Ayjent

I really hope they have a solid game plan to build some confidence on O.

Is the OLine going to be completely addressed? The FAs are either going to be crap or way overpriced unless you can trade for good player on the line, and that is not going to happen for any current players, because the team has very few good trade assets outside of picks. So the draft right? Well...they’ve had two drafts to address aging vets and a horrid right side - the vets retired and they traded away the only bona fide above average talent on the line. Dawkins looked pretty good, but so did John miller in his first year. So next year? Maybe but they’ve got of holes they made themselves that they need to fix. Apparently it wasn’t a priority to protect their QB of the future when they could have a MLB, who knows what other position might look more attractive for a trade up next year. Remember they could’ve also not used a 2nd on Zay Jones and could’ve addressed the line then too ( I know Beane wasn’t the GM yet, but Castillo was). Oh and Castillo is not the guy you want grooming young linemen either. So...I hope it all works out and I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The rules don’t favor running teams - the likelihood of getting called for penalties on running plays is higher for the offense. The rules favor passing a lot - there are so many penalties that can result in automatic first downs when passing that’s why the best offensive teams are usually pass heavy - illegal contact, defensive holding, pass interference, roughing the passer, defenseless receiver, etc. It’s why the draw play on third and long is one of the dumbest play calls in pro football. Even a team that can run the ball like the Steelers get pass happy, because they know it’s to their advantage. The Bills can’t do either because the O line is a hot steaming pile - bad coaching and not enough talent. That’s on the process for having two drafts and two FA periods to address the line better (Incognito and Wood were at the end of their careers either way) - they basically treaded water at LT if I’m being kind and did very little to address the other positions that were below average or lost starters. You don’t get better on the line by having only two good tackles and trading away one of them, and going with bottom of the barrel FAs and late round picks to address the rest of your way below average OL.

He’s a serviceable starter...and he’s showed it. He’s not a great QB and he’s not a franchise guy, but you can do a lot worse. He’s the perfect guy to keep around until you get better options, just like Fitz was. Same mistake, different front office. He he would have struggled even more than in past seasons in Buffalo this year anyhow with the way the talent on Offense has gone down. The one thing I think sunshine and unicorn fans don’t realize is that in football, you can’t just build with a demolition job to the roster - the pressure to hit on all of your draft picks and free agent signings is immense and no one is consistently that good in talent evaluation - we’d already have seen that on display if they were, and quite the contrary as far as FAs go, and the draft strategy has been baffling to some degree with the lack of focus on the OL. OL needs time to develop as individuals and as a unit as well, but is a necessary component to protecting your huge investment in a top 10draft pick at QB. How many bad contracts are they going to have to sign to get the best FAs on the market on the OL and WR positions? Having a lot of money under the cap is best used to keep guys you covet and develop on your team, not guys that other teams don’t think are worth the money they’ll get in FA? So keep letting the Bills blow sunshine up your caboose, but the train is going off the rails ahead - it’s pretty clear if you’re paying attention. This is “the process” of destroying a team which will take many, many years to correct and it will become clear to even the most optimistic fans (well there are some that will bill-lieve in “the process” no matter the evidence until its officially over) after next year that they really had a terrible plan. Look I get why people wanted to move on from Tyrod, but you’ve got to get a better depth chart at QB than they put together. If they were willing to take a flyer on Corey Coleman for a 7th round pick and 3.5 mill salary, why not Bridgewater for no draft pick and 6 mill? We’re they concerned about Bridgewater being good enough to create a controversy if they wanted to start their rookie draft pick? I would hope not, but I would think that Buffalo was a more attractive option for Bridgewater being a playoff team and a better path to starting. I just don’t think the Bills were interested.

I couldn't wait for this one...Tebow vs. Peterman?!!!! Sorry, Peterman is the champ I'm not going to bite and go against a Bill that owns a distinction as an all-timer.

Like that's stopped the Bills from trotting out Peterman

If this isn't reason enough I don't know what is. Just think of the great raps they could come up with Tebow in Buffalo.

And they've shown that they are willing to pay for game-changing talent? Only in dead cap space after moving their most talented players that they could get anything for. Shady, Clay and Hughes are pretty much not even worth entertaining trades for unless they are just looking to unload them for pennies on the dollar. Look having Cordy Glenn's contract as expensive as it was, is better than having to roll the dice in FA and get into bidding wars and recruitment- you would have had two good tackles rather than one and provide some consistency and a known commodity (yeah he didn't play last year, but he is a proven above average Tackle). Maybe you don't have the ammunition to get both Allen and Edmunds, but you do have protection for the marquee asset you looked to acquire, which was clearly always going to be a QB. Assuring some stability on a shaky situation on the OL that was known at the time of the trade just seems like it could have been a smart way to give the young group of QBs better protection. Even with all of the money that they are going to have - the product being put on the field better improve or no one is going to be attracted to coming to Buffalo. It's already going to be a hard sell with all of the inexperience at QB (Buffalo in general is a hard sell for some players regardless of the promise of the team) unless Allen shows some serious growth and good performances - or unless you are looking for mercenaries looking for the best contract, not necessarily concerned about the long term effect it may have on their careers. Right now they are setting themselves up for overpaying a lot of FAs - so we transition from one cap crises to another burgeoning one if the FA signings don't pan out. However, this one will be fully owned by the Process. Hopefully, we are not going to be romanticizing about the Whaley years as at least having talent despite poor coaching, poor drafting and a trainwreck power structure in the organization because the Process doesn't pan out. I'm terrified about the Process right now and it's not a game 1 reaction, it's everything that they did this offseason with the roster and the decision making process on the QB situation and the Offense they put around these guys.

If “the process” of evaluating QBs is always going to be this good, watch out NFL. Not sure who is making the final call on personnel, but it’s a red flag regardless - was Daboll on board? If so what’s that say? If not what’s that say about the dynamic? At least Marrone knew to make a stink and demand a another vet option at QB. This staff said let’s get rid of the most veteran guy, not try to get another vet and ride with Peterman and Allen. If everyone was on the same page....yikes.

I’m not assuming he did I’m simply pointing out an example of someone that fits what the Bills needed. I’m pretty sure “the process” liked McCarron more though. A 5th round pick is barely addressing the OL. For every Kyle Williams, there are hundreds of guys that never have much of a career drafted that low. Don’t you measure growth to some degree by success? RG3 had someone design an offense where he could flourish, and then that all changed and he was asked to be a different QB. He may have grown a lot in that process but it never lead to success for him or his teams, because his dual threat attribute was gone and he was asked to be something he simply isn’t a pure pocket passer. . Put a QB in a position to succeed and the growth will happen naturally.

That's a crowded market right now, isn't it? A different take is to provide a positive perspective for those who are tired of the local and national media beating up their team. It's working. I never suggested anything was influenced by OBD, just saying that they have a market for positive Bills news in saturated bad news Bills market.

Come on any article that lauds the Star signing should be looked at a tad skeptically. It's not a bad article, but its certainly one of those pieces that they are trying to sell to demoralized fan base. The obvious issues are skirted over (like failure to address the O line in the draft or FA in a meaningful way - na 5th round pick and a couple of below average OL FAs doesn't really scream investment in protecting your investment at QB). Even if you buy into the Tyrod point of view in the article, the fact remains that they could have signed Bridgewater at the level of 6 mil/yr or kept McCarron as a substantial investment in having the luxury to sit Allen if he wasn't ready in their eyes. Then the cap issues are kind of glossed over on how a team cap strapped created even more dead cap with a couple of their moves this offseason.

Here is the thing about EJ - he was a much more finished prospect than a lot of fans realized - he played a lot of games in a pro-style system with good QB coaching at FSU. He wasn't some raw talent that just needed good coaching, he was an inaccurate passer and had a multitude of inconsistencies in his game and mechanics and it was maddening to all of his coaches because once one thing was addressed the others would pop back up. Someone who covered FSU called his inconsistencies "whack a mole" and it was as if these inconsistencies became more pronounced every year and especially in games against good defenses. That's why a lot of scouts didn't really see him as a NFL starter, and really the Bills seemed to ignore the book on EJ as if they were much smarter than the rest or just so sure they could be the ones to right his issues (maybe both). The coaching he got wasn't helpful either as you pointed out - he needed someone who was really good at his craft in grooming QBs. EJ would have been serviceable, but not really good - probably as good as Jason Campbell in his peak (that's not really a compliment, but I think they were similar prospects with Campbell having better mechanics).

No argument here, but he also needs real coaching and we're about to find out what we have in that department. They obviously didn't think he was ready, but can you really trust the "process" when it comes to judging QB talent? Early results are in and the answer is looking like a "no", but I hold out hope that they can get this turned around. Maybe Allen has it start coming together for him over the next couple of games, but he needs a game plan and play calling that helps him succeed.

The question about Carr was how much did he have to do with getting hit so much. I think he had a lot to do with it, because he had poor pocket presence and he really was never that good at making quick reads and getting rid of the ball - he was a skittish QB and it wasn't just the OL in front of him. It's one of the things that worries me about Allen to be honest, he holds the ball too long and gets a little skittish back in the pocket as well. It's not a consistent trait, because sometimes he moves well in the pocket and makes the right call when to tuck and run, but he needs to be more fluid in the pocket and be quicker getting the ball out even if he has to force some throws into tight coverage.

Doubtful he has what it takes even if everything was "properly" handled. He doesn't have enough arm strength and he doesn't have enough tools to overcome that issue. Couple that with the fact that he doesn't make great decisions under pressure and you have a guy that probably doesn't last in the league very long. I'll give you that the Bills may have accelerated the time table for him to get out of the league, but Peterman doesn't have what it takes to be an NFL starter, and its doubtful he has what it takes to be a backup.

Goff may still very well look like trash and be on his way out had Fisher remained coach. Good coaching and player develop matter a lot, as much as natural ability. I think you need both to be successful in the NFL as a QB, and it's not a one or the other proposition. Good coaching can make a marginal talent look passable, and good talent look great, but it can't really make a bad QB magically into a passable starter. There are guys that just don't have what it takes and it is usually pretty clear off the bat. It's not always the case, but look at Watson and Darnold the past two years (played well right away). You can see guys like Wilson, Prescott, Newton and Ryan who also came into the league playing well. Goff is a good demonstration of what bad coaching vs. good coaching can do to a QB. Sometimes guys are so good they can overcome bad coaching and shine, but not all can (see Alex Smith and how his career turnaround once he was coached by Harbaugh/Roman, then another QB friendly coach in Reid, and now another one in Jay Gruden). Some guys do take a little time to develop, some guys come out and they are who they are with a little improvement along the way. Andy Dalton is who he is - he's been about as good as he's been since he started as a rookie, not much improvement. Matt Stafford improved a lot more, but he's still prone to making silly mistakes that have plagued him since he was a rookie. Mariotta has improved some since starting, but not a ton. Winston has improved a little but still does things that are maddening.

Brian "da Vinci" Daboll - I agree 1 game is not a fair assessment - but the most impressive part of his resume was that he was part of excellent teams that were good before and after he left, and the most damning are his stints where he was asked to be the guy to improve a team. I'm hoping for the best with him because it will take true genius to get this unit to look like a capable offense.

Me too. He's the type of guy that has always been a good OC, but terrible HC. But definitely a guy you can feel comfortable handing the keys to as an OC - problem is that he may have wanted to turn over much of the staff or not be stuck with guys McDermott absolutely wanted around like Castillo, who was hand picked by McD and hired before an OC.

The question is were they available when Dennison was fired or before he was hired last year? McCoy - yes - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000910830/article/cardinals-hire-mike-mccoy-as-offensive-coordinator Haley - yes - http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000909559/article/browns-hire-todd-haley-as-offensive-coordinator Norv Turner was hired about the same time Dennison was let go, but the Bills certainly didn't fancy Dennison as their first choice and I would imagine that they had a good idea that they were going to look for another OC in the Offseason. Turner was available all year for contact and was also available when Dennison was hired. https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/01/10/panthers-offensive-coordinator-norv-turner Maybe they had no interest in Buffalo - that is entirely possible, but more proven options were available.

Norv Turner - great track record with QBs Mike McCoy - proven OC with success Todd Haley - another proven commodity, but a jerk All with HC experience as well, and way more success as OCs. You think DaBoll is a better option? If so, why?

Okay best QBs in the league right now? Brady - started playing on a playoff calibre team taking over for injured Drew Bledsoe Big Ben - team around him was very good and could really protect him and overcome his mistakes (although he didn't make that many) Aaron Rodgers - took over for Brett Favre on a pretty good team, not great, but didn't walk into a mess. Drew Brees - a worse situation than all of the above and didn't really show much in his first year - by the time the Chargers drafted Rivers, Brees was playing pretty well - not to mention they also drafted Ladanian Tomlinson the same year as Brees and had a decent line. *Philip Rivers - I'm a lot lower on Rivers than many people, mainly because he's done nothing when it matters to get any accolades and he puts up good numbers but doesn't really play as good as his numbers. But he had LT in his prime, a good line and a lot of weapons in place when he became starter. Russel Wilson - great defense, good running game, and solid line Matt Ryan - Had a good team around him, good WRs, good RBs, solid line (Went 11-5) Cam Newton - Had Steve Smith, good RBs, and a serviceable line. I could keep going, but the fact is that these goods are all bona fide good QBs in the league and they all had a much better situation than this. There are guys that are just so good they do excel (Peyton Manning - and even he had Marshall Faulk and a GM that understood they needed OL and WRs to help their QB), but that is the exception and hardly any walk into this type of mess and succeed. The recent young guys having success are coming out looking polished and playing well, with the exception of Goff who had to suffer one year with the worst HC you could have as a QB (Jeff Fisher). I'm not necessary sold on Goff, but he is playing pretty decent and has a great offensive head coach that knows what he is doing on that side of the ball. The Bills are basically the closest thing to the Rams situation with Goff, a conservative HC with a pretty barren team on Offense, other than a good RB, and a good defense (although I would argue that both sides of the Ball for the Rams were better in Goff's rookie year in terms of talent than the current Bills roster). His situation drastically changed and so did his success. My point is that there is a much higher likelihood for guys to fail in bad situations than good and the best in the league usually start off in decent situations. It definitely happens at times when guys succeed in bad situations and other fail in good situations, but the success stories are more frequent the better the situation. Now Allen's situation has to get much better by next year too. I'm not sure they are going to unearth the next great offensive mind to coach Allen, but the pocket book should be wide open to attract the very best OC they can that has shown he can develop the position. But would that happen under Beane and McDermott? Was Daboll really the guy they thought was the best OC for a new QB or was it a position they needed to fill knowing that they may be in the market again soon? I don't know if I'd buy the latter with a straight face, because they knew they were getting a QB in the draft and they knew the other guy on the roster they were going to keep and liked was only a second year guy. So they had a good idea that they would have a pretty inexperienced QB group - Daboll has to be their guy they think is best for this job. Seriously, think about that for a minute - we are talking about a HC that is not an Offensive mind that is going to call plays, so this is Daboll's show - an unproven OC to coach unproven talent at QB who doesn't look like he had any say in the staff. However, Daboll can't really get a fair shake with the talent, but if it is horribly inept as it appears it could be, will they make him a sacrificial lamb to the masses and search out a OC that is fully capable of improving Allen's situation at all costs? Not really fair to Daboll unless they are just putrid - if you are any good, I suppose you can make it work to some degree with smoke and mirrors, but really that's not a pretty lineup out there. Hell I'd rehire Anthony Lynn or Greg Roman in a heartbeat fair or not to a semi-unproven guy like Daboll (I guess you could still say Peterman is unproven too despite a couple of bad stints as a starter). Lynn (who knows how patient they will be with him if they don't win this year) and Roman (OC would be a promotion for him) can get a lot out of marginally skilled players at QB and I'd love to see what they could do with a guy like Allen. Norv Turner would be a great option (could possibly leave if the new ownership wants to start with a different staff and replace Rivera). Someone innovative, someone who help define the development of a player, not be part of a greatest organization as an unremarkable replaceable part in a well oiled machine. Daboll's success came with Alabama as co-OC and the Patriots as a positional coach, not much outside of the evil empires. They need to make some big moves outside of personnel, as well as with it. But they've got to get it right ASAP. I'm glad there are some people optomistic about the chances that they get it right. My point is that they have to get a lot of things right and not miss on much to get this turned around - they better be really as good as they think they are by getting into themselves into this position. The question is whether they knew this was the position they were getting into?

So how easy is it going to be to lure FAs to Buffalo if the Bills can’t right this ship? I’m asking that question because it is a negative factor along with the perception of Buffalo as a place to live. If the team looks totally devoid of talent or very lean on talent it’s going to be a hard sell and utilizing that cap space isn’t going to be easy to do efficiently and to avoid toxic contracts. The cap room argument for this team getting better is a red herring. Drafting is going to be key to this team getting rebuilt and there better be a massive focus on the OL and then some skill players on offense - they can’t slow roll getting a decent offense around Allen if they actually want to be able to properly evaluate him, but given what they did to help out the inexperience at the position this season that should be concerning people...a lot.

I get the patience and understand it, but the evidence is starting to mount and I'm afraid the results aren't going to be much better next year. I don't understand what all the cap space is going to do for the Bills other than get them into more bad contracts.