Mango

There is a weird philosophy in the Bills fanbase where if it didn't work here it is some bad. Analytics are good. The way the Buffalo Bills invested in analytics is bad. It didn't need to be disbanded. It needed to be revamped.

This. Might as well have kept Gilmore for the same cost. He stumbled at the beginning of the season, but IMO has earned his contract. He was the best CB for the pats tonight by far

Although I don’t like Sully and Bucky, my issue with not paying is not them in particular. It’s the idea that there is very little meaningful Bills content. People like Vic because he’s a Buffalo guy and the voice of the Bills. People like Sully and Bucky because they are what’s always been available. But even the articles posted provide very little to the conversation that didn’t exist before. Romo called it an option about 10 seconds after the play. Cover 1 broke down the play. We knew that. A month later an entire article on Tyrod feelings is being dealt as more meaningful journalism. For a city that’s incredibly rabid about their football team, it is odd that the BN hasn’t invested heavily in their staff at a very high level. Even you agnowledge the fact you hear about people’s unhappiness regarding the issue I would believe that the people paying and reading Sully and Bucky, are paying and reading regardless. They are BN sports lifers. But there is a huge opportunity to acquire new customers based on quality of the product regarding football specifically. Surely the BN has metrics on this right? Very few publications have a hard paywall. The move nationally is a soft paywall, purposefully taking it as an opportunity to acquire customers by proving their worth. I pay for the NYT. I’m not anti-pay for good content. I don't find it as shameful as other posters, but it’s a bit uncouth for the sports editor to come in and link their own paid content. Thanks for being around and listening. It’s appreciated. I’m sure the rest of the complainers, like myself on this issue, appreciate your overall presence. We’ll see if it results in any meaningful change.

I don't think we should throw him away. I think he has a future as a decent backup. I also don't think we should hold out hope for him to be our knight in shining armor. Let the kid develop. He can sling it it seems. If he is more of the same next year or the year after. That's fine. It doesn't really cost us anything to wait and see with the rookie contract.

This is my guess. I’m guessing a bit of a heated or disgruntled exchange in the moments leading to his announcement regarding the financial aspect of all of this. Wood stayed clear of commitment to anything regarding plans. Eluded to continued employment. Organization failed to comment in any meaningful way other than “this is Eric’s Day”. McDermott could have said. “Eric has been such a lynchpin on this roster. And we want to make sure we make it clear, that high character guys get high character treatment” but hey didn’t. They talked about his day, and spending his life with his family, while he talked about being an employee. These are people on very different sides of the table.

Do you think they’ll provide information that’s worth a couple bucks per month? Will that paid for imformation be available for free elsewhere, or proprietary to BN? Do you think that subscribed for information will just be me paying for a regurgitation of a report somebody else reported a day or two earlier? Sorry, the BN makes me mad.

I understand this is a copy paste comment from the comments, but WOW. That’s eye openingly racist. Just wow.

To me Schobel epitomizes the drought, good but not good enough. I get the, “they payed in a playoff game they don’t count” mantra but the dude what deserve it: But still.... Brian Moorman Kyle Williams Fred Jackson Eric Wood T. McGee Takeo Spikes Wade Phillips Guys who were either the heart and soul, or played at a top 10 level at their positions on bad teams. Schobel was very good but not great at his job. A very consistent above average contributor.

I don’ disagree with you in a number of ways. But you have to address the prior attempt. What did people do then v. Now. What is different?

Agreed. I think too often we force kids into sports or mainstream sports in general. I coached rowing for a long time and have 2 anecdotal stories both different paths from HS before I moved to college and national team work. 1. Freshman. 6 foot. 170 lbs. Made varsity soccer and was the kicker for JV football. Great athlete. Good at a to of sports. Came to rowing. Took off. Won a national championship his freshman year. Rowed at Princeton. Then rowed for team USA and won medals at the world championships. Wasn’t good enough to be great at the other sports. Found his niche, and excelled. Graduated valedictorian at CHS then magna cum laude at Princeton. Went on to win a few medals at the wold championships for team USA. We stay in touch a decade later. 2. Freshman. Undersized. Good technically. Great kid. Good having him in any boat, but never ever made any boat faster. Left rowing after his sophomore year. Ran track. Distance runner. Sub 4:30 mile in HS. Won a few national championships in college. Great kid. Also still stay in regular touch with. The point is. These young men found something they wanted to do, outside of what they were good at for a number of reasons. We don’t need to keep pushing kids into football and hockey because “sports”. Find what these kids are good at. Support it and enable it. My career is built on winning national championships, but that doesn’t mean the #2 is apart of that. Help guide guide kids into their paths. Learn succes; whether it’s recycling club or staring QB/PG. Then support once they find the passion. Stop emploring the back up QB that football is life when he could be a world class runner, javelin thrower, or political organizer. People arenlosing track of their today for other people’s tomorrows. Football isn’t bad, but let football players play football. Encourage kids strengths and I bet we see head injuries decrease in some fashion.

THIS! Polian has a pattern that hiring “leader of men”. Guys who are soft spoken in a number of ways, leaders of men. But not great football mines in terms of scheme. Polian hires men who have a lot of “yes man” in them. Polian needs a guys who lets him put together his roster the way he sees fit. guys who let the talent play, but never out coach anybody. This model will make a lot of teams better, and elite, year after year. But never a dynasty like the Pats. On one hand, it made his teams great. On the other it’s the reason Manning and the Bills don’t have more rings. You mentioned McCarthy. My opinion, mediocre coach with a great QB. Without Rodgers, he is toast. If Rodgers is good for 3-4 wins per year, they are a 5-7 win team. ouch

I don’t disagree with you on this at all. But....I do think NFL progression as at an all time low, especially at the QB position. At least in my lifetime (32 y/o) Guys drafted in the high first were still expected to sit to a tear or two. Gave careers to the Jeff Garcia’s of the league and they provaided value in one way or another. Now guys come in, suck, go to the CFL, or quit altogether. QB play in the NFL is at an all time low in regards to the median. Who are the up and comers? And those younger than Ben, Roger, Rivers, Who is on a similar Trajectory as a HoF’er. Stafford? Ryan? Wilson? Care? Not me are worthy of the HoF l, or even close, at the half way or greater mark in their careers. For a decade, NFL has been selecting athletes rather than raising/progressing them. It’s going to be a very real issue for them.

I fully agree. I got too wordy. He’s not “the guy” (however if we trot him out there I’d rather be wrong on that, than root against him and be right” larger point, names excluded. I’d rather have a guy with the head and skill set to NP, then I would a tentative guy like Trent or TT. Didn’t mean to advocate for NP over the others. I think it’s easier to reign the style in when the bullets fly, then it is for a guy to try and figure things out when the game speeds up. Not sure if that clarified anything

Not to hijack the thread, but that idea is bogus. “You may get a degree”. Huge portions of these college athletes in any sport are out of state with huge tuitions and a ton of benigtis. I’ve worked in a number of college athletic departments so I’m familiar with my number for my sport. But here is a crazy number. Athletif Deparments in the SEC spend an average of $160k + per athlete per year. So that goes if your the starting DT or the guy who never races on the track team at Bama; averages $160k plus per year in tuition, tutors, living expenses, travel, amps, books, etc. Many guys red shirt freshman year and go 5 years. That’s nearly an 800k lifestyle for 4-5 years. Again averaging fringe sports. Football player are getting much more. They are getting cash. The more we propagate that these kids need more the more we hurt the system. Football is just as time consuming as Rowing. It’s absurd and totally doable. Experience: trained with team USA for years, with zero dollars or institutional support. Worked 20-30 hours per week. And won 6 national championships in the process. Life is hard. People need help, bu they also need accountability. Accountability is lacking in football and basketball not ease of cash for students

Peterman has shown flashes. There is being bad, ie JP and EJ, and guys who make mistakes. Ill take a guy like NP, who from the outside, looks smart and confident. Takes chances, and trusts his eyes /strengths. Where as a guy like Edwards or TT who takes too long to read and doesn’t trust their abilities. I think it’s easier, with the speed of the NFL, to ask a guy like NP to take an extra .25 seconds to let the play develop, then to ask a guy like TT to fire the ball .25 seconds early into a coverage he doesn’t understand. I am not clamoring for NP to be the guy. Not sure he has the mental ability to ever be a starter in this league. Just commenting on what I think he does well in comparison to what we have. He throws a good ball with anticipation. I think thats fair. Disclaimer: I don’t want to go into 2018 as NP as our starter.

I agree a bit bit in theory. I wouldn’t have paid him that contract. But was talking to a buddy of mine the other day in Boston before the game about Gilmore. He said fans and the team have been very happy with his play the last 12 games or so. No issue with his contract. Let’s not fool ourselves that losing “not good enough” players is a good thing. CB1 and CB2 have cost us 2 first round draft picks (Gilmore and Tre White), A second (Darby), and Sammy Watkins. The Bills have let go and traded a ton of players the last 365 days. That creates a ton of holes at starting and depth positions. Those picks could have been used to fortify other positions like LB, DT, OL, WR. We cannot keep up with the turnstile of of our draft picks. Lets not forget he was a staple in a top 10 defense not long ago.

I love this place! Also thank you Al Gore for inventing the internet so that TBD could be a thing!

Since we are talking Schwartz, I am excited to see GB next year with Pettine running the Defense. At times it was madddening that they could not get off the field in Buffalo, but makes up for it with big plays/sacks/turnovers. He is a good coach.

Unsure if this is sarcastic. They do a good job in terms of keeping points of the board, which is clearly the most significant, but even that they trail the Vikings. It is not so much about the Pats being a bad defense, which they aren't, statistically average, but not bad. It is that Minnesota is a lot better.

If Foles plays like he did tonight against the best defense in the league, there shouldn't be much of an issue.

So.... He probably didn’t play 50% of snaps, but if he did he only made a few flashy plays.... And even if he made some flashy plays, he doesn’t make enough isn’t consistent... And even if he were consistently making plays, I wouldn’t pay him that much money.... Did i get it right, or would you like to move the goalposts again? That way no matter what happens you’re right and you can win the internet! ?

I fully agree. Gilmore for me is a “you can’t afford everybody” sort of letting walk. Woods should be on this team. So should Darby and Dareus.

The more I watch the Jags, the more I see that wild card game as ours for the taking. Either Bortles had his only “Bortles” day of the playoffs against us, or the Bills were able to contain some of the things he does well. Bortles played about as well as he could the last 2 games. Slung it around, pulled out a win in a shootout.

Mayfield- hasn’t taken a snap. Rudolph- hasn’t taken a snap Phillip Rivers- Borderline line HoF material. Kolb- Meh Kolb Carr- one very good season. Then a few not good seasons for all sorts of reasons. Needs to prove sustainability of high level play. Godf-Needs to prove sustainability of high level play.

Gilmore, Darby, Bradham, Hogan, and Dareus are all starting today....