JohnC

When the owner interviewed McDermott for the HCing job the wrestling coach was ready to lay out his plans not only how a roster should be built but also how an organization should be structured. The owner was impressed at how in detail his blueprint was to enliven the owner's moribund franchise. Whaley had his own template. The template that the wrestling coach offered was not only much different but it was much more thoughtful and comprehensive. McDermott's approach to assembling a roster was more coherent and thematic compared to a more patchwork approach that Whaley practiced. Included in the candidate's roster building approach was the importance of properly structuring the cap. With McDermott there is a priority in balancing out the cap. Whaley had a tendency to look at contracts for players on an individual level. While McDermott saw a greater importance at taking a more strategic view at how it affected the roster in general and how it affected future decisions and options. Once the owner hired McDermott there was no way that Whaley was going to be kept. There were two world visions that couldn't be reconciled. The decision to fire the former GM was inevitable once the owner made the decision to hire the wrestling coach. And once the hire was made Whaley knew what his fate was.

It's apparent that KC had a high view of Mahomes as a draft prospect. And after watching him in practice for a season it's also apparent that he met their expectations as demonstrated by their trade of Smith who still had time on his contract.My intention is not to debate about a particular qb as it is to emphasize that especially for a team that doesn't have a franchise qb you have to make it a priority to address that issue. Repeating what I have already said once that position is addressed a team has so many more options in building a roster. Without that issue solidified your team will continue to flounder.

I would give up both of our first round picks, a second and include either a first or second round pick next year. If it takes more such as dealing off Cordy Glenn I would still consider it a fair deal. My line of thinking is if you believe as I do that the Bills are still in a multi-year rebuilding mode to become a serious team then the one essential ingredient is to acquire a franchise qb. Once the qb is secured then the team has more options to take through the future drafts, free agency and trades to bring in more talent. Getting a legitimate franchise qb is more of a priority than addressing any other position. You can get useful temporary fill-ins for other position from free agency but it is unlikely that you can get an upper scale qb through free agency or trades. Another advantage of drafting a top tier qb is that for the next few years you are paying less for a premium position than if you sought your franchise qb through the market. Just think how differently we would be looking at this drafit if last year the Bills would have drafted a qb such as Mahomes or Watson? The priority mission this year is to get a high level prospect on board and then work on broadening the talent on the roster.

What's the difference between a literal falsehood and a falsehood?

You don't think that both or our first round pics, a second round pick and either another first or second round pick in next year's draft can't get a deal done with the Giants or Denver? What I find encouraging is that there are other options. If Rosen goes to another team high in the draft then making a play for Darnold or more likely Mayfield would be another good option. I'm looking at the top tier qb grouping that includes Mayfield, Rosen and Darnold. Some people believe Allen would also fall in that grouping. I don't. My belief is that if the Bills are aggressive they hopefully should come away with a high quality prospect.

You sir are a provocateur! Is it your ambition in life to make me unhappy?

There are a variety of reasons why the Whaley tenure didn't get beyond trending water and making a leap forward. The hiring of Rex set this franchise back by years. Most of the blame goes to the owners who were hoodwinked by a fraud. In somewhat of a defense of Whaley he wasn't the most influential person when it came to hiring the HC. The majority of that responsibility for that disconnect again goes to the owners. They were too involved with making the hire. As owners it is their prerogative but as novices they should have sought out more and better advice before making their decisions. Where I am not going to shy away from criticizing Whaley is his failure to find a credible franchise qb. There is no excuse not to come up with a reasonable starter over a three or four year period. If he couldn't get it done through the draft there were other avenues to take, such as trading or through free agency. As with you I'm very optimistic about this franchise's future because there seems to be a coherent strategy on how this organization is going to be run and how the roster is going to be built. However, I'm no longer receptive to excuses on the qb issue. If a high end prospect or a credible qb from the market isn't brought in this year then my attitude will become much harsher. The thought of Tyrod being a starter for four years is an absurdity. I can understand him being a starter for the first two years. But having him as a starter in his third year was problematic. He being our starting qb for a fourth consecutive year is outright ridiculous and embarrassing.

The Bills were an overachieving team last year. The new regime came in and stripped away some of the talent. The HC is in the process of getting his type of players. It is a tribute to the HC and the players who bought in that this team accomplished more than what was expected. It is also a tribute to the organization that it has a realistic assessment where this team actually stands.

Whaley seemed to always overrate his roster and make moves to get over the hump. McBeane seems to have a plan and blueprint to build a roster. The Bills were very fortunate to make the playoffs. At best they were a middle of a road team. I'm on board with this regime's multi-year plan to build a more sustainable roster. In the long run strategic thinking is better than short term tactical thinking. Without a doubt a thoughtful organization is better than a scrambling organization.

With respect to Rudolph when I say trading up for him I mean making a less costly deal to move up a few spots just to make sure that he is available if they get an inkling that another team is interested in him. I have said it on a number of other posts that I believe that if the Bills don't aggressively move up for one of the top three prospects they will select Rudolph at their current draft position. He fits Beane's profile for a player. I just get the sense that the organization seems to have an affinity for him because he is their type of guy.

My top three are locked in. I mistakenly didn't include Allen in my second tier where I would seriously consider him at our current drafting position. He is a sterling talent but I'm not giving up a number of assets for a qb that I have question marks about his accuracy. In my view Mayfield and Rosen should be able to play sooner, if not immediately, than the other prospects. Darnold needs a little more tutoring to the pro game but he should be ready soon after the other two. My second tier qbs need more preparation. At least that is how I see it. I want to stress that just because I believe that a qb is a second tier prospect I don't mean it as a pejorative term. In the end they can turn out to be sterling players. It's just that more grooming will have to take place before they are ready.

I agree that without question Baker would be the preference over Rudolph. But the more interesting question is whether the brain trust would be willing to give up a boatload of picks such as both first round picks, a second and another second next year to get Baker or stand pat and get Rudolph with one of their first round picks. I would rather pay the price to move up and get Baker because he is such a dynamic player. However, if the fallback position is to stay at our current draft spots Rudolph would be a good consolation. There is another caveat that needs to be considered. What happens if the Bills wait and there is a run of qb selections and Rudolph is plucked ahead of us? Because of that risk I want Buffalo to be aggressive in this draft. Even if it means giving up something to move up to get Rudolph. In my view the most critical mission is to come out of this draft with a high end qb prospect. If that is not accomplished it is an organizational failure.

The top three are Mayfield, Rosen and Darnold. The second tier would include Rudolph and Jackson. My early prediction, subject to change of course, is that the Bills will draft Rudolph with one of their first round picks if they stay in their current drafting position.

Good.

I don't understand your position. What legal action did he take other than bluster? You might believe that boardrooms are places of placid behavior where only warm fellowship is demonstrated but that isn't always how it is. Sometimes there are strong disagreements and hard feelings. The temperature isn't always cool in the room. Diplomacy and etiquette are at times replaced with shouting and cursing. It may not happen in your fantasy world but in the real world it does exist. You keep missing my point that it doesn't matter whether Jerry was right or wrong. It doesn't matter whether he acted like a nasty fool. Sometimes in business it gets rough and tough with some bad behavior mixed in. You act as if his conduct was traitorous because he acted like a renegade. That's utter nonsense. Ultimately, he didn't get his way. So what was the point of keeping up the conflict with a bullshiiit invocation of an arcane clause that hasn't been enforced in over a generation. You keep making the mistake that just because there is an authority to take an action that it is right to take an action. The insufferable Goodell and the challenged bratty owners were outraged that the brash Texas owner was willing to challenge them. Their response was ego driven. It had absolutely nothing to do with adhering to an arcane rule that has never been invoked (at least to my knowledge).

I don't disagree with you that the AHL is a different game. But he needs playing time. And he won't get it in the big league. Not too long ago Paul Hamilton of WGR was talking about him. He just seems lost. My fear about him is that the whispers about him are getting louder.

What is discouraging is that Nylander has been struggling. It's still early but if he doesn't develop into the player that was envisioned then it was another big opportunity lost. The former GM talked a big game but didn't play a big game.

I'm not quibbling over any of the top three qb prospects. In this evaluating period it must be remembered that the liabilities will be focused on more than the assets. What makes the top three qbs an interesting group is that they are very different types of players and personalities. If none of the top three qbs are attainable then there is an interesting sub-group in Rudolph and Jackson to consider. Again, each qb in the sub-group has a different style and personality. The bottom line is if this franchise doesn't come away with a high end qb prospect in this draft it will have failed an important mission.

With respect to the highlighted segment that is lunatic talk from a bunch of arrogant and pompous rich people who are not used to being challenged. In your typical fashion you are not paying attention to what I have been saying. Of course I know how and why the rich brats responded. That's evident. That is what I am criticizing them and the commissioner for. This resorting to a legal response to a threat made by one of their obstreperous associates was a foolish act in and of itself. What they did was prolong the internal feud and possibly make it become a fueling factor in a later conflict. What is the need for publicly embarrassing the annoying Texas owner when every day he does it to himself in some way. The point that you can't grasp is just because you have an authority to do something doesn't make what you do the smart thing to do. This is a case where in the privacy of the boardroom the owners should have individually and collectively told the twanging owner to go F....ck himself. The forceful message would have resonated with the Texas oil field brawler. Let's get back to a couple of the original issues. Without a doubt there was merit to Jerry's positions. His claim that the commissioner's remuneration was too high is a legitimate issue. Whether you agree or not his position is very reasonable. And his position on the severity of Elliot's punishment was not unreasonable especially when there were conflicting stories as to what actually happened. I'm not saying that you have to agree with his position but I am saying they certainly weren't outlandish positions for him to take.

Your take is off the wall and not moored to how the real world works. You make a big deal that he threatened the owners. Are you freaking kidding me? Billionaire owners being threatened by a blow hard owner has them back stepping and going to their corners so they can seek a safe space where they can cower. We have an volatile president who every morning before eating his cereal threatens to sue his critics. What are we supposed to do? Run to the courts landcomplain that the "mean girls" were mean to them in the cafeteria. You have a group of very wealthy men who are accustomed to being kings in their empire. One of the gilded members in the club gets upset and makes a threat. Did he go through with his threat? No, he did not. The brats in the conference room need to toughen up. Instead of responding in a legal or officious manner they should of individually stood up and look Jerry in the eyes and tell him to go to hell and STFU. Come on WEO you can do better. Your take is very weak----just like how the owners responded.

The owner of the Cowboys is an aggressive and blustery character. He strongly reacted to a disciplinary ruling. He made it known that he was coming after the commissioner. Big freaking deal! The ownership group is made up of 32 rich and self-important elitists. Many of them are self-made men and some had their wealth passed on from their daddies. The Cowboy owner was spewing venom for some decisions that impacted him. So let him stew! Are they so delicate that they can't handle criticism from one of the senior members from their group? The segment that you highlighted is of no relevance. What you pointed out is that Jerry was outraged at a decision that hurt his team (it did) and felt was unfair. So he got upset and lashed out with some street talk. Big freaking deal! What's the matter? These boardroom girls had handle some abusive street talk? You act as if Jerry was required to be one of the sheep and stay with the herd. He vented and the kitties on the board felt they were disrespected. The owners acted like spoiled brats who when cussed out by the bully ran home to their mommas and hid underneath their skirts. Jerry talked trash and the babies couldn't handle it. Don't waste my time with the so called violation of the corporate covenant. What's next? The insufferable commissioner can't be criticized because he has been anointed the saint in the conference room?

I have said this in other posts so I apologize for the repetition. Rudolph fits the profile as a player and person that this regime wants. He has a lot of playing time and he has gotten better each year. He is not as dynamic as some of the other top tier prospects but he is consistently productive. He has NFL size and that should allow him to absorb the pro punishment more so than a player like Rosen. I have heard Beane talk about the type of qb he favors. Every time he emphasized that he wants a qb who can function well in the pocket. Again, Rudolph in spades fits the mold.

If a qb is rated as a second round pick and you wanted him it would be a mistake to wait for the second round pick. The Bills have two lower first round picks in their arsenal. If the Bills favor a qb such as Jackson or Rudolph it would be foolish to wait until the second round. I'm not against drafting players where they are slated. However, for the qb position it is better to error drafting too early rather than lose out because you are too late. Josh Rosen is a sterling prospect. But as your evaluation indicates durability is a big concern.

If the Bills don't trade up and they want to get a qb my guess is that they would take Rudolph. He just seems to fit the McBeane profile for a player. Plenty of college experience and a qb who is more of a pocket passer. He is certainly not as exciting of a prospect like some of the other qb prospects. I still believe that the organization wants to move up for their preferred qb (Mayfield, Darnold or Rosen) or whoever is available but if it doesn't work out then I believe they have a fallback position.

The Dallas owner wanted to weigh in on the compensation decision. So he strongly made his feeling felt. He threatened to sue over the Elliott decision. His position on that ruling was far from being meritless. You act as if the league that is in a constant state of legal wrangling with a variety of parties is surprised that they have additional legal costs from internal squabbling. That's part of the environment in this high stakes business. The owners trying to punish him with charging him for legal costs with the commissioner's office going along has nothing to do with the actual costs. They are trying to stick it to him (as you noted). You may disagree with the position that Jones took on these two issues but they were very reasonable positions. The owners and the commissioner are the ones acting petulantly here. The commissioner's authority is derived through the owners. That's well established. But in this case the commissioner could have said stop it and deal with the conflict without continuing on with the legal fight.