dave mcbride

That is just untrue. The Browns developed into a really good team but fell apart because of the move, which was probably the most controversial and acrimonious team move since the Dodgers left Brooklyn. I distinctly recall how ugly it was. The Browns were really good in 1994 (11-5), crushing the Pats in a playoff game and leading the league in least points allowed.

I think that's right. Roman is a great offensive mind. Lynn used that system but scaled things back to the point where the offense could play fast.

Roman is a genuinely good coordinator and his system is smart. I give Ryan a lot of credit for hiring him. The Bills defense sucked in 2012 (27th in DVOA) and 2015 (24th in DVOA). It was great in 2013 (4th in DVOA) and 2014 (2nd in DVOA), the years Marrone coached. The player turnover wasn't that great either. Most of the pieces were in place in 2012, and the D was loaded in 2015. I know you hate Marrone, but please, I hope you can accept the idea that hiring a good staff is the most important thing a coach can do. Marrone hit home runs on his DCs. The OC was a different story, of course.

Awesome piece. Thanks for posting. Best thing I've read in a while.

He was a good player for Pettine too. The most importsnt job of a head coach, btw, is building a staff. Marrone hired good DCs.

So they're interviewing Brian Gaine. Gaine was Houston's director of pro personnel when they signed ... Brock Osweiler. Even I knew that Osweiler was a stiff.

I agree that there a lot of moving parts and I think the Roman system was good. Still, I thought Taylor was good. See the edit in my post above.

The Bills were bad in creating turnover-generated points the last couple of seasons. Last season, they were 13th in plays per drive, 12th in yards per drive, and 9th in yards per drive. Their drive start position was league average. Not sure of your point here.

I completely disagree. I think teams need guys like him to run the offense effectively not just in games he has to play in because of injury, but in practice. He may also be the sort of player who can teach the offense, which he knows, to other qbs. His physical talent level, by the way, is about the same as Peterman's. If Cardale Jones is our backup, then we are in a lot of trouble. Like I said, you need a backup qb who can get you to 2-2 over a 4-game stretch and who actually knows how to run the offense. I think Jones and Petrman are potentially 0-4 guys at this point. Bear in mind that I have NO faith in Jones.

I know a lot of people here take great pleasure in bashing the local media, but here is a good and very informative overview by Jay Skurski of what has happened when teams have declined to pick up options: http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/03/analysis-history-suggests-sammy-watkins-time-bills-short/ .

He was a good player for Marrone.

They are very comparable; see my post above. The Saints haven't had a starter they've drafted (beyond a fill-in game for a backup) since 1986 (Dave Wilson). That's 31 years! http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/193705-gm-doug-whaley-has-been-fired/?p=4365353 . Also if you take out the two years Dave Wilson started for them, you have to go back to Archie Manning to find a starting QB that they drafted. They had a late Kenny Stabler era, after all.

Good info - makes a ton of sense. Thanks.

See above re the Saints too.

They also traded a first for Trent Green, who was very good for them. See above. I'd argue that Taylor hasn't been better, and that Smith has been above average for a long time. But I'm a fan of Taylor and am also a fan of getting a qb any old way you can. Interestingly, for all of the talk about the Chiefs, the Saints haven't had a starting qb that they drafted since 1986, when Dave Wilson (drafted in 1981; only started in 1985 and 1986) was their starter. Brees, Brooks, Blake, Hebert, Walsh, Everett, Tolliver: none were drafted by the Saints.

As I say above, they have spent a number of high draft picks on QBs. They just happen to be proven NFL players (Smith, Trent Green) rather than college QBs.

Yes, but they lose a year of control. Instead of being able to franchise him two seasons from now, they have to do it next year. I strongly believe that they will not franchise twice in a row given the big cost increase from year one to year two under the franchise and the probability that they'll lose him afterward. They could franchise him three years in a row, but that's not likely: it entails a 44 percent salary increase over the already very steep year 2 franchise cost. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/28/10-things-to-know-about-the-franchise-tag/

Taylor was above nicely average in 2015 (115) and definitively average (100) last year. Again, Smith has been above average 6 years in a row, with a high of 123 in 2012 (he played 9 games that year). The number is a strict comparison with other qbs in that season, not anything else. It compares like to like and is therefore a good measure in my opinion. My bar is very low at this point. 10-11 wins and a playoff appearance -- which is what Smith usually delivers -- is all I really want right now.

KC traded a second rounder and a conditional pick for someone who has been an objectively above average QB (using PFR's rating-plus measure of 100 as average) every season he has played there and in his final two 49er seasons. In the games he has started over the past 6 years, his teams have gone 60-26-1.

They basically drafted Alex Smith - they traded a second for him. They traded a first for Trent Green. Both were great moves. People need to be more expansive with regard to the idea of what a draft pick is. Brandin Cooks is basically the Pats first round pick this season, and Kony Ealy is their second rounder.

It's amazing to me how many fans overvalue future draft picks relative to living, breathing good NFL players. People should look around--in the first, second, and fifth rounds this year, Belichick "drafted" good, productive players who are already in the NFL. Please stop with the talk of trading the Bills' moat talented player (and young to boot) for a draft pick.

I liked Webb, but again, I'm no expert.

One of the comments is funny: "They finally came across some drafts they can handle."

I'm no expert, but I thought Trubisky looked like a more impressive pro prospect. Time will tell.

I just read Emily Kaplan's piece on MMQB about the Bears' draft, and apparently many felt that KC viewed Trubisky as the top QB and wanted him. "League sources say the Browns and Chiefs also coveted Trubisky and could have been a threat to up to No. 2." http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/05/02/nfl-chicago-bears-mitchell-trubisky-2017-nfl-draft