MDH

I can't believe I'm about to do it, but I'm going to defend Marrone and Hackett. The reason they did this was because of their guards. They had guards who couldn't move AT ALL. Did you see them try to get outside to block for a screen? It was embarrassing. They'd fall flat on their faces more often than not. Their lack of agility is why we never saw staples of other offenses like the pulling guards or the spread. When you run the spread you need an OL who can move to execute zone blocking schemes. Our Guards had cement in their shoes. Watching the playoffs is an eye opener. Basic plays for other teams are things we never saw this year because of the OL. All that being said Marrone and Hackett certainly didn't get the most juice out of the lemon that was the offense but it wasn't all their fault.

I just hope it doesn't turn into a Daniel Snyder situation where there is a big splash and we only later come to realize that it was caused by a giant turd hitting the toilet water.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the move either. In order for it to pan out Brown pretty much needs to be the starter this year and get the majority of the carries. They need to bring in a body at RB (either a mid round pick or re-sign Spiller)but what I'd most like to see are 2 new guards and a RT brought in to challenge Henderson. Basically a complete re-working of the OL. If Hughes has to be let walk to accommodate that then so be it. Do that and Brown/Jackson/Dixon/Who-ever is plenty good.

So you are in the top 50 of your profession on the planet? Because they want to be "right" and they didn't like he pick to begin with.

How do yo think Belichick would do with the "talent" on those Jets teams? I'm guessing he'd have a record like Rex's...or like he had in Cleveland.

Ahh, the "stats don't mean jack" argument which comes out when every stat in the world proves you are wrong. I'm surprised you didn't go with "the eyeball test." That's a good one too.

Of those three I'd take Hoyer.

Only because he plays for a different team. Have you watched Sanchez play or seen stat line before his year with Chip Kelly? Before this year his best completion percentage was 56.7%. Every other year with the Jets his completion percentage was below 55%. And you're saying Manuel can't hit the broadside of a barn? So Sanchez can't hit his own guys with any consistency AND turns the ball over with alarming regularity and somehow he's "better."

He wasn't even average. That first year Sanchez completed 54% of his passes with 12 TDs and 20 INTs. His 2nd year was only marginally better.

As opposed to Sanchez who can hit the broadside of the barn in-so-long as the barn is painted in the opposing team's colors?

Don't agree with you at all. You have to have faith that you scouted the guy and he has the tools you thought he did then let him develop. I know it's a dirty word and this "I want it now" society doesn't like to hear it but unless you Luck-out it's pretty much what you have to do at the QB position unless you're just going to go FA dumpster diving every year or two.

I think you give him an average QB who doesn't turn the ball over (i.e. the "game manager") and he can consistently get this team into the playoffs with a real chance to advance. Crossing my fingers that EJ develops into that guy.

Exactly. I'd rather roll the dice with EJ than bring in a guy who has proven to make big mistakes that cost his teams games time and time again.

post #33!

I might be the only one who doesn't want Schwartz back. Ryan has been successful with his defenses his entire career, even in his later Jets' years when the talent on D wasn't great. Schwartz's success has been directly correlated to the talent level of his D. When the talent level wasn't top notch his Ds weren't very good. I much prefer Rex's D to Schwartz's. People keep thinking that the run D is going to suffer but Ryan has had lots of success vs. the run with his Ds. Pettine's failure vs. the run is not Ryan's. I'm excited to see what Ryan can do with the talent on this D. I don't think he's had a D this loaded since his days in Baltimore.

Nothing false about it. The point was you don't have to promote a well regarded coordinator to HC to fix that side of the ball. If that was the case then there wouldn't be any well regarded coordinators to hire as your next HC because they'd already be head coaches. Get a quality guy to coach the offense and it will be fine. I have my concerns about Roman but he was successful in SF with a dominant running game. Let's hope that had something to do with his skills as an OC. On a side note, I have a feeling that the rumors about Trestman as Ryan's OC had to do with him getting the Atlanta job and having Ryan as his QB. With the Bills D and their lack of a proven QB a lower risk offense is what is needed, enter Roman. Absolutely false. I never liked his mouth but the guy has always been a very good coach. What he did in 2013 with the Jets was amazing. That team had no business being 8-8.

So the only way to have a successful offense is to hire a HC who was an offensive coordinator? That didn't work too well with Marrone. And by extension does that mean that whichever side of the ball your HC isn't an "expert" on will always suck? That's some bazaaro-world thinking.

I think this mostly has to do with the media's (and by extension the fans who follow the draft) insistence that the Bills "reached" and he "wasn't worth a first round pick." So when they talk about Manuel they want to continue this narrative as it plays into what they already believed.

Not wrong at all. Yeah, a few guys will be bargains for a team and help them a lot. Most of the guys won't be. And your example wasn't a high draft pick, so it's not even what was being discussed to begin with.

You get what you pay for. One or two guys in the entire draft will, right out of the gate, play at the level Dareus is currently playing at. So yeah, they're cheaper but they'll likely take years to develop. By that time they'll cost more money... I also highly dispute your claim that Marriota is one of the best prospects since Luck. Hes more of the same. Winston, on the other hand, has all the tools but who knows where his head is at. He might be an all time great but he could be out of the league in a few years. He's worth the risk though, but Marriota is not. Some desperate team will take a chance on him though, I'm glad the Bills won't be one the one.

Really not interested in a RB with the Bills' first pick. Fix the OL and mid round RBs can be stars.

Tthe Bills have had two D coordinators the past two years and have been very good on that side of the ball anyway. It's all about the talent. Also, it's not like a totally new scheme as they played in it under Pettine a year ago. I'm not worried about retaining Schwartz at all, the D will be fine under Ryan. Now, the offence...

That's because people overvalue draft picks. When a team uses a #3 pick on a player they dream that he'll turn out to be as good as Dareus. Yet, once he turns out that good he's still not worth trading for a top 3 pick. It's pure craziness how overvalued 1st round picks are. People won't tade the pick for a sure thing and would rather gamble with the draft.

Lebeau is 77 and Wilson died at age 95 so I'm going to go with no.

I'd have to look at the numbers but it seemed to be that the Bills D got progressively worse vs. the run as the season went on. They certainly started the season well but in the 2nd half I don't recall them being particularly stout vs. the run. Also, just because Pettine ran Rex's scheme doesn't mean he ran it like Rex would. Rex's Ds, when they had actual talent, were good vs. the run.