JohnC

Taylor played a good game. Not taking anything away from him. However, Winston looked really good in that game. He has a lot of weapons on offense and he has the ability to maximize their talents.

You bring up a fascinating issue regarding how a team is built. The Bills have a number of picks in the first three rounds. Will one of them be used for a qb and playmakers on offense such as a number#1 receiver? If the franchise uses most of its primary picks to bolster the defense rather than address the offense then the comparison to a Jauron philosophy to football is fair, although the individual styles and personalities are different. So far I like what McDermott has accomplished. One play stuck with me on how he is fully engaged and detailed oriented. One of our DBs unnecessarily hit the receiver when he was out of bounds. It wasn't an egregious act but the timing was very bad. The player came out and was called over by the coach. The coach wasn't yelling or making a scene. But it was very obvious that he was getting his point across that what the player did was irresponsible. This is good coaching.

As others have said the Tampa receiving corps is top notch. Evans, Jackson, OJ Howard and Brates are good and big, except for Jackson who caught a lot of balls with underneath routes. Winston looked really good and made a lot of quality throws even with a sore throwing shoulder. The Bills are rebuilding the roster. So it is not surprising that it is thin. There is no desire to use assets to bring in significant talent other than street free agents who are high effort guys. The organization is not going to make expensive deals and mortgage future assets to get through this season. As far as I'm concerned this is an over-achieving team that is a pleasure to watch. Is this a playoff team? I can't say for sure because as the season advances and injuries happen this roster is going to get thinner and have a tougher time. As it stands I am more than happy at how this team and staff are functioning. It's still a rebuilding process but it is on schedule and moving in the right direction.

Your post makes absolutely no sense. Goff was the first player (I believe) or near the top of the draft selection. He struggled in his first year. And that wasn't a surprise to the Rams because they intended to basically red-shirt him in his rookie year but were forced to play him. You repeatedly point out that EJ had a better rookie year. So what! What does that tell you how he is going to develop compared to the more highly rated prospect who in his second year is widely acknowledge by everyone is the better player. There is no doubt that the Rams brought in Watkins to help out Goff. I have never said otherwise. But the obvious fact on the ground at this point is that Watkins has had little effect on the improvement that Goff has made this year.

Brees is a first ballot HOFer. What makes Brees special is not his arm strength but his incredible accuracy. He, like Kurt Warner, had an ability to make a snapshot read and make a pinpoint throw. The lack of height has not been an issue for Brees or Wilson because they both have such a good feel for pressure and adjusting to it that it isn't a major concern. I like Mansfield a lot. His lack of height doesn't bother me because he moves well and he quickly knows where to go with the ball. Very often inflated stats don't accurately reflect how well a qb plays. With Mayfield it does. He is both efficient and prolific. I don't worry about him falling into the Colt McCoy category because he has a strong enough arm. Mayfield doesn't have a canon of an arm but he does throw accurately and with good touch. His ball placement is superb. I'm not wedded to anyone one qb because I believe there are at least three to five good prospects. There are no Messiah qbs in this draft. But there are a number of good prospects who can become franchise qbs and be part of a successful team. I'm also very high on Lamar Jackson not so much for what he is now but what his potential can be.

Goff was an immensely better prospect than EJ. EJ was a fourth round talent taken in the first round by an inept organization. Goff was taken at the top of the draft by a team that gave up a lot of assets to acquire him. The point that EJ looked better than Goff in his rookie year is meaningless. So what is the point? Goff has the talent to be a franchise qb while EJ does not now or ever. The EJ pick in the first round was grotesquely stupid by a dumb organization.

People are getting tired of my preaching. They are starting to throw rotten tomatoes and fresh feces at me as if I were a monkey in the zoo. Times have changed. The pulpit is no longer a sacred place where one can pontificate to the now tuned out members slumping in the pews.

Watkins certainly was an elite talent coming out of college. He would be considered a top five talent in most drafts. The mistake that Whaley made was that he felt an elite receiver would prop up his flawed qb/qbs. In my view that was a backward approach to take. He should have had a qb on board who was capable of maximizing the talent of his costly receiver. Compare what happened in Buffalo to what the Falcons did? They had Matt Ryan on the roster and then used a boatload of picks to select Julio Jones. They had the qb in place to properly utilize the glorious talents of their new receiver. That's how it should be done! I believe in your potential and your ability to fulfill it. Don't worry, the people who know you don't. However, sometimes you get a little too edgy to the point where medications should be considered to contain the volcanic eruptions.

I believe in your potential and your ability to fulfill it. Don't worry, the people who know you don't. However, sometimes you get a little too edgy to the point where medications should be considered to contain the volcanic eruptions.

Let's put things in perspective and try to understand what McDermott/Beane want to accomplish in their new undertaking. They didn't come to Buffalo to be an extension of the Whaley patchwork approach to yearly roster building. They have a blue print and framework in which their individual transactions fall within. Keeping that reality in mind it has to be remembered that this is a rebuilding process---the antithesis of how Whaley operated. McDermott is not being secretive about how he wants to build a roster and the type of player/person he wants. Talent is certainly a factor but so is how a player fits in with the unit. Some people such as Badol are mocking that approach while I don't. If done in a balanced way it works. Again, going back to the rebuilding issue it's not only about players per se but it is also about how the cap is distributed and balanced out within the roster. An expensive cover player such as Gilmore was dispatched (Whaley decision also) and was replaced with cheaper players. Darby, whose contract was due in another year and was going to be more costly, was replaced by a player, Gaines, from the LA deal. If you review this particular unit you are getting better production at a cheaper price. This is a classic example of the use and application of analytics. With respect to the Watkins deal if you put it in the context of how the wrestling coach wants to rebuild the roster from a cost and type of player/person he wants to work with this deal is very understandable. You don't have to agree with it but it makes sense under the new regime's paradigm. Where I clash with Badol and others is if you look at the Watkins deal from a one year standpoint the trade is certainly questionable. But if you look at it from how this new staff wants to construct a roster beyond the short term it makes a lot of sense. There was a lot of howling when Watkins was dealt. There is a lot less howling now that he has played some games in LA. My point is when you review some of these transactions within a longer time frame and wider perspective then there is not only a rationality behind it but wisdom behind it.

Thank you. I still think that you are intermittently crazy.

On offense ranking their skill position players I would say that Watkins ranks maybe fifth behind Goff, Gurley, Kupp and Woods. Giving up a second round pick and a player indicates to me that they did want to lock him up. But now I'm sure their calculation has dramatically changed. I never suggested that the Rams are a well oiled machine. But what is apparent to me is that this team has taken a dramatic step forward under the leadership of their new HC and with the major improvement of their young qb who was overwhelmed in his rookie year. I have never compared Zay Jones to Watkins. You are creating one of your typical patented manufactured arguments to support your exaggerated claims about Watkins. First, two first round picks were invested in Watkins. Was that rich investment worth it? The obvious answer is no. Second, Watkins was a much more expensive player with his expectation of getting a bank vault level of contract. Is the production to cost ratio worth it for Buffalo or even LA? I would right now, no. You may be giving up on Zay Jones but I am not. It's not unusual for receivers to struggle in their first year. What I can say for sure is that the high expectation that Whaley had for Watkins didn't materialize in Buffalo and the expectations that the Rams had for Watkins isn't materializing in LA. I have never made the argument of diminishing Watkins's talent. But I understand why McDermott didn't want him on his roster. I'm starting to get the sense that the Rams have a better understanding as to why he wasn't in Buffalo's plans now that they have had an inside view of what he is as a player and as a teammate.

I'm not giving up on either player. But Watkins who was a player that cost two first round picks and has been in the league longer has not set the world on fire. In addition, the salary that Watkins believes he should command is another issue factored into one's value. I thought that the Rams would quickly lock up Watkins with a lucrative contract. Now I don't think so?

Are you giving up on him already? Tad premature don't you think? Eric Moulds didn't set the world on fire in his rookie year. It turned out that he was one of the better receivers the Bills have ever had. Writing him off so quickly makes little sense to me.

I can understand the new regime's frustration with Dareus but not with Glenn. I've always liked him and thought that he was a very good player who didn't get much recognition. Glenn getting healthy and playing to the level that he has previously played at is a player that this team not only needs but should want.

On the qb issue I strenuously argued to draft a qb. So you and I are in accord on that issue. However, that is not to say that the new regime's stance was wrong. If they believed that the next draft class offered better opportunities then I'm not going to criticize them for not using a high pick on a qb in the last draft. On the other hand I will howl if they don't draft a qb with a high pick this year. Your commitment vs wanting to win argument is utterly absurd. The HC and GM are making decisions that you disagree with and to a lesser extent I also don't agree with. To twist their decisions into your ludicrous paradigm of wanting vs commitment to win is so far fetched that it falls into the realm of nonsensical cosmic discussion that happens when smoking some potent dope. Especially at the end of his reign Ralph Wilson was running a mom and pop operation in a new business world that he wasn't interested in seriously participating in. What is going on now has no relevancy to that exhausting and depressing era. Bringing in Wilson and Rooneys into the discussion are you patent non-sequitur responses that relate to nothing that was said. Where you and I have a fundamental disagreement that won't be reconciled is that I believe that the wrestling coach came in with the intention of rebuilding the roster and the organization, top to bottom. You are making judgments based on a one year perspective. Your belief that the Bills could have been a 5-0 team with the retention of Watkins is a grand leap that has no basis. Let's face it the impact that Watkins is currently having in LA is far from demonstrating how important he could have been as a player in Buffalo. You are making an argument that goes against what you are concluding about him as a player.

Excellent post and analysis. The major problem I have with ranking qbs with the full draft class is that the position is so much more important than any other position. It is a mistake to over draft a positional player but it could be smart to draft a good qb prospect higher than his overall player rankings. Would anyone complain if Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson were drafted a round or two higher than they were? Let's look at the Browns. They traded with the Eagles getting a boatload of picks while the Eagles used the Browns's pick to select Wentz. Who is better off? Of course the Eagles are because they now have their franchise qb while the Browns are still looking for an answer at that position. Last year, the Browns drafted the highest rated player in the draft. It wouldn't be surprising if he turns out to be a perennial all-pro defensive lineman. I contend they would have been better off drafting Watson, even with a minor trade down, and got Watson who I think is going to be a good qb in this league. Is he going to be an all-star? I doubt it. But he probably is going to be a franchise qb for a long time. When all is said and done securing the qb position is more impactful than acquiring a very good positional player. Because of the surplus of draft picks the Bills are in a good position to select a very credible qb prospect. In the next draft year there are going to be many teams desiring to acquire a high end qb prospect, including legacy teams such as the Giants, the Steelers, the Chargers, Cardinals etc. Why mess around and allow a surprise team to make a draft day maneuver to acquire a qb prospect that you are interested in? It's time to be aggressive and make a decisive move to get a franchise qb. If not now---then when?

I have been in the column of people who have acknowledged Watkins's talents. But regardless of the issue of being overrated or not what is obvious is that he is not the type of guy that McDermott wants to invest heavily in $$$$. The new HC made a decision very early in his tenure when he was assessing the roster that he wasn't going to pick up his option. The HC and GM have a template for the type of players they want to work with, and he doesn't fit their preferred mold. Although Watkins has not been much of a factor in LA I'm confident that he will emerge as a player. As far as I'm concerned the Bills made the right decision for themselves and in the long run so will LA. And odds are that the lesser talent, Matthews, will end up being as productive a player as the one that left the scene in western NY.

You can have whatever number of bloody processes you want. The only condition is that your outcome matches my outcome in the first round from a position standpoint. No poster, talented or not, is going to be traded away. That is not to say that they can't be hounded and brutalized into conforming.

Wasn't it the same guy who won the Danny DeVito look alike contest? Is being short and bald the in thing now? https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Danny_DeVito_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/170pxDanny_DeVito_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_DeVito&h=202&w=170&tbnid=De5bCZLk5KUhpM:&tbnh=186&tbnw=156&usg=__FC3C6nWoGIXGnH9qtKpEd1Ik9fE=&vet=10ahUKEwjM2e-r_P3WAhVHWSYKHSshBuMQ_B0IwgEwFg..i&docid=EVb7AC9xwHYEUM&itg=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjM2e-r_P3WAhVHWSYKHSshBuMQ_B0IwgEwFg

I'm a disciplinarian and trying to get you in step very early in the process so there will be no deviations. On this issue I'm not compromising. If you do things a certain way and consistently fail then the simple solution is to do things differently. It's a simple concept to grasp. You are an independent character who has a tendency to go astray. For your own good I'm going to be hounding you so you toe the line.

You are astute and perspicacious!

If you make Mayfield the first pick you and I will be riding on the same bus. If you favor another qb and still make him the first selection I will still allow you to stay on the bus with a clean and a pleasantly aromatic bathroom. Why wait and take a risk of losing your preferred qb prospect who surely will also be considered by other teams. The Bills have a surplus of picks giving them flexibility in the draft. We have to make it a priority to solidify the qb position and then move on with building the roster. Let's not mess around and lose out by getting cute in the draft. I would rather the Bills make a mistake on a qb by drafting sooner rather than later and losing out. The Bills have not had a legitimate franchise qb for a quarter center. That is a disgrace and an embarrassment. How many times are we going to lose out by dithering? Enough is enough!

It takes a lot of courage to even discuss this personal issue. That in itself demonstrates strength and a willingness to deal with a tough issue. All the comments on this board have been smart and kind. That says something about the caliber of people that you attract. One advice that has been offered by Boyst62 should be very helpful. Incorporate some form of regular exercise into your routine even when you are feeling tired..Getting outside and walking is something to consider. You stated that your wife's death was the pivotal event that deeply affected you. You might consider some getting into a grief therapy group. Sharing experiences with others who are going through the same trauma of losing a loved one might be beneficial.

There is no qb Messiah available. That's a fantasy that too many are pursuing. Getting a franchise qb doesn't in itself guarantee team success. You have to surround the qb with enough talent and create a situation where his talents can be optimized. You cited Luck in your post. Instead of providing him with an adequate OL he has had to work behind one of the worst lines in the game. Getting your qb bruised and battered not only takes a physical toll but also a mental toll. The Colts acquired a golden talent and diminished him because of their inability to judge talent surrounding him. There are at least 3 to 5 good qb prospects in this draft. None of them by themselves are going to lead this team to any meaningful success unless the roster is bolstered. Getting a legitimate franchise qb in place is obviously essential but you also have to put that player in a position to succeed. There is so much more to do to get to that point.