Buftex

You gotta keep Oliver...

I know that Beane doesn't like to get too far ahead of himself, but it seems like he could create more cap space, for this season, by extending Poyer and Diggs, should a good player become available this off-season. Oh man, just as I type this, mention that Terry McLaurin could become available! He's fantastic.

I think we have a great team, a great QB, and we have a great chance to win it all. However, I do get kinda nervous about all the high expectations...and to be honest, the cockiness of our fan base has been a little unsettling. I guess I am just not used to be that supremely confident...I can't get there, until they actually do it.

I think he was being facetious?

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me. It seems like it could be headed that way. But, not for 2022.

I would assume it is very similar to GamePass, with one major exception...you would be able to watch games live, as they happen. If you live in the US, right now, you can't do this via GamePass.

I hate it too! I know, ultimately it doesn't mean that much, but I really don't like the "anything goes" policy with the jerseys now. It may just be an aesthetic thing, but growing up, learning the game, the jersey #'s have some kind of uniformity made it easier to understand what you were watching at times. It isn't as big an issue if you are watching your team, but when you are just watching a random game, and you are not as familiar with the players, it can take a little longer to kind of diagnose what happened on a play.

He was awesome in 2020.

Maybe they can get Ralph Kruger to coach them up!

My earliest memories of the Bills start in 1972. Lived through the OJ era, and enjoyed the hell out of the Super Bowl era...but I think the "era" that sealed my lifelong love of the Bills was the short, but exhilarating "Talking Proud" era when Chuck Knox was the head coach. 1980 was the first year that I had season tickets (I was 15) and on opening day that year, the Bills broke the Dolphins streak. It is, to this day, the single most exciting sports moment I have experienced live. I had season tickets from 1980-1987, and I have been to about 200 Bills games...regrettably, I have never been to a playoff game. But for me, Fergy liming around on a bum ankle, playing his heart out in San Diego is my "wide right" moment. I was devastated after that loss, but it trained me to approach sports the only healthy way a Buffalo sports fan should...with high hopes and lowered expectations...win or lose, I find this team to be a joy, more often than not. My only moment of doubt in faith came when Dick Jauron was the head coach. If he hadn't been fired the season he was, I seriously might have stopped watching them. I hated those seasons so much. Absolutely loved those teams...1980-1981 are still my favorite seasons. If the Super Bowl runs had never happened, I can't say with 100% certainty, but I think I would still love the Bills as much today. That isn't to diminish my love of those 1990's teams, but the early 80's teams are forever my touchstone when it comes to Bills football. To this day, I have missed only 1 Bills game in 42 years...seen a lot more bad football than good. I like to say I "live and die" with this team, but to be honest, I don't do the "die" part as hard as I used to. I am just glad they are still here.

Except we didn't benefit from the rule...it comes too late. Wait 'til next year!

I wonder, did Beane overplay his hand with Bates at all? He probably could have offered him less, and he would have been happy to sign a contract, knowing that he was was returning. But he let Bates go out and find another team to draw up a contract for him. It looks as though the Bears structured a deal they didn't think the Bills would match. Glad he is back, but wondering if this is one of those few times where Beane got a little too cocky.

Everything is staged, everything is a conspiracy...haven't you learned that by now?

My first year as a season ticket holder...still my favorite year.

Licorice Pizza was a movie lover's movie...would make a great double feature with Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. Lost in all the commotion over Will Smith and Chris Rock is that Venus Williams had a "Janet Jackson" moment during Will Smith's acceptance speech... they kept cutting to the Oscar logo while Smith was rambling on...I guess the glue didn't hold.

When I saw this from McDermott, my alarm went off. I don't mind that McDermott wants to see Josh run less (though I think his running, late in the season was a big part of what took his passing game to the next level) not sure why he needs to say stuff like that out-loud.

Funny, this past week, I heard a draft "expert" on GR55 saying that Hall was elite, and what set him apart from other RB's in the draft was his "vision". Said that Iowa State ran an offense that emphasized running backs who are patient, and can make defensive reads on the fly. The day before that, they had the guy who does the "Locked On Bills" who is also a "draft expert" (Joe Marino) say that he was not high on Breece Hall, at all, because he "lacked vision" required to succeed at the NFL level. I can't remember ever hearing such polar opposite assessments of the same player. Marino thinks Hall would be a terrible pick for the Bills... though I think he is one of those who is not generally inclined toward taking RB's in the first round. Personally, I have no opinion on Hall, just thought it was interesting, as I have seen a number of people mention him as their preferred pick for the Bills.

Not enough time in the day

The salary cap will go up...salaries will continue to go up. What seems absurd today, will be a bargain a year or two from now.

Rico, you hate everyone! I never claimed Whaley did a "great job", just making the case that he gets blamed for a lot of things that were out of his control.

Lucky for us, Griese won't be doing broadcasts this year...he is now the QB coach for the 49ers!

Thanks all!

I guess you missed my point...Whaley didn't get to pick his coaches. Both Rex and McDermott had more control than he did. He wanted nothing to do with Ryan...that was the Pegula's, and Russ Brandon's' choice. And that hire is what did Whaley in. It was a "splash" move...Ryan set the team back and destroyed the momentum they were building. His influence on the franchise and the roster was too big. McDermott got to choose his own GM. They are on the same page. Ryan and Whaley never were. Rex had more power. It shouldn't have worked that way. Whaley is hardly the first GM who had difficulty in finding a QB. The relative ease with which teams find QBs now did not really exist just a few years ago. Ultimately, none of it matters now, but I don't think those criticizing Whaley fully comprehend what happened during his tenure. Your thumbnail assessment doesn't take much of anything, other than wins=losses into account...there ts a reason that the franchise was so bad for close to two decades. It didn't start with Whaley...

Yeah, but he is still an employee...gotta make the boss happy, or be an ex-employee

He wasn't consistent, because ownership never gave him the authority that he should have had to be an effective GM. Doug Marrone was not his choice as head coach, and then he had the buffoon Rex Ryan foisted upon him. He was put in an "end the drought now" position, without a QB. And, as much as I didn't really like Marrone, they were on the verge of breaking through, I think. Then Marrone quit, the Pegulas hired Rex (Whaley did not want him) and they basically tore apart a very good defense (the strength of the team when Ryan took over),and had to start from scratch. Ryan was the de-facto GM. He was a fool. Whaley didn't get the support from either owner that he should have, in my opinion. His last year, with McDermott, everyone know the coach was calling the shots. There were stories, even at the time of his last drat in 2018, that Whaley wanted to draft Mahomes. People criticizing his public speaking, I think, are mistaking his awkward speaking as poor communication...but I think it was the result of somebody having to say things he knew weren't necessarily true or accurate, to hide the franchise dysfunction. He was doing what a lot of sports people do, trying to sound like he is saying something, without saying anything. It's not a great position to be in. Thank god the owners got things right with the Bills (and, maybe, finally with the Sabres?), but their inexperience with the league really showed through early on. Beane is great with the media, and seems very honest... he sounds like a guy who has all the confidence in the world that ownership is behind him...and why wouldn't they be. You just can't understate the relationship between the owner, GM and head coach being on the same page. Whaley never had that luxury. I really hope he gets the job, because I am really curious as to how he will do with good ownership. If he is terrible, at least it won't be on the Bills dime.