Buddo

Murphy wasn't great last year, but I think he can get back to be the player he was for the 'Skins. There's a pressure to play at the earliest opportunity, for players coming back from injury, and while they can invariably get on the field, they aren't necessarily the explosive player they have been in the past, when they first get back. I'd be more inclined to stick with Murphy, but try and find another genuine edge rusher in the draft as well, to become Jerry's eventual replacement. If Murphy does get back to his best, you then have things set up nicely for another few years, even with an eventual Hughes retirement.

Supposedly it was 'state of the art' when installed, yet didn't seem to last that well. Wonder if it's a bit like some tyres, plenty of grip to start with, but falls of the edge quickly. As it's the county paying for it, one hopes the team actually still gets a say in the turf being used.

Hope it goes well for him. I really don't want the Bills to draft him though. For all they say stuff like being ready for camp in the summer, these sorts of injuries always seem to take more time for recovery. And quite often an extra surgery. Probably as a result of coming back 'too soon'. Imho, any GM who wanted to take him, should be prepared to sit him for most of the season, because I believe that the extra time sat, makes the difference in how well ultimately, the recovery goes. I'd also say that he same should apply to a lot of other injuries, but unfortunately, the way the CBA is set up, guys don't really get given that extra time to heal. Teams simply aren't prepared to wait, and sometimes can't wait.

Ravens. Based off of stability. Harbaugh is no mug, and will be staying around. He can call on his sibling to find out how best to use Jackson, if he hasn't already. They have a D that is good regardless. Too much coaching change in Denver for them to be better this coming season, imho. Their D will probably be very good again, but you have a new OC and scheme to get in place, and that will cause initial difficulties - they always seem to, no matter where they are implemented, even the Cheaters have trouble early on in seasons due to guys not being on the same/right page.

Clay had become marginallized tbh. McDermott looked after him pretty well, with days off practise etc. yet he became injury prone - and not just his knees. His lack of consistency when catching the football, became a real issue. It's almost llike he was developing stone hands. Last season he was Robert Royal the 2nd. Ran his routes, blocked ok, got open, then dropped any pass that was worth catching. As an aside, if Royal could've caught the football, he would have been far and away the best TE the Bills had had in years. There was a reason he was known as a blocking TE when we brought him in. ;(

Taking Maybin, over just about anyone - although Orakpo was still on the board. When it was obvious we were going to go RB (again) in the 1st round, I seriously would rather we had traded up for Peterson, or traded a 2nd rounder for the guy who spelled LT in San Diego. Lynch was by no means a bad player, but either of the other options would have been better value, imho. AP was head and shoulders above anyone else in that draft. Passing over Gronk was also annoying. The Bills and TEs don't seem to work well together any more, whether it's drafting them, or FAs. We probably have a better chance in FA tbh. Mahomes, not because I knew he was going to be a stud, but because I think it was a chickenshit move. McDermott waiting until Beane got here before drafting a QB with serious talent. Poor management and decision making imho, and might have slowed the franchises latest attempt to become a consistent contender, by a year or two.

While I despise cheating generally, the NFL has traditionally been ok with anything that can be done by humans. Coaches routinely hold play cards up in front of their face when making calls, to avoid being lip read. Body language, in respect of how players set themselves, has given teams advantages over the years, whether it is something that gives away what D is coming, or whether it's going to be run or pass. Imho, this sort of thing is fair game. If McVay needed to use hand signals to Goff for anything, then that falls within the compass. The more interesting thing would be if there's film that shows Belicheck watching McVay on the vast majority of the Rams offensive snaps. If he is, then you can probably guarantee he's found a 'tell'. As others have pointed out, the best way to beat Belicheck, is by doing the unexpected, regularly, and in both halves of the game. Ultimately, teams need to have play books that are very adaptable, and the players need to know how to adapt quickly. The Patsies can, and do this, regularly, and it's why they are such a tough team to beat.

Underperforming, overpaid, not available enough. Not all of which are entirely his fault, as he has got open from time to time, but hasn’t been thrown the football. His hands aren’t great though, so that might be a blessing in disguise. Best blocker of the Bills TEs, but still not good enough, imho. Injury prone is probably not fair, but misses too many games, and has knees that see him sit out a lot of practices. Which I believe has contributed to him not getting the looks he might have. Clay isn’t a bad player, but he’s on the slippery slope downhill, unless something changes dramatically.

And your point is? Bottom line is that they should have taken him, and not traded the pick to KC. Mahomes will be a 'franchise' QB (barring injuries), and that trumps getting an extra pick or two, if you don't have one to begin with. It's not the first mistake the Bills have made drafting, by any stretch, but it could still go down as one of the biggest. There was a golden opportunity to get a franchise QB a year earlier, that was spurned. I'm not comfortable about that, at all. Seems to me like poor management. And it's on McDermott.

Well done to him - the kid deserves it. While I believe in Allen, he had better work out in the long run, or McDermott needs to be taken out the back with the garbage. Trading with KC to let them take Mahomes, doesn't look like the brightest move a team has ever made. Irrespective of what we got for it. Franchise QB > any other combination, really. I'm not down on Allen, at all. He might become the best QB since sliced bread, but it doesn't stop me from being critical about moves made, or not, as the case may be. Even if Allen does become our new 'franchise' QB (and I believe he will tbh), he could still end up being routinely outshone by Mahomes.

I think they should do it. I also think that Josh should let Mahomes win, just to mess with McDermott, as he was the guy to pass on Mahomes;)

Walsh and Montana? I like your earlier post about how much Brady has soaked up from Belichik, and I feel there's a great deal of truth in it. Personally, I still think that while not being as successful, Evil Bill would have had plenty of success if he had had to utilise different QBs. Evil Bill is said to often draft guys with a certain set of physical characteristics, depending on what he wants to use them for. I would suggest that his requirement for a QB has intelligence at the top of his list.

Maybe when they''ve got someone else on the other side who can contribute as well. Or through the middle. The Mario, Kyle, Marcel and Jerry front four, was so good, because any one of them could be the guy to really go after the QB. The last couple of years, any pressure has had to come from Kyle or Jerry by and large. While I appreciate that things have changed schematically, the bottom line is that it's still just two main guys, as opposed to four. With Star largely being a 'space eater', you need the pressure to come from more places, to give anyone a chance of getting home. Kyle aside, anyone see anyone else apart from Jerry generate pressure?

Good article, and thanks for posting it Yolo. Pretty much all of the guys mentioned are either intriguing, or quite possibly genuinely worth looking at. Seems like there's a decent choice out there, going off of that piece.

I never really understood why he was let go. Only thing I can think of is some sort of size preference by McDermott, as I thought he was the type of guy who simply 'buys in' to whatever he's asked to do. While he isn't exactly big, to say the least, he was rarely out of position, and often close to making a play on the football. (Ints) Imho, he's an unnecessary victim of 'cleaning house' as far as the Bills go. Fortunately, one of McDermott's (and Beane's) strengths, is finding DBs he can coach up, so NRC's loss, hasn't hurt us, but I still find it a somewhat bemusing decision.

I'm with you there. Fcol, they could barely bring themselves to get a guy in to spell a Full Back, when he was our only fit RB in 2017. The only way I see it happening, is if they move on from Shady prior to the draft, and unless he's cut, I don't see anyone trading anything for him atm.

It can easily be argued that Frank is a marginal pro/college QB. (I'm not about to, but you get my drift). Why do people not get that this is a 'win, win' situation for the Bills. CBA rules simply don't allow players to get the amount of reps/practises they need, to hone their craft. Allen working with Palmer, is an opportunity for him to do so, that doesn't contravene the CBA.

The quickest way to improve matters, is to make all penalties reviewable/challengable. Give the teams an extra flag to throw, and allow a couple of challenges per team for 'non-calls'. Apart from that, the league really does, imho, need to employ someone who can rewrite the rules in plain english, and do away with over complicating stuff like catches, and QBs losing the football.

Sometimes I think people look too hard at individual coaches, missing the idea that there's a 'staff'. If the previous assistant is well thought of, even though he lacks some experience, as a HC I'd be looking to see if there was someone else on the 'staff' who he could turn to if he needed advice on something. Seems like there might be, in Culley, who while he may be QB coach, has a wealth of experience as a WRs coach. Also, the assumption that they are done looking, may be false. There are still 4 teams with coaches they might want to speak to - especially bearing in mind previous links to NE with Daboll.

A couple of things about this hire. Firstly, I don't care about the Panther connection on this particularly. Mainly due to the fact that the guy has acually played the position in the NFL, and apparently has a boatload of energy, plus is an enthusiast for STs. Secondly, as a young guy, if he works out, he could be here for a good few years.

Don't know how long he had with Kugler, but it was definitely Mouse who turned him into a Tackle from a TE. I have no idea if this is true or not, tbh, but I recall that in amongst the desire for 'mo money' Peters was also said to be unhappy that Mouse had been 'retired'. Again, from memory, iirc, Mouse's 'retirement' seemed to be a little 'off' Months before it happened, he had been crocked on the sidelines, by players falling into him, and the 'official' line was that he felt he could no longer coach effectively, as he was still recovering from his injuries. There's a suspicion that he was eased out of the door, and Peters may well have known if that was the case. As I understand it, Mouse is still active, but as a consultant, for the Bungles I believe, although that may change bearing in mind their HC changing.

At least what little has come out, has been moderately encouraging, in that we wanted to interview Kugler for O-Line coach. Someone who has a decent rep around the league. It would appear we are at least looking for experienced candidates.

Except it was Mouse who did it. Iirc, Peters was somewhat pissed when Mouse was 'retired', and it may have been a contributing factor in his wanting away (apart from the mo' money thing).

Ideally you want both. Not so easy to come by, obviously. Whichever way you do go though, it needs to be someone who can actually catch the pigskin.

When the general idea is to make the most of your home field advantage, having crappy visitors changing rooms, is part of the package, along with fan noise etc. i.e. it's not our business to make visiting teams all nice and comfortable. Any player, or asociate of that player, who can't se beyond that stance, when it comes to FA, is likely to be something of an idiot, and is probably best left in the visitors changing room.