JohnC

I'm not for getting rid of him unless there is an equal or near equal return. Because of his contract I don't think there is much of an appeal for him. In a previous WGR interview with another analyst the guest felt that a team that would be willing to take him on is St. Louis. He stated that they had a loaded system and would be willing to part with some very good prospects but not their top two or three prospects. The former tough talking GM made a couple of big contract deals that got us O'Reilly and Okposa. Neither player has played up to their contracts. And due to his big acquisitions he squandered his cap situation by bringing in the wrong players at the wrong price. Botterill has his work cut out for him this offseason.

I'm not referring to this case about Patricia but it is openly acknowledged that the Grand Jury System without question favors the prosecution. The benefit of the doubt goes to the prosecutor in the room guiding the process without a challenging presence in the room. I'm not arguing that this system is right or wrong but I am saying that there are biases in the system that can be exploited. No system is perfect. But one needs to be cautious about how it works and recognize the flaws associated with it.

The most interesting part of the interview with Craig Button was his concluding comments about identifying the non-competitors and moving them out. Button noted that anyone who has watched the Sabres can easily recognize that this roster as it is currently constituted lacks the heart to consistently compete. Without question this team lacks talent compared to most teams. But there is an evident lack of spirit and fortitude that your core players have to exhibit for it to spill-over to prop up the rest of the players. The player that comes to mind on this issue is O'Reilly. I like him a lot but I get the impression that the accumulated losses has depleted him and left him dispirited to the point that it has affected his play. He represents to me the cliché that a change of scenery is the best thing for him and for the organization. I don't want to make him out to be a scapegoat because that would be unfair. But the player mix on this roster has to change before it infects players such as Jack and Sam.

If Peterman is with the team during training camp and into the season he would be kept because he knows the system. If you wanted to bring in a Shaun Hill or Matt Moore it would make sense to bring one of them in before the season starts. I just don't see that happening. I don't see where keeping Peterman as a first or second backup should jeopardize the roster spot of any player worth keeping because his salary is so small. It's my opinion that Peterman will be on the roster this year.

The point I brought up was about the issue of guns and domestic violence. It is a special circumstance which is handled in a specific way in many jurisdictions because of the volatility of the situation. I cited a link that demonstrated that point. Your personal situation is a sad situation but it demonstrates the intense emotion and anger that can arise from a domestic conflict. In your case the court sorted out the truth and adjudicated accordingly. With respect to convicted felons losing their constitutional rights I understand why one can forfeit their right to own a gun but I don't understand why a convicted felon who has served his time (including probation) shouldn't have their voting rights restored. What is the harm or risk of someone voting?

I'm aware what your point is. On the other hand you missed my point. In some jurisdictions in domestic violence cases guns can be confiscated by the police responding to the scene and later by the court system even before a conviction. It has to do with the nature of the crime where anger and emotion are part of the dangerous and volatile mix in the relationship. http://www.preventdvgunviolence.org/assets/documents/legal-landscape/police-seizure-of-firearms-at-scenes-of-domestic-violence.pdf

If McCarron was dreadful as your hypothetical premise suggests I'm sure he would be replaced just like any other player regardless of position. I'm confident that this staff knows what McCarron's ability is and what they can expect from him. His contract and term length reflect what their expectation of him is.

The crime is the domestic violence. What makes the situation even more dangerous then and after the fact is the abuser possessing a weapon. That's why in many jurisdictions through their court systems abusers are not allowed to have guns.

Why replace a qb with a similar qb at nearly the same price? If Allen emerges by his second year McCarron would still be a good backup qb.

If McCarron was dropped there would be no veteran presence at that position. Even if McCarron was a backup he would still be useful in the film room and practice field for the future qb, Allen. As it stands McCarron is still at a bargain basement price and he can with no cost be pushed out the door next year. Another thing working in McCarron's favor for retention is that he seems like the kind of person who whatever his role is he would be a good teammate.

I'm aware that we both agree that Cleveland should have taken Chubb. Even if the Browns wanted to select the only first round CB in this draft they did so by passing up on one of the top rated players in the draft and also the top rated defensive player in this draft. (As you stated with your own evaluations.) The Browns still had the top pick in the first round and could have gotten a lesser rated CB but still a good CB prospect. I'm sure you also agree that the best way to elevate your defensive backfield is to have a top tier pass rushing line. The addition of Chubb to that line would have made it one of the best in the league. In my mind they squandered an opportunity to add a more impactful player in this draft. This is one organization that can't afford to make such mistakes.

Chubb was the best defensive player in this draft. Ward was arguably the best CB in this draft. But this draft was loaded with good CBs, one of which could have been selected at the top of the second round. Chubb was a highly rated DE in a draft class that had few, if any other elite pass rushers. I'm not suggesting that Ward was a bad pick because that isn't the case. I just thought that they could have come out of this draft with an elite DE and still gotten a very good CB with their next pick.

I agree with you. That was a dumb an inane interview. Dahlin seem dumbfounded and didn't know how to respond to such foolishness. What I found impressive is for a young person and a foreigner he had a pretty good grasp of the english language. There were some hesitations responding to some idioms but overall the kid exhibited a good nature and pleasant personality. The radio hosts knew in advance that Dahlin was going to be a guest on a segment. A few minutes of preparation is all that would have been needed to come up with some better questions among them that would have gotten more illuminating responses about the player. It seemed the three hosts did more jostling with one another rather than engaging with the young player.

I don't understand why the Browns didn't take Chubb with their second first round pick. They selected the Buckeye CB, Ward, who was the best DB in this draft. But Chubb was acknowledged as being the best DE, pass rusher and one of the best overall players in this draft, a draft that had plenty of DBs and few pass rushers. They still could have come away with a high end DB at the top of the second round. One way of upgrading the performance of the defensive backfield is to have a superior pass rush. If you would have added Chubb to Garrett you have the makings of an elite pass rushing line. I have a fundamental disagreement with you regarding DBs. In this passing era you have to have not only a couple of good DBs, but you have to have a strong unit back there to compete with the offenses that have favorable rules that leave it unfettered. However, I think you and I are in agreement that this new regime has a more coherent and strategic approach to roster building. Over the past year or so they have made decisions that allowed them to accumulate picks that in the near future would place them in a position to get their franchise qb and address linchpin positions. Getting Allen at qb and Edmunds at the LB position demonstrate the importance of those critical positions that go beyond their singular positions. What a dramatically different way of functioning from the patchwork Whaley approach to building a roster! Under McBeane you see an intelligent blue print and it steadily being implemented. How can you not be optimistic about the future? Just an isolated opinion: The best value pick in this draft was selecting Wyatt Teller in the fifth round.

I'm very much a football fan. If you like it then watch it. I'm not into watching some staged foolishness. If you think that watching McDermott give his cliché riddled responses makes for a compelling watch then go ahead and tune in. It doesn't matter what team is being profiled I don't watch such garbage. If you want to watch a reality show let me recommend Naked and Afraid. You can watch the mosquitoes nibbling on some bare asses in the wild. https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/

Hell no is more emphatic than simply no. You need to add more muscle to your option to decline.

It looks like Ted Washington and Ruben Brown lost some weight. What were their responses to the picks?

Let's put Josh Allen on the spotlight giving his explanation to the room for his twitter comments. That would be great TV! McDermott did a terrific job last year. However, the last thing I want to see is he addressing the club talking about the process or anything else. The show is made for buffoons such as Rex who crave the camera. What it actually demonstrates is how inane and hollow the participants are. Whether Buffalo or any other team is being highlighted I have no interest in watching such contrived and unnatural behavior. It's a stupid concept and a stupid show. For those who are interested in this type of garbage just go watch some other fraudulent reality show such as House wives for wherever. Hell no!

The Knights did their homework and did a superior job evaluating players and rosters to maximize their selections when the expansion draft took place. They did a lot of pre-draft explorations and preliminary deals that worked out for them and the teams they were dealing with. Their early success is a tribute to their GM, George McPhee, and his scouting staff. I don't know if Seattle is going to get the same deal as Vegas but the early success of Vegas is a reason to follow the same format, not go against it. In my opinion having non-competitive expansion teams doesn't help the league, it makes it less entertaining and less competitive. Vegas paid a lot of money to join the league. Why make it more difficult to cultivate fan support with a less than entertaining product to start with? What the success of the Black Knights demonstrates is that the most important ingredient for success for a new franchise or a franchise with a new owner is to make it a priority on getting the right GM in place. That's the starting point. And hopefully Pegula has learned his lesson in that area with his pro franchises.

I'm not sure if Gille just didn't fit or more likely the other players moved up ahead of him. The biggest mistake I have seen the Pats make in bringing in a player that not only didn't fit but was completely incapable of adapting to their system was Chad Johnson. They brought in a receiver who wasn't a good route runner and couldn't function in their precise passing game. Because he was basically clueless in their complex passing offense he was nearly useless. The Pats are usually pretty good in bringing in roll players and maximizing their talents. The Johnson fiasco was a fiasco that they should have known in advance wouldn't work. The Pats are usually pretty good in finding the right pieces but as do all teams that do make mistakes.

He reminds me of Cornelious Bennett from a size and athletic standpoint. He's an exciting prospect who in a couple years or so should be a dynamic player. The only issue relates to his football instincts. Only time will tell on that issue.

I'm not sure that you can appreciably improve your first step. You either have that initial burst or you don't. That doesn't mean that he can't improve as a player but his physical abilities are what they are. My sense of him as a player is that he can be a solid player but not a major impact player. I'm fine with that.

Kirby, Be careful. Don't trust any one of your bosses. If you confide in one of your trustworthy bosses and he brings up the issue with the scoundrel you are still putting yourself in a precarious position. The scoundrel might not immediately back stab you but he will be more determined to do so whether you win or lose on the particular issue. The issue isn't whether you are right or wrong. Clearly, you are right and you were taken advantage of. But just because you are right it doesn't mean that you can't be damaged more than what the value of loss is. When you swim in a body of water that has a lot of sharks you have to be careful about how much you kick because it will draw more attention from the sharks. Just ask yourself if it came down to favoring a partner or grunt who will the other partners be more inclined to support, regardless who is right or wrong? In the long run being strategic is better than being tactical.

Organizations make judgments on what's best for themselves. A good fit for you might be a bad fit for someone else. A good fit for someone else might be a bad fit for you. Especially when deciding on a qb personality is a consideration. With Rosen it seems it was a major consideration. He is who he is. If a franchise is uncomfortable with the package brought by a player then find another player with a different package in which you are comfortable with. I think Rosen is going to be a good qb in this league. I also believe in time Allen is going to be a good qb for us. Teams with different philosophies succeed and fail. You do what you believe is right for your franchise and then ultimately are held accountable for the results.

We just don't know how Rudolph was rated by the organization. If the Bills rated him as a second round prospect from a value standpoint but were determined to come out of this draft with a qb then it isn't crazy to believe that they would have taken him with their second first round pick out of fear that he wouldn't be available in the second round. We now know that Rudolph was taken in the third round but most prognosticators pegged him as very likely to be taken in the second round.