JohnC
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Posts posted by JohnC
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11 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:
Well said.
It's been a long time since that team looked headed in the right direction.
There is nothing innovative or exceptional about the lessons learned from the people formerly associated with the Carolina football team. The takeaway from that Carolina experience is basic. In any large and multi-faced organization there has to be a guiding principle from top to bottom that everyone not only understands but also buys into to. The Washington example is easy to dissect. There were too many factions not only competing with one another but were expending energy sabotaging one another. The blame for this constant depleting in-fighting and intrigue was the owner who wanted a system a system in which at his whim he could act out his foolish whims.
I'm impressed with what Ron Rivera has done in a relatively short period of time. He has brought an order and coherency to a chaotic and unfocused organization. The word "process" gets gratuitously thrown out a lot but in the case with McDermott/Beane in Buffalo and Rivera in Washington that word has meaning and substance.
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3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:
Years of top 10 or so picks should do that for you. Haskins aside they have drafted pretty well recently in the early rounds. I mean their D line is four first rounders from 4 consecutive drafts in Allen, Payne, Sweat and Young. Their two best players on offense Gibson and McLaurin were early picks too (one 2nd round and one 3rd). A bit of an upgrade on the oline, another receiver and figure out who your Quarterback is and they could contend in what is the weaker conference.
That was the frustration of the 00s Bills. We picked in and around the top 10 every year and still sucked.
The Haskins pick was a surprise to the coaching staff. Their former HC, Jay Gruden, had no interest in Haskins, especially as a first round pick. He considered him a project and a third round value. It was the owner and a faction of the front office that included Allen that made that ill-fated selection. Gruden on a recent podcast stated that he was surprised and upset with the Haskins selection. The manner in which that pick was made without the input of a part of the personnel department demonstrated the chaotic and tumultuous state the organization was in. When you have a mercurial and incompetent owner it's not surprising that you have a failed organization.
Before Rivera agreed to take the job he required the owner to give him the authority to not only make the football decisions but be the person responsible to staff the front office. Because the owner was besieged with tawdry sexual claims against him and the organization the owner was willing to cede authority to someone else in order to take the attention off of him.
The Washington Football Team's house is in order. That is the starting point. Where there was no hope there now is optimism. It starts with the top.
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3 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:
I just don't think Wentz is that guy anymore. Reich is taking an absolute put in my opinion on being able to revive him. It isn't impossible but I do think it is unlikely.
If Wentz is willing to be receptive to better coaching and tone done his extemporaneous game and make quicker decisions there is no reason why he shouldn't return closer to his more successful past. The Colts have a good OL and a good running game. That was exhibited when we played them in the playoffs. He needs to use those assets to his benefit. I'm not comparing Josh to Wentz but what differentiated Josh last year was the quantum leap he made in understanding the game and more quickly responding to the play. Reich is the right coach to get Wentz back on track.
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On 2/4/2021 at 12:21 PM, YoloinOhio said:
I’m not a huge Darnold fan going back to his usc days but if Rosen fetched a 2nd... not at all surprised Darnold could go for a late 1st. Jimmy G also went for a 2nd and he had only started like 4 games.
One team that would be interested in him and would be willing to give up a first round pick would be Washington. It would secure the qb position with a young player with some experience and it would come with a relatively modest cost of one pick.
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It appears from this story by SI that Doyle resigned form the job already.
https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2021/02/13/hot-clicks-urban-meyer-chris-doyle
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1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:
If Waddle recovers 100% from his ankle injury, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be a flat out star in the NFL. Again, he looks impossible to cover. He fakes people out of their shoes, is super fast, and has some of the best moves I have ever seen in my life. I'm not exagerating.
If you had the choice of selecting either Waddle or Davonte Smith which receiver would you take?
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3 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:
Agreed. Saban is a master at evolving as times change. Look at the skill players he recruits now. He would always have one stud WR like Julio, now he has 3-4.
Saban's eclectic selection of coaches that have had no prior association with him is another demonstration of his evolving with the time. This old school coach who stressed defense, the running game and special teams has evolved his program into an offensive juggernaut. The paradox is that older this previously defensively oriented coach got the more multifaceted and bolder his offense became.
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2 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:
This is just a post to express my views on the Alabama players. Please keep in mind that I am not trying to present myself as any sort of expert. There ARE experts posting here. I have however watched every game that the following players participated in while they were in Tuscaloosa, so I do feel qualified to make a few observations to those who it might interest. These players are listed in random order:
1) Landon Dickerson (OC)
Landon was hurt late in the season. This of course makes him harder to rate, so I'm basing my comments about a presumably healthy LD. He was a transfer from FSU, and wound up being a leader and team captain. He is VERY smart and works very hard. His teammates love him (I'm not sure how many saw him go in for the last 2 plays in the title game). He is a brute and isn't afraid of any defender. Imo, he will be available when we draft, maybe even in round 2 (only due to the injury). Imo he would be a HUGE asset to the Buffalo Bills.
Comparison: Nick Mangold
2) Jaylen Waddle (WR)
If he didn't get injured, he was supposed to be the Tide's #1 receiver. He has clean breakaway speed, very good hands, and some of the best moves you will ever see. Before his injury, some of his teammates were calling him the best receiver in the world. Jaylen was impossible to cover, and could not be caught from behind. I saw a race between him and Henry Ruggs. He lost by less that a step. If he recovers from his injury, this kid will be shockingly good. I can't say enough about his moves, and all around ability.
3) Dylan Moses (ILB)
Very smart player who called the signals in an extremely complicated Saban defense. He sat out 2019 due to injury and started slowly this season. He did get better as the year went on. He might be able to play all 3 LB positions, but I like him most in the middle. He's a physical player who can cover. He might slip into later rounds for health reasons. I don't know, but if he does drop, he would be an interesting selection.
4) Christian Barmore (DT)
I consider him to be by far the most interesting player in this draft. This kid is a flat out beast. He is a predator and gives 100% on every play. For a kid his size he is extremely quick with his initial burst. He was impossible to run on and a very good pass rusher. Saban actually red shirted him as a freshman. He also suspended him for the 1st quarter of a game this year and wouldn't say why. Christian improved week to week and despite his paunch, seems to be in great condition. His ceiling is sky high. Could there be some risk? Maybe, but I truly hope not. He plays angry and seems very emotional. I cannot stress enough how tough this kid is.
Comparison: Warren Sapp
5) Deonte Brown (OG)
Weighed in at Senior Bowl at 364 pounds. You can imagine how effective he is on 4th and goal from the 1. Deonte is much improved from 2019. I thought that he would need to drop weight to do so but he actually got bigger. He looks like a player, but as a Bills Fan I have a case of Mike Williamsitis. My signature on this board was "Draft McKinney" years ago, and as many of you recall, TD drafted Mike Williams, a 700 pound RT with an ankle injury, but I digress. Would he be a good pick in the mid rounds? Probably.
6) Davonta Smith (WR)
Absolutely GREAT hands, great moves, and deceptive speed with his long strides. Can grab anything near him, he's great at everything. He even blocks. Is he a diva? No way. He is a quiet, humble kid. Obviously, he is as good as it gets and he will go very early.
7) Alex Leatherwood (OT)
This has to be a STACKED class for OTs. I think that AL would be at least a top 10 pick in many drafts. He is a smart offensive lineman with long, strong arms and is about equal on running and passing downs. He has all the agility he needs to be a fine NFL LT, and also has experience at RT. He too is quiet kid and i can't picture him getting into trouble. Btw, he threw the key block on Tua's game winning TD pass in 2018, while filling in at LT due to injury. He will be an asset to any team, to include the Bills.
Comparison: Dion Dawkins
8 Mac Jones (QB)
Another very smart player. VERY good ball placement, and great at determining who is covered and looking off him. He is calm, and focused. His teammates love him. As a freshman, he looked like a 15 year old skinny kid and sure did come a long way. He isn't the greatest athlete but he moves very well in the pocket. Not the best arm strength either but he gets the job done. The Bills have a great QB so there isn't a need, but if he drops WAY down (I doubt it), he would make a great backup.
9) Najee Harris (RB)
Great vision, perfectly coordinated, strong as a bull! The kid is in fantastic condition, and is another very smart player. Developed into an exceptional receiver and he's a great blocker. Breakaway speed? No but he is everything else and would be an asset to any team, including the Bills.
In summary, I'm very interested in Dickerson, Leatherwood, and yes....Barmore, knowing that DT is usually not the way to go. My thing is that if Barmore stays focused and out of trouble, he is a total game changer. He's THAT good imo but again, there MIGHT be risk.
Great capsule summary on the players. I don't know if Najee Harris will be there in the first round for us but he would be a terrific value and need selection. I would also be happy with OT Leatherwood as our first selection.
For those who believe that because Gotham Bill is a devoted Bama fan that his evaluations are skewed toward over-evaluating that is a wrong. His assessments of Bama players as pro prospects are usually very accurate. When the Bills drafted OT Cyrus Kouandijo in the second round in 2014 he stated that it was a bad pick. He pointed out that he had slow feet and wasn't athletic enough. He proved to be correct.
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3 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:
I hope that it goes well.
Thank you. I'm getting my knee scoped so I wouldn't put it in the category of a major surgery. The worst part of this situation is being hobbled and not being able to be active. My life and world has shrunk to being mostly in the house. It's frustrating. Compared to what others are going through I count my blessings and deal with what I have to deal with.
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22 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:
You know, John, there's a lot of information on these points up thread including a link to the warrant application last week and links to stories about his previous incidents.
I treasure the compliment above that this has been a productive and educational thread on a difficult topic for some.
I don't see how it will help it stay that way if you're going to repeatedly reiterate questions to which you could find the answer either upthread or on the internet.
Sorry to belatedly to respond. I have been scrambling to get things done prior to a scheduled surgery. There are a number of things that need to get done in the Covid era that weren't required before. The point I'm making is that there still are a lot of unknowns associated with this case that are under investigation. His troubled addiction and behavior history are known. But from an article that I read today those issues related to 14 years ago and prior. Has he had more recent issues? I don't know. The authorities know what his alcohol level was but the public doesn't. The son admitted to having a couple of drinks or so but was it a factor in the accident? I don't know. Many are making assumptions about the alcohol factor in the accident when it isn't clear that it was a factor. The accident involved hitting a disabled car on a ramp. That in itself is a dangerous situation in itself.
I'm not excusing the son of his responsibility in this tragedy. He will be held accountable for his actions. What I do find troubling are the comments attributing responsibility to the father or to the organization for the coach's son accident. Where I separate myself from many of the comments here is that I'm more willing to wait for more information before making assumptions about the accident, the son, the parent and the organization. This is still an active investigation.
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55 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:
It’s his second DUI, I think it’s a fairly safe assumption.
When did he have his first DUI? @Hapless Bills Fan stated it was 13 yrs ago. Does that indicate that he regularly drives under the influence? I can't say based on that information and neither can you.
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25 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:
My guess is that he is a problem drinker, who routinely got behind the wheel intoxicated and Andy knew about it. If he didn't, he should of. How many times did he do it and got away with it? The organization must have known he was a looming problem. You want to excuse it, because it's hard with regard to individual's rights to control alcoholism and poor judgment. I bet if you asked other coaches privately, they would concede he had a problem.
How do you know that the son routinely got behind the wheel when intoxicated? If that was the case how do you know that Andy knew about it? Why do you assume that the coaches knew he was still struggling with addiction issues? You are making a lot of assumptions without knowing all the facts of the situation.
Reid's son was involved in a reckless and dangerous criminal act that has seriously injured a child. He will be held accountable for his actions. And that is how it should be. Where I disagree with your stance is that you are assuming some of the blame for the son's actions on others. And you are doing it without knowledge of the situation but simply based on your assumptions. Assumptions are not a good basis to make conclusions from. When you don't fully know what is going on it might be advisable to wait for more of the facts of the case to come out. Then you would be in a better position to make judgment.
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12 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:
UB has added a late addition to it's signing class
Adding Standout WR Jamari Bassett from Florida. A legitimate big play threat who had over 20 D1 scholarship offers
This kid can fly
Running a successful program breeds additional success. Another factor in the elevation of the program is the weeknight MAC games shown on national TV. I'm sure that the added exposure has helped to attract more recruits to the program. Also, playing an exciting brand of football also is enticing to the prospects.
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5 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:
Wouldn't those show as actual convictions, though, and not "suspicion of DUI"?
OK, so the knowledgeable thinking here about what that phrase means is that he was stopped/arrested for DUI but had a plea agreement for reduced charges?
That's my belief. His court case file would indicate the initial charges. When the case was closed with a lower plea agreement the case file would still show what the initial charges were and what the final plea/lower charges were. In the traffic court arena or at any court level there is nothing unusual for defense attorneys to get their client's charges lowered. That's how the system works. The reality is that the court has a limited capacity to hear cases.
In cases where there are previous multiple driving alcohol offenses that should be a red flag for the court to be more strict and less lenient towards the accused.
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1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:
Thanks for weighing in, Bill. I love your response. No seriously, it gives me hope. I'd like to believe this is true.
Yet I do believe it happens regularly around Midwestern/Southern College Towns where football is HUUUUUGE and even in small Midwestern towns like the one where my spouse grew up. Certain families have money and influence and get favors in those places. Too many stories for none to be true. 🤷♂️
If the officer says something like, "OK, you call for a ride and I'll write this stop as a disabled vehicle assist" he's still taken a stoned driver off the road?
There's also the case where the officer does everything he or she should, collects evidence, and the case still gets dismissed or charges reduced higher-up for whatever reason?
I dunno. In your experience, what do you think "a computer check revealed ... multiple prior DUI contacts" means?
You can be charged with DUI type charges but when you go to court a lower plea agreement could have been made with the prosecution. Sometimes there are minor missteps on the police side of the arrest so the prosecutor would be amenable to a deal. And sometimes the court system is so overwhelmed with cases that it is willing to agree to lower charges for some less egregious violators so more resources can be directed to the more serious cases. And as you observed sometimes who you know factors in to how you are treated for what you did. Needless to say it is not a perfect system.
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51 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:
I doubt the bolded, unless things have changed dramatically in recent times.
For example: You are a police officer in a marked vehicle. The car in front of you swerves. You think that he might be intox and pull him over. It turns out that he dropped something on the floor and reached for it, thus causing the vehicle to swerve. Now, he can be issued a summons for something like crossing the lines in the pavement, but nothing on paper would indicate suspicion of DUI was why he was pulled over, unless the officer noted it for court records. Even at that, the motorist was never in custody and this would only explain the reason for the car stop, IF the summons went to court.
I don't know if the man was ever pulled over intox and let go. I would hope that he was not. It would be horrible to unleash a stoned out driver on society, and the personal consequences for the officer would be devestating, to include dismissal and the loss of a very sweet pension and for what gain?
(You are spot on. Everything you stated follows the protocol most jurisdictions have.) In the DC jurisdiction if as in your example you suspected the person was impaired you would make the stop an issue a ticket/s for the driving violations. That would provide you the probability for the stop and ability to check the condition of the driver. If you observed blood shot eyes, slurring of speech etc. you can then take the next step of a sobriety test such as eyes following your finger, repeat alphabet, walk a straight line etc. If he failed the sobriety test you can then request a blood alcohol test to determine the level of alcohol in his system. The driver has a right to decline but he can be arrested and have an automatic license suspension. In order to get a blood alcohol test for a declining driver a court order would have to be issued. In this case there shouldn't be any problem getting approval because of the serious injuries involved in the accident.
You bring up an intriguing question about the prior suspicions of DUI being revealed in the computer check. One explanation might be that he was previously arrested for DUI charges but before going to trial a plea agreement of a lower charge was made with the court. The initial DUI charge/s before being lowered in court probably still are in the computer record.
I agree with you that it would be reckless and foolish to let any person involved in an intoxication driving case to be let go. The officer would be placing himself in jeopardy by not only placing the public at risk but also exhibiting favoritism in enforcing the law. As you noted your career would be in jeopardy.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/07/us/britt-reid-crash-kansas-city/index.html
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It won't be surprising if Frazier gets the job in Houston in order to resolve the conflict between Watson and the organization. This was an organization that allowed the ego of the former combustible to take a team that was coming into its own and crash it with a number of foolish and odd decisions. When factions within an organization are working at cross purposes and wasting energy for in-fighting and management intrigue that is a toxic recipe for failure.
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1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:
You are so right, and thank you.
If Waddle can come back (and I don't know if he could possibly be 100%) it will be a privilege to watch those 2.
Smith reminds me of Stephan Diggs from a stature standpoint and also an ability to get open even when he is the center of attention of the defense. They also have the ability to catch the ball even under duress with few drops.
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1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:
The above is 100% true. It will be intresting to see what happens with Jalen Waddle in 2021. Jalen is every bit as dangerous as Davonta Smith. I'm serious. He is a full step faster and has better moves. Davonta has better hands and jumps higher.
Jalen suffered a pretty serious ankle injury and has missed most ot the season. If he was healthy, both of them would be top 10 picks. I am as sure of this as I can possibly be. I can't say how high he will go coming off an injury but if he stays in school and is healthy, Jalen will be the best non-quarterback in the NCAA and wide receiver or not, might even go first in the 2021 draft.
Bama has been cranking out the receivers. What Saban has belatedly done the past few years is get good passing qbs who are more than game managers and who can maximize the talents of the scintillating receivers they have had. To his credit Saban has grown as a coach in the sense that he has been willing to bring on OCs who he hasn't had a prior association with who are creative and are a lot less conservative than he used to be on the offensive side of the ball.
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1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:
Najee is a very tough player to rank. It is even hard to compare him to other backs, but I will try.....
1) He has the size of Eric Dickerson but not the blazing speed.
2) He doesn't have the power of Derrick Henry (who does), but has better moves.
3) He appears to be great at seeing holes ala Thurman but Thurman hit them faster.
4) He is a great and fearless blocker (much like Thurman).
5) He is a very hard worker, smart, and a calm kid.
6) He developed into an excellent receiver.
He will go in the first round. Passing today is MUCH more important that running so it will probably be late first round. Would he be a good fit for the Bills? Think about it.....he would gain yards on the ground and in the air. He would also provide excellent blocking for Josh. To top it off, he was coached by Daboll. Will he be there when the Bills select? I don't think so because I see us winning the Super Bowl. Seriously.
If he IS there when we pick, yes, I would consider him. There is a different Alabama player coming out who I consider to be a 100% perfect fit for the Bills. I will get into this more after the season. I hope that at least one of them is available at 32.
GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a tribute to Saban that the players who stay even when they have an opportunity to leave a year sooner get better and improve their draft rankings. I will never begrudge a player leaving the college ranks early because of the risk of injury and loss of earning potential. That's an individual decision. But those players who stay when they could have moved on usually end up being in a better situation. Najee is an example of that.
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5 hours ago, Beerball said:
Sorry, but this is bullchit. Dabo does nothing out of principle. He's as hypocritical as any out there. His holier than thou crap fooled me for zero seconds.
If there was a contest between Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy or Clemson's Dabo for the most insufferable and obnoxious coach I would call it a tie.
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4 hours ago, JohnC said:
Leipold has been the best HC in the history of the school. He is more than a good coach. He is a builder of a sustaining program. If Leipold was a little younger he already would have been snatched by a flagging big football school and showered with a contract that Buffalo couldn't come close to matching. Don't be surprised if the Illinois interest was a harbinger of future offers. A school like Nebraska would be wise to consider a coach like Leipold. Leipold is not a flashy person. He's the embodiment of substance over style.
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2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:
That's true with basketball too. UB has come a long way. What's really nice is seeing alums buying in and becoming fans. I went to UB (76-78) and there was absolutely no school spirit at all!
FYI: Coastal Carolina and Nebraska are on our 2021 schedule!
Leipold has been the best HC in the history of the school. He is more than a good coach. He is a builder of a sustaining program. If Leipold was a little younger he already would have been snatched by a flagging big football school and showered with a contract that Buffalo couldn't close to matching. Don't be surprised if the Illinois interest was a harbinger of future offers. A school like Nebraska would be wise to consider a coach like Leipold. Leipold is not a flashy person. He's the embodiment of substance over style.
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UB won't offer scholarship to Khalil Mack's brother
in Off the Wall
Posted
I don't understand your reasoning and what you are advocating for? If the most successful coach in the school's history felt that Khalil's brother deserved a scholarship he would have offered it. Why does being a brother to one of the program's best players warrant a scholarship offer? If another player is better or is better suited for the program then that player should get the scholarship. Coaches all the time make tough decisions as to who should get a scholarship and who should not. This current coach has successfully rebuilt a moribund program and for the past number of years turned what was an irrelevant and invisible program into a consistently good mid-major program. If I'm going to give anyone the benefit of the doubt it is going to be Leipold. I simply don' see what the issue is here.