transplantbillsfan

Seriously... more than any other year. Weird. 3 weeks and a few hours and the draft final begins!!!

Why? Other than his physical traits, what about Allen makes you think there's a reasonable chance he will succeed? As far as I know, there literally hasn't been an NFL QB prospect who played at a small school against weak competition and had a poor completion %, mediocre stats, and didn't improve year by year and went onto a successful NFL career since Brett Favre, and he was drafted in the 2nd round. You'd have to go back to Phil Simms in the 1979 draft almost 40 years ago to find a QB who checks all those boxes, was drafted in the top 10 and went onto a successful NFL career. So honestly, what about Allen makes you think he has a reasonable chance to be successful? I ask because I'm terrified we might draft him and it would be helpful to delude myself we made a good pick sooner rather than later.

Yet another piece of evidence that Baker Mayfield is the best of this bunch. If we draft Baker Mayfield, I will buy his jersey. I've only owned one other jersey in my life... Freddy Jackson.

Completely agree with you on the Jackson >>>>> Allen assessment. It's unfathomable to me that people are pumping Allen up like this and Jackson has become the forgotten man... at least publicly. There are only 3 QBs I think are worthy of a top 10 pick: Mayfield, Darnold & Rosen. And Jackson, not Allen, is the guy I think is right behind them. And if we draft him at 12, I think that'll be a great pick. I'm just so terrified we draft Allen.

God I hope so. The Allen hype is just baffling the hell outta me.

I was listening to the Colin Cowherd show this morning and he had Joe Banner on and I thought he had an interesting take. First of all, back in 2014 he was with the Cleveland Browns during the draft process, but left the team before the NFL draft. Banner specifically said he was shocked when the Browns ended up drafting Manziel because during the draft process, which he was a big part of, they saw ALL the red flags having to do with Johnny Football, refuting Manziel's comments on the DP show yesterday, but apparently the owner just stepped in and made the call. BUT THEN ALSO When asked how he would rank the QBs in the draft class this year, he specifically brought up the 2 character traits for a QB he deemed most important: Accuracy & Smarts. And he brought up Baker Mayfield and Baker Mayfield alone. I'm worried he might be the 1st. 1) Mayfield to the Browns 2) Darnold to the Giants 3) Rosen to the Jets That's my nightmare scenario. If that happens, I really really really really hope we don't make the mistake of trading up for Josh Allen and if we have the choice at 12 between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, I really really really hope we take Jackson.

See... this is kinda what I was figuring the impact would be with the lack of an agent. Agents are there to get you the rounds on NFL Network and pump you up publicly. But NFL teams don't care about that. That's why I'm wondering if NFL teams have actually loved this move by Jackson because it's making it easier for them to let him slide a few spots. It'll be interesting if Jackson goes before Darnold, Rosen, Allen or Mayfield.

Nah, I think most just hope/assume our HC/GM are smart and good at their jobs and wouldn't do something like draft a comparatively crappy QB in an otherwise loaded class. Seriously... in the last 30-40 years how many QBs were so mediocre to bad at a tiny school against crappy competition? When I say comparatively, I mean consider what other QBs in that time were doing in terms of passing, too. Hell you probably have to go back to Phil Simms to find the only really relevant example when he was drafted 7th 39 years ago. Brett Favre went in the 2nd round... poor team that drafted him didn't even reap the benefits. Matt Ryan had a significantly higher completion % than Allen 10 years ago and improved every year against Division I ACC teams. Matthew Stafford might have ended his college career with only a slightly higher completion % than Allen but unlike Allen, Stafford improved significantly every single year as a starter against high level SEC competition. Where is any of this for Allen? 3rd round project QB I'd absolutely get behind. Maybe even overdraft in the 2nd round because he does have the potential to be a Franchise QB. But you draft a QB in the top 10 of the 1st round because you're utterly confident he's going to be a Franchise QB, not because of his potential to be one. Personally, I think he might drop precipitously... and I sure hope we don't bite.

Has anyone noticed the national media seems absolutely clueless we have 2 picks in each of the 1st 3 rounds? Tonight NFL network was blowing up how the Patriots have 4 picks in the 1st 2 rounds. Has anyone heard anyone at all nationally even reference all the picks we have?

God I hope not. Newton won the Heisman and a National Championship and was an absolutely dominant college player against the highest level of competition. Allen is a far cry from that. This just all feels like NFL coaches and GMs trying to get some other team to bite on Allen so another prospect falls a little further.

If it's for Allen, me too... begrudgingly. I still don't think it'll be for Allen, though. Just way too much smoke connecting us to him.

I'd still challenge anyone to find a QB with such a comparatively crappy completion % on a crappy team against crappy competition in the last 30 years who went in the 1st round. When I say comparatively, I mean consider what other QBs in that time are doing in terms of passing, too. Hell you probably have to go back to Phil Simms to find the only really relevant example when he was drafted 7th 39 years ago. Brett Favre went in the 2nd round... poor team that drafted him didn't even reap the benefits. Matt Ryan had a significantly higher completion % than Allen 10 years ago and improved every year against Division I ACC teams. Matthew Stafford might have ended his college career with only a slightly higher completion % than Allen but unlike Allen, Stafford improved significantly every single year as a starter against high level SEC competition. Where is any of this for Allen? 3rd round project QB I'd absolutely get behind. Maybe even overdraft in the 2nd round because he does have the potential to be a Franchise QB. But you draft a QB in the top 10 of the 1st round because you're utterly confident he's going to be a Franchise QB, not because of his potential to be one.

Jesus people are really just being so dismissive of Jackson as stupid right now. I think it's being lazy. First of all, the QB order I want is Mayfield THEN Darnold THEN Rosen (though skeptically) THEN Jackson. If we get one of those first 3, I think Bills fans will generally be very peaceful for awhile with regard to QB discussion. I want any of those 3 guys before Jackson, ESPECIALLY Mayfield. But I'll be happy with Jackson. Unfortunately, if we draft Jackson, apparently all hell is going to break loose as I feel like things will just devolve into factions again. I get it, a 13 on the wonderlic means he's dumb as rocks. It's that simple for some folks. Have you looked at that test? Have you taken it? Here, take it https://footballiqscore.com/ I can understand the reasoning for measuring a QB's cognitive ability as far as processing football plays in a timely manner. What I cannot understand are how 50 question that have to do with analogies, puzzles and mathematical equations in 12 minutes equates to football success. I just looked at the test, hit start and tried it for the first time at work 'cause I had a free 12 minutes. I got a 22. I also got an 1130 on my SATs. Whatever those numbers are or how people view those numbers, I don't view those numbers as measurements of my intelligence because, frankly, I'm a bad test taker. (Or I view myself as one as, at the very least, I'm self-aware enough to realize that just comes off as an excuse). But as far as "bad test-takers," some people are. I also suck at math and am at least 15 years removed from doing any real math at this point in my life. I'm sure I could score higher than that 22 if I separated myself from all the distractions at work and really focused rather than just deciding to throw 12 minutes at 50 questions for fun. But I already took that test and now I'm tied to that 22 because maybe I didn't take it as seriously as I should have or maybe I didn't understand the appropriate test taking strategy for this test was to just skip any question I get caught on so I can answer as many correctly as possible. All tests are different. I understand that Lamar Jackson doesn't talk the way we think of "face-of-the-franchise QBs" talk. He's not articulate or outspoken the way we think a QB should be. But that doesn't mean he's not smart in his own way or smart enough to play QB. And it certainly doesn't mean his teammates wouldn't follow him as a leader. Dude is an unbelievably talented playmaker. And he's absolutely light years already as a passer ahead of the last guy we had who seemed to completely divide Bills fans. Is he stupid? I don't think so. In fact, there are many accounts anecdotally of the guy having everything it takes in terms of processing and work ethic to be a successful passing QB in the NFL. https://www.fanragsports.com/nfl-draft/evaluating-and-grading-top-qbs-in-2018-nfl-draft/ Mental Processing Jackson: This is a strength for Jackson. He does a good job deciphering coverages and moving underneath defenders with his eyes based on things he saw before and after the snap. His work ethic has allowed for significant improvement in this area, but there are still times where he gets a little frazzled and doesn’t move through progressions cleanly. Generally speaking, Jackson does a good job working high to low and getting the ball out as needed. Personally, Jackson isn't my 1st choice. Or my 2nd. Or my 3rd. But if we don't trade up in the draft (which I still think we will) and we end up with Jackson while keeping all the rest of our picks, that might be a damn good consolation prize

Wow... I like the work you put in, but I just don't see it. And I disagree on the completion % thing... it's less of a concern for me with Lamar Jackson because of the sheer number of drops by his WRs, which you could even still see on his pro day. But Allen should have simply been dominant. He wasn't.

Tyrod over Jackson??? Oh boy... the QB order I want is Mayfield THEN Darnold THEN Rosen (though skeptically) THEN Jackson. If we get one of those first 3, I think this board will generally be very peaceful for awhile. I want any of those 3 guys before Jackson, ESPECIALLY Mayfield. But I'll be happy with Jackson. Unfortunately, if we draft Jackson, apparently all hell is going to break loose and this board is going to divide in half again. I get it, a 13 on the wonderlic means he's dumb as rocks. It's that simple for some folks. Have you looked at that test? Have you taken it? Here, take it https://footballiqscore.com/ I can understand the reasoning for measuring a QB's cognitive ability as far as processing football plays in a timely manner. What I cannot understand are how 50 question that have to do with analogies, puzzles and mathematical equations in 12 minutes equates to football success. I just looked at the test, hit start and tried it for the first time at work 'cause I had a free 12 minutes. I got a 22. I also got an 1130 on my SATs. Whatever those numbers are or how people view those numbers, I don't view those numbers as measurements of my intelligence because, frankly, I'm a bad test taker. (Or I view myself as one as, at the very least, I'm self-aware enough to realize that just comes off as an excuse). But as far as "bad test-takers," some people are. I also suck at math and am at least 15 years removed from doing any real math at this point in my life. I'm sure I could score higher than that 22 if I separated myself from all the distractions at work and really focused rather than just deciding to throw 12 minutes at 50 questions for fun. But I already took that test and now I'm tied to that 22 because maybe I didn't take it as seriously as I should have or maybe I didn't understand the appropriate test taking strategy for this test was to just skip any question I get caught on so I can answer as many correctly as possible. All tests are different. I understand that Lamar Jackson doesn't talk the way we think of "face-of-the-franchise QBs" talk. He's not articulate or outspoken the way we think a QB should be. But that doesn't mean he's not smart in his own way or smart enough to play QB. And it certainly doesn't mean his teammates wouldn't follow him as a leader. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2662128-the-education-of-lamar-jackson-how-louisville-qb-went-from-project-to-superstar The Education of Lamar Jackson: How Louisville QB Went from Project to Superstar He picked Louisville, knowing coach Bobby Petrino's history of developing QBs. Then Petrino delivered the playbook. "It looked like foreign letters," Jackson remembers. "I came from a high school where I didn't have a playbook or anything like that. Coach would draw it up and get the headset on, and we'd go after it." and And so when Jackson arrived on campus, he was not even named among the three guys who might be the starting quarterback. The playbook was still Greek to him, as were progressions, tight ends in motion and blitzes. Darn blitzes. That was a year ago. A few days ago, he threw for six touchdowns and ran for two more. and "At first, I was like, 'Why are they trying to make me do this?'" Jackson says. "'I'm trying to sleep.' It was crazy. I'd watch my bad plays—my good plays, too." The truth is, at first he wasn't even sure exactly what he was watching. Then it started making sense, and he realized he enjoyed it. "When I started getting more into it, I realized, 'This is what I'm here for.'" and Petrino says some of the things usually considered "natural intangibles" need to be worked on, too. For example, last year, Jackson was petrified to talk with the media. So he took a media class and also enlisted the help of a local reporter.

Yep. Has anyone ever been so wildly unsuccessful as a QB at such a small college against such crappy competition and been drafted super high and come into the NFL and been a Franchise QB? That's a legit question. Can anyone identify anyone?

Who are the top 4? If Allen is in the top 4, then I agree there will be a good QB outside of the top 4. His name is Lamar Jackson. I don't think Allen belongs in the top 4. Or the top 5... because I'd prefer Rudolph over Allen, too.

Totally disagree. QB is everything. Haven't we friggin figured that out, yet? We might be able to swing trading up to #2 for, say, both our 1sts and both our 2nds this year plus a 1st or 2nd next year. Considering we'd still have 5 picks this year and a ton of Cap space next offseason, we would absolutely not be mortgaging our future, especially considering that what we "paid" to get some of the draft picks we would give away were assets McDermott and Beane didn't want, anyway (Tyrod, Sammy, & Darby) or never even had the opportunity to utilize at all due to injury (Glenn). We're still in good shape if we trade up to #2 and the above is about all it takes. If we only had to trade up a few spots or somehow managed to stay at #12 and still manage to get "our guy," I think we'll be in exceptional shape and will expect us to be Super Bowl contenders by 2019.

Yes, there is. What's with the ridiculous new trend on this board of just copying and pasting song lyrics and changing 2 or 3 words thinking it's really clever? Has there been an inundation of junior high kids on this board no one told me about?

The Bills will draft a QB at 12 or earlier in a trade up. Obviously...

It's funny but I look at this differently. I think Jackson is probably the 3rd or 4th best QB in this draft (wavering between him and Darnold) but I think he's the 2nd most likely to be a superstar behind Mayfield, who I desperately want us to draft. Rosen and Darnold are both probably going to have long successful pro careers (especially Rosen), which is why I'll still be happy drafting either guy, but honestly, I think Jackson and Mayfield have a higher potential to be special.

Mayfield!!! Mayfield!!! Mayfield!!! If we don't end up with Darnold, Mayfield, Rosen or Jackson at QB, this draft will be an epic fail for me until I use the 4 1/2 months that's between the draft and the regular season to delude myself otherwise.

I finally got through the bulk of this thing. Thanks for posting! My thoughts that Mayfield is best-in-class are partly reaffirmed here, though he argues more strongly for Rosen. From the beginning I've said Mayfield, Darnold and Jackson are the 3 guys I'll be most excited to draft. This certainly doesn't change that. Though it's interesting the very direct tie the analyst makes between Lauletta and Buffalo.

I rarely listen to these podcasts, but I really enjoyed this one... thanks for posting it Dear Lord I seriously hope Mayfield ends up in a Bills uniform. There's almost starting to be too much smoke here.

Sheesh... talk about a temper tantrum Anything is possible, but it’s pretty obvious McDermott and Beane are targeting trading further up in the draft so one of those 4 guys I say are more probable than Jackson or Rudolph, though I think Jackson is a possibility