8 players explain how the Bills culture has evolved during the Sean McDermott era

[WhoTom]

Didn't see it posted in the first couple of pages...

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/8-players-explain-how-the-bills-culture-has-evolved-during-the-sean-mcdermott-er

 

 

[mead107]

????????

[EasternOHBillsFan]

This is why the Browns are going to have problems... they cater to egos, to individuals and the GM wants the personalities. They will keep getting the hype, unlike the Bills, who will be relegated to the bottom of division predictions.

 

I'm REALLY, REALLY looking forward to Bills/Browns. Everyone will get to see the difference!

[YoloinOhio]

This is something that real leaders do. 

 

After the 2018 campaign, McDermott asked his players to critique his performance in 2018 as well as that of his staff.

[Punching Bag]

What do you think the biggest criticism was?

 

Oh I know! Why when you were in charge did you not draft Patrick Mahomes for all of us had him for Bills in mock draft?  It was the obvious choice!

[PromoTheRobot]

4 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

What do you think the biggest criticism was?

 

Oh I know! Why when you were in charge did you not draft Patrick Mahomes for all of us had him for Bills in mock draft?  It was the obvious choice!

 

That was Josh Allen's review.

[Punching Bag]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

 

That was Josh Allen's review.

 

Yes. He said I was so lucky you made a mistake because no team would have drafted me 1st day.

[BillsVet]

1 hour ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

This is why the Browns are going to have problems... they cater to egos, to individuals and the GM wants the personalities. They will keep getting the hype, unlike the Bills, who will be relegated to the bottom of division predictions.

 

I'm REALLY, REALLY looking forward to Bills/Browns. Everyone will get to see the difference!

 

The late 80s/early 90s Bills managed pretty well with several egos.  

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

The late 80s/early 90s Bills managed pretty well with several egos.  

 

If second place was the goal, then yeah.

[Rocket94]

This was a good read. Almost like a design for living that McDermott believes in and is trying to instill. Giving your own life and team work the urgency that it deserves...sharing a common goal of winning in the present and the future. I get it...but it takes time.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Rocket94

[Rocket94]

56 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is something that real leaders do. 

 

 

 

It is...pretty selfless.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Rocket94

[JerseyBills]

3 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

This is why the Browns are going to have problems... they cater to egos, to individuals and the GM wants the personalities. They will keep getting the hype, unlike the Bills, who will be relegated to the bottom of division predictions.

 

I'm REALLY, REALLY looking forward to Bills/Browns. Everyone will get to see the difference!

Same here man! Very well said. 

Beane and McD SHARE the same vision for success. They followed a very specific blueprint while building this roster after gutting it 3 years ago. 

They've carefully chosen FA and draft picks , placing a huge emphasis on character and leadership and not just talent alone.

They also are damn good at what they do , I said it from day 1 and many times after , we struck gold landing both these guys.

This roster is deep , talented and very very well coached. 

McD and Beane have built a team , I feel the Browns are just a collection of talent and like you said , I also feel people will see the difference when we go to Cleveland!

[JerseyBills]

2 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

The late 80s/early 90s Bills managed pretty well with several egos.  

True but their core players were together for 3-4 years before they got really good and developed that chemistry. 

 

I think there's way more examples of teams with big egos and troubled players crashing and burning than succeeding. Great coaching and leadership is crucial for them , going to be a tough job for a Rookie HC.

 

They look good on paper but very top heavy imo , not much depth either. 

 

 

[Buddo]

Interesting read. The 'culture' side of things was especially so, in that all of the guys basically said that now the moment someone comes in, they see how hard they are expected to work, and pretty much just have to do it.

 

It certainly appears that within the 'process' there's room for personalities, just not divas - you only have to watch White to see the truth in that.

[ComradeKayAdams]

55 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

True but their core players were together for 3-4 years before they got really good and developed that chemistry. 

 

I think there's way more examples of teams with big egos and troubled players crashing and burning than succeeding. Great coaching and leadership is crucial for them , going to be a tough job for a Rookie HC.

 

They look good on paper but very top heavy imo , not much depth either. 

 

 

 

This looks like an accurate statement to me. Analyzing - in chronological order - the 11 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense:

 

Bill Polian arrived in Buffalo on August 1984, inheriting Jim Ritcher and Darryl Talley.

In 1985, he played a key role in adding Bruce Smith and Andre Reed.

Then in 1986, he hired Marv Levy and added Jim Kelly, Kent Hull, Will Wolford, and Mark Kelso.

In 1987, he added Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, Nate Odomes, and Keith McKeller.

In 1988, he added Thurman Thomas, Howard Ballard, Jeff Wright, and Carlton Bailey.

In 1989, he added James Lofton, Don Beebe, and John Davis.

In 1990, he added James Williams.

In 1991, he added Phil Hansen and Henry Jones.

 

So what you can clearly see here is that there was a definite core of 16 players in place by 1988, including 4 Hall of Famers and 3 more on the Wall of Fame (plus Tasker). I think 1988 was the point at which the roster simply reached a critical mass in talent. Egos set the team back in 1989, but these locker room issues were resolved by 1990.

 

By the way: notice the remarkably high level of continuity on the 1990-1993 Super Bowl rosters. Of these 22 starters, only 6 missed a single season during the Super Bowl run (Jones and Hansen in 1990, Wolford and Lofton and Bailey and Conlan in 1993). Polian was eventually fired in February 1993, the modern form of free agency began in March 1993, and the salary cap began in 1994. These three factors, along with the natural aging process on the team's core plus the wear and tear from a more physical style of NFL back then, quickly led to the destruction of our beloved team dynasty. But I digress...

 

My point (if I even have one) is that chemistry and talent both matter. But in the case of the Super Bowl Bills, the chemistry took longer to build than the talent. In the case of the McBeane Bills, possibly the opposite is happening? The chemistry is coming together fairly quickly, as this article suggests, and pretty much began to take hold as soon as McDermott became head coach. The talent accumulation is coming along slower, but not at all in any abnormal way (see: Buffalo Sabres). I think next season will be our "1988 season" where the talent reaches a critical mass and we become a serious Super Bowl contender. 2020 will be Allen's 3rd season as starting QB, and Beane will have the free agency money and the draft picks to find an elite WR and an elite DE.

[machine gun kelly]

7 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

This is why the Browns are going to have problems... they cater to egos, to individuals and the GM wants the personalities. They will keep getting the hype, unlike the Bills, who will be relegated to the bottom of division predictions.

 

I'm REALLY, REALLY looking forward to Bills/Browns. Everyone will get to see the difference!

 

Couldn't agree more Eastern.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

7 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is something that real leaders do. 

 

 

 

 

...great point Yolo ....leader has to make sure within the culture he/she maintains an "open door policy" welcoming constructive criticism....I don't want my culture to be intimidated from offering constructive criticism by telling me "everything is great" when it is NOT...I also get the sense that the Buffalo Bills are all about "WE" and never "ME".....good show McDermott...

[eball]

7 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is something that real leaders do. 

 

 

Yes!  I was so pleased to read that comment.  McD is driven to get better himself in every aspect of the job, which means opening himself up to criticism.  This is such a solid foundation they are building...god I hope the players have the combination of talent and drive to get it done.  If they get on a roll, watch out.

[BigBuff423]

IMHO, great leadership begins with humility. It takes a humble person to openly ask for constructive criticism and genuinely intend to use that criticism to improve and then be accountable for how that insight was used to get better. If all of this is accurate and sincere, McD and his coaches will continue to show why he was deemed one of the top up-and-coming coaches by the committee who researches these things for the NFL owners. Proof is in the pudding....but I think over the next two years, this pudding is going to taste fantastic.

 

As long Cosby isn't anywhere near Camp.

[HOUSE]

9 players would have been better..

 

[Punching Bag]

I'd like to hear from some of the players not retained on they think of Coach McD's culture. A few have said they were disappointed they were not retained and thought Bills were on way up but not a lot of comments on those leaving.  When I have time I am going to see how many who have left are still playing and how many seem to be doing better.  I know some were let go for players' perceived value were higher than team's perceived value of them.

[US Egg]

Win 10 games this year, then McDermott's culture building can be taken seriously.

 

Until then it's just feel good talk.

[BillsVet]

8 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

True but their core players were together for 3-4 years before they got really good and developed that chemistry. 

 

I think there's way more examples of teams with big egos and troubled players crashing and burning than succeeding. Great coaching and leadership is crucial for them , going to be a tough job for a Rookie HC.

 

They look good on paper but very top heavy imo , not much depth either.

 

Talent trumps chemistry every time, although with a HC who is a strong leader and understands his people assembling multiple big talent players with egos can work.  Let's wait and see if Freddie Kitchens has the ability to manage these egos before predicting they'll crash and burn.

 

Ultimately, I think criticism of teams like Cleveland (at this point) is a sort of Bills fan inferiority complex.  It's so predictable here over the years for some fans to try and drag down other teams because the Bills aren't exceptionally talented.  They do have players with potential, but no All-Pro caliber and few Pro Bowl players yet.  People hope young players like Allen, Edmunds, Oliver, and Tre will become that, but they're not proven. 

 

We're going to find out this year whether McBeane's roster (and it's theirs now) has the talent to win 10+ games and get to the playoffs.  Because having lesser talented players who buy-in to the HC's culture isn't enough to do that.

[RoyBatty is alive]

Having read this, does anyone still question why they got rid of Marcel Dareus?

Edited July 26, 2019 by RoyBatty is alive

[EasternOHBillsFan]

11 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

The late 80s/early 90s Bills managed pretty well with several egos.  

 

Jim Kelly never grabbed his crotch at his opponent.

 

Andre Reed never performed multiple sideline sideshow acts on the sideline during any game.

 

Marv Levy was an experienced coach who didn't put up with what Freddie Kitchens will.

 

 

Don't confuse the passion to be the best sometimes ending in conflict vs. selfish and/or "look at me" players overflowing with antics and sideshow clips.

Edited July 26, 2019 by EasternOHBillsFan

[Rocket94]

21 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Great. Go win games now. 

Great in theory...Lets see if it works.

[Royale with Cheese]

59 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

Jim Kelly never grabbed his crotch at his opponent.

 

Andre Reed never performed multiple sideline sideshow acts on the sideline during any game.

 

Marv Levy was an experienced coach who didn't put up with what Freddie Kitchens will.

 

 

Don't confuse the passion to be the best sometimes ending in conflict vs. selfish and/or "look at me" players overflowing with antics and sideshow clips.

 

That's one part I will disagree with.  The Bills in the 90's were very active in the party scene.  Cornelius Bennett years ago was on the local Atlanta radio show.

The radio guys asked about the Super Bowls.  He lost one with the Falcons as well. 

 

Bennett said that they were partying all night before Super Bowl 25 and they were exhausted early in the game.....dead by the end of it.  I think Levy had the leash a little too loose with these guys.

[PromoTheRobot]

24 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

I mean I get it. It's July. They can't win games in July.

 

I just don't buy this stuff at all. We've seen and heard all the fluff pieces every offseason only to have the team go up in flames in the regular season. Some how fans still fall for it year after year. 

 

But not you. You will always bet the under.

[Punching Bag]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

But not you. You will always bet the under.

 

Some will always bet against the Bills. They should not be criticized being happier when Bills lose.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Some will always bet against the Bills. They should not be criticized being happier when Bills lose.

 

Not sure you worded that right but I think I know what you mean. To me you can't dog a team all year, then climb on board the bandwagon when they turn out good.  You can be critical if you have something legit to point to. But to say "well it's always been that way before" is just being lazy.

Edited July 26, 2019 by PromoTheRobot

[ddaryl]

12 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

The late 80s/early 90s Bills managed pretty well with several egos.  

 

the egos on that team came with years of proven production.  Were they managed well or did they come up short because of it ?  Bruce Smith was the prima-donna of the bunch.. but he was also a living legend in the making at the time. The rest had mild egos IMO compared to many of the athletes today.. Then again we didn't have 24/7 social media

26 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Some will always bet against the Bills. They should not be criticized being happier when Bills lose.

 

on a Bills fan forum.. yes they should

Edited July 26, 2019 by ddaryl

[Rocket94]

1 hour ago, ScottLaw said:

I mean I get it. It's July. They can't win games in July.

 

I just don't buy this stuff at all. We've seen and heard all the fluff pieces every offseason only to have the team go up in flames in the regular season. Some how fans still fall for it year after year. 

I hear you. Every year there is some imaginative way to create optimism. Now the Bills want us to identify with them by appealing to our values...things that are important to us everyday equated with the growth of a football team. Ok...you have our attention...now go win football games!

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

10 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

That's one part I will disagree with.  The Bills in the 90's were very active in the party scene.  Cornelius Bennett years ago was on the local Atlanta radio show.

The radio guys asked about the Super Bowls.  He lost one with the Falcons as well. 

 

Bennett said that they were partying all night before Super Bowl 25 and they were exhausted early in the game.....dead by the end of it.  I think Levy had the leash a little too loose with these guys.

 

I don't think any of the coaches the Bills faced in those 4 SB's, or even many others, could ever have got the Bills to 4 straight Super Bowls. But also think any of those 4 would have won one with the Bills.

[TtownBillsFan]

I haven't read through all the replies here, so my apologies if I missed anything.  But I wanted to comment after readying/watching it all, and say a BIG thank you for posting this!  Oh baby, am I ready for this season!  I really think they're building something special for this year, and seasons to come!

 

And Meatball;  LOVE THAT GUY!  I'm a southern boy too, so I'll listen to his twang all day long!

 

Shout out to my SOONER rookie - let's go Cody Ford!!!!

[Happy]

11 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

I mean I get it. It's July. They can't win games in July.

 

I just don't buy this stuff at all. We've seen and heard all the fluff pieces every offseason only to have the team go up in flames in the regular season. Some how fans still fall for it year after year. 

 

I understand what you're getting at, but let's give McDermott and this team a chance to show that the "process" is more than a platitude.  I think those expecting 11-5 will be just as disappointed as those expecting 5-11.  They're still a couple of players away from a deep in the playoffs team, as well as McDermott gaining more experience as a game day coach.  It appears they are on the right track and this year will be indicative as to how close or far a McDermott lead team is or has to go.

[Happy]

6 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

What choice do I have? I'm a fan. I have no say in the organizational decision.

 

Im just saying I have seen and heard all the PR yada yada in the offseason before, means absolutely nothing. Just go win games. No more excuses.

 

 

Completely agree with the bolded.  They need to back the PR/puff pieces up on the field with W's, which includes coaching decisions to focus on winning and not keeping the game close or worse yet, playing not to lose.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Happy Gilmore

[TtownBillsFan]

17 hours ago, eball said:

 

Yes!  I was so pleased to read that comment.  McD is driven to get better himself in every aspect of the job, which means opening himself up to criticism.  This is such a solid foundation they are building...god I hope the players have the combination of talent and drive to get it done.  If they get on a roll, watch out.

Exactly.  I mean, can you imagine Rex Ryan (even though I, personally, didn't hate him) asking to be critiqued by players he was coaching?  I don't think it would happen.  But do you think a Marv Levy (circa 1998-99) would have welcomed such feedback?  I do.

 

And no, I'm not comparing coaches here;  just an element of style I think they probably share.

[TtownBillsFan]

13 hours ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

Jim Kelly never grabbed his crotch at his opponent.

 

Andre Reed never performed multiple sideline sideshow acts on the sideline during any game.

 

Marv Levy was an experienced coach who didn't put up with what Freddie Kitchens will.

 

 

Don't confuse the passion to be the best sometimes ending in conflict vs. selfish and/or "look at me" players overflowing with antics and sideshow clips.

LOL, I'm guessing you're an Ohio State fan;  don't confuse brashness and bravado with thuggery.  Baker is/will prove to be a stud.  He's also a leader of men;  as our very own Cody Ford would attest. (And yes, I'm severely biased, as an OU diehard)

[from_dunkirk]

22 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

True but their core players were together for 3-4 years before they got really good and developed that chemistry. 

 

 

They were together for 1.75 years before they went 12-4 in 1988.

Edited July 27, 2019 by from_dunkirk

[Punching Bag]

13 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Not sure you worded that right but I think I know what you mean. To me you can't dog a team all year, then climb on board the bandwagon when they turn out good.  You can be critical if you have something legit to point to. But to say "well it's always been that way before" is just being lazy.

 

Well you can if you have multiple personalities. I am sure the dominant "realistic" side would blame mental illness on Bills and think the Bills should pay for therapy.  I agree as long as part of therapy is a white coat with long sleeves and not allowed access to a keyboard or "smartphone".