Drunken Pygmy Goat

ESPN Insider worthy???

I think most Bills fans were of the belief that Marcel had just been dealt several horrible hands in life, and were hoping or assuming he'd eventually get past that. On the field, he was dominant, and the Bills paid him for that. Essentially, these people are simply making predictions based on what we've all seen. Its up to the players to prove them wrong. Dareus didn't. Star and Murphy may.

If Star blows up, and Murphy flops, your opinion will change. Only time will tell if these are good deals or not.

It is a bit of a natural reaction, as fans of a certain team, to have that point of view. We want to hear good things about our team, and don't want to hear negative stuff, especially this time of year, when there's no proof one way or another being played out on the field. Actially, that's what makes it easy for these "journalists" to put this kind of stuff out, right now specifically. They know how to play into the mental aspect of fans, and how that translates into a certain reaction and clicks. We all generally see this type of "journalism" for what it is, but based on the current media and social media landscape, and perspective of the average reader, it's really genius. Again, I didn't read the article, mainly because of that, and the fact that the author's general perspective was clearly stated in the thread title. Right now, no one knows if those were "bad" signings, or bad contracts. In 3 years, we could view the "overpaid" Star contract as being more of a good bargain, especially as the cap increases. And as others have stated, I'll trust Beane and McDermott and their opinions of Star and others more than a guy that needs to make money for his media outlet. Perhaps they put more value in Star then just his abilities against the run. He knows the system, so there's not as much of a learning curve for him. That should also help his teammates in getting up to speed faster. And based on their time in Carolina, they certainly seem to put more emphasis on building the defense from the inside out, and allocating more resources there. If you look at Kyle's contract, you could argue that they "overpaid" a bit. He wasn't the same level of player last year, but what he brings to the locker room has value. That alone may have earned him an extra $1-2 million. Culture and character is obviously something that has value to this staff, so if they believe Star fits that description, it's worth it, at least to them (which is all that matters) to spend a little more for that player specifically, over spending on a guy with slightly better numbers, but with more questionable character.

Which is why I'm not clicking the link...Most people think those were two pretty solid additions, including myself. Rosenthal just needs to meet a quota. Great way to do that is to put out something that fans don't agree with in General.

One guy hasn't missed playing time and is among the leaders in tackles since entering the league. The other has missed a bunch of playing time and may have thrived in a specific scheme. I think Gaines thought he would cash in due to the being a CB after a good showing last year. Problem is he has injury concerns and not everyone plays zone.

Agreed. That run may have been one play, but it actually ended up being crucial to that win, and essentially, the playoff birth.

I was hoping to hear this. He made some nice plays last year, and (dare I say) he looked like he had some Shady in him.

Very good post, and I agree with all of it.

This is true, but (maybe I'm alone here) I just didn't see that burst off the snap last year that helped make his game so much better. Father time seems to have caught up to him. Still a good player, but I think his value to the team leans more on the side of character than it does level of play, and that's very important. The players in the locker room look up to him, and their level of play is elevated simply by having that type of character and attitude around, not to mention his knowledge. That man gives the team everything he has. The rest of the team sees that, and doesn't want to let him down. The way they all congratulated him after his TD says it all. They were like giddy little kids. That type of heart is important. Effort trumps talent every time.

I agree with the OP. Murphy is my favorite so far. Not just because of his attitude, but more specifically, his signing (hopefully) will lead to a much better pass rush than the Bills had last year. We don't really know what the Bills plan to do with Lawson, but they currently have a nice rotation on the edges. Yarborough was a pleasant surprise last year, but didn't seem very consistent. For a defense that seems very bend, don't break, and tends to spend more time on the field than most teams as a result, a good rotation is necessary. And I think Kyle's attitude and approach bleeds into the rest of the players on defense, and Murphy will see that quickly. He already seems to fit into that mold, and will probably adjust to his new team quickly. Star is also a great addition, for many of the same reasons, only he's more important in run defense. He pushes Washington down the depth chart, allowing for better rotation as well, and is obviously familiar with McDermott and his scheme and philosophy. It won't take him long at all to get up to speed. He, too, seems to fit the "character" mold. He may not match the level of play of a fully motivated Dareus, especially rushing the QB, but for the money and what you get in return (as opposed to a non-fully motivated Dareus), you couldn't ask for a better replacement IMO.

It happens all the time. Blaine Gabbert is a good example. Blake Bortles, to a lesser extent. It's the nature of the position. For the record, Blaine Gabbert was the only QB that I was 100% certain was being severely overhyped and wouldn't be very good. There have been a few QBs that I didn't think would be as good as they ended up being. Granted they weren't being overhyped like guys like Gabbert, but they slightly proved me wrong. Conversely, I was certain Dak and Deshaun would be good pros, while very few others agreed. I don't think Allen will ever be a Pro Bowl/franchise calibur type QB, but I could be wrong, and have been before. I don't want him to fail, and wish him the best.

This right here is how you make an argument for Allen. Perhaps the talent he played with (or lack thereof) is something that GMs and scouts are factoring in more than most of us, and see through that. On the other hand, Wyoming didn't exactly face the toughest, most talented opponents very often either.

I get what you're saying, but I just don't see Allen being as good as advertised (hyped). He wasn't rated this high in December... I get it; there's a lot to like about the guy. He has the size and good arm. Seems like a good, mature kid. But on the field (what matters most) he wasn't very consistent. If the hype is real, I don't get it, fully. Then again, I'm no scout or GM. I just don't think he's the guy you trade the farm for to draft in the top 3, especially based on the tape.

Yeah, and it's not as if there's only one writer for each of those outlets.

Not only that, but that QB may not end up being the "right" one. It very possible the Bills trade up to wherever and select Rosen, and he doesn't pan out. Or Allen ends up being the best in the draft when all is said and done.

No doubt that happens. That kind of thing isn't exclusive to football. But the main issue in this thread shouldn't be the idea that Allen is being overhyped, or why. It should be the idea that the Bills, specifically, are the team that will draft him @ #2 overall. IMO, Beane had eyes on a QB or QBs over a year ago, hence the trades to gain extra draft capital. Once they happened, many of us felt it was all with the intention of adding ammo for a move up in this year's draft for a QB. Now, Taylor is gone, and they moved Glenn to move up already, which all but tips the hand that the Bills want a QB In the draft. I have a hard time believing that all of this was done for a player that wasn't considered a top 2 QB until 2018, warranted or not.

Pretty simple to figure out actually, and it's not due to what he did on the field.

What happened is NFL GMs know how to play their cards. They have their eyes set on a guy or guys, and a good way to keep that secret is to give the impression that that person is someone else. Allen is the perfect pawn.

Says who? You?

I love it! Not the Bills selecting Allen, but the consensus that they will. It's smoky in here...

Wishiful thinking, OP. I don't think there's any way we can definitively say that the Bills have the staff in place to properly develop a QB (nor can you say that they don't have the staff). Simply put, we just don't know. I think most people will agree that the arrow is pointing up, from an organisational standpoint, but what exactly that will lead to is completely unkown at this point. We're heading into year 2, with multiple coaching changes, and question marks with regards to the roster. Solid foundation laid, unlike previous regimes, and the monkey (it was more like a gorilla) is off their backs, but to say things with such certainty, at this point, is really just wishful thinking IMO. That's not to say that I don't like what's happening, or that my cup is half empty, but we need to see more before we can speak so confidently IMO. What we probably CAN feel confident about is the structure at the top. Call it a sample size if you want (not necessarily incorrect), but a lot has happened in the last 13+ months. Considering the drought and the state of the fan base at the time, our HC/GM have proven a few things in a short amount of time that I don't think anyone expected. They've proven that they have a plan in place, and will stick to it no matter what, but will alter their plans a bit if the opportunity presents itself. They made several moves before week one last year that weren't very popular with most fans at the time, that they knew would get the kind of reaction that they did. They didn't see it as "tanking", but as "building", and perhaps the Bills overachieved in the end, but those moves were all a part of the plan. They aren't afraid. They're bold, but not too bold. They're smart. They know what's important when it comes to building a winner. So far, they've proven that they won't reach in the draft. Still, what all of this will lead to remains to be seen.

SIGN EVERYONE!!!!

Agreed. It's not always the case, but when it comes to free agents, you tend to get your money's worth more often with linemen than you do LBs. But Bradham would be a nice addition that shouldn't break the bank. That's my train of thought. A good line trickles all the way down to the secondary.

"Minimal impact to cap space..."