JohnC

The best scenario is keeping as many picks as possible and still getting a good qb prospect. On the NFL Network today there was talk of a possible deal between the Colts and the Bills where the Bills give up both of their first round picks to move to the six spot. The deal won't be finalized until its known that one of the primary qb prospects is still on the board when the Colts are on the clock. The qb that the Network mentioned that the Bills are targeting at that spot is Mayfield. The obvious benefit would be that the Bills would still have draft assets to acquire players such as Warner. If the Colts end up dealing they can end up with five high picks for two trade downs. Not a bad haul!

It doesn't matter. Just take one of them and be happy. I'm a Mayfield fan and would love to have him. But I'll gleefully take Jackson with our first pick and keep our remaining picks in our bag.

What history are you referring to? The history of this new regime is one year. That's not much history for you to infer from.

I'm more lenient than you are. I would give up 12 and 22 for the five spot without asking for a future pick. I would even be receptive to throwing in our lower third round pick. The history for even short move ups demonstrates that it is an expensive transaction. What we don't know is at the higher spot which qb would the McBeane tandem favor? If Allen or Mayfield were both on the board my guess is that the Bills would select Allen. While my preference would be for Mayfield I'm open to other options. The advantage I see in Mayfield is that he would be ready to play much sooner.

I'm not disagreeing with your take as I am supporting it. My position is if it takes a year or two to groom a qb to be ready that shouldn't be a problem because that is the norm. With the three qbs you mentioned (Rudolph, Allen and Jackson) it seems that you are making an argument to draft them with a first round pick and still keep your other picks to bolster the roster. An example of your position is Goff. He wasn't ready in his rookie year but when he played his second year he was more prepared. It's safe to say that he will continue to get better. Too many people believe that the Bills are close to having a complete roster. We are not close to having a robust roster. The Bills bucked the odds last year to make the playoffs. They certainly didn't have a playoff roster, and they still have a way to go to get there. If the Bills have an interest with Jackson they need to take him with their first pick. If the Bills have an interest in Rudolph they might/should be able to get him with their second first round pick. For me, if the Bills don't come out of this draft with a serious qb prospect I will be disappointed.

There's a time and a place for these off topics. I'm not uncomfortable talking about these sensitive issues. But this forum isn't the most appropriate place for it. I'm not suggesting that the topic should be completely taboo and can't be responsibly responded to when it is relevant. But what I have learned when these types of issues are addressed in this type of sports forum that it has a contaminating effect.

The quickest way to blow up this board is to inject politics and race into the discussion. It will not only contaminate the discussions but will also have a lingering effect of creating a hostile climate. I closely follow the political scene and have political leanings. But this is not the place to bring up that subject matter. There isn't a person on this board who was more critical of Taylor than I was. I consider his departure a positive act. Many others think otherwise. I can assure everyone that race was not a factor in my opinion. And I resent it when it is even hinted at. Even the suggestion that one's opinion had a racial overtone in itself can be poisonous not only on that particular qb issue but also have a spillover effect on other issues. Let's immediately put a stop to it. And by the way I like Lamar Jackson.

You may be an utopian but I am not. I am an unadulterated utilitarian. My favorite saying and notion is "don't let perfect be the enemy of the good". I also carry that philosophy in my political inclinations. I have nothing but contempt for political ideologues both on the right and left. If the top tier qbs are gone before we pick then I would prefer taking a qb with our first pick. I'm not willing to gamble on that position. I agree with you that this regime is much more strategic in their thinking than what this franchise has been previously subjected to. When McBeane took over they had a blueprint as to how this roster was going to be built from a player profile and from a cap distribution standpoint. While Whaley took a more patchwork approach to adding players this more thoughtful pairing is much more conceptual on how they make decisions. I very much trust their judgment. They are chess players compared to their predecessors who were checker players.

Thanks for the response. I'm open to all options as long as a quality qb prospect is included in the mix. I consider both Rudolph and Jackson in the quality category.

Let me pose a question to you that relates to your draft board. Let's say for the sake of argument you have an opportunity to draft a qb like Mayfield but have to move up to the 6th spot for him. Would you give up both of your first round picks (getting one back in the move up) and also giving up a second and third round pick, the third rounder would be the Cleveland pick which is at the top of third? I'm looking at your board and see a lot of positions being addressed with the infusion of talent, especially from the first three rounds. On this issue I am torn and go back and forth. Sad to say I have become an equivocator! I am so disappointed in myself.

I watched maybe five or six games Mayfield played in against top level teams. There wasn't a game that I watched in which I didn't come away saying that not only was he the best player but also the most compelling playing on the field. And I'm including the Georgia game in which there were a lot of pro prospects on both sidelines. There are a lot of positive pro traits that Mayfield has but what is most impressive is his accuracy which includes impeccable ball placement. Getting Mayfield with a short move up would be a tremendous achievement for this franchise.

I'm confident that if McDermott tells Beane he doesn't want a particular player that Beane won't sign the player. Beane is not going to act on a player move without consulting with the GM. And vice versa. But regardless what the organizational structure is if the HC doesn't want a player odds are that player won't be signed by the GM. There is no need to continue with this circle discussion. It's pointless.

McDermott has been in the league long enough to know the personnel in the league. I'm confident that if the bull dog wrestling coach tells Beane that he doesn't want a particular pro player that Beane is suggesting that Beane would not make the acquisition.

I doubt that if Beane suggested a free agent player was available and McDermott didn't want the player for whatever reason that the player would be signed. Without question this tandem collaborates more than how most organizations run their operations. However, especially in the pro ranks I doubt that if McDermott didn't want a particular player that Beane wouldn't accede to the HC's wishes. On the other hand when it comes to college prospects Beane has more knowledge in that area than the HC does so he would certainly have more sway in that area.

Do you think that if he didn't have the final authority he would publicly say so? My sense is that McDermott has more influence in personnel matters than most HCs in this league. Andy Reid is not the GM in KC but most people would acknowledge that he has more say than most HCs in personnel matters.

You pose an interesting question as to who has the final say on personnel matters. Beane is the GM that McDermott most likely selected. The HC certainly doesn't have the time and resources that the GM and his scouting staff have when evaluating players. And no doubt there is a lot of communication and collaboration going on between the GM and HC. However, it's my opinion that McDermott has the final say when it comes to selecting players in the draft and pro ranks.

If you add Mayfield to your list then it is likely that the Bills don't have to go all the way up to two to get one of the top prospects. There are a variety of fallback positions that although don't include the top four qbs might in the end be the best approach to adding more talent to the roster. One of them is to stay at your position and draft Jackson or even Rudloph and then use your picks to address a number of positions. I don't see the Bills making a deal until the day of the draft. If teams that are considered to have qb needs such as the Giants, Denver and even Miami go for players that offer immediate help then the Bills are in a good position to select a high-end qb prospect and still be able to use their picks. If you look at the teams that are drafting from the 5th to the 10th range there is a good chance that the Bills can make a reasonable deal with one of them to get one of our targeted qbs. The advantage of this draft is that there is a group of good qbs. It would be a mistake to get fixated on one of them at the price of emptying the cupboard.

For a very long time he has reviewed tape on players for NFL Films. From what I know about him he is a respected evaluator of players. He has been doing this for a very long time. I'm sure there are people in the business who disagree with some or many of his judgments but I have never heard anyone say that he isn't a credible person in judging talent. This is the time of year where he gets a lot of coverage from many outlets.

The below link is an segment with Cosell on the Cowherd show. It is an 11:30 piece. It mirrors mostly what you have stated here. Are you sure that you are not really Greg Cosell who uses an alias to post here?

The Gettysburg battlefield is well known for its ghost sightings. A friend of mine who regularly volunteers at Gettysburg told me that a ghost knocked him back in an area he was working at. You may be a skeptic but I'm not.

YOLO's influence.

Great job Bandito, If the Bills can't make a reasonable deal to get one of their preferred qbs I would be more than happy with taking Jackson with our first pick at the 12th spot. It may take him a little longer to refine his game but he has attributes that adds a unique dimension to the offense. No question I would prefer Rosen, Darnold, Allen or Mayfield but Jackson is not only a good option but an option over time who can turn out to be the most dynamic qb of the bunch.

This is just my opinion but I think if he can't move up and all the top tier qbs are gone he would consider drafting Rudolph ahead of Jackson with his second first round pick. I lean toward that position because it seems that Rudolph more than Jackson mesh with his profile from a physical standard. I like Jackson a lot. What I look for in a qb and a player is progress and development. Jackson took a leap forward from his prior year. He may be a project but he can turn out to be the most electrifying qb in this class. I have said this a number of times that I'm not wedded to any player or approach as to how a player is acquired. My only adamant stand is that the Bills come out of this draft with a high end qb prospect. If option A is not available then go to B, and if B is not available then go to C, etc. etc.

No doubt that he would be either at the top or near the top of their ranking. Most people believe that he is going to be the first qb taken in this draft. My sense is that there are three or maybe four qbs that they think are worth moving up. The next question is if the Bills stay pat are the next qbs on their board worth taking at the 12th spot? It's also going to be interested to see if any of the top four ranked qbs slide. If I had to guess I would say it would be Mayfield. From a Bills fan standpoint this is going to be a fascinating draft. If only the Bills would have drafted either Watson or Mahomes last year this draft would have a completely different orientation to it.

The Sabres have a core group of players in the minors who have NHL potential but they are at least a couple years away. I just don't see a quick turn around for this slow and sluggish team.