racketmaster
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Posts posted by racketmaster
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Kelly here in Buffalo would be a disaster for both sides.
Way too much pressure on the kid having that name, combined with a known partier being surrounded by his hometown buddies.
This. First tyrod incompletion and half the crowd will be calling for this kid to come off the bench. He has some talent but i don't see him as an elite talent. Kid has has 2 significant knee injuries already so durability could be a problem as well.
I don't see kelly being drafted before the 5th round and hopefully the Bills stay away. If Kelly has a chance to succeed it is with another organization.
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Good post. All things considered (minimal turnovers and rushing ability), I think Tyrod fits in around that 10-15 range of quarterbacks.
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....all great points....Marrone vowed to change the culture during interview with Brandon, but went about it in the wrong way.....he wanted to be General Patton and it wore on players, staff & OBD brass...they had dinner reservation at a Fairport restaurant after a daily TC.....restaurant was 20 minutes late seating them and Marrone went nuts....everybody had to make up the lost 20 minutes so they could get back to St John Fisher for nightly round of meetings, going to 9 or 10PM....it got old.....Wrecks brought the embarrassing Jets East Barnum & Bailey circus to Buffalo, renamed Jets West.....we've had some real winners....Greggy with his airhorn and Dopey Dickie Jauron without a clue, running Club Med......McCoach seems balanced, straight to the point with no nonsense or fanfare and I like it.....even for those yawning about the hire, stay tuned...............
Agreed. MCDermott has me excited as a fan because he has the potential to be one of the better head coaches in the league. Just about every other head coach we have hired since Marv, i have had little hope of them being a top HC. In the past, the best i could hope for is that our HC not be too much of a burden on the team. With McDermott, i really believe he can be a significant asset to the organization.
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Culture change hasn't started yet. Culture change in the locker room starts when the OTAs begin. Big Mc will set the tone, and it BEGINS when he FOLLOW THROUGH on the tone. Consistency. You can't ever tell that change from media sessions. no sir. Culture happens when this group of players gets together. I have no doubt things will change in the locker room. Many of the team leaders already said what they want to change after Wreck Ryan left. I think that's the positive thing here. Now Big Mc has a job on his hand - change Dareus.
I disagree as I believe the culture change started at McDermott's introductory press conference. He began lay out his plan and vision at that time and you can bet the players were watching.
You are right that when OTAs start that what MC does then will matter more but he is beginning to take the first steps in the process.
1. Anyone else notice that the Bills seem alot more buttoned up. Leaks were everywhere under Ryan and the whole Tyrod deal was kept under wraps.
2. The organizational face and direction. Ryan was full of bluster and liked joking around during media appearances. He often talked down to his opponents. Whaley is not comfortable in front of the microphone. I think Bills are shifting to having MC be face of franchise. He takes a professional, business minded approach but also has a competitive energy about him. Again, players see this and fans see this. These are all small steps in changing the organization and how it is viewed.
3.Player moves and signings. High character players who love football and the team are being resigned and signed. MC is making this an emphasis because this is what he wants. You can't bring in a bunch of players like Manziel, Gordon and Martavius Bryant and expect them to change the culture in a positive way. The culture must be established first (it may take a year or two) before MC may feel the locker room is strong enough to handle such a player. Or he may not ever want the headache and actively sign such a player. As a HC you can't come in an say you want this type of team and player and then go sign something different. By putting as many players who think like himself in the locker room, the change will end up being much easier and faster.
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Hopefully he ages like James Harrison. Another high character, team first player. Versatile and has been excellent on special teams.
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Let's trust the process...
The Biggest thing is getting the key (highest paid) players like Dareus, J.Hughes and S.Watkins to be as productive as they should be. The QB is retained and he won't lose the Bills any games in the next two seasons. Adding more highly paid players to an already tight cap situation makes no sense now.
Getting rid of overvalued players like C.Graham and unfortunately A.Williams made sense. Not overpaying to keep players like Gilmore, R.Woods or Goodwin was smart, especially because they wouldn't be key to the schemes being implemented by the new coaches.
Now we have to expect they'll get the best out of some key young talent like S.Lawson, Kouiandijo, Ragland, A.Washington, Darby, Seymour and add 4-5 productive players with upside in the draft that can be developed into the backbone for future success.
The Patriots made some splashes but it looks like Brady is setting a timetable for his retirement and there is a design out there for success against the Patriots now from the Falcons and Seahawks. None of the players they've added here improve their ability to win against those teams or matchups. Look at what Cooks did against the Falcons last year. There is a reason the Saints wanted to unload him.[/quote
Good take. I have a good feeling about McDermott as opposed to Rex. I think he will help steer this team in the right direction but it will take time. We have only 6 draft picks and are relatively strapped with the cap. Whaley will need to hit on the draft picks and sign a few more value FAs.
Remember last year there were alot of people poking fun at the Brown and Alexander signings.
Bills need to be smart, don't overpay for wr or lb positions. There is a bunch of solid wrs out there and Bills need to wait it out and make a smart value based signing. LB is not considered a high priority position these days and as we saw last year, good players can be found at a low rate.
We just have to continue to bring in high character football junkies that fit the schemes we will run. Then hope that our impact players (Dareus, Hughes, Taylor, McCoy and Watkins) stay o the field and make an impact.
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A great QB wins. Very few without one are successful.
This is true to a certain extent but it still takes a team effort to win consistently. Look at the lack of winning from Brees, Rivers and Luck in recent years.
You can also point to teams like (KC - Smith and Reid), (SF - Smith/Kaepernick under Harbaugh), (Ravens - From Dilfer to Flacco under Newsome and Harbaugh), (CAR - Delhomme with Foxx), TB - Dungey years).
Those are a few examples of coaches or gms creating a winning program without a great qb.
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Good read. I too believe McDermott is taking the right approach.Read below, and this staff's attempt at culture change appears a lot more genuine and in line with how to succeed based on the article:
True to a certain extent. But a coach can surround Dareus with players that are completely committed to the program and team. In this way, Dareus is more likely to fall in line with those who are encouraging and pushing him to do the right things.You cannot change the culture of this team unless Dareus is gone.....he is the biggest cancer to having a TEAM.
Selfish, unreliable, untruthful, and a stupid cheater. All characteristics that are more harmful to a team than any number of sacks can help.
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McDermott talked alot about changing the culture after getting hired and we are beginning to see some of that with the initial free agents signings.
I usually don't make to much out of press conferences with players because they typically have the same scripted answers. I got done watching the press conferences with Tolbert, Hyde and Poyer and could not have come away more impressed. Each player brought a real excitement and positive energy to them. All seem like real smart guys and team first players. Looks like McDermott brought some grinders into the locker room.
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McDermott talked alot about changing the culture after getting hired and we are beginning to see some of that with the initial free agents signings.
I usually don't make to much out of press conferences with players because they typically have the same scripted answers. I got done watching the press conferences with Tolbert, Hyde and Poyer and could not have come away more impressed. Each player brought a real excitement and positive energy to them. All seem like real smart guys and team first players. Looks like McDermott brought some grinders into the locker room.
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Good move for Pats and Gilmore. Still happy that Bills let him walk as he was not about to give the Bills any type of discount.
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This is a great move. Carpenter was awful at FGs last year (76%) and below average the year before. Bills just signed a kicker who ranks 3rd all-time in FG percentage at 87.2%. He is behind Justin Tucker (best in business) and Dan Bailey and ranks just ahead of Stephen Gostkowski. I know he had an off year last year but that was still better that Carpenter. Traditionally his kickoffs are good and he has the leg to make 50+ yard FGs.
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Hard to complain about this deal from Bills front office perspective. As a fan, happy to have Tyrod back.
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lb is a position where value free agents can be found. We got a little lucky last year and found 2 of them, but I believe the Bills should be able to find one this year. 1 value FA and draft one to replace Brown (a team will overpay for him).
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Makes sense as he can dual as FB/RB. Big thing is that McDermott and Tolbert know each other well. All first year Head coaches like to bring in a few veterans who are loyal and can get other players on the team to get with the program.
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Simon is more of a baseball guy and has never impressed with his football knowledge. If he says we should have let Tyrod go, I feel even more comfortable that Bills did the opposite.
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Playoffs? Where did we get better? Everyone that is so excited for this move and saying TT is not to blame for missing the playoffs quickly points at the defense. From where I sit it looks like 3 pro bowlers from that side of the ball are heading elsewhere.
So losing 3 of our better players, a first year HC, OC and DC's who will both be installing new systems and we are going to improve on 7-9? Don't forget we don't have a PK, P, and one of those defensive pro bowlers was also our best special teams player.
For the record I think the Pro Bowl is as watered down as it can be, but TT fan club always likes to refer to it so I returned the favor. Sure some signings are to yet to come but where anyone can sit today and say playoffs is where I want to be.
It's early so there will be more help in terms of free agents and draft picks.
1. I am of the opinion that the HC will be a big upgrade. Rex was undisciplined and sloppy in his overall approach. Alot of bluster and not enough results. McDermott has a good deal of respect around the league and has assembled an experienced staff. Our HC is going to be much more of a grinder and I don't see him taking off with his staff to go to World Series games during the middle of the season. We have seen HC changes can make a big impact on a team's record right away.
2. A healthy Sammy Watkins? We shall see what happens but having a healthy Watkins would make a huge impact on the offense. He and Taylor had a great connection in the second half of the 2015 season when Watkins was actually healthy. Let's cross our fingers.
3. Improved defense. Our defense was ranked 4th in 2014 but was below average the past 2 seasons. Too much confusion and miscommunication. It is not hard to envision the defense playing faster and appearing less disorganized. Even if the defense gets back to 10th, this will lead to wins.
4. Adding a reliable FG kicker. Carpenter has been a disappointment the past 2 years. Maybe this falls on Rex as he seemed to get into Carpenter's head right away and he never recovered. If the Bills can locate a reliable kicker with a bigger leg, that could end up giving us another 1-2 wins.
5. Getting contributions from last years top picks, Lawson and Ragland as injuries limited their impact to next to nothing.
Bills will lose Gilmore, Woods, Brown and probably Alexander. But Gilmore was a disappointment until the last 6 games of the year. Woods is a decent wr and he could be easily replaced in free agency. Whaley will need to find free agent help at LB and in secondary. He was able to bring in cheap veterans at LB last year and it is a position that lends itself to the potential of that happening again.
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It's a QB driven league, last one to score wins. Pitt game showed who Tyrod is, Mr consecutive 3 and out. First half he had negative 1 yard per play, teams know how to stop Tyrod, make him be a QB. If we had a better QB we would have made the playoffs. Whaley QB purgatory
If i recall correctly the winning qb tjat day did throw 3 interceptions and was generally not impressive. Giving up almost 300 yards to Bell is what cost us this game.
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Smart move. Now we have a chance to make playoffs next year.
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Literally the only two scenarios in which I would cut Tyrod are:
1) They can get Romo
2) They draft a QB with the idea that he starts right away
I have ZERO interest in watching some Hoyer/Foles type at QB. Tyrod at least brings excitement with his mobility. If Carpenter hits a FG in OT or the defense makes a stop vs Miami the team probably goes to the playoffs with a coach who doesn't like to work and total confusion on defense.
To me, that means keep it intact, build on it, and have a HC who is hungry and wants to work.
On NFL Network, Rapoport said that he surveyed 5 GMs around the league asking them what they think the Bills will do with Taylor. All 5 told Rapoport that the Bills would be crazy to let Taylor go for nothing. I would like to see Taylor stay as he gives us a chance to make the playoffs next year. But if Whaley and the front office are determined to let Taylor go, they must get something decent in return for him. QBs that can play are valuable assets and teams should never let them walk out the door for nothing.
SF got 2 second rounders for Alex Smith. New England got the 34th pick for Matt Cassel. Sam Bradford was traded for a 1st and 4th. There is now way I would let Taylor go for less than a 1st.
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Fitz got 12 mil last year with no leverage as all teams had their starters already. So this does not surprise me. Taylor's $ is reasonable for a quality starter. This all comes down to whether you think he is a quality starter or not.
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What happens if the Darnold regresses like so many other college quarterbacks who have early success? Or what happens if Darnold is good again but decides to return to USC for another year because he sees the Bills are drafting 1st? These are realistic possibilities. Look at the last time the Bills ended up near bottom (3-13). Luck was supposed to come out and he returned to Stanford. We would not have gotten Luck but It would have allowed the Bills to get Newton. Instead we end up with Dareus and he is good but has not really been worth the $ and headaches.
Let's not make the same mistake 22 teams made on Aaron Rogers. Mahomes at 10.
Mahomes definitely intrigues me. I want to keep Taylor but if Bills decide to move on, drafting Mahomes would probably pacify my anger.
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Well said. And I'll add that these points support the idea that the bills may have an interest in Siemian. Perhaps Denison prefers Siemian but, absent that option, wants Tyrod.
My guess would be that Dennison would prefer Taylor over Siemian with $ not being any factor. Personally, I like Taylor a lot more than Siemian who appears to be a low end starter or high end backup. Remember Siemian actually got to play with D. Thomas and E. Sanders all year. That makes a difference in the passing game where the Bills were shuttling wrs in and out each week. But getting back to the point, if Whaley forces McDermott/Dennison's hand and gets rid of Taylor than the coaches need a backup plan. That is where I think the Bills have been inquiring about Siemian's availability. If you can't have Taylor that Siemian at least would give the Bills a reliable QB who knows the system and is very cheap. He would probably be a bridge with the Bills drafting another QB. But I think if the coaching staff gets their way they would end up keeping Taylor. This debate is very interesting because both sides can make a good argument.
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7th post of this thread, astb41 nailed it.
Does anyone really think that QB wasn't the very first issue they talked to McDermott about once his interview focused on the Bills team and players? If Coach had such a differing opinion on Tyrod from the FO, why would they hire him? They wouldn't. They would find a coach who shared their same vision. What could have happened in the 7 weeks since McDermott was hired to make them no longer agree? Just because they haven't announced anything to the public doesn't mean that they haven't already made their decision, nor does it mean that they are fighting over the decision. Pure speculation.
As far as the HC hire it was reported that the owners were very impressed with McDermott. It is possible they nudged Whaley to hire McDermott.After all the owners were responsible for bringing in Rex.
Now if the above were true, maybe Whaley and McDermott just agreed on a few options at QB before the hire. Once hired McDermott would have begun a detailed evaluation of taylor and consulted some of the staff he had hired. Maybe in watching all his games he became more impressed with Tyrod. We know he ends up hiring Dennison who seems to have some affinity for Taylor as QB. The hiring of Dennison gave HC more backing. McDermott could go back to owners and say my OC knows Taylor and has done his e v a l on him and is in agreement to keep him. That way McDermott is not on an island in his opinion of tyrod.
All that said you would think this would have been ironed out before the hire, but this is the Bills we are talking about.
worst draft class
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted · Edited by racketmaster
Definitely not 2013. Alonzo and Woods were solid picks. Duke Williams was not a complete bust for where he was drafted and the kicker hopkins is decent albeit not with the Bills. 2010 and 2005 were much worse.