JohnC

A high end goal scorer is more valued than a solid defenseman. A solid defenseman can be more easily acquired after the season is finished and just before the draft. A top one and even top two pairing caliber of defenseman are tough for a team in the playoff hunt to give up.

Certainly he was a flash in the pan (your words). But for a season or two he demonstrated that he was an accurate passer and can utilize the whole field. Is he a long term answer at qb? Of course not. But if TT is let go you have to seek whatever options are available. Every qb on the market (assuming TT is dispatched) is little better than being a functional qb. If that is the situation you are in then the best response for the organization is to get their slow arses in gear and draft a good qb prospect. With or without Foles or whatever battered body they bring in they will continue to have a void until they draft a legitimate prospect.

Playing out of one's mind no matter what the motivation is should be celebrated. If more players played with such zeal without the interluding doldrums this team would be holding on to a playoff spot. Kane has never been in the playoffs. Watching other teams playing playoff games from your couch year after year has to be dispiriting. Playing for a successful team is one way to make a player desire to say with that team. He can live wherever he wants in the offseason but winning more often would make his current in-season residence more appealing.

Your position is close to my position. Where I slightly disagree with you is that I strongly believe there are good enough qbs in this draft that would be considered legitimate starting qbs. If Whaley drafts a DB with his first pick without seriously addressing the qb position I will be very upset. If TT is retained I will give him a little more leeway on the time frame.

I have openly criticized Whaley for not adequately addressing the qb position. That's a lingering criticism and a fair criticism. His involvement with the drafting of EJ was an unmitigated boondoggle. Although Nix made the selection he was involved in the scouting and ranking of the poor qb class that year. Taking a third or fourth round caliber of player, regardless of position, in the first round was a mistake that plagued this team for years. With respect to the highlighted area regarding the defense why are you putting the blame on the GM? It was the loud HC who took a good defense that worked for two different DCs and imposed a system that didn't fit the personal he had. On top of that when players were brought in to suit his outdated system it still was a clunker of a defense. That's on the coach who when fired left in a huff with his pockets stuffed with cash to soothe his dumb arse. I have never made the claim that Whaley is an elite GM. Because he is not. But I do see him as being a credible GM who still has a lot to prove. I would give him a C to C plus grade. If he doesn't come up with a good qb prospect this year I will lower the grade.

Marty Biron was giving his opinion on the Kane trade debate on the Hockey Show on WGR. There is no question that he is plugged in to the organization as K-9 stated. However, I think too much consideration is given to his opinion on this issue on a talk show. Without question Kane was criticized by the organization, especially by the GM, for his rancid behavior. He was not only rebuked privately but also publicly. He was warned that he was out of chances. But that was then and since the tawdry behavior he has acted responsibly, at least as far as we know. If Kane continues to play well and act in a responsible manner I don't see why this organization would want to get rid of him. Almost no player is immune from being traded if the right deal can be made. I still respectfully disagree with you on this issue and would be disappointed if he gets dealt. When you have a productive goal scorer who is also a mutlfaceted player you should relish having that caliber of player on your roster. The desire to trade him is baffling.

Thanks for the clips. As you know I am jinxed. Every time I turn the channel the Sabres score. Now because of your diligence I can see the scores. I may start off being out of touch but you allow me to catch up. Gracias.

Bill, Let's put things in perspective. I don't know how influential DW was in the hiring of Marrone. But it's not a secret that the dour Marrone was a tough act to work with. This prickly and insufferable authoritarian was going to have a short shelf life here no matter who the GM was. Do you really believe that this distasteful man was going to have a warm relationship with the owner? I can't image this self-made billionaire after having some interactions with this brutish guy and not come away with the notion that I got get this arsehole out of here. The Rex Ryan situation doesn't have to be reviewed here. It is self-explanatory. I believe that Whaley was more involved with the McDermott hiring than the previous hires. I don't see the inevitable friction that you and some others see. Whaley as a GM is as collaborative as a GM and as a boss as there is. It's very probable that the new HC is going to have a major input in the qb situation. If the new HC wants TT to stay odds are he will stay even if Whaley's inclination is to let him go. I know you have a very jaundiced view of Doug Whaley. It would serve you well to add a little more rose tinge to your glass lenses. Just recommending a softer tone to your hardened stance on him.

The battering and bruising marathon that they are subjected to is the same marathon that every team is going through. The union wanted to create a break for the players during the season. It may have sounded good in theory but in application it is brutal.

You are exhibiting bad judgment! Your once sterling character has been eroded to the point that you are now a ragamuffin.

I didn't see the almost catastrophic play. For a college player who was undrafted and signed as a free agent he has played beyond my expectations. The one thing that aggravates me and it seems to bother Rob Ray who is involved in the broadcast is the over passing when the shot is there. Eichel and Reinhart at times prefer to make the pretty pass when a shot on net might be a better option. When watching I seemed to be a jinx. So in the best interest of the team I don't watch them as much as I could. Out of loyalty I turn the dial.

Absolutely. He and his agent have made it clear that he is not going to take any discount. He wants what the market would give him---and he is not willing to settle for less. He is basically daring them to franchise him again. His reasoning is that if the organization is unwilling to give him a rich multi-year deal he will make his accumulated money year by year through the franchising process. Almost everyone believes that a deal will get done. Cousins bet on himself, and he has won the bet.

And not always sober! How anyone can drink Guiness is beyond me?

I was intermittently watching the game. Every time I turned the channel the Sabres scored. I didn't see any scores in real time. For the parts of game that I watched it is obvious that Bailey is getting more confident the more he plays. I also like the play of Rodriques, Jack's college teammate. He is a pleasant surprise.

Cousins wants much more than $18 per year.

The X-File was one of my favorite shows. Disbelieve at your own peril. The answer is out there. https://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=TV+X+files&s_it=img-ans&imgId=0F87150A15B0D1DE61347BAD12E03A6B318A946D&v_t=wscreen50-bb

These leaks on various scenarios aren't as crazy as you think. In an ESPN radio show based in MD/DC it was reported that the Bills appear to have decided that they are going to let TT go and have Cardale be the starter. The suggestion that the organization is mulling over whether they want to undergo a full or partial rebuild is not out of the realm of possibility. There has been speculation on that issue in the Buffalo press. If you are going to take on such a task the time to do it is when you have a new staff in place and are starting fresh with that staff.

How many SB's have Rodgers and Peyton won? How many SBs have they participated in? Brady is arguably the GOAT. But it takes much more than one great player to dominate the sport for more than half a generation in a system designed for parity.

The Nix maneuver to trade up for Graham was emblematic of his philosophy of over emphasizing a physical profile at the expense of actual field play. Russell Wilson got a high grade on all the football skills associated with his position and from a character standpoint yet he was more enamored with this track receiver who didn't even have sterling stats at NCState. You can see how Country Buddy had to be tantalized over EJ's physical dimensions. (I'm not absolving Whaley in that fiasco selection because he certainly was involved in the qb ranking that draft year.) Just think of all the good qb prospects that this organization has let pass by? With a stable qbing situation in place our perception of this franchise takes a dramatic change for the better. And without a doubt the record would also reflect it. It's just so infuriating!

The difference between the Pats and other teams is that they maintain championship teams while others are constantly building and rebuilding. He doesn't rebuild----he reloads with different bullets. Getting to the top of the mountain is a challenge; staying there is a bigger challenge. That's what they have done. The Pats think strategically while the Bills think tactically. Our mind-set in acquiring players is a patchwork approach. The Patriot moves are not only about the next move but the move down the road. Great chess players vs sloppy checker players. Tough to compete against them, especially if you continue to take the same incremental approach that has gotten you nowhere.

You've got to hand it to Belichick. He knows the system and how to work it to the max. There is a cold blooded analysis devoid of sentiment that keeps their train moving forward. If you take picks away from him he will be more active in the mid-range free agent market to compensate. He constantly trades higher picks for more lower picks and then uses his picks as coins to maneuver up and down the draft. He is a piano virtuoso competing with musicians who are still struggling to play chop sticks. It's not just about accumulating talent as it is fitting the pieces together.

I live in Maryland and listen to the DC/MD sports radio shows. The local ESPN show stated that it is reported that the Bills have decided on letting TT walk and going with Cardale. If this is true it not only makes little sense to me but it is a very big gamble. The TT money is not an extravagant amount for a starting qb no matter how the qb is ranked. However, with the dispatching of TT it makes a challenging cap situation much more simple to work within, especially if the Bills want to keep Gilmore on a franchise tag or a longer term deal.

I hope I'm wrong but my instincts about Whaley suggests that he is not going to use a high draft choice on a qb. Whaley tends to value his selected players more highly than he sometimes should. So I think he is going to be hesitant to use a high pick on a qb because he is enamored with Cardale as his prized future prospect. In my ideal world I would love a trade down in the draft to select Mahomes. This is a rich defensive talent draft so we still can address needs with the other picks. Whaley's performance has been uneven in how he has handled his drafts. Where he makes his mark is getting good mid-range value from the free agent market. While we put a lot of attention on the draft what is going to be the most important factor in reworking this roster is the smart way he makes his acquisitions from the market.

Whether it is this year or next that this franchise brings in a high end qb prospect having TT is a good situation to be in. My position is that because we have a credible qb that allows a prospect the time to develop. Or another way of saying it is having TT is a strong argument to make a qb selection sooner rather than later. Is there a chance that a light bulb goes off and TT becomes a very good qb? Is there a chance that Cardale exploits his physical attributes and becomes a starter? Is there a chance that the qb prospect we bring in with a high draft choice demonstrates that he has the potential to be a good qb? If these listed questions are anwered with a yes I'm not going to complain. That is a problem that a franchise should relish.

Buffalo rejecting TT will have little bearing on his value. Teams will do their own calculations regarding his value and their respective cap situation. Being desperate at the position doesn't mean that they are going to automatically give out large panic money. Ask Houston now if they think that they acted prudently on the Osweiller acquisition and contract? Ask Denver if they regret not over indulging for Osweiller? The Bills front office and the new coaching staff are going to collective decide what to do. I think they are going to decide to retain him. But if they don't keep him the decision will be made for what is best for the team not only for the immediate term but for the future. If TT is let go I will wish him well and hope he thrives wherever he ends up. Sometimes players surprisingly make quantum leaps. Jeff Garcia, Gannon and Kurt Warner come to mind. What I am hoping is that he remains with Buffalo and makes enough improvement as a qb that will enable this team to move forward while still allowing it to seek better options at his position.