GunnerBill

Ha I have told the story here before it is a long one.... but the short form is family friends are from Buffalo.

So my two stadium experiences have been in London but I much prefer to watch on tv. It is actually much easier to see what is going on. I will come and see the Bills in Buffalo at some point (probably new stadium now) but my favourite way to consume the NFL is at home on tv. Likewise my setup at home allows me to have multiple screens and multiple games on at once. In the slot the Bills are not in its usually redzone main tv two games. If the Bills are the main sky game over here it is them main tv, redzone and one other game. If the Bills are not the main sky game then it is them main tv and two other games because redzone is ahead of international gamepass by a down normally and I hate knowing we have scored before I have seen it.

Yes, all I was saying was Millen is a bad example to use to try and prove the point. Because he was from the start an anomoly in his appointment to the role.

The point is Millen was from outside the circles of where general managers come from. So he isn't proof of anything one way or another. He got a GM job with zero personnel experience. Brandon was a GM in name only. He did no more than turn in the card. Tom Modrak was the Bills decision maker in those two drafts and FA periods (he was actually the Bills real GM for 4 years between 2006 and 2009 but because he worked pretty much the entire time from home in Florida presentationally they knew they couldn't give him the title so Marv and Brandon had the title but did none of the job). Whaley was not a great general manager. No question. And I am not arguing anyone in those jobs is automatically competent. Not at all. I am saying like most industries a share of those that get to the top are duds. But I think the NFL gets it more right than wrong overall when it relies on elevating guys who have been good assistants to the top jobs.

I direct the jury to article 1.0 - Jim Tomsula. (Agree generally though, total incompetents may be harsh but guys who are clearly not good enough or incompetent for the level to which they have risen).

I think you have to separate Millen out a little from the conversation. Sure, he is an example of an incompetent NFL senior exec but we know he was hired for who he was not what he knew. Every now and again those total left field hires from out of the booth etc happen - Millen, John Lynch, Jeff Saturday. They normally (though not always) fail. You have to separate those out from the conversation about the people who come up through the conventional route IMO. The interesting question is the extent to which the NFL develops coaches and personnel people to be Head Coaches and General Managers and whether that process is identifying and promoting the right people. My view is that broadly it does but like every profession it makes mistakes as well and you occasionally find a total incompetent in a senior position.

So I have been in that company on a number of occasions. Some are super smart guys who I definitely felt in awe of. But it is like any profession, it is a mixed bag. And I agree with you, not everyone who makes it makes it because they are brilliant. I'd say more of those at the top are there because of talent than not.... but it is definitely not universal.

Wouldn't qualify as a surprise in my book. I'd be shocked if Jones makes the roster. All his drops were concentration in the redzone when he took his eye off the ball. Between the 20s his hands were very good. It needs fixing but it is an easy fix IMO. Von is my answer too. It would be a surprise.... I expect him on the roster.... but if he looks no better in camp reality will dawn on them pretty fast IMO. They won't keep him if he can't play and the last time we saw him on the field he couldn't play.

Waddle would be amazing in this O. If he had made it to FA I'd have been willing to throw serious money at him. Smith is an upgrade on what we have but I don't think he would be transformational in the same way.

Anyone who played since colour tv was invented?

Reggie will get in.

This potentially made sense to me if their draft pick was a vertical speedster. It makes less sense as a compliment to the room we have now.

I agree of all the things to blame on that play taking a shot is absolute bottom of the pile. If Shakir fights through the traffic a split second sooner, Dion holds the block a split second longer or Josh just slides an inch in the pocket before he sets to throw it is a touchdown. Those are the tiny margins.

Ahhh Floyd. Yes. Forgot him.

Correct. Ed Oliver, last season, and Jordan Phillips in 2019 jointly hold the record with 9.5

Drew Brees. By far.

Agree re Bass and Miller. Probably won't but neither would be a total shock to me. Disagree on Gilliam. They will keep Morris anyway. And Gilliam is three players in one. From a special teams perspective it isn't one or the other in Gilliam or Hollins. They play totally separate positions.

Offseason fluff will not change my mind. I'd be delighted to be wrong come September.

A dreadful division doesn't send a second team to the playoffs 3 out of 4 years. If the poster had said the division has been mediocre I'd have no issue with that.

Yea but they are not dreadful. That is the accusation I was responding too.

Really sad. I liked him too. Tragic.

GMs cut players. Of course coaches have a say. But GMs decide on cuts. Brandon Beane has responsibility for the 53. Sean has responsibility for the game day 47.

He will have had a say but that's a GM call.

Pocket time isn't judged as time given in the pocket though. It isn't how long a QB could have stayed there... it is how long they do before they throw or begin to move out. Allen tied Jared Goff who played behind the best Oline in football so some of that is scheme related and amound of quick game which definitely ticked up under Brady.

The 2021 and 2022 lines were horrendous. While I am not arguing that giving up the fewest sacks made out 2023 line the best, because a lot of it IS still Allen (although his tendency to hold the football is also responsible for some pressures so it does cut both ways), it was a lot better. It was an average to slightly above average offensive line. 2021 and 2022 were comfortably bottom third of the league.