TigerJ

What the OP said sounds a bit like some posts I've read about Tyrod. I don't necessarily disagree. I view Alex Smith as a bridge QB, the same way I've viewed Tyrod. I think his passing overall is a little better than Tyrod's, and for that reason I'd be willing to pay a bit more than I'd pay Tyrod to get us through 2 or 3 more seasons until we can find/develop a true franchise guy. I'm still looking though.

Doug had two years of experience as an NFL head coach. He was elevated from the Jaguars' coaching staff and was therefore familiar with the players. I don't think there was a drastic change in their offensive scheme and Jacksonville probably had more overall talent. I think McDermott did just fine with what he had. They will be better on offense next season.

Yeah, he's a pretty good athlete at TE. Just needs to transition to the big stage.

I'll grant you Watkins has plenty of speed and a knack for tracking balls, but I think the Bills completed a number of deep passes to other receivers in 2015. It is also true that Dennison favors a short passing game, but when deep passes are called, Tyrod is overthrowing them with remarkable consistency.

When Ramsey and the ball hit the ground, the ball moves. The ground can't cause a fumble, but it can cause an incomplete pass. I very much doubt it would have changed the outcome of the game, but it was clearly a missed call.

A couple years ago, Tyrod would make one or two nice long passes every game. He doesn't anymore. It is a rare game where he completes a long pass.The touchdown pass to Nick O'Leary versus Miami was a rare occurrence and I'm guessing it was because O'Leary was so wide open. Most of the time the ball sails over everybody's head. I think it is because Tyrod is so afraid of throwing an interception. It used to be that he never attempted passes in the middle of the field. Now he does that, but his long passes always sail on him. The bottom line is there always seems to be an aspect of his game that is completely missing or at least sorely deficient. It's great that he can run, but it doesn't make up for the things he won't/can't do.

If they had stayed, they would have had 200 and 300 yards respectively.

I started this tread with full appreciation for all the variables that exist. It's quite possible that I or somebody else will start a similar thread later in the off season when teams are more set with their personnel. It would be interesting to look back at that time and see how opinions have changed.

Might Eliot Wolf be a candidate to replace Gaines, if Gaines goes back to Houston?

If Buffalo were to trade fore Alex Smith, he would still be serving as more or less a bridge QB, albeit for 3 or 4 years. I think it is likely Buffalo will trade for Smith, and draft a QB, though I don't expect it will be Darnold (whom the Bills probably like). I think Darnold is likely to be drafted first or second, and I don't think either of the top two teams in the draft are particularly looking to trade away the opportunity to draft a top QB. I doubt Josh Allen drops to 21, and I don't know that Buffalo is willing to trade up for him. The question is, will any QB available when Buffalo picks be one they want to use a first round pick on? If not, the QB they draft is likely to be a project QB - all the more reason to acquire a veteran. I expect the Bills training camp roster next July will have Peterman, a veteran (Smith), a midround pick, and a second (albeit low priced) veteran. Peterman may in essence be competing with the rookie for a roster spot.

Absolutely. They have important ingredients in place - cap room and ample draft picks. Now let's see what they do with them.

Granted, it's a tough away schedule, but I think Buffalo's success or failure will have more to do with their own development and play on the field, including getting the QB position settled. Buffalo has a chance to be a tough opponent for everybody going forward.

I agree. It's a very tough away schedule.

Why wouldn't he think that? - playing with a team that has a high powered offense and QB who can get him the ball, and giving himself an out to make big bucks in free agency

Just thought I'd go through the list of opponents one by one and give a reaction. Feel free to react, ignore, or make your own. Home games: Chicago - Trubiski may have developed some by next season, but this team is rebuilding from a pretty low point. I would categorize this as a "should win" game for Buffalo. Detroit - Like, Chicago, will have a new head coach, but they have an established QB and will be rebuilding from a higher point than Chicago. Is beatable, I would guess. Jacksonville - Well, we know all about them, don't we. Buffalo played them tough. If Buffalo can settle their QB issues and upgrade a few positions, they should be beatable. LA Chargers - Buffalo got handled on the road this year. If Rivers stays healthy, this game won't be easy. Buffalo will need to protect their QB much better, regardless of who it is. Miami - May be tougher with Tannehill back, but if both teams improve Buffalo should still be able to win. New England - Brady will be another year older. He will hit the wall at some point - don't know if it will be next year. In some ways, McDermott emulates Belichick, and it is showing in improved team discipline, reduced penalties and more attention being paid to fundamentals, but while Buffalo might play NE tougher next year, I'm not sure they're there yet. Jets - Still in rebuild mode with no clear answer at QB. They have a good coach, but this should still be winnable. Tennessee - Mularkey believes in old fashioned smash mouth football. Mariota had some struggles this season, but Tennessee has solid RBs and Henery in particular is a load to bring down while having a bit of quickness as well. They were a bit of a Jekyl and Hyde team this year. If that continues next year, how beatable they are may depend on what week we play them. Away Games: Baltimore - John Harbaugh is another tough coach. Joe Flacco is only an average QB. Baltimore will never be an easy game, but neither are they usually unbeatable. Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers will be back. That alone makes this a tough game. Houston - Watson will be back and probably better. Houston has some monster players on the D-line when they're healthy. Buffalo had better have their O-line whipped into shape when they play. Indianapolis - Will have a new coach, but will presumably have Luck back. That will make them more dangerous than this year, but they should be in rebuilding mode. I think this is winnable. Miami - see above Minnesota - Zimmer has built a tough, physical team. We don't know who the QB will be, but it is liable to be one of the three that are still on their roster at this point and all three are very competent. This will compete with New England as Buffalo's toughest road game next season. New England - see above Jets - see above

Yeah, it would be terribly ironic if Incognito got a long suspension in the face of the one game Gronk got.

In locker clean out day interviews, Incognito's linemates Wood and Dawkins say that while there was chippiness, they didn't hear any racial slurs. I hope the league's investigation is done with integrity.

According to Pro Football Talk, the league is going to look into it. I hope nothing comes of it but, I'm not going to give much more thought to it than that. If the league finds there is something to it there could be a fine or a suspension of some kind for "conduct detrimental to the league." If it is a lengthy suspension, that might be it for his career. He'll be 35 next season and is clearly in the twilight of his career anyway.

Agreed. The Bills performed up to the level of their collective skill sets. That alone is reason for optimism because it gives the GM and head coach a real good idea where they need to upgrade the talent level.

At this point in time I think the main problem Peterman is dealing with in his QB play is that he has not adjusted to the superior athleticism and anticipation of NFL DBs relative to their college counterparts. He needs to be a little more cautious about throwing into tight coverage. I have no idea if there will come a time that Peterman will get it. I think his accuracy is good and his anticipation is good. If he can solve that problem, I think we have a QB. The problem is, the Bills can't afford to bet all their "money" that Peterman will be able to make the jump. They would need to hedge any bet they want to make, meaning they need to try and acquire a QB who will be a viable starter for next season, whether it is via free agency, trade or the draft.

I thought it would have been a wise move to have him active and take at least occasional reps. It might have helped keep McCoy fresher.

It was a stepping stone season. The team made progress. That's better than treading water or moving backwards. I'm not satisfied with it as an end goal, but I can live with it as an intermediate step.

I think the odds are fairly poor that Buffalo drafts a QB in round one. I think one of the picks is likely to be a DT - Vita Vea or Christian Wilkins come to mind. The other first round pick will be Roquon Smith if he drops (which I don't expect) or possible a wide receiver.

I think whatever a team accomplishes, short of a Superbowl win, is going to leave fans wanting more, but it feels good to be able to think the team has made real progress. Moreover, it looks like the Bills can build on the foundation that was laid this season.

Whether it was the failure of the coordinator to put a spy on Bortles or the failure of the players to maintain containment on the edges, I don't know, but it was a definite problem. The main issue, however, was the offense. Either the receivers weren't getting open, or as I suspect, Tyrod wasn't finding them when they were.