starrymessenger

To me there are two aspects to the owners' decision. First is the issue of legality. Can the owners do this without infringing First Amendment rights? Idk the answer to that question myself and I'm not taking the opinion of amateur constitutional lawyers on a message board as gospel either. If the owners are exercising their legitimate private law rights with no infringement of the players basic personal rights then so be it. The second question though is whether one agrees with the owners' decision, whether it is lawful or not. That of course is simply a matter of individual opinion/political persuasion. Personally I disagree with the decision but that's just me. Regardless I doubt that we have heard the last of this now. Might have been better to just leave it alone.

Well like I said I'm not a doc so I don't know. But I believe that once they dissolve many people don't stay on the blood thinner (Coumadin?) and go back on the meds only if the condition recurs. In other words if he falls into that group you wouldn't have to worry about him bleeding out if he broke the skin while playing, assuming that was the concern. And football isn't like boxing or the octagon either. Of course the condition might have other potentially negative consequences for a professional athlete playing a contact sport (stroke, cerebral hemorrhage?) so idk. Anyway I'll be interested to see if he signs with another team. If not one would have to assume that his particular condition isn't safe for football players to have. It's a shame really. This guy had the makings of a good OT, would have been schooled by one of the best in the business in Dante, and would definitely have gotten his shot with Solder gone. I feel for the guy, he's said to be a great kid too.

True, but he is good at finding a way of overcoming his (many) mistakes.

It would appear that the Pats doctors failed him but that his own doctors had recently given him a clean bill of health. He has lost weight (at 6'6" 300 lbs when drafted he was already needing to bulk up) but the weight loss was not illness related but because he was the unable to practice. Looks like the Pats lost patience and there is some speculation that they would take the cap savings and maybe bring him back later. Im not a doc but I thought his condition could be managed with blood thinning clot busters and regular oversight. At least that's been my experience with people who have had this condition.

Patriots have released OT Tony Garcia for NFI. He was Pats 3rd round pick (85 overall) in 2017 out of Troy and was considered an outstanding prospect and probable Solder replacement. Didn't see the field in 2017 because they found blood clots in his lungs. According to the player he was given a clean bill of health and the green light to resume football activities a few months ago. Kid wants to play and the thinking is he will be pursuing his career with another team. Could that team be the Bills?

Wow. Lookin good lol. I hope this sample is not representative.

Correct. Wyo's O is basically power run. Something people should keep in mind.

I have a hard time seeing Dez in a Bills uni. Even if he's not the elite player he used to be he would certainly upgrade this WR corps from a playmaking perspective, but for many reasons, some Bills related and some Dez related, it's not a good fit IMO. If there is any truth to the rumour though I find Beane's interest encouraging. Means he's always looking to be more competitive and wants to improve on a somewhat successful 2017 campaign (rather than dedicating 2018 100% to development).

I've never seen so polarizing a pick. From 30,000 feet it looks as though Allen gets support more from scouts and coaches and less, much less, from media pundits and fans. It will be interesting to see who winds up being right and who is wrong. I think this FO and coaching staff have pushed all their chips on the Allen square and if he fails, especially if he fails badly, it will be a heavy indictment of their ability to evaluate players at the most important position on the field. And it may even be reasonable to generalize the result as a comment on whether traditional/conservative ways of thinking about the job requirements are old fashioned and outdated (or not). Although (as a fan) he would not have been my choice, especially with Rosen on the board, Allen was to me always legit as a first round talent, albeit a risky pick. So boom or bust. Im not that concerned about his footwork and related mechanical issues. There is lots of good tape of him doing things the right way to say hat he is capable of overcoming these difficulties with good coaching and reps. The real question has to do with his ability to master the mental aspects required to play the position at a high level. So reading a defence pre-snap, audiblizing as required, reacting to post-snap coverage changes (disguised defensive sets), going through progressions, making the right decisions, overcoming his youthful over- reliance on his cannon arm, knowing when to throw it away rather than play hero-ball, when to take a sack etc...It certainly is a good sign that he's intelligent and has intellectual capacity. The playbook should not be a problem for him. But the required execution depends more on having that instinctive-intuitive ability to react quickly and accurately to the on field action as it develops than mental capacity as such. Having that would enable his outstanding physical gifts to fully translate. Not having "it" means he will fall short, possibly far short, of the lofty expectations the Bills evidently have for him. I really don't know how this will turn out.

I have no problem with the Bills favouring Allen over Mayfield or Rosen after a careful comparison of the skill sets. And we already know that Allen has the highest ceiling. I'm prepared to credit and respect their professional opinion. Both Mayfield and Rosen have hurdles to overcome if they are to be successful, as do any rookie QBs. But if these two guys were taken off the board for reasons related to their "intangibles" (or perceived lack thereof) I can't say that I would agree with the decision unless the Bills know a good deal more about them than is available for public consumption. Both guys may have "personalities" that may at times make them more difficult to work with but TBH at the end of the day I saw all the QB prospects this year as good people serious about their craft - no Ryan's or Jamarcuses. If I thought that Mayfield or Rosen had a better chance of succeeding on the field than the others I would not have taken them off the board because of their personalities. I understand "character" to always be a legitimate and vital concern, but it seems to me that an organization that better knows how to deal with and manage different "personalities" has access to a broader talent pool and a better chance of succeeding.

I'll be interested to see how Shane Tucker makes out. Liked his highlights. Really know nothing about him tho.

Because Siran Neal. He bad.

He's actually quite raw and needs work to be sure, but I'm not as down on him (yet) as you are, not nearly. No one is saying that he has Josh Allen's upside but like Allen (and almost all young QBs) the question is "can he learn" and "is he coachable". He seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

This guy is either blind or thinks he's a running back looking for holes to run through. I have never seen a tackle miss so many assignments, sometimes several on the same play, and by a wide margin. As long as he's lining up with another team it's actually great entertainment and fun to watch. You can literally bust a gut or pss yourself laughing. If he were a Bill it wouldn't be so funny tho.

Me too. Josh Allen Threw Five Picks in a game against Nebraska.

Adams is just an afterthought and not the headliner. Allen vs Darnold is the matchup and it should be fun to watch. Maybe two franchise guys recruited into the division in the same year. Sorry Tom, it's the changing of the guard.

Beane has at least been consistent and true to his philosophy in he draft. He puts a lot of emphasis on pure, unadulterated physical talent. You see that as much in his choice of Edmunds as you do in the Allen pick. Edmunds too is a risky pick with stratospheric upside. Swing for the fences. Having said that it's clear to me that nothing Beane has done is reckless. To those who say Allen is just another in a long and depressing sequence of strong arm boneheads with bad fundamentals lacking the special instincts needed to play the position I say forget the stat sheet and go back and check out the tape. Much of the negative comments are just analytically lazy. Hes a rough cut diamond in need of polishing - and lots of it. But he has clearly and not infrequently demonstrated the ability to do all the things you ideally want him to do exactly the way you want him to do it. And when he does the results are what you expect to see given his physical skillset. That's what separates him from the losers he is too often and unfairly lumped together with. Without that evidence Beane would never have drafted him. The Bills did not just fall in love with a big arm. They have correctly seen a lot more to like than just that. Beane has been bold but at the same time careful in analyzing the risk/reward profile. i was for Rosen myself. I think he was the best prospect in this year's class all things considered. But Allen Has a higher ceiling as far as upside projections are concerned. If Beane and the Bills are rewarded for the aggressive decision they have taken they are going to have one heck of a QB.

Maybe the (very) occasional misdirection to get him in space and where he lines up as a slot receiver or off the line but given his size/weight I have trouble seeing him in a pro backfield,

I have no problems with the pick. If he sticks it's because he's a natural playmaker who will give our return game a much needed boost and possibly also develop into a versatile backup contributor at WR and a guy who can occasionally be plugged into sets/special packages designed to get him in space. I like the Proehl pick too.

This is what I also want to believe and I think it's probably the case. Having said that I do acknowledge the possibility that some NFL coaches and assistants are old school if not downright reactionary and could feel threatened by a guy with Rosen's personality. JMO but while a player's character is an important box to check when making a decision, I doubt that too much emphasis should be placed on a player's personality as such. Stereotypes are generalizations and therefore are to be taken with a grain of salt when evaluating an individual, but they can be valid for what they are - generalizations. I mean would anyone be shocked and surprised to discover that a WR was a "diva" and a "flake"? Or that a QB was a conceited, arrogant prick? Many of the best players in both position groups are exactly that. An organization that can deal with that is a lot further ahead than one that cannot. I wanted Rosen but unlike many of his detractors I always saw Allen as a legitimate first round talent with a very high ceiling. Too me there is a lot to like there. So I can't be too upset with Beane taking a bona fide first round QB prospect in the first round. The one thing I know for sure is that going forward Allen, Rosen and Beane are now all joined at the hip. Beane has made his decision but a close eye will be kept on how these players perform in judging Beane.

There are some wrong notions regarding Allen IMO, eg "he can't throw with touch" -sorry but that is nonsense. I know that for sure because I've seen him make throws with excellent touch. He just needs to do it more often. "He's inaccurate" - except I've seen him make throws with pinpoint accuracy and excellent ball placement. He just needs to do it more often. "He has poor throwing mechanics" - give him a clean pocket and a little time to set up and his mechanics, including lower body mechanics, are fundamentally sound. He just needs to do it more often, especially when on the run. His problems are very fixable IMO. That what good coaches are for. The risk for me has a lot less to do with his fundamentals which can and I expect will improve. The risk for me has everything to do with what's above the shoulders, not with what is below the waist. There are two aspects to the mental component. One has to do with absorbing the playbook and looking good in front of the whiteboard. I'm pretty sure he can do that. He may be a farmboy but don't be fooled he is also a very intelligent person. The other part has to do with that unique gift that great QBs have to be at home in the pocket, feel pressure, and above all see the field well and quickly enuf to make lightning fast, "football smart" decisions. It probably has more to do with physiology and brain chemistry than intellectual capacity. That's what Allen needs to have in order to give full expression to his remarkable physical gifts. That's something you either have or you don't.

No not a nightmare scenario, not at all. Unlike EJ, who in most years would be a 3-4 round prospect at best, Allen is legit as a 1st round prospect. It should have been obvious (and it was to some) that EJ just couldn't do it. Allen's tape has given plenty of evidence that he can. He just has to do it more often. And that should be a question of discipline and repetition, which is what coaches are for. He has all the tools. Just needs to learn how to better use them. And that's why so many pro talent evaluators like him (not because they are stupid). I'm a Rosen guy but if you go with Beane's approach and philosophy (the same approach that yielded Edmunds) you cannot really complain about his taking Allen. Time to get behind this young man. If he pans out he will be really really good.

Clearly projects as a very good run defender at the next level. As a pass rusher he can dial up the area code but does not finish the way you would like. For now and unless he develops this aspect of his game he is a two down rotational DT who may not see the field much on passing downs. He should be a better run defender than Kyle but won't be as good getting after the passer in all likelihood. If he could do that he'd be gone first half of the first. He has great intangibles and a high motor. He's absolutely a quality player, the kind that can be expected to play a long time in the league. An excellent pick at 96. Hitting on players like this in the mid-later rounds speaks well of what the Bills braintrust and their assistants are doing. Getting him where they did also involves a little luck to be sure but clearly there is more than luck involved. Getting their guy and saving 22 which they then turn into Edmunds is a master stroke by Beane IMO. Edmunds is a top 5-10 talent with stratospheric upside. Never thought we would land him.

Re the Jets - Darnold at #3 or Rosen at #6 + 3 second round picks?

I understand that Rosen's durability is an issue but Mayfield has had a couple of concussions and Allen broke his collarbone in seven places, hurt his shoulder last year missing time etc...Rosen looks a little goofy perhaps but he's a big boy too. I don't think there is much to justify the inference that Rosen is necessarily made of glass and Allen is made to last forever. The truth could wind up being very different. I think it's at least possible that Allen over Rosen was a "blue-collar cultural fit" based decision. If that's true it was a mistake IMO and it also does not give the fanbase sufficient credit. And I hope that McCoach and the rest of the brass were not intimidated by an opinionated young man. Aaron Rodgers was exactly like that and he made them pay. I prefer to think that their philosophy is that the draft is all about projection so they assign a lot of importance to physical talent, athleticism and measurables. I'm not sure that thinking necessarily applies with the same force to all position groups, especially QB, but hey, no question he looks like Tarzan. If it turns out that these guys are unable to evaluate QBs any better than the last crew they will travel the same well worn path out of town and they will have earned it. If they got it right they will be credited as geniuses. It's a bottom line performance based business.