JohnC

With respect to the highlighted area your statement is what my point is. If there is a disagreement between the GM and the HC on this critical issue and the HC's position prevails that is a clear indication that the GM's authority has been eroded. Where I disagree with you is if the GM believes that a player is not worth his contract then it should be the responsibility of the GM to make the final determination. Of course the GM is going to consult with the HC but in normal circumstances the GM has the final say on the roster while the HC determines how to use the roster. If that is the setup here where the HC's view trumps the GM's view on who should be on the roster then it is inevitably going to be a cause of friction. I'm not talking about the normal discussions on personnel matter that include disagreements but the on the key issue of who has the final say in assembling the roster. My point is simply if this setup as described is true I find it very troubling.

The GM is the person who usually makes the determination on players factoring in their their cost (cap hit). This is usually a GM function. No one is questioning that the new HC shouldn't have substantive input on the qb issue but this goes beyond that. It is an issue that revolves around the GM's ability to handle the cap which is certainly a prime consideration with this player.

I'm not bothered by the reporting protocol. What bothers me is that the GM doesn't have the authority to make a decision on a player that he has made a determination on. I'm not also questioning the input the new HC should have on the qb issue. But I do find it somewhat problematic that it appears that the GM doesn't have the final say.

There doesn't need to be an article by Jason L to recognize that there is an internal dispute between the front office and the new coaching staff. And there doesn't need to be an article by anyone to recognize that the GM has lost some authority when the owner hired the new HC. It's clear to me that Whaley would prefer to let TT go. And it is apparent that the HC isn't on board with that situation, at least right now. This is not a healthy situation from an organizational and authority standpoint.

For the sake of discussion let's assume the article paints an accurate picture. The picture is disturbing on many fronts. The organization negotiated a contract with TT that puts the player in a strong position and the team in a bind when the option decision comes up. Either the organization agrees to the deal or the player goes out to the market and gets a comparable or higher deal because of the tight market for qbs. What it boils down to is that Whaley doesn't want to sign the option at the price he negotiated at. He is the one dealing the cards and he is the one receiving the unappealing cards. The most disturbing issue I find in the story (if true) is it appears that the new coach has more authority than the GM. That is not a healthy situation for any franchise, and it is not a smart way to run a football franchise. What the power arrangement vis a vis GM to HC that was structured by the owner did is take away authority from the GM that most, if not all, GMs have. That diminution of authority clearly is a sign of a lack of confidence by the owner towards the GM. What is the cause of this non-conventional/traditional organizational structure for a NFL frachise? It all goes back to Whaley's inability to put together a competitive team. And that issue goes back mostly to his inability over a reasonable period of time to adequately address the qb situation, the essential ingredient to field a competitive team. In the Watkins deal Whaley was bold and willing to give up a lot to secure a talented receiver in a rich receiver draft class. The mistake he made was that he should have used his willingness to gamble for a qb instead of a receiver. This organization hasn't had a franchise qb since the retirement of Jim Kelly, over twenty years ago. In a system designed for parity this franchise hasn't been in the playoffs for 18 years. The two situations are inextricably linked. That is a disgrace and an embarrassment.

I respectfully disagree with you. Most prospects with the exception of a few are not ready to play at a NHL level. Pick the best players and allow them to develop. Addressing immediate needs can be done through trades and pickups. Alaska Darin's response in post #2970 well states my position.

I disagree with you. Nylander was the best player available at the time our turn came up. In another year or two he is going to be a very good first or second line forward. Drafting for needs when you are drafting players so young is foolish. Getting functional defensemen as a stopgap measure was a reasonable approach to take by the GM. What wasn't expected was that players such as Bogo and Kulikov would be such disappointments. Being liabilities is less than being functional players.

If my recollection is correct Simian was playing with a bad shoulder for much of the season. I'm not declaring that he is anything special because he is not. Is he an upgrade compared to TT? They are much different qbs with contrasting styles of play. It's obvious that Whaley is not enamored with TT and is very willing to let him go. Although TT is not a high priced qb his salary compared to Simian would offer some cap relief that Whaley could put to use.

After watching this game where for the most part we dominated you get frustrated over past losses, such as in Arizona, that we should have won. For a team on the margin you can't throw away points. I thought O'Reilly was excellent in this game. His nifty pass to Kane who blasted it in was a thing of beauty. This play was a good demonstration of Kane playing a much more controlled and smart game. In this sequence in which he scored he and O'Reilly were near each other and he slowed up and moved in an open spot to receive the nice pass from O'Reilly. It's unlikely that the Sabres will get into the playoffs. However, it would sure be nice to string a few wins together. The fans deserve some late season meaningful games.

Damned Putin is at it again.

O'Reilly looks even more burned out.

I don't understand your reasoning. With TT you can be a middle of the pack type team and be competitive. With Siemian you still could be a middle of the pack and be a competitive team. The difference is that Siemian comes at a much cheaper price allowing you to use the extra cap space on additional players. I'm not bothered with TT or staying or not. And that is the point. He is a short term qb with little long term prospects. If each qb is considered to be a middling qb then why not go with the cheaper qb?

Whaley and the staff are not at loggerheads over how they rate TT as a qb. The difference is that Whaley is willing to let him go and give the team more cap space and move on from him. The coaching staff knows what TT is as a qb but from their standpoint they would rather prefer having a limited qb who can give them an opportunity to have a respectable year. I understand the coaching staff's hesitation to jettison TT and risk having a crash and burn year. At this point would I prefer Siemian over TT? Yes. From a value standpoint I would take Siemian and gain more cap space to add more talent to the roster. The issue for me is not which qb is better than the other. Who freaking cares? The defining issue is whether this team is going to draft a good qb prospect who will become our long term franchise qb. That's the real issue. Let me also add that there are good qb prospects in this draft and we will be in position to select one. Does Whaley have the heart and wisdom to do so? History indicates not.

If Whaley doesn't add a high end qb prospect this year my reservoir of goodwill towards Whaley will have been exhausted. Our new HC has had the time to review the TT tapes. You hear nothing coming from him that indicates that he is impressed by him, not even meaningless platitudes. The Bills are in a position to grab a good qb prospect in this draft. I believe Watkins and Mahomes and more will be available. If the front office doesn't act to address this issue then I will be close to joining your pitchfork ranks against Whaley. I'm not there yet but I'm moving in that direction. Enough is enough.

Bill, You are a creator of nightmares. Since you have spoiled my pleasant dreams I am going to do the same for you. The Bills are going to draft a DB with their first pick in the draft. Payback is a mother!

I have worked for people like Saban. Very unpleasant environment to work in. Do you know what I call those type of people? Priiicks!

Bill, I wasn't comparing Marrone to Saban as coaches. What I was saying is that Saban's dour and curt personality would not have much staying power here. And it certainly wouldn't have much appeal to me. My criticism of a Saban or a Polian solution for this dilapidated franchise is that it is a desperate and futile nostalgic reach to change the fortunes of this embarrassing organization. If Saban should ever become involved with this organization I would be enraged, almost to the level when Rex was hired. You might be happy with him at the podium in western NY but I wouldn't be. The thought of him at the podium with his smug and condescending attitude would make me walk away. Y'all can count me out on your dream scenario! If you want some Southern Comfort then look for the bitter fluid that comes in a dark bottle.

I can appreciate your loyalty to the Crimson Tide but your devotion to Great Nick is out of proportion to reality. Saban is a recruiting dynamo and as a coach he is basically a CEO who snorts and sneers along the sidelines. He has trampled his competition down south because he has overwhelming talent. He wins even without much contribution from his qb position because the surrounding talent is so much better than the opposition. Saban is a great college coach and deserves the accolades he has garnered. As a pro coach he would be out of his element without the ability to dominate people with an abundance of talent. If people got turned off with Marrone's arrogant act multiply that factor by ten if Saban had to be dealt with. Success in the NFL is very much influenced by the caliber of qb one has. It has little to do with a HC snorting and berating his own coaches on the sidelines in a display of churlish behavior. Nick Saban is where he should be and he should stay there. No thanks to the offer of his services. The Bills have enough troubles to contend with as it is. Starting over to continue to fall back is a tiresome trend to have to deal with again and again. If you want a solution to what ails this clownish organization then make it a priority to find a qb.

I agree with you that it wouldn't be wise to forego an option when your more favored options may not materialize. But what is very apparent to me is that Whaley wasn't enamored with the TT option when the season concluded last year and now that McDermott has reviewed the tape you don't hear many positive things being said about his evaluation of last year's starting qb. There is no excuse for our franchise to have such a poor qb situation for so long. Our organization is in a bind because it has made too many excuses why the position should/could not be addressed at a particular time. Until the organization makes it a priority and is persistent in its pursuit of a franchise qb this franchise will continue to be a struggling franchise.

Kraft didn't give him the ring, Putin took it. He gave it to him so he could examine it but he never gave it back. Kraft was smart in not pushing the issue. He wanted to live a little longer so he could collect more rings.

I am making a retraction. As you all know I have been resolutely in favor of keeping Evander Kane under all circumstances. Out of frustration with our blue line staffing I recently stated that I would be willing to be more receptive to offers for him if it would substantially upgrade our pathetic defense. I am disappointed with myself for wavering on this issue. After watching Kane score his goal yesterday I realized that I should have maintained my unshakable position on keeping him. The beauty of that goal wasn't that explosive shot but it was his powerful skating and burst from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. I apologize for the unseemly equivocation. I am now more resolute than ever in my desire in keeping Kane. To PlezMd1 I say don't even bother trying to change my mind because you are wasting your time.

Kulikov was a physical defenseman for Florida but you are over-rating his play. The knock on him there as it is here is that he too often makes egregious mistakes when passing and covering players and areas. That's why they were so eager to get rid of him. No one is disputing that he is more of a physical player than Pysyk. They have different styles of play. Good defensemen know how to read plays and react. He can't quickly enough process the game. That's a fault that is difficult to overcome. Kulikov was hurt for a large portion of the season starting from the beginning. No one is challenging that point. But now he is healthy. There may be a demand for him on the market for a discounted price but do you know where there isn't a demand for him? It is within the organization that he is now playing for. That's a reflection on how much he is valued within this franchise that has gaping holes on the blue line. With respect to the highlighted area do you know who would have been a dependable 4 or 5 defenseman for us? Pysyk.

I don't want to over exaggerate the importance on losing Pysyk. He is not the type of talent that you fret over when he departs. What I am basically saying in my responses on this topic is that I consider Pysyk a better player for us than was his replacement in Kulikov. Where I disagree with your response is that on this deficit riddled defense corps I consider Pysyk to be a second pairing defenseman. That is not to say that he is a second pairing caliber defenseman on most teams. But on this team I believe it to be so. The bottom line is Kulikov is a major liability as a player. Pysyk who is an average player at best was at least not a liability to the extent the Russian is.

Just think if Buddy and Whaley would have pulled the trigger on Carr, Wilson or Cousins etc the way we look at this woebegone franchise would be so much different.

I'm a Risto fan but yesterday the Sabres were on a five on three with a defender losing his stick. Instead of passing the puck around for an opening he took a shot on net when the goalie had a clear view of his shot. That was just dumb play and a lack of awareness. I agree with you that although this team has lapses the real problem has to do with a lack of talent most notably on the blue line. There is definitely a difference in talent between the good teams and the Sabres. But the chasm isn't so great that with a few good smart transactions this team can move up the ranks. Side note: Forsburg is terrific.