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That makes sense too. It's a two-fold process for them. One, they go out and learn as much as they can about these guys and see if one might entice them enough to draft him, and two, they create the scene that they're interested in these QBs in which they hope creates interest from other teams to work out a trade.

It's not that fitting. Kizer is miles ahead of Manuel in terms of football IQ. That's one of the areas where Manuel struggled the most. I don't say this to knock the kid because I think he's a great person, but he's a bit of a slow learner. There was a long-form article on the website just before the 2014 season that was all about Manuel and it mentioned how he needed extra tutoring and help through middle and high school, and not because he was too busy working on QB things. On top of that, the person on the field that Manuel trusts the most is himself. He's too gun-shy to throw into tight windows or take a chance on a 50/50 ball to let his guy make a play. He'd rather pull it down and run. Kizer has shown that he'll stand in the pocket and take a shot in the ribs if he knows he has a guy coming open, that's not something we saw Manuel really do at all. There are some size and athletic similarities but I think that's where it ends.

That clip with Kizer and Mooch shows us what Kizer showed every team he visited with at the Combine. There were quotes coming out all week that Kizer was crushing interviews and blowing away coaches with his work on the whiteboard. Of all the QBs coming out this year he may have the highest FBI. Watson was the other QB said to have won big during his interviews, displaying his leadership and team-first mentality. And it was just recently said this week that NFL teams and coaches are a lot higher on these QBs than the media/online scouts and us armchair GMs, A couple of these guys are going to be very good players. This isn't 2013 and some are treating it like it is, there are some NFL quality QBs coming out this year.

This has to be trolling, right? Nicknames and sports go together like peanut butter and jelly. I don't think there's one guy on the Sabres that gets called by his actual name. I'm surprised this guy didn't bring up Brian "Soupy" Campbell. How alarming. And I guess I never understood the hate for Russ Brandon. Yeah, he definitely should've never been a GM but he's a business guy and if you're the Bills and Sabres, business isn't too bad right now. The product on the field and on the ice needs work but Brandon is right there alongside the Pegulas helping them structure the deals that put together the Harbor Center, aided in getting renovations done at New Era Field. He must be doing something right considering he's outlasted numerous front office changes. To me, he's just a dude.

The coaching on defense was the main downfall of the 2016 season. Way too many cooks in the kitchen, an over-complicated scheme, guys who didn't buy in, Rex apparently giving full defensive control to Rob in order to save his reputation. The players put it on themselves for not being successful but that's what players say. You won't find many players who will come right out and say, "Not our fault, coaching sucked." There are good players on that side of the ball and McDermott is a defensive coach, he'll figure out ways to put those dudes in position to succeed. If an impact defensive player falls to them at 10, take that kid all day. But if the BPA at 10 happens to be an offensive guy, then you take him. Now, in regards to all the QB visits, I think it's a two-fold process. One, they're simply doing their homework on these guys, and two, they're working to create interest for a trade. One of the more interesting bits about this process is the rumor that stated the team didn't want these QB visits to become widely known. That thought was shot down once a UNC coach tweeted that picture of McD and TPegs in NC while they were meeting with Trubisky. If you're trying to create trade interest, why would you want these visits to be low-key? You want teams to believe you're going to select a QB so, generally, a team trying to do that is going to leak all sorts of news about the prospects they're visiting with. The fact that they seemed to have wanted to keep all the QB stuff on the low makes me believe that they are going to come out of this draft with one of the top five or six QBs. If they take one in the first round, I would hope it comes after a trade down. But by this point we've heard all sorts of different stuff, like: Whaley loves Watson, watch out for Bills to make big trade up the board for one of drafts top signal callers, Bills a team to watch for in a trade up for Trubisky, etc etc. It is that time of year, so not too much stock can be put into what's being said/heard right now.

Lot of good stuff here. On the Jaworski quote... he's the same dude that in 2013 said he believed Kaepernick could be one of the greatest QBs of all-time. He had him very highly rated on his list of best NFL QBs at that time. So... ya know, Jaworski may not be the first guy I listen to in regards to prospects. And the Prescott thing was said all during draft weekend last year. I don't remember exactly who said it but it was stated more than a few times that Buffalo had targeted Prescott with their fourth-round pick. Out of all the QBs that came out last year, aside from Wentz, Prescott was a guy the Bills put a lot of work into. Someone mentioned Russell Wilson... yeah, the Bills had him ranked as a 4th round player as did just about every single other team out there. His height is really the only thing that dropped him. Teams felt he would never be able to overcome that. Seattle had 10 picks in 2012 plus they had signed Flynn to presumably be the starter. They probably figured if they grabbed Wilson in the third and he didn't pan out then oh well, they had Flynn. Luckily for them Wilson has turned out to be a top ten QB. Seattle also got trashed in reviews that year for picking Bruce Irvin in the first and Bobby Wagner in the second. In retrospect, given how the careers for each of those guys has worked out their pick position should've been flipped. Back to the Bills though... it was also just reported that they (Bills) were trying to keep these QB visits under wraps but a coach at UNC tweeted that picture of McD and TPegs so the cats outta the bag now. I do believe they'll add a QB somewhere and I wouldn't be surprised if it's in the first... however, I just would like to see it happen after they trade back and gain a few extra picks. There's also a real chance one of these guys could be available to them when their turn is up in round two. We'll see.

Due to the wrist surgery he just had, it's being said it's highly unlikely any team will use a draft pick on him. He'll get to choose where he goes when teams come offering UDFA contracts.

Just wanted to chat about the 2017 QB class and how it pertains to the Bills. As of now, news has been reported that the Bills have met with: -Mitch Trubisky, UNC -Nate Peterman, Pittsburgh -Patrick Mahomes, Texas A&M -DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame -Chad Kelly, Ole Miss Those are the "official" visits we know about. They flew out to NC last night to work out Trubisky, they've had/are having Peterman up here at OBD for one of their official draft visits. News also broke recently that they sat and had dinner with Kizer and they've met/talked with Kelly during Senior Bowl week. On top of that, reports leaked of Whaley being "in love" with Deshaun Watson. There were also reports a while back stating that Trubisky was the top QB on Whaley's board. Now, clearly it's wise for them to do their homework on these QBs but to what extent are they interested in any of them? As the draft approaches the consensus on the QBs seems to be coming into full focus and that focus says none of these players are Day One starters. All of them have their flaws, but all of them have positive traits as well. In my mind, I don't believe they're seriously considering one in the first round. I think they're trying to create interest in the #10 pick. If they do trade down and collect extra picks then I'd say it's possible they take a QB in the first. I do wonder if they feel a little salty after last year. They were prepared to take Prescott with their fourth-round pick but of course Dallas beat them to it. I hope this doesn't force them into picking a guy too soon. All of these QBs are a fit in the new offensive scheme which requires some mobility from the QB in order to make some plays outside the pocket. The best pure arm strength belongs to Kelly and Mahomes. The most accurate passer is Trubisky, that's if you exclude his deep ball which needs work. Kizer is said to have absolutely blown away coaches with his FBI and whiteboard work during the combine. Watson has that "it" factor in terms of leadership and showing up on big stages. Peterman has a head start over these guys as they enter the league considering he ran a pro style offense at Pitt. This class is not as bad as some have suggested. It's also not the best, but it's not 2013. I do believe one or two of these guys can be high-level starters in the league. It's clear that the Bills are most definitely trying to win this season with this current group. However, they've said while they're ready for the short-term they are also planning for the long-term. I believe they'd like to add a guy at the QB position to take over for Taylor in 2018 if Taylor doesn't show the improvements they're looking for. And if Taylor does show those improvements then they have a favorable situation on their hands. They could continue to roll with Taylor while having a guy waiting in the wings, trade Taylor and start the new kid, or trade the new kid, so there's options. Of the guys that have visited/been linked to the Bills, which one would you like to see here and when? I think if they wanna take one in the first round it has to come after a trade down. And even if they do trade down and DON'T take a QB, they'll have a chance at one of these guys in the second round. Based on what I've read and the games I've watched, I'm in on Watson. I know he has some flaws, but to me he has some incredible intangible qualities that you can't teach. He's extremely calm under pressure, big moments don't rattle him, his leadership is off the charts and teammates wanna go to war with this guy at the helm. My plan B would be Kizer in the second round, and for a lot of the same reasons I gave for Watson. Kizer also has a very high FBI, he's experienced, he did some good things with a not very talented offense around him and again, his leadership qualities are top notch. We can, (and have, and will) go on and on about why the Bills or any team SHOULDN'T draft any of these guys. But I'm asking, which guy would you draft and why? Never mind the flaws for the moment. Focus on the pros this player can bring to the table and discuss which guy, which round and what qualities of his would make you want to see him get handed a Bills jersey on draft weekend.

Look at what McDermott did with the defensive backs he had during his time in Carolina. Yes, he had Josh Norman but it wasn't until 2015 that he really put himself on the map. And even with that great season he had, the team decided he still wasn't worth the money... I'm betting a factor in making that decision was their faith in McDermott to get similar results out of other DBs on the team. He had two rookies at the starting corner spots for 2016 and towards the end of the season they started playing quite well. McDermott took former 7th-round pick Kurt Coleman and turned him into a good player. He picked off seven passes in '16 plus another two against Arizona in the NFC Championship game. McDermott appears to have a solid understanding that you scheme to what your players do best. He's going to pinpoint what his guys do best and put them in positions to use those skills and hopefully succeed. I've been a Gilmore fan since day one. The amount of hate that guy got during his time here was kind of crazy. Every corner in the league gets beat. But, more often than not, Gilmore did his job and he did it well. Now, his tackling could've been better. I'm not making excuses for the guy but I believe the injuries he suffered early in his career (which happened as the result of him being in on tackles) messed with him mentally and made him hesitant to run to the ball and stick his nose in to make/help make the tackle. Over the past couple seasons you could see him shy away from scrums and become what evaluators call a "pile watcher." Also, how many times did he have to adapt to new coaches and schemes while he was here? When you're going into every season having to reshape your game based on the new scheme there can be some hiccups. For the most part, I think he is a good player with stretches where he's a very good player. They can't sign 'em all and he's not the type of player they could break the bank for. Combine that with McDermott's track record in getting solid production from less talented players and I think it was pretty easy for them to lay their offer on the table and say "That's as good as it's gonna get. We'd like you back but we understand your position, good luck." Also, Gilmore has stated numerous times that Watkins is the most difficult receiver he's ever covered. Should be fun to watch those two battle twice a year. And I was also a big fan of Woods. He's a team-first guy, a wide receiver on a run-first team who never complained about wanting the ball more. Did his job and did it well, one of the most exciting blocking receivers to watch. But it's not like his production was so off the charts that the team figured, "There's no way we can lose this guy!" He was good for about 50 catches and 600 yards with 3 TDs a year here. He went home to LA, got a nice contract and was probably told, "Look, we saw you against Seattle, we play them twice a year, we'd love to have you repeat that for us." Good for him. NFL = Not For Long. High turnover business, gotta identify your cornerstone players and extend them when possible. Make offers to guys that are a piece of the puzzle and if you get them back, great, if not, you were prepared to have them walk away from you anyway. Woods missed five out of 62 games during his time here. Missed two games apiece in '14 and '15 and missed 3 in '16. That's pretty consistent.

I appreciate the other feedback about why they ditched the board. More revenue makes sense. They have more control about what gets discussed since they post the updates and the topics to talk about. I get all that. I didn't get that they felt removing the board would cause more fan engagement. As for those who said the BBMB moderators were overzealous in some cases, I can't speak from experience because I never got any sort of flak from one. I recognize teef from the BBMB and know he's been around a while. To get an infraction for saying "eeewww" to a potential signing should never have merited them to warn you or anything. You didn't think signing Vick was a good idea, "ew" was your way of saying that, I don't see an issue.

Hahaha. Who said anything about blindly supporting anything? I wasn't cheerleading and saying, "Support the team no matter what!" People can come to their own decisions on how they want to support the team. My main point was the differences in discussion between their Facebook and their message board. I never said BBMB was the best thing ever, it had it's share of trolls and over-discussed topics but IMO it was a better outlet for fans to have discussions. Especially around now, draft time the board was always very active. And vent all you want, that's obviously what these forums and their platforms are for. I'm simply saying I just don't see the need to CONSTANTLY complain no matter what the topic is. "Schedule releases next week!" And then 87 people immediately blast them with something negative. What's the point in that? That's what I'm saying when I feel those kinds of comments in that platform more often deter people from engaging rather than encourage them to chime in. Express yourself however you feel. It's just my opinion that if you're the type of fan that's gonna put your fist through your television or hurl your remote through a window...maybe you need to chill out a bit.

LOL. Nowhere did I make a determination on how Bills fans should act. They're free to act however they want. I did make a statement on how I personally view and handle things. My main point was that the BBMB provided a much better forum for fans to hold discussions, much better than Facebook comment sections, which, as I stated, seem to be constantly overflowing with junk. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, I get that, I just think the constant flow of negativity on these comment sections isn't serving the purpose they intended. They wanted more interaction but when people who are trying to make decent discussion are getting drowned out by ridiculous comments, you're more apt to drive people away rather than encourage them to get involved in the discussion.

Fair warning: Kind of a long post, just sharing some opinions. So it's been over a month now since the Bills organization deleted their message board (on my birthday, no less) in lieu of them wanting more interaction out of their social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Of those platforms, the only two places I follow them are on Facebook and Twitter. Generally, they don't receive much interaction with Twitter, but on Facebook, hoo-boy. Anything they post on Facebook immediately has a comment section filled with probably 70% negative BS. They'll post an update on Sammy's rehab process and you'll see 50 comments about how he's worthless, made of glass, waste of a pick, can't stay healthy, etc. etc. They posted a small video of the players returning for off-season workouts and there were way too many comments saying, "Look at fat Dareus, that fat !@#$ better pick it up this year, he's stealing millions from us!" Us? Who's us? You got a turd in your pocket or something? We don't pay that guys salary. "These guys make millions, they should be eating, breathing and sleeping football 24/7." I don't know about any of you, but comments like that irritate me. They'll post an update about when the schedule is due to be released and over half the comments are, "Won't matter, 17 years, no playoffs, this team is the worst team that has ever been a team in the history of team sports." The simplest status updates are always met with such vitriol. First off, I get it, we all get it. This team has put its fan-base thru the ringer for the last 17 seasons. I used to be that guy who would flip out every time a negative play happened or every time the opposing team scored or executed a good play. That was years ago before I started watching the game more objectively and with a different appreciation for what these guys do. I love watching the sport, Sundays during football season, my TV has football going from noon to midnight. The Bills are the only team that derive any sense of emotion out of me. Of course I want them to win. But when they lose, I'm not gonna let it ruin my day. I'm not gonna immediately jump online and scream into the void about what should've happened, why Player X isn't any good, why they need to fire this guy, that guy, whatever. At the end of the day, it's a game. These guys beat the hell out of themselves for the entertainment of others. That's why I think it's so lame when people sit on their couches and spew hate and bullcrap as if they have all the answers. Some of the comments made towards these guys come from people who look like they'd get a wheeze from walking their dog. Yet, they seem to be the loudest ones. It's not in my nature to cut people down from behind a computer screen. I think it's weak and shows a lack of character and human empathy... because at the end of the day, these guys are all human. They are very fortunate to be able to play a game for a living and be well-paid for it but I think people forget how much they're sacrificing. Time away from families, constantly dealing with some sort of aches and pains, and when they leave the game when they're "too old" (as if 33 or 34 is too old), if they were smart with their money they'll be set up for life and transition into something different, again, if they're planned accordingly. Some don't and they end up broke. I have a hard time feeling sorry for those guys. Not the guys who get taken for rides by family and friends, but guys who have been advised yet still spend their money like it's never going to run out. And when it's all said and done, they've sacrificed a huge part of their health and well-being for the remainder of their lives. Some of these dudes will wind up in wheelchairs, some may never make it past 50, some may have to deal with CTE or other concussion-induced illnesses. Life after football can be pretty ugly, I'm sure. It doesn't happen to all of them but still, I look at these guys as humans first, players second. And yeah, again, they make great money and many people are quick to say how they'd trade their lives for that of a professional athlete, but that's without knowing everything about the grind these guys go through to stay in the game. And for all the complaining about how much money they make (millions) no one ever seems to say anything about the owners who all make billions. BBMB was a spot I visited daily for 15 years. It was a good spot for discussion and usually the moderators were pretty good at weeding out the knuckleheads. But now, they've ditched the board for their social media platforms which are consistently just full of crap. Most of the time, I see these comments and think, "How can anyone think this team has the best fans in the league? Look at this crap." And a lot of them try to disguise their pessimism as "being a realist." Really? When they announce when the schedule will be released and someone chimes in with, "Doesn't matter, they'll go 4-12, and that's just being real." Well, no, it isn't, because no games have been played so unless you're Miss Cleo.... well, you're still wrong. I understand being bummed out by this team year after year but if it affects you so badly maybe it's time you found a different source of entertainment? I guess I just don't see the need to be constantly negative and try to pass it off as being a realist or a "true fan who just sees through everything." Of course there will be negative things to discuss but I've always believed those negative discussions don't need to come with ridiculous insults and moronic statements. I dunno, just my two cents I felt like sharing after trying to really adapt to their new way of interacting with the fan base. I'm adapting to this place quite well and I hope it continues to grow. Thus far the majority of people who post generally have decent, intelligent things to say. Definitely refreshing when you compare it to the "official" platforms provided by the team.

Thank you for the great responses, everyone. I really appreciate it. Some good stuff here. To those (or the one guy) really worried about Zach Brown's departure, I wouldn't fret. Yes, he had an excellent first half of the season, he was all over the field, blowing up running plays, forcing turnovers, tackling machine, etc. However, as the season went on he became more and more invisible. This is just speculation on my part but when you put the pieces together it seems pretty plausible. I believe as the season wore on, Rex continually lost more and more guys on the defensive side of the ball. The communication, substitutions, play call changes, etc. all of that stuff should have improved as the season went on but it actually got worse. I attribute this to guys checking out mentally and some (Brown included) checking out physically, and by that I mean, playing not to get hurt. Watch him during the last half of the season, he's in full-on self-preservation mode. I'm speculating that more and more defenders bailed on Rex's system, guys probably went off-script and since Rex is not very good with accountability, more guys likely checked out as they realized those who were already checked out weren't receiving any kind of reprimands. Brown was on a one-year deal, he felt like his first 8-9 games would be enough to cash in during free agency but right out of the gate his agency over-valued him which led to him hiring a new agent and finally procuring a deal almost a month into free agency. He's a fine player, but as I said in another thread, none of the losses they incurred in FA are irreplaceable guys. I love Robert Woods as a player, he has great character, he's a team-first guy but you can't blame him for leaving, especially if he was told by LA that they plan on throwing the ball a lot more than it was thrown during his time here. As for the other losses, I was definitely a Gilmore fan and believe he played well during his tenure here. I do believe the injuries he suffered early in his career affected him mentally more than anything and I think this is why he became a below-average tackler. He was prone to lapses at times but so is every other corner in the league. Also, never discount the fact how many times some of these guys have had changes at their position coach, coordinator and defensive scheme. When you're having to learn a new system almost every year, it can get confusing. Of course, there'll be a crowd of people who will say, "He's a professional being paid millions, he shouldn't make mistakes." But that's just silliness. Yeah, they're professionals and yes they're paid well but far too often I think too many fans forget that these athletes are human just like us. Nobody is excluded from making mistakes. Some of you talked about trading down and I'm certainly on that wagon this year. With only six picks and a number of holes to fill I think it'd be in their best interest to try and gain some extra picks. At ten, though, they are in a good position to come away with a very good player, no matter the position. It'll just depend on how the board will fall but if they stay at ten they're going to get a solid player. Just today Daniel Jeremiah (one of my favorite draft guys) put up his latest mock and he had the board fall so that Buffalo wound up with Jamal Adams at ten. Surely some will object, I don't think I've ever seen a 100% consensus among the fans but Adams is exactly the type of player McDermott would want. So while I'm all for them trading to acquire more picks, I'd say it'd have to be a pretty sweet deal to move off the ten spot, and how far down would they wanna go? Plus, they have to find a dance partner willing to move up. Easier said than done. If I had to bet (which I don't because I never win and at a casino I'd rather go throw quarters down the toilet because every so often it'll back up and I'll feel like a winner) I'd say they make moves in the second and third rounds. Just a hunch, though. And for those against drafting Howard based on the lack of Clay's involvement last season, eh, again, not something I worry about that much. Clay was much more involved over the last 5 or 6 games and keep in mind how much practice time Clay misses due to numerous nagging injuries. Practice is where you gel and find your chemistry with your QB and implement your plans from week to week. If you're not able to get out there in practice and get on the same page with your teammates it's gonna make it that much more difficult to get involved on Sundays. I like Clay, I think he's a good player, but I don't think he plays out his entire deal here. Even when he was signed we saw that he came with somewhat of a "buyer beware" tag due to his knees needing procedures consistently. And then last season he struggled with his back and (I think?) hip. He's a gamer to go out there banged up every Sunday but missing a lot of practice time definitely impacted his game and involvement. And Howard just gives any QB a massive target to throw to. You don't need pinpoint accuracy with him, you just need "area code" accuracy (just get the ball within his range) and he'll have a good chance at coming down with it. He gives you more versatility than a receiver alone can, as I said, he can be lined up in a variety of spots and has a very well-rounded skill set. They'd find ways to get him involved. And if you put him, Watkins, McCoy and Clay all on the field at the same time, defenses will have to pick their poison, leaving one of those guys available to make plays. I dunno. Sometimes I think, especially in this, the information age, we tend to over-think and over-analyze. When I watch Howard I see a really good football player, plain and simple. Again, really appreciate the good discussion. I'm a BBMB transplant so I'm still getting my footing on this board but it certainly provides the best outlet for Bills talk considering the comment sections on the Bills Facebook pages are just abysmal.

If you think losing Gilmore, Woods and Brown sends this team down the river then.... I don't know if you really pay attention. Those are all replaceable players. None of them are cornerstones on any team.

Over the last two years the Bills have become increasingly tight-lipped about their prospect visits and haven't revealed much of anything in terms of the draft. And that's fine. I don't mind this "one voice" process they're going with. For years they were pretty transparent about things and now they're trying to keep everything super close to the vest. Taking a look at the roster as it is right now, I'm trying to slim down their immediate areas of need. That's not to say they won't draft at these positions but if they do I'm pretty sure it'll be later. That said, I think the only two spots you can rule out an early round pick would be at RB and OL. Most think they could use an upgrade at RT but I think they're going to roll with Mills, Henderson, Kouandjio and even Ducasse as possibilities in that spot. They'll battle for the position during camp. The RB group remains strong with Shady and Gillislee. J. Williams has potential, we'll see how it shakes out, but again, not a position they will look to add to early on. That leaves every other position (aside from special teams) as an option in the early rounds. Breaking it down: QB - I don't see them taking one in the first but if they have any interest in one of the top five or six signal-callers they can't wait any longer than the third round where someone like Nate Peterman might still be available. WR - It's no secret that everyone feels a need for another solid wideout to take attention away from Watkins. For a while, I've thought it'd make sense to add an offensive playmaker early on since the draft isn't quite as deep with offensive talent as it is with defensive. TE - They're said to be high on OJ Howard and personally, he's one of my favorite players in the draft. He exemplifies the type of player McDermott wants in terms of his character, team-first mentality, his willingness to excel in all areas of his position and his off-field life is clean. I certainly think he's in play for them in the first round. He gives them more versatility than a receiver since he can be lined up in-line (where he's a great blocker) and can also be lined up in the slot and out wide in certain sets. Versatility and character seem to be two of the most prioritized traits McDermott is looking for and he has both. DL - With them going back to the 4-3 we should see an improvement on the DL. Hughes, Williams and Dareus were great in 2014 and I don't think you'll find any objectors when someone says Lawson is an upgrade over Mario Williams. They could use some depth here but if one of the top DL were to make it to ten (maybe Jonathan Allen because of the injury concerns?) I think it'd be hard for them to pass it up. LB - They could definitely use some help here. I do think McDermott is going to expect Ragland to be his QB on defense but I don't really buy for a second that they're content with Ramon Humber on the outside. Alexander can hopefully keep up his momentum from last season but he's 33 or 34 and is only on a two year deal. Drafting a young, talented LB that can be guided by a true pro like Alexander isn't a bad idea at all. Reuben Foster could be available, but his character concerns might scare them off. DB - I 100% believe that Hyde and Poyer are your day one starters at the safety spots. Depth is needed and barring one of the top safeties sliding down to ten, I don't think they'll go safety in round one. I also don't think they'll go corner in round one because of the excellent depth at the position in this draft. So, with all that in mind, I think the most likely scenario in the first couple rounds will be an offensive playmaker UNLESS a marquee front seven defender becomes available, with additions to the secondary coming in rounds two or three. Thoughts?

With the emphasis McDermott places on character and off-field stuff, there's no way this kid is coming here. No tires shall be kicked, or even poked.

McCoy isn't there because it's his kids birthday. And McDermott just said it himself, it is a voluntary workout. Of course coaches always appreciate everyone turning up for a workout when they don't necessarily have to. And McCoy really does his own thing most of the time.

I've always felt it was important to identify the leaders on your team. Rex stated he felt leaders naturally emerged but when you identify leaders you make it easier for your younger players to seek out guidance when needed. With Rex at the controls for the past two seasons it really felt like the team lacked leadership. I'm sure there were some guys that would speak up now and again but since nobody was really selected as captains/leaders, I felt like the locker room often looked like a middle school English class where nobody volunteered to read a passage after the teacher asked. Everyone just sitting there waiting for someone else to speak up. Kyle has obviously been a leader for years, Lorenzo established himself last year and Hyde will do that this year. Those guys likely end up with the C on their jersey. I'm gonna go ahead and say they put one on Watkins as well. He's not afraid to speak up and he knows the team needs to work harder than it has when Rex was there.

Davis showed out at his Pro Day today from what I've read. He was an RB in high school, has excellent instincts, screens don't fool him and he ran in the 4.5's today. Might be that Shaq Thompson-type like McD had in Carolina.

I love how pessimism gets defined/defended as "realist" when people have a take like this. Sure, it may be in the back of our minds as fans but I don't foresee the Bills going anywhere, near future or further down the road. The Raiders pretty much flat out refused to cooperate with local government in Oakland. And does anyone really think the NFL and Toronto want a team up there? Did you see any of the Toronto Series games? There'd be a smidge of Bills fans and opposing team fans and then the rest was filled in by people who just wanted to take in an NFL game. The crowd reactions weren't there, people looked bored. Now, granted, the Bills didn't always provide the best games up there but if Toronto is as starved for an NFL team as you think they are, the people there would've been a little more into it. The poor crowd responses were one of the main reasons they discontinued the whole thing.

Want: O. Howard, C. Davis, M. Williams, M. Hooker. R. Foster Don't Want: Any OL Dark Horse: David Njoku (after a trade down) Think: OJ Howard

I feel like Whaley gets such a bum rap. I feel he's done pretty well given the constant turnover with coaching staffs he's dealt with. He may have final say on personnel decisions but that say comes after collecting as much data and intel as possible from his scouts and coaches. When Marrone was here, Whaley did his best to draft players that fit within Marrone's vision. Marrone liked massive OL, Whaley drafted two giants in 2014. Rex Ryan comes in next, wanted a solid corner for his scheme, they find Darby in the second. They go defense in rounds 1-3 in 2016 and end up with three guys who have quite a lot of potential (I know, I know the Parcells quote on potential, I've seen it approximately 67.2 million times after being a BBMB member for years). Of course there's the trade for McCoy, they added Clay, he re-signed Glenn and Hughes, he brought in Tyrod, he found gems in guys like Alexander (re-signed), Z. Brown. Lately everyone wants to be down on him for the WR group being "weak" (all teams deal with injuries, also, run-based offense changes the priorities on receivers, plus finding Hunter on the street proved to be a decent move as the dude caiught four touchdowns) but those same people are likely the ones still clamoring over the trade for Watkins. He's really in a no-win situation no matter what he does. He hasn't hit homeruns on everything he's done, that's not what I'm saying, I just feel like his positive transactions outweigh the negative at this point. He's done everything he can to accommodate whichever head coach he's working with. I don't buy into the news bite from LaCanfora that much, he's consistently wrong when it comes to the Bills. I think McDermott has a much clearer vision for this team than either Rex or Marrone and hopefully they continue to work well together.

His positive traits read very well and the fact that he's ahead of every other QB in terms of acclimating to a pro offense is a big plus for him that'll probably get him drafted a little sooner than most think. This thread has gone back and forth on which type of QB is the ideal type to draft, the guy with intangibles, accuracy, high football IQ, throws with anticipation yet has physical limitations vs. the guy with all the physical tools in the world but lacking in experience with a pro system, lacking experience with anticipation throws, lacking experience with full field reads. So which one do you want? Because thus far in this 17 year drought the Bills have opted for the guy with all the physical tools in hopes that they can coach him up in the areas he's lacking. Losman, big arm, athletic, could move... Manuel, same, Jones, also pretty much the same save for he's probably not quite the same athlete as Manuel or Losman. So they've gambled on those guys... maybe it's time they take a shot on a guy with all the mental tools but lacks some of the physical abilities as some others. And he's a fit for the offense they're going to be running. He's on my radar for them, maybe in the third.

Not sure what kind of deal this dude is expecting. It was rumored that even before the season was over last year he was hoping his hot start would help him cash in. As the season progressed he kind of disappeared. Went into self-preservation mode after it was clear that more than a few guys on defense were done with Rex and the playoffs were out of the question. He was looking out for himself, playing not to get hurt and then he hits FA, doesn't get the monster deal he expects, fires his agent and signs with a new one and starts shopping around again. He turned down Oakland last week. They're a team on the rise and a destination for FAs after being a wasteland for the past decade or so. Miami just committed big money to Alonso so I'm not sure what type of deal they'd offer Brown. It's also been said that a deal has been on the table for him from the Bills since the end of the season but now that he has a new agent he wants to renegotiate. Maybe he's had a chance to learn what McDermott's plans are going forward and wants to be a part of that. If he does wind up here hopefully it's a fair deal and hopefully he keeps up the effort all season long.