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I haven't felt this good about the "state of the Bills" since...


eball

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...the beginning of the 1990 offseason (after the first SB loss).  At that time we knew the team was outstanding and poised for continued success.

 

Now, of course the current version of the Bills has not accomplished anything close to that team, but my confidence level going forward is the highest it has been since that time.  Solid management in place, a really good HC who is universally respected, financial health (i.e., salary cap), a roster littered with young talent, and resources to improve even further.

 

I don't see how anyone could look at the Bills' organization and not say the arrow is clearly pointing up.  I don't even care about the mock drafts -- Beane & Co. have proven to me they know what they're looking for.  If a player doesn't make it, it won't be because Beane didn't do his homework.  This is a very comforting feeling to have.

 

I can't possibly be alone in this sentiment?

 

 

Edited by eball
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I only go back as far as 2002 but this is the best I have felt about the critical triumvirate of HC - GM - QB since that point. In previous regimes there has always been at least one of those 3 I believe not to be up to the standard. Of this triumvirate I am convinced by McDermott and cautiously optimistic on both Beane and Allen. Doesn't mean I love everything about where we are. I will still criticise plenty. But overall this group has my confidence.  

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I've said it before in other threads, but Beane and the rest of the Scouting Department and Front Office have revitalized my belief in this team. McDermott is a really good HC that is continuing to learn the larger perspective and I've seen some modest improvement in his coaching abilities since he arrived as well. The team culture, the ability to build and improve the young players, building systems that fit their personnel strengths and the overall management of the team is the best it's been since the Glory Years of the early 1990s. 

 

I trust - for the first time since then - that no matter my own personal opinion, Beane and his staff have a phenomenal plan to build the team and keep the players that need to be kept and allow the others to find a more suitable environment and team for them. That trust, is a warm, relaxing feeling I can't recall having about this team in over two decades. 

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very good.  I'd agree 1990.  I trust that the FO will look at everyone, and make smart decisions as to whether or not to acquire that player.  Also we appear to be good at QB and RB, have promise at TE, good at LB and DT, and in the secondary.  Just need a few playmakers on offense and solidify the OL.  (OL in the first would not shock me).  

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I feel pretty good about what’s been done and the current state of the organization. 
I am far from sold on Allen as a long term quarterback but I like the team they have built. This offseason is obviously the offseason of the fringe playoff buffalo bills for the next few years or the Super Bowl contender buffalo bills for the next few years. 
If Allen shines he will cover any possible mistakes from Beane and Mcdermott. 

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13 minutes ago, eball said:

...the beginning of the 1990 offseason (after the first SB loss).  At that time we knew the team was outstanding and poised for continued success.

 

Now, of course the current version of the Bills has not accomplished anything close to that team, but my confidence level going forward is the highest it has been since that time.  Solid management in place, a really good HC who is universally respected, financial health (i.e., salary cap), a roster littered with young talent, and resources to improve even further.

 

I don't see how anyone could look at the Bills' organization and not say the arrow is clearly pointing up.  I don't even care about the mock drafts -- Beane & Co. have proven to me they know what they're looking for.  If a player doesn't make it, it won't be because Beane didn't do his homework.  This is a very comforting feeling to have.

 

I can't possibly be alone in this sentiment?

 

 

You’re not,
 

 

 

 

 

but in the end we are all alone....

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Agree eball, but this isn’t ‘91. At that time, we’d already played in an AFC Championship Game @ Cincy, won a Home Playoff game vs Houston and barely lost a shootout in Cleveland. We had a 3 year, 11th Round guy just getting his chance at RT (Ballard) and a roster full of superstars no one can afford today. Times have definitely changed. Now, every year, 7 or 8 new/different teams make the playoffs. We’re good. But rosters are much thinner today (quality-wise) and every team can beat anybody on any given week. Returning to the playoffs this season isn’t a given. Even for KC or the 49ers. Having crapped on your post (sorry), I agree we have key pieces and a shrewd, modern FO which should keep us in the mix for a few years.

Heres hoping?

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Of coarse the Bills run with all the legendary players that took them to the super bowl all those times is a given but the last time i got excited to watch the team was when Flutie was the QB those couple of years (98 & 99) were exciting & the teams did pretty good as far as winning .

 

Of coarse it had absolutely nothing to do with Flutie cause he's the biggest POS that ever walked the earth ? but that was off the top of my head one that i remember - well maybe when they got Bledsoe maybe ??

Edited by T master
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9 minutes ago, T master said:

Of coarse the Bills run with all the legendary players that took them to the super bowl all those times is a given but the last time i got excited to watch the team was when Flutie was the QB those couple of years (98 & 99) were exciting & the teams did pretty good as far as winning .

 

Of coarse it had absolutely nothing to do with Flutie cause he's the biggest POS that ever walked the earth ? but that was off the top of my head one that i remember - well maybe when they got Bledsoe maybe ??

 

I dunno, man, that's a pretty rough take.

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My earliest memories are from the Wade Phillips days, so this is definitely the best things have felt since then.

 

I think we have a good foundation and some good players. What I think we lack is elite star power. Maybe Allen and Edmunds can get there. Maybe Singletary. Mabe Oliver. Tre White is probably the only one in that category currently. So if we added an elite player on both sides of the ball, we'd be golden. An elite edge rusher, or WR, or perhaps a TE. Other than that it is just continuing to maintain depth and develop our talent, adding pieces to upgrade where we can. A lot of it comes down to Allen's development and whether or not Daboll is actually the answer at OC.

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44 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

I only go back as far as 2002 but this is the best I have felt about the critical triumvirate of HC - GM - QB since that point. In previous regimes there has always been at least one of those 3 I believe not to be up to the standard. Of this triumvirate I am convinced by McDermott and cautiously optimistic on both Beane and Allen. Doesn't mean I love everything about where we are. I will still criticise plenty. But overall this group has my confidence.  

I can’t count 2002 since we didn’t make the playoffs that year. To me 2002 was a hyped up disappointment, but I was one that was apart of that hype when we traded for Bledsoe. I thought we had all the tools to go all the way, guess I was wrong

1 minute ago, MJS said:

My earliest memories are from the Wade Phillips days, so this is definitely the best things have felt since then.

 

I think we have a good foundation and some good players. What I think we lack is elite star power. Maybe Allen and Edmunds can get there. Maybe Singletary. Mabe Oliver. Tre White is probably the only one in that category currently. So if we added an elite player on both sides of the ball, we'd be golden. An elite edge rusher, or WR, or perhaps a TE. Other than that it is just continuing to maintain depth and develop our talent, adding pieces to upgrade where we can. A lot of it comes down to Allen's development and whether or not Daboll is actually the answer at OC.

I got to watch Levy and the K gun offense. Too bad we couldn’t get one, never had any QB consistency with Philips as the HC. Was always a fan of his, I think we had the number 1 defense his first year as HC

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48 minutes ago, eball said:

I can't possibly be alone in this sentiment?

 

Technically, you're probably right.     Although there's a wide, wide gulf in talent between the current roster and that 1990 team.     

 

Still, given the desert we've walked through since the glory years, it's nice to finally see an oasis in the distance (even if it might still be a mirage)...

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4 minutes ago, BuffaloBills1998 said:

I got to watch Levy and the K gun offense. Too bad we couldn’t get one, never had any QB consistency with Philips as the HC. Was always a fan of his, I think we had the number 1 defense his first year as HC

I have some very vague memories of Kelly's last years, but I was pretty young. All I have to go on is highlight videos and old game reruns from that time period. So for me, this is basically the first time the Bills have had any success.

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7 minutes ago, MJS said:

I have some very vague memories of Kelly's last years, but I was pretty young. All I have to go on is highlight videos and old game reruns from that time period. So for me, this is basically the first time the Bills have had any success.

Kelly was really fun to watch, felt bad for him his last couple years as he was nearing the end of his career. I remember his last year was horrible and retired because the Bills Fo told him they weren’t gonna bring him back. Wish he could’ve gotten at least 1 ring

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47 minutes ago, BuffaloBills1998 said:

I can’t count 2002 since we didn’t make the playoffs that year. To me 2002 was a hyped up disappointment, but I was one that was apart of that hype when we traded for Bledsoe. I thought we had all the tools to go all the way, guess I was wrong

 

That is not what I meant. I meant 2002 is as far back as my Bills fandom goes. 

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I felt better going into the 1999 season.

 

We had a top ranked D AND some serious offensive weapons like Andre Reed, Quinn Early, and Thurman Thomas.

 

I think Coach McDermott is a really good coach and leader of men. 

 

Josh I'm not sold on yet.

 

As for Beane I  have concerns for his inability to get offensive talent in here after 3 years.  Stockpiling draft picks and trading up to take a QB project in round 1 and then not getting him top notch NFL caliber WRs to put around him and help him develop makes no sense to me.  His WR draft picks since Josh have been Ray Ray and Austin Proehl.

 

I'm optimistic but need to see more improvement.

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@Chandler#81 and @Lurker -- just to be clear, again, I'm not comparing the rosters and/or accomplishments of the two teams (1990 and 2018) -- I'm comparing my feeling right now that the organization is in good shape to how I felt after that first Super Bowl loss.  It's a calm, confident feeling that I don't think this management group (Pegula/Beane/McD) will screw things up and we are in line for many good years to come.

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2 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Agree eball, but this isn’t ‘91. At that time, we’d already played in an AFC Championship Game @ Cincy, won a Home Playoff game vs Houston and barely lost a shootout in Cleveland. We had a 3 year, 11th Round guy just getting his chance at RT (Ballard) and a roster full of superstars no one can afford today. Times have definitely changed. Now, every year, 7 or 8 new/different teams make the playoffs. We’re good. But rosters are much thinner today (quality-wise) and every team can beat anybody on any given week. Returning to the playoffs this season isn’t a given. Even for KC or the 49ers. Having crapped on your post (sorry), I agree we have key pieces and a shrewd, modern FO which should keep us in the mix for a few years.

Heres hoping?


I agree with the premise. The hope is, to be Frank, is that we get some guys to take a hometown discount a’la TB. That’s the way a juggernaut is built. In the age of salary caps, someone has to bite the bullet and take a lower salary for the good of the franchise  (with a wink and a nod for post career employment as I have no doubt Tommy Boy took). 
 

What I know definitively is this group appears to be the right group from owner to HC. We just finished an 11* win season (we would have won the last Jets game if not for playing our JV’s). 

Edited by TroutDog
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Yeah I’d say 1999.

 

Lost a close playoff game the year before but had legit expectations for the next season.  
 

Id put the end of 1995 as well from what I can vaguely remember of it.  I wouldn’t say the Super Bowl years because the team

hasn't established that kind of success yet 

Edited by Another Fan
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