racketmaster

All this implies is that certain bad things can be said from NFL players and there should be limited blowback because of the makeup of the players. By your reasoning, players can blast gays or women and receive less scorn because there are no women they have as teammates and few gays in the lockeroom compared to their heterosexual teammates. I think everyone with a brain realizes that there are issues in black communities that other races that don’t live in those communities have to face. Many have to do with past transgressions and are not applicable to the present day and other issues persist. Some are issues of mistrust and some are issues that the community members themselves need to address and be accountable for. So I do see that black players may be more sensitive to certain remarks but at the same time we as a country start to move forward rather than continually looking back. There has to be a level of trust and forgiveness on all sides so that we can move forward as one country. And there will continue to be bad acts as every group has its share of bad apples. So if a bad apple does something wrong we need to be careful not to label the rest of the group as bad. That is stereotyping and it is generally not healthy to do.

Yes, we can agree it was stupid but like I said in the original post he put haha after that. If he had followed that up with a plan to actually make rich white people be the only ones able to buy assault weapons then that would have be a clear act of racism. The man was likely joking and again it was in poor taste but he did put the haha in the text for a reason. I’m not sure what else Fromm could do but apologize to the team over zoom because they are not meeting in person. And I’m not sure if you have ever had to apologize to a group of men that you don’t really know but it is likely not the most comfortable thing to do and if Fromm is a good person the whole issue was probably agonizing to him. But I’m context, what else more could be done. Should he be banned from the league, a league that has given second and third chances to people who have committed actual crimes and have harmed people?

Again, this is not correct. Both Fromm and Allen had to stand up in front of their teammates and apologize. They met with the team leaders and they were told they needed to earn the trust of their teammates back overtime. Allen has done that, we shall see with Fromm. Again, how bad were their comments. Allen’s were almost ridiculous considering the age he made them and that he was quoting rap lyrics. Let’s go back into everyone’s social media and texts from when they were 13 and 15 years old. I’m sure there are so things that without context or even with context that we would all want back because at that age you are just an immature kid. Again they both faced major blowback from the media and scrutiny from their teammates. They never did any overt acts to harm anyone nor committed any crimes so I’m not sure how much more punishment they deserved.

You mean that being demonized in the media and from players around the league was nothing. They were told they would have to work hard to earn the trust of there teammates back in order to be accepted. That is something. And for what there comments were and the ages they said them, I don’t really think any more punishment was warranted. Do you?

It is nothing but complete hypocrisy. You have players like Fromm who has a private text chain released from a person who likely has an agenda. The post when read without any context is not flattering to say the least but conveniently the haha parts are often left out of the discussion where Fromm could easily have been making a joke that was in poor taste but not meant to be racist. Allen was quickly vilified for his posts from when he was 14 and 15 years old. Essentially, he was quoting rap lyrics and he was labeled a racist and had to work hard to earn the trust of his teammates. The Brees issue is a joke, he basically states that he does not think it is right to kneel during the anthem (something many others also agree with) but he is torn apart for his opinion. There was no honest debate, there was no trying to see the other side, it was you don’t see it the way BLM sees it so you are wrong and are on the side of racists. Apologize now or be labeled a racist and Brees caved and apologized for having an opposite viewpoint on a complicated issue. Jackson on the other hand makes overtly racist and dangerous remarks and there is barely a peep from his peers. No Tre White’s condemning him right away. No, he just needs to be educated and apologize and all is immediately forgiven. No need to earn the trust back overtime. I’m not even go to try and list the countless insensitive remarks made by black athletes and entertainers toward other races, sexes and gays. The treatment is always the same, just try and educate yourself and apologize and you are forgiven. There is no being ostracized for years or having to actually put in the work to earn people’s trust back. A simple apology is all that it takes. And I’m fine with that if we treated all people the same. But just as the me too movement started to go too far and dig up every text, post, action in the past and label men rapists and sexists sometimes without any proof, this BLM movement is heading down the same path. I understand there are bad people out there. There are actual racists and believe it or not there are racists among all the races as hard as that might be to believe among some people. There are sexist pigs, there are just plain bad people. Those are the people that based on evidence and clear pattern of behavior should be scorned and punished. But the sanctions should be distributed equally. I mean, is that not what we as good people want. That we all just get treated the same no matter our race, sex, religious beliefs. If you are a dirtbag than you should be treated as one no matter your background. I do believe there are extremists on both the left and the right. These are generally the bad and misguided people and they are trying to pull out country apart. I believe there are enough good people out there with some common sense, but as the days go on I am beginning to question if there are enough people in the middle and whether they want to do anything about it rather than get bullied in one direction or the other. Our country depends on this group so I hope they stand up soon like a parent needs to do at times and take control of this situation.

I would have to say I would not be happy if McDermott decided to kneel during the national anthem. If it were a one time deal to start the season and it was an act of solidarity performed by all players and fans, then I might not have an issue with it. But if it was a persistent thing then I would be totally opposed. We could all right a book on this topic alone but briefly I believe the national anthem to be one of the few things (maybe the only thing) that we should all do together as Americans. Despite what some people say, the United States is the greatest country in the world and most people outside the US agree with this and would do almost anything to live in America. I think standing and putting your hand over your heart is not too much to ask of us all to do for a moment in time. A moment where we are all one and there are no factions. That is why I could get behind a one time deal where we still all came together as one but after that I want to go back to standing and tradition. We could debate whether systemic racism still exists or whether there are just some racists performing bad acts (there is a difference). But that again is a deeper conversation. I don’t think the anthem is the be all end all place to protest if u are on the side that there is systemic racism. There are many other ways and platforms out there and we can still all come together in respect and as one during the anthem for that brief moment in time. But like many other traditions have faded, I fear that the anthem is next. There seems too eager of a push to accept do whatever u want during the anthem and again I’m not a fan of that. I’m not a fan of people sitting, wearing hats, talking during and many other things during the anthem either so it is not just kneeling. Again, I believe this is one time we should be encouraged to celebrate our country and mourn those who have died for it coming together as one.

We are living in a gotcha society and it is kind of sad. Guys generally like to joke around and poke fun of each other. As long as it is in good fun, no malicious intent and you care for each other then it should be all in good fun. There are malicious acts and then there are things done or said in jest and some stuff falls in between. Everyone agrees the murder of George Floyd was wrong. Why did the police officer do it? I’m not sure, was it because he was a racist, maybe his wife was cheating on him and he was charged up that day, maybe he just has anger problems in general or maybe it was a combination of issues that came together to cause him to be an ####### to Mr. Floyd. But there are something like 340 million people that live in the country and there are millions of police contacts each year, most of which are conducted professionally with no issues. There are bad people in every industry so I’m not into painting all police as bad or all white people as bad and in need to accept there privilege or they are branded racists. There are a lot of white people that grow up in poverty and have not seen any real privileges. They are poor and attend poor schools and they don’t even get minority status for hiring or college entrances. Maybe people are extra charged up because of the Covid quarantines. Maybe it is because politically we are so divided and that extremes on either side can’t even have an honest conversation. And that’s maybe what really needs to happen, honest conversation without it feeling like you are at a witch-hunt trial as a white person. All sides can learn from each other if they are willing to listen and be honest. Only then can people reevaluate there opinions and thoughts. And the media needs to stop focusing on creating more divides and bring more truth and reality to the people without demonizing folks who think differently at a level that should be reserved for murderers and rapists.

It seems likely that Nagy was texting with Dan Morgan after the pick of Fromm as the two worked together in Seattle for a few years. That would mean the excitement for Fromm is coming from the highest levels of the Bills organization. Also, indicated that the Bills are very high on Josh Allen and in no way looking to replace him. Just looks like what Beane has said, they were not necessarily looking for a qb but Fromm was too good to pass up at that point and he plays a premium position. My guess is the Bills had Fromm rated as a 3rd round prospect and he was just sticking out at that point in the draft.

Not sure but if I had to guess, Bill believes in Stidham and he has been in there system for a year now and could hit the ground running this year for them. It is going to be a shortened period to get ready for the season which will make it tougher on all rookies, especially quarterbacks. Then again, maybe Bill was just waiting for the 6th round to grab Fromm lol

Not sure if this was already posted but this is a good article on Fromm going back to the Super Bowl where Nagy was very high on him as a prospect. Here is the link: htttps://dawgnation.com/football/jake-fromm-nfl-super-bowl-jim-nagy But the film doesn’t lie, and Nagy — a scout with six Super Bowl teams during his 18 years in the NFL — is among the best at breaking down talent. “The more Jake Fromm tape we watch the more we like him,” Nagy said on his Twitter account. “He’s got more arm talent than we’ve given him credit for in the past. “Thought he was making a mistake leaving early but he’s not. After 42 SEC starts he’s more than ready.” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently compared Fromm to Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton. “From a competitiveness, leadership, smarts, size – (standpoint),” Kiper said during a podcast with fellow ESPN analyst Todd McShay. Both analysts pointed out — as did Kirby Smart during last season — that Fromm had limited personnel to work with at receiver. “A quarterback like that, kinda like (Tom) Brady at this point in his career, he’s got to be able to trust guys and where they are going, rather than just be able to drive the ball down the field — that’s not Fromm,” McShay said. “I think if he’s put in the right situation… I think he has the chance to be a solid, to good starter. He was one of if not the most impressive players I met with all season long, in terms of how hard he works and his knowledge of the game. So you are getting that but if you are worried about physical limitations, he’s not for you.” Bleacher report draft analyst Matt Miller said Kirk Cousins is who he compares Fromm to. Nagy, a scout for Super Bowl winning teams in Green Bay, New England and Seattle, said Fromm is “a few grade levels higher” than Cousins. Nagy also indicated that Fromm grades out much higher than former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2014 NFL Draft. Nagy said he’s surprised there aren’t more comparisons being made between Fromm and Brees. Nagy also said that Fromm’s pass protection wasn’t as good as most assume: “That OL isn’t nearly as good as you might think. I was surprised how many issues they had in pass pro.” Early on in the draft process (going back to January), McShay had Fromm as a top 32 prospect. I really do think the pandemic hurt Fromm because his intangibles and leadership qualities are off the charts. He would have lured some teams in on those intangibles alone. But I do also think a pro day in which he showed he could make all the throws using wrs he was familiar with would have alleviated some of the arm strength concerns. Watching his games I do see some throws that are under thrown or lacked zip but I also see just as many throws where he displays good arm strength and the ability to throw with enough velocity while off platform. I never really saw that from Barkley who I believe has a weaker arm compared to Fromm. I'm a huge Allen supporter and have been from the start so in no way am I advocating for Fromm to be our starter. I think Allen is an ascending qb and could be one of the top 5 qbs in the NFL within a year or two with all the talent he possesses. But it is always good to have insurance at the premium position of quarterback in case of injury or if for some reason Allen regresses. Most likely, Fromm comes in and sits behind Barkley and Allen for a year. Then he takes over for Barkely in year two. He plays well in preseason games and maybe during his 4 year rookie contract he gets a chance to start a few games due to an Allen injury or because we have a playoff spot locked up in the final week of season. Ideally, Fromm plays well in limited action and is either traded for a high pick before contract expires or he leaves for a big contract and it helps Bills get a better comp pick. This Fromm pick is a win, win with almost no risk or downside.

No question about it. I believe Fromm has a stronger arm than Barkley and it is not that close. Fromm does have his share of under throws but just as the clip above shows he has plenty of deep throws with little air under them and deep crossers and outs with zip on the ball. It just seems at times he just tries to rely on just his arm without driving with his legs and he said as much in one of his interviews with Chris Simms. His arm will never be confused with Allen or Mahomes but it is good enough to get the job done.

Fromm should be a very solid backup qb in the NFL with low end starter upside. His arm strength, although not great, is a little better than some give him credit for as I believe some of his under throws are the result of him not using his legs and relying to much on just his arm. There are throws in the 50-60 yard variety (Vanderbilt and Alabama 2018) that resulted in touchdowns because he put the deep ball on target with little "air" under them. The throws show that he does have the necessary arm strength but he needs to be more consistent in his mechanics. To me he should end up being a player in between Matt Barkley and Kirk Cousins which makes him an excellent 5th round pick. It is almost a certainty that he will be the primary backup to Allen in the 2021 season with Barkley not being resigned and allowing the Bills to save cap $ they will need to allocate for Allen and others. Point being is that Beane will continue to be on the lookout for players in the draft, waivers, free agency that can fill roles on the team at affordable options. I would fully expect Milano to be replaced by a drafted player or an undervalued free agent rather than allocating large $ to him. Edmunds will get the big $ at the position and the Bills will not be able to afford to pay 2 large salaries to LBs. So unless Milano takes a significant hometown discount to stay with the Bills he will be one of the first good players drafted by this regime to end up walking out the door. Drafting Zack Moss instead of signing a veteran RB like Gordon is another great way to save cap dollars. Having 2 primary RBs on rookie deals saves money that can be put elsewhere. Trading for Diggs and paying a higher premium for the cost controlled contract is what Beane does instead of paying a lesser draft price for Hopkins but then paying significantly more in cap $ for him resulting in not signing or resigning another good player. That is why I find much of the talk of acquiring Ngakoue and others like him to be mostly outlandish. We currently have a decent amount of cap space but things are going to get tight real soon and there is no way the Bills go out and start paying huge dollars to outsiders and then have to let others like Dawkins or White go as a result. Think about how much cap $ it will take to retain White, Dawkins, Milano (if they decided on that route which is unlikely) as 2 of them are on the last year of their contract and the other will get a significant pay increase with the 5th year option before he signs a mega deal here or elsewhere. After 2 years, both Edmunds and Allen get big raises with their 5th year options and most likely long-term mega deals. The $ will be spent on these core players, not elsewhere. And once $ is spent on those core players many "peripheral" talent on this team will end up walking out the door. So every drafted player and value free agent that can slide into a peripheral players spot will help maintain the core for years to come.

Drafting both Fromm and Bass shows foresight. The moves give us a glimpse as to what we should expect to see in the coming seasons. The Bills are going into their 3rd season with Allen and it won’t be long before he gets a healthy pay raise with the 5th year option. The window of having a cheap starting qb is nearing an end and with that things will change. Allen is getting to the point in his career where he will no longer need a veteran in the room to “show him the way”. He is the franchise qb and with that he should be the leader in the room. Fromm may not displace Barkley this year but I fully expect that he will take over the backup qb role at the end of the 2020 season. The Bills can save cap space by not resigning Barkley and going with the cheaper rookie contract as the backup. These are moves that need to be made especially when trying to resign other players coming up such as Tre White and Dawkins. It would be nice to keep Barkley but Fromm can be just as good and will save cap space which is important. Bass is a similar situation to Fromm but I think he has a better chance to actually unseat Hauschka this year. He has a much stronger leg and if he shows he can be reliable on the shorter kicks it would be difficult to cut him because he would likely be signed elsewhere. Bass has the opportunity to improve the position and save a good deal of cap space as Hauschka costs 3 million against the cap this year. There are many more moves like the above two that will be required of Beane in the next few years. The period in which Beane can overspend on veteran special teams players is also soon closing. In the drafts to come you will see the Bills target more players who can take over for higher priced veterans. So I like the moves of Fromm and Bass as you only get so many draft picks each year to use and they have begun the process of using later round picks who have a legitimate chance to make the team and help out cap situation down the road.

No interest in Trent Williams. Trading for aging veterans with large contracts at a position where we have young capable talent should not be part of the team building plan.

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But he can’t throw an accurate deep ball lol

I’m surprised he even put Allen just ahead of Haskins lol. List is such a joke with Mayfield at 10.

A RB like Edwards-Helaire in the 2nd would be a great pick and really help take this offense to the next level. We need another back to take some pressure off Singletary and when they are in the game ensure not much of a drop off. The gap between Singletary and Gore last year (especially in the second half of the year) was so vast. When Gore was in the game our offense was much more limited and anytime he touched the ball it was essentially a wasted down (he was averaging about a 1.5 ypc in the second half of season).If Gore got a touch we basically played with 2 downs instead of 3 and it killed a lot of drives. Adding fresh legs and a players with EHs ability would be a great help.

Wonder if they are tanking for Trevor Lawrence.

Tremendous move. He is almost the same age as Richard Sherman and has been playing for a bad organization the last few years. That can wear a player down and he might very well have a bounce back year in a CB friendly system he is familiar with. 1. Low risk and cost 2. Gives us another CB threat to pair with Tre White (there still is a mental aspect about trying to attack a CB who has been there done that and those CBs tend to getting a little more leeway with the refs - think Sherman in age and player status) 3. Provides depth as well as some insurance if White decides to hold out this year 4. It gives the team and defense a player with an edge and dog mentality. This is one thing our defense has generally lacked in as Norman like Sherman is not afraid to back down from a fight and he will not be afraid to call out teammates and hold people accountable. I think every team needs at least one player like this that has that edge, not crazy type like Antonio Brown or selfish like Beckham but a personality edge like a Sherman or Steve Smith.

He reminds me of Mark Ingram. I'm not sure he has the same level of burst and power as Ingram but the body type, style, catching ability etc. is all very similar. Even though he is not a tall back, I think we could all agree that having an Ingram-like back to pair with Singletary would be a nice combination.

Bills fans should be happy to have Josh Allen. He has all the tools to be special and the competitive spirit to keep getting better. Allen has yet to be surrounded by a dynamic talent on offense. The best skill player he has had so far is probably Devon Singletary and he was a rookie. Josh has been our playmaker since he was inserted into the staring lineup and I would expect that he will get some more help next year. I have absolutely no doubt he is a franchise qb and we can win a Super Bowl with him and be in contention year after year. He might be the most scrutinized qb I can remember. Allen can make 2-3 plays that maybe only 1 or 2 qbs in the league could make and his play is met with mostly surprise. Then he makes a mistake as all qbs do and it seems like so many are all too eager to be the first to say he is a project. We have WRs dropping passes or having no sideline awareness that compound things and very little is said. But as soon as Josh makes the mistake its like putting honey out near a hornets nest. I’m convinced that some people won’t admit Josh is a franchise qb until he has won a championship and even then it might be done begrudgingly.

Would have liked AJ Brown in the 2nd. Maybe one of the few mistake Beane has made was trading up for Ford. Hopefully, Ford develops into a solid OT but it sure would have been nice to have had a legitimate #1 wr on the outside last week.

I’ve wanted to get Yeldon on the field some the past few games if nothing else to keep Gore fresh as he was looking tired. But now the playoffs are here and I like having Gore alongside the rookie Singletary. It is a big game and I want Singletary out there on most downs but it might be nice if Gore could add that veteran calming presence to the position. Gore has gotten some rest and he should looked closer to what he was earlier in the season. If there are any big changes I might want to find a way to get Duke on the active roster. He adds something we don’t have and he has that “dog” mentality that I like playing on the road.

The point was not that Allen is going to become the greatest qb of all time but that even the greatest qb of all time was not a finished product in the first few years as a starter. Brady made plays when counted on but the early Patriot teams relied more on defense and running the football. It was not until 2005 that Brady threw for over 4,000 for the first time. He was basically a 3600 yard passer with 26-28 tds before they started relying more and more on Brady’s arm to where he could throw for 5,000 and 50 tds in 2007. The fact is the Patriots did not put everything on Brady in his first few years and only later ran the offense threw him when he had proven he could handle that responsibility. Right now, the coaching staff tries to protect Allen and they rely heavily on their defense. They are very conservative on offense until they need Allen to make a play and then they let him loose. At the end of games and 3rd and long situations they allow Allen to open in up and cut it loose a little more and generally he has shown that he is able to make 3rd and longs at a high rate and he moves the ball effectively in 2 minute situations. I think the coaching staff will continue to shift responsibility on Allen as he shows he can handle it. Nobody knows where his ceiling is at but I’m optimistic he can be a top 5 qb in this league when it is all said and done.