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Everything posted by blacklabel
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How is Dean Marlowe not still around?
blacklabel replied to Griff28's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
I think Kerley lost a step. Then they picked up Ray-Ray who's similar in size and faster so it seems like they wanna develop him instead of hanging onto a 31 or 32 year old WR. -
The free agent wide receivers available next off-season aren't awe-inspiring, really. And based on the free agents they've signed so far, it seems like they look for guys coming off their rookie deals. Which is smart, it gives you a player in his prime age (25, 26, 27) but still has 3-5 years under his belt. Larry Fitzgerald is the top one but I'm sure he'd rather retire than play elsewhere. Randall Cobb will be an FA but has dealt with a number of injuries over the last few years and is currently making $10 mil a year. Obviously, he won't get that again seeing how he's 29, but he'll try and I don't think Buffalo would be willing to come close to what he wants. Donte Moncrief could be available, he's on a one-year deal in Jacksonville right now and has actually played pretty well for them so they may extend him during the season, who knows. Tavon Austin would be available but no thank you. Golden Tate would be a great addition but he's 31, so unless they bring him in to be like the "elder statesman" of the WR group, that's the only way I can see it happening. He's quietly had big numbers year after year so I think any young receiver would benefit in learning from him. Ryant Grant from Indy could be a possibility. He's 27 and on a one-year prove it deal. So far he's played really well in Indy, has 24 catches for 246 yards and a score. He might be a name to keep an eye on. John Brown from Baltimore will be available. He said earlier this year that his decision came down to the Bills and Ravens and he chose to go with the team not in a rebuild, can't blame him. Dude is a legit deep threat, has 19 receptions for 396 yards, a nearly 21 yard average per reception. He'll be 29 or 30 next year so, we'll see if they circle back to him and try again. Jermaine Kearse formerly of Seattle and currently with the Jets would be available. Seems like his best play was in Seattle though as he hasn't been much of a factor since joining the Jets. Terrelle Pryor, also a Jet, also would be available. He'll be 31 next season so... I doubt they'd be interested. Cordarrelle Patterson would be free but I don't think he's a real big "process" guy. Kevin White out of Chicago... this is an interesting one. Injuries have completely derailed the start of his career but he's still only 27 and does have a lot of athletic ability. But is he made of glass? Can't say I'd be surprised if they kicked the tires on him. Mike Wallace, he'll be 34 by next off-season so I think they'd pass. Chris Hogan, Bills board LEJUND will have completed his time in New England. He'll be 31 next season. Still has some left in the tank, I think. Not sure if this staff has high grades on him. Cole Beasley... Bills already have a small, shifty receiver in Ray-Ray McCloud and will probably continue to develop him as opposed to signing a guy with similar size and skill set. Quincy Enunwa from the Jets will be available. This one interests me, guy came outta nowhere a couple years ago and burned a Rex-led Bills team on Thursday night (if I recall correctly). Great route runner with sure hands, will be 27 or 28. However, he's currently a captain with the Jets so I can see the Jets making him an offer this season, unless they think they can do better or plan to look elsewhere. But he'd be a guy I'd bring in. There are a bunch more names but I'll just list the ones that stick out... Cody Latimer - former early 2nd round pick of the Broncos, currently with the Giants and hasn't produced much of anything, but that Giants offense seems to be spinning its wheels so, who knows. Philip Dorsett - former first-round guy, on the smaller side, speed is his game but he struggles to shake off tough press coverage. Currently in New England with 19 receptions for 190 yards and 2 scores. Would be a very manageable contract. Devin Funchess - ah, the Carolina connection. He's only 25, as big as KB but plays a lot harder, which is why Carolina had no problem trading KB. He started kinda slow over his first two years but last season was their #1 guy, caught 63 balls for 840 yards and 8 touchdowns. And he'll only be 26 next season. Four years in the can, still only 26, coming off his rookie deal... exactly the situation McBeane seems to look for when signing free agents. Wouldn't surprise me. De'Anthony Thomas - Will be finishing up his rookie deal and be 26 next season. Probably not a #1 WR but definitly an upgrade over what Buffalo has in terms of WR depth. And he's been buried behind an all-star lineup of Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. Keep an eye on this one. They may see him as a young guy they can still develop. Justin Hunter - Hey, look at this guy. Former second round pick. Actually played fairly well for the Bills in what...2016? Has never lived up to the early 2nd-round pick that Tennessee used on him. Big dude, can high point the ball well (caught 10 passes for the Bills, 4 of them being TDs) but has never broke more than 30 receptions in a season. I think he struggles a lot to separate and the Bills already have enough of those guys. Other names: Jordan Matthews (been there, done that), Aldrick Robinson (playing well this year but will be 31 next season), Josh Gordon (not really the "process" type), Kendall Wright (former 2nd round pick, will be 30 next season), Michael Floyd (has never lived up to his 1st round status and has had loads of off-field issues), Chris Conley (this one is intriguing, still only 26 years old, former 3rd round pick, and like De'Anthony Thomas, buried on KC's depth chart, keep an eye on this one), Geronimo Allison (will be 26 next year but Aaron Rodgers loves the guy so I could see him kinda banging the table for the Packers to retain him but if not, he's a 6'3" 215 lb. target that can get open. Would be worth a look), and after that it's a bunch of no-name guys. I was kinda confused by OPs post, but as for Centers, I was hoping Ali Marpet from Tampa Bay would be available. He plays guard down there but he's a versatile interior OL that can play both guard spots as well as center. However, Tampa Bay just extended his deal for another 3 years so that's out. Other than him, Ryan Kalil (Carolina connection!) will be available, but he'll be 35 next season. Still, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if they brought him in and also drafted a guy in the middle rounds to develop behind Kalil, who would provide a solid veteran presence. But, I think his situation is similar to Eric Wood's, he's played his entire career in Carolina and may just keep doing one-year deals to remain with the team until he decides to hang it up. Then there's Mitch Morse and Matt Paradis, after that it's a lot of backup players. Maybe they try to bring back Adam Redmond? I heard they were high on him and wanted to develop him but he was claimed before they could stash him on the PS. They may just continue to roll with Bodine, at least he's experienced, and try to upgrade one or both of the guard spots. Maybe they should upgrade the OL coach too if they still look like a trainwreck by the end of the year. Hope this helped. Spotrac is yo friend.
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Yeah, pretty sure. I know he had the rib thing more recently but a couple of weeks ago he was a healthy scratch. He'd been struggling with pass protection, blitz pickup and had dropped a couple of passes as well. If they do trade Shady, I don't know that I'd be comfortable rolling with just Ivory and Murphy. I know they have Keith Ford on the practice squad but I didn't see too much from him in pre-season. I'd assume they'd snag a guy off a practice squad somewhere. Yeah, no doubt. I just think that even if they did bring Murphy back up, I'd still wanna bring in one more back just in case. They have Ford on the practice squad but if I'm them, I'd scan the waiver wire and other practice squads around the league to see what's around.
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The past few weeks have shown quite the lack of confidence in Murphy as he's been a healthy scratch. He consistently whiffed on blitz pick ups and struggles all around as a blocker because of his size. If they trade Shady, they better think about picking up someone else from a practice squad or wherever because Ivory/Murphy isn't going to cut it.
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Have a friend who's a Giants fan, he's been dying for Flowers to get pulled or cut. He's not good. Not sure exactly what the Giants saw on him coming out of college but he's been a massive bust. Believe it or not, Jordan Mills has quietly put together a decent season. In fact, the OL probably played their best game yesterday. Had a few whiffs, Casey flew threw them a couple times but overall it was immensely better than the Green Bay game. Dawkins is alright. And, again, believe it or not, Vlad Ducasse has been solid and steady. Russ Bodine and John Miller not so much. I still maintain that they tinkered with the OL lineup too much over the summer. At a certain point, you gotta identify your best five and let those guys develop chemistry. Instead, they had a different starting OL for every pre-season game and I think the lineup of Dawkins, Ducasse, Groy, Miller and Mills only played a handful of game snaps together. Groy lost whatever he had back in 2016 when he filled in well for Wood. Bodine has been better but not by much. Gotta roll with him though because at least he has four years experience as a starting center. Hopefully as the year goes on they gel together and keep getting better. But yeah, there's no way Ereck Flowers provides this team with an upgrade.
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This is an atrocity! How dare he?! Cut the kid, sell the team, burn your jerseys. It's over. Everybody go home... especially those that constantly dig for some stupid new number to point to so they can say, "I'm right, see? SEE?! THIS NUMBER SAYS SO!" "Sir, that's a banana and I'll thank you to keep it out of my face." "ANALYTICS!"
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Like: Flea Flicker... Dislike: Flea Flicker to KB
blacklabel replied to YoloinOhio's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
Hahaha, Big Sam! I was at that game. Saw the interception but was like, "There's no way he's getting to the... oh wow, he made it!" One of the best Bills season openers ever. Stark comparison to this season, which was unbelievable. Worst opener I've ever seen and very close to the worst Bills game overall, for me anyway. It's always fun to see a big guy get the ball. Always reminds me of Berman, "Rumblin', bumblin', stumblin'!" -
Yeah, I was pretty psyched that they brought him in last season. They knew they could make a serious run for a wild card spot which is why they went out and got him. Like I said (I think), a knock on him coming out of college was that old adage, "Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." Big dude, should be out there physically dominating the smaller corners he goes up against and make contested catches but he hasn't been doing that. I don't know if he took a shot at some point that's made him a little gun-shy and is causing him to play with a lot of caution or what. Maybe his knee injury sticks in his head and messes with how he can play. He just looks so far removed from the dude who snagged 79 passes for 1008 yards and 9 TDs in his rookie season. And yeah, interesting that McBeane have called him a great locker room guy after he threw Cam under the bus on his way out of Carolina and hasn't really shown much accountability for his poor start this year.
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Does anyone else wonder if Allen is hurt?
blacklabel replied to Hapless Bills Fan's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
I know against the Green Bay game he was shaking off something with his right forearm/wrist. I think it got beat up pretty good on one of his bajillion sacks but he finished the game, was off the injury report last week and finished yesterday's game so, I assume it's good. His ball placement yesterday was wonky save for a few throws (that throw over the middle to Clay is one of the nicest throws he's made as a pro QB) and that's usually a result of not having his feet set correctly. Right now, I think his internal clock is moving pretty quick. He rarely gets time to throw and he's obviously being coached to get rid of the ball fast as a way to negate the rush. So, after the snap, his thought process might be, "Must get rid of it, gotta hurry, gotta hurry" and that's just a product of being a rookie right now. Game hasn't slowed down for him yet. I think it will. He's also being thrown a lot of different things right now. I'm sure coaches are careful with how much stuff they give to him but even with that, QB is the hardest job in sports, have to know everything. While the game plan on offense yesterday wasn't flashy, it worked. They consistently picked up first downs and moved the ball well on most series'. They simplified things for Allen and leaned on the run, which is what they should be doing game by game. -
Like: Flea Flicker... Dislike: Flea Flicker to KB
blacklabel replied to YoloinOhio's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
I can hear the play-by-play now... "Groy catches it at the 50... he's at the... 48...he's at the 47... he...could....go....nope, he's down." -
How is this stat line? Edmunds thru 5 games...
blacklabel replied to Hebert19's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
Haha, nice. I haven't bought a jersey in well over a decade but yesterday I had the same thought. If I do grab one, I think it'll be #49. And yeah, it's been fun watching Edmunds out there. It's insane that his size alone is enough to make QBs pause about going over the middle. Add his size to his range on the field and he takes away throwing lanes all over the field. He's always around the ball, his first step usually goes in the right direction and with each week, he's showing better instincts, better reaction time, etc. He's only five games in and already he has coaches talking about how quickly he improves, how the game is already slowing down for him and how the sky really is the limit for this dude. I hope he's a cornerstone on this defense for the next 10-12 years. Right alongside Tre' White, Harrison Phillips, even Taron Johnson if he keeps playing how he has. Matt Milano as well. People can doubt all they want, but those doubts are based on the fact that these people aren't seeing immediate results. It takes time, but they're doing this the right way. Edmunds, White and Milano, three full-time starters on their rookie deals. Taron Johnson, Harrison Phillips, both on rookie deals. Then they have a handful of veterans under 30 years of age all playing on very manageable contracts, followed up by a number of long-time veterans leading this team and preparing to pass the torch after this season (i.e. I think Kyle and Lorenzo both retire after this season. Kyle for sure, he can still play but I think time has finally caught up with him. Lorenzo, I like how they've moved him around this season, I think they're smart to do that. Both have their contracts end after this year.) -
I may have to take another look but from the couple times I saw it, yeah the ball came up on him fast but he had time to get his hands up and locate the ball in the air, just didn't complete the catch. I'm sure Holmes blames himself as well. He's an NFL WR, he knows he needs to come down with that. I agree with you. Especially on KB. Like I said, I dunno if the guy lost his passion for the game or just never had it but he really looks like he just doesn't care. Maybe there are things going on behind the scenes we aren't aware of, that's always possible. Maybe he has an undisclosed injury, who knows. He alligator-armed that one throw against Green Bay which he got lit up for doing and other times the effort just doesn't seem to be there at all. If it keeps up like this, I can see them moving him for a late round pick at the trade deadline. If he plays out the year here with the same attitude and performances, they won't retain him. I dunno if he'd be out of the league completely. There are plenty WR-needy teams that'll believe they can get something out of him simply for his size alone (in fact, I'm pretty sure his size at this point is the only thing keeping him around) but they aren't going to pay a whole lot.
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This is where I think a guy like Derek Anderson can help a lot. There's no substitute for on field experience. Sure, Allen has had Culley and Daboll guiding him a long but I don't think either of those guys has ever taken a snap. Anderson has over 10 years in the league, has played in nearly 150 games and started a bunch as well. He's seen a lot and surely can help Allen out much the same way he helped out Cam.
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Adam Archuleta (I think?) did the color commentary for yesterday's game and said the same thing about Holmes that Benoit did. He said Holmes waited for the ball to come to him when he should've been working his way back toward the QB, especially since he had a defender closing in. And I agree there have been times where Allen zips it when he should've let off a little bit. I noticed at least two instances yesterday of where Zay had to correct where KB lined up. I saw an article of post that described KB's play/demeanor this season as "uninterested" and that's pretty accurate. Maybe he lost it, maybe he never had it, but the kid just doesn't look passionate about the sport. And he's in a contract year. Normally, players in his position wanna ball out in hopes they can land a nice deal. He doesn't seem to be interested in doing that. Or maybe the lack of chemistry with Allen is getting to him and that causes his effort to plummet, who knows, ya know? Either way, he just has not been good enough. I never like to ridicule or be overly harsh in criticism of players but honestly, KB strikes me as soft. I think I heard about that around the time he was drafted. Something like, "he may be 6'5" 245 but plays like a much smaller receiver." Not great, Bob. Team obviously needs WR help. I also think they may try to add a more talented TE. I think Clay is alright but I'm pretty sure his knees have kept him from being the player he knows he can be. And with the way his contract is structured, I can see them moving on from him after this season. And I bring up the TEs as well because Daboll uses them a lot in his offense. Can't wait to see what this team can do with upgrades on offense.
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I've lost count at home many times I've seen similar tweets already. Believe it or not, the media is paying attention to the Bills, it just doesn't make for flashy TV/radio/internet to focus on and talk about a team that's in a rebuild and is gonna have a bumpy ride this season. But I've seen several tweets like this. Another one said, "Sean McDermott is one of the best coaches at getting something from so little." And just like you said, can't wait to see what's possible once they add some real talent in a number of position groups. If they can get two not-so-super-talented rosters to play this well (with one making the playoffs) I can't wait to see what they can do with a more talented group. It's coming together. Keep on trusting that process.
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Where are you credentials? Aside from "I've watched this game since 1943!" I mean, when it comes to football and player analysis, I'm apt to trust the work done by two guys with a combined 40 years in the business as well as the front office and scouting group they've assembled. Seriously, they've hit on a number of their draft picks already. Let's have a look... 2017 Tre' White - already one of the best players on the team. Zay Jones - actually leading the team in receptions. The three-year rule applies to WRs especially because the college game doesn't do a whole lot to prepare a receiver for the NFL. Plus, his first year was spent with a run-first team where no WRs were putting up big numbers. Like him or not, the coaching staff is high on him, they invested a high draft pick and will give him every chance to succeed. Dion Dawkins - played well enough as a rookie to unseat a 7-year vet with a contract usually reserved for Pro Bowl players (had the Bills been more relevant I can think of a couple of seasons where Glenn's play was Pro Bowl level). Still learning but for the most part, wins his one on ones and is probably the best overall player on the OL. Matt Milano - plays like his hair is on fire and is always around the ball. Forces fumbles, recovers fumbles, gets interceptions, etc. Just keeps finding ways to make plays. Nate Peterman - Swing and a miss! I mean, I'm sure he may get another shot to prove himself (I hope it doesn't come this season) but if he continues to be a practice time warrior and a game time nincompoop, they'll move on. Tanner Vallejo - They can't all be zingers. Plus, 6th round picks get cut all the time. They took a chance hoping he'd return to form from his college days (he had a season or two at Boise State where he played really well and racked up some nice numbers) but injuries have hindered his development and so, they moved on. 2018 Josh Allen - obviously need to give it time but he's flashed the big play ability, shown the athleticism, takes time for any young QB to wrap their head around NFL defenses and have the game slow down for them. I love the confidence and swagger he has and while it gets him in trouble at times, I like that he has the mentality of "I can make the play" any time he has the ball. As I said, that can get him in trouble but yesterday showed that he's learning how to throw it away or take the checkdown or whatever instead of running around doing the sandlot stuff while trying to make a play. I honestly think he'll only get better and this team is not going to give up on him easy. He will have every chance to succeed. Tremaine Edmunds - C'mon now, kid is only 20 years old, already calling the plays on defense and in only five professional regular season games, his coaches are already saying the game is slowing down for him and he's barely scratched the surface of his potential. He's already pretty solid, has forced several fumbles, like Milano, is always around the ball. Just a matter of time before he makes a "wow" play. Harrison Phillips - Coming along, seems to be getting more playing time each week. Flashed a few times in pre-season. Learning from one of the best all around DTs (and just all around football players) on the team. Only going to get better. Taron Johnson - Playing extremely well. Looking like this years Matt Milano. Siran Neal - Has raw ability and versatility which is what this coaching staff loves. And McDermott has shown a great ability to coach up DBs. Wyatt Teller - After his sophomore year he was being hyped as a 2nd-3rd round prospect. Injured his junior year, didn't take well to the new coaches in his senior year. From what I read, he showed the athletic ability and strength to hang with NFL DL but just needs more time in the classroom. I'm sure he'll get a shot at a starting job next season. Ray-Ray McCloud - Obviously fast but just as it was in college, where's his best position? At best, I think he might be a part-time receiver/gadget player and eventually a full-time returner. Austin Proehl - He was a few picks away from being an undrafted free agent. It didn't work out and they moved on. Fourteen draft picks so far, four from their first group are full-time starters. Three from the 2018 group are already starting with Harrison Phillips firmly entrenched in the DL rotation (and I expect his snap count to steadily rise over the course of the season). Overall, that's 8 out of 14 picks that are already contributing. That's a pretty good success rate. So, once again, I'mma go ahead and buy in on what these guys are doing as opposed to OP who thinks seeing the EJ Manuel debacle means he can foresee the future of another, completely different QB prospect.
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Would ya look at that... saying that the coaching and scheme plays a big role in their success. And I agree with some others that have said it, the defense does have some talented guys. If the coaching can get these types of performances out of mostly JAG plays (at least on offense) I can't wait to see what they can do with some real talent.
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Is Josh Allen just a taller Tyrod Taylor
blacklabel replied to C.Biscuit97's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
The fact that Allen doesn't fear any throw to any point on the field is proof enough for me that he's not a taller Tyrod Taylor. He's gonna show hesitancy from time to time and other times he's going to drop back, decide and throw, like that perfect pass he hit to Clay over the middle early in the game. That was executed exactly how it's drawn up. Allen dropped and as soon as he hit his back foot he fired it, just as Clay comes out of his break, it's on him as soon as he puts his hands up. Great throw and catch for a first down. Those types of throws don't happen with Taylor here. Even when he was surrounded by Watkins, Woods, Goodwin, Clay, etc. Taylor has to see his man wide open before he throws it. Allen, while he does do that as well, has shown the ability to throw it on time and with anticipation. It's no doubt a skill he still needs to work on but just the fact that we've seen him do it on several occasions should bode well for his future. Just keep learning, keep rounding out his game, I think he'll be alright. -
Like: Flea Flicker... Dislike: Flea Flicker to KB
blacklabel replied to YoloinOhio's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
I didn't mind the play call, I'm all for a team being aggressive. IMO, they drew it up for KB in an effort to get him a big play right off the bat and maybe get his confidence up or spark his motivation. As others have said, I figured I'd see Foster as the target. Overall, the offense yesterday wasn't great but they weren't terrible. They consistently picked up first downs and the run game was working well against a pretty good DL. -
Due to the cap situation and the stage they're at in this rebuild, it's easy to say Beane hasn't done much for the pro side. They've signed players to reasonable, manageable deals that seem to be both teams and player friendly. McDermott brought in Hyde and Poster and Beane added Lotulelei, Murphy and Ivory this year. And as you pointed out, his draft (he's really only responsible for this season so far) was pretty good. Combine his picks with McDermott last year and it looks like this. 2017 Tre' White - shaping up to be a home run of a pick. Kid is already very good and seems to be skyrocketing his way to great. Zay Jones - Jury is still out. The three year rule applies to receivers especially. The college game has become a detriment to WRs and OL especially. WRs are used to pass-happy offenses with lots of small routes that don't fly in the NFL and OL prospects hardly play with their hand in the dirt. Zay is gonna stick around for a bit despite his numbers. They like his work ethic and invested a high pick on him. They'll give him every chance to succeed. Dion Dawkins - Unseated a 6-year starter in his rookie year and has looked pretty good. Matt Milano - Looks more and more like a steal every week. Always around the ball. Nate Peterman - Yikes on bikes. Tanner Vallejo - 6th round picks get cut all the time. 2018 Josh Allen - too early to tell but plenty to work with. Tremaine Edmunds - the more experience he gets the better he'll be. Can run all over the field, makes throwing over the middle tough due to his length and range. Harrison Phillips - probably gets more playing time as the season goes on and has flashed at times. Has a chance to be solid. Taron Johnson - seems to be the Matt Milano of this season. Sure tackler, great instincts and awareness, good recovery speed, smart. Siran Neal - work in progress. Wyatt Teller - see Neal. Ray-Ray McCloud - developing, at best I think he can carve out a role as a returner/gadget player, maybe deep threat. Austin Proehl - was like, less than 5 picks from being Mr. Irrelevant, didn't work out. Overall, they've drafted 14 players. Seven of them are already starting. Several of them have a chance to be special players. Hitting on 8 of 14 of your draft picks like that? I'd say that's a job well done so far. Interested to see what they do this off-season now that they have some money to throw around. I also expect them to wheel and deal and acquire more picks and maybe flip some picks for players down the line. Should be fun.
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I kinda always felt Whaley took some unfair blame for things that weren't 100% his call. The more I learn about his tenure here the more I wonder a couple of things, one, was the dude just like, a puppet GM with other guys like Brandon actually calling the shots? Or two, was he urged to move the team in certain directions? Three, did he just allow himself to get stepped in and outranked? Because him and Marrone didn't get along, and then I'm fairly certain that Rex was not his first choice but wound up stuck with him anyway. Was he never able to assert himself? Or was it too much of what Joe B said with the "good soldier" stuff? Definitely seemed like the trainwreck was really off the rails during his time.
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Derek Anderson to sign with Bills per Mort
blacklabel replied to billieve420's topic in The Stadium Wall Archives
Good. Surprised it took this long. Maybe they felt coaching alone would've been enough for Allen but I always thought they needed a guy who's been in it before. Anderson always made sense to me.