Insights into McDermott team-building philosophy

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, RocCityRoller said:

 

A difference of opinion. I hope it pays off for Buffalo. The slight overpay for Von Miller now is an admission to me, that they missed on a trade for him/ Kalil Mack/ Chandler Jones etc a few years ago that could have made a difference the past two play off pushes. As it stands Buffalo will be doing some pretty significant retooling soon. It will be interesting to see what approach they take.

 

Beane admitted they missed on Von in a trade. Checked in last spring, Denver were not moving him. When it happened to LA mid season took them by surprise. Not sure Jones or Mack were available before this year. Jones is available because Arizona overpaid JJ Watt a move I was dead set against the Bills making last year. He has been pushed out as a direct result of that. Mack might have been I suppose but the regime in Chicago knew they HAD to win last year. Doubt they traded Mack as a result. We could have gone for Mack in a trade this year. That vs the contract for Von are 6 and two 3s. 

[Shaw66]

29 minutes ago, RocCityRoller said:

 

Hey Shaw, appreciate the reply, but I don't agree with you. I do generally understand and have historically agreed with the build through the draft philosophy. Use low priced rookie contracts to offset the QB contract when you find one, and if I am not mistaken Buffalo is in the last year of that 'window'.

 

Everyone is looking at the Pats, and would like that 20 year model of consistency, but that required the best QB-Head Coach combo in history to pull off. Brady did often take less than market value for that to happen. The next closest example I can think of is the 49ers from the 1980's to 1990s and that spanned 2 excellent QBs (Montana and Young) and 2 excellent HC (Walsh and Seifert). Those teams were not shy about bringing in superstars regardless of picks/ cap (ie. D Sanders). Even the pre-free agency dynasties like the Raiders/ Cowboys/ Steelers could only maintain a similar pace for a decade.

 

Rams prior to McVay and from 2017-2018  did a lot of building through the draft, saw they are in a window after their 2018 SB loss, and have gone for it since 2019. In 2019 the Rams made the Ramsey trade for  a bunch of picks and have been 'all in' since.

 

2017 - 11-5 NFCW Champ, Lost WC

2018 - 13-3 NFCW Champ, Lost SB - realize they are in the window

2019 - 9-7 3rd DNQ (Ramsey)

2020 - 10-6 2nd NFCW, Lost Divisional

2021 - 12-5 1st NFCW, Won Super Bowl - all in (Stafford/ OBJ/ Von Miller)

2022 - ? Lost Von Miller and OBJ, replaced with Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson

 

The Rams have hit on a bunch of mid level picks which helps, but that is a strength that Bean and Company have. One could argue that Milano/ T Johnson and Gabe Davis have been bigger play makers than Edmunds/ Oliver/ Epenesa. If Buffalo was landing play makers outside of the QB with those 1st and 2nd round picks then yes this would be an easier position to defend, but they aren't. What young studs did Buffalo draft while the Rams were getting playmakers like Ramsey/ OBJ/ Von Miller with their picks?

 

The Rams acknowledge that even when you have the guy you think is the QB, you still need other play makers on the team. Their philosophy since 2019 has been to get the known play maker and draft potential later in the draft. I think it is a wise strategy when you are in the low QB contract window.

 

One of Beane's best moves as a GM was a 'Rams like' move trading away picks, including a 1st for Diggs. I would have liked to see one or two more moves like that a year or so ago, especially after the AFC Championship game loss, and make a more concentrated push for a SB win over that 2-3 yr span, than be competitive for a long time.

 

With voidable years/ salary to bonus moves etc teams can move in and out of cap danger pretty easily right now. Look at the Saints, who went all in a while back. They were $60M over the cap at the start of FA and are now $12M under after losing very few players.

 

As it stands the Bills with the more cautious path have $5.6 M cap space (OTC) or $5.05M (Spotrac).

The Rams are $5.3M (OTC) or $4.6M (Spotrac) and have a Lombardy to show for it.

 

A difference of opinion. I hope it pays off for Buffalo. The slight overpay for Von Miller now is an admission to me, that they missed on a trade for him/ Kalil Mack/ Chandler Jones etc a few years ago that could have made a difference the past two play off pushes. As it stands Buffalo will be doing some pretty significant retooling soon. It will be interesting to see what approach they take.

Good stuff to think about here.

 

I will add only that I think McDermott and Allen ARE Belichick and Brady.  That's why I like the long term approach. 

 

Thanks.  

[Sierra Foothills]

 

 

First all, thanks for posting Shaw66. Great topic.

 

There are so many tangents in this topic that there's no need to change the title... too many simultaneously moving targets.

 

On 5/19/2022 at 9:38 AM, Jauronimo said:

And the air isn't as sweet as it used to be and the sun never shines anymore.

 

Lake Erie was so beautiful back then...

 

On 5/19/2022 at 10:44 AM, Magox said:

 

Bill, with all due respect, they did not luck into Josh Allen. 

 

I agree with you and Alpha.

 

The Bills simply strived to get as high in the 2018 draft as possible knowing that their prime directive was to draft a QB in that draft. They made 3 trades to this end including the Sammy Watkins and Cordy Glenn trades.

 

In addition as the draft approached it's pretty well documented that Josh was their guy.

 

The only luck is when the Jets outmaneuvered us by leapfrogging us (a brilliant stroke) but took Sam Darnold.

 

On 5/19/2022 at 10:51 AM, Shaw66 said:

Thanks for this.  It's a great summary of how he got to where he is.   There's never been much doubt that his nonstop self-improvement philosophy, his intelligence, and his open-mindedness made him the kind of coach he is.  

 

There's a little bit, or probably more than a little bit, of Mr. Rogers in him, too.  

 

Mr Rogers? The kids show host?

 

Dunno about that one. McDermott projects as a hyper-intense, Type A guy who knows his flaws and has tried to downshift towards normality but I don't think there's any part of him that's warm and fuzzy.

 

On 5/19/2022 at 11:23 AM, Nextmanup said:

That's common among coaches; largely because a lot of them don't really have proper educations of their own, so they read books on the topic.

 

I had to laugh a year or so ago when McDermott started talking about the "Kaizen" work model--which is a trite thing that was bashed around the business school community in the 1980s when the Japanese started taking over the auto industry.  

 

I wouldn't be surprised to hear him quote Sun Tzu's "Art of War" at some point.

 

The thing about McDermott is that he has a degree in Finance from William and Mary so he's no dilettante or ignoramus striving to be learned.

 

On 5/20/2022 at 11:50 AM, eball said:

One can differentiate, just from reading some of the responses in this thread, those who examine and contemplate life and relationships, from those who are more “reactive” in life to what happens to them.  Not suggesting either group is “good” or “bad” but it’s interesting the different ways in which we all go through our lives and perceive what goes on around us.

 

I don’t believe the Bulls won six consecutive championships with Michael Jordan only because he was the best player in the game.  There are many, many great players who never achieve team supremacy.  One who immediately comes to mind is Dan Marino.  He may have been the greatest pure passer the league has ever seen, but never even reached a Super Bowl after his 2nd year.  A lot of people bemoaned the fact that Shula “never put together a good running game” to take pressure off of Marino, but is that what really happened?  I doubt it.  Marino’s ego was his worst enemy.

 

Look, it’s an obvious reality that you need great players to win championships, but discounting the relationship aspect of team building and failing to understand the power of getting every man on that roster believing in (a) the same things and (b) each other is naive, IMO.

 

McDermott (and Beane) are outstanding team builders and understand the chemistry/DNA necessary in their players to achieve greatness.  That doesn’t mean they are infallible — McD himself admits he still has much to learn and improve upon — but there is no duo I’d rather have leading the Buffalo Bills at this point in time.

 

I truly believe we are at the cusp of the greatest era of Buffalo Bills football ever known.

 

 

It's really important to point out that there have been almost countless examples of championship level-talented teams that have failed miserably. Those who reduce championships to talent are way oversimplified IMO.

 

One thing that makes all the difference when counting championship rings is the ability to coach superstars. This is where a small handful of coaches succeed where others fail.

 

On 5/21/2022 at 3:19 AM, Mr. WEO said:

Nah...everyone dumps on Gruden.  Mostly rightly so.  Dungy wasted the primes of a lot of guys' careers--chief among them Manning's.

 

Count me in the camp that Gruden is way overrated.

 

His Super Bowl win was gift wrapped by Bill Callahan who didn't even bother changing any schemes, strategies, or terminology from Gruden who had coached the Raiders the very previous season. Tampa Bay knew every audible on both sides of the ball.

 

It's almost impossible to overstate the gross negligence committed by the Raiders.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

On 5/19/2022 at 7:07 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I mean it’s a message board where people debate their point of views. I actually appreciate other peoples point of views, it’s the best part of this board, the open discussion and varying perspectives and definitely dont demand people fall in line behind my views.
 

And if you are going to say something like when another team does it then its “genius” but when we do it we are dumb and “lucky" then you should expect some push back. 

 

Especially given this same front office that not only hit on Allen, but systematically dismantled the old roster, 17 years of losing, and built (mostly through the draft) what is widely considered the best roster in the NFL, with an odds on MVP favorite and the betting favorite to be SB champions.  
 

That’s not luck, that is a well run organization from top to bottom whose hard work has paid dividends.  
 

Cheers, GoBills.  

 

 

 

 

You would be well served to learn that it often "can be both".

 

The Bills screwed themselves by both trading the opportunity to pick Mahomes as well as trading him to a rival.

 

The Chiefs required a measure of good fortune to be able to get Mahomes where they did..........but what they did was bold as hell.......they were a 12-4 team and had been the #2 seed in the AFC.    To trade up for a young QB when they had one in his prime was a power move for sure.

 

The Bills, by contrast,  desperately needed a young QB and were in perfect position to re-set their QB position in 2017............but were timid..........and have been punished for it repeatedly since...........as fortune does.

 

They f*cked around and it cost them(and has haunted them still as recently as about 13 seconds ago)..........but they have bounced back and have made the best of the situation.     They required a lot more luck than KC because punting on a HOF talent QB almost never results in another shot at one in the near future.   But it is better to be lucky than good sometimes.

[HappyDays]

35 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

The Bills were in perfect position to re-set their QB position in 2017

 

No they weren't. McDermott hadn't done any of the work needed to make that franchise defining decision. The new front office wasn't even in place yet. So when you say "the Bills" who exactly are you referring to? McDermott? Whaley? The Pegulas?

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by HappyDays

[RocCityRoller]

17 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

The Chiefs required a measure of good fortune to be able to get Mahomes where they did..........but what they did was bold as hell.......they were a 12-4 team and had been the #2 seed in the AFC.    To trade up for a young QB when they had one in his prime was a power move for sure.

 

The Bills, by contrast,  desperately needed a young QB and were in perfect position to re-set their QB position in 2017............but were timid..........and have been punished for it repeatedly since...........as fortune does.

 

They f*cked around and it cost them(and has haunted them still as recently as about 13 seconds ago)..........but they have bounced back and have made the best of the situation.     They required a lot more luck than KC because punting on a HOF talent QB almost never results in another shot at one in the near future.   But it is better to be lucky than good sometimes.

 

I think we agree quite a bit. To be fair the Mahomes move was before Beane was the GM (at least officially). And the Chiefs were already built to compete with Alex Smith. Mahomes, landing with Reid on a team already built to win was just kismet and something Buffalo has to figure out how to overcome.

 

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Beane admitted they missed on Von in a trade. Checked in last spring, Denver were not moving him. When it happened to LA mid season took them by surprise. Not sure Jones or Mack were available before this year. Jones is available because Arizona overpaid JJ Watt a move I was dead set against the Bills making last year. He has been pushed out as a direct result of that. Mack might have been I suppose but the regime in Chicago knew they HAD to win last year. Doubt they traded Mack as a result. We could have gone for Mack in a trade this year. That vs the contract for Von are 6 and two 3s. 

 Good points. I was using Mack/ Jones/ Von Miller as examples. You are right, it takes two parties to trade. Another example could have been pushing chips in to try to land a Bradberry last year when Tre went down. The DB depth contributed to the KC loss and it was pretty clear he could have been had. Given all the moves this offseason to make cap room, I can't help but think Buffalo could have done a trade and sign for him. Is he Jalen Ramsey? No. Could Buffalo have offered a reasonable comp package for him and signed him mid term (3-4 yrs) to lessen the cap hit and make him happy? Yes I believe so.

 

51 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Good stuff to think about here.

 

I will add only that I think McDermott and Allen ARE Belichick and Brady.  That's why I like the long term approach. 

 

Thanks.  

 

Hey Shaw. I always appreciate your posts and insight. You have been a fan even longer than me and have seen it all. Insight from the 'old timers' helps offset some of the short term reactions we have as fans.  I just can't help think that we are looking at a golden window and need to be aggressive. Haven't seen one like this since '88-'91. Buffalo is one of those teams poised to win it now. I hope Buffalo sees more success with Allen than Green Bay saw with Rodgers to date, and Indy did with Manning. If the Colts had been more aggressive could they have gotten past New England more often? Right now KC/Mahomes/Reid is Buffalo's version of Pats/Belichick/Brady. This team is solid, but is missing big time play guys IMO. Adding Von Miller helps, and is an admission of that IMO.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

 

 

 

Count me in the camp that Gruden is way overrated.

 

His Super Bowl win was gift wrapped by Bill Callahan who didn't even bother changing any schemes, strategies, or terminology from Gruden who had coached the Raiders the very previous season. Tampa Bay knew every audible on both sides of the ball.

 

It's almost impossible to overstate the gross negligence committed by the Raiders.

 

 

True, but not really for the reason you cite (which is repeated over and over and over...

 

This is more likely:  https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/why-tim-brown-blames-bill-callahan-barret-robbins-missing-super-bowl

 

"For a team to have a great week of practice, and then get an entirely new game plan to learn and perfect just days prior to the biggest game of the season was something almost no one could believe.

"It was a shocker to everybody," Rod Woodson said. "I know for me, I just couldn't believe it. I dropped my book in the meeting when he said it. I know in my 17 years of playing, even in the preseason you don't do that."

While every member of the Silver and Black was stunned, Robbins was the one it impacted the most. Brown believes the new game plan was devastating for Robbins.

"The guy who this is going to affect the most is Barret Robbins," Brown said. "Because Barret Robbins is the one who has to make all the calls. He is begging Callahan, 'Don't do this, I don't have time to prepare for this. Please don't do this.' I was with him, and he's begging him, 'You can't do this to me.' 'No, this is what we are going to do. This is what we are going to do.' Well, it's that night that Barret went out and went AWOL -- that night. Now, does one have to do with another? I say yes. You may say no. I say yes."

 

After the sudden game plan change, Brown and the Raiders knew their title dreams were over.

"So we go into the Super Bowl knowing that we don't have a chance to win," Brown said."

 

Robbins went AWOL.

 

[Sierra Foothills]

26 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

True, but not really for the reason you cite (which is repeated over and over and over...

 

This is more likely:  https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/why-tim-brown-blames-bill-callahan-barret-robbins-missing-super-bowl

 

"For a team to have a great week of practice, and then get an entirely new game plan to learn and perfect just days prior to the biggest game of the season was something almost no one could believe.

"It was a shocker to everybody," Rod Woodson said. "I know for me, I just couldn't believe it. I dropped my book in the meeting when he said it. I know in my 17 years of playing, even in the preseason you don't do that."

While every member of the Silver and Black was stunned, Robbins was the one it impacted the most. Brown believes the new game plan was devastating for Robbins.

"The guy who this is going to affect the most is Barret Robbins," Brown said. "Because Barret Robbins is the one who has to make all the calls. He is begging Callahan, 'Don't do this, I don't have time to prepare for this. Please don't do this.' I was with him, and he's begging him, 'You can't do this to me.' 'No, this is what we are going to do. This is what we are going to do.' Well, it's that night that Barret went out and went AWOL -- that night. Now, does one have to do with another? I say yes. You may say no. I say yes."

 

After the sudden game plan change, Brown and the Raiders knew their title dreams were over.

"So we go into the Super Bowl knowing that we don't have a chance to win," Brown said."

 

Robbins went AWOL.

 

 

Good stuff WEO.

 

Yes, the Raiders greatly aided and abetted Gruden's Super Bowl win.

 

 

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

You would be well served to learn that it often "can be both".

 

The Bills screwed themselves by both trading the opportunity to pick Mahomes as well as trading him to a rival.

 

The Chiefs required a measure of good fortune to be able to get Mahomes where they did..........but what they did was bold as hell.......they were a 12-4 team and had been the #2 seed in the AFC.    To trade up for a young QB when they had one in his prime was a power move for sure.

 

The Bills, by contrast,  desperately needed a young QB and were in perfect position to re-set their QB position in 2017............but were timid..........and have been punished for it repeatedly since...........as fortune does.

 

They f*cked around and it cost them(and has haunted them still as recently as about 13 seconds ago)..........but they have bounced back and have made the best of the situation.     They required a lot more luck than KC because punting on a HOF talent QB almost never results in another shot at one in the near future.   But it is better to be lucky than good sometimes.

 

Why was it bold as hell for KC?  No one thought Alex Smith was even a top 15 QB at that time.  Yeah they won 12 games, but they were not an intimidating 12 win team.  SF was in a similar situation with Jimmy G and went and got Trey Lance.

 

And in 2017, the consensus top QB in the draft, and really the only one where most were not divided on was Trubisky.  Both Watson had various debate on who would be better, and a lot of people on this board were against Mahomes or Watson (especially Mahomes) at 10 too.  Mahomes was seen as a guy with mechanics that were believed would have to be rebuilt before he could succeed in the NFL and some had him as a mid first to as low as a second round graded player.  Watson was a guy people questioned his turnovers and if he could be a true passer in the NFL, and a lot of people here were not interested in him because of Tyrod Taylor and not wanting another guy like him.  

 

Bills had a new HC, an offense that finished 5th in the NFL in scoring, a QB who just went to his 2nd pro bowl in 3 years, with a bottom feeder defense and a GM on his way out the door.  They made the decision to acquire the assets to go hard for a QB in the next years draft that was seen as a richer QB draft.  So thats not a bold move?  To pass on a chance to take a QB at 10 and prioritize acquiring assets to go after a QB in what was seen as a potentially elite QB draft where they would have a whole year to have evaluated our current roster as well as the crop of QB's coming out of college?  And lets be honest, it worked because we got that elite QB, one most of us would swap straight up for Mahomes today and certainly not give up Tre and Allen for Mahomes.

 

Then the Bills (and it was leaked that showed "Wyoming" as the top of their whole pre draft board) made more moves to get up to the 12th pick and striking distance to go get their guy.  A guy that probably 80% of this board hated and the media blasted them over in Josh Allen despite the fact he almost went #1 overall.  They identified the guy who was special out of a crop that was considered one of the best QB draft classes in a decade at that the time of the draft.  The guy who was on many mock drafts, media drafts, this boards opinion the worst of the top 5 guys that were slated to go early.  

 

And in the process they also drafted Tre White and developed him into an elite player.  So no, its not luck in my eyes.  They made different bold moves, moves that worked out, moves where they made the right decisions.  I 100% guarantee both the Bills and Chiefs would make the exact same choice today if they could do it all over again.  

Edited May 22, 2022 by Alphadawg7

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

Mr Rogers? The kids show host?

 

Dunno about that one. McDermott projects as a hyper-intense, Type A guy who knows his flaws and has tried to downshift towards normality but I don't think there's any part of him that's warm and fuzzy.

 

 

 

 

He was more than a kids show host.   

 

I think you're wrong about McD.  I think he's 100% wholesome, and the standards and expectations he sets in the organization apply to him, including in his personal life.  He genuinely engages with his coaches and his players, and he genuinely engages with his wife and his children.  When it's family time, he does it the right way, with caring and compassion and joy.   And that sort of describes who Mr. Rogers was, too.  It's a powerful way to be, and it's how McD chooses to live.   At least that's the way he seems to me.  

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, RocCityRoller said:

 

  I just can't help think that we are looking at a golden window and need to be aggressive. Haven't seen one like this since '88-'91. Buffalo is one of those teams poised to win it now. I hope Buffalo sees more success with Allen than Green Bay saw with Rodgers to date, and Indy did with Manning. If the Colts had been more aggressive could they have gotten past New England more often? Right now KC/Mahomes/Reid is Buffalo's version of Pats/Belichick/Brady. This team is solid, but is missing big time play guys IMO. Adding Von Miller helps, and is an admission of that IMO.

I'll say that listening to you guys talk about shows me the wisdom of making the special move, like a Miller.  And I think it also isn't either/or.  

 

I think that McBeane have been clear that they intend to do what I described, and they intend to do it long term.   That is, they're going to get talent in the draft and they're going to fill holes in free agency, because they think that by doing that they can be very good, very long.  I've often said they're trying to do what Belichick did.  They've said that they have a lot of confidence that that can be done, and that's the way to put yourself in position to have the most success; i.e., win the most Lombardis.  They've said they aren't building toward a target year.

 

Now, we might say, well, Beane has enough talent to win it this year, so he should be aggressive bringing someone in, even if that costs capital for the next year.  But McBeane will say their intention is to have enough talent to win it EVERY year, and the way to do that is to have a steady stream of talent, no serious peaks and valleys.  

 

That's why I don't think there's an either/or answer here.  Beane also has said he's going to do whatever it takes for this team to win, and by that he's meant that if he sees a mid-season trade (like the Rams for Miller), and if he thinks the guy is a true difference maker, he will do it.  When he pulls the trigger on that deal, he'll still have an eye to the future and how he will be able to fill out his roster.   

 

Frankly, it's interesting to compare the two teams' approaches to Miller.   The Rams took a big risk for two reasons - one was to win a Super Bowl, the other was to have the inside track at signing at the end of the year.  Only won of those reasons worked.  They're happy with the result, of course, but it was fairly costly.  The Bills, on the other hand, took a smaller risk.  They're risk is that Miller gets old quick or gets injured.   But the Bills upside in the deal as that they have a Hall of Fame edge for three seasons, a guy who's good enough that with Allen and the supporting cast they have, they'll be one of the preseason favorites every year.  

 

I think McDermott and Beane like where they're sitting.  

[BillsVet]

On 5/20/2022 at 8:52 PM, Mr. WEO said:

I didn't say they need to win the SB this season or McD is out (no need to keep repeating that).  But he has to get this stacked team to the SB this year (his 6th) or it can be legitimately questioned  whether he ever will.  "Teambuilding" is one thing.  Coaching in the big games is another matter altogether...

 

McD has to bring them past KC and to the SB.   He has all the talent he's going to get, and it is sufficient for the task.

 

The Pegula's don't strike me as the types who'll want to pay another HC if they fail to advance to the SB, so odds are McD stays unless they absolutely implode.  

 

Still, McD has been given everything he could ever need to win: a franchise QB who shows up in big moments, the proven pass rusher, and every other defender he's pushed for.  If he can't win with this roster barring significant injury, then he's peaked.  

 

10 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

Beane admitted they missed on Von in a trade. Checked in last spring, Denver were not moving him. When it happened to LA mid season took them by surprise. Not sure Jones or Mack were available before this year. Jones is available because Arizona overpaid JJ Watt a move I was dead set against the Bills making last year. He has been pushed out as a direct result of that. Mack might have been I suppose but the regime in Chicago knew they HAD to win last year. Doubt they traded Mack as a result. We could have gone for Mack in a trade this year. That vs the contract for Von are 6 and two 3s. 

 

I think it was Bill Walsh who said back in the 80s that each season there's about 7-8 teams contending for the SB.  The rest are either rebuilding or in the middle of the pack.  That was the case last year with KC, BUF, TB, GB, LAR, and perhaps DAL and TEN being in the mix.   

 

Teams willing to be audacious are gaining advantages over those who take the careful approach.  I think McD and his GM are in the latter group especially the HC.

 

Their pass rush was anemic as the deadline approached and they did nothing, which showed up in the KC game.  Old news, but a window into how McD operates with Beane.  They were able to acquire Miller in UFA and for that credit to them this off-season, but you mention the deadline deals.  KC and LAR made deals to bolster their pass rush with Ingram and Miller respectively.  And Ingram showed up in the Divisional Round game.  

 

Still, Buffalo's made only one deadline deal during the 5 seasons McBeane have been there...and it was for Kelvin Benjamin in their first year.  Oooof.  

 

The old way of drafting and developing picks, being careful in UFA, not trading picks at the deadline, etc. is falling away.  We're seeing more deadline deals as teams look for a competitive advantage.  Much like corporate America, you have to innovate or, at best, you stagnate in the NFL a la GB the last decade or so. 

[BADOLBILZ]

9 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

No they weren't. McDermott hadn't done any of the work needed to make that franchise defining decision. The new front office wasn't even in place yet. So when you say "the Bills" who exactly are you referring to? McDermott? Whaley? The Pegulas?

 

 

 

So you are suggesting maybe they should have hired their new GM when they hired McDermott?

 

Like every other team does every other time when they want to change both positions?

 

Yeah it was stupid to wait to fire Whaley when they knew he was out from the get-go.

 

Agreed.

 

And here's a helpful hint..........when you are using a ridiculous line of logic like that don't list the people that are still in the organization......let alone the top ranking officials in the organization...... ownership(#1) and McDermott(#2).