ComradeKayAdams

Injuries aside, the expectation should be for making one of the wildcard spots in 2019. And if they don't make the playoffs in either 2019 or 2020, then Beane and McDermott should be fired.

Nah. More like defending the concepts of forgiveness and redemption - concepts on which civilized society depends greatly. Simmons is a sincerely apologetic 1-time offender who committed the offense as a teenager. He's a potential blue-chip talent who is a perfect fit as a 3-tech 4-3 DT. We'd be wise to at least not write him off so quickly on the basis of this one offense.

OP nailed it with the 1964 AFL Championship game. It was the greatest Bills game ever played, in terms of both its impact on the franchise and on the history of the NFL.

Yep. The Steelers were indeed an absolute joke for their first four decades. If they did a complete NFL franchise ranking that took into account 1920-1965, then no way would the Steelers be #1. The Bears and Browns in particular would would fare much better. The Bills would do a little bit better because of their AFL mini-dynasty.

And yet the Hardly Boys of Two Bills Drive keep on overlooking this simple clue... Clay is as good as gone, and it has nothing to do with the $4.5 million salary cap savings. It has everything to do with the fact that there are likely only going to be 3 precious TE roster spots, and Clay isn't worth any of the 3. Croom will take one spot, someone in a very deep 2019 TE draft will take another, and a free agent who - unlike Clay - is able to stay healthy and hold on to footballs will take the third spot.

The NFL tradition of recycling tired coaches who have repeatedly failed is another reason why the Patriots continue to remain on top. Rather than see more innovative coaches rise through the ranks, we get more of the Rex Ryans and Dave Wannstedts and Danny Crossmans to play the Washington Generals role to Brady+Belichick's Harlem Globetrotters.

What GAME are you talking about? The glorified flag football one where only the quality of the QB matters? Or the one where running the ball, defense, special teams, and hard hits also matter? I prefer the latter, but it is no longed played in the NFL. My loyalty to this garbage, corrupt league (you fu*king KNOW the Patriots are still cheating in some way...9 of the past 18 Super Bowls? 13 of the past 18 AFC Conference finals? Bullsh!t) runs only as strong as my devotion to the Buffalo Bills. I'm not watching the Super Bowl, though I will periodically check in on the score.

Yes! Extremely productive college career, captain on a championship team, protypical size for a 4-3 DE, equally excellent in defending the run as well as rushing the passer...what's not to like? Bosa, Allen, all of the blue-chip DT's, the typical demand for QB's, and other teams' needs means that this top-5 talent could easily drop to us at #9. And he definitely fills a need since Hughes, Lawson, and Murphy could all be gone by 2020. Also, the Bills were only 26th in sacks this season with 36. Great thread idea, by the way. I'm interested in reading everyone's "man crushes."

Buffalo Bills football from 2000-2016 is all a giant poopy blur...but Leif Larsen was a full era before Jasper. He was the guy John Butler drafted instead of Tom Brady back in 2000 because he could wrestle polar bears or something. Jasper was a 2011 Nix guy.

If it's extra draft picks we want, I'd rather just trade down. If it's Blake Bortles as a #2 QB that interests us, I'd rather just keep Barkley. If it's excessive cap space we're looking to recklessly fill, I'd rather just overspend on offensive linemen. If it's the Jaguars franchise we're willing to help, I'd rather not help them because of Marrone and the 2017 playoffs (and the 1996 playoffs too).

I watched the entire show, and that was my conclusion as well. Inarticulate. Couldn't logically follow along in a conversation. Didn't vote. I loved Marshawn Lynch the player and respect all the positive community service he has performed, but he's just not a very bright guy. I think we all know why he was accepted into Berkeley.

Not entirely fair. For one thing, Chan inherited a team completely devoid of talent in 2010. Then for 3 years, he had to deal with Russ Brandon, Nix, Whaley, and an out-of-touch owner who sacrifed a home game each year to Toronto. In 2011 and 2012, I also believe the team was hit hard with injuries. In hindsight, he never really had much of a chance here to be successful. But at least he made the most of the limited talent on offense. Chan Gailey reached 6-10 with a garbage roster. Rex Ryan, meanwhile, went 15-16 with a fairly loaded one. Rex Ryan is a coach whom I would call "horrible." Gailey was just "meh."

Am I the only one who liked Season 2? It was obviously not as good as Season 1, but still more entertaining than a lot of TV out there. I give Season 2 a B- and Season 1 an A (an average show gets a C from me...I'm a tough grader). So far with Season 3, they're making it very stylistically like the first one. It's definitely worth watching.

My top-9 are Bosa, Quinnen Williams, Allen, White, Ferrell, Oliver, Greedy Williams, Gary, and Simmons....in that order. This is a BPA list and not one based on position or team needs. I flipped your 3 tackles for Ferrell, Greedy Williams, and Simmons. And I would say that any of them except Bosa, Allen, and Quinnen Williams could very well be available when the Bills are on the clock.

Gary is the same height as Donald but half a foot taller. He might be a better physical fit at strong-side DE in a 4-3.

But the 3-technique DT is not the same as the nose tackle. They have different responsibilities and (normally) different skill sets. A DT like McCoy would be the gap-penetrating DT, while Lotulelei would be the space-occupying DT. Paying premium money for both is not at all a bad idea, especially for the Jim Johnson style of defense that McDermott runs that relies more heavily on the DL than other defensive styles. It's not an accident that 3 of the 4 players on defense making greater than 4 million are on the DL (Star, Hughes, Murphy vs. just Hyde).

Not yet, but I would guess 1 year for about $3.5 million.

The Bucs might cut Gerald McCoy. Someone like him, Grady Jarrett, or one of the blue chip DT's in the draft would amplify the value of the Lotulelei investment. Here are Star's contract numbers: 2019: $11.5 million of cap, $12.4 million dead cap 2020: $10.1 million of cap, $7.8 million dead cap 2021: $10.85 million of cap, $5.2 million dead cap 2022: $10.85 million of cap, $2.6 million dead cap 2023: free agent So he's here to stay for the next two seasons, but can be cut in 2021 if necessary. But folks, let me reiterate: we are going to have a very hard time reaching the cap ceiling this year or next. We have the 3rd best cap situation in the NFL this year, with about $85 million cap space and 50 guys under contract after the inevitable Clay cut. For next year, we have the #1 cap situation in the league, with $130 million of space and 25 guys under contract. Cap space isn't going to be the limiting factor at all for whomever Beane wants to sign this year or next. As long as our run D is top-10, how much Star makes shouldn't really be an issue for the fans. It's between Star and Terry Pegula, really. Why not start a thread about how much Terry is still paying Rex Ryan? Or how about Ville Leino, for you Sabres fans?

Perhaps no picture better captures the essence of the Buffalo Bills franchise than this one.

Don't forget that Jacksonville also beat us in the 1996 playoffs. It was Jim Kelly's final game ever and our only playoff loss at Rich Stadium. Personally speaking, the Jags are currently my most hated rival outside the Pats, Dolphins, and Jets (in that order). But the problem with the word "rival" is that it kind of implies both sides have a mutual dislike, and I don't think the Jags organization or fanbase even thinks about us much other than Marrone and Dareus. Historically speaking, the Chargers were our biggest out-of-division rival throughout the pre-Levy eras. The Titans were our biggest out-of-division rival during the Levy and Phillips eras. We haven't really had one during the 21st century and won't until we start making the playoffs consistently. Out-of-division rivalries are built mainly though playoff competition.

Another reason why I'm not concerned about Star's contract is that I doubt we even get up to the cap ceiling this year or next.

THANK YOU, sir, for your facts. That 9th would have likely been top 5 if not for the occasional brain farts from our two very young LB's, Milano and Edmunds. We basically paid a few extra million than the market rate for a premium nose tackle so that we could ensure a stout run defense. I am not losing sleep over this decision at all. Nothing is more frustrating in football to me than knowing the opposing team is going to run it and still not being able to stop them. See: Bills vs. Saints, 2017.

The "cronyism" comments are a bit unfair. This guy is definitely qualified to coach special teams at the NFL level. Is he THE most qualified? I don't know. Probably not? But he's definitely qualified. And coach McDermott has every right to hire someone whom he thinks will get along well with the rest of the coaches, the players, and the general culture of the franchise that he's building. I like his NFL ST playing background. And I like that Frazier and Hauschka know him well. And most importantly, I like that he's not Danny Crossman.

Only 7 times has the loser of the Super Bowl gone on to make it the next year: 1971 Cowboys, 1972 Dolphins, 1974 Vikings, 1987 Broncos, 1991 Bills, 1992 Bills, 1993 Bills. Please, Chiefs: don't let the Patriots be #8 and be the first in 25 years.

For defense: I'd like to see us make a serious run at Grady Jarrett (DT, Atl), Morris Claiborne (CB, NYJ), and Thomas Davis (LB, Car). Jarrett will be particularly expensive, but I think he'll be worth it as the 3-technique upgrade to Kyle Williams. I also think McDermott will sell Buffalo as his #1 alternative to Atlanta, and I'm not sure Atlanta will bother to match since they are $20 million under with 50 players under contract at the moment.