mjt328

The NFL didn't discipline him. Kaepernick actually opted out of his contract, so that he could become a Free Agent. The league didn't suspend him. The league didn't fine him. Owners just didn't want to sign him. Again. He has nobody to blame but himself. Even Hall of Fame players like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss eventually ran out of interested teams, because they were too big of a distraction/headache to compensate for their talent. Kaepernick brings the baggage, but without the high level of play. Nobody was going to deal with this kind of media frenzy for a backup QB.

Tired of the whole anthem thing. Nobody else in this country has the right to demonstrate/protest on company time. Nobody else in this country could expect to keep their job when they purposely p**s-off a large chunk of the company's customers. Guys like Colin Kaepernick and Malcolm Jenkins don't even realize it. But ridiculous antics like this are one of the primary reasons Donald Trump won the election in the first place, and why he will probably get re-elected in 2020.

It probably depends on which team buckles first, and decides to start their rookie QB. I don't get the impression either coach is in a big hurry.

1. If NFL Owners made the collective decision to only give out "incentive-based" contracts, the Players Union would call for an immediate strike. They would also probably sue the league for unfair labor practices. There is absolutely no way they could get away with it. 2. If individual team owners (let's say the Pegulas) made the decision to only give out "incentive-based" contracts, it would set them at a massive disadvantage in Free Agency. Why would anyone re-sign or sign with the Bills? They could easily get guaranteed money elsewhere. The current system is fair. Both the owners and players make ridiculous amounts of money (compared to the general working public), and the fans are happy enough to keep buying tickets and merchandise. No reason for anyone to complain.

I think most people are ignoring the "depth issues" on the Bills, because they are more concerned with the holes in the starting lineup. Considering the Bills made the playoffs last year (when many thought they would be tanking), I'm certain my opinion will get a lot of backlash. But truthfully, I think the Bills were very lucky (mostly due to weak Wild-Card competition in the AFC). This really wasn't a playoff-caliber roster last season. Now with the unexpected losses of Eric Wood and Ritchie Incognito, the trading of Cordy Glenn, and the high probability we start a rookie QB - it would be totally reasonable to expect us to take a step backwards in the win column in 2018. I think the Beane/McDermott plan is clear. Become a true AFC playoff contender in 2019. Last year was about purging the roster for draft picks, but we got lucky and squeaked into the playoffs. This year is about adding the franchise QB, some key pieces on defense and fully transitioning the mentality of the locker room to McDermott's vision. Next year, the Bills have all their draft picks, tons of cap room and should have Josh Allen ready to lead the team.

Smart decision by the NFL owners, in my opinion. 1. The NFL is a business. They are in the business of making money. 2. The anthem-kneeling controversy is very likely bad for business. I can't speak for everyone else. But the vast majority of people I have discussed football with over the last year have been furious with the players. They feel the kneeling is a sign of disrespect for the flag and the country. Now of course, I don't know how many fans actually followed-through on their promise to quit watching the NFL. But the owners would be foolish to wait until ratings and ticket sales plummet before addressing the issue. 3. People need to stop talking about "Free Speech" or accusing the owners of "controlling the players." Those arguments are absolutely ridiculous. The players are employees. I don't know a single legitimate business that would allow its employees to engage in political protests on the clock. And every single legitimate business is going to exert some level of control over the staff. That is how employment works. Employer gives money. Employee does what they are told. 4. The NFL made the decision to continue playing the anthem, but will not force anyone to participate. That's a good compromise. All they ask is for players to stay in the locker room and not engage in a political demonstration. That seems reasonable. Bottom-line, keep politics out of sports. Personally, I'm very Pro-Life and against abortion. But I wouldn't expect the owners to allow protests/demonstrations during games. The players have plenty of time to engage in those activities on their personal time.

Let the man coach how he sees fit. Some coaches (like McDermott) believe that all starting jobs should be won in training camp. Some coaches default to the veteran, and wait until he fails before sliding in a rookie. Some coaches default to the rookie, believing his team will benefit in the long-run by getting the growing pains out of the way. There are examples of each method succeeding. There are examples of each method failing. If Hugh Jackson listened to this Sports Illustrated article, and then Baker Mayfield struggled badly - the same reporter would criticize him for not being patient in the development of his young quarterback.

I assume you are talking about Ritchie Incognito? Honestly, I'm not really seeing the connection between the two examples. When it comes to money, the door swings both ways. It takes two sides to agree on a contract. NFL players get paid very well. Even the ones making the league minimum. And when they sign on the dotted line, they know all of the money is not guaranteed. That part of the league is the business side... just like they constantly remind the fans when they hold-out of training camp or leave for big bucks in free agency.

Based on everything we know, I don't think Josh Rosen was on our board at all - or he was significantly lower than Josh Allen. I always got the impression the Bills were disappointed in the Jets/Colts trade and were targeting that spot. They were also making attempts to trade up, even as high as #2 to make sure they got the right guy. I just can't see them pushing so hard to make a deal with Denver if there were two guys left they were comfortable with. After Sam Darnold was taken, it's pretty clear that Beane was starting to get desperate. That's because he only had ONE GUY left at the top of his board. The Bills front office places an extremely high premium on character. And for some reason, lots of teams (not just a few) had problems with Rosen. Maybe we won't know the specifics for a few years, but GMs and coaches just didn't want him on their team.

That's not true. It all depends on what Josh Allen shows during limited time on the field. Let's assume your scenario comes true (AJ McCarron is fantastic and becomes our franchise QB). Then at some point, the Bills decide to recoup some value by trading Allen. Teams have shown a willingness to part with very high picks (often 1st-2nd Rounders) for players that show even a small display of competence on the field. The Bills just need to plug Allen into a few meaningless situations (preseason, garbage time, etc.) and hope he shows well. If a guy with Allen's physical talent looked good, QB-needy teams would be lining up around the block to trade for him.

Seattle is a perfect example of why you build a team around the Quarterback, and not around an elite defense. When it comes down to it, a team like New England only has to worry about ONE player on the roster. Tom Brady. They pay him what he wants, and make sure he stays healthy. The rest of the roster just needs to be decent, without any glaring holes. They will compete for the Super Bowl every single year. A team like Seattle needs to worry about ELEVEN guys on the other side of the ball. Earl Thomas or Richard Sherman goes down with an injury, they are in trouble. Salary cap builds up, and they are forced to trade Michael Bennett and let Sheldon Richardson walk. Make a few bad draft picks, and suddenly depth becomes a problem. It's an impossible task to juggle for any extended length of time. With a talented QB like Russell Wilson, I'm sure the Seahawks can purge cap space and build their way back into being a contender (if they draft well). But a team can only count on the "surrounding pieces" to be elite for so long, and then it's back to the QB being forced to carry everyone else.

I wouldn't attribute the "swamp drain" to Sean McDermott specifically. The Pegulas were not experienced in the football business when they first purchased the Bills. They weren't planning to just walk into the building and fire everyone, regardless of what the fans wanted to see happen. The overhaul was something that would clearly take some time. When Doug Marrone quit only a year after the Pegulas bought the team, I think it really caught them off guard. The team looked pretty talented on defense, and had just put together the first winning season in a very long time. Things were starting to look up. Usually head coaches are fired as part of a team totally clearing house. That wasn't the case here. The Pegulas liked the direction the team appeared to be going, so they kept Doug Whaley as General Manager and tried to find a coach that could work with him. When Rex Ryan was fired, the Pegulas were clearly ready to start-over. But in order to keep the scouting work done over the previous 12 months, they decided to wait until after the draft to get rid of Whaley and the scouting staff. Once that move happened, it was only a matter of time before everything underneath was overhauled. This whole Russ Brandon thing was an unexpected situation. I don't believe he makes football decisions and hasn't for awhile. If all of this questionable conduct stuff hadn't come around, I believe he would have continued to be part of the Bills organization for a very long time.

Based on everything we know, and everything that has been reported - the answer is almost certainly no. Josh Allen would have definitely been picked before #12. Over the last few months, I've been very clear about my preference. I personally had Josh Rosen as my #2 quarterback (after Sam Darnold), and very much wanted him before Allen. In fact, I wasn't much of an Allen fan at all, and was pretty disappointed when the Bills decided to go with him. But it's clear that NFL teams did not feel that way. At least a good chunk of them. Whether Bills fans like it or not, many GMs and coaches had major concerns over Rosen's personality/character/leadership. The Browns have openly admitted there was something about Rosen they didn't like. There were countless reports during the draft that Rosen was going to be the 4th QB off the board (he was) and some teams refused to draft him altogether. I like what I saw with Rosen on tape. But there is something about him in the interview process (which fans are not privy to) that totally turned teams off. Two weeks ago, we could have chalked this up to a smokescreen. Now that the draft is finished and teams are more willing to discuss their thoughts, it's becoming clear those reports were very accurate.

Very good point. It's also important to recognize the higher level of scrutiny that players face today. Back when Losman was picked, the NFL Draft started on ESPN early Saturday morning. Unless you were a college football fanatic, your only source for "feedback" on a prospect was Mel Kiper. You watched his "Big Board" and then waited to see his reaction on your team's pick. Today, the NFL Draft is nearly 3 months of build-up, leading to a primetime event on multiple channels. There are thousands of "experts" with thoughts on prospects. Anyone with an internet connection can pour over hours of game film and YouTube videos, and gain their own opinion on a player.

Back in 2004, we still had Drew Bledsoe. There wasn't a feeling of total desperation for us to draft a QB. Because of that, the move-up for JP Losman was a pretty big surprise, and I don't think people had a great handle on him as a player - at least compared to today, where fans watch hours of online videos to prep themselves. I recall there were a lot of Brett Favre comparisons with JP Losman, and everyone kept saying how bad Green Bay wanted to draft him. So even though we was a little bit of a reach (most figured early 2nd Round), I think most fans convinced themselves it was a smart move. With EJ Manuel in 2013, I think most fans were just happy to see the Bills take a CHANCE ON SOMEONE. Buddy Nix had let three years pass by without drafting anyone, seemingly content with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his QB. Most fans didn't care if we had to reach. Before the draft, there were lots of warnings on how terrible the QB class was going to be. But the Bills had really backed themselves into a corner. There were lots of rumors that Doug Marrone wanted to draft Ryan Nassib at #8 overall, which really freaked some of us out (he ultimately went in the 4th Round). At least with Manuel, there were supposedly teams interested in taking him at the end of Round 1 or beginning of Round 2. After the pick was over, there was some relief that we didn't pick Nassib, some frustration we didn't take Geno Smith and mixed feelings on Manuel overall.

This draft hinges on the success of Josh Allen. Period. As a prospect, Allen is one of the most polarizing Quarterbacks to come out of college in decades. Some people saw him as the #1 QB in the draft. Others thought he should have been a Day 3 pick. So it's not surprising that everyone's draft reviews are going to reflect their opinion on Allen. Guys who had Allen ranked high are giving us A+ grades. Guys who had Allen ranked low are giving us D- and F grades.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Josh Allen pick (like many others, I really wanted Josh Rosen). But at the very least, I'm happy this front office took a chance on a 1st Round QB prospect. Without a franchise guy under center, we are spinning our wheels and going absolutely nowhere. We can draft "studs" and "generational talents" at every other position on the field. It does not matter without a quarterback. Please name me ONE defensive tackle, offensive tackle or wide receiver in the last 25-30 years who carried his team to a Super Bowl. There was a time recently that Detroit had the best WR in the game (Calvin Johnson) and the best DT in the game (Suh). And that team still rode on the back of Matthew Stafford. In fact, the team hasn't even missed them being gone since Johnson retired and Suh was let go in free agency. Two of the BEST players in the game, and their true impact was marginal. The best OT over the last decade (Joe Thomas) has been on the NFL's absolute worst team. He is a future 1st ballot Hall of Famer, yet has made exactly ZERO difference in that team's success. He just retired after helping carry the Browns to a 1-31 record in two seasons. But I promise you, if Baker Mayfield only plays at an above-average level as a rookie, Cleveland's win-loss record will turn around overnight.

Maybe. The key point is Josh Allen. When you draft a 1st Round QB, it will either save or sink the franchise. Whaley’s failure had nothing to do with focusing more on offense or defense.

There are two aspects in judging the wisdom of a draft pick: 1) How was the player obtained? 2) How good is the player? When it comes to the first aspect, I think that Brandon Beane played his cards very well. I believe he found the sweet spot, where he wasn't forced to give up everything to land his guy. But he also didn't get cold feet at the price (yes, he gave up more than the draft chart calls for) and end up missing out on the player he really wanted. For example, imagine what we would have needed to trade in order to outbid the #3 pick from the Colts a month ago. Imagine if we didn't pull the trigger at pick #7, and then Arizona took our target. Of course, none of this will matter in 6-9 months. Josh Allen will ultimately be judged by his on-field performance. Fans are never going to forgive Beane if Josh Rosen turns out to be a better QB. Fans are going to second-guess whether he should have moved higher, depending on how good Sam Darnold turns out. And even though Beane wasn't here for the 2017 draft, it's going to be ugly in Western NY if Allen is an inferior QB to either Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson.

99% of the fans know nothing about players outside the 1st-2nd Round. So they rejoice or complain based purely on how well the team checks off "needs" on the positional depth chart. Listen. I understand our desperate need for players on the O-Line. We are in trouble there. But in 2-3 years, nobody is going to care what "position" we drafted in the 4th-5th Round. They are going to care whether we actually landed a good player or not. If you know nothing about Taron Johnson or Siran Neal, never watched either of them play, and are only complaining because they don't play on the offensive side of the ball - it would probably be wiser just to sit back and keep quiet.

First of all, New England did not have ammo to easily move into the Top 10. Second, (and this part is more of a hunch) Belichick is not looking for the future. He is looking to win another championship and retire. I always thought the QB stuff was a smokescreen. Honestly, I would be surprised if they draft a QB before the 3rd-4th. If that.

Brett Favre was extremely accurate. Brett Favre could read a defense. Yes, his arm strength was fantastic. But it wasn't the only thing that made him great. And it didn't give him a "higher ceiling" than other top QBs of his day. To be honest, despite having an A+ arm, Favre was not as great as he could have been. His decision-making was often questionable. And it's the main reason that Favre only won a single Super Bowl.

Here is the thing I have never understood about QB prospects like Josh Allen: Scouts always say he has the biggest upside, the highest ceiling and the most potential. BUT WHY? Is it because the guy is 1-2 inches taller and 10-20 pounds heavier than the average NFL Quarterback? I can understand why scouts are skeptical of short guys. There are numerous problems associated with field vision on guys under 6'1. But I don't see how a guy who stands 6'5 holds any advantage over someone who stands 6'4. It's totally irrelevant towards how good a guy can be. Is it because of his arm strength, and the fact he can throw an 80-yard bomb? Once again, I can understand how scouts would be concerned about a guy with a weak arm. But once it's clear a QB can make all of the necessary NFL throws without an issue, how is arm strength even a factor? Most of the NFL greats have had very average arms (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana). There are obviously NFL greats with strong arms (Marino, Elway), but it wasn't just because of how hard/fast they could throw a football. Is it because of his athletic ability, and how well he can run? Well OK. I guess I can see that being a really nice skill to have. Except 99% of the offensive coordinators in the pros completely refuse to take advantage of that kind of talent, and always try to force their QBs into being standard pocket passers, with running as an absolute last resort. I've been watching this sport for 30+ years. The greatest quarterbacks are ALWAYS those who can calmly/quickly read a defense, make smart decisions about where to throw, and then get the ball there accurately. I have NEVER seen an NFL quarterback succeed long-term without these characteristics. Size, arm strength and athletic ability are pointless, unless you can also develop these parts of your game. These are all areas that Allen needs a TON of work.

Assuming this wasn't a total panic/desperation move, I would assume that New York has at least 3 Quarterbacks they would be equally comfortable with landing.

I believe the Bills have a handful of Quarterbacks they would be comfortable with drafting. But each one has a different value. And as such, they are only willing to trade so much to move up and get that player. Based on the fact they haven't made a trade yet (I'm making the assumption the Giants are even willing), my guess is that Brandon Beane only has one QB with a "premier" grade. And they aren't going to make a trade with the Giants, unless they are certain that player is still available. They can't be absolutely certain until the Browns make their pick. If that top QB is gone, I imagine the Bills will wait for the Giants and Jets to make their selections. If there is still a guy they really like, I imagine they will start working the phones for Picks #4 and down. Once again -- they have a price they are willing to pay, and a cost that is too expensive. Depending on how each scenario plays out, I think Beane has prepared himself for trading up to #2, trading up to #4-10, picking at #12, and possibly even waiting until later in the draft to grab his QB. As a fan, I can only hope they have done their homework and don't get cold feet on pulling the trigger for the right guy. I don't want them settling for a long-shot, just because they weren't willing to part with enough draft capital. At the same time, I don't want them desperately trading everything for a guy they don't believe in.