JohnC

Condescending is a behavior that gets proud street-wise Italians into strike back mode. Be careful.

I'm not aware that Reese redshirted and would have an extra year's eligibility that would allow him to play the last year at another school. If Reese would have stayed in Miami he would not be the player he is because there is a good chance that he would have been lost in the shuffle. He got a lot of early playing time that accelerated his development. And because he, along with Crompton, was an instrumental he was given more responsibility. That wouldn't have happened at Miami were there were more betters players to share the playing time and roles. The best thing to happen to Reese was to get out of Miami with its local influences and experience a different environment. And the best thing that happened to Reese is to have a coach and person such as Witherspoon to mentor him. Make no mistake about it Witherspoon is a tough coach. Coaching in this cut throat business is not for angels. Your job status is predicated on wins. But he is a terrific person who cares about the kids. The parents of Reese should be ecstatic how things are working out for their son in the tundra of western NY away from the sunshine of south Florida.

You are discriminating. Why didn't you include the Griffs when throwing out the accolades? Are you a hater? If Kirby sees your post you will be on his crap list.

I don't understand your concern about keeping him. I don't recall him being redshirted so he would have some remaining eligibility after four years. As it stands he is in a very propitious situation. He is an instrumental player on a winning team and he has a coach that will help him to grow his game. The conference he is in is far from being a major conference but it is a competitive league. It seems to me he is in a good situation. Compare his situation to the more highly touted high school prospects who are now sitting at the end of the bench with little opportunity to play. In fact, the MAAC teams receive a lot of disgruntled/frustrated end of the bench players who transfer and have to sit out a year. My one big concern for the program is the lack of support by the students and fans. Even locally it doesn't get much coverage. There is a revival going on with the regional teams but the interest is not commensurate with the good brand of ball. That's a shame.

Reese didn't have a D-1 scholarship offer until the summer. He was going to go to a Juco. He was Witherspoon's first signing for Canisius. He's a gem who is good enough to play and even start for most major programs. The Griffs will have to win the league tournament to get into the NCAA. It should be noted that Niagra is also playing well.

One would think that an error prone player such as you would be more sympathetic and empathetic toward Peterman in his starting debut. side note: Canisius just beat Monmouth 78-60

I'm not a Tyrod advocate. But let's be fair here. Zay's failure was his failure. He had a lot of drops and more problematic he rarely got separation. He being blanketed was on him, not the qb. I'm certainly not giving up on him. His production in college was too prolific to write him off. I'm hoping that he is the type of player who after being acclimated to the pro game will make a quantum leap next year.

First let me address an issue that you think I disagree with. Of course it is important to have a good OL to be successful. Why do you conclude that I think otherwise? What I have stated is that the recent success of both the Rams and Eagles are more influenced by the play of the respective qbs than for any other reason. Look at what the Rams and Eagles did to acquire their qbs? Each of the teams made a costly deal to acquire their qbs. The Rams bolstered their OL and receiver corps through the free agent market and through trades. What elite qb are you going to get from the market? You make it seem as if I'm against improving the line until the qb has been acquired. That is not what I am saying and have been saying. Improving the roster is a continuous process. Why would I argue against improving the other units on the team? As far as how I rank Wentz I consider him to be one of the most promising and upcoming qb. In fact right now I put him in the upper echelon. He was probably going to win the MVP award until he got hurt. I think Goff who made strides is going to be a good qb. Although not in the league of Wentz but in a year or two he is going to be an established franchise qb. As for Zak I'm not going to declare him capable of being an elite qb but I do see him as a franchise qb. Kaepernick in my mind is not a franchise qb, and will never be. My assessment is based on the fact that he never advanced his game. His problem is not that his game regressed but that it never advanced. That is the same issue with Tyrod. His game never progressed. When you are a seven year veteran you are who you are. Let me ask you a pertinent question on the qb issue. There is a lot of speculation that the Bills are going to make a huge effort to move up to get one of the top tier qb prospects. Why do you think that is the case? And then let me next ask you if the Bills would expend a lot of draft resources to move to the top of the board for any other position in this draft? After answering these questions you will have a better understanding of the underlying reasons for my stance on this topic.

I respectfully but strenuously disagree. The two most important players on the mentioned teams are the qbs. As I stated before just because you get the qb that doesn't mean that you stop adding to the roster. In the case with the Eagles Foles was exceptional in the playoffs. But during the season the reason the Eagles were one of the top teams all season long was because of the play of Wentz, who is now already recognized as one of the best qbs in the league. Do you really believe that Foles would have lifted the team to the same extent that Wentz did if he was the sole starter? Do you really believe that if Foles were the starter for the season the Eagles would have had the same success? I don't. I'm not arguing that having a top tier OL isn't important. Of course it is. I'm not arguing that upgrading the receiver isn't important? Of course it is. But what I am arguing is that the biggest contribution to the success of the respective franchises was directly related to getting a high quality qb.

It is rare for any team that has major holes to turn it around over night. The most essential act that the Rams made to become a contending team was to make the expensive deal for Goff. Of course he didn't turn it around in his rookie year. What did you expect? Instant success? The next year the team bolstered the OL and also bolstered the receiver corps. But without the franchise qb that they drafted the previous year the added talent the next year would not have been as impactful. The same scenario played out for the Eagles. The centerpiece to their success was paying a premium price to get their prized franchise qb. Getting a qb doesn't mean that you should stop with bolstering the roster. The team continued to add talent and upgrade the coaching staff. But what is going to keep this team at a very competitive level for the near future is having the quality qb in place. The lesson to be learned by the two examples cited is getting a qb is the most essential requirement to becoming a SB contending team. It doesn't end right there because you still have to upgrade the roster in general. That is a continuing process. Without a doubt getting a franchise qb is the most important act to be taken if you want to be successful.

I have heard a number of Cleveland reporters say that because Cleveland has accumulated so many picks that their strategy is to get selected stud players rather than add a quantity of good players. Another factor as to why they would be reluctant to trade down at the expense of not getting an elite player or two is that they have plenty of cap space to fill in the roster. I get the sense that the new GM is focusing on a more immediate result than continue on with this interminable building process.

Under no imaginable circumstances would he get a $100 M from the Bills. Zero chance. If he got it from another team then good for him. Again, he would not get a $100 M contract from the Bills. What Kirby was alluding to if the Bills signed him then he would subsequently have to get paid. That would not happen in Buffalo. If there is crow on the platter I won't be the one eating it. I'm beyond supremely confident in so stating that.

I went back and clarified what I originated stated. I subsequently stated I would consider any option. If a player couldn't play I would go to the next option. If you want to play the gotcha game then play it. My point is that I would consider all options except one.

Again, you respond. If you don't like what is being said then don't respond.

If the horse is dead why are you responding?

You are missing my point. The majority of responses to this mirage deal have strenuously argued that it would be a losing proposition for us if we made this fantasy deal. I say otherwise and apparently so do you. I agree with you that the Eagles would have no incentive to make such a deal because it would be a bad deal for them. Or another way of saying it it would be a good deal for us. The consensus view is the opposite. There is a belief that giving up McCoy for Foles in a straight up deal would be a bad deal for us. I disagree with the consensus. That's simply what I am saying here. I'm not advocating for Glennon. However, I'm open to considering all options.

I certainly agree that it would be a disadvantage for the Eagles to deal Foles for McCoy. That is one of the primary basis for my position of making that deal. Getting a starting qb, even as a bridge player, for a back whose role would decline. On balance this deal would unquestionably benefit us more than the Eagles. Think about it. Most people are critical of the proposed deal in which we would benefit more? I'm considered an outlier while so many continue to argue for the status quo. It's odd and perplexing.

Dennison is now gone. With either of the two qbs mentioned the bills would now be in such a better state.

Did you watch Taylor in the Jacksonville game? The Bills had the opportunity to take Watson last year. We passed. It was a mistake. There wouldn't be an interminable Taylor discussion if Watson or Mahomes was selected last year.

I have a fundamental disagreement with you and others. My belief is that this organization already has made a decision to move on from him. The issue then is what can they get for him? I don't think very much but they have time to scan the market and seek whatever scraps they can get. I'm very high on this new staff. They are very systematic and thorough. (As you noted.)They certainly haven't been afraid to make some tough decisions. Because they are so detailed and analytical there is only one decision (my opinion) that they can come to that makes sense regarding the Taylor situation. What is obvious to me may not be obvious to you. What is obvious to you may not be obvious to me. Let's see how this plays out. I'm not only very confident in my stance but I'm confident that it will play out as I expect it to. Some may consider that exhibition of confidence to be an exhibition of arrogance. I find it to be an exhibition of common sense.

When McDermott, the HC, went along with the recommendation by the OC to start the rookie in the Charger game it certainly was an indication of how the veteran qb was perceived by the organization. Let's remember that Taylor was not going to be kept by the new regime if he didn't take a pay cut. That certainly isn't a sign of confidence or being in the plans. We can go back and forth on this issue. There comes a point where there is nothing else to add to the discussion. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. My position is firm and unshakable on this issue. I can't give you all the details how this will play out but I do have a sense on the contours how this plays out. My sense is that Taylor will not be on the Bills roster next season.

Read the post you responded to. I stated if Glennon can't run a pro offense then go to another option. The Taylor era is probably over with. There are options. They must be sought! A better option may not be a great option but it is still better than our current situation. Whaley was turning the page on Taylor without a veteran qb in place. I believe it is very probable that McBeane is still going to scour the market for a veteran qb even if they get one of the high end prospects in this draft. You and I are aligned in our thoughts about drafting a qb last year. If the Bills would have drafted either Mahomes or Watson last year this team would be in a more stable situation. (JeffisMagic was scorned; JeffisMagic was right.} What I will not yield on is that the era of a pop warner offense must be extinguished to the ashes of this franchise's inglorious recent history. It's time to move on. Simple solution: Find another option.

The silence surrounding Taylor from the organization is qualitatively different from the norm. Taylor's status is undeniably in question with the organization. And it is very public. It became glaringly obvious in the San Diego game when a rookie started in his place. That certainly wasn't a ringing endorsement of him not only as a starter but more importantly with the team. Having a contract doesn't indicate an organization's attachment to the player. In this case far from it. If a team was committed to a player in the midst of loud voices arguing otherwise it would undoubtedly communicate its level of commitment to the player. Taylor is playing the lead position on a team. He should be the face and leader of a team. And how does the organization respond? With silence. That is telling, maybe not for you but for me it is. Everyone knows what my position is with respect to Taylor. It means little. However, what is apparent to me is that this regime is going out of its way not to have an association with him. As I see it odds are overwhelming that he will not be on our roster next season. Sometimes more can be learned from what is not said than from what is said. That's what I see here.

You make an excellent observation when you compare this situation to what happened at UNC. When you consider what the infractions over academic fraud were that occurred for more than a decade in North Carolina and compare what happened at Notre Dame and were self-reported you ask yourself where is the common sense? When the NCAA gets involved in disciplinary issues it is predictably erratic and grotesquely disproportional in its rulings. NCAA is the definition of obtuse.

Odds are that McBeane are going to move on from Taylor just as Whaley had moved on. I just don't see this regime keeping him for another year. Taylor was recently asked if the organization had communicated with him about his future. He succinctly said no. What does that tell you about their plans for him, even as a bridge qb? My priority is to draft a qb and have a presentable bridge qb in place until the prospect is ready to play. When I say presentable I mean a qb that is capable of running a pro offense and throw the ball down the field. If Bradford was available I would be ecstatic. If you are truly a Tyrod aficionado you would want him to be dealt so that he could have a fresh start somewhere else. This fine fellow needs a new scenery to recharge. It's evident that it is not happening in western NY.