Dr. Who

I didn't really like the Chris Ivory signing. Better than Tolbert, but why aren't we bringing in younger, cheaper rbs? This signing, as well, seems to be a fella whose numbers have declined. However, I think you have to give McDermott the benefit of the doubt on this one. He knows the player and scheme fit. Player effectiveness doesn't always translate into flashy numbers. For certain, we needed to bring in DT help. The front seven in general needs an infusion of talent.

I can't see a team that traded Dareus to get rid of a bad locker room presence going after Suh.

Seems to me highly unlikely they are making these trades for a lb. They are going after qb. There is a rumor that Smith was medically red-flagged at the combine and could fall. You might be able to get him at 22. Perhaps I should clarify: 22 will be gone in a trade up, but if we wanted Smith, we might not have had to make moves in order to trade up to get him.

You can take Rudolph in the second round, maybe the third. Mayfield is my first choice, so I hope that part of your argument is correct.

I like Mayfield. Rosen is my second choice. Somewhat concerned about the injuries and Mayock says he lacks pocket awareness. Regardless, I like the trade, but there better be a plan that brings in a solid RT and interior Oline depth. Sure hope Billy Price drops to the second round.

Other than Cousins, I can't see any qb coming in as a presumed long-term answer (and I am tepid on Cousins and he isn't coming here in any event.) Personally, I like McCarron as a bridge guy, but Keenum is acceptable. I don't think he is likely to break in a game or two like poor Sam Bradford. Like you, I highly doubt any of these fellas preclude trading up for a top QB prospect. Trading Tyrod pretty much meant there was some plan to bring in a vet. I'd be surprised and disappointed if we don't also make a move for a top qb in the draft.

Just because they all have perceived issues does not mean they are therefore equal. Individual teams will evaluate strengths and weaknesses according to their own criteria and judgment, as well as particular fit for the team they are trying to build. I surmise OBD favors one or two above the rest. If they don't or have weak preferences, then there is no incentive to trade up (at least not significantly.) I suspect, however, that they really like one or two fellas and will rightly pay the cost to get a potential franchise qb.

Trading up for Mayfield or Rosen. Foles without the Eagles' coaching staff has been JAG. Joe Flacco had one hot playoff run to a SB and then has been nothing much. I'm not at all sold on Foles. I'd rather get into the bidding for Cousins than trade for Foles, but what we ought to do is option #1 listed above.

Mocks are generally a waste of time, especially when trades are preemptively ruled out. With the number of teams needing qbs, I think when it really counts, four will go early. I also think there's a lot of smoke about Rosen. I prefer Mayfield, but I think Rosen ends up going top ten.

And yet one of the big question marks about Rosen appears to be durability. Mayock kept mentioning pocket awareness as something Rosen lacks. I still think Rosen worth strong consideration, but Mayfield, Rosen, Darnold is my order of preference. I just hope we can move up and get one of the big three.

No doubt. I liked Watson and Mahomes and argued for them before and during the draft. My take on Mayfield, Rosen, and Darnold is equally subjective. I have no idea what OBD thinks.

Some folks think Sammy's a tease and want him to get overpaid somewhere else. I continue to think he's a quality wr and would love to get him back. However, if the current regime shipped him out because they didn't like his attitude (I don't know) they won't have any interest. Will other teams outbid our price point? I suspect there are teams with more to spend in FA this year that are willing to take a chance on him.

I will be surprised if the cost is as high as you surmise, even with competition. We shall see. I think it was a mistake not to take a shot with Watson or Mahomes last year. The mistake is compounded if the cost becomes such that one is frozen out in a year with a number of quality qbs at the top of the draft. I cannot fathom folks who want to continue to kick the franchise qb can down the road. Teams will always have holes that can be filled by FA and draft over the course of years. The opportunity to acquire a top level talent at the most important position in football, however, is not something that automatically becomes available every year.

Your minimum scenario is at the high end of the most expensive possible.

That exception is a chief consideration in this current draft. If we wait for 21 on qb, you are probably counting on the fifth or sixth best qb as your eventual starter. This year, I would trade up for Mayfield, Rosen, or Darnold (that's my order of preference.)

If you truly end up with a franchise qb, you are getting a guy who can eventually carry a team. Of course, it's a gamble, but one increases the odds drafting a qb early in a good qb draft. Not to single you out, but your post was brief, so I take the opportunity to answer your question more generally. There seems to be an assumption that those of us who want a proactive effort to get a potential franchise qb expect a SB run to immediately follow. I don't think anyone thinks that. Seems to me that you need to make sure the Oline is not a disaster. It would help to add a good wr and #2 rb either through the draft or FA. You don't want to David Carr your shiny, new qb. Then you allow a few years for the qb to become what you hope is a very good qb. This allows time through drafting, trades, and free agency to "fill out the team around him." In short, it's actually prudential to get the young qb now when you have the draft capital and a good qb draft. By the time the team is set up, your qb has hopefully gotten through the growing pains phase.

Yeah, you're spot on.

I'm with you. If I paid over a billion dollars for a team, I sure as Hades am going to the combine and hanging out in the draft room.

Is this a team thing or more broadly cultural? Authority in general is often painted as fundamentally incompetent and corrupt. Millenials have a sense of entitlement. NBA the players mostly dictate, don't they? Add in, Housley doesn't project a tough guy demeanor. I can see that it is a problem, but it's not evident what the solution is.

The early MASH is better, imo. The anarchic energy is sharper and the humor doesn't descend into preachy bathos. You can't give a comic character depth or nuance. When one does that, a certain kind of humor becomes sadistic. For this reason, Frank Burns was more suited as the butt of jokes. Show took a different direction with Stiers. He's an interesting character with intellect to challenge Hawkeye. I liked the character, and the actor, a lot, but it swung the comedy away from the ethos introduced in the movie.

You may have stated this in one of the innumerable threads, but I missed it if so. Do you have any surmise as to which qb(s) we are most interested in? I sure hope Mayfield is included in the fellas we are keen to move up for.

I meant it would be an awful plan for Beane. Sorry for lack of clarity.

And good for him. Loyalty is fine. I wouldn't expect him to bash Brown in a public context. That said, one can hardly imagine a worse combine than that fella had.

Awful plan, imo. Certainly, one is leaning heavily towards a skeptical interpretation of the top-rated prospects and equally propping up the tier-two fellas as if, in fact, there really isn't any signficant difference, so why pay the price to move up. I doubt that is truly cogent, but it fits in with the way OBD has addressed the qb position for most of the history of this franchise.

Unless you are envisioning a tiny jump into the mid to late teens, there's no way both firsts are not involved. Exasperating how last year, those of us pushing for the Bills to finally address qb and take Watson or Mahomes at ten were condescendingly told they weren't any good and this year was the bonanza year to draft qb. Now, as always, there are too many holes on the roster and suddenly the draft class at qb isn't all that good. If this isn't a good draft class, there likely won't be one. Most drafts have one or two potential franchise qbs, or zero, actually. Those fellas are always drafted high. This year, we have two firsts, two seconds -- if not now, when, exactly, will the stars align for the perfect scenario that makes drafting a qb high in round one possible?