Sammy Watkins' Rib

Are the Raiders trying to corner the market on old running backs and back up QBs?

I agree. But i'm not thinking really in terms of win/loss. More so along the lines of how badly could a young QB be harmed if he goes up against a really good defense.

Hope that is the case. But i look at the instant success of the Eagles and Rams after adding young offensive minded head coaches and can't help but wish we were in that same boat.

They didn't necessarily fall off a cliff. They were 9-7 last year not too bad. Obviously could have easily been 10-6 as we well know. Plus, their defense was their strength last year and likely their strength again this year. And the question at hand is who should we start at QB. What defenses that QB will be facing should be considered.

I'd give Peterman a very long leash through the first three games. Unless he pulls another 4 or 5 pick game I would play him through the first three at least. If we are 0-3 at that point and Peterman looks average at best then perfect time to start Allen week four at Green Bay in late September.

I'm nervous about McDermott and his ability to develop a young QB. Wentz, and we can include Goff, had great sophomore seasons. They also had offensive minded head coaches and great talent around them. Especially on the o-line. I'm fearful that Allen's rookie year could look a lot more like Goff's under Jeff Fischer. Good news is that Goff was not permanently damaged by that bad season. But will McDermott be able to bring in the pieces to help Allen in the future?

The first three games are no joke for a rookie QB. @ Baltimore vs. LA Chargers @ Minnesota. Week one is probably the friendliest of the three. I'd like to see Allen this year. But, Peterman has been the best QB of the three this pre-season. I'm fine with bringing Allen on later in the year but I would like to see him start at least 8 games this year so he's not a complete unknown still going into next season.

I just figure we never have to endure another 17 year drought if we jump right into the post season after finishing the pre-season.

Yeah. I could have worded it better. My bad.

Just make them all pre-season games.

I'm comparing the two in the context of their first two years in the NFL. That top 10 pick was RGIII. Taken in the same 2012 draft as Kirk

The comparison goes even further then both just struggling early in their careers. Both are nearly the same height. Same exact hand size. Nearly the same 40 time, although Peterman appears to be far more mobile based on the eye test. Both started a game their rookie season. Both were mid round picks. And now both find them selves in competition with a top 10 pick and are not considered the future of the franchise going into year two.

Actually you should check out who Kirk Cousins was early in his career. In his second season starting three games and playing in five he was 52% completion 5.5 ypa, 4 TDs to 7 INTs and a QB rating of 58. Doesn't sound like he was a player that did any of those things well. Even in his third season with 5 starts he was under 62% completion, 10TD to 9 INT and a QB rating of only 86. I don't know if Peterman will exceed Cousins' year two numbers or not but the bar is set pretty darn low. I know. I'm still not a big believer in Captian Kirk myself.

Peterman is Kirk Cousins with less arm strength and better mobility.

It's pretty clear to me that Peterman is making quick decisions and buying time with his legs better than Josh Allen right. The line won't be better true. But Peterman will cover up the lines flaws better then Allen can at this point in his career. Of course he can be coached to do it. But all coaching takes time. But the fact is right now Peterman is doing all those things better than Allen. That is why Peterman is the better choice behind this line and why he should start the season.

If they take away the preseason all together and leave the regular season at 16 games they are not lowering the price of your season tickets. They will just increase the price of the regular season games. They know everyone will pay it still because that's all they want anyways. If they go to 18 games, which I hope they do not, I would like to see it done this way with a 16 game max per player. I'm a stats guy and I don't like the idea of future players being able to pad their stats with two more games per season. Back up QB pay would skyrocket though with something like this. The Fitzpatrick types would do quite well.

I agree. The 2015 and 2016 teams were probably easily top 5 or even top three teams we've had since the turn of the century. Problem was, the coaching staff was terrible. And injuries just got us at the wrong times. The 2017 team by contrast was probably a bottom five team by statistical metrics. Great we mad the playoffs and all but if you are honest with yourself, is the needle pointing up or down for the future?

I'm not one to usually panic or claim victory over preseason games. But, with that said. Our team was very mediocre at best in many categories last year and in some we were flat out terrible. I don't want to hear that we made the playoffs by the skin of our teeth in 2017. I want to know what we are going to do in 2018. We certainly haven't seen anything on the field or on paper (signings/draft picks) that would suggest our dismal offensive and defensive ranking will improve from 2017. I'm not counting on turnover differential, clutch kicks and a miracle play on the final Sunday of the season getting us back to the playoffs. As for Beane, I think it is a legit question at this point. Ultimately, his success is tied to Allen. I'm not sure I can point to a single position group that has been upgraded thanks to Beane. Weren't the Poyer and Hyde signings and the White draft pick all before Beane came on board? At this point McDermott definitely gets far more credit than Beane for any success we have had.

Pro Tip: Don't wear anything Bills.

QB's always going to get the most recognition. Might not be fair but that's just the way it is. They get all the blame and all the glory. That said, Boyd did get some love from us as well once we found out he also had a charity.

All true. But they were also all in New England before the Brady era begun which I believe satisfies the original question. I can't think of any Patriots earlier than the Bledsoe/Martin/Parcells super bowl team. Keep in mind I didn't even start following football and the Bills till 1990.

Bledsoe, McGinnest, Robert Edwards, Curtis Martin, Milloy, Ty Law, Ben Coates. Off the top of my head. Not sure about Troy Brown? Kevin Faulk?

I had the third or fourth pick last year ad went Shady with my first round pick and Gurley with my second. Won my fantasy league thanks to Gurley. I still really like Zeke a lot this year though. With young guys like Fournette and Barkley too I feel like the RB position is maybe making a comeback in Fantasy.

Wasn't that a stacked top 10 defense before Ware arrived though? We don't have the same kind of top tier defense.

I'd probably go Zeke. What about Gurley as another option?