Shaw66

Just to be clear, I said they've done most of their research on the veterans who might be available. The research on the QBs in the draft pool is ongoing. The veterans, they already have formed opinions on. Anyone in whom they're really interested, they've already studied every bit of film they have access to. I'm sure if you could talk to them today about who they think is worth pursuing as long-term solution, they can give a pretty definitive thumbs down on everyone they know is OFF their list, and they can give you a pretty good but not yet definitive thumbs up on guys they want. That is, they can tell you no on Keenum, Cousins, Bridgewater, Bradford, Foles, or yes subject to further investigation on each of the same guys. Your fifteen years to fix is hyperbole. Losman was not a mistake that took fifteen years to fix. Edwards wasn't a fifteen year mistake. It's true that it's been 15 years since Bledsoe, but that doesn't mean the wrong choice takes fifteen years to fix. The wrong choice generally impacts the team for three to four years. Either you cough up three first-round picks to move up to pick a rookie, or you write a contract that has three-year salary cap implications. In either case, if the guy you pick is a bust, you're in position to take another shot at a solution with three to four years, max. The good thing about signing a veteran to a big deal is that although it has three to four years of salary cap implications, you keep your draft picks, so you can keep drafting potential QBs who might be the solution if the veteran doesn't work out.

I think you are misunderstanding this. He wasn't saying he doesn't care if his team loses and he wasn't saying he didn't care about losing. He said exactly what McD said when the Bills were in their losing streak - it's not the end of the world. We process information we get better and we move on. His comment was more about the difference between how players see a loss and fans see a loss. It is NOT the case that coaches want there players to think "we are losing. I have to do more." That's not what McD wants. McD wants hia players to do their job every play. Focus on your job and do it. That's what Cousins was talking about and that's why I think McD might like him and why he might like McD.

Just surmising. Makes sense. They what.theyre looking for at QB and thetbknow who's likely to be available. So they must have already decided which if any of the veterans they'd want. I don't see any reason they'd be waiting to decide if they want Cousins, for example. Once they decide that it changes their thinking about other things. I think they want Cousins.

I don't think McD would anyone who wasn't looking forward to the challenge. These guys live to show up there every day and figure out one more little thing that will help them win.

If that ever was true, I get the sense that it isn't true any longer. I think this is a pretty tightly run ship now. The Pegulas have told people what their jobs are, and you do your job. They collaborate, and they're interested in the opinions of others, but I doubt McBeane are worrying too much about what Russ thinks or says. Russ has his own job to do, and McBeane don't report to him - they report to the Pegulas. Now, on the organization chart, they may report to him, but I seriously doubt that this time around their jobs depend on what Russ thinks. McBeane was a Pegula hire, and the Pegulas will decide their future. Just my sense of how things are operating.

I'm very much with you about this. McD very clearly has a system he believes will work, and I believe it too. A couple of players have commented about the night and day difference between 2016 and 2017. The sumo wrestling comment above was closer to the truth than we'd like to admit - the Ryans were playing at being head coaches; McDermott is working at being one. I agree about being built for the pressure. McD's mantra is to stay focused on the process. Don't think about anything other than what the process says you should be doing right now. There's nothing in the process about thinking about the pressure. The process is captured, I'm sure, in Belichick's mantra - do your job. If you're thinking about doing your job, there's no room for pressure. I hate seeing Hogan succeed for someone else, but I see him as a perfect example of what Belichick does and what I think McDermott is trying to do. Get a good athlete who's focused, who's a good soldier, and teach him exactly what you want him to do. When you look at the relative train-wreck the Bills' receiving corps was in 2017, can't you see how much better off the Bills would have been? A guy who's fast enough, sure-handed enough, who just does what he's supposed, to every play - runs his route, makes his blocks. You train a guy like Hogan, and pressure isn't part of the equation - he's just focused on what he's supposed to do, like a good soldier.

I agree with that, but I think there's more. I think these guys also are studying film from last season and analyzing where offenses, including their own, have evolve. And they're thinking about things will evolve next. They aren't just sitting around copying plays they see other teams run. If that's all you're doing, your offense is always a step behind. So they're thinking about what they can do that's new. A lot of that is driven by what they see defenses doing on film. They're thinking about how best to counter the developments in defense that happened last season. Some of that has to do with what talent you have, but some of is general offensive and defensive strategy.

Got it. I did miss the point. I think you're absolutely correct. I think that regardless of what happened last season, they were going to be going full-bore, doing what they think is the right thing. But if they'd missed the playoffs, there would always have been that nagging feeling in the back of their heads that the pressure was on, that their jobs were closer to being on the line, etc. The Pegulas would have been telling them not to worry, but anyone in that situation, with ANOTHER seasons without the playoffs, would be at least a little on edge. They definitely are free of that feeling. Instead, of course, they live with the knowledge that wild-card loss isn't enough. They have to get better. These guys live with the pressure of having to get better every day. Belichick lives with that pressure.

Right, but at the same time isn't he also creating a playbook? I suppose he knows 90% of the plays, but if he isn't being creative about the next 10%, he's already a step behind the best. So I'd think he's doing that. And he's supervising his assistants, who are probably the ones who really are doing the film study.

I forgot about the Combine. You're right. There's planning going on about whom they want to meet, what kind of information they want to get from the kids, what kind of side-bar conversations they want to have with other GMs and coaches. I'm sure they're 100% prepared when they show up at the Combine.

When he came to Buffalo, some article said McD had bookshelves full of notebooks full of his notes about how to be a coach. He's been studying coaching for 10 or 15 years. I think it's only natural that he'd be emulating stuff that he's seen Belichick do. In fact, I think if you asked him, you'd discover that he emulates Belichick A LOT. I see it several things. I've heard a few interviews with Belichick lately, where he talks about what he does, what he's thinking about, how he sets goals. A lot of what I've heard sounds like the way McD approaches things. That's why, for example, I think the Bills are interested in Cousins. Cousins is a Brady-type guy in the sense that he's always thinking about how things work, always trying to build his knowledge, always practicing the things he needs to do better. I'm guessing that McD sees how Belichick has been able to leverage that kind of guy at QB, and I'm guessing that McD is looking for that type of guy. And that, my friend, is exactly the difference between the last regime and this one.

I don't think so. If you listen to Belichick, he's processed last season and the Super Bowl. He's working 100% on 2018, and he's dwelling on the fact that he lost the big one. He doesn't have time. He knows that time spent thinking about 2017 is opportunity lost for 2018. McD operates the same way. Every day, he's fighting the temptation to pat himself on the back for last season. He does that in some quiet moment one night sitting at home, relaxing. At work, he's working, and last season is irrelevant. Except, there is still a lot of work being done reviewing last season's game films. There's information about players to be mined there.

I don't think they're putting the draft board together yet. They're probably still gathering info. I think the scouts all have work lists - things they have to do every day this week, people to see, data to collect. I'd guess that in some meeting McD told Beane that he's interested in learning more about that guard from Montana State or that DB from Kentucky, and Beane has told the head of his scouting division that they need this info or that about these guys by the end of the week. So some scout is on the road to meet with coaches at Montana State. I'm just guessing, but I think that stuff is going on. If you could know the travel plans, and if you could see the cell phone records, of the scouts, you could figure out who the Bills have some special interest in. When they're done with that data they work on the draft board, I think.

They've had that meeting, a month ago. They met again to talk when Smith was traded, and they met briefly when Garoppolo got his deal. But they know pretty much where they want to go. If there's a guy in the league now that they're interested in, they've already had the first informal talks with people like Cousins' agent, the Eagles GM about Foles, agents for the VIking QBs. This is the period where everyone bends the rules a little bit - they're trying to figure out how the game is going to be played for a guy like Cousins, but they aren't allowed to talk contract yet. But after Beane's had a conversation or two today about the QBs, he's done and moving on to other stuff. I think they're busy with stuff all the time.

Wouldn't you love to see what's going on at OBD today? I would. Just walk up and down the halls, asking people what they're doing. Like Brian Daboll. What's he doing today. Some part of his work is reviewing scouting reports, on college agents, on guys who are potential free agents, on guys the Bills have on the roster. He's reviewing film. He's giving his views about players to McDermott, Beane and the scouting team. He's asking questions about these guys. But he's probably also studying film and designing his offense. Where does he start doing that? He's managing his team of assistant coaches, giving them assignments. Maybe he's doing some preliminary plans for workouts when the team starts to get together for spring workouts. He's planning the preliminary installation of the offense. He probably has a worklist, a to-do list. McDermott has tasked him with things to do, and he's doing those things. That's happening up and down the halls. Everyone has a job to do this morning, this afternoon, and this evening. They're working hard. Beane is talking to coaches in the building. He's on the phone to scouts, telling them what new information they need to dig up. He's talking with cap people about how they could manage the cap to acquire players he's interested in. He's working on big decisions, like do they want Cousins, and if he's already answered that he's moved onto other decisions. He's talking to other GMs about what's happening in the league, thoughts about players, possible trades, interest in moving up or down in the draft. He's collecting information. Some other people are trying to figure out how to sell more tickets. We're sitting around yakking about some sports witer's latest tweet, but those guys in Orchard Park are working all day long, working to implement plans and directives, all designed to get ready for (1) the beginning of free agency, (2) spring workouts, (3) the draft, (4) training camp. I'd love to see it.

Corner Blitz - I gotta say thank you for posting reliable news so regularly. It's really nice to come here and find out what's happening with the team, and you do a really good job of keeping us posted. Thanks.

Stafford. Three appearances in playoffs in 9 seasons. Ryan 3-8 in the playoffs. Brees missed playoffs three straight years. A lot goes into a team's record. Bad qbs rarely are top 10 three years running.

I haven't been participating in this thread. I just skimmed through it and had one impression: some people who don't want Cousins make a lot of different arguments. Not enough wins. Better receivers. He isnt Brees. Etc. What they don't talk about is his stats. The simple fact is that the best QBS are regularly at the top of the basic stats. Yards, completion percentage, TD to INT ratio, etc. They dont talk about his stats because he's regularly in the top 10, where all the good QBS are. How'd he get in the top 10? Is Jerry Rice on the Redskins playing under a pseudonym? Stats aren't perfect but they're the best measure. The best qbs have the best stats. Cousins is right there. When Brady Brees and Ben retire he will still be top10 maybe top 5. Hard to understand why you wouldn't want a top 10 QB on your team. I thought that was the objective.

Yes it was a speculative comment, but it was informed speculation. He knows Cousins understands how important the coach os, and he followed the Cousins comment immediately with his comment about how much he likes McBeane. I think he thinks Buffalo is a more likely landing spot than many people do.

Did you ever see a QB who bled so? It seemed like opponents drew blood all the time.

I don't think the Bills will trade up anyplace near the top. I don't see them burning a boatload of draft picks for one player. They might trade up into the 11-13 range if a QB they really like is hanging around. Now, that's the kind of in-depth analysis we've been missing around here!.

I agree about taking rookies in the third or fourth. Taking them in the second is a little pricey, but if you see one you feel really good about, even then. You can afford one in the third round every year until you find one, I suppose. The thing about rookie QBs and the cap is that rookies have gotten a lot cheaper relative to the cap, so it doesn't cost a lot of dollars to miss on one. On the other hand, since they're cheap, it makes the draft picks more valuable, so you hate to waste one on a bust.

On the field. Football's about coaching. McDermott will be a better coach in his second season as HC. His defense will be better by virtue of knowing the system. His offense may not be better, but the good news is that it can't be a LOT worse. I fully expect the Bills to be 8-8 or better. ESPN predicts the over-under for Buffalo is 7 wins. I'm definitely taking the over on that one.

Thanks. I've been wondering about this. Your data shows pretty clearly that the current cost of a QB isn't as outrageous as people think. As a percentage of total cap, QB salaries are staying more or less in line. It also shows that most teams are paying more or less the same amounts for a top 10 or even top 15 quarterback. It's just the going rate. So people shouldn't get so exercised about what they think Cousins will make. It is neither out of line nor surprising. It's just what it costs to take a chance on him being your future. And yes, rookie QBs are a real bargain, until they bust. Sure, you've gotten inexpensive quarterbacking, but unless they turn out to be Carson Wentz, you've wasted a couple years of the careers of all of your other players while you saved money on your QB. Dak Prescott wasn't any better than Taylor in 2017.

EXACTLY!. Marshawn and Marcel always gave us things to talk about in the off-season. First, I hope people here are tuning into your humor. It's fabulous. I love being your straight man - one mention of juices off you go!. Great stuff. And I'm glad we agree about he QB. I think what you say is right - I think the Bills have to take the Big Chance, whatever they think it is. Sitting around and waiting for lightning to strike in the fourth round isn't a smart move. I think Cousins is the right Big Chance to take, because I think the future in the NFL - next five years or so - will require a good but not necessarily great QB. What will be needed is a coach-on-the-field type guy with solid physical skills. I'd love to have a Hall of Famer, but I don't think it's necessary. But if McBeane don't agree with that conclusion, I'm fine, like you, so long as they do SOMETHING to get good enough at that position. I don't like trading up, and I don't think McBeane like it either, but if they see the right guy, then they should go get him. And I love and agree with the idea that it's okay for the guy they pick to fail, so long as he doesn't fail for exactly the reason that the scouting reports say he'll fail.