JohnC

Are you accusing him of being an authentic curmudgeon?

You make a very incisive point. He didn't present the new owners with a plan as to how he envisioned this team should be built. Maybe the reason he didn't is that the didn't have a coherent philosophy to guide him and explain to his bosses what he was doing and trying to do. Meandering and making individual decisions isn't a strategic plan. I believe that what enthralled the Pegulas the most when they interviewed McDermott for the HCing job is that he was ready with his thick notebook to draw from explaining not only what his vision was for the HC job also how an organization should be run. While Whaley had a day by day approach to his job the wrestling coach had an overarching theme to running a successful operation. Or another way of framing this issue is that it comes down to salesmanship. In the end the stark comparison between Whaley and McDermott resulted in the owners deciding to dispatch the GM.. A basic reality in the work world is that bosses don't fire themselves for their mistakes but they do fire subordinates for their mistakes.

I'm not a Whaley basher. Without a doubt he was hampered by the hiring of coaches that he didn't want. That's on the owner. But even with the major handicap of not hiring his own HC his overall drafting was less than average. To add insult to injury his draft maneuvers to jettison picks were in the end not only self-indulgent but self-defeating. A lot of action with little return. The focal point for any GM is to find a franchise qb within a reasonable period of time that will allow you to reasonably compete. It doesn't matter whether it is done through the draft, trade or free agency . It is imperative that it gets done! Whaley's passivity and obliviousness to such a basic issue got to the point of irrationality. I have no problem with what McDermott/Beane are doing. While Whaley casually gave away picks this new outfit is accumulating picks. While Whaley searched the market for scrubs to be the qb I'm hoping that this new regime will he use a high pick, multiple picks need be, to acquire a top shelf qb prospect. While Whaley was a good pro scout as a college scout he was very pedestrian. His notion of roster building lacked coherence and over arching thought. He overestimated the talent on his roster and took a patchwork approach to adding players. The bottom line is not so much that he failed but that he didn't succeed. His record is his record. Simply not good enough

That's better than leading the league in demerit badges.

No team is devoid of talent. That doesn't mean that we had enough of it or the right pieces that fit together. As far as getting older the age average gets skewed with a few veterans added to the list such as Incognito and Kyle Williams. Under Whaley he gratuitously gave away picks while this regime is adding picks. His drafting in general was uninspiring. Under Whaley he structured contracts that put the team in a vulnerable position such as the Dareus contract and even the McCoy contract extension which at the time was not required. It's my opinion because of the current qb deficiency this team wasn't a playoff team entering the season. Even if it was, as many believe, it was still at best a fringe playoff team. With the accumulation of picks this team is putting itself in a position to secure a franchise qb and bolster this thin roster. That in itself is a refreshing change.

Part of the issue of culling the roster has to do, especially on defense, with getting players better suited for your particular scheme. That is not the reason for all the departures but it certainly is a factor in some cases. You and others disagree with the aggressive approach that McDermott is taking in dismantling the Whaley roster. That's fine. We can respectfully disagree with how he is implementing his concept of team building. What I have been saying in my posts is I understand what he is doing and I agree with it. And where I strenuously disagree with you and others is that I don't believe that the roster McDermott/Beane inherited is as good as you are making it out to be.

I don't understand your point about Dareus? He is still on the team. He may eventually get his juvenile ass cut or dealt down the road but he is still on the roster. If he is eventually dealt it won't be because of scheme fit as it would be immature and irresponsible behavior. Watkins is the only high end talented dealt by the wrestling coach. Both Whaley and McDermott were not going to keep Gilmore because of the cap. There isn't a team in the league that doesn't let good players go because of cap considerations. Why stress the cap for Gilmore who is a man cover CB when you are running a zone scheme? If you want to disagree with the McDermott/Beane approach that is fine. I understand what they are doing and I agree with it. That doesn't mean I agree with every transaction but I understand what they are doing. I would have drafted a qb with our first round pick but this new regime took a different approach. So be it.

The 24-24 record is not a record indicating anything other than consistent mediocrity. In a league designed for parity nearly 50% of the teams are in the 7-9 to 9-7 range. Where has that gotten us? A generation of not making the playoffs? Striving to be a fringe wild-card team is nothing to be proud of. You may believe that the Whaley roster that the wrestling coach inherited was capable of being on the verge of something special but the record during the Whaley tenure indicates otherwise. Being an 8-8 caliber team for more than a decade indicates to me that tinkering and following the same script that you have been working off of for a generation isn't the right strategy to take. You can take the same road that leads you nowhere but I'm taking another road that is going in a different direction. May I suggest that you carpool with Badol because he is also riding on that same rocky road that leads you to nowhere good.

The difference is that the players that are being let go either don't fit their scheme or they simply are not as good as many people think. Other than Watkins who is so indispensable? The point that I have made in numerous posts is that the roster that the wrestling coach inherited wasn't as good as most people are suggesting. The belief that the team that this new regime took over was close to being a playoff team was a delusion. The Bills are at the minimum three years away because there was a major deficit in talent. This decrepit organization has been muddling along for more than a generation. Year by year patching and re-patching a swollen and mismatched roster. Now, this new crew is aggressively reworking the roster and accumulating picks so it will be in a good position to draft a top shelf qb prospect, something that you have advocated for years. Now that they are finally doing it you get cold feet and fearfully complain that they need to slow down. If you want to hit the brakes that's fine. I'm for hitting hard on the accelerating and encouraging them to go faster. To each their own!

I didn't say a five year project. But I do see a 3-4 project. For the sake of making an argument if the Bills draft a legitimate franchise qb next year it is not going to translate into automatic success. QB development and roster additions will still be required. At the minimum that right there is three years in the unappealing but necessary process. You might not like the 3 to 4 to maybe 5 year time frame but let's put things in perspective: this befuddled franchise has been spinning its flat tires for more than a generation. If you can't handle an obvious reality you are going to continue on the road of aggravation right up to your demise. What did you expect from an organization that hired a fraudster like Rex? A quick mop up job? There is still a lot of residual manure that needs to be cleaned out of the stall before the stench is not so overwhelming.

With respect to the highlighted segment the primary focus in the long run is not about out-coaching and out-scheming the opposition. It's about getting the right players with the right attitude and work-ethic to create a winning attitude. This is done by accumulating the right kind of players who buy-in (as you put it). Or another way of putting it is Dareus is not the prototypical player for this regime. In my view this isn't a one or two year project. It is a minimum three year or more likely four year project where the roster is dramatically altered. There is an assumption that getting a franchise qb in next year's draft is going to magically make this team a contender. That isn't true. The talent base still has to be significantly upgraded in order to be a serious team. Where I disagree with you and many others is that I don't believe that the roster the wrestling coach inherited from Whaley was close to being a playoff team. As far as I am concerned if the goal was to be a contender the roster was in shambles. When I say contender I mean not only making the playoffs but winning at least a game. The coach is going to be subjected to a lot of criticisms as the expected losses mount. It's unavoidable. That's the nature of the business and the expected response from fans. But when all is said and done it's the accumulation of more talent that will determine success and failure, not the brilliance of the HC. (The one exception where coaching brilliance makes a major difference is in New England.) When the well is dry it takes time to refill. Those who think this is a quick fix are going to be disappointed and infuriated.

He should be allowed to play wherever he wants to play and for whatever organization that would be willing to take him on. His signing here made little sense for our team that is undergoing a transtion. I doubt that New England is very interested in him because they just got another receiver in their trade with the Colts.

Do you expect the transition to take a year or two? If so, you are going to be deeply disappointed. If we get a franchise qb next year from the draft it is still going to take a few years for the qb to develop and to also reconstruct the roster. Already, to put things in perspective even with retaining some of the veteran players this roster has gone through a major overhaul since the wrestling coach's installment. The rate of positive change is going to be related to how this new group drafts. If it has the same middling success of the Whaley drafts then this franchise is sunk. If it wisely drafts and capitalizes on its added picks then the rate of improvement should be accelerated. Make no mistake that for the most part McDermott and crew will not be building on the Whaley roster as much as they will be cleaning it out. Although it is going to take time it is the right approach to take. It also most be noted that the short stint of the mouthy Rex was very damaging. It set this franchise back by at least four years if you count the two years he worked here.

Advocating for getting rid of every veteran player is not a smart way to go. Completely collapsing the team and making it uncompetitive a la the Browns is not something this fan base deserves. As long as their strategy of building through the draft remains in tact, and it is, maintaining a presentable roster is the right approach to take. What players such as Kyle Williams and Wood provide is internal player leadership. You might dismiss that concept in a team sport but I don't.

This regime is accumulating picks so that this roster is going to be restocked. The new HC/GM just took over so there is not going to be an immediate transformation. However, in the near future (next few years) this will be basically a new roster. Keeping some of the older and wiser players such as Kyle Williams and Wood to show the younger players the right way to do things is the smart approach to take. What is demonstrably evident is that the hodgepodge and patchwork approach that Whaley and his predecessors took is a formula for maintaining mediocrity. Success will be dependent on how well this regime drafts and by acquiring a bona fide franchise qb.

In general one read college qbs struggle when introduced to the pro game. However, in general, the one read offenses are the mainstay of the college game. Dak Prescott quickly made the transition with a very good situation in Dallas. There is a learning process and a lot of good coaching involved in successfully making the transition. In my opinion Mahomes is in a good situation with Reid and a credible qb already in place. The Bills have a history on passing on good qb prospect; the Bills have a history of losing. Those two realities are intertwined. I

The one thing he isn't is a Jeff George type player or person who is unparalleled as a passer but was resistant to any coaching other than what he wanted to do. George was a classic passer with pure form but he was an island onto himself with no concept of being a leader. Jeff George is the definition of the word aloof. Mahomes is the opposite. He is a dynamic passer with a lack of consistent form. What differentiates the two qbs is that Mahomes is coachable and is a hard worker. While George was detached from his teammates (he could care less) Mahomes was instilled by his father, a pro baseball player, that he is more than an individual player, he is a teammate. Over the years the Bills have passed on a lot of good qb prospects. In my view McDermott made a mistake on passing on Mahomes, a player that Whaley wanted. Without a doubt it is going to take some time for Mahomes to develop his raw game to a more finished product. But he has the personal attributes that will allow him to grow as a player. Many people were put off by JeffisMagic's haranguing about Mahomes. In my opinion he was right.

There is a bigger issue revealed with Kujo's evident failure as a player in this league?: The mediocre talent evaluation done by the Whaley regime. Kujo was a second round pick who didn't come close to being a contributing player. He did play somewhat effectively as a LT but his proficiency is exaggerated because compared to his befuddled performances on the right side at least on the left he was able to stay on his feet. Kujo was not on the draft boards of a number of teams because of a knee issue. He never should have been drafted in the second round. I'm not a Whaley basher because he was certainly handicapped with the constant change of coaches he didn't select and systems that didn't allow him to build a coherent roster. But it is not too difficult to conclude, and not unfair to conclude, that at drafting he was less than mediocre. It's indisputable that historically Buffalo is a failed franchise. The most influential reason for that rancid legacy is that for the most part the organization has been stupendously inept. Let me add that I enthusiastically embrace the aggressive cleansing actions that this new regime is taking.

I don't know what you are getting at. Luck and TT are in two different situations. Going in circles is going in circles. Respectfully, there is no need to respond.

I'm not going expend energy dissecting the strength and weaknesses of the current starting qb for Buffalo. In short by making the point that you believe Peterman will replace TT as a starter before the season is over is a testament to what you actually believe his prospects are as a starting qb in this league. TT is a fine fellow, But he has unfixable limitations that not only all organizations are aware of but also are well known to the staff in which he currently plays for. Mentioning Luck in the same sentence as TT and trying to make some ludicrous comparisons between the two is a very far fetched position to hang on to. You can cite all the stats you want to when comparing the two qbs. There is no GM or HC in this league, including the staff for the team he now plays for, who would not only prefer Luck but also would give up most of their draft currency to acquire Luck, injured or not. TT has absolutely little value on the open market as evident by his availability this past offseason.

Who is making excuses? Luck has been battered because of the line he has played behind? Do you disagree that that has impacted his game? Whatever track record TT has there is no comparison between TT and Luck? I'm not saying that you are claiming that TT is better but the difference between the two is qualitatively different. I'll go so far as to say that because of his glaring limitations, regardless what stats you cite, he is not considered a franchise qb by any GM in the game including the GM he is currently playing for. That doesn't mean that he wouldn't be an adequate bridge qb, but nothing more. As much as you want to extol the virtues of TT I have little doubt that before the season expires Peterman will be given the starting job because the staff already knows what TT has to offer. It's simply not good enough.

He is a tremendously talented qb who has had to play behind some awful lines. That makes little sense. When you have an exceptionally talented qb such as he is you diminish what he can do because of the extreme battering that he has to absorb. The GM that was recently fired was not merely mediocre, he was stupendously stupid! He should have made it a priority to protect his gilded asset; he didn't. In my opinion Luck isn't as good as Rogers or Brady but he could have been more of an elite qb with the right support. It's like having a sterling talent such as Watkins and having him take passes from mediocre qbs. Wasted talent because of dumb handling.

We discussed this before so I don't want to belabor the point. I wouldn't be surprised if Peterman is inserted as a starter by the time the second half of the season begins. From everything I have heard about Peterman he is a mature enough person who should be able to handle the pummeling and failures that rookie qbs inevitably experience. I believe that he is strong enough person where we will benefit more in the long run rather than be scarred by playing before he is fully prepared. With respect to the highlighted segment on TT and his lack of culpability for not making the playoffs the last two years I agree with you that he is not at fault for that failure. But the thing about TT as you astutely acknowledged is that we already know about his limitations and there is no getting beyond that fact. So if this is a roster cleansing year why not make a determination on another qb, Peterman? So when we enter next year's draft we have a sense of what he can do. That would be a good thing to know.

Excellent post. Instead of striving to be a fringe wild-card team on a year by year basis they are going full throttle (for the most part) in building a robust roster that can compete on a sustained bass. That is going to take time. One of the fundamental mistakes that Whaley yearly made is over-evaluate his roster and thus believe that making short term maneuvers to get over the playoff desert hump. Those short-sighted patchwork moves turned out to be a rob Peter to pay Paul approach at the expense of the future. It got us nowhere. When all was said and one we were still stuck in the muck of mediocrity. Finally the organization is accumulating assets to acquire a credible franchise qb and still add to the roster. They are doing what needed to be done decades ago. So what is the response? There is a chorus of complaints from people who nostalgically long for doing it the old fashion way, the way that got us nowhere.

With respect to the second highlighted segment any organization that makes a lot transactions is not going to have all of them work out. That's the nature of the business. If you want to be fixated on the Watkins transaction and then make it your basis for criticizing everything that has transpired now and in the future then go ahead and allow it to affect your judgment on everything else they are doing. That's your prerogative. The reality is that what is happening here with the new regime is more of the standard course of action than nonstandard course of action. While you loudly and repeatedly proclaim that what is being done is not going to work this organization is putting itself in a very good positon to eventually make what they are doing work. How are they going to do that? By putting themselves in a very good position to draft a high end qb prospect in next year's draft. You and I for years have exasperatingly taken the same stance that this moronic organization has irrationally not seriously addressed the qb position. Now that they are putting themselves in a good position to do so you complain that you wouldn't do it the way they are doing it. Who cares how it is going to be done as long as it gets done? You and your distraught followers want instant gratification with immediate results. You are not going to get it because when you are handed garbage it takes time to clean out the smelly trash. This is a rebuild and it is going to take time. In my mind doing the spade work is better than spinning one's wheels for a generation or more and still get nowhere. You and I are riding the same horse.