TigerJ

If I'm Beane, I'm talking to John Elway about #5 before I talk to anybody else. If Elway is adamant about not trading, that makes me suspicious that he's after a QB. If I coveted a QB that much, I might then talk with Cleveland about #4. If Elway is TOO eager to trade, I might suspect he's not interested in a QB. At that point I might start talking with Indy or even Tampa about the terms of a trade. The only sticking point about going too low is that in raises the odds of Miami or Arizona jumping ahead of the Bills to snatch the last of the big 4. If there are 2 QBs left that I like, after the Jets get theirs, I might be more inclined to take that chance.

I agree with most that you said, Shaw. It is a given that Cleveland and the Jets are picking a QB. The Giants may or may not. The Broncos may or may not. I would be surprised if Buffalo traded up to #2. I'm not ruling out moving up to #4, however. Obviously, the higher they want to go, the higher the price. The heights to which they are willing to move in a trade will depend in part on how much they like the QB or QBs who remain, and possibly on whether there is one or two.

"He's more of a punt catcher."

I have seen both Pegulas, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott on TV. I also have listened to both Chris Brown and John Murphy. If you have any questions about the Bills, I'll be happy to answer them. In the words of your local used car salesman, "Trust me!"

6'5" and runs a 4.37 40. Doesn't have a great vertical though, and he's on the light side for a guy that tall (205 lbs.). He started out and NC State, but saw a greatly reduced playing time when they switched up offensive systems, so he transferred to USF. It took him a while to get his college career cranked up, but he was pretty productive last season for a relatively young college program. I'm pretty sure he would be a day 3 pick. Reminds me a bit of Martavis Bryant in terms of his physique and speed.

I missed my calling. I'm only 5'10" but I wear size 13 shoes. I coulda been a star!

Some posters bemoan the job that the Bills have done drafting players. Indeed, the Bills have been one of the worst drafting teams in the current millenium, but part of the problem is a lack of continuity in the coaching and management. New coach, new offensive and defensive systems after you just spent a couple years transitioning to the systems you just came out of. There are some great players who are scheme versatile, but many are not. It's no wonder that Buffalo went so many years without going to the playoffs. I'm not going to complain, but I am hoping desperately that Beane and McDermott are a winning combination that the team can rely on for the next decade or two, and the team can get off of its personnel merry-go-round.

It was Bart Starr, and it was an eighth round pick since Bart is near the end of his career.

And Ian Rappaport from the NFL network reports that Buffalo is not pursuing #2 overall. So we'll see if anyone eats crow after the draft. LOL

I figure that when you win or lose games is less important than whether or not you win them. As far as playoff chances are concerned, it matters not thether you get your wins early or late. However, I think there is such a thing as momentum. It's tough to keep a good attitude about the game if you're losing one game after another. You can check with the Sabres about that. I'd love to see Buffalo win a few of those tough games at the beginning of the year both for the record and for the emotional health of the team and the fans. There is one thing about the schedule. Buffalo has a bunch of division games in the last part of the season. That certainly can have playoff implications.

I think that unless they are blown away by the training camp performance of their rookie QB, the Bills will start McCarron or (less likely) Nate Peterman.

I kind of like the idea of a trade up into the 5-7 range, but not #2 overall.

"Open to trading" is a code phrase for trading down, I suspect. In the top 5 of the draft, I think it's difficult for teams to seek out trading partners because they would have a more difficult time identifying potential trading partners. I think they tend to be passive and wait for a team to contact them about trading. If you're trading up, in the top 5, I think the expectation is that you have to be actively looking.

I think it's a crap shoot. The rumors are Cleveland likes Allen. If they pick Allen, the Giants may pick Darnold as it's been rumored he's the only QB they like. if Allen and Darnold are gone, the Jets are picking between Mayfield and Rosen. Each has its share of predictors. Then again, the rumors could be all wrong and Cleveland could take Darnold, as many pundits predict. Do the NY Giants then draft Chubb or Barkley instead of a QB. That would give the Jets their choice of three of the top four. Then, we have to wait to see if Buffalo trades up. If they do, their pick will be one of the top 4. If not, there is still a chance that the last of the top 4 will drop to #12. But if not, Buffalo will need to decide if they go with a QB at #12 (Jackson or Rudolph) or hope one of them lasts until #22 OR draft a third tier guy in the second round. My guess was Mayfield, but that's all it was.

If I were the Bills, I would target #6. The price would be a little bit lower. I figure that if Denver is really inclined to draft one of the top QBs, they won't be trading the pick anyway. The only risk is that Denver could trade with another team, but Buffalo has the most capital for a trade. That means any other team is going to have to make a more difficult sacrifice to get ahead of Buffalo, and that probably means they are either more desperate for a QB or they are a bit foolhardy. Beane might be more inclined to play it safe, however.

Thanks. I'll have to see first of all if there is a game I both want to see live, and can schedule. It's easier now that I'm semi retired. I can get there just about in time for a 1 pm start.

That just about shuts me out of going to games until or unless I get a smart phone. Yeah, my cell phone is about a 10 year old flip phone that wouldn't know an app if it saw one.

You get to over pay twice to move up instead of just once.

In a word: Yes. However it's not particularly easy to get exactly what you want when you engage in manipulation. Baker Mayfield can turn a team off with his antics in a team visit, but if he doesn't get picked by a higher team, like he wants, that behavior may cause him to drop even further, and could cost him some money. On the other hand, the lower he drops in the draft, the more likely he'll end up with a team that has a winning record, though he might not be the starter as he would hope.

Lake Erie often freezes over in late January /early February, effectively cutting off the lake effect snow machine. Lake Ontario, being much deeper, doesn't normally freeze over. Thus the Lake Ontario snow belt areas to the southeast and east of Lake Ontario typically get buried far more than places in the Lake Erie snow belts. I'm not going to live in Copenhagen either.

From the fan perspective, I would think a retractable roof would be just about a no brainer. The fly in the ointment would be the cost. I have a hard time seeing how the powers that be are willing to commit the kind of money to the project that would make a retractable roof possible. A dome is a much more practical solution and would make the stadium much more versatile than an open air facility.

One year, when I lived in Mayville, NY, we had 297 inches. I'm never going to live in Mayville again.

I don't think that is unusual. Teams negotiate terms that are acceptable if they do decide to trade, but usually neither team wants to pull the trigger until the team with the higher draft pick is on the clock. There may be unforeseen circumstances and events that waiting affords the opportunity to change their mind. If another team were to come in and offer the Giants a lot more than Buffalo's offer, the Giants are free to take it.

Not if they got a QB a little later.

I always think it is interesting how persons will react as if particular characteristics of a QBs play are mutually exclusive. It is true that accuracy is more important than arm strength. The ability throw with anticipation and timing are also up there, but there are times when velocity is pretty important. It's not just the deep bomb. It's also the sideline pass that you want to reach your receiver before the DB has a chance to break on the ball, and the aforementioned tight window. I'm pretty sure AJ McCarron would agree with that. I also understand that velocity is a continuum. It's not as if you're stuck with a ball velocity of either 65 mph or 45 mph. You can be anywhere in between. It's also not as if having some potential velocity you want to use it on every throw. Sometimes, I can imagine lofting the ball over short area defenders with a velocity of, say, 40 mph to have a nice, soft, catchable ball that the receiver can run under and catch in stride.