JohnC

He's the type of coach that if your administration gives him the support he will in time build up the program. He's not the type of coach that a high profile would pursue because he isn't a dynamic personality offering a formula for a quick fix. He is the type of person who gets comfortable in his setting and quietly step by step builds a program. As you said this was terrific hire. Right person for the right place. I just hope that the people in the area appreciate his entertaining brand of football and support him with people in the stands.

Lamar Jackson has worked hard to become more of a qb than an athletic player. He has made strides especially compared to his first year to this year. He's a work in progress but he as much as any qb had demonstrated explosiveness not only to his running but also his passing. He is a work in progress with a lot of talent to be refined. Mayfield was a player I was dismissive of entering the season because of his size. However, I have been converted. In every game that I have watched him against big time competition he was the most dynamic player on the field. His arm, accuracy, mobility, usage of the whole field checks off all the required categories. There are plenty of other qbs who fit the prototypical standard but he as much as any other qb has been the most productive. The ideal situation for Buffalo is to be able to get a qb in the first round without giving up a lot of assets to do so. This is where the GM has to juggle his priorities and where he will earn his big money.

The more I see of Mayfield the more appealing I find him to be. I'm not advocating for using most of our accumulated picks for a qb because as you said there are so many needs. But if we can get the short qb I'm all for it. Regardless how the qbs are ranked there are risks involved in drafting a qb with a high pick. As far as McDermott being a conservative defensive coach that is not his role although that is where his biases are. He is a head coach who is the most dominant person in deciding who to take in the draft. If he plays it too safe and doesn't come out of this draft with a credible qb then as far as I am concerned he is missing an opportunity and making a big mistake. As I have said in other posts at this point I'm not wedded to any qb prospect. But my leanings are toward the rambunctious short qb.

You have to ask yourself if this is the best time for this franchise to draft a qb. It has a surplus of picks and there are maybe 3 to 4 very good qb prospects. I have no qualms with selecting either Jackson or Mayfield. I think that Mayfield will be more ready to play sooner while I see Jackson requiring more time for development. I agree with you that it will take three first round picks for either Jackson or Mayfield. I'm high on both of them. I don't see this franchise committing another year to Taylor. That doesn't mean I would be adverse to it. But the time has come to take some decisive action. If whatever qb that we select doesn't work out then you keep at it until it gets done.

Promo, you are a jinx!

I have no qualms about drafting a 5'11" qb who can play. If you have an aversion to a short qb who is one of the most productive players in the college game then you wouldn't have liked Drew Brees. Comparing Mayfield to Ryan Leaf is an off the wall comparison. I don't want to be disrespectful but it's simply crazy talk.

In the next draft there are a lot of plausible qb scenarios that can be embraced. For me, if the Bills don't come out of this year's draft with a high end qb prospect I will really be disappointed/discouraged to the extent that I could go by the wayside. If this isn't the year to make a serious effort to secure a franchise qb then when is it? I don't care what qb the Bills draft it simply needs to be done. Getting a qb is not a magic elixir that is going to immediately make the Bills a serious team. As it currently stands I consider this team a very hollowed out team. Without a doubt a major infusion of talent still needs to be added to make this team competitive. However, until an authentic franchise is taking the snaps little else matters. That is my unyielding position!

The Mayfield/Manziel comparison is very unfair. (Not saying you are making that comparison.) Mayfield has a passion for the game that includes preparation. His competitive nature sometimes becomes too untamed. But I'm confident that he can grow/mature as a player and person. What very much appeals to me about him is that his teammates love and embrace him. Also as a teammate he is a supporter. There was a play that caught my eye. It may be a simple thing but it is illustrative. I remember a player after making a big play fumble the ball. It was at a critical juncture. He was one of the first players to approach the discouraged player and give him encouragement. That's the type of leader and teammate I want on the Bills. If McDermott shies away from Mayfield because of his choir boy preference then he is a sanctimonious fool.

With respect to Rosen and Cleveland I don't see him be too enamored with going to Cleveland. And he is not the type of personality who would be afraid in advance to make his feelings known. But putting that issue aside I'm also have been a Mayfield aficionado. I have watched him in a number of games this year. There wasn't a game in which he has played against very good teams where he wasn't not only the best player on the field but also the most compelling/dynamic player on the field.

Your scenario seems very plausible. But I just don't see Cleveland using their first round pick on another qb. They have used so many picks on qbs that I get the sense that they are getting queasy about going that route again. The fiasco McCarron deal illustrates to me that they want to at best stabilize the position and give Kizer more time to develop. I consider Rosen to be the best pure passer in college. But bringing him into chaotic situation in Cleveland is a risky transaction for a player who is not unafraid to express his feelings about the situation he is in. In a certain respect because of personality and competitiveness I feel that Mayfield is a better fit for Buffalo and the environment than is Rosen who I do like a lot.

I like your reasoning. Why mortgage the farm when a reasonably priced trade up could secure us a high end qb prospect and still allow us to address some of our many needs?Giving up a second and a third round pick and trading first round positions to get Mayfield orJackson would excite me. Would I prefer the most pro ready passer in Rosen at the expense of adding help for the DL or OL? No. I would take a Mayfield or Jackson or Rudolph and keep more of my picks. I have for a long time argued that the Bills are rebuilding and it is a timely process. But that is not to say that with some smart maneuvering and wise use of our expanded cap availability this team can't take a major step forward. If one looks at our draft situation with the accumulated picks the Bills are one of the best positioned teams for the draft. I'm just hoping that this new regime maximizes this situation to significantly bolster the roster.

No one is suggesting that you have to be drafting near the top of the draft to be successful. The roster is being reconstructed and the cap structure is being reworked. It doesn't matter whether you are drafting high or low if you don't evaluate the players well. The Bills have a number of high picks that they need to smartly utilize. Also the Bills will have cap space to bring in players who are not only better fits but also more committed a la Dareus as an example. If you want to believe that there is a quick fix to rebuilding the roster and making this team a serious team then go ahead and believe. I think otherwise. I also strongly believe that until the qb position is upgraded, probably through the draft, that this team will continue to be a stagnant team.

The Bills have been mediocre for more than a full generation. Repeating what you have been doing is not a formula for success, it is a formula for continued failure. Another basic tenet for success is acquiring a franchise qb. The Bills have been without that caliber of qb for nearly a quarter century. Don't you think it is about time that they make it a priority?

You have no clue what is going on and what has been going on. Whaley, Levy and Buddy never went into a serious rebuild mode. Buddy more than Whaley and Levy recognized that the roster needed a major overhaul. That's what is going on here. McDermott had nothing to do with the prior generation of incompetence. He is at least trying to address the fundamental issue of reworking the roster and cap so that it can have some sustained success. If you believe that this was going to be a quick fix job then you might be a fine fellow but you are very naïve. The way Whaley directed the team the best that could have been hoped for was respectability. McDermott is going for a higher goal that takes more time to accomplish. There is no doubt that some talent has been stripped from the roster in return for picks and cap space. Right now this team is closer to being an expansion caliber of team than a serious team i.e. a team capable of not only qualifying for the playoffs but winning a game in the postseason. It may be a harsh reality to you but it is still a reality.

I understand why Darby and Ragland were dealt for a schematic standpoint. I also understand why Watkins was deal on a variety of fronts. The Williams cut on a team that had a dearth of backs still has me confounded. I'm not saying it was a consequential transaction simply mystifying to me. I understand why Kyle Williams and to a lesser extent Alexander was kept. You can't strip away all the support beams and not expect a collapse. It is never wrong to have a Kyle Williams in the locker room. With respect to Humber over Milano or Ducasse over Miller who really cares? In the grand scheme of things does it really matter because none of the players are essential players. When you make a lot of decisions and most of them are small not everyone of them is going to work out. It can't be forgotten that the Bills are in a business. So you have to keep a veneer of competing or the cash flow will be severely stressed. When any team goes through the excruciating process of rebuilding there are going to be a lot of insignificant little decisions. How they go one way or the other I don't particularly care. It is the general direction that is being taken that is important. That's what is meaningful. Do we come up with a potential franchise qb in tis next draft? Do we have to deal off picks to get that qb prospect? How much talent is going to be added by the next crucial draft? Who do we bring in with the increased cap space? That's what I am really concerned with. As far as the Taylor vs Peterman debate my response is simply I don't give a dam! It means little in the grand scheme of things. Too much emotion and energy is being invested in a decision that will not have much long term consequence. Neither will be our franchise qb in the future.

You are so right. It can be so hard at times! It just seems to unfair. The "Why Me" syndrome does constantly come up. If you don't have a sense of humor and perspective you will be miserable.

The majority of people believed that the Bills were on the precipice of success. That tracks the same foolhardy over-assessment of the roster that Whaley had. Every year he would make moves, sometimes gratuitously giving up picks, to get this bedraggled team over the hump. The reality was that the hump was of a mountainous size. What people fail to recognize was that the wrestling coach was not hired to add on to Whaley's roster, he was brought in to demolish it and start from scratch. Not only was the roster being demolished but so was the organization that the former GM put together. Every single scout on his staff was let go. What does that tell you about the confidence that the owner had in DW's handiwork? The Bills are involved in a major rebuild. This is not a quick fix. I see a three to four year project. I understand why people are so frustrated. But those people who believed that this was a serious team before the season began were deluding themselves. Understandably their fires got stoked with a good start. It was essentially a sugar high. The reality is that McDermott aggressively stripped down this team and accumulated picks. He didn't do it because he thought the team was close to being successful. He did it because he made a judicious assessment of the roster and knew he had to do a major demolition before he could start the construction.

The OL in general has taken a dramatic step down. Glenn has been hurt for most of the year and Dawkins has at times been overwhelmed. However, he does show go athleticism. Incongnito two years ago was one of the best guards in the league. Now he is much diminished. He's still a wily player. Wood is hardnosed but an average center. The RG and RT players are less than mediocre. The bottom line is you can go up and down the lineup on both sides of the ball and collectively conclude that this is a very second-rate roster. That's why the roster is being rebuilt. On top of this collection of pedestrian players this franchise hasn't had a franchise qb for almost a quarter century, and still don't. How anyone can honestly believe that this is a playoff team is beyond me!

Have you ever watched the Twilight Zone or X-Files on TV? You have to have a "Cosmic" mentality to appreciate the shows.

In the few times I have seen them they were a fun team to watch. A lot of offense and big plays. When you have a lot of young players you are going to have a lot of miscues. As I said before I would love to see them start winning and getting more attention. It starts with the student body. So far it doesn't seem too interested. Consistent winning and a good product should hopefully generate more enthusiasm and support.

The coach seems to be doing in a good job in accumulating talent. I would love to see this downtrodden team get some wins and move up the ranks. I'm not sure if with some success the currently apathetic students and locals would support this team. Would love to see it because there are so many losing teams in western NY that it is depressing.

I agree that the big and raw qb is a long way from being an immediate high end prospect. But he has the tools and at least the physical potential to play at the next level if he works on his game over the next couple years.

The Bills are rebuilding regardless what is being said from the organization. You don't trade away some of your better players for picks and shed cap money if you are concerned about the immediate term. From a business standpoint and from a locker room standpoint (as someone else stated) it would be a mistake to make such an official claim. With respect to the Taylor and Peterman issue in the grand scheme of things who plays or not this year has little impact because neither is going to be our franchise qb. The notion that the team that McDermott inherited, and especially after shedding players, was going to be a playoff team is an absurdity. The owner is not a billionaire dope. He hired McDermott on the basis that he was going to dramatically/aggressively remake this team and organization. That's exactly what is being done now. Many people can't handle that painful reality. I am on board with it.

The most intriguing player on the Bulls is their qb, Tyree Jackson, who is 6'7" and weighs 245 lbs,.. He can really wing the ball. He not only has a strong arm but when necessary demonstrate nice touch and good ball placement. Interesting player to watch.

Your post is well reasoned and there are many people who agree with your line of thinking. However, respectfully I'm not one of them. The approach McDermott is taking is the right approach. Although he is not being candid in his pronouncements it is apparent that he is going through a major rebuild. That is an excruciating endeavor that many fans are not comfortable with. Too many people believed that this was going to be a serious team when the actions of this staff have clearly indicated that the focus was on the future at the expense of the present. Talented players were let go for draft picks and cap room was made with these departures. The decision-makers traded down in the first round to get an additional first round pick in the following year. If that is not obvious what the strategy was then you are simply not paying attention. What is going to make or break this regime is how it handles the next draft with its plethora of picks and the free agent market. Without a doubt the most critical issue for this regime is going to be whether it can bring in a high-end qb prospect. I understand your nervousness and skepticism. (and also Kirby's) but what is being done has a great deal of coherency and strategy behind. It's painful but it is the right approach to take. An incremental approach may seem to be a safer approach but it would only continue the dispiriting status quo of systemic mediocrity. You may be worn out and frustrated by how this season has materialized but I'm not because I expected it. If you widen your horizon beyond this year you may have a better understanding of my point of view. My recommendation is to stay the course because it is the right way to rebuild.