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Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe losing E. Wood was the biggest blow to this OL but I see way more Richie threads than Wood threads. I know Wood was forced to retire due to injury but let's face it, Richie probably doesn't do as well without Wood here. I'm pretty sure Wood was influential in keeping Richie on track during his time in Buffalo. And, if Wood would've been able to continue playing, I'm sure this front office would've been more interested in keeping him around than Richie, he's more valuable. Just a shame injuries forced him out.

Oh boo hoo hoo. The dude made his choices. He didn't have to sign off on that pay-cut, but he did, then two weeks later he got a wild hair up his ass and fired his agents and decided he didn't want the pay cut so he asked for his release and was granted it.

Treadwell hasn't seen the field because he's struggled with drops since entering the league.

I definitely agree with this. Sometimes during games I'll get sucked into the Twitter-verse and see a lot of live tweeting, and over the last few seasons, one of the most common things I've seen mentioned by former players (and at times, those players' wives) would be that they'd look at the sideline and see no sense of brotherhood or unity with the Bills. And these former players were guys like Talley, Bennett, Kelly, Thomas, etc. They all have said at one point or another, one of the reasons they were so successful in the 90s was because, despite the egos, those guys really had a strong sense of family and unity. They all wanted to ball out for each other, not just for themselves. That's what McDermott is trying to build here. And we've seen already that it works. Last years team wasn't the most talented but they really enjoyed playing for each other. Just seeing that sideline erupt for Taiwan Jones, a career special teams and back up guy, playing in a regular season game against an NFC opponent in Week 5 was just awesome. These guys genuinely wanna see each other do well. And those are the kinds of players they'll continue to bring in here because, in their opinion, that's what's going to get them over the hump. Now, the one concern I've had since the jump with this regime is I would hope that they don't pass up on an extremely talented player because of character concerns. I'm sure they have a threshold for what they're comfortable with, what kinda baggage they'll allow players to bring with them, but I get the sense that their threshold for that is pretty low. On the flip-side of this, if they have a strong locker room with dependable leaders, then they should feel more comfortable bringing in a guy who may have some character issues because they can lean on those players in leadership roles to take a young guy under their wing and really show him how to be a professional. So, yeah, I sincerely hope they don't talk themselves out of taking a really talented guy (if they have the chance at one) because they're afraid his baggage will mess with the locker room vibe. Have faith in your guys and your culture and if, after a season or two, the guy in question hasn't turned it around, they can trade him elsewhere. They have no problem doing that (see: Watkins/Darby/Dareus). But yeah, I like where you're coming from here Phillo, good assessment.

The point of the purge has a lot to do with the salary cap mess they inherited. They wanted to unload bad contracts (Dareus, Glenn, etc.) and open up space, number one. Number two, they want a foundation of drafted players that are playing on very manageable rookie deals. In between that, they mix it up with free agents that they think they're paying fair value for. To your comment on the former players that came through Buffalo: Bradham was offered an extension but wanted to test free agency, he also wasn't a fit for Rex's 3-4. Also can't blame a guy for going to a team that offered him the most money. We've all seen the Earl Thomas thing by now, these guys have every right to get paid when the opportunity comes up. Darby was the opposite, he's a fit for what Rex likes to do but not what McDermott wants to do. I also think they had some character concerns on him. Ragland also doesn't fit McDermott's scheme. The moment they drafted Dawkins, the writing was on the wall for Glenn. I've always liked Glenn, think he's a solid player but the deal they gave him was a bit much for his services. Beane wanted to get rid of that contract and things just kinda lined up for them when Glenn had injuries last season and Dawkins played pretty well in his place. They saw that and knew then that their draft pick on a very affordable rookie contract was ready to take over and then they go and get themselves up to slot #12 by trading Glenn which helped them move up for who they think is their franchise QB. Goodwin and Woods were offered deals but both wanted to test free agency. They were also here when this team was all about the run. When you're a wide receiver, you want the ball. Robert Woods is a solid player who was definitely frustrated while he was here but he still did his job very well. He received an offer to play for a team in his own backyard that loves throwing it, can't blame him there. Goodwin was offered more money in San Francisco, and up until his departure, there weren't really any Bills fans who thought that guy was special. He has rounded out into a good receiver in San Fran but while he was here he was often injured and struggled with drops. Dareus... giant contract that was not worth what he was providing. And again, character is a big thing here and we are all well aware of the off-field troubles Dareus has had. Even Kyle Williams himself said it, sometimes there's only so much you can do for someone before you have to give them a chance to start fresh somewhere else. Dareus has had two solid seasons in his seven year career but probably could've had several more than that if he was motivated enough to really tap into his potential, but he never appeared to be interested in doing that while he was here. And then they got outbid by the Pats for Hogan after giving him an offer sheet. And if you can catch the ball, you can pretty much count on Tom Brady making you look pretty good. I'm not directing this next comment at you, but some people seem to think that the Bills just cut or traded or dumped these guys for no reason or that they never considered keeping them around. They do their due diligence and make their evaluations and some guys get offers, some don't. It's business. TL:DR - In short, you can pretty much look at the cap mess they were stuck with to understand why they've purged the roster. But also, they (McBeane) knew it was time to hit the "full-on reset" button, as did the Pegulas. This is what happens when that button gets pressed. It's all business.

There are way more true starters that aren't even 30 yet that are on this team. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are both 27, Taron Johnson (who has looked better each week) and Tre' White are 22, Tremaine Edmunds is only friggin' 20 and he's already the QB of the defense, Trent Murphy is 27, Star Lotulelei is 29, Matt Milano is 24, etc. Josh Allen is 22, Dion Dawkins is 24, Zay Jones is 23, etc. It's a youth movement right now. I don't have a lot of issues with how they're building right now. They have a handful of longtime vets with 8-10+ years of experience (Kyle, Lorenzo, Hughes, etc.) and then they have veterans still in their prime years (under 30) with 4-8 years of experience followed up by the rookies and second/third/fourth year players. Building a roster is more than just finding the right players. This regime wants to find the right players for the right money for the right amount of time. Right now, it's obvious they want to build a core of young players that they hope will pan out and be affordable because they'll still be on their rookie deals. And whoever has performed well will likely be offered extensions (right meow I can see Tre' White definitely getting the 5th year option, Edmunds as well, feel really good about those two being cornerstones on that defense for the next 10 seasons provided they can stay healthy). It might be a dismal season but they're doing this thing the right way. The results aren't what they want yet but they've still yet to dig in and really overhaul the offense. I think that's coming up this off-season, though. If they end up with a top 5 pick, they can trade down and collect more picks which in turn gives them more ability to move around in the draft and go after who they want. And hopefully they'll get some solid veteran FAs in here as well.

I would just like to see some cohesion on offense. I know this OL hasn't played together for very long but at some point they gotta get things down well enough so they aren't allowing a rusher to hit Allen .04 seconds after the snap. Establish the run, take some shots with the play action. And obviously, hope the defense can create turnovers and short fields. Same formula that beat Minnesota, likely the only formula they can use to compete right meow.

Yep. And if I'm too old and crippled, at least just get my wheelchair riding ass up on a ledge and lemme take care of the rest.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed individuals of this fine establishment known as Two Bills Drive... I would like to report that I have indeed been fired over Mahomes. It's been a great run but all mediocre things must come to an end and today is that day. If anyone needs me, I'll be crying into my Josh Allen Kool-Aid cup.

I better see the most enthusiastic f*ckin' jazz hands in history this Sunday, then.

Love this. Great instincts and reaction here. Reads the play, takes the correct first step and makes the tackle. Good stuff.

I reckon every time the kid throws for at least 12 yards we'll see these, "WE MISSED OUT" threads and "EVERYONE MUST BE FIRED BECAUSE THAT IS HOW WE MAKE PROGRESS!!!" It's being said all over, Mahomes has a great situation. He has time to throw, a plethora of guys to throw it to and the ability to make stuff happen when the play breaks down. Oh, he's also athletic and has a big arm. I think there's another guy like this in the league, big, athletic, rocket arm...except he doesn't have a decent OL or the same weapons right meow. He also didn't get a year to sit behind a really solid vet. Something occurred to me while watching that game last night. I'm not a real big fan of David Culley but I'm pretty sure he's here because he's a Reid disciple. I wonder if Reid himself gave McD the suggestion to hire Culley to coach QBs. I'm all in on "the process" but that doesn't mean you can't throw some criticism its way. And one criticism I've had is their idea to roll without a veteran backup QB. A dude who's been around the league and seen a lot, a guy who can really help JA in the QB room and all that. I know a lot of people criticize them trading McCarron but I don't believe they intended on doing that. I just think they were shocked the Raiders said, "Yo, a 5th for McCarron?" because they probably had his trade value listed as, "Lucky if we'll get a pack of Twizzlers" given McCarron's pre-season performance and injury. So I think that was an unexpected trade and they jumped on it, expecting Peterman to be able to hold down the fort until JA was ready or whatever. But then Peterman goes out there and is just friggin' awful, left 'em no choice but to roll with the rookie.

It'd be odd for KC to want him considering he's a 4-3 DE. Played out of position a lot in Rex's 3-4 and didn't do well. And yeah, as others have mentioned, Lotulelei isn't here to rack up big numbers. And Lawson, if he can show he's comfortable switching between DT and DE on certain downs then he'll have value as a versatile player they can move around on the DL.

There's been what, 3 games so far this season that have already ended in ties? Those ties have sparked the conversation that the NFL needs to look at their OT rules again and eliminate ties. And then a coach goes for the win instead of the tie and it's "the worst decision in the history of ever!! Aw gawd, I write sports in the internet and my freaking eyeballs are bleeding from the insanity that was this decision! Who doesn't go for the tie?!? Blllaaarrrggghhh!!" Seriously, peeps. Ignore the talking heads and the writers and pundits and bloggers and analysts and "experts" and all that BS. They are paid to share their opinions (often ****ty ones) and create debate. The schmuck that wrote this has succeeded in doing just that and he's making himself look like a moron in order to do it. No one wants ties. So what does this miraculous bag of rancid assh*les do? Writes the exact opposite and tada, it's click city. I hope this guy stubs his toe in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom, trips, falls and wets his favorite Patriots jammy jam pants.

Well, not everyone can have a Tim Brody and a Bob Bulisticks.

First off, if you're a fan that thinks or expects this team to contend this season (or next), you're gonna put yourself through some misery. If you think this is the "same old Bills" you're wrong. If you think there's no solid, long term plan in effect right now, you're also wrong. Defense is McDermott's bread and butter so it makes sense to build the defense first and then work on the offense. The defense has some great veteran leadership (Kyle and Lorax) as well as a tier of players with 4-6 years under their belts yet still under 30 years old, combined with a bunch of youngins in their first or second year. That's how you do a rebuild. Hang on to some decent longtime vets, sign some moderately experienced vets, and then fill out your high priority spots with draft picks. Not everything can be addressed in one season which is why the offense is lagging. They have who they think is their QB and left tackle. They have a kid who may blossom into a solid receiver once the team finds its offensive identify. Again, as with the D, there are some longtime vets hanging around providing leadership. I don't think they've dug in much with the offense just yet as they don't have the same type of younger vets like the defense does but I think they'll go after some guys like that this off-season. But as for yesterday's game, there are gonna be total duds like this during this project. Allen has to go through the lowest lows as well as the highs as he gains experience. All of this season is about experience and growth of the young foundation. Win big together and lose big together, they'll find out a lot about one another and what it's gonna take from each one of them to become a team of brothers that plays for each other. There's a plan. It's in action. It just takes time. I'm all in. Can't wait to see where this team is at come 2020.

He's not done. He maybe has lost half a step. I think he can still be productive... somewhere else. I don't doubt for a second that they've already discussed the possibility of trading him. Just because of his contract and age. This entire rebuild is a huge youth movement. Guys like Kyle and Lorax are here to guide these young guns on how to be consummate professionals. They're probably retiring next year. Guys like McCoy, he still wants to play but I doubt he's down for a rebuild that's gonna take at least two seasons, knowing he only has a couple years left. They may deal him to a contender before the deadline, give him a chance to make a run for it. Same with Clay. Maybe Hughes as well but I think McDermott really likes Hughes for his intensity and how he practices. Young players can learn a lot by watching him. And his contract isn't terrible. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate these guys and like them as players but these things happen when a team tears it down and starts over. Some of these guys are here for specific reasons, veteran leadership being the biggest thing. Despite this being a full rebuild, you need solid vets in your locker room to show these kids how to play in the NFL. People wanna call out Trent Murphy and Star Lotulelei as "overpaid unproductive losers" because they aren't racking up 12 sacks and 37 tackles for loss per game. Some of that extra money in their contract is basically an apology from the franchise. I'm certain these guys were told, "Hey look, we're tearing this thing down, of course we're gonna compete and work to win but with projects like this, it's difficult to expect wins. But we know what kinda player and leader you are and if you wanna keep looking over your options, please do, but we think we're offering a fair deal for your services." That's why those guys signed here. Most anywhere else, they're looking at less money to do the same job (without being leaned on for the leadership aspect so much). So they sign here knowing they're coming to a team that's a few seasons away from competing but they're being compensated financially for that with the hope that by the time this team is ready to contend, these guys will still have another season or two at a decent age to try and help get the team over the hump. That's been the issue with Whaley and past GMs here. They all thought they could win now with what they had and just needed a few more players to "get 'em over the hump" but they never built from the ground up. Never thought they had to. And in 2014 they came close with a roster, in hindsight now, that was pretty good. But then you have a coach who quits and you replace him with Clownshoes Rex for two years until finally your owners go, "OK, what the fruck is going on, we gotta hit the restart button here." And the youth movement begins. Youngish, first time HC and GM, guys who came up together, understand each other (unlike Whaley and any of his HCs). There's symmetry there that hasn't been at OBD in a long time. So, it seems most fans are understanding that 2018 (and likely 2019) are gonna be not so fun to watch, but for those who aren't seeing the bigger picture, just keep in mind that they're willing to deal with two painful seasons in order to become contenders that can sustain that success on a consistent basis. I'll take that all day long. Gimme two years of absolute suckage if it results in 10 years of making the playoffs (or at least finishing with a winning record) and being taken seriously. That's much better than a 17-year playoff drought that swung back and forth between "we're gonna rebuild but we don't know how" and "we're almost there, we swear!"

Marino played in 11 games, starting 9 of them in his rookie season. Threw for 2200 yards, 20 TDs to 6 INTs, 7-2 record as a starter. The following season he blew up, throwing for 5084 yards and 48 TDs. He fell to the bottom of the first round because his senior season at Pitt wasn't great and there was a lot of rumors that he was a party hound and wouldn't take the job seriously. The Rooney's, to this day, still lament not taking Marino. They took Gabe Rivera, a nose tackle who drove drunk about six weeks into his rookie season, crashed his car at high speeds and ended up paralyzed as a result. Art Rooney, Jr. is on record saying that his dad, even toward the end of his life, would still often say, "We should've taken Marino." Not only was that draft incredible for QBs, producing three Hall of Famers, it also produced Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (2nd overall), Bruce Matthews (9th overall) and Darrell Green (28th overall). When Losman and Edwards were on this team, I used to say, "I wish we could take Edwards' brains and field-reading ability and merge it with Losman's athletic ability." Probably would've had a decent QB. But, Trent played scared while Losman played dumb.

Definitely. And I think we'll see the same with Mahomes as defensive coordinators get more film on him and what Reid is dialing up this season. The pace he's on right now isn't sustainable.

It's just the way the league wants things to be. All the rules instated to protect the QBs and give the defense a disadvantage is so the "stars of the game" can go out there and sling it for 400+ yards and 4 TDs every week. But besides that, guys like McVay and Andy Reid are extremely smart schemers. And they're merging a lot of college concepts with pro concepts to make things easier for their young QBs. Goff was on fire last night but I'm not sure I've ever seen so many wide open targets in a game. Play after play guys were 2-3 steps ahead of the coverage and open on pretty much every area of the field. I gotta think at least part of that is because the Vikings defense is a touch overrated. The Bills don't have a fraction of the playmakers the Rams do and put up 27 points in two and a half quarters. I had a thought last night that's gonna sound all kinds of conspiracy theory-ish, which isn't really what I'm aiming for, I'm not one to say, "It's all rigged! It's all fixed!" I don't think that but sometimes I see things that make me wonder if things are, let's say, "directed' in a certain way. What better way to drum up interest in a town that really doesn't give too much of a crap about pro football (Los Angeles) than by loading up their new team with monster playermakers and a young, innovative coach. What better way to maintain interest in football in a post-9/11 world than by having a team named the Patriots be the dynasty of the 2000s and again in the 2010s? Again, not trying to say "conspiracy!" I just wonder if things happen to "fall into place" real conveniently sometimes.

Well, you're right... not recently anyway. But they do have a guy that's supposedly known for that skill. Think his name rhymes with Schmelvin Schmenjamin or something.

First thing I read when I look this guy up: Has trouble getting separation and getting open against defenders but can go up and make the contested catch. That sounds kinda familiar... I think the Bills know a guy who knows a guy that plays like that... Not that I'm against the team continuously bringing in competition and trying to improve the roster but the team already has several players like this guy on the roster. Not a great athlete, slow off the line, difficulty getting open.

That's the thing with Tyrod though, the plays break down because of him holding the ball too long and not throwing receivers open. Hopefully as Allen progresses, throwing receivers open will be a skill he further develops.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard, "...and catch the f*ckin ball!"

Hey, I do what I can.