Shaw66

That is definitely not McDermott's mindset. McDermott does it the way Gunner describes, which is that he favors the vet over the rookie until the rookie shows that he can execute his assignments play after play without mistakes. Mistakes. McDermott clearly values execution excellence over raw physical talent or potential.

That's a point I've been trying to make around here for a couple of years now. My own opinion is that the Bills have had so much success in the last 5 years that it's hard for me to argue that their philosophy about how to build a team is wrong. That's not to say that there is no room for argument, because there certainly is. For example, I have said for a long time the same thing several other people say, namely, the bills need a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball and Beane's only attempt to get one, Miller, didn't work out. But with respect to running back, I think it's quite clear that the Bills philosophy is that it is not wise to spend big dollars for a difference maker at that position. And that was my point in this thread - it isn't enough to say that Cook is worth x million dollars. He may be worth that in the market, but within the Bills system he is not.

This is this is an excellent statement about the reality of the situation. It is pretty much exactly what McDermott would say himself. I would add only two things. First, the evaluation of who belongs on the team and who will need to be cut has only barely begun, and whatever it was that White showed on the field during OTAs is going to have very small impact on the final decision. The issue will be determined almost exclusively based on what he does in training, camp and preseason, not how good or how bad he looked during OTAs. Second, the evaluation will include not only what the guy shows on the field during training camp in preseason, but the impact the guy can have in the locker room and in the cornerback room. It has been very clear for several years now that McDermott places a very high value on having a senior leader within every position group, and that leader cannot lead from the practice squad. That means, I think, in White's case if he can be close to being physically good enough to make the final 53, his knowledge of how McDermott operates and his ability to be that senior leader could be enough to include him on the final 53, even though a marginally better player in terms of on-field performance might have to go to the practice squad.

I've been looking at this thread off and on. You're correct about what you're saying, and it even goes beyond that and. It isn't simply about evaluating film of the player in question, and it certainly isn't about paying for past performance. It's about how a team wants its offense to work and what kind of talent best fits that offensive philosophy. How much more poorly will the offense perform, for example, with Davis carrying the load at running back rather than Cook. And it even goes beyond that. It's also about how best to spend the limited dollars that are available. The real question is how much better will my team perform per dollar invested in any particular player. That's why quarterbacks get more dollars than other positions, because the quality of the quarterback has a bigger impact on the quality of the teams play than the quality of the running back. That's why left tackles get paid more than guards. I think in the Bills case they have made it very clear that at least relative to other teams, they think the quality of the team is best improved by spending dollars on positions other than wide receiver and running back. All of this means that discussions that view Cook in a vacuum and that look simply about how good he is and how much the Bills need to pay to keep him are more simplistic than the actual conversations that are taking place at One Bills Drive.

You don't say that Joe B went on to say this:

That's not saying much. You're so old, your life expectancy is about 38 days, so you probably only need $500 for the rest of your retirement.

I hear you, but I'm confident. AJ Klein made this team repeatedly based on nothing much more than heart. White almost certainly is closer to NFL-worthy physically than Klein. McDermott loves his veteran leaders, and he doesn't have one at corner. I'm confident, but obviously we will have to wait and see.

I have a much different view. Playing corner in McDermott's defense is all about, all about, knowing and executing the assignment. Very good physical ability, let alone exceptional ability, is a plus but not essential. That's why Levi Wallace could start in Buffalo, and why a player like Dane Jackson can survive on this roster. When he gets on the field, McDermott knows that Jackson will execute every play as well as he possibly can, play after play. White thrived in Buffalo because he understood and execute the defense flawlessly, and he had first-round physical ability. If he's lost a step, he's Levi Wallace, and McDermott will be happy to him on the field, because he will help anchor the defensive backfield. I don't think he's taking a spot from either Hairston or Benford, but I think he's nearly a lock for the final 53. He's almost certainly taking Jackson's spot.

Well, that's interesting, but I don't think it's correct, for a couple of reasons. First, of the 90 guys on the roster, probably 40 of them were either drafted by the Bills or were undrafted free agents who've never been on other teams. So that means that if your 10% is correct (probably about right), there should be four or five ex-Panthers, not nine. In the early years of McBeane, I'd guess that there were more than that. I didn't mind - there's a real benefit to having guys who are familiar with what you're doing. In those years, I think the Bills had more than four or five. Lately, however, I think you're correct. The joke continues, but the Bills aren't picking up every guy the Panthers let go, not by a long shot. Makes sense. Thompson is one of the few guys left who were with the Panthers when McBeane were there.

Broken leg isn't an issue. Achilles is always iffy, but that can be full recovery.

Of course, it will depend on how well he comes back from the Achilles tear, but he was a first round pick and apparently a talented guy. Sounds like he brought more to the table than Klein ever had.

Tore his achillies less than a year ago. Is he PUP? Late season insurance? Had a solid 2022. Broke his leg in the second game in 2023, tore his Achilles in game 4 last season. If he can get healthy, seems like a nice addition.

Didn't see the Netflix show, but I'll take you word for it. It was impressive. But no one could match it? Come on. He's just a guy on a workout program. It's also well documented that he's a dedicated family man, so that alone means Mahomes is, one might say, wasting a lot of time that he could be using to train. Allen's competitiveness has been well documented - his teammates are amazed at how he competes and prepares. He has Brady, Palmer, and the entire Bills training staff developing training regimens for him, as well as personal trainers and dieticians. He has been a 100% straight-arrow dude since high school, doing whatever it takes to make himself a winner. He is close to McDermott, and McDermott's dedication to being prepared is legendary. I think there's no basis whatsoever to conclude that Allen is doing less than everything he can do to make himself the best player he can be.

Good to see you, Thurm. Frankly, I've forgotten about last season, and I'd forgotten about that play until I saw the discussion here. I saw it like you did. It was one of those plays where, if you want to win championships, you need someone to make a play. Josh didn't, and Kincaid didn't. It was a tough, tough throw under the circumstances, but one that Josh needed to make it better. If he'd made a better throw, none of us would have been surprised. We would have said "Incredible Throw!" but wouldn't have been surprised. And it was a tough, tough catch, particularly as we know now Kincaid was playing without his usual mobility. If he'd made the catch, none of us would have been surprised. We would have said "Great Catch!' but we wouldn't have been surprised. Eli made an incredible throw, and his man made an incredible catch, to beat the Patriots. Edelman picked a ball of the ground to win some big game. We came name a dozen of those plays. Making the play and not is the difference between winning championships and knowing that you let one get away. I wanted to wake you up from your nap.

You must be OLD!

Great point. It's true; you made one point and then responded to comments. And that's one of the practices that makes you such a solid contributor here. You have interesting things to say, you say them, and then you move on. Here, people are responding to you because, well, something struck a nerve.

That's wrong. That's like saying football practice is a colossal waste of time. In both instances, it's about practicing to increase the chances of a successful outcome

For you and me, perhaps, but it isn't for us to decide what rehearsal dinners are worth to others. To each his own. $1000 to see a Bills game is ridiculous, but I've done it.

Interesting take. I like it. But it's only one example of a consumer economy running way out of control. Cars and watches and vacations and cell phones and restaurants and and and.

Nice thoughts here. Thanks for helping us all remember and be grateful.

Thanks

Thanks. What about Bills conversation?

Where do young fans get their Bills fix?

I think was 97 yards. I heard Fitzpatrick talk about it (or maybe it was TO). Broke the huddle and lined up. Both of them looked at the defensive set and thought, "oh, boy!" Fitz and TO made brief eye contact. Then the snap, and they just did it. TO actually didn't have such a good year in Buffalo. He was, as you say, a total pro. But every year in the league after his fourth season, TO went for more than 1000 yards, except for two years when he would have made it, but for injuries, and his single season in Buffalo. His problem in Buffalo wasn't injuries; it was named Trent Edwards. For whatever reason, Edwards did not throw the ball to Owens. That ended when he was benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick. It was pretty clear that Fitz's thought process was something like, "Hey, I'm a mediocre QB on a bad team that happens to have a HOF pass receiver. I'm throwing it to him." Owens' targets and receptions went up. If Fitz had started the whole season, Owens would have been over 1000 yards.

Cal - I'm not upset. You're one of the guys I most enjoy talking with about this stuff. We have different takes, and I like it. I said you're the poster child because you, like others, do seem to regularly read something into what I write that I don't intend: I'm not here to reflexively defend what McBeane do. I talk about why I think they do what they do. You seemed to be saying I thought they were super football genius, and I don't. I think they've worked hard to develop a plan and their following. Maybe that's not what you were implying. Sorry if you got the wrong impression.