JohnC

You are being kind but I strenuously disagreed with your wait until the next qb crop because I felt that Mahomes (and still do) would in time be a good qb. My fear with this next draft is that the number of teams seeking a qb will balloon. Teams such as the Steelers, Chargers, Giants and Arizona have veteran qbs who are on the down slope of their careers joining the mix of teams who more urgently need to add a franchise qb for their rebuild such as the Jets and 49ers. What I like about Lamar Jackson is I see a major progression from his prior year. Putting aside the economic factor playing another year under Petrino would make him a more developed qb and more of an appealing prospect, maybe a candidate to be the first player picked in the following draft.

Lamar Jackson is the qb I have been touting. I see him moving up the ranks as the season advances. The difference in his game from last year to this year is noticeable. He has gone from being an athletic qb to being a more well rounded qb. His passing this year seems to be more refined. No doubt he still has a lot to learn about the position but his progression is visible. As you well know last year the irrepressible JeffisMagic and I touted Mahomes. The argument was made that the next class was going to be better. It is. Just from a quantity standpoint of viable prospects it's not even close. This is the year for this franchise to get a high end prospect in its pipeline. If it doesn't I will be very disappointed.

You have mastered the art of obfuscation.

I'm not dismissing any player. I have not seen much of him so I can't fairly comment on him. As I said in a number of posts my ideal scenario is for there to be a large pool of legitimate franchise qbs so that the Bills will have an opportunity to not only get one but also be in position to get one without dealing off too many of our draft picks. The best situation for us is to not only get a good qb prospect in the pipeline but using our remaining high picks to get a burst of talent to add to the roster. The Bills, especially under Whaley, have had a history of dealing off picks to get players who are of marginal benefit. This new regime has taken the approach of accumulating picks (some deals such as the Watkins deal were controversial) and taking a more strategic view (longer term) on building a roster. That is a smart approach to take and a refreshing change.

Most often you are astute and perspicacious. As you noted his passing is becoming more efficient as a passer and well rounded as a qb. It seems to me he is determined to be more of a qb than an athlete on the field. I'm confident as time goes by he is going to move up the player rankings. If he stayed in school another year (which I think he won't) under Petrino's tutelage he is the type of talent who can be at the very top of the draft class.

Bandito, Don't get fixated on your love object, Mayfield, at the exclusion of Lamar Jackson. The mistake many people are making is that they are stereotyping because of his exceptional athleticism. He not only can throw the pebble I see progression to his game. Petrino may be a scoundrel but he is also a very good offensive coach. I think it is a mistake to look for a savior qb. What I'm looking for is a qb who can run a full range offense and has the tools to translate to the pro game. The ideal situation is to draft a qb in the first round without having to give up too many picks to do so. Bolstering the roster is as important as getting a qb.

Is one uniting when saying that "those son of a bitches" should be fired for demonstrating?

With respect to the highlighted segment how is a peaceful demonstration that is protected and allowed "never makes it right" (your words) be wrong. If you disagree with it that's fine. You don't have to agree with the actions. But what about the actions that you consider to be not right. Again, you don't have to agree with the display but how is it wrong?

As long as they don't start calling you dam Yankee you are safe.

I understand why people get upset over the kneeling and display during the anthem. But the insincere patriots are not so outraged when people who are expressing their views in certain venues are getting their faces punched in because their views differ from theirs. The same people who are less offended with neo-nazis and white surpremacis demonstrating and chanting anti-Semitic slogans are outraged with players who are peacefully demonstrating for their beliefs. Make no mistake for the president and many of his followers this isn't about expressing one's views as it is about exploiting the racial divide in this country. This call to patriotism was done at the podium of a white Dixie crowd in Alabama where the underpinning of their politics is race.

The claim that players should be happy with the privilege of playing makes no sense. They earned the right to play through years of hard work and dedication. Nothing was given to them. They have accepted the injury and health risks and know that they will probably not leave the game unscathed. They earned the right to make it in a profession where the odds are miniscule to get to that level because they worked so hard. Nothing was given to them. I don't want to get political here but the same people who are upset with someone demonstrating their beliefs by kneeling, which is their right to do so, are less offended when the leader of the country doesn't unequivocally condemn neo-nazis and klansmen spouting anti-semtic slogans. If

Have you seen the bumper sticker?: If your heart ain't in Dixie get your assss out!

I agree with you that currently that the Bills don't have a #1 receiver. And I agree with you not having that caliber of receiver does impact Jay Zones as far as not opening up the field for the secondary receivers. As you suggested there is no point in re-litigating that trade. (Even acknowledging Watkins's dynamic talents I understand why the deal was made.) As others have stated I think that once Jones makes some catches he will play with more confidence. In college Zay Jones was a high volume receiver. I'm sure that the more he plays and he will become much more dependable as a receiver. I'm confident that when the season is finished our top three picks will turn out to be good picks, especially our first pick who I think is a gem.

I'm looking at our top three picks as a barometer of whether the strategy of accumulating draft picks to build this roster is going to work. Our first pick, CB White, in my eyes is terrific. He is tough physically and mentally. He doesn't allow the inevitable negative plays to affect him. I think he is a gem and could turn out to be better than some of the higher drafted defensive backs. In the Denver game Dawkins was often getting beat but he continued to battle. I'm going to watch to see how he plays in the second half of the season. So far Zay Jones is a disappointment. But with him I get the sense that once he catches a few balls that he will gain some confidence and play at his talent level. He is player that I think by the second half of the season will lose the jitters and play as if he belongs. McDermott seems to have a philosophy (as he has repeatedly stated) that he wants players who not only are talented but have a maturity level to handle the pro game. All three of these players fit his character mold. Watching how these players develop, even more than our record, is going to be a good indicator as to whether McDermott's approach is going to succeed. That's what I am focusing on.

I believe it was Emmit Smith who stated that the only player he felt that could jump from high school to the pro ranks was Adrian Peterson. That's how physically gifted he was. Now he is a shadow of what he once was. As it already been demonstrated he is going to have trouble accepting a secondary role as a player.

That's would coaches do when they have law degrees. Billable hours.

If the Bills were in position to draft Barkley and then used picks to trade up again to get a qb I wouldn't be adverse to it unless the Bills had an opportunity to draft Darnold with their first pick. I said this on other posts so excuse me for the repetition but I still don't understand why Jonathan Williams was cut and the wrestling coach's fascination with Tolbert as the second back. It's perplexing.

Housley made Kane an assistant captain. I'm not sure if it is for the regular season. He has been quite complimentary of him. Would love to see him have a terrific scoring year.

You better be careful because Gotham Bill might interpret your post as his beloved team is washed up.

In general you and I are usually in sync with few differences. On the defensive backfield issue I have to give the wrestling coach credit for the masterful way he completely revamped the defensive backfield and altered the system. In my snap view I consider the LSU CB, White, a gem. And I also consider Gaines, acquired in the Watkins deal, a very good CB. The two added safeties are also good. This remade unit is a tribute to McDermott having a system and bringing in players who very well fit the system. Coaching and organizational coherence matters!

How about getting Saban to do some mentoring on Dareus? I'm sure he was a father figure for Marcel at Bama but Marcel on his own is not known for his maturity and work ethic. Dareus has been subjected to a lot of personal tragedies and trauma in his life. However, his less than resolute attitude and irresponsibility that he currently exhibits are not attitudes that his stern college coach would have tolerated while under his guidance.

I have no clue what you are getting at. I and anyone else who is normal would take Carr or Cousins over our qb. My assessment has nothing to do with any particular game. That would be an insane way to judge a qb. It's about general competency. There are people, as you mentioned, who say Cousins isn't worth the money he is asking for. What I can tell you is that he is a legitimate franchise qb (not elite) and is going to get top shelf money. If you are going to overpay for a qb it is better to overpay for a franchise qb then pay less than market value for a qb who isn't a franchise qb.

Weren't you a D'Rick devotee? No one is immune from making bad judgments on players. I was a Rob Johnson fan to the ignominious conclusion. I also thought Trent Edwards and Losman were going to be franchise qbs. I don't want to belabor the Taylor issue because without him this team would be sunk. However, the qualitative difference when watching a qb who can run the full span of passing plays is starkly evident compared to when he plays. I was watching part of the Skins/Raiders games and Cousins was completing the full menu of passing plays. (I consider Cousins a good, not elite qb.) Until that caliber of qb is attained this will be a meandering franchise.

Bill, As Kirby stated, White, a CB, was a tremendous pick in the lower first round. So far from what he has exhibited he would still be a terrific pick as a higher first round pick. As far as retaining players or not that is just a byproduct of the cap system. Losing players because of financial considerations is an inescapable part of the system. Organizations that are smart are organizations that in general draft well to more cheaply replace the inevitable player departures. This next draft for me is a moment of truth. I believe that we are in a good position to secure a franchise qb. If it is not done this year then it represents another pivot point where this hollow organization has let an opportunity pass them by while they continue on their way to continued irrelevancy. My opinion on drafting except for the qb position is if the player selected turns out to be a good player no matter the position then it is a good pick. In a system where the failure rate for draftees is high picking a good player should be deemed a success.

I agree with you that neither team benefited by the calls because it was simply in general a badly called game. I recognize that the refs have a tough job, if not impossible job, but what is missing is judgment. Especially on line calls if the offensive lineman's transgression doesn't affect the play I wish there would be less whistling of penalties.