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This scenario is something that has picked up steam over the last week. I dunno if it's the media trying to connect the dots or simply stirring the pot but it's coming down to the wire. At this point, I fully expect them to pull off some kind of trade to get inside the top five. I dunno who Beane thinks he's fooling when he says their draft would still be a success if they don't come away with one of the top four QBs, but in the next breath say, "I'll say it every time, it's a quarterback league, you must have a franchise QB. That's a GM's job, to find a franchise QB."

Oh holy crap. Pitchforks would've been out before the first quarter of their first career start was done. Even if they end up with the kid who turns out to be the best of the bunch, he's still gonna have his struggles... and we're gonna see umpteen million threads about why McBeane made a mistake, why they wasted picks to trade up, why this, why that, etc. etc. Overreaction City! At this point, I'm just ready for Thursday. Gonna be the most interesting Bills draft in years, plus, Avengers: Infinity War on the same weekend.

If they can't get one of the top guys, I can surely see this kid being one of their contingency plans. From a number of scouting reports I've read, the dude is ahead of almost all the other QBs in terms of reading defenses, looking off the safety, going through progressions, etc. I have a lot of faith in the guys running the show over at OBD now so I'm on board with whoever they get. What I can't wait for is watching a good part of the fanbase have an absolute meltdown the moment the new QB (no matter where he was picked) throws a pick or has a bad game. I can see it now... let's go hypothetical, the Bills get, eh... Darnold... he plays in his first game and goes 15 of 28 for 267 yards, one TD and 2 picks and a couple of sacks. Several people will be screaming: "SEE?!?!?! I told you all! ALL OF YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME!!! I am the message board genius and I KNEW this Darnold kid was a bum!!! A friggin' bum!! Pack your bags, Beane!! Fire McDermott!! 200 more years of no playoffs, I for one will not be around to watch it!!! I am DONE with this team!! AAAUHFUERHFRHUFRHRJHRFODFDFIHD!!!!!!!!!"

100%. He's third all-time in rushing for the Bills behind only Thurman and that other guy.

Word in New England is Brady is leading some kinda anti-Belicheck revolt. I think a lot of players up there are getting worn out of the grumpy old man schtick. First Belicheck barred Alex Guerrero (Brady's personal trainer, Gronk was also training with him) last season and ripped Gronk a new one in front of the entire team for working with Guerrero. Then he benched Butler for the Super Bowl over a "rules violation" that has never been explained to any player. And then other players, like Amendola, were tired of performing well only to be asked to take a pay cut after the season. Amendola took three straight pay cuts over the past few seasons. This season he was looking for a moderate extension and raise from the Pats, they passed, so he signed a two-year $12 million dollar ($8 million guaranteed) with Miami. I'd say methinks Belicheck is losing the locker room but this is the Pats and no matter what happens these M!@#$s always find a way to make it work and win a crapload of games and run deep into the playoffs. So... until Brady retires (Gronk can leave that team and they'll still be fine, they win without him all the time) I'll continue to believe they'll be just fine and contend for a championship as always. But hopefully this is the first few bricks falling out of the whole foundation for these turds. I have friends who favor the NFC and NFC teams and even they're sick of the Pats dynasty. Time for it to end.... in probably five more years, haha.

I like Sony Michel in the second. He models his game after Shady, would be great to get him and have him learn from Shady for a season or two.

O'Leary has played well in spots but he's dispensable. If he puts together a solid 8 or 10 games I could see him being rewarded with a modest contract extension. But I don't think the Bills are settled at the TE position. I'd bet money that this is Clay's last season here and wouldn't be surprised if they tried to grab one of these rookie TEs coming up this year as it's a decent TE group.

Man, if they thought Watkins was a diva, I can't imagine what they think of Dez...

I'd like to see Mayfield's passing chart just to see how many of his completions were "gimmies" as in easy throws like bubble screens, dump-offs, short in-breaking routes, etc. It'd also be nice to see charts for the other guys as well to see which parts of the field they excel at throwing to.

I typically buy the draft hat each year (like to collect stuff) but passed on last years and feel like I might pass on this years too. Design and color-wise I think it's fine, just not a huge fan of using a slogan in lieu of the team name or logo or name of city. At least this one isn't too bad. Some of the other hats have some lame slogans. Like the Miami hat. It says "Go Fins." Shouldn't it be "Go Phins" instead? They aren't rooting for a singular fin out there. But, also, it's Miami so HA HA, losers.

Good stuff here, Shaw. There's definitely something to be said for the players that come from small schools and have had to really work for everything they have. I think a mix of players like that and players from big time schools with experience in the biggest games in front of the biggest crowds can be beneficial to a team. If the coaches figure out the best methods to reach and teach their players and are able to combine those elements... then I think they'd stand a pretty good chance of winning. Coaching makes a huge difference as well. Coaches have to understand how their players learn and figure out what they have to do to get the most out of a player. They can't scream and yell at everyone and expect a 100% success rate. I can't remember the specifics but I read about a coach who had a player join his team and this player was talented. But the player had a difficult time understanding the system the coach was running. They'd practice and prep all week but then on gameday the results just weren't there. Eventually the coach figured out what type of learner this player was and that coach went and taught himself as much as he could on how he could help this player learn. Once he did that, the results they were looking for finally showed up. Interesting that you mention Coughlin, too. He was always known as a hot-head, hard-nosed, "my way or the highway" type of coach who would go bananas over the most mundane things. Players began to tune him out. Coaches finally told Coughlin the vibe in the locker room and Coughlin realized he had to take a step back, reevaluate his methods and find a better way to reach his players. He learned how to keep his temper under control, he showed more interest in players lives off the field and they ended up winning the Super Bowl that year. Would really be awesome to sit down and talk about this stuff with McBeane, or really any pro coach or GM, just to see what they think the right formula is for a winning team.

Ah, I could've came up with a better title but... brain fart, I suppose... anyways... At this point, we all know how much emphasis McBeane places on character when considering which players to bring into their locker room. If the 2017 draft is any indication, McBeane want prospects with experience, leadership skills, clean off the field and put the team before their personal achievements. If I had the chance to ask McDermott or Beane a question, I would ask them what their threshold is for character concerns. How many character traits or personality flaws or off-field incidents/concerns does it take for them to look at a prospect and go, "Can't have him here, doesn't fit what we're building." Obviously, not every player is going to be a boy scout. I just wonder this because how do they weigh a players talent vs. his character, ya know what I mean? Does the prospect need to be 100% squeaky clean and have played at least X number of games, graduated college (or are close to graduating) and be a "fall in line" type of guy? Again, I'm curious because I'd hate to see them have a chance at a player (and this is just in general, doesn't pertain to the 2018 prospects specifically) who is extremely talented, projects to be an All-Pro, but had an off-field incident or has been outspoken with the media or has whatever type of character red flag and see them pass on said player in lieu of a less talented but higher character player. If McDermott is constructing this locker room and brewing the chemistry he says he's aiming for, then I would think that they'd be comfortable taking a talented player with a few character issues. They would have to trust that the culture inside the locker room and the team leaders and coaches would be able to kind of take this player under their wing and keep him in line, so to speak. They can't all be 4-year starters with degrees and 40+ games started while being a model citizen/community contributor, etc. etc. What do you guys think? How heavily do you think character weighs in on their player evaluations? How much would character concerns affect your decisions if you were the GM? Hey... look at that... not a thread about a QB. Hope everyone is having a good day.

This is why the dude was reportedly taken completely off of some teams draft boards last year.

I'm also not sure how I'd feel if they gave up a bunch to move up for Allen. I mean, they'd have to really really love what the kid is capable of and they'd have to be alright with basically sticking their neck out for him if they trade away a bunch of picks. I do like this front office a lot more than past FO's, so, hopefully they would take their time with him and not rush him into the starting job and immediately start calling him the face of the franchise before he even plays an NFL down. That type of pressure is the kind that can cause an athlete to implode. Like any player, Allen certainly has the potential. I just believe it's going to take a very unique and specific situation, a specific team of coaches and a very particular approach to unlock that potential. And not for nothing but I really don't feel like David Culley can be that guy. Can Daboll do it? I dunno, maybe. Allen would likely be one of the more talented QBs he would have the chance to work with. I like McDermott to coach up any player but his expertise is still on the defensive side of the ball. Interested to see his approach with whatever rookie QB they end up with. Whoever it is, I'mma trust that the regime did their homework, had plenty of discussions and all came to the agreement that *Insert 2018 QB Prospect here* is their guy. After that, they can't hesitate and need to pull out all the stops in order to turn the kid into a high level starting QB by 2020 at the latest.

OK THANKS IRV

They should probably go OT or their current QB will have a flippin' meltdown.

Hey, *I'm* not comparing him to Newton, but others within the scouting community (both in the league and outside it) have made those comps. As standard practice during this time of year, I'm just playing connect the dots. Scouts compare Allen to Newton... Beane's personal description of a franchise QB sounds an awful lot like a Newton or an Allen... of course it could all be conjecture/smokescreen still. But as we're getting closer and closer to the draft we keep hearing more "Bills dig Allen" stuff from different sources. Either they actually dig him or they're trying to bait another team into taking him.

Normally I dig uniform changes but these are... bleh. The numbers are especially rough. The '3' on '31' takes up almost the entire jersey... just makes it look like the guy wears #3. They could've updated/changed their logo while they were at it.

Seeing the Allen comparisons to Cam Newton combined with Beane's description of what he thinks a franchise QB is... looks more and more like there's fire with the smoke that the Bills have Allen as their top target... interesting

I'd say no, they aren't over-valued. Especially if we're looking at the Rams as an example. They basically had Watkins as a rental for 2017. And they have quite a few of their star players due for new contracts soon. Not gonna be able to keep everyone. And if Goff continues to play well, he'll be in line for a monster deal. With draft picks, yeah, it may take some time before the player reaches his full potential but at least he's on the roster for 3-4 years on a team-friendly deal.

Dude whines about not being the right fit for Cleveland yet on draft night 2014 he was texting Browns executives saying, "What are you waiting for?! Jump up and pick me!" What a doofus.

Exactly this. Bills are consistently mentioned as one of the most likely teams to move up but I keep seeing all sorts of mocks and speculation articles saying the Cardinals will jump up or whoever, and now the Pats... with #23 and #31 are gonna fly up the board and take a QB who won't see the field for at least a year. Meanwhile, they (Pats) have plenty of other spots to fill. This isn't about the media "disrespecting" the Bills or anything like that. It's just pointing out how asinine they can be. "Gonna be tough for the Bills, but watch out now, here come the Pats, they've offered the Giants pick #23 and a half-eaten Snickers (shared between Tommy and Billy themselves!) for EVERY SINGLE Giants pick for the next 14 years. Oh, and would ya look at that, just because teams respect the Pats so much, the Browns have gifted them with picks #1 and #4, just because!" Blech. Anyone seriously thinking the Pats are gonna find their way into the top two or three picks can get da fook oot.

I used to discredit LaCanfora a lot, however... I'm convinced he has a pretty solid source on the Bills. He was the first to report that both Rex and Whaley would be gone after 2016 if they didn't make the playoffs. He was saying this at the end of the 2015 season. He wrote that there was some ultimatum coming from ownership... that was never verified as true and was denied consistently by the Pegulas and anyone who was asked about it... but he was indeed correct that the team was prepared to move on from Rex and Whaley after 2016 if they missed the playoffs. I'm not a fan of the guy. He has a snarky demeanor and "holier than thou" attitude, as many media members seem to have. If anyone out there tries to interact with these guys on Twitter they know what I'm talking about. He's the type of reporter that will pat himself on the back whenever he's right, ignore/block people when they call him out for being wrong, engage with trolls and try to come off looking superior, but won't bother to respond to anyone with a decent question/argument.

All bums! Bums, I tell ya.

This is correct. I'm not sure where I got 27 from. Must still be too early. I mean, could he buck the trend and turn into a star? Sure... just doesn't seem all that likely. But who knows, maybe with coaching at the professional level and playing with other pros will raise his game? Or not. They should just draft Neal Lomax and get it over with.