JohnC

Does the word "process" get on your nerves?

We are in accord in our thinking. As you noted the Sabres/Bills squandered opportunities and lost years with bad management. Hopefully, under McBeane and Botterill the smarter and wiser approach to running an operation will take hold and stabilize backward functioning organizations. The mistake that struggling organizations make is before making a decision to improve they have to have a blueprint established and then make decisions that fall within the established plan. For both organizations their fatal flaw was managing an operation from a tactical perspective instead of a strategic perspective. It seems to me that both franchises have a smarter game plan to draw from.

I hope he was smart enough not to have spent the money.

I agree with most of what you are saying. But the Sabres situation was not the same situation that the teams you cited. The Sabres were essentially an expansion caliber of team and force fed some of their players before they were ready. The handling of Gregerenko was a shame. By playing him before he was ready and even earned a spot they arguably ruined him as a player to the point that his career was lost. I also agree with you that continuous losing is corrosive for players and for an organization. One of the first things that Botterill did was bulk up the AHL team and make them competitive so that players have an environment of success. This bedraggled organization has been subjected to failure throughout its system. That surely isn't a good situation for developing talent and a positive outlook. The Sabres have talent in their system. It's going to take time for them to percolate up. From what I know of the GM he believes in player development and not rushing the process. He has stated that he prefers keeping players in the minors until they are ready to stay in the big leagues. Looking back the former tough talking GM made a lot of mistakes. He made some big deals that not only didn't work out but ended up weighing this team down for the future. I still don't understand the Lehner deal. The Senators wanted to get rid of him and in the end the pick that he shed could have been a player who would be at worst a second line player. Both Botterill and McDermott stress the process. It's a cliché but it is time tested for long term success. It may seem that I'm pessimistic but I'm not. When you start doing things the right way in the end it will work out.

Rest assured that if the Bills draft Allen the snickering will turn into how our fortunes have turned with his unexpected availability. I agree with you that any of the top four qbs, and even a couple of the second tier prospects, would be a major upgrade from what we have had at that position for a generation. What is really intriguing about this qb class is that each player has a different skill set. And yet each qb is capable of being a franchise qb (at different development rates) for an organization that hasn't had one in a long time. There are no guarantees but if this draft works out as hoped for we will finally accomplish something that prior regimes haven't come close to accomplishing in the never ending quest for a main-stay qb.

As I said in my posting I would take Darnold over him, and over the other prospects. But if you look at all the qb rankings done by numerous outlets that include former front office staffers Allen is ranked with the top group. As the evaluation season winds down most of the rankings I have seen have him in the second spot. He's not an outlier----he right there in the mix. I have no criticism for people who don't believe that he is the top prospect. But I don't accept the criticism that this is an outlandish act. And what makes it even more understandable is that he is going to a team that doesn't want to play their rookie qb right away.

The problem with your scenario is that I'm not sure he would have gotten an offer to match his reduced salary with Buffalo. He apparently resents the salary reduction he was forced to take in order to remain with the team. But as a veteran player he more than most recognizes what happened to him is very much the norm in this league.

I would certainly draft Darnold over Allen. But selecting Allen ahead of him is not an act of irrationality as many people want to portray it. There are plenty of rumors that the Bills are targeting Allen and are willing to shed picks to get him. There was talk that has now tamped down that the Jets were interested in, as were the Broncos. If the Browns want a veteran qb to start the season and they want their rookie qb who they believe has the highest upside then taking Allen is not an unreasonable way to go. Again, I wouldn't take their course of action but it makes some sense.

If you believe in conspiracies may I recommend the TV show the X-Files. It should satisfy your conspiratorial tendencies when you have these deep and dark thoughts. The major attraction of that show is Dana Scully. I'm confident that you would take notice of her impressive rack. Although you will be distracted when you try to figure out what is going on.

Risto is only 23. But as you noted he has played in nearly 350 games. For a player who has played in so many games there should be a greater degree of maturity and responsibility in his own defensive zone. He is far from being a Seth Jones who is a force in the game. There are a lot of factors for some of the unevenness to his game that relate to the talent level of the players he is playing with. My major criticism is that I am not seeing the progression in his game as time goes by for this young veteran. It is very appropriate for male hockey fans to lust for Dahlin.

In defense of Risto when you are on a bad team the tendency is to try to do more than you should and play outside your boundaries. In my mind Risto is more of a second pairing player than a first pairing. I agree with you that ROR needs a change of scenery but teams are not trading faster and more dynamic players for good slower players. With respect to Hall and the Devils their front office deserves a lot of credit for remaking their team from a Lou Lam trapping and boring team to a north/south faster team. It can be done but it is not an easy transition to make.

I would be ecstatic with your board. But the obvious issue with your slate is it reasonable to expect Mayfield to be on the board when we pick at the 12 spot? And related to that issue is do you really believe that the Bills would risk losing out on one of the top four qb by waiting. My point is even if Mayfield was to drop the Bills would take a preemptive action (trading picks for a move up) to guarantee that we have a premium prospect when we make our first pick. What your board and the boards of the other posters demonstrate is if the Bills keep their picks they can significantly bolster the roster. On the other hand the issue becomes is it better to draft stay pat and draft a qb like Lamar (like Bandito's board) or is it better to get the qb you most prefer at the expense of giving up picks? My uncourageous response is that I am ambivalent.

The league is more of a speed league than it was a few years ago when the muscle teams thrived. He's a good player but won't be a first center on any good team. He can be moved but the return won't be as much as one would think.

I'm old fashion. Due to generational bigotry I don't give any guy who has a pony tail much credibility.

You give me too much credit. I'm dumber than you think. I'm so far behind you that it will take a generation to catch up to you even after you stop functioning. ROR is an appealing player on the market who has a contract that anchors him to the team he is currently with. Risto is more suited to be a good second pairing defenseman. Why blame him for the lack of talent on the blue line? I have very often stood up against the barbarians calling for the head of Kane. But the reality is that he is a physical player and a stat player who doesn't elevate the rest of his linemates. His market value was no where near what the hecklers believed it to be. Put me on record that the slumbering Sabres will be invigorated with some tweaking and added youth and they will be in the playoffs next year. I am confident and I am resolute! Trust me on this prediction. Have I ever let you down?

I'm sure the pay cut was a significant factor. The business is very cold-blooded. Sentiment is not part of the equation. I believe that although his play declined a little it was still at a high level. And although the Bills luckily made the playoffs this is still a rebuilding team. I'm sure RI didn't find that an appealing situation to be in, especially on a reduced salary. It will be interesting to see if this is the end of the story for him. It might not?

As YOLO pointed out he has an interest working in the media field. I have seen him in interviews and also doing analysis and commentary on players and teams. He is terrific. He's articulate and has a lot of personality behind the mic. RI has been in the league long enough to see the toll the game has on players and himself. That's the ugly side of the business that fans don't want to see. When it comes to one's health it is better to be cautious than stretch out another year or so in the game that can forever damage one's health. I wish him well.

There are so many deflections and diversions being made from all over the place. But the one constant that is repeated is that the Bills are making overtures to all the early drafting teams. The Rosen infatuation seems genuine. The next issue is how many other teams above us are interested in him. The Jets seem to be seriously considering him. If that is accurate then Beane would be extending a lot of effort to get a deal done with the Giants. As it stands if Rosen is the apple of McBeane's eye then the Giants are in a good position to gain a grand booty from us. In my view it would be a costly deal and a worthwhile deal for us.

I'm not advocating that Allen be our first consideration as a qb prospect. If he ends up being our option then so be it. If he turns out to be a Dak caliber of qb then I won't come away disappointed. As I have stated before it doesn't matter to me what grade he or any other prospect is given or even where he ranks with his qb class. The issue is whether he can be a franchise qb for your team. I believe that if he is handled smartly he can be.

The Marrone departure was damaging not only from a coaching standpoint but from an organizational standpoint. Although Whaley and Marrone were a mismatched combo if Marrone would have stayed Whaley would have gotten him the players he wanted. The irony is Whaley, maybe to a fault, did his best to get the players the HC wanted for his system. In my opinion he deferred to an outdated and unmotivated Rex who was playing out the string of a last contract. We all give credit to McDermott for getting his team to play above its talent level. He deserves it. But Marrone also got his team to play hard and play within itself. This team was on an upward trajectory when he left. The Bills were on their way to moving up the ranks. Then the Rex stupidity factor clicked in and the team went back to the starting blocks. What gives me optimism is that the organization is now aligned from top to bottom. There is a synchronization that hasn't existed since the Polian era. That doesn't mean that there won't be mistakes and set backs because mistakes are an inescapable part of the business. This goes back to the discussion of the Jets and how an owner structures and staffs an organization. In that respect the Bills are in a good situation.

The Jet GM blundering on multiple qb decisions doesn't rise to the level of peculiar decision-making that the Bills made when they hired the loquacious Rex. That blunder set this franchise back by years. We are still digging out of that deep hole. I'm not quarreling with your position that the Jet GM made glaring mistakes. That's obvious and fair to criticize. But it is unfair to criticize the same GM when he seems to be making a bold strategic move to address a position that desperately needs addressing, at least for the long haul. I'm certainly not rating Maccagnan as one of the premier GMs in the league. He's not. However, where I will give him credit is that he is not afraid to move on from his mistakes. The person who you should be more critical of is the owner. It starts at the top. The owner/boss hired him and has kept him on. That's where the heart of the problem lies. When you make a bad hire it reverberates throughout the organization and the effects linger.

It sounds like a cliché because it is a cliché.

On this issue your eyes will never meet my eyes. I don't care how hideously incompetent the current Jet regime is. The bigger mistake for them would be not to try. The Bills organization prior to this regime are a model of what not to do rather than what to do. Their failure, as incompetent as they have historically been, is not to be aggressive on addressing the qb issue. While you condemn the Jets for their aggressive action to move up in the draft I salute them. You and I are riding different buses that are going to different destinations. I'm sitting comfortably in my seat because I know I am on the right bus.

There is a good reason why the Harvard graduate with the impressive Wonderlick score and scraggy beard has been on the extended circuit of different teams: Fitz is Fitz! When all is said and done he has carved out a very long and rich career. It beats working in the cement jungle called Wall Street.