergence zone. That was very educational. Perhaps Oregon and Washington are more different than I think, in terms of weather. Mea culpa. Balderdash is a fun word, I think. I'm trying to bring it back. No good?

Agreed. I just had a look at his stats, and he's basically Isaiah McKenzie. Pass.

Agreed. Case in point: In attempting to explain why they felt Baker Mayfield had a better season than Josh Allen, they pointed to the fact that Allen supposedly had more "turnover worthy" plays than Baker Mayfield. Meanwhile, Baker had more ACTUAL interceptions BY FAR! This did not seem to matter to them. Somehow, "turnover worthy plays" detracted more from Allen's season than ACTUAL turnovers detracted from Mayfield's. Sure, right, whatever you say, guys! ?

Maybe Seattle is very different than Portland, OR (where I live), but what you wrote does not reflect the reality that I experience here, weather wise. Maybe things have changed with global warming, but what you describe is like a caricature of the actual weather of the pacific northwest. What you're describing is what we jokingly swear up and down to outsiders that we have in order to keep them from moving here. On the contrary, I have found the pacific northwest to have some of the most beautiful, mild, and temperate weather that I have ever experienced. Not having a real winter helps, too. MAYBE two days of minor snowfall all winter long. This year, we had none. I find that this region is sunnier and more enjoyable and less depressing weather wise than western New York, where I grew up. Just my opinion. Alas, I can't dispute the fact that there are huge problems with addiction and suicide here. That much is true. The weather stuff, though? Poppycock and balderdash.

I think the two most lucrative deals we will see handed out to Bills FAs will be to Kevin Johnson and Quinton Spain. I don't think Jordan Phillips will get what he's seeking. Shaq Lawson might do alright on the open market, too, but I expect the Bills to re-sign him.

This. Take their data sets, consider them side-by-side with other data sets, and form your own conclusions. What they say is not gospel. Most fans I know that dislike PFF dislike them not for their analytics, their secret proprietary formulas, or their data, but for their OPINION pieces, which they post right alongside the data. Some feel that a data collection and analysis website shouldn't be posting opinion pieces, especially when the opinions that they posit are often not backed up by the data. Furthermore, the recent admission by Sam Monson that they sometimes deliberately post inflammatory opinions that they don't even necessarily BELIEVE just to stir the hornet's nest does nothing to help their credibility.

I'd be willing to bet that the people who complain that we never get compensatory picks are the same people who will be complaining once the Bills stop being active in free agency periods (which is what it will take to start getting comp picks). Grass is always greener on the other side. For what it's worth, I do believe that, as the years go on, Beane will be looking to start collecting comp picks. It's hard to do so during a complete tear-down and rebuild. Now that the rebuilding effort is nearing its latter stages, though, I expect less free agency activity and more comp picks in years to come.