mjt328

I'm not sure I understand the fascination with Jadeveon Clowney, or why the Bills may be interested. I keep seeing the terms "All-Pro Talent" floating around his name, and it makes me laugh. The guy has been in the NFL for five seasons and still hasn't recorded a double-digit sack season. And that's with offensive coordinators focusing their blocking schemes against stopping J.J. Watt. He's a good player, but certainly not a dominant one. For all the comparisons I see to Mario Williams (which I think is a fair comparison), I don't think Clowney is anywhere close to the pass rusher Williams was at this point of their careers. And as many have pointed out... whoever trades for Clowney cannot sign him to an extension until after the season is complete. The NFL rules forbid it. So unless you are foolish enough to trust a verbal agreement, this would be nothing more than a 1-year rental. Next season, he becomes a Free Agent and can sign with anyone. Now I'm as excited about the upcoming season as anyone, and I'm very optimistic we can make a playoff run. But let's be honest. This team isn't competing for a Super Bowl yet. It would be really dumb to trade any kind of valuable player/draft assets for a guy who may only be in a Bills uniform for one season. Now if we are talking a Day 3 draft pick, or a player like LeSean McCoy (who will also probably be gone next season), that's a different story. Anything earlier would be a bigger waste than Kelvin Benjamin.

The overreactions here are hilarious. The regular season can't get here soon enough. Yes. The "hero ball" throw was an absolutely poor decision. I wasn't happy with it, and I don't want it to become a habit. But it was literally ONE THROW. The idea that veterans don't ever make that throw (you hear this quite a bit) is totally false. Even Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers occasionally do things like that . And we all recall Hall of Famer Brett Farve making regular decisions like that well into his 40's. Now if it eventually becomes a Jay Cutler or Ryan Fitzpatrick type situation, then we can talk. Until then, give the guy a break. And outside of that ONE pass, Allen barely even threw the ball last night. His 3 incompletions were all tough throws into tight coverage. Oh well. It was clear the offensive plan was to focus on the running game. He wasn't even asked to pass, except to convert third downs.

Every coach utilizes preseason differently. The idea that Game 3 is the "dress rehearsal" for the regular season doesn't always apply. The coaches have been talking up Zay Jones and his versatility all offseason. I think the reason he played well into the second half, was because they wanted to give him actual game reps out of the slot (which he isn't going to do with Cole Beasley on the field). I would be absolutely shocked if Jones gets cut. To me, he is absolutely safe - along with John Brown, Beasley, Robert Foster and Andre Roberts. I agree that WR#6 comes down to Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams and Ray Ray McCloud. My guess is that McKenzie has the leg-up in this competition, but they are going to have a really tough time letting Williams go after his performance the last two weeks. It felt like they wanted to give him a chance to earn his place, and he's stepped up big. They may be forced into keeping 7 receivers. McCloud hasn't stood out in preseason games, and he's still eligible for the practice squad. He's on the outside looking in.

At best, the average fan is just "piggybacking" off the information they obtain from media sources. They need to watch ESPN or read CBS Draft Scout before even knowing WHO the top prospects are. The professional scouts are literally starting from scratch. They spend all year long researching hundreds of college players, from all over the country. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with regular guys with watching YouTube game film on players. And I think it's very possible for non-professionals to develop well-researched opinions on various prospects. It's actually one of my favorite things to do in the offseason. But it's also important to keep in mind when you are scrutinizing Josh Allen's film and bashing the bills for drafting him -- a QB from Wyoming wouldn't have even been a blip on your radar if not for the professional scouts. Personally, I wanted the Bills to draft Josh Rosen instead. But I'll willingly admit to being wrong.

Said it before. The Internet has changed the way people debate, and not necessarily in a good way. Everyone thinks they are an expert at everything. And very few are willing to admit when they are wrong about something. Most people will double-down, and refuse to budge regardless of the evidence. Josh Allen has always been a PERFECT example of how the general public (a.k.a. the fans) differs from the NFL professionals, when it comes to scouting a college prospect. Fans usually HATE when their teams draft players based on physical potential. They want their GM to take the guys who put up the big stats and had lots of college success. They want guys like Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Tim Tebow. But NFL scouts are paid to see past the NCAA results, and try to forecast how good a guy CAN be. By most accounts, Allen was absolutely loved by most NFL scouts. He had all of the physical, athletic and mental traits desired in an NFL quarterback. The only reason he lasted as long as he did, was because 2018 was an exceptionally strong QB draft. Up until the flood of Draft Websites and YouTube channels, the average fan could scream how STUPID his team was for not drafting Manziel.... but never had to own up to it when that guy turned out to be a bust. Now all of the Internet "experts" are learning how difficult scouting really is, and they can't hide all of their old opinions. But instead of admitting "Maybe the Bills actually did draft the right Josh"... they choose to criticize EVERY inaccurate pass, and downplay any success Allen has. It's actually kinda sad and pathetic.

The worst position an NFL team can be in, is being stuck with an average/mid-level Quarterback with a bloated contract. For example, see Miami/Ryan Tannehill, Cincinnati/Andy Dalton, etc. Teams like this don't have the cap space to build a strong roster around their QB. But at the same time, their QB is not good enough to win without a strong roster around them. To make matters worse, they usually get stuck in a 5-8 win rut, and are always drafting too high to find a good replacement. In today's NFL, it's also foolish to give big contracts to Running Backs. Regardless of how talented they are. The strongest offenses are generally those with efficient passing games, who use a RB-by-committee approach. By the time an RB reaches his first Free Agent contract, he's usually 25-26 years old with 4-5 years of heavy usage/wear. Very few will get through another contract with the same kind of production. In my opinion, Dallas should try trading Elliott. He will not be worth a second contract. Let someone else deal with the headache. If they can get anything for him, it will be a plus. And hopefully they will be smart enough NOT to draft another RB in the Top 5. With Prescott, I believe they should let him play out 2019 and see where he stands. Right now, he's shown flashes. But he's still too inconsistent. Unfortunately (if you are a Dallas fan), this may turn into a "Kirk Cousins" situation - a guy who puts up really good Top 10 numbers on the stat sheet, but can just never pull the team onto his back when it counts. Of course, I hate Dallas. So I'm really hoping they do the opposite of everything I just said...

It's fair to criticize a GM's moves. But you should take all factors into consideration. In the case of Mitch Morse, what other option would you have preferred? Matt Paradis was the only other Free Agent Center worth pursuing. He was also coming off an injury, and has yet to participate in either training camp or preseason for the Panthers. You can't criticize us for taking one guy with an injury history, while at the same time criticizing us for NOT taking another guy with an injury history. If we had gambled and waited until the draft, there were basically two good Center prospects. One was Garrett Bradbury, who went #18 to the Vikings. Drafting him would have either cost us (not getting) Ed Oliver, or a significant trade-up from the 2nd Round... very likely our 2nd rounder (Cody Ford) AND a 2020 first rounder. The second prospect was Erik McCoy, who went #48 to the Saints. OK, that sounds more realistic. But to draft him, we would have either passed on Cody Ford (who was a significantly higher rated player on most boards than McCoy) or swung some kind of trade, which likely would cost us Devin Singletary and Dawson Knox... in which case everyone freaks out because of Beane's failure to adequately address Running Back and Tight End. In my opinion, Morse was a calculated gamble. If the concussions end up becoming an issue, it will be due to bad luck, not mismanagement by our front office.

Agree with H2o. Sports and Entertainment used to be a way to escape from political issues. Now athletes and celebrities are drawing a dividing line, and forcing the fans to pick which side they are going to support. Most people would have been OK with Colin Kaepernick if he kept his activism off the football field. And truth be told, he would probably still have a backup QB job somewhere. But he (and many other players) screwed up when they decided to use the NFL as a platform for their ideas. The term "Social Justice" sounds nice and like something everyone should be able to get behind. But in reality, it's a partisan/agenda-driven set of ideals. If the NFL starts publicly supporting many of these initiatives, it's going to spark a lot of controversy and backlash.

I'm starting to think the same thing. Don't forget. This will also be the Raiders last season in Oakland, before they move to Las Vegas.

You said that Beane/McDermott have a history of showing favoritism to "their" guys... and that is one reason Zay Jones may have a better chance of sticking to the roster. What you gave are examples of them signing former Carolina Panthers in free agency. I'm just not seeing the connection. Not to mention, none of the ex-Panthers we've signed have been given preference for starting positions or roster spots. Most GMs and coaches go after veterans from their former teams. It's really not that strange. I recall Bill Parcells had the same 5-10 guys follow him from the Giants to the Jets to the Patriots to the Cowboys.

Do you have some examples of McDermott/Beane favoring "their guys" over someone else? Literally 90% of the roster is made-up of guys they brought in, and that includes EVERY SINGLE receiver we have. Robert Foster is one of "their guys" just as much as Zay Jones.

The Internet has created a generation of opinionated people who (instead of allowing themselves to change) will stubbornly defend their position, regardless of any facts/evidence they are presented with. Let's just face it. People are already "dug-in" on Josh Allen. Whether positive or negative. Their minds were made up by the second paragraph of his scouting report, or two minutes into his YouTube highlight video from Wyoming. Regardless of whether Allen becomes a regular Pro-Bowler or leads the Buffalo Bills to a Super Bowl someday, every inaccurate pass will be relentlessly scrutinized.

Like I said back in the spring... Coaches/teams are almost always willing to give multiple chances to guys who with off-field issues - getting arrested for DUIs or drugs, beating-up their girlfriends/kids, etc. If the NFL doesn't issue a suspension, they have no problem putting these kinds of players on the field indefinitely. They know that regardless of how bad these offenses are, they will have little to no impact on the team's success. But once guys start doing stuff like this, you can forget it. Teams (at least the smart ones) know they can't succeed with these kind of distractions. They bring down morale and divide locker rooms. Pittsburgh had absolutely no problem dumping Antonio Brown, and you can tell that Oakland is already starting to regret picking him up. Just something to consider when you see (for example) Brandon Beane trading away Marcel Dareus for scraps.

For those suggesting he will have trouble making the roster, I disagree. I think Wyatt Teller is pretty safe. Teams generally keep 9-10 offensive linemen on the final roster. The following six guys are pretty much locks: Mitch Morse, Quinton Spain, Jon Feliciano, Dion Dawkins, Cody Ford and Ty Nsekhe. I think Spencer Long would also be a heavy favorite, especially because of his versatility at Center. LaAdrian Waddle would have probably been next, until his injury. Being on IR, he won't count towards the 53. So the rest of the crowd is fighting for the last two... possibly even three spots. Teller basically needs to beat-out Ike Boettger, De'Ondre Wesley, Jarron Jones, Conor McDermott and Garret McGhin.

I may be in the minority, but maybe we should give Zay Jones a break on that drop. Nobody wants to get hurt in preseason, on a meaningless play that won't count. The defender was about to take his head off. You really can't blame him for bracing himself and losing focus. Don't get me wrong. I believe this is Zay's last chance to prove himself as a starter on the Bills. The talent around him is getting much better. If the drop problems continue into this season, I don't see him getting much playing time going forward.

How many roster spots do you think we have? And how many carries do you think he would get? Keeping more than 3 running backs would mean sacrificing depth at another position. Even at this point of their careers, I don't see TJ Yeldon being better than LeSean McCoy or Frank Gore. And Devon Singletary is apparently really turning heads at training camp. Sorry, but the numbers just don't workout for Yeldon.

Unfortunately, I also agree with those who say Mitch Morse. The most important thing for our immediate AND long-term success is the continued development of Josh Allen. And nothing is more important towards helping Allen grow as a QB than having time in the pocket. With any other position on the O-Line, we can do some creative shuffling and still put together a strong group of blockers. But I don't think we have a good enough backup center. Russell Bodine was terrible last season, and Spencer Long proved he really should have been a guard all along.

Training Camp (and Preseason for that matter) are fun to follow. But won't really know anything about Josh Allen's progress until the real games get underway. So much of what people are seeing has no relevance to what will happen Weeks 1-16. For instance.... Quarterbacks are not allowed to get hit during practice. So an observer is forced to "guess" when the defensive rush might have equaled a sack. Of course, when you have a mobile QB like Allen, that is impossible to determine. Many of his best plays come after he avoids pressure. At the same time, it's hard to tell how much Allen's pocket presence has truly improved when he's not worried about taking a real hit. Much of practice is also situational. That guy who keeps tabs on completion percentage and touchdowns is comical -- especially when the team is running Red Zone drills from the 10-Yard-Line. Are we supposed to be concerned that Allen didn't nail 60% of his passes during these plays? Are we supposed to be impressed that he threw 5 touchdowns during these plays? In a real game, he's not going to be running every play from the 10. Another thing to consider. Coaches (on both sides) are going to test Allen's limits in practice. If they see he is weak at a particular play/throw, they may keep making him work on it. Over and over. But in a real game, the coaches are only going to call the stuff he's good at and comfortable with. For example, I was reading that Allen struggles with fades into the back corner of the endzone. Hopefully he improves on that, because it would be a nice bullet to have in the chamber. But if he doesn't, there are plenty of other throws Brian Daboll can call when the real games are happening.

The hype absolutely is getting a little ridiculous. They were 0-16 only two years ago, and won only 7 games last year with probably the easiest schedule in the league. I'm definitely not buying that Cleveland is suddenly a powerhouse and deep playoff contender in the AFC. With that said... - Pittsburgh's locker room has been in disarray since last season, and many players have shown discontentment with the head coach. They lost a key piece (Antonio Brown) to the offense for the second year in a row (they basically lost LeVeon Bell in 2018), and added very little help in the offseason. Big Ben is 37 and has taken a beating over his career. And they lost 4 of their last 6 games in 2018. All signs point to a franchise in decline. - Baltimore (like us) is pinning their hopes on a second-year QB. But while many consider Josh Allen/Lamar Jackson to be in similar situations, I don't see it. Allen has shown steady progression as a passer, and the Bills are clearly training him to do most of his damage from the pocket. In contrast, the Ravens seem to be building a run-heavy scheme around Jackson's legs. Their offense hit a wall in the playoffs, and don't be surprised if that carries over into 2018 if Jackson can't get better throwing. The defense also lost several key pieces. - Cincinnati has been a below-average franchise for three years running (6, 7 and 6 wins during that time period). They have a first-time head coach with no experience, will be installing a new offensive system and the roster has already been totally decimated by injuries. This is a team screaming for a rebuild, but is just reluctant to start the tear-down process.

True. But I can also understand why many Bills fans are very worried. Mitch Morse was our #1 target in Free Agency, and a HUGE piece of our rebuilding effort. He's not really a player we can afford to lose. If he went down with a leg injury and it appeared to be an ACL, everyone in Buffalo would be justifiably freaking out. There are people trying to downplay this, because it's "only" a concussion. But this is 2019. Not 1999. Concussions have become the #1 long-term concern for professional football players, and are no longer taken as a joke. The fact that suffered another one (5th recorded since entering the league) without even making it to padded practice... it really has to make you wonder about how long her can play this sport.

Too bad that Marcel Dareus was only in his "prime" for about two seasons before he got fat and lazy.

There are some key signs that signal a team is going to take a step back (or will be unable to take a significant step forward). 1. First and foremost, any team planning to start a rookie QB should definitely expect to have a rough season. It's very rare that QB can play at a consistently high level during his 1st season in the pros. Arizona (Murray) and Washington (Haskins) will both likely get significant playing time from their first round picks. I wouldn't be surprised if the NY Giants (Jones) and Denver (Lock) join them, if their veterans flounder early. 2. Second, pay attention to teams who spent the offseason shedding veteran talent for draft picks and cap space. Sometimes this is a clear sign the front office is thinking about rebuilding. Sometimes the vets are easily replaced, and it makes no difference. Miami is the most obvious, but Tampa Bay and the NY Giants really weren't far behind. Some under-the-radar teams who took heavy vet losses include New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. 3. Third, it's never too early to be concerned about the injury bug. Cincinnati has been devastated by injuries, and we haven't even gotten to August.

Terrible idea. Two games of the season you are FORCED to keep your best players on the bench, and FORCED to play backups? Imagine being in the midst of a playoff race... and league rules forbid you to play your starting QB. This concept is a recipe for disaster in so many ways. Change is not always a good thing. The NFL had a perfect formula 20-25 years ago. But they keep tinkering with stuff that doesn't need to be messed with.

It's certainly possible that Robert Foster is running as the #4 WR by the time Week 1 comes around. Observers say that John Brown has been operating as our #1 guy in practice so far, which should not be surprising. Cole Beasley will be our slot receiver, and will possibly lead the group in targets. My assumption is that Zay Jones and Robert Foster will then be competing for snaps on the outside. They have completely different skill-sets. So unless one really shows tremendous improvement and progression, it's very likely they will rotate depending on offensive situation.

Quarterbacks generally don't have "sophomore slumps" because very few have great success as rookies to begin with. I find that most QBs who come out of the gate HOT, usually do so with their legs and not their arm. Guys like Vince Young, Robert Griffin III, and even Tim Tebow to some extent. The general rule against a rookie QB is to send lots of pressure. And it probably works 90 percent of the time. But the guys with some real athletic ability may be able to escape from the rush and do some damage. By Year 2, defensive coordinators have generally caught on. Instead of heavy blitzing, they play contain, force running QBs to stay in the pocket and win by throwing. At the same time, there is usually lots of pressure on the offensive side for the young QB to show some progression as a passer. So instead of just letting him "make plays" the coaching staff also pushes him to stay in the pocket and win by throwing. Opponents are going to have a plan to keep Josh Allen (same with Lamar Jackson) in the pocket this year. It's very likely his rushing numbers take a big hit. Let's just hope he's gotten better as a passer.