Chuck Wagon

I'll never begrudge a player who is going pro from sitting out meaningless games. If the NCAA wants guys to play, especially guys of this caliber, pay them (and no, a scholarship when the football program won't let them track to a meaningful degree anyway does not qualify as payment). Obviously Smith got a lot of attention last year, but guys like Marcus Lattimore and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu likely lost millions between them due to injuries towards the end of stellar collegiate careers recently also.

Barring a loss of a guy like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady for an entire season, injuries are never an excuse. We haven't had someone good enough for injuries to be an excuse for two decades, even when we did we'd still find ways to win with Kelly or Thurman Thomas out of the lineup.

There's 27 million reasons to run Tyrod out of town.

Let Tyrod walk, his salary commitment is just too high. Sign a vet placeholder (ideally Hoyer) like Kolb was supposed to be. Draft Watson in round 2 (after beefing up the RT spot either in FA or in round 1 and signing or drafting a #1-2 WR). Let Watson / Cardale / Hoyer battle it out all offseason with a beefed up oline, improved receiver group and a dominant running game to put them in a situation similar to what Dak or Derek Carr were put in. Hope for defensive improvements from a healthy Lawson / Ragland and by bleeding the clock and slowing the game offensively.

Unless the team finds some way to lose the next 2 games, I would have to imagine Rex is back. I don't see how you can allow one coach to walk after a 9-7 season because of a poorly written contract, then get away with firing the next guy in just 2 years where he goes 8-8 and 8-8/9-7. If the ones who make the decisions wanted Rex fired, it would have been done after the Steelers game when we would have looked bad back to back weeks and you could allow Lynn or whoever to go 3-0/2-1 and have "feel good" vibes going into next offseason.

I can't imagine Chip or Marvin quitting. Guys like Petrino and Saban left because they had big time college jobs waiting. Unless Texas A&M fires Sumlin to hire Chip, I don't see him having anywhere else to go. His ego won't allow him to just walk for nothing. I could see Hue being the fall guy in Cleveland for an 0-16 team. As much as they preach they understand the process, Haslam doesn't seem like the type whose ego would allow him to absorb 0-16 without a fall guy and it's seemed that Hue's been on a different page from their braintrust since day 1. I do wonder if everyone is in lock step on RG3, Hue seems overly convinced, I could see their brain trust being just delusional enough to think they could trade him if he plays 3 good games, but I could also see that being Hue's pet project with other people wanting Kessler to play. I wouldn't be so quick to rule out New Orleans. I don't imagine they fire Payton, but if someone like the Rams came calling offering a draft pick to lure him away, I think the Saints may be more receptive than they've ever been. There's always a wild card and my nomination is Philly. It doesn't seem like people there are too high on Pederson at this point and if they start 3-0 only to close the season on a 2-11 run and are worried about his development of Wentz, it wouldn't entirely shock me to see them make a move.

I will never understand how some people can criticize the team, then react violently against an outsider having similar criticisms. I think it's very clear something has been broken at OBD for a long time. I think it's also pretty clear that several different positions of power within the organization are acting solely in their best interests. I've always thought Whaley has done a passable job, but if the entire situation is toxic the solution is to wipe the slate completely clean. I don't understand why Rex is still the coach and I don't understand why Tyrod is starting on Sunday. I've been willing to give Pegula a pass, but with the different information being leaked out (regardless of who is reporting it) it's hard to draw any conclusion other than the situation being pretty toxic. From my vantage point, Brandon has been the tie that's bound all the eras of futility together. As long as he's at OBD I don't see how anything is going to change. Cutler left the situation with only one place to go. He's a cancer.

The numbers are slightly outdated, but Hoyer & Barkley had combined for 9 tds - 2 picks with 4 sacks in their first 5 games. Cutler was 4 TD with 5 picks and 17 sacks in 5 games. The point stands though, Hoyer & Matt Barkley have looked miles better than Cutler has this season.

There was speculation that because he was waived and claimed and never hit FA he may factor into the Pats' compensatory pick equation if he signs elsewhere this offseason. That alone should have been reason for us to claim him IMO, not to mention he potentially fills a need in our offense.

Luck, Brees, Rivers & Rodgers are proof positive the "all you need is a QB" mantra has set sail. All of their teams have major deficiencies defensively or in the run game. With the league skewing younger and younger, getting into shootouts weekly is not a sustainable model for success, the teams that have won over the last couple years protect the ball, run it down your throat (or in NE's case, have a short passing game that doubles as a running game) and turn you over defensively. Our defense is the real culprit this year, outside of the Baltimore game we've won every time we kept the opponent at 21 points or less and lost every time we've given up more points.

Not being the "1" on a 1-15 Browns record outweighs any draft pick / Rex getting fired considerations. I'm fine if they lose to the Dolphins and Jets (assuming things conspire to eliminate us from the playoffs completely at that point) but I can't stomach a loss to the Browns.

Lions, Chiefs or Falcons likely. I have friends that like the Falcons and friends that like the Lions. Those 2 have never won while it's been 46 years since the Chiefs won.

If the team has moved on from Tyrod, why is he on the roster? There is literally nothing good to gain. I know he's a leader and it would likely lose a significant portion of the locker room, but these guys aren't dumb, they understand there's business reasons not to put him on the field.

I have a question on the Rooney rule: If we fire Rex and make Lynn the interm coach, would his end of season exit interview be considered as qualifying for the rule? I tend to believe it's Coughlin, he'd qualify as a big name and he's certainly been linked to the team before. I hope he has it in him still, he's certainly on his last legs as a coach.

A story about that came out a few weeks ago and the response from McDaniels camp was basically "We don't know where that came from, he's available for a head coaching job".

1) McDaniels 2) Garoppolo 3) Kevin Zeitler in FA (other than Jimmy) / Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook in the 1st round (resigning Gilmore) Bring the Pats offense over to Buffalo with the guy who runs it along with the QB who looked pretty solid in relief of Brady this year. Taking a running back in the 1st would likely cause everyone to flip their lid, but I'd prefer to use Shady in the way the Pats use Lewis/James White and I think both Fournette & Cook are generational talents we can use like the Pats use Blount or the Cowboys use Zeke. Signing Zeitler in FA would solidify 4/5ths of our offensive line being very strong, we can kick Miller out to competing at RT along with the bodies there already and potentially add a guy in round 4-5. I completely understand anyone wanting to take a WR 2 (or WR 1) early, I agree that's a major need and something I'd like to see addressed, but the offense McDaniels - Jimmy G. have run has operated OK without blue chip talent there. If we are getting Sammy - Shady - one of the rookie RBs their touches, there won't be a ton more to go around. Do the "ball control ground & pound" right with a beefed up Oline and another bellcow in the backfield, shorten the game, keep the defense off the field and follow the Dallas / KC model unless Jimmy proves himself capable of much more.

McDaniels / Garropolo 2017, Make Buffalo Great Again!

The team with the best record in the league is riding their running game hard. Le'veon Bell just put up 300 yards of total offense on us. The Titans and Raiders have turned their clubs around with running games that bludgeon their opponents. The Chiefs have the best record in the league over the last 20 games. Can people realize it's 2016 and the league is not Arena Football like everyone was convinced we were headed towards a couple of years ago.

I'm in the McDaniels / Garropolo camp. Bring them both in, NE was humming with Jimmy at QB before he got hurt and that was without Gronk. Sammy & Shady could look very nice in a system designed to get them the ball with space to operate. Bring in a DC to transition our D back to a 4-3 and stop leaving the corners on islands every play while rushing 2-3 guys.

Cleveland is not competitive in the slightest bit, they've lost 8 of their last 10 by double digits. Expansion teams don't do that bad. The "Cleveland is bad but competitive" narrative sailed at the end of September. IMO if we are moving on from Rex, now is the time to do it, given the Tannehill injury, we are now set up to run the table and finish a deceptively awful 9-7.

In defense of Wentz, he started to look bad when Lane Johnson was suspended and the Eagles skill positions are among the worst in the NFL. I think Cardale can succeed in the league, but not on our team this year. For him we need to really beef up the line and get some WRs who can make plays in the vertical passing game. He's never going to be a "west coast" style QB who can make quick reads and get the ball out, he'll need a team similar to what Dallas and Oakland has, a great offensive line that gives him time and WRs who can make plays down the field. We don't have the horses at WR for him. He'll do the same thing that is driving people nuts with Tyrod right now, hold the ball too long because guys aren't getting open down the field.

It's a matchup league at this point, there is no one formula. Oakland (and similar teams) are a tough matchup for us. Kansas City isn't doing anything offensively drastically different than what we want to do and they've had tremendous regular season success the last couple of years playing a run first, ball control offense. The difference between us and a team like the Chiefs when it comes to a team like the Raiders our defense is awful. To be a good team in today's NFL you need to be elite at one thing, we aren't. Our defense isn't good enough to change the Raiders gameplan and our offense can't keep up in a shoot out. There are teams like the Saints and Chargers who can score with anyone but still lose because they can't stop anyone from scoring on them. We can win with Tyrod, or a guy like Tyrod, but we'll need to see dramatic improvement defensively. We can't win with this type of offense unless it's paired with an elite defense.

Yep. It felt like they collectively realized they would have to play another game if they made the playoffs then each individual unit made sure that wouldn't happen.

It would be the apocalypse. Our WRs can't get open but our DBs can't cover. Tyrod holds on to the ball too long but our front 7 can't get pressure. Oh the humanity.

Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I think the only offseason move that could get us into the playoffs is Buffalo and Cleveland replacing Indy and Houston in the AFC South.