JohnC

Watkins was not tendered. So it is obvious that he wasn't in the long term plans. Odds are that Watkins was not going to choose to stay with the team when he was on the market. So the organization made a deal where they got something in return instead of getting nada. The more crucial issue isn't Watkins as it is the status of our qb situation. Accumulating picks and better positioning oneself to select an authentic qb prospect is more important than having a talented receiver who is going to be underutilized because of the qb situation. With or without Watkins this isn't a playoff team. Until the qb issue is addressed everything else is a peripheral issue. Trading Watkins put the franchise in a better situation to address the more important issue for this lagging franchise. I not only understand their reasoning but I agree with it.

You might need the pick received in the trade to get the qb you want. If the organization felt that Watkins was not going to re-sign then the deal made sense, at least to me.

If the acquired pick in the trade is used in a deal to move up to acquire a better qb prospect then the deal would be well worth it. As I stated in a response to Kirby it was apparent that Watkins was going to be moved after he was not tendered. With the current qb and the expected design of the offense the dispatched receiver was not going to have a team impact commensurate with his talents. I also got the sense that of his own volition he preferred moving on to a team that could better utilized him, just like Gilmore.

The skepticism being exhibited toward the new regime is very understandable. It just traded one of the top receivers in the league for an unremarkable DB and a draft pick. But the lamenting response by some as if this transaction was a stunning surprise doesn't correspond to the situation. It was apparent (at least to me) that when a tender was not offered to Watkins that it was a clear indication that he wasn't in the organization's long term plans. You more than anyone else advocated for not taking a qb in this year's draft in order to wait to see if TT can make the leap into legitimacy or draft a qb in the next draft class where you found it to be richer and deeper. So now when the new regime maneuvers to better position itself to select an authentic franchise qb you express grave doubts. What the Bills are doing is exactly what you called for! I believe that Watkins is one of the top receiver talents in the league. But the situation in Buffalo as it stands would never allow him to fulfill his potential. As I have stated before even with the acknowledgement of his exceptional talent because of the caliber of qbing and the design of the offense the production level would not be much diminished without the talented receiver. The Bills are rebuilding the roster through the draft. The quickest way to do it is to have many draft chips in the bucket. That's exactly what is now being done. Whaley added talent while McDermott is building a more coherent roster. I believe that McDermott is taking a more conceptual and smarter approach to building a roster. I have never been a fawning devotee and unquestioning stooge of this failed franchise. What is going on here is a refreshing change from the incremental and short-sighted approach that this franchise has historically taken.

Don't be so morose. The sun will still daily rise. If these deals better position this franchise to get a franchise qb and add more talent then they are the right moves. Too long this failed franchise and different front offices have acted in a short term tactical manner. Now it appears that it is acting in a more strategic and thoughtful manner. While you may lament what is happening I celebrate it. Building a roster is more than adding individual players. It is about a more cohesive unit.

The mistake that many people make when discussing TT is that those who don't believe he is a franchise qb are too often described as being blinded to what he can do well. In my mind he will never be well rounded enough of a qb to build around. However, that doesn't mean that his unique skills as a runner and deep passer should be ignored. TT is a terrific athlete and he throws a beautiful long ball. There is a role for him as a backup and as a qb who can spark a team when it is struggling. I'm glad that he is on our roster. Compared to what we have had he is a gem. But his limitations are so intrinsic to him that he could never become a well versed starting qb that would allow your team to become a serious team. As it stands he is an adequate bridge qb who is worth the price of his contract. Those people who are waiting for him to break out and flourish as a qb are letting their hearts rule their mind.

With respect to the highlighted segment I have no clue what you are talking about. I disagree with many people but I rarely attack people. I appreciate your sincere concern though for my well being. The Levy and Jauron era was worse than being bad. They were stupendously boring. Their drafting and roster additions were mishmash that resulted in mediocrity. The Beane/McDermott regime is in their first year. Making a judgment about them before they have had a reasonable length of time to exhibit their work is to say the least a tad bit premature. Pointing out the inglorious handiwork of the older intellectuals has absolutely nothing to do with what the wrestling coach and his staff are currently doing. Comparing the two regimes, at least at this point, is not only perplexing but it is very odd. If you or anyone wants to disagree with the strategy that this new regime is taking to rebuild this hollow franchise that is fine. But no one who is not comatose can say that he/she doesn't understand what is going on with this franchise. This team is rebuilding and it is being done mostly through the draft. There is nothing confusing about what it being done. In my opinion that is the smartest way to take on that endeavor.

Comparing Beane to Levy as GMs is beyond simple foolishness. It is exponentially absurd. Levy as a GM was so out of touch that he not only didn't even know the players on the roster but also was a non-participant in the drafting. He didn't even want the job. He only did it as a favor for the aged owner. Beane is a young and energetic GM who is fully engaged with his manifold duties. When Levy was asked what his role was he said that he was a "facilitator". Comparing Levy to Beane makes no sense. It stunning how most of the participants here don't know and understand what is going on. This new regime is very transparent and clear with their strategy that they are for the most part going to rework the roster through the draft. Why do you think they are accumulating picks with their deals? There is no quick fix to turning around this middling franchise. Anyone expecting an immediate leap into contention is unaware where this franchise is currently at. I for one am not blindly loyal to this new staff. But what I do understand is what they are now doing and how they are going about doing it. It's not difficult to see if you have your eyes open and are being open-minded. Badol, sometimes you post insightful gems and sometimes you get ridiculous. In this case you are far out in space.

I'm not attempting to argue a point with you here. I'm just curious if you thought that with Watkins and prior to the trades that you believed that the Bills were a playoff team this season? Where we have a fundamental difference(it seems) is that I don't believe that prior to the deals this team as it was currently assembled had little chance to be a playoff team. That is why I'm more pro rebuild with adding picks that you appear to be. I have also staked out a hardened position that until this organization acquires an authentic franchise qb this team will not accomplish anything meaningful. In that light adding picks to better position the organization to get a good qb prospect in the next draft is a good strategic move.

When you bring up Brandon as being an influencer in these transactions you are stretching the boundaries of reality into the realm of absurdity. This team is being rebuilt with the intention of being as competitive as possible. The Watkins and Darby deals that include draft picks in return is not only an acknowledgement of that transition but demonstrates an acceleration of it. My intention is not to gratuitously criticize your position. For the most part you and I have very similar views. But intensively scrutinizing a coach's words that are nothing but the standard inane "coach speak" is dedicating too much thought into typical football bland commentary.

McDermott/Beane's actions do fit into their very much expressed endeavor to build a roster that will eventually be able to seriously compete. It's not a task that can be done immediately. There is no doubt that Watkins is an exceptional talent. But because of our qb situation and as it stands our offensive approach his departure with the addition of his replacement will not be a major loss from a production standpoint. You very well know what my position was in the last draft. I was vociferous in wanting a qb to be taken in the first round, either Mahomes or Watson. You took the same position. The new regime felt that a better qb would be available in the next draft. I still disagree with that approach. It didn't come to pass so you move on. What is happening now is that the team is putting itself in a better position to select one of the qbs in this year's crop. That is not an unreasonable position to take. My belief is whether Watkins was on the team or not this was not a playoff team. What I now see is an organization not taking a patchwork approach to a flawed roster and instead building it up in a more coherent manner that fits with what the empowered new HC wants to do. Many people are inexplicably stunned that Watkins was traded. Why be so surprised? He wasn't offered a tender. That in itself should have indicated that he wasn't in the long term plans for this staff.

What did you want McDermott to say when he took over? That he was going to throw away the season so that the team will be good for the future? Oh by the way who wants to buy season tickets? The team may be nasty but the food and drink at the tail gates are terrific. The problem many people have when assessing the two deals that happened over the weekend is that they fail to acknowledge that you can have a dual track approach of being competitive now and still build for the future. It's not an either or. Watkins certainly is a much more dynamic player than Mathews. But that doesn't mean that the replacing player can't be as or nearly as productive as Watkins because of the caliber of our qb and the ground emphasis of our offense. In the same vein Darby is more talented than Gaines. But Gaines is more suited to the zone defense that McDermott will be running. The point that I am making is that when the two transactions are tabulated the on field production is not significantly changed. What is different is now the team is accumulating assets so that it will have the resources to make this team better. I'll take this smarter conceptual approach over the Whaley patchwork approach that has gotten us nowhere.

Excellent post and well thought out. As you point out when the smoke is cleared the end result is that the team is not measurably diminished post transactions. The benefit of these two deals is that the team is adding picks that not only will put us in a better position to acquire a qb from next year's draft but those picks will also be used to bolster a thin roster. The stark reality that the believers aren't willing to accept is that this team as it was currently constructed was not a playoff team. The unrealistic believers were hoping that this season would demonstrate that TT was a capable enough qb that a franchise can build around. That has proven to be untrue for this qb who has been in this league for at least a half a dozen years. Whaley wanted to ditch him and start from scratch; McDermott was only willing to keep him as a bridge qb with a significantly reduced contract. What does that tell you about their belief in him? Too many people are portraying these deals as an indication of a complete demolition of the roster. That isn't what is happening here. It is a more systematic and thoughtful approach of reworking the roster so that it can be a serious team in the not too distant future. There were legitimate criticisms of Whaley of his patchwork approach to building a roster. His approach reflected a belief that this team was on the precipice toward success. That misjudgment wasn't true and was a major factor for his failure. Now we have a new regime that has a more conceptual approach to how it wants to build a roster. I consider it to be the right approach to take.

Even without the deals this team is a six or seven win team. After the trades it would be foolish to argue that the Bills are better, but they are not appreciably worse off. The difference is that they have added picks to their stock. This year's team desperately lacks depth. In a crash sport where injuries are inevitable that is a cause for concern almost as much as our qb situation. The accumulation of picks should put this team in a better position to get a franchise qb and also bolster the depth on the roster. I understand the frustration that many people have over the recent deals, especially in light of our extended playoff drought. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Watkins deal at least (for me) there is a logic to it when viewed from a bigger picture perspective. I consider Watkins to be a sterling talent whose value is diminished because of the caliber of qb he is playing with. Until that qb issue is addressed little else matters. These deals put this franchise in a better position to address the qb position and also add an infusion of more talent to this thin roster.

With respect to the highlighted segment that is the core issue. What do you do with the picks? If they make good picks the rebuild strategy will work. If they don't draft well then this strategy or any roster building strategy will fail. If some of the picks are parlayed into acquiring a legitimate qb prospect then how can anyone complain, especially since this franchise hasn't had a franchise qb for almost a quarter century?

With respect to the last draft I agree with you. If you review my prior postings I strongly advocated taking a qb. In my opinion either Watson or Mahomes would have been the right way to go. This new group apparently decided that they could get a better qb in another draft. I disagreed with their decision but their reasoning was understandable. It was the owner who screwed this franchise and set it back by years. The hiring of the clownish Rex was a horrendous mistake that sent this franchise back by at least four years, the two that he coached and another two to clean out that mess he left. The Bills weren't going to sign Gilmore at the rate that he was able to get on the market. So letting him go wasn't an unreasonable decision especially since he was replaced with a lower round first round pick. You are adamantly against drafted DBs in the first round while I am not, along as the player being drafted is rated in the vicinity of where he was picked. I believe this was the case this year. The Bills were not going to be a playoff team this year and next (prior to the moves) as this roster was constructed. So when the construction is bad you systematically tear it down to build it back up. You may not have confidence in the new regime but what I can say with confidence is that if they would have continued on the same path of incremental change as has happened during the prior regimes the middling results would continue on. The Bills are accumulating added picks with their deals. That is the right approach to take. You may be remorseful but I am not.

Bill, I don't understand your logic. On the one hand you rightly criticize Whaley and the organization for not having a coherent plan as to how to build a franchise. This franchise has failed because it took a patchwork approach instead of using its resources to build a foundation for sustainable success. That's what they are now doing! That's the course of action that you for years has strenuously called for. So what is your response when the organization does what you have been calling for? Lambaste them. The time to take this tough action is at the beginning of the tenure of this new regime. Wasting valuable time and resources to merely get by as a fringe wild-card team makes no sense to me. And it shouldn't to you as one of the most vociferous critics of how this wretched operation has historically been run. The Bills are accumulating assets (draft picks) to build a deeper roster and put themselves in a better position to acquire a franchise qb. Those ardent advocates who believed that TT was an adequate enough qb to build around have forcefully been responded to by the last regime and this new regime. He's simply not good now or ever will be. Those that believed this team as it was constructed was at the doorstep to being a serious team were out of touch with reality. The process is painful but the smart way to handle this grueling process is to do in quick bursts rather than continuing the incremental approach that has gotten this team nowhere for the past two consecutive generations. Bill, you have screamed for years that this franchise was riding the wrong bus and taking the wrong route. This new regime has gotten on a different bus and is going in a different but more rational direction. Instead of celebrating you are denigrating! I find that to be perplexing.

Bill, when it comes to the DB position you have a reflexive jaundiced eye. In a league designed for the passing game having good DBs is very important. Your position on this is concrete hardened. So I don't expect you to be receptive to an opposing position. Belichick is the best coach in the game and arguably in the modern era, and specializes on the defensive side of the ball. He has dedicated a lot of money to the CB position this season for another SB run. Why do you think he has done that?

Gilmore was a top tier CB. You may not think so but the Patriots certainly do.

TT is simply a bridge qb. He has little trade value so he is being used properly with his talent level i.e. as a short term bridge qb. This is probably Kyle's last year with us. If he can be dealt to a contending team I would advocate it for his sake. He deserves to be on a playoff team. Will Shady be traded? If he wants out I'm sure a deal can be worked out. The reality is that although these recent deals came as a surprise the talent tabulation with the replacements is negligible for the team. As I have stated on my prior posts the Bills pre-trade as this team was constituted was not a playoff team. So going at a faster pace this season toward an authentic rebuild makes a lot of sense to me.

I strenuously disagree with you. The real issue for the next couple of season is not the record but the quality of the players gotten from the transactions. What difference is if the Bills win 7 or 8 games from 4 or 5 wins if those added wins don't translate into more good players? I'm confident that the owner is not only aware that a major rebuild was going to happen with the hiring of the wrestling coach but he signed off on taking that direction. Muddling along and being stuck in the middle of the pack for more than a generation is more dispiriting than taking a very painful short-term approach to be better in the not too distant future. Doing what you have always done is a recipe for irrelevance. I'm more than happy with what has happened today and with the probable similar transactions that will happy this year. No guts---no glory.

I am going to defend the organization. The team as was construction was not going anywhere this year or in the immediate future. So they are trading some parts for lesser talents and picks. The picks are the real currency in these transactions. Instead of taking the futile Whaley patchwork approach the organization is going into a major rebuild mode. As the season approaches and advances there will be more deals with added picks. That is the right approach to take. The Bills have been a middling team for more than a generation. What's the point of continuing on and doing the same things that have kept this franchise stuck in the muck of mediocrity. The reality is even with these deals the product wouldn't be much different than without making the deals. It's better to have a plan in place and follow it rather than forever muddling along.

This is not a bad move. It indicates exactly what the organization intended to do when the wrestling coach was hired and the front office staff was assembled to support him. It is a major rebuild done using draft picks to select the players who fit your system and character requirements. The new head coach convinced the owner that taking a year by year Whaley patchwork approach to strive for a wildcard position was a loser's quest for mediocrity. These transactions also indicate that anyone who thought that TT was a legitimate franchise qb for a team with serious aspirations was not being realistic. TT is simply a bridge qb with irretrievable flaws for an organization looking for a real franchise qb that you can build around. While the majority of people lament what has just happened with these trades I salute these deals as an indication of a meaningful change from how this ramshackle organization has usually operated. I see more deals being made for draft picks. While most people say stop---I say go ahead and do more.

I see the Sabres as a marginal playoff team i.e. fighting for a lower playoff spot. Our top two lines should be good and our defense should be credible. I see our defensive unit as being credible to average. That in itself is a step forward. The new coach should bring in a more fast paced style compared to the more regimented style of the prior coach. Eichel should thrive in a an offensive system that allows him to freelance more. I really like the new GM and his approach to not only building a roster but also building an organization. I'm very encouraged about the future.

Both Mittelstadt and Nylander are exciting prospects to wait for. I wouldn't be surprised to see Nylander being called up this season. I see Guhle being called up this year if he doesn't make the big club when the season starts.