JohnC

On your own accord and without much cajoling I'm confident that he will grow on you. It's not what he is but what he can be. So on this issue I will leave you alone and let you naturally come around. As McDermott likes to say: Trust the process.

With a player like Jackson you are without a doubt projecting more than with qbs who are more of a finished product. From a developmental standpoint he and Darnold would greatly benefit from another year in school. What has impressed me about Jackson is the leap forward he made from last year to this year. He went from being an athletic player to being a better qb. Certainly, there is much more work to be done. I have a slightly different approach to your draft evaluation process when considering the qb position. My take is that labeling a qb prospect a second or third round prospect is not the most relevant/useful way to assess the candidates. A better approach is to evaluate the prospects within the framework of the player having the talent to eventually become a franchise qb. With that in mind it is wiser to draft a qb sooner than the ranking. As an example if you ascribe a third round value to Dak then it isn't wrong to select him with a second round pick, especially for a team with a desperate need. When you consider that the Bills haven't had a legitimate franchise for nearly a quarter century then clearly this rebuilding franchise has to make it a priority to address that critical position. In my view, the qbs who should be considered first round picks are Darnold, Rosen, Mayfield, Rudolph and Jackson. All are different types of qb and each has a different developmental timetable. Truth be told my favorite is Mayfield. But I am open to the others. Last year we could have selected Mahomes or Watson in the first round. I said it then and I will say it again, it was a mistake.

I'm not a Taylor hater, and never have been. What I have realized a long time ago is that he is not a franchise qb, and will never be. Go back and read your post. It is a clear definition of a qb who is not a franchise qb. That's the point. Making an argument that under the right circumstances you can win with him ignores the issue that you can win more with a legitimate franchise qb which he is not. I want to make it clear (as you noted) that I'm not getting into "I told you so type" argument. From the games that I have watched against plenty of good teams he has been by far the most dynamic player on the field. He, as all the major qb prospects, have weaknesses. They all have to be coached up and placed in offenses that suit them. And most of them will not have an immediate impact because of the development process and because the roster still needs more bolstering. My position on the qb issue for years has been that it needs to be addressed sooner rather than later in order to allow time for development.

I have no intention to rub things in on the qb issue. What is clearly obvious to this staff is that he is not the long term answer to anything. Whether he has a good game or not he is the same qb that he has been. If one watches the short clip with Peterman you see in those passes that they are quick recognition and releases. Those short passing plays (although meaningless) demonstrate clearly what he can do and what Taylor can't. If you get a chance watch some clips on Oklahoma's Mayfield. The accuracy, the use of the whole field, ball placement, the release are at a level that the seven year pro vet, Taylor, doesn't have and will never have.

Taylor's unconventional style of play has been figured out and is now contained. There isn't much innovative game planning going on to keep this roaming qb contained in the pocket and taking away that which he does well into putting him in a position where he is a fish out of water. It's apparent that he has not grown his game to the point where his deficiencies are manageable. What the TT bandwagon haven't been willing to acknowledge is that this veteran qb is not a franchise qb, and will never be a franchise qb. That doesn't mean that he can't be useful as a backup and change of pace qb .It is a pathetic delusion that the bandwagon crowd has adhered to for so long. This earnest qb has glaring limitations that even his own coaching staffs over the past three years have readily acknowledged. Three different OCs have smartly not allowed him to direct a well-round pro offense because he is not capable of doing so. Odds are that the Bills are not a serious playoff contender, and much of it having little to do with our qb situation. However, if this franchise doesn't draft a qb with a high pick this year it should be charged with felonious malfeasance. What's obvious is obvious. Wishful thinking is living in a world of fantasy. Yesterday's game was reality. And it was ugly.

The defense, especially the DL, was overmatched. They were being knocked back and trampled all day. Most of the time our line was being pushed back while their line was pushing forward down the field. Most of their runs were inside the tackles where one on one they were knocking back and easily guiding the linemen to create clear running lanes. To make matters worse our pass rush was again nonexistent. There isn't much to analyze in this game. The opposition made fools of the Bills on both sides of the ball. It was overwhelming and it was embarrassing.

That was a phenomenal throw into a tight space. He makes those kind of throws all the time. Whenever he plays he is the best player on the field.

I've seen Mayfield listed at 6'1" and 220 lbs. I'm sure he is shorter but he is stout and durable. As far as stature and dimensions I really don't care. I'm really not concerned about it. I agree with you that Taylor is a dedicated and diligent player and person. However, his inherent limitations with respect to quick processing and throwing accurately very much bother me. Don't be fooled by his completion rate. It is an altogether different offense from the standard pro offense. You watch a lot of Ram games and Goff play. It is a distinctly more sophisticated offense (even for a young qb) because his game in general is more expansive. Especially from a passing standpoint Taylor is running a very primitive offense. It may seem that I'm a harsh critic of him but I'm really not. He is the best that we have had in a long time. For me being adequate is not good enough if you have higher aspirations than merely being a fringe wild-card team. . Just to let you know I'm a devotee of Russell Wilson. We had an opportunity to get him when Country Buddy was driving the bus. The slow talking GM instead went with the track receiver who turned out to be an invisible player for us.

Yolo, Get off this topic; and do it now! Your continuous self-flagellation is a sign of masochistic tendencies. Your wounds can't heal if you continue to pick at the scabs. You set yourself up for self-loathing when you became a Bills fan and then added another layer of misery by being so invested with the Buckeyes. In war backing off in some battles can not only be a smart tactic but also a good strategic move. I am a very empathetic fellow and I worry about your wellbeing. Constant fretting and an entrenched malaise is a matter you need to address with professional help. I feel your pain, somewhat.

There is an understandable bias toward prototypical sized qbs. But over-weighting the physical tools at the expense of the more meaningful attributes such as ability to process, arm strength, accuracy and leadership is a common mistake made when evaluating qbs. Players such as Bortles and EJ check all the physical categories. But when they play it is obvious that they are lacking on the field. Mayfield has played in big games this year, such as against Ohio State and Okla. State. There was a lot of pro prospects on the field in those games. The obvious takeaway in each of those games was that he was the most dynamic player on the field. Mayfield is about the same size of Taylor. Taylor may have a stronger arm but not by much, if that is the case. What Mayfield has over him is his ability to quickly process and get rid of the ball. He also forces the defense to play the whole field. Mayfield is impeccably accurate and his ball placement is exceptional. I have seen USC's Darnold play. He is good but there are frequent lulls to his game that are then interrupted by high end play. The contrast with Mayfield is that there is a consistent dynamism throughout the whole game with the Sooner qb. He is a full game whirlwind while Darnold's play is more intermittent. I'm still very open-minded about the quarter back prospects but the more I see Mayfield the more enamored I am with him.

Putin is the backdoor owner of the site. If interested in buying a piece of the business send your check in to his agent c/o Paul Manafort or Gen. Flynn. Send the check to the Barclay Bank in Cypress.

I'm open-minded regarding qb prospects. But for me the issue isn't so much physical attributes as it is actual production. Mayfield has played in big games such as at Ohio State and at Oklahoma State. In each game he was the most dynamic player on the field full of talented players. What has intrigued me as much as his production on the field is watching how the other players respond to him and he responds to them. That type of charisma can't be faked. You either have it or not. My impression of his as a player and person is that he is not the type of player that requires a long time to get acclimated to the more challenging pro game. My impression that he is resilient enough and confident enough to handle the tribulations that are part of the learning process. I like him a lot yet am still open-minded on other prospects.

I always thought that farmers have wheelbarrows in their possession. They can be useful when carrying big loads.

I heard that the Taliban are looking for zealots to join their moral police force. Being able to throw big stones is a requirement.

I have never advocated for Hackenberg or against him. My position is to scout the prospects and then make a determination. Hackenberg set the world on fire in his freshman year. But as time went on it was apparent that he lacked the accuracy required for the pro-game. The scouts were right in their evaluation of him. There is nothing wrong with drafting a prospect with flaws. But you have to be reasonable where you select the prospect with apparent issues. Russell Wilson and even Dak Prescott wouldn't necessarily have been smart picks in the first round (though in hindsight that has proven to be wrong ) but both qbs would have been reasonable picks in the second and third round, respectively. I'm not portraying myself as a draft expert. Although this board has a number of participants who I have a high regard for. What I can say is that this year there are a number of good candidates who should be seriously considered in the first round, even with a trade-up. Mayfield excites me. I don't give a dam about his height. There are others. This year there are going to be more teams interested in drafting qbs with a high pick. When your team hasn't had a legitimate franchise qb for almost a quarter century then why be so afraid to take a calculated risk? Dithering is not a solution---it is a problem! You are right I was talking about Brady and not Brees. However, my response to you is the same: Mind your own freaking business!

You are falsely characterizing the situation. He was involved with actress/model Bridget Moynahan. The relationship broke up. He is a good father and an involved father. So why be so judgmental on someone's personal affairs? If you want to be so judgmental then why don't you join the Taliban where it is a cause they live for and kill for. His personal affairs are his business. So why care about? http://people.com/celebrity/gisele-bndchen-calls-tom-bradys-love-child-a-wake-up-call/

You are way off the mark with me. My position is clear and unequivocal. My position is simply stop with this bullshiittt low ball approach toward drafting a qb. Assess the qb class and go after the best one you can get. That doesn't mean selling the whole store for a particular qb when there are other good options to address the position. The point I have made regarding qbs such as Dak and Russell Wilson is that when you are considering a qb it is better to take the prospect a round sooner than later because of the importance of the position. From what I have read Whaley liked Dak but waited too long to pull the plug. You are wrongly twisting my view on this issue and making it seems as if I am a hindsight backbencher when my point is that this franchise has to be more aggressive on the position. And ,as you know very well I have been consistent on that issue. That's the point!

He's got the accuracy that Taylor will never have. What I really like about Mayfield is that he uses the whole field and his ball placement is superb. When watching him he is a galvanizing player. He is far from being a prototypical pro qb. However, any scout that evaluates him with those outdated prototypical standards should be banished to the ash heaps of antiquity.

I'm wrong about the player and position. Was thinking about another defensive stud in this draft. I'm sure you know what my point was. You do at times have the ability to flummox me.

I don't know what pro concept Mayfield can't execute well. He is not a pure pocket passer but that doesn't bother me. Smart and flexible OCs adapt the game to the qb's assets instead of adhering to a philosophy. Does anyone doubt that the past three Buffalo OCs had to adjust their calls to Taylor's unique talents? From what I have seen of Mayfield he is the most dynamic qb in the field. That doesn't mean that the other qbs with different attributes are better or not. They are different qbs with different styles who need to be handled properly to maximize their utility. There are a menu of good qb prospects in this draft. Because of our collection of picks the Bills are in a good position to address a major need. Dithering is not a solution---it is a problem that has plagued this faltering franchise.

Hitting on a player such as Stidham who may turn out to be a great player will not nearly have the impact of hitting on a qb who turns out to be a good franchise qb. Let's not forget Dareus was from a talent standpoint a worthy high pick. He showed glimpses of being one of the top DTs in the league. Overall, what was his impact in comparison to getting a franchise qb? Gilmore was a high pick and a worthy pick. He's gone. Watkins was a multiple first round pick and a superlative talent. He is gone. Kujo was a high second round pick. He is gone. Ragland was a second round pick. He is gone. My point is simple. If you want to stabilize the franchise and put it in an upward trajectory you need to solidify the qb position. You don't accomplish that by being passive and fearful when your turn comes up to go to the podium.

You and I agree so it is like preaching to those in the choir. What Kirby, Kelly and the other good fellows constantly point out that investing a high pick on a qb is a risky endeavor. I consider it well worth it because if you hit on that pick it will positively reverberate throughout the roster, and even to an extent the defense. The Bills have had a sordid history of hitting on first round picks and then releasing or dealing off those high pick players for a variety of reasons, such as Gilmore, Watkins, Dareus etc. My point is what were considered precious draft picks were eventually dealt away anyway. So why not take a risk on a qb prospect that can have a dramatic effect on your team. Whenever the draft approaches and qb prospects are discussed the emphasis too often is on their flaws rather than on what they can do. As an example you touted Watson last year. The consensus on this board was that he was a great college qb whose game didn't translate to the pro game. JeffisMagic and I touted Mahomes. The consensus on this board is that he played in a gimmicky offense and his mechanics were not sound. I believe he will eventually a good qb. There was a recent report that the Giants' owner ordered his football operation to put an emphasis on the current college qb class. He gets it!

Who appointed you the moral police? He had a child with the woman he was involved with at the time. The relationship didn't work out. That isn't so unusual. He is involved in the life of the child and is a good father. So what is your point?

You are not characterizing my position accurately. I'm not suggesting dumping Taylor after the selection of a upper-tier qb prospect. The Chiefs didn't cut Alex Smith after they drafted Mahomes. So why are you assuming that my position is by selecting a qb with a high round pick I'm requiring that Taylor be dispatched? This is the NFL. You are not guaranteed a job, you compete for a job. The best time to draft a qb is when you have a reasonable qb in place so you don't have to force the issue of playing a prospect before he is ready. Please don't bring up the selection of EJ in response to anything I have said regarding the position. It means absolutely nothing other that it is a demonstration of a alarming inability to evaluate players, regardless of position. Manuel was a fourth round caliber of prospect drafted in the first round by a clueless organization. Again, please don't bring up Maniziel with respect to anything that I have said regarding to my position. Selecting him in the first round was a foolish decision by a laughable organization demonstrating the definition of stupidity. The problem with the selection was not that he was taken but that he was taken with a first round pick. Our fundamental difference is while you believe TT is a viable franchise qb, I don't. I consider him to be at best an adequate bridge qb. I strongly believe that there are more than a few very good prospects in this draft that should be available, especially with our ability to parlay some of our acquired extra picks. The Bills have had a history of letting opportunities pass by. What has it gotten us? Talking about the next draft and the next draft and the next draft etc. It's an entrenched futility that I have little tolerance for.

The problem I have with your stance and others such as Kelly's is that you are pursuing the ideal. That's where I unalterably differ with you and others. Watson wasn't an ideal prospect---he was a good prospect. Carr wasn't a perfect prospect who had to be taken at the top of the first round. He was a good prospect who could have been attained with a trade down. This is a franchise that hasn't meaningfully been competitive for more than a generation. A large reason for that indistinguishable record is because it hasn't had a good franchise qb since its last glory days, almost a quarter century ago. So what is your response to such systematic mediocrity? It's hard. Of course it is hard. No one is saying otherwise. But if you don't make a commitment to take action other than some feeble long shot pick such as Peterman then this team is going to continue to be a meandering team that remains on the fringes. The irony is not lost on me that in an interview after his firing Whaley was asked what he would have differently if he could do it over. His response was he would be more aggressive in his pursuit of a qb. Give me a freaking break!!!!