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THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Credit Where Credit Is Due


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The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66

 

Credit Where Credit Is Due

 

Late May is a good time in the NFL off-season to take a minute and reflect on the importance of management.  This year, 2018, particularly.

 

Can we all just stand and put our hands together for Terry and Kim Pegula, for Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott?  I mean, what these four have done over the past year and a half makes them candidates for owner of the year, GM of the year and coach of the year.  Seriously.

 

Before recalling how the Bills have gotten where they are, let’s state the obvious:  the Bills haven’t won anything, and it’s quite possible they won’t win this time.  Making the playoffs after all those previous regimes had failed was nice, but making the playoffs was only a short-term goal.  The Bills probably aren’t close to winning a lot for at least a couple of years (although nothing McDermott does will surprise me) and, again, they might not get there at all under this leadership.  I get that, and I have doubts aplenty.  I’m not anointing anyone, not yet.

 

But.  Look back to the beginning of 2017.  The Bills had just missed the playoffs, again. 

 

Their head coach quit before being fired.  He was the second head coach in a row to quit.  Think about that:  one of the most coveted jobs on the planet, NFL head coach, and not one but two head coaches had quit in the previous three years.  

 

The Bills were holding one embarrassing press conference after another, caused in part by the ineptitude of management and in part by a mad-dog local press corps that nipped at the heels of any representative of the team who dared speak a word. 

 

They had a quarterback who, it seemed, the team needed but didn’t want, or wanted but didn’t need, depending on your point of view.  Once again, they would be in an off-season contract renegotiation.  

 

One of the most commonly used words in columns about the Buffalo Bills was “dumpster fire.”  Given recent history, whether you call “recent” one year or three years or five years or ten, there was little reason for optimism.

 

That’s when the owners took charge.  Everyone knows the Pegulas are successful people, as in really, really successful.  Success like they’ve had doesn’t happen by accident.  That kind of success is the result of a lot of hard work and some luck, to be sure, but most importantly, it is the result of making good decisions.  The Pegulas never would have been in a position to buy the Sabres and the Bills if they hadn’t made a lot of good decisions.

 

The Pegulas had made a remarkably bad decision hiring Rex Ryan.  They were determined not to repeat that history.  They changed the process, they changed the criteria and they probably changed the people who were key participants in the process.  A lot changed in the first few months of 2017, a lot behind the scenes.  It changed because the Pegulas demanded change and, no doubt, were instrumental in implementing it.

 

Outwardly, the change was apparent the day Sean McDermott was hired as head coach.  This man couldn’t have been more different from Rex Ryan: on his way up instead of on his way out, buttoned down and buttoned up instead of just sayin’ whatever, disciplined instead of, well, instead of behaving like a 13-year old. 

 

Who knew, who knows, whether McDermott was, is, destined to be a great head coach?   What we knew, immediately, was that the man would die trying.   That was refreshing. 

 

If there was any doubt that things had changed within the organization, it ended with the dismissal of Doug Whaley.  The message was clear: whatever the Buffalo Bills were going to be, they weren’t going to be the old Bills. 

 

Then, Brandon Beane came aboard, and everything came into focus.  It wasn’t just the head coach; this entire organization was going to be buttoned down and buttoned up.  The Bills were going to be professional and business-like from top to bottom.  The Pegulas were successful before and they completely intend to be successful again, doing it the way they know how. 

 

The off-field evidence of the new Bills at work is their relationship with the press, particularly the Buffalo News.  By 2017, open warfare had broken out between the Bills and some members of the News sports staff.  Rex Ryan was cowed by them, often introducing thoughts in his press conferences with phrase like “I know you guys won’t like this, but ….”  Pieces in the News openly demeaned the abilities and intelligence of front office personnel.   Writers asked leading questions, trying to catch people in contradictions, and when they did, they wrote about it repeatedly, claiming that the Bills front office was lying.  For the News, it seemed like they were exposing their own little Watergate.  The Bills began limiting access of writers to players and management for interviews.

 

The Pegulas know it’s bad business to have a bad relationship with the local press.  As first McDermott and then Beane came on board, there was a true honeymoon with the press.  Only four months earlier, the press had second-guessed every move the Bills made – no, they didn’t second guess the moves, they trashed them mercilessly within hours of the decision becoming public.   Now, McDermott and Beane were getting nothing but softballs in their press conferences, and several positive articles appeared about them. 

 

When Beane decided to give details of the run up to the draft, he gave the co-exclusive to Chris Brown within the organization and to a News writer.  In his press conferences, McDermott calls News writers by the first name and often responds with comments like “that’s a good question, Vic.”

 

Is this an accident?  I don’t think so.  I would wager a large sum that the Pegulas had a heart-to-heart with senior management at the News, a conversation about how it was important for the Bills, for Buffalo and for the News to return to a more level-headed relationship.  In turn, the Bills would be sure the News got quality access.  Unspoken, I’m sure, but lost on no one was the simple fact that the Buffalo News may be, I say MAY be, more powerful than the Buffalo Bills, but the News is definitely not more powerful than the NFL, whose presence was felt in every conversation. 

 

How ever they got there, the Bills and the News are in a better place.  The Pegulas no doubt decreed that it would be so, and they worked to accomplish it.

 

We’ve seen calm, deliberate, methodical progress rebuilding the team:  Purposeful and incisive moves in free agency to rebuild the defense.  The Taylor and Glenn trades, cleaning out quality players from the old regime that didn’t quite work and adding to draft capital.   The bold moves in the draft to acquire the keystone players for the future offense and future defense. 

 

All this, and no hysteria.  What’s the last piece of news that Bills fans in general would describe as a disaster?  Not drafting Allen; although certainly some people believe it was a mistake, no one’s calling it a disaster.  Not the Taylor trade, or the Glenn trade.  The last disaster was the decision to start Peterman, and McDermott recovered miraculously from that.  Other than Peterman, the last disaster was pre-McDermott. 

 

Things have changed, and Mr. and Mrs. Pegula deserve the credit, right along with their GM and Head Coach. 

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

Edited by Shaw66
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We could be worse this year......but we also could be the Rams from last year with a "who knew" QB and head coach. All I know is that it took the passing of Ralph to begin the major changes and the failures of the Pegula's early on to spur this positive change. Let's hope we become relevant again across the sporting world. People not from Green Bay tune into Green Bay games for one reason.....they have had QB's and success for a LONG time. They could be Buffalo without that......an afterthought.

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Good writeup, i had no idea there how toxic the relationship was between news and the organization, not living in the area.   Likewise i did not know it was all peaches and gravy like it is now.   

 

Allen may turn out to be a mistake, but as methodical and detail oriented as this FO is i doubt it.   They have had a plan mapped out for his development since the second he was drafted and they'll stick to it.  Allen has to take it upon himself to learn the playbook, to work on his mechanics, footwork etc.  He has to do those things, coaching can only do so much.  But I think they drafted the hardest working QB in this draft class.   

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I am cautiously optimistic about the direction we are heading.

Beane and McD changed the culture of this team, but they also lay the "coachspeak" on heavy. The news doesn't have too many stories to run with, unlike Rex's big mouth and Whaley's cluelessness. 

Darby is the only player I am bummed we moved on from. Young, talented and cheap corners don't grow on trees. 

I want to like Allen, but I just can't get excited about a guy who played as mediocre as he did in college.

I really hope he proves me wrong. 

Edited by TheElectricCompany
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Thanks for the read as always, Shaw.

I am amazed -- not taken aback, not slightly surprised -- but absolutely AMAZED, shocked, gobsmacked, delighted...that the Bills are where they are today, considering where they were at the end of Rex and Whaley's tenures. You're absolutely right, they haven't won anything of note yet. But just from a pure organizational standpoint, is there one single Bills fan, football fan, or analyst on the planet who would dispute that they are in a much better, more stable, more constructive place? A top notch front office fronted by an intelligent, well prepared, thoughtful, and ready general manager. Multiple guys under him who are also high quality (Schoen, Gaine -- who has since left, Dan Morgan now, and on it goes). The coaches? A heck of a staff, headed by McDermott but just as importantly also featuring quality coaches like Leslie Frazier, Bob Babich, Rob Boras, Terry Robiskie. Not only do they stress the importance of fundamentals and scheme execution, they also stress the importance of chemistry and culture. They have definite calculated purpose.

And those are the biggest buzz words that define this era of Bills football. Chemistry, culture, calculated purpose. It is incredibly refreshing to see. It all sounds like obvious stuff, but to Bills fans who have been stuck in a 20 year dysfunctional cluster!@#$ of historic proportions, it suddenly feels like getting fresh air and light after suffocating in the dark.

It all goes back to the Pegulas. They not only saved (both) Buffalo sports teams and continue to play a vital role in revitalizing the community, they also now have provided the most legitimate reasons for Bills-related optimism since Marv Levy was head coach.

Thanks again to you for writing, and thanks to the Pegulas for...well....just about everything.

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9 minutes ago, TheElectricCompany said:

I am cautiously optimistic about the direction we are heading.

Beane and McD changed the culture of this team, but they also lay the "coachspeak" on heavy. The news doesn't have too many stories to run with, unlike Rex's big mouth and Whaley's cluelessness. 

Darby is the only player I am bummed we moved on from. Young, talented and cheap corners don't grow on trees. 

I want to like Allen, but I just can't get excited about a guy who played as mediocre as he did in college.

I really hope he proves me wrong. 

It's the magnitude of the change that has me feeling good, not the moves.   I, for one, wanted the Bills to keep Dareus and have McDermott make into a real man.   I cared less about Darby.   But I mention them because the point isn't the individual moves.  Like all coaches and GMs, McBeane are going to get some correct and miss on some others.   I think they figured they just weren't prepared to invest the energy in Dareus, and I think they coveted the pick so much that they were willing to let Darby.   They could afford to release him when they discovered White is the real deal.   Teams can't afford to keep two star corners, so they knew already that they were going to lose Darby in free agency and keep White. 

 

I've gotten high on Allen.   He has a winning attitude, which is why the Bills wanted him.   I'm guessing you'll be really happy about the pick in less than 24 months.  

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3 minutes ago, Gugny said:

The Bills could very well be a better team that ends up with a worse record.

 

That's okay with me.  Headed in the right direction.  GO Bills!

Absolutely.  

 

The best case scenario for 2018 is a top-10 defense and an average offense, in which case the Bills will surprise me and a lot of people.   I think it's unlikely that both will happen that quickly.   I think it's more likely that the Bills are one year away from a really good defense and one to two years away on offense.  

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Good post, Shaw.

 

Hiring Rex Ryan may have been a mistake, but it was all just part of the overall process, being new owners in the NFL. The Pegulas may have been successful and smart, but they were rookies to the landscape of NFL ownership. The Bills may not have been the Browns, but as an organization, they were mired in years of mediocrity and disarray. There wasn't "one voice".

 

It was going to take some time for them to make this organization "theirs", but first, they needed to acclimate themselves with being owners and everything that comes with it. Cleaning house from the start wasn't an ideal method. Guys like Brandon and Whaley were kept on, basically to help make the ownership learning process easier. Say what you will about them, but they had experience and familiarity with the situation that the Pegulas inherited. It allowed the owners to get accustomed, without the team becoming a total dumpster fire in the meantime. Rex may not have been a good hire, but the Bills could have done worse. Of course, Russ was in their ears wrt hiring Rex, but that just goes to show where the Pegluas were in the learning process. They were delegating. 

 

The old saying goes: "sometimes you have to lose, to know how to win". Hiring Rex was a "loss", but a good lesson learned as the Pegulas became more acclimated. While delegating, it allowed them to dissect and examine every facet of the organization. In some ways, Rex and his personality, and the way he did things, helped to expose much of what was wrong within the organization. There was all kinds of mumblings, which happens with all teams, but more important was the leaking of them to the media and fans. It helped them to make the decision to move on after less than 2 years easier, because everything was out there to see (and, of course, the team regressed).

 

In just 3 years, they went from getting their feet wet, to doggy paddling, to breast stroke. The way that Russ, Whaley, Rex etc. conduct themselves was not a reflection of how the Pegulas conduct themselves and how they became successful. McDermott and Beane may not have been hot commodity, proven top choices at the time, but their approach and how they conduct themselves seems to match that of the Pegulas. Its "one voice" now, and that resonates all throughout the organization. "Buttoned up" as you say is the perfect description.

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12 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

It's the magnitude of the change that has me feeling good, not the moves.   I, for one, wanted the Bills to keep Dareus and have McDermott make into a real man.   I cared less about Darby.   But I mention them because the point isn't the individual moves.  Like all coaches and GMs, McBeane are going to get some correct and miss on some others.   I think they figured they just weren't prepared to invest the energy in Dareus, and I think they coveted the pick so much that they were willing to let Darby.   They could afford to release him when they discovered White is the real deal.   Teams can't afford to keep two star corners, so they knew already that they were going to lose Darby in free agency and keep White. 

 

I've gotten high on Allen.   He has a winning attitude, which is why the Bills wanted him.   I'm guessing you'll be really happy about the pick in less than 24 months.  

 

I don't see it that way with Darby. You have Tre for ~4 years on a cheap rookie deal. I just watched the Broncos  keep three top tier CBs in Roby, Harris, and Talib together for 4 years. They could have made it work if they wanted to, but they just didn't value him. I think it was a mistake, but that shipped has sailed. 

 

While it is good to see competence in the organization, I'm just not that high on them yet. For better or worse, it will come down to Allen and what he becomes. Is he the guy that can someday toast New England on the road, or a shined up version of the Wyoming QB who threw 0 TDs, 3 picks and 3.7 YPA against Power 5 opponents in 2017? We'll see. 

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1 hour ago, TheElectricCompany said:

 

I don't see it that way with Darby. You have Tre for ~4 years on a cheap rookie deal. I just watched the Broncos  keep three top tier CBs in Roby, Harris, and Talib together for 4 years. They could have made it work if they wanted to, but they just didn't value him. I think it was a mistake, but that shipped has sailed. 

 

While it is good to see competence in the organization, I'm just not that high on them yet. For better or worse, it will come down to Allen and what he becomes. Is he the guy that can someday toast New England on the road, or a shined up version of the Wyoming QB who threw 0 TDs, 3 picks and 3.7 YPA against Power 5 opponents in 2017? We'll see. 

 

IMO, McBean's model for building a team is to allocate more resources to the front 7. Builld from the inside out. Based on scheme, this defense doesn't seem to need high dollar, premiere talent at CB. It's much more zone, and good "man" corners typically get the most money. The scheme IMO isn't as dependent on having great corners, as it is creating havoc up front. A good line and front 7 will make the DB's jobs easier. Granted, they could have had White and Darby for at least two years, but it was clear that the Bills needed a QB, and gaining draft assets makes attaining one a bit easier. Darby had a bit of a down year after a really good rookie year, and maybe the Bills get less in return for him if he would have been traded now, with it being his contract year. 

 

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It is exciting to think that the team has turned the corner, isn’t it?

 

And I’m not really talking about being winners, because that is still to be decided, I’m just talking about being competently run. 

 

I still question decisions, drafting Allen or starting Peterman, and the coach’s conservative philosophy...but I no longer question whether this team has a plan. 

 

I agree that this year may be a step back in the win column, but I’m pumped regardless. I’m actually spending money on the team again, buying a jersey and grabbing tickets to the home opener instead of just waiting for the November and December games when tickets are given away. Also planning on going to Green Bay!

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Looking at it my way, I think Beane got the same thing the Jets did, but at a substantially lower price. I think he did good.

 

What I mean is the Jets traded the 6th overall, plus three 2nd round picks, to assure themselves of at minimum, the 3rd QB taken in the draft. That means of course they were good with at least 3 of those guys.

 

The Bills got the same opportunity, but for the 12 overall and two second round picks. And some extra grey hairs for Beane that the Jets guy didn't have to worry about. 

Beane had to have guts to let it play out under live fire as the draft unfolded. And he had to guess right that the Giants wouldn't go QB.

But after that, Cleveland wasn't going to take another QB and Beane had a deal with Denver to get their spot so he pretty much knew by doing that, that they were not after a QB. And it worked out good for Beane and us that Denver took Chubb. That way we only had to trade up to 7 because again, he guessed correctly that the Colts were not taking a QB.

 

So he was in the same position the Jets were in, which is he was in the place where the 3rd QB in the draft would fall to him for sure. because he played it right. Bu he did it way cheaper.

 

And he got a QB in the top 10 in the draft for the first time ever in the History of the Buffalo Bills. 

 

He did good. And he gets it. We need a QB. We got to have a QB. And for me even if he misses on Allen I would still keep him around for another go because he did it. He went up and got one like nobody else we ever had ever did before.

 

Beane did get outmaneuvered by the Jets because the Jets were way ahead of him in their QB evaluations. So te Jets were able to make their move early and lock in at 3, before the Bills even had their Qb draft board set.

 

But Beane made up for it he got himself where he needed to be.

 

There are negatives you glossed over, and so am I for this article, so I won't chirp about that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by BadLandsMeanie
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31 minutes ago, Drunken Pygmy Goat said:

 

IMO, McBean's model for building a team is to allocate more resources to the front 7. Builld from the inside out. Based on scheme, this defense doesn't seem to need high dollar, premiere talent at CB. It's much more zone, and good "man" corners typically get the most money. The scheme IMO isn't as dependent on having great corners, as it is creating havoc up front. A good line and front 7 will the DB's jobs easier. Granted, they could have had White and Darby for at least two years, but it was clear that the Bills needed a QB, and gaining draft assets makes attaining one a bit easier. Darby had a bit of a down year after a really good rookie year, and maybe the Bills get less in return for him if he would have been traded now, with it being his contract year. 

 

If we want to talk about great defenses, it comes down to pass rushers & playmakers in the secondary. You want both! 

 

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Good write up Shaw and several good points. I remain cautiously optimistic. I wasn't thrilled with the Allen pick considering I had a front row seat watching Rosen at UCLA. And yes Rosen has his issues too. Allen's weak college competition concerns me but I guess the same can be said for Wentz. I see the future of McD's defense as solid but the true success of this team will fall on the shoulders of whatever qb steps up to lead. But it is comforting to have the Pegs and McB navigating this team.

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Nice write up, Shaw.

 

Looks like it will end up taking between 5 to 10 years to recover from Ralph Wilson putting the Bills in "life support" mode.

 

That said, I am thrilled to see us finally reviving!!!

 

YMMV

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Great write up Shaw and I agree with the sentiment that all signs are showing improvement and success. What stands out the most to me looking from the outside is that they actually seem like they are WORKING. It always seemed like Whaley was playing a game and Rex was playing a game. It never seemed like they were going to WORK. I can almost say the same for Russ Brandon. The last person I felt like was working was Doug Marrone, and the reason he quit was because no one else was. You have to work to be great in the league and it seems like this regimes works their collective asses off.

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27 minutes ago, BadLandsMeanie said:

Looking at it my way, I think Beane got the same thing the Jets did, but at a substantially lower price. I think he did good.

 

What I mean is the Jets traded the 6th overall, plus three 2nd round picks, to assure themselves of at minimum, the 3rd QB taken in the draft. That means of course they were good with at least 3 of those guys.

 

The Bills got the same opportunity, but for the 12 overall and two second round picks. And some extra grey hairs for Beane that the Jets guy didn't have to worry about. 

Beane had to have guts to let it play out under live fire as the draft unfolded. And he had to guess right that the Giants wouldn't go QB.

But after that, Cleveland wasn't going to take another QB and Beane had a deal with Denver to get their spot so he pretty much knew by doing that, that they were not after a QB. And it worked out good for Beane and us that Denver took Chubb. That way we only had to trade up to 7 because again, he guessed correctly that the Colts were not taking a QB.

 

So he was in the same position the Jets were in, which is he was in the place where the 3rd QB in the draft would fall to him for sure. because he played it right. Bu he did it way cheaper.

 

And he got a QB in the top 10 in the draft for the first time ever in the History of the Buffalo Bills. 

 

He did good. And he gets it. We need a QB. We got to have a QB. And for me even if he misses on Allen I would still keep him around for another go because he did it. He went up and got one like nobody else we ever had ever did before.

 

Beane did get outmaneuvered by the Jets because the Jets were way ahead of him in their QB evaluations. So te Jets were able to make their move early and lock in at 3, before the Bills even had their Qb draft board set.

 

But Beane made up for it he got himself where he needed to be.

 

There are negatives you glossed over, and so am I for this article, so I won't chirp about that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanie 

 

That's a good take on what Beane did to get a QB.  But I think you're wrong when you say he got outmaneuvered by the Jets.   As you say, he got to pick one of his top 3 QBs and he paid less to do it, so how is that outmaneuvered?   Beane gave up less than the Jets to pick from his top three, so he did better than the Jets.  Ultimately, the Jets got to pick from the top 2 and maybe even got their favorite.   The Bills got to pick from their top 3, and probably their top 2, because I'd guess that they didn't rate Mayfield high - I'd guess they had Darnold and Allen one two.   The Jets and Bills each got a QB they wanted, and the Bills still had a first round pick and a pick at the top of the third, along with all their 2019 picks.   Bills ended up much better off than the Jets. 

 

As for negatives you might add, I have negatives I might add, too, but that wasn't the point.   Of course there are negatives.   The world isn't perfect, and the Bills aren't going to do EVERYTHING perfect for 16 consecutive months.    What they did do is go from what appeared to be total disarray to being under control and moving forward.    And that came from the top.   That's something you never heard me say under the prior ownership.

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