JohnC

What's your status with all this rain? Is your area seriously impacted?

Whaley lost his authority to McDermott. A decision was made to wait until the next year so the operation could be more closely examined. The former GM was fired, all of the scouting staff was let go and Beane was brought in. Just like Botterill with the Sabres using his first year for an assessment period that is the same thing that this new regime took. If it were up to me I would have drafted Mahomes and get the qb issue more quickly resolve. The new HC was not ready to make that decision at that time. Eventually, Josh Allen was drafted. I'm more than happy he was selected.

Tyrod was on the market with no takers that year. So the team kept him at a reduced salary and were competitive. I have no problem with that decision. Whether one agrees or disagrees with it I understand the thinking. In hindsight decision-making is easy. But that is not the real world. You make your best judgments in real time without the benefit of looking back. It turned out the Bills were relatively competitive in McDermott's first year and made the playoffs. I'm not going to look back and be critical with his thought process.

The Bills were not going to get Josh Allen or a qb that they wanted if they didn't trade Glenn and be in a better draft position for the next move down. That's where I disagree with you. The Bills took a calculated step back this year in order to secure not only their qb of the future but also to get cap space for next year. I understand your position but where I disagree with you is that it isn't as linear as you make it out to be. Sometimes you can't shed a player until you can get more value. An example of that is the trading of Tyrod. This year is going to be a difficult year because of the decision to go all out for the qb. Next year this franchise should be in a much better position. Again, I understand what you are saying but to a degree disagree with your take. In reality our thinking is more aligned than it appears to be.

The Bills made the playoffs last year for the first time in a generation. I'm not going to complain about that.

You ended up contributing to Russian hackers who were interjecting themselves into our elections. You need to be careful because Mueller may be on your trail.

You are not following what I am saying. This year was about getting our franchise qb. It was a complicated and costly endeavor. Stepping back to get a franchise qb in my mind is actually moving forward. My position has been the same for a number of years. You don't get anywhere unless you get yourself a franchise qb. It wasn't an easy task but this regime got it done. Is it guaranteed that Josh Allen is that caliber of qb? No, but it was worth the short term set back for the long term gain.

Kirby, You are crazy to be involved with bitcoin. Getting involved with the Russian Mafia is a good way to get yourself decapitated. You must immediately stop this descent into this murky underworld. I know why you didn't want to write down your bitcoin password. You are acting surreptitiously to keep your addiction hidden from your loved ones. Seek help, and do it now! Your insurance will cover the sessions.

Of course we are worse off this year. That's part of the process. We are now in a better position to better address those needs in the near future. Sometimes you step back to move forward. The trajectory isn't always even but it will move up with the expected blips. It's part of the process. It's not easy----and never was going to be.

I'm here out of benevolence and concern. Call this number right away before you get submerged by your addiction: http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/

My interpretation of this offseason's moves is much different from yours. The organization decided to take the cap hit this year in order to be less restrained in their pursuit of players next year. That was the plan and that is exactly what has happened. There are no surprises here because that was the plan. You are entitled to disagree but with respect to the cap and how it was handled it was by design.

Let me add a twist to your scenario: Would we have been better off if the Bills would have drafted Mahome last year and used the picks to address other positions? I would say yes. To more specifically answered your question the collection of moves the Bills made were primarily made to get a franchise qb in last year's draft. That was the designed strategy. And that strategy was carried out. We got our franchise qb in this year's draft for a hefty price. In my mind it was well worth it if you take a longer term view.

I respectfully disagree. Sometimes it isn't smart to get rid of players when you can't get reasonable value for a player. In two years the roster has been substantially turned over. Next year there will be even more turnover because of the cap space and full complement of draft picks. Where I disagree with you is that the rebuild did start right away. In our first draft the Bills traded down with KC to get an extra pick the following year. While you may not consider what is being done a pure rebuild I consider it a substantial rebuild.

I disagree somewhat with your characterization that there wasn't a major rebuild going on in the first year. The Bills were accumulating draft picks as soon as McDermott took over with deals for Watkins and the trade down with KC to get another first round pick in the following year. Dareus was dealt during the season in the first year. When you take over an operation you still need to evaluate what you have. If you review the first two years there has been a significant alteration in the roster. The Josh Allen selection was made after a number of maneuvers were made. The signature move was getting (hopefully) our franchise qb. They was a complicated maneuver that including a number of trades over a period of time. If you look at our cap situation next year it will be dramatically different from what has encumbered the organization. The next issue is whether that cap money is going to be wisely spent. Without question this is going to be a difficult year. It may sound crazy to some but it was an outcome of the design of the rebuild. The thinking was to take the immediate hard hit so in the not too distant future there will be a dividend. For me what I see going on, as ugly as it may seem to many, should have been expected. It has to be remembered that when McDermott took over there was a delicate balance between being competitive and rebuilding. In his first year the team was unexpectedly more competitive and in a position to break the playoff drought. So he went for it as reflected in the Benjamin deal. But make no mistake the reality is that the Bills were still in the midst of a rebuild in the first year. At least that is how I see it.

Terrific post. You are radiantly shining in a room full of darkness. It was unavoidable to not have short term pain from the gruesome action of quickly absorbing the cap $$$ for the dispatched players. That was the designed strategy of the full throttle rebuild. The big issue that will determine the success or failure of the rebuild is whether Josh Allen demonstrates that he can become a franchise qb. I believe in him. Without a doubt he is going to struggle but that is an inescapable part of the learning curve. The tandem of McBeane have made a lot of personnel decisions. One doesn't have to agree with all of them. But if one keeps in mind that the decisions are made in a context of a major rebuild then the moves become much more understandable, even for those who disagree with a portion of the decisions. While a boisterous faction expend energy and fulminate about the backup qb I am encouraged that the hulking rookie qb is now playing. That's where the focus should be from the fearful fans. Just because the journey is long and arduous that doesn't mean that ultimately success will not be attained. Having a road map and sticking to it is the right thing to do.

I agree with you that McDavid is a generational player. I don't consider Eichel to be one. Is Mathews a generational player? Not sure but leaning toward no.

Your point about their player purchases is valid. But the story on Murphy is still an open issue. Let's not assume that he is always going to be plagued with injuries. When healthy he is a full throttle and productive player. As you reasonably noted the high cost acquisition of the Samoan DT is still an open issue. Let's just give it a little more time and see how it develops. You bring up an issue that is starting to hover over the organization. Is McDermott's preferred player profile too limited to choir boys? That is an issue that many people at first spoke in hush tones but is now getting louder. Let's just wait before there is louder rumblings about McDermott's stifling christian way of doing business. My view is that he values workers and committed players who are self-motivated. It can come off as too sanctimonious and preachy.

With respect to the highlighted area we are in accord. When you rebuild there is going to be a lot of churning of personnel. I'm not going to be too bothered with the backside departures and replacements. The most important issue for this season and franchise is whether Josh Allen demonstrates that he can be a franchise qb? I'm not going to go astray and be distracted by frivolous side issues such as the backup. I'll leave that up to those who relish wallowing With respect to the Peterman issue you are irredeemable. Every life is precious----even the one's you don't personal value.

If you are referring to Watkins and Dareus these are players that this new regime didn't believe fit into their long term plans. Without question you take a step back when you give up talent. As I said in a prior post when McDermott took over it was with the intention of deconstructing and then reconstructing. It wasn't a one or two year task. The Kerley transaction is baffling to me. But I'm not going to get discombobulated over a fringe type of player. Where I agree with you is how this team evaluates the market players is going to be a decisive factor toward success. Murphy has been hurt so I'm going to hold my judgment. And Latul---- has not been impressive in his early start but it is still very early. I'm not a zealous true believer in this regime. But it's still very early in their tenure. It's going to take time. Without a doubt it's going to take a lot of fortitude to stay steady in this probably tough year. The boat may be rocking in turbulent waters but I not jumping out just yet. You remind of of a doctor working in the emergency room when the EMT personnel just wheeled in a patient in cardiac arrest. Your response is to get fixated on the hang nail while the patient is gasping and fading away. Gunner, get your priorities straight! The backup qb should be the least of your worries. I'm trying to help you. When you go off the rails I'm simply trying to get you back on track.

The context for what McBeane are doing with their many moves revolves around a major rebuilding project. The roster and organization they inherited is being dismantled and rebuilt. Few people (including me) are going to agree with all the many moves. This is not a one or two year project. This is going to take in my estimation at least four years. Hopefully, the major leap forward will come next year when we have a large pool of cap money to work with and a full complement of picks. I'm not a Benjamin fan. I have never been impressed with his work habits, and I don't consider him to be a #1 receiver. But I do understand why the Bills got him last year when the Bills were a fringe playoff team. In the process of rebooting the roster there is going to be a lot of churning of the roster. Because much of it will be at the fringes I'm not going to be caught up in it. My point is that you don't have to agree with all the moves. But for the most part their has been a logic and rationality to them. While many people got caught up in the Peterman frenzy (Gunner most notably) I am not so traumatized as they are because it simply accelerated the planned transition to the rookie qb. The mistake many people are making is that they are looking at last year's playoff experience as a baseline. Make no mistake it was a fluke and didn't represent where this team was ranked. Although expectations were raised because of last year's ending of the playoff drought this was never going to be a quick fix project. In the short term it's not going to be easy and it's going to be painful. Some people face the harsh reality by creating their own fiction. I'm not one of them.

Without the Cordy Glenn trade with the Bengals that moved us up the board the Bills would not have been able to draft Josh Allen. I would make that deal any day of the week.

You are astute and perspicacious. The Bills haven't had a franchise qb in over a generation. The organization did what they had to do to get an authentic franchise qb prospect. And yet some people are bothered by that. It makes no sense.

I'm glad to hear that it is a good crowd. I'm listening to the game on the radio. It is an entertaining game with a lot of action. It would be great for a western NY team to be relevant. I'm rooting for Kirby to make money on his bet. It should improve his disposition after watching the Bills in their inaugural game.?

Is there a good crowd? What is the attendance?

My complaint isn't over one's position on an issue. What I find abnormal is the disproportionate attention to a player that has been replaced. On top of that it was understood that the player who was replaced was acknowledged to be a temporary/placeholder player for the rookie prospect. Although the switch has been made the venom keeps flowing for the replaced inconsequential player. The horse that is dead continues to be gleefully beaten. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=dead+horse&id=99B97D26E664CFFE2C62C3015A1D054E2BD4C223&FORM=IQFRBA