JohnC

My position is trade down once or twice to get to the lower part of the first round and then use those added picks to address those multiple needs as you describe. This team needs an infusion of talent to accelerate the rebuild. Conventional cautious thinking is not going to suffice. As I have said on previous posts (as you have also stated) a wise use of our large cap capacity and an infusion of top two round talent will move this lagging franchise at a quicker pace.

Speaking on behalf on NYC Bill he condemns you for your advocacy of drafting a DB in the first round. He is as resolute on this issue as he is as a Bama supporter.

The defense is now gravitating toward Jack on the power play. So it has to swing to the other more open side. The other teams' adjustment to smother Jack on the PP shouldn't be surprising. One way to give him more room is for the players on the opposite side is to shoot and hit the net. In general I thought the Sabres played as well or better than the Rangers. The obvious difference was Lundquist. A great goalie is the difference maker. That's hockey.

With respect to Peterman the third qb will be replaced by the two qbs ahead of him when they are healthy. The crushing problem is that the starters on the OL and receiving unit are atrocious to the point that they shouldn't be in the league. Our OL is so bad that for the most part it doesn't allow a play to develop in either the running and passing game. Probably our most talented lineman, Dawkins, is more suited to play guard than tackle. As a tackle he is below average at best. In all the games that I have watched the analysts have repeatedly shown passing plays from the qb's perspective where the receivers are consistently being blanketed by the defenders. Benjamin is the worst in that aspect of having any separation from the defender. It's as if the defender is riding piggy back with this useless tall receiver. He's simply a waste. I really didn't expect much from this season. The only utility that the rest of the season serves is getting Allen playing time. Every decision regarding the offense should revolve around the issue whether it will make the rookie qb better prepared for the next season. On the other hand my biggest concern is that our OL is so inept that it will get the young qb maimed. I'm not as pessimistic as most are here. This throwaway season was predictable. The focus on the offseason is to dramatically upgrade the line through free agency, and need be the draft. Unless that is done the cycle of futility will continue to repeat itself. McDermott has shown that he knows how to coach on the defensive side of the ball. He needs to re-calibrate and put a lot of effort in upgrading the dysfunctional offense to at least a functional offense. It starts with rebuilding the line.

You are not annoying----you are informative. On this subject you are an authentic voice to be listened to. Thank you.

You are spot on with your ranking of defensemen. Risto is a second pairing caliber of defenseman. I also consider Bogo, who has played very well so far, a second pairing defenseman. I'm not as harsh in my assessment of Scandella as you are but on a team with an upper echelon defense he would be considered a reasonable third pairing player. Compared to what we have had in prior dispiriting seasons that is nothing to sneer at. McCabe is a player who I like because you can see how he has over the years developed. On a good team he would be a third pairing player. Although Nelson is one of the more limited players on defense he knows what his role and capabilities are. He is a fourth pairing talent who plays within himself as a puck moving defensive defenseman. He's another player who was given the time to develop in-house. We both agree on Dahlin and how special he can be. Housley is being cautious and smart in bringing him along. In a few years when he physically matures he is going to be an attraction. What's so special about him now is that he already has a sophisticated intellectual aspect to his game. With respect to Peterman I know what he is as a player. He is at best a backup. What I find unfair is the balance between the level of scathing criticism and ridicule he receivers to what his actual rolel is. He was a fifth round selection who had obvious physical limitations. That's why he was drafted in the fifth round. The haranguing lynch mob acts as if he was a high first round draftee who turned out to be a colossal failure. I strenuously disagree with that portrayal. In my view he has become a symbol for the glaring ineptitude of the offense even when he doesn't play. That to me is unfair. The reality is until the OL and receiving corps talents are elevated that side of the ball will continue to be dysfunctional. Too many people are looking for simple solutions to multi-faceted problems by scapegoating. I'm not and never will join that angry mob.

I'm staking my disreputable reputation on Peterman playing well and the Bills winning against the Bears. I'm also predicting that if that scenario plays out that Gunner is going to be furious and respond with a tirade and a ten page screed why Peterman should not be playing in the league. He will then put me on ignore and never respond to me again until Peterman plays poorly in another game whereupon he will be re-energized and revive his campaign against the fifth round backup to the backup qb.

Don't tell K-9 that I said that Scandella is playing well. He will question my vision and sanity. When the Sabres have players around the opposing net good things happen. Ullmark was not challenged much but he was quietly efficient. There is such a calmness to his game. As the season advances I see him playing more. Maybe every other game. Bogo playing is a major addition not only to the defense but to the team. He is rugged and has a presence not only with the opposition but also with his own team. He taking down the Ottawa player hovering around the goalie into the boards behind the net was a thing to behold. He did it in such a way that would not garner a penalty. My only criticism of him is that his beard is getting scraggly. He needs to trim it. I have an aversion toward slovenly looking players.

He reminds me of the Steeler's Antonio Brown. When he is on the field your eyes go to this dynamic player. He has a compelling life story that makes him even more admirable.

If UB has your full support then why don't you demonstrate it by telling Saban to send some of his bench players and recruit leftovers to transfer to Buffalo and get an opportunity to play? Some of those players glued to the bench could be stars playing up north.

The coach said it was a maintenance day off. So far Bogo has played really well for us. When healthy he is a good second pairing defenseman.

I think that our OL deficits are mostly going to be addressed through free agency. I wouldn't be surprised if another receiver was brought in the same way. Most of the current draft reporting indicate that there is a lot of top shelf talent on the DL. It's safe to assume that we will be drafting high and it is more likely that our defensive-minded HC will be inclined to use his first pick on a defensive player. Our offense is so dismal and especially deficient on the OL and receiver unit that the HC will make it a priority to address those units from free agency where the acquired players can immediately be plugged and play. The strategy for the offense is to put Josh Allen in a position to succeed and be less vulnerable to injuries. That can be more quickly done through the free agent market. I, like you, wouldn't be against a reasonable trade down where we still could get an upper-echelon player and additional picks. However, as you stated, if it come down to having a chance to select an elite player or trade down to get multiple good players the best approach would be to add an elite talent who would more likely be an impact player. I really believe that with a judicious use of our cap space and draft picks this team can significantly bolster its roster. A lot of painful moves were made to put this franchise in this position to have a lot of personnel flexibility. Now the issue is can it take advantage of such a propitious situation?

Sorry for your loss. Your father looks lie a former special forces member. In the picture he looks both tough and dignified. My father was from Italy and didn't speak English too well. I remember one time when speaking to me and my brothers he said the both of you three come here now. Another time he ordered me to go outside and chop the ice before it freezes. When he passed and was presented at the funeral home it seemed that everyone who came up to pay their respects said that he was a kind and generous person. And that he was.

Maybe the Bills can hire a magician who with some secret potion can concoct some instant success. Unrealistic expectations are the manufactured problems of those who are not grounded in reality. What is going on this year with this franchise should have been expected. Some people simply can't handle the arduous stages in a rebuild. I don't consider myself to be a naive homer. Assuming this offseason is handled smartly I am optimistic about the not too distant future.

If a person was standing on a pile of ***** and claimed that he was standing on the firm ground he would not only not be taken seriously but would be laughed at. If one can't acknowledge the obvious then that person's credibility would go to shiiit.

He was asked a question. It would have been dumber for him to not admit the obvious.

Whether the claims of the woman have merit or not is debatable. Regardless, his risky behavior off ice is going to eventually jeopardize his career. I don't know of the smart person who was calling for his trade but at the time prior to his eventual trade he was one of the few goal scorers on an offensively impotent team. When can't be questioned is that getting rid of him was the right thing for the Sabres and him. He;s talented but undisciplined on and off the ice.

What else is he going to say? What's obvious is obvious. He would look even more foolish if he tried to defend his decision of waiting to bring in another qb when the outcome clearly hurt the team. If he would have gambled by not addressing another position that would have been understandable because you can internally fill in for a void. But with the qb position if the backup issue is not addressed, especially when your OL is dangerously porous, then that gamble is an act of irresponsibility. To his credit it is refreshing that a person in his position is willing to be candid and not give a non-sensical robotic response.

I have a simpler wish: When on offense get in front of the net. A perplexing issue that repeatedly rears up its ugly head is why so often in the first period of games this relatively young team skates like they are old arthritic? It was apparent in the Calgary and Ottawa games.

On this issue our views match. The hostility directed toward Peterman is disproportionate to his role. It makes little sense to me. I blame Gunner for leading this campaign for lynching the backup. I'm a little bit surprised at the number of people who are so willing to join this vengeful mob.

As I stated in other posts the mistake that was made was another qb should have been brought in as a bridge qb. But the issue comes down to who else could have been brought in? I'm not sure any other viable options were available. The irony is that although Allen was thrown into the fire of play sooner than the staff wanted just maybe getting that early playing time will accelerate his development? For me debating Peterman vs McCarron has little value.

Let's not get carried away with the McCarron legacy. He was on the free agent market last year. No other team was interested in him. McDermmott had an open competition between Peterman and McCarron. Although McCarron had an injury Peterman won him out in their competition. I'm not getting hung up on who was the better option because I don't see a major difference between them. Allen is our qb in the very near future.

When you have a wish list and it is fulfilled then you have to accept the blame. You should be held accountable. Don't shirk from your responsibility here for the disappointing endings. Have you ever considered that wishing for more victories might be better than settling for less?

I heard it on WGR on a couple occasions. I'm not sure if it was Sal C or Paul Hamilton. I think the bigger factor for McCarron's disgruntlement is that he was beaten out by Peterman, and he knew that Allen was the qb that was going to be groomed. Did the staff make a mistake putting Peterman ahead of McCarron? They competed and Peterman outplayed him. From what I have heard about McCarron he is an A-1 caliber of person and doesn't seem the type who would refuse to be helpful to a younger player. But he came here with the expectation to play and it didn't work out for him the way he wanted. It wouldn't make much sense for the Bills to deal him without having another qb in the fold. Something had to be going on for them to put themselves in such a potential bind. If one asks the question who is better between McCarron and Peterman my response is what difference does it make?

With respect to Cleveland and Ward if their kicker was more proficient the Browns would be the talk of the town for turnarounds. They could have won at least another two games which would have dramatically changed how this woebegone team was perceived. When you have a HC who has been inept and presided over chaos and you continue on with him then you deserve what you get. The new GM should have been allowed to bring in his own coaching staff as he wanted. The owner for some peculiar reason said no. Any HC who brings on the pugnacious and much traveled Haley and is surprised that he is in a constant state of conflict with the players and staff is dumb and deserves to be unceremoniously fired. I'm not going to call you crazy because I agree with you that if this regime smartly utilizes its bountiful cap and full complement of draft picks this team could conceivably make a quantum leap forward. The big issue even if that is done is whether Josh Allen becomes the player that I think he can become. In my view unless the OL and receiver corps is dramatically strengthened he will be set up to fail. That would be a shame. I thought you might be interested in this WGR link with Joe Marino talking about the offseason. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/marino-bills-can-turn-things-around-offensively