JohnC

I'm with you although some people think trading down is a heresy. If the Bills don't dramatically upgrade their OL our qb is going to be damaged goods. Our priority next year is to protect our biggest asset and assemble an OL that can block and give our running game a chance to move forward, instead of being knocked back before hitting the line. If the Bills can move down a little and get an additional second round pick we can still come away with a high end prospect and address another need. This team overall has a dearth of talent. An infusion of talent needs to be added through free agency and the draft just to be competitive.

Housely guided the worst team in the league to where their talent level and mix brought them. He's not a magician. Our first game was a dud. We lost to a better and a more experienced team. Let's wait until at least this home stand is completed before a conclusive determination is made about this team. I consider this team at best to be a contending fringe playoff team. That would be a major leap forward from last year. If the Sabres play another dud game in their second game then I will start to get shaky. But because there are so many new players I'm willing to be more patient so the line combinations and defense pairings can be sorted out.

The people who should be damned are the players. With the exception for the rookie all the players have played in the league. They certainly know that a veteran team that gets embarrassed in a prior game is going to play the next game with even more intensity. That's not a surprise. In this game the losers got stymied by not only the tougher team but also the smarter team. It's absurd for so many people to act as if the ship is sinking because of one game. The roster has significantly been turned over. The players on the lines have to adjust to one another. That transition isn't automatic. If the Sabres win the next game the sad song that so many fickle people are singing will turn into a rock n' roll song of joy.

Let's not get carried away. Believing that Housley is going to be sent packing so quickly understandably reflects a frustration more than it does a reality. The Sabres came out flat on opening day. That's disappointing. But that is more attributable to the better and more experienced Bruin team that played a tight game and took advantage of glaring mistakes by our defensemen. The Sabre roster has significantly been altered. It is going to take time to develop some chemistry and cohesion. Let's at least wait to see how this homestand plays out before jumping off a bridge. For those people who are critical of Housely I'm not going to say you are wrong. I'm just not sure about him. But drawing any conclusions about him or the team from one dud game against a better team is a tad premature.

Neither did Mahomes or Allen for you. This is not a criticism in your judgment as much as point out that teams are willing to pay a premium for a top shelf qb prospect. My contention is that there is a good chance that the Bills will be in a draft position to parlay it into a number of high end prospects. In addition, judiciously moving down doesn't mean that you will left out of the market for a premium player with your lower first round pick that still can be a premium pick. When you have a dearth of talent and have an opportunity to add an infusion of talent then seize it. In addition to the draft because of our bountiful cap situation a number of competent players can be added to replace some incompetent players. In one year this roster can be dramatically upgraded. When you have such an opportunity that is not the time to shrink from creatively acting.

Shanahan probably has an old school attitude toward contracts but what he is saying is relevant in the business of hockey. The reality is that when you have a number of talented young players whose contracts are coming up near each other the cap squeeze comes into play. You just can't avoid it. The same financial reality comes into play in a capped sport such as football. The issue becomes how do you distribute a set amount of money. The problem that Toronto's Nylander is facing is that if he got what he deserved to get it would handcuff a team dealing with contracts that need to be addressed in the near future. Toronto is loaded with talented young players and the market for players goes up each year. In this situation what very often happens is that a talented player who can't get paid what he believes his worth iwill probably be traded for assets whose contracts won't be coming up in the near future. All organizations have to contend with the puzzle of the cap system. The smart organizations realize where they are on the spectrum of being serious teams compared to upcoming teams. This complex system requires sophisticated GMs who know how to negotiate in this complicated and multi-faceted sport/business. Another way of saying this is you don't hire a checker player to play in a chess match.

You and I are riding different choo choo trains.

Why is Jack grabbing his crotch?

You are making a mistake when you assume that you can't get an elite player or near elite player in a trade down. You can trade down from 2-6 to 12-15 and and still get an exceptional player. Very often by being flexible and creative you can get more than by being conventional and conservative. If I can get a high yield prospect at 12-15 with a move down and add a second round pick to my menu of picks I would jump on that opportunity. I'm not saying your approach is wrong. What I am saying is that this very thin roster needs a lot of bolstering. By being both creative and judicious you can accelerate the process.

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with your view. We have multiple units that aren't even NFL level. These multiple deficiencies need to be addressed. I'm anticipating that we will be near the top of the draft board. We can trade down and still get a very high end prospect and more. With a judicious trade down and wise use of our copious cap $$$ we can in short order inflate a deflated roster. Scarcity of talent is not better than an abundance of talent. Right now we are at below scarcity. When you are mired in the muck of mediocrity don't be afraid to be creative when trying to change your putrid status. Don't be fearful and act timidly.

Shady is a terrific football player. However, his complicated personal life is complicated because of his life choices. He and his girl friends deserve each other. It should be remembered that he's the one making the picks. I have no ill will towards him; and I have no sympathy for him and his entanglements.

If it comes down to selecting an elite pass rusher or trading the pick to get a high end OT and a good receiver I'm preferring quantity over individual talent. Next year, we are in a position to get an infusion of talent. That's what needs to be done. The Bills are rebuilding. The core of talent needs to be dramatically expanded. When you are thin you need to bulk up. More talent is better than less talent. The reality is a small number of elite talent can be neutralized when surrounded by mediocrity. Expand the base and more players will rise.

You make a cogent point that (hopefully) the Bills got their franchise qb in last year's draft. Another associated point is that the four teams that drafted a qb near the top of the draft appear to have acquired their long term franchise qb. If there is a lesson to be learned it is that taking an initiative to either draft at a high position or move up to get a top tier prospect is worth the high investment. Assuming the Bills are near the top of the draft board (safe assumption) then based on the value of highly drafted qbs the Bills should be able to parlay their high first round draft pick for addition picks. As Kirby and others have stated this team with a dearth of talent needs an infusion of talent to be respectable.

However you assess the roster there are many glaring deficiencies that need to be addressed.. Last year, Beane made multiple moves to go up the board for the expressed purpose of getting a qb. That mission was accomplished. Most awake people are going to recognize that we will probably be drafting near the top of the board. So if the choice comes down to getting a top tier player (at any position) or getting two very good players from a trade down then the trade down for more players should be the smarter route to take. When you watch the Bills the takeaway is apparent: We are outmatched. It's obvious that there is a need for an infusion of talent. By smartly using the available cap and smartly maneuvering in the next draft we should be able to come away with an infusion of talent. We can't go another year with a dysfunctional OL and receiving unit. They are too far away from being NFL caliber to give us a chance to reasonably compete.

Some people wear blinders and can't see. But due to their hubris they refuse to acknowledge that they can't see. So they make things up and live in their fantasy world arguing how their fantasy world is more real while your world is more fantasy. Not only is their world difficult to understand but what is even more aggravating it is difficult to penetrate.

What are you talking about. The Bills told him that he had to take a pay cut in order to stay. Excluding whatever bonus he got when he signed it is a year to year contract.He declined to do so. So he decided to retire. The team then allowed him to be cut loose so he could hook up with another team. No team was interested in him. In that same offseason period he got into a rage in a gym where he threw a dumb bell at another client for no reason. He was arrested. In that same offseason the police were called in by the funeral home where his father was at rest because he went into a rage for some delusional reason. You may not be aware of the obvious but he is a very troubled person. As far as the issue of loyalty---- get real. This is the NFL where player and team loyalty are nearly non-existent. It is a cold=blooded business that a veteran like Incognito is well acquainted with. You are creating a nonexistent reality to support your position that has little to do with what actually happened. You may know a lot about what is happening with the Crimson Tide but with respect to the Incognito situation you are far out of your lane.

The market that didn't respond to him being available.

Whatever deal that was negotiated by the agent has to be agreed to by the client. The so called bad deal was a deal that he agreed to. If he wasn't agreeable to a deal then he had the prerogative of saying no and hitting the market. The reality is that the market was not responding. That is a statement in itself. In addition his erratic behavior during the offseason was a clear indication that he was a very troubled person.

Richie publicly firing his agent was an exhibition of his erratic behavior and not a reflection of his agent not properly acting on his behalf.

No team has exhibited an interest in him. Why do you think that is so? He's a troubled soul that most of wish him well. At this stage in his life football shouldn't be the most important thing in his life. Getting his life in order with medical help is what he needs most.

Star may be a little overpaid but he fulfills his role by plugging up the middle. What he does can not be judged through stats. Murphy is a solid player. I have no problem with that acquisition. Newhouse was a one year stop gap reserve lineman, and McCarron was also at best a stop back qb. The Bills took a gander on Coleman and it didn't work out. The salary we absorbed was easily handled. What you failed to mention is that this regime draft their franchise qb. For the past generation other regimes couldn't accomplish that. The regime made a lot of deals to get that essential position addressed. It took a lot of chips to accomplish that but hopefully Allen is the player who will become our franchise qb for a long time. No question that from a talent standpoint this franchise took a step back. But it was a purposeful step back to better position the team to significantly improve over the next year or two. You don't have to agree with everything that has been done. But from my vantage point most of their moves make sense in a rebuilding project.

This team by design over the past two years has been stripped. And also by design they absorbed a gargantuan cap hit in one year instead of spreading it out. Whether you and the other frustrated fans don't want to admit this is a full blown rebuild. This year was going to be a tough year. It was unavoidable. The issue comes down to whether this regime is capable of smartly utilizing the future assets (cap space and full complement of picks) that they have accumulated in the not too distant future.

I'm a self-appointed guru. I have promotional t-shirts made up with the word [b[Regurgitation[/b]. Do you want one? Although there may be a lingering stench that the masses might find offensive.

You forgot to mention that this new regime got a stripped down team into the playoffs for the first time in a generation.

Jeffismagic knew. He was so prescient that he was kicked off of this board. Sometimes zealotry can get you in trouble.