ctk232

Had the same thoughts - while we got Mario a bit more toward the end of his career than Mack is at right now, that's all this made me think of. Thinking about it more though I'd prefer Mack right now, to the Mario signing when it happened. Mack is easily the better player than Mario, but the hype and feel are the same...it would all depend on what we'd do with his skill set, and how much we would give up for him.

Word - Schwartz put a scheme together keeping in mind the talent we had, and it showed. I want to agree with the interior line critique, but in all honest assessment, what real edge threats do we have? Regardless of where they gouge us with the run game, Mack's presence would be more welcomed than not. Certainly so in pass rush while Hughes seems to be the only real threat we have, until Shaq lives up to his pick and whether or not Murphy is hurt the whole season. Does it make sense with the cap at present? Not entirely, but you can't deny the need for Mack's defensive presence, regardless, given our current unknowns. The kid also loves Buffalo, doubt he would ever have a hometown discount, but maybe more of the on-field, tangible dividends of playing for his town.

The Jags have a solid defense for sure, but why he's even chirping at the whole league when they have no ground to stand on beyond last year. The offense with Blake Chortles, and Marrone is laughable. Beyond the Browns, the Jags were another doormat team for the past ten years, and had we had any semblance of an offensive performance last year, we could have very well taken them out in the wildcard round. But ESPN and the media will always sensationalize otherwise ridiculous chirps, and it sadly gives him so much clout when they ask players what they thought of his remarks and if they have anything to say back. The past aside, not much you can do against a DB except burn 'em for TDs. Just win, indeed - hope the Jags miss the playoffs and go 5-11...twitter will get him back.

At least some games...we have had a habit, as do most every NFL fan/Americans, with patience. Players take time to develop, and in some cases a new situation/team to play for. Our playoff drought only fed that instant gratification monster

1000% agree - Ducasse has no business as a starter on an NFL roster. He physically fills a space, sure, but otherwise cannot see how this man still has a starting position in the NFL...

Comparing what is able to be compared at this point, I completely agree. There will always be "way too early" assessments of players, which is about all NFL fans can do up to and through the preseason. But even with the lack of efficacious evaluative data and experience for these rookies aside, most are not currently playing with or receiving consistent reps with first team players, nor are OC's or coaches calling plays from the full playbook in games that don't matter. The only traits we can even begin to see and evaluate in these first four games are how well they synthesized the concepts/playbook as they've been exposed to it thus far, and how have they progressed over the preseason. This is still dependent on consistency of reps and players on the field in game time experiences as well. None of this is a barometer for what the actual season will be. So rather than purely speculate using third generation observations/reports/opinions from "experts," we might as well do exactly as you mention and "enjoy the quarterback play." Let's just continue watching some fun and not so fun trailers before the feature presentation...

It might be due to the end of the playoff drought, or the younger talent and changes made despite our postseason appearance - but I, too, am looking at the preseason with more attention. It's a weird feeling... Best of luck on your defense!

Would love it if they were - but the greater uncertainty is how long our offense will stay on the field, and dare I say produce, this season. All of which contributes heavily to how well a defense pans out.

A la EJ Manuel building up the hype and pressure and crushing him mentally? With you there. Rosen has gotten the golden pass through national media attention, even out west. It helps when you have nothing to worry about except proving people wrong about when you were drafted, if that's actually a thing. Leaked tweets on draft day will do that though.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see what the guy can do. But what are the point of articles like this where the only supporting evidence and reasoning is to "not sleep on him starting" and he's had success in college? Okay...so why? I don't know if Allen is going to be ready for September even without McCarron in the picture - trading up for a project QB hasn't exactly worked for us before...but hey, excited for whatever's next regardless and can't exactly change our cards now.

I'm excited for the daily posts of pure speculation to be interrupted with way-too-soon predictions and "evidence" of each rookie's performance...so yes, bring on the next episode of the off-season!

That was my first thought - I need to see more about his coverage ability, but with an aging gronk and a super young edmunds will make me excited. Though if he lines up at MLB, expect milano to be covering gronk with poyer and or hyde. I really hope we get to see him cover gronk though, or at least top tier TE's to see what his versatility is like.

For sure - it would apply to any QB drafted this year. But with Allen graded as the greater project QB of the pool this year, the question becomes a bit more relevant. I don't believe the lack of offensive-minded coaching should dissuade a team from picking a potential franchise QB. Also, I personally don't have much of a leaning on the "Josh Allen Like 'em or Hate em'" binary opposition train, at present. But I wonder who will even be in charge of this development and progress, and what exactly do those expectations look like? The "raw" and "undeveloped potential" of Allen is one thing that makes the coaches developing him a bit more relevant an issue than your question suggests. If it doesn't come from the coaching, outside of himself, who does Allen have for guidance? AJ McCarron? Peterman? Jordan Palmer workouts are fine in the off-season if they help, but at this point I fail to see one solid option for guidance of our "unrefined" rookie QB on our current staff and team.

I'd hope he has a plan - but more to the point, what is the plan? To any extent? And who's exactly in charge of Allen's development coaching here, Culley? Daboll? These are more the questions that made me skeptical about the pick. I could also use anyone's honest help with Daboll and Culley's experience with coaching up QBs...

Agreed - tho I'd honestly prefer we not find out until September 2020 at the earliest - if he's such a project and needs the right development, why start him this year? Don't get me wrong - giving up three picks to get him I'd like to see results now just like everyone else. But realistically, we're all just hoping for the best.

^This. Would love to see it - but can't help but feel the same way. Draft "experts" may have experience with past drafts and, for what it's worth, give their honest assessment of a player, at a single point in time, given a historical record of their play, typically stretching back only a couple of years. The idea of "draft experts" escapes me, as far as player talent and skill evaluation is concerned. The success of any draft pick, No. 1 overall or the 6th/7th rounder, is entirely dependent on the work ethic and ability of the player, but almost equally, the ability of the coaching staff to equip that player with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed at the next level. You obviously get more attention as the No. 1 pick as opposed to the 6th or 7th, but these two aspects, in addition to timing and luck, typically dictate the career of most drafted NFL players, in my opinion. Scouts have one of the most difficult roles in a Front Office as they can only speculate a player's potential given current record of performance - which is often very skewed, due to the college game system/schemes, vast discrepancy of competition and opponent strength, player injuries, etc. If any of these "experts" were truly that, why wouldn't NFL FO's listen and/or hire them as consultants? At some point you have to question how much of this is an educated, calculated risk assessment, and how much is pure speculation. How do you think Brady might have developed on any other team with any other coach/coaching staff? On the other hand, would EJ have developed any differently on any other team with any other coach/coaching staff? Or was his career the result of forces completely in his control?

What does he have left to trade to even say that? More of the future to get back into the 2nd round where we had two picks already in a sweetspot to snag a WR or DL/LB? Any current player he's trying to deal to stay relevant in the 2nd round?

Pretty much - it's a steeper cliff when you take into account what was given up to move up 5 whopping spots to draft him, AND with Rosen still on the board. It's the lack of draft capital moving forward into today, coupled with remaining needs that hurt - (MLB, Interior DL, OL x3, WR x2, and another young RB wouldn't hurt). Had they just waited until 12, they could've taken either Rosen or Allen, if available (which, imo, one of them may have been), without giving up potential to address other positional needs. Best question remaining, who's going to coach him up? Is this a guy Daboll can even work with? Not expecting him to start day 1, but they packaged the future like he will be.

Ducasse....how is that a name of a starting OL still. Tells you everything about the state of our line, that and a flaky Incognito. We have no more picks to actually address positional need. Best case scenario is Allen comes in and balls out year one. More than likely won't happen, so we have him wait a year, allow us to build around him with next year's draft. Issue there is we have far too many needs at the moment (ILB, IDL, OL, WR, RB) to be addressed in a single draft. I would've rather built our needs this year, and then traded up next year for a QB if we really wanted. Who knows, we may end up #1 overall if the predictions fall in line. Why trade away the future now?

Its not the choice of allen that gets me. Its what was given up to get him. As far as we know, all of these QBs could be complete busts - goes for any player. The draft is a crapshoot of probablity and always has been. The issue with this pick was that we gave up both 2nd rd picks to move up 5 spots. Rebuilding key positional needs for the future was put off for moving up 5 spots for a guy that may have very well fallen all the way to 12. Look at Rosen. No player is worth three picks in the top 50, four if we kept 22 and didnt give up the 3rd. But hey, nothing we can change at this point. Just hate seeing all these picks go when we could rebuild our defense, or WR corps and OL. Which we desperately need and now cant do.

I mean, looking at our depth chart I'd put DB at a fairly high need behind WR/QB - Vontae Davis isn't the player he used to be, and we're another stout corner away from a really strong secondary if poyer, hyde, and white continue to perform they way they have.

No. Scoreboard. Now, on to the draft.

I'd like to follow this up now having seen Beane go HAM in free agency thus far. I'd agree in shifting our priorities to QB (without trading up preferably), but primarily addressing WR, LB, and line depth on both sides. Solid FA signings and draft capital have left us with much more comfort than we may realize.

I fail to see how any of the moves so far don't give our rookie a solid starting foundation. Our WR corps is unchanged thus far and we hopefully make a change/addition there. Personally i'd love to see o'reilly get his day. Our OL is the only wildcard, but we aren't working with nothing there either.

I'd include DL on that list before WR, some more CB depth wouldn't hurt. But most of our needs can be addressed through the draft. Might as well use our picks for young guys and develop them together. Or at least here's to hoping.