Kirby Jackson

I think that Campbell is fair. That really is personal preference. They both took bad programs and made them relevant. Neither has gotten over the hump. I prefer Campbell’s fiery nature but you could certainly make a case, at this point, for McDermott over Campbell. I don’t see it with Taylor. We can’t just disqualify his win, in Buffalo, over McDermott, in the playoffs, because the Bills were worn out. We can’t downplay, his win, in Arrowhead, over Reid. Those things HAPPENED. He has succeeded in the moments that McDermott has failed. I don’t believe that it is reasonable to have McDermott over Taylor. He has gotten closer to the goal while overcoming McDermott and Reid. Maybe there is a cultural difference as well. The US is a ring-counting culture. Lebron’s numbers, longevity and sustained success will never be touched. Jordan is still generally considered the GOAT. He has 6 titles in 6 tries. LeBron has 3.5 titles in 9.5 finals appearances. The Bills have been good since McDermott got here. They have never reached their ceiling with him. Both of those things are ABSOLUTELY true. There are somewhere between 3-5 years, in his tenure, where the Bills ceiling was a Super Bowl Title. He has 0 Super Bowl Appearances. That’s not acceptable. Just because you can win 12 games, and a playoff game every year, with Josh Allen, doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job. That team, with that QB, SHOULD be doing that every year. I strongly believe that many others could have gotten this team further. The goal, every year is the Super Bowl. You don’t have the talent to do it every year but that’s the goal. In McDermott’s tenure, he has had that talent. He shouldn’t be judged against Rex or Jauron or Marrone. He should be judged against high end rosters with ELITE QBs. He has failed when you do that.

Gunner, you know that I think the world of you. You are one of the most knowledgeable and best posters on this board. I rarely disagree with you but this particular topic we don’t see the same way at all. You use Taylor as an example of someone that you don’t think is better. You excuse McDermott because it is the Mahomes-led Chiefs that he can’t beat in the big moments. Taylor has beaten them there with LESS talent/qb play. He also came into Buffalo, in the big game, and did the schooled McDermott. Make it make sense…

None of them have playoff Josh Allen 😂😂. That’s the part of this equation that you’re missing. He’s been otherworldly. So, so, so many other coaches could have taken those performances further. Those guys have won with talent.

I mean some of this is just crazy 😂😂😂. Payton won a Super Bowl and was THE WORST CALL OF ALL-TIME from a 2nd. Tomlin has 1. Pederson has 1. Stefanski and Bowles have both succeeded with lesser QBs. Again, you’re trying to say that McDermott > Payton, Tomlin, Harbaugh. 😂😂 Give Tomlin Josh Allen and he wins 2.

He’s failing a generational talent. In your previous response you replied that “half of the list was an absolute joke.” Please identify the 8-9 coaches on that list that are “an absolute joke” compared to McDermott.

You tried to call a bluff asking for a list. I gave you a list of people that could have done at least what he did. That IS the definition that we are looking for. If you gave that list, the rosters of the last 6 years, you’d have more than 1 conference championship appearance. There are other coaches that I believe could have as well but are not “eligible” per the criteria that I used. Ben Johnson, for example might be better than McDermott but I didn’t even consider him and STILL had 1/2 of the coaches in the league. You’re evaluating a bunch of coaches success WITHOUT factoring in the gap from their QB to Josh Allen. You use LaFleur as an example ignoring that he went to back-to-back NFC Championships with those teams. That’s >>>> McDermott’s accomplishments. McDermott is bad with talent. He’s Doug Collins. In 12 months, we will be sitting here making excuses for why his team/defense failed in the playoffs again. It’s Groundhog Day.

I won’t count any 1st time HCs even though guys like McDonald could be on here pretty quickly. At LEAST 2 or 3 will be better than McDermott. I’ll give you 17 here. This will be a list of people that would take this Bills roster AT LEAST as far as McDermott. In no particular order: Reid Shanahan Campbell LaFleur Tomlin Ryans Stefanski McVay Harbaugh Harbaugh Payton Bowles Steichen Taylor Peterson Sirianni McDaniel Some of you have an altered perception of McDermott as a coach. With prime Josh Allen and a top 5 defense (that he deserves credit for) you SHOULD be better than 5-6 in the playoffs (5-5 with Allen). If you gave this era (2018-now) to any of the above guys you’d have at least 1 Super Bowl appearance. This list avoids all 1st hcs, coordinators and college coaches. There are certainly a bunch of people on those lists that could have done more with 6 years of this group. Now I know how these lists work on here. Someone is going to be like, “I can’t believe that you think McDaniel and Bowles are better.” You’ll nitpick a few and concede the other 15. The Bills have PRIME JOAH ALLEN and ONE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE in 6 years. That’s borderline malpractice and ABSOLUTELY fireable.

I hadn’t read the thread. I assumed that it wasn’t unpopular. I had him as a bottom 10 HC but adjusted it to bottom 1/2 to avoid the inevitable “have you seen his record?” I think he would be a great hire for somewhere like Chicago. He can stabilize and build a good culture. Once that’s done you need to get him out and find the person to take the next step. He’s good with bad talent.

I don’t know if this is unpopular but McDermott is not a top 15 HC. He is a guy that builds a good culture. He’s a good coach for poor talent. When paired against the best coaches, he does not get it done. The Bills should have fired him after 13 seconds. He is not the guy to take them over the hump.

The Super Bowl kind of played out like this. It certainly did in OT. Regardless of the poor decision to take the ball, they HAD to go for 7. You CANNOT hand the ball back to Mahomes and hope that he doesn’t get whatever points that he needs. If you get stopped, so be it. You lose on the inevitable FG. Once they kicked the FG the game was over.

He’s incredible and fearless. Mahomes may end up as the best ever.

He had 1,250 yards. He averages about 1,000 yards and 6 TDs with spotty QB play. Maybe he’s top 12 but you get the point. At his floor, Cooper is better than more than 1/2 of the team’s top WR.

I’m not putting him right in the HOF. I believe that his floor is Amari Cooper. That’s what makes him such an incredible prospect. His ceiling is one of the best ever. His floor is a top 8(ish) WR. That’s why he’s different. Again, they aren’t going to be able to go get him. I would support it though if they did. I think that would put them over the top. There are other moves that could work out as well obviously.

I believe that there is virtually ZERO risk in can’t miss guys. MHJ is that. Jalen Reagor isn’t his comp 😂😂. You know that. Ja’Mar Chase is probably the closest. Calvin, Fitz, Julio and AJ Green are the only others that I can think of thought of like him. Who said he was can’t miss? He was a flawed prospect with good tools. The same as Josh, Mahomes and Darnold.

Lol, what? You didn’t prove anything other than you asked the wrong questions. You asked questions and got factual answers dispelling the narrative you were trying to push through. You then declared victory 😂😂

I said that he had the second highest yardage total of any rookie TE ever. Where’s the lie?

Was the second rookie TE (behind only Ditka) to go over 1,000 yards? What do I win?

He is the highest rated WR prospect in pro football outsiders history. There’s no holes in his game. That makes him different. He isn’t “a good guy.” He has as good of a skillset as any WR that they’ve scouted and a HOF dad (who was a fraction of his size). Odunze and Nabers are great prospects as well but a tier below MHJ.

None of them were picked in the top 10

….”and Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant and is starting in the Super Bowl.” 😂😂 I gave you an over under on MHJ as a rookie. Feel free to GO ON RECORD with your prediction of his rookie year. Don’t talk about it be about it. No one said anything about “pre-ordained.” Here are some things that WILL happen. Caleb Williams will be a very good pro. He will be a top 10-12 guy by 2025. MHJ will be a top 10-12 WR as a rookie. Travis Hunter will be a really good pro when he comes out after next season. Wembanyama will be dominant as he fills out. Etc…

I believe that there may be. In the regular season they worry about execution and can be a little more cautious because they generally have more talent. Over the course of the year, that will lead to a good record. In the playoffs you need to score more. It isn’t about keeping games close. Surround Josh Allen with weapons and try to score 35+. You’ll only need a few stops then. You can’t play in the playoffs to win 20-17. You negate the advantage of Josh Allen when you do that. KC has figured that out over the last 6 years. Forget about “ball control” or “time of possession” or “balance” or “field position” in the playoffs!! Put the ball in Josh Allen’s hands and get out of the way. Pedal to the floor

It’s a 🔥🔥🔥take to say that he will be the 5th or 6th best WR in the class 😂. That’s absurd. He’s 80 catches, 1,200 yards and 8 TDs when he gets off the bus as a rookie. If you read that report, he’s the highest graded WR that Pro Football Outsiders (who I think we all respect) has ever scouted. In case you hadn’t noticed, scouting has evolved quite a bit in recent times 😂😂. Technology and analytics have changed things quite a bit from when Brien Taylor and Tony Mandarich were prospects 😂😂. I get it now. There’s an older generation that questions “can’t miss” because they remember things 30+ years ago. That’s not what happens anymore. When someone is “can’t miss” in 2024, you don’t miss. Andrew Luck was can’t miss. He was elite for a short period of time. If you say, “yeah but Trevor Lawrence on here” you can find my takes dating back to college when I said that he was the most overrated prospect that I had seen. When you brought up random failures from 30 years ago I dismissed your opinion.

Lol, we have reached the 🔥🔥take portion of the thread. I’ve seen every snap of his college career. He’s generational and a lock. Again, they almost certainly can’t get that high but don’t be ridiculous on MHJ. You lose credibility. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/marvin-harrison-draft-scouting-2024/ This is the exact notion that I’m challenging. I’m obviously using an extreme example but I don’t agree at all. If the Bills hit big on WR, whatever else they do won’t move the needle. They should swing big, whether they trade up or take 2 in the 1st three rounds. In order to pass KC (and others) you have to outgun them. You have to trade scores. The Bills have proven over and over that they can’t get the late stop. Instead of worrying about that, score more points and it won’t matter. if you have a top 15ish defense (which they always do) that’s good enough. You will win because of Josh, nothing else. Give him everything that he needs and then worry about whatever else.

In terms of the 2025 2nd remaining in the hypothetical, you could use that for WR OR DE. Obviously it wouldn’t be used twice. To be clear, I think that the trade is like .0001%. It was more about my philosophy on how to fill out the roster. I think that they should absolutely invest 2 of the top 3 picks on WR this year. As you said, if Diggs goes after this year you need to replace him too. This draft is really deep at WR so the value at 60 & 99 this year is almost certainly greater than it will be next year. I’d be good with something like Thomas/Franklin & Corley/Wilson. For some reason I feel that the Bills may roll the dice on Xavier Legette. Beane hasn’t been scared off by high ceiling/low floor prospects in the 1st (although maybe that philosophy has changed post Elam). In terms of 2025, you can’t focus on it now. You are thin in cap space. You’ll be in a much better position in 2025 in terms of cap space. If you draft a guy or 2 in the 5th that hit and can be starters, great. Maybe Morse’s replacement is one? If not, you can worry about that in 2025. That was my point. The window will still be open in 2025 but you’ll have more $ to work with then. They can’t worry about finding the 2025 replacement for a guy that will be on the roster in 2024. Now, if you want to cut Von as Gunner suggested, you’d have to get a pass rushing edge now (I don’t see any way that they eat that this year even as a post June 1). Otherwise, your focus this year is on ensuring that you get a bite at the apple in 2024.

Fair, and I have little confidence in Von as well. I just don’t think that you have a choice. You can’t throw good money after bad. You hope to get a bargain FA or get lucky in the draft. Unfortunately, I agree on the ability to get up there. It just can’t happen. The only argument that you could make if you were Arizona is that you’re getting: a young CB that was a 1st round pick recently, a young borderline Pro Bowl MLB on a great deal, you’d still have a 1st (albeit later), you’d pick up a 2nd and a 1 and 3 next year. In theory, you could turn pick 4 into 6 starters. I wouldn’t offer that package for Nabers or Odunze. I like them both but that would only be for MHJ. The hypothetical trade up was more my opinion on roster building. I’d rather address WR with an elite option than worry about anywhere else. It’s the point that you made about the best 21 around Josh. That is all that I care about. Give him the best weapons and that’s how the Bills take the next step. They will only win because of him. Help him