SoCal Deek

He's drafted two starting Tight Ends and a starting WR. I’m not sure I’d call that ignoring it.

We agree there….but the GM has to keep an eye on the entire starting 22. I’d put it to you that the two biggest mistakes in the Josh Allen era were on the defensive side: Von Miller, and Elam. Beane is still trying to fix both of them. It happens.

It doesn’t work that way. You have to look at the players they have on the roster. Not everyone is acquired via the draft.

Gunner, there are only so many first round draft picks you can take over the span of Josh’s still relatively short career. Believe me, I’m often the first one to be critical of McBeane’s strategy but just looking at the 22 starting positions (21 if you remove QB) on BOTH sides of the ball they simply have to spread it around. IMHO, the bigger problem was the total miss on Elam, not the lack of another WR. Now…they really have to hope that Coleman pans out.

I know what you’re trying to get at here, but when I see the list at the bottom of your post that means they’ve drafted a starting RB, 2 starting TEs, a starting OT, a starting OG, and a starting WR. Since QB is off the board, that list is pretty much their entire starting offense. No?

I actually think this is a great topic. If they do go WR it’ll mean they’ll have taken 2 WRs and a TE in three of the last four drafts. That’s probably not a good thing. So, I’m hoping it doesn’t come down to that.

Comfortable? The on field challenges with wind at the existing stadium are about game strategy and playability. They’re not about players comfort.

I know virtually nothing about what’s been happening in Camp. Is there something that’s made you ‘still’ skeptical?

I actually think the wind thing is more about the quality of play than it is about fan comfort. I remember so many games in the current stadium where wind had a significant impact on game strategy and it didn’t always help the Bills. The fact that the new stadium is completely encircled with a consistent height grandstand and cantilevered roof (coupled with a more favorable orientation) should greatly cut down on those type of games. Far more than any metal panels they erect on the exterior.

I’m guessing they did. My point was that these aren’t some magic panels or new technology…at least now that I’ve seen them being installed, they don’t appear to be. As I often say during construction: “wait until it’s finished as there may be more to it”.

Actually, we regularly use perforated panels to control /diffuse sunlight and heat gain. I’ve not seen them used to diffuse wind, but then again, why not?

Great photo. They’re making major progress on the surrounding sitework (pavement, curbs, gutters, and planters) while the weather is good. As regards the ‘wind confusion’ panels, from what I’ve seen these are nothing more than perforated metal panels; which have been a popular architectural product material/aesthetic for a few years now. At the Bills new stadium I think they’re just referring to them as a wind confusion treatment because it sounds ‘cool’. They primarily line the outside of the concourse areas beneath the stands. But again…it sure sounds cool.

Virgil, isn’t that the price spread over 20 years? So that’s $50 per year, or $5 per home game. By 2045 that’ll equate to more like $2 per game. How much lower would you expect them to be?

Best video I’ve seen is a new in depth tour done by local television WIVB. It’s a full 30 minutes long and goes over the entire stadium construction progress, amenities, etc from top to bottom. It answers everyone’s questions. It was interesting to learn that they’ll be laying sod in about 90 days. Very well done! I’m sure someone can post a link.

Ralph is cheap!

The mere fact that there even are escalators is a testimony to how much more complex the new stadium is from the current one. “Rich” Stadium is a very simple design with virtually no concourse infrastructure at all. Both the upper and lower bowl/deck are accessed by a single, shared, at-grade tunnel. It doesn’t get much more spartan/efficient than that.

One thing I noticed in the fly over is that they’ve now made significant progress on the site work….especially in and around the main entry plaza. And, I was shocked to see that escalators had already been installed. That’s pretty impressive! Lastly, if any of you guys know how to hang drywall ya might want to head over there. They need a whole lot of it. 😉

All I can say is…..Thank goodness! Up until this signing the Bills top three picks included a guy who’s being sued for assault, a guy without a contract, and a guy who’s already on the PUP list. How’s that for Debbie Downer?

How much recognition do you want him to get? He’s in the Hall of Fame for heaven’s sake!

Thanks! I saw that one…but there’s another one showing more of the actual progress.

Just saw a fly around video of the perforated metal panels going up on the exterior facade. Looks like they’re making really good progress. They go up fast! Anybody got any photos they can share?

First casualty of the yellow uniforms.

Thank goodness it wasn’t Carolina….cuz you know where that would eventually lead.

What does this have to do with billionaires? This issue doesn’t impact the salary cap. If anything, it’s more about the Coach/GM wanting future roster flexibility than it is about how much the Owner is willing to pay. No?

I find this interesting. It’s a huge game of chicken, not all that unlike back in the day when hold outs were relatively common place. The league, and the fans, thought they’d moved past all that with the new rookie pay scale. It appears those days are over. The Agents have apparently found what they believe is their new golden goose. We’ll see how it plays out.