JohnC

From a statistical standpoint emphasizing the running game worked. But that style of play with a heavy emphasis on the running game makes it difficult to come back when you are behind. If you watched much of the playoffs its becomes abundantly clear that you get nowhere without an accomplished passing game. KC certainly demonstrated that and Houston demonstrated that. They both have well rounded rosters but their deficiency at the qb position limits how far they can go.

For the sake of argument if the Bills have a conviction on either Kizer or Mahomes as a prospect then maybe the best approach is to move down in the first round and select one of them and have an additional pick or two to work with. With or without TT this might be a good approach to take. This approach could have been taken with respect to Carr or Bridgewater. What the Houston/New England game demonstrated in spades is that unless you have a quality qb your ambitions will be snuffed out by the dispiriting bad play of an incapable qb. Houston's good defense was squandered in a game that could have been won if the qb play reached the level of being adequate.

An addendum to the qb question Kirby posed is what prospects could be available in the second round in this draft? Or which of the currently top three qb prospects could fall and be available in the lower first round a la Aaron Rodgers in his draft year?

The over reliance on a running game with a cautious and simple approach to the passing game next year is not going to work as well next year, at least compared to this year. Teams adjust to take away your strengths forcing you to rely more on your weaknesses. TT playing a very restrictive passing game like KC's Alex Smith is not going to work. What's our best option? Add another high quality receiver either through the draft or free agency and reinforce your OL so it is a better pass blocking line. Is TT's floor so low that it will force this offense to continue playing a limited offense. Or is there enough ceiling in his game that our offense can be a more complete offense that uses the whole field? If the organization is going to go with TT (that is the question???) then the a determined effort should be made to put him in a better position to succeed. Whether TT stays or not there still should be an on going effort to upgrade the position. When you see qbs such as Prescott being bypassed so this befuddled organization can draft a DT such as the lazy Adolphus Washington it is infuriating. The moving up in the third round to draft a track receiver such as T.J. Graham instead of selecting Russell Wilson makes little sense for a team that doesn't have its qb position solidifed. How about missing out on Derek Carr when we had the opportunity to move down in the first round and still get him? The point being made here is that even if TT stays this organization has to be focused on up-grading the qb position. Right now Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best qb in the game. He was drafted in the lower quarter of the first round by the Packers when they already had a HOF qb in Fauvre still playing at a high level. The lesson to be learned is obvious!

You can take the second or third ranked qb who is down in the rankings and have it make a dramatic impact on your team and franchise. You can take the top rated corner, OT, safety and LBer who are at the top of the board and have them make a negligible impact on your team. An example of the above point is that when Kallil Mack was drafted by the Raiders he was ranked at the top of the draft board and was drafted near the top of the draft. Derek Carr was rated as a lower first to a high second round caliber player in that draft. Mack is an all-pro player yet he does not come close to having the impact that Carr has on his team. The point is obvious. Certain positions have an importance that go beyond the ranking of talent. If a team has its franchise qb locked in already on the roster then it makes sense to give more weight to the BPA approach to drafting. On the other hand if a team doesn't already have a legitimate franchise qb on its roster the imperative is to secure that position and make it a priority above everything else. Make no mistake that I am not suggesting reaching to find a qb from the draft as this franchise stupidly did with the EJ selection in that poor qb draft year. But there is no excuse to be passive in addressing a position that has more to do with success or failure than any other position.

What are you recommending? The next time that he should grab the girl with the biggest arse?

The issue for the teams you list isn't is he better than what they currently got. It's is he the type of qb that they want to go forward with. In my mind the answer would be no. Any team that is interested in him would only be interested in him as a stop gap qb or backup. The same as it is with Buffalo. What is currently the best option for the Bills is also for him. That's what Taylor and his representation and the Bills will find out this offseason.

Excellent article. The analysis is basically the loquacious coach didn't get it and the not so smart players didn't get it. A core point that the writer made is if Rex's defensive backfield is insufficient the scheme collapses. Being wedded to an approach can leave you without good options when things go wrong. Another point that was made was that a lack of talent can't be hidden. When you try to compensate for a weakness you end up creating another weakness. Rex was too self-absorbed and to smart for his own good to realize that simplicity is a better solution than complexity. He just didn't understand that it's not about the schemes---it's about the players on hand.

With the right support I believe he can be a mid-level starter. Without a doubt he is not a conventional or prototypical style of qb. That's the mistake that people make when evaluating him. The best/fairest way to assess him is to expand the book when considering how he is performing. Because of his style of play is different he will never be a high volume passer. That is not such a bad thing when the running game is so accentuated in our offense. We agree that TT's vision and ability to make the reads and go through his progressions are still rudimentary. But if you improve the pass blocking (not as complimentary as you are) he should do better in that area. I also have a different view of our receiver corps. Goodwin is not a starter caliber receiver. At best, he should be a specialty player. There are many people who have a harsh view of TT. That's fine. Even with that jaundice view of him retaining him for the next two years is not an unreasonable approach to take. You can still bring in a good prospect (maybe Caredale Jones will develop) and allow this team to compete at a wild-card caliber team level. And just maybe TT will surprise all of us (including me) as to what his upside actually is.

You make a good point in hoping that he improves. So why not make moves that assure that he will play better. Our OL is adept at run blocking but as pass blockers they are below par. Mills as a pass blocker was a disaster putting the qb in jeopardy shortly after the ball was snapped. Move Glenn to the right side, or move a revitalized Kujo back or bring in another competent tackle. Common sense tells you that improving the pass blocking improves the qb play. Our receiving corps in general was less than mediocre. Goodwin as a receiver belongs on the European track circuit. Watkins who was our best receiver was plagued with injuries all season long. There are some high end receivers in this draft. Get one! Does anyone deny that the Bills couldn't have used a Chris Hogan type of player this past year? TT had some uneven performances this year. There were also some sparkling games such as the last Miami game and the Seattle game, where there was no appreciable difference between Russell Wilson's and TT's performances. (Definitely not saying he is better.) And then there were games in which he struggled and was inconsistent. But part of his struggles were due to the play of the pass blocking and inadequacies of the receivers. The point is if you upgrade the players that are limiting his game then you will be upgrading him also. If there are not any better options at qb then create a situation where your best option is in the best position to succeed.

I would prefer the Donald being interviewed by Rosie O'Donnel? How long do you think it would take him to call her a fat used up street whore?

There are former executives (mostly GMs) who do consulting work for franchises seeking additional input and recommendations for important hires. There is nothing unusual with the owners seeking as much input from outside sources to help them be prepared for such an important decision. If the Pegulas would have exposed themselves to more sources familiar with the league I'm confident they wouldn't have hired Rex.

How can it not be noticed? After seeing the junk you were bringing to the event it's evident to all that you are a real ballzy guy!

I disagree with your analysis. TT may have been acquired because of Rex and Whaley may not be enamored with him. But he still gives this team the best chance to win.. Where I fundamentally disagree with you is that I believe that there is immediate pressure on Whaley to get this this team on track. Floundering for another year or so will get the GM dispatched before his contract runs out. The one thing we know about Terry Pegula is that he is not afraid to eat a contract in order to make a change.

Whenever I read about the spate of stories associated with relocation I become very grateful that the Peuglas' bought the local pro teams and are clearly committed to the region. I have been a harsh critic of Ralph Wilson as an owner but to his credit and a reflection of his honor he made the arrangements that kept the team in the region. Business is business but these franchise re-locations get me very upset.

People weren't laughing---they were snickering. I guess it is true that size matters.

He and his agent will be scanning the market to see what their options are regardless if they are given assurances or not. If Whaley is convinced that TT isn't a viable short or long term option at qb he will be told so sooner. However, I don't think that is the case. What are Whaley's qb options without TT? What free agent or trade possibility will bring in a qb that is better than TT? I don't see any? If you do I would like to know. If a qb is drafted in the first round would it be smart to immediately start him? I don't believe so. There is pressure on Whaley to win now. McDermott certainly would prefer being in a position to have a qb who gives him a better chance to succeed in his first season than going with a pedestrian free agent qb or a rookie qb. As others have said, including you, if you add a good receiver or two and if you strengthen the RT position thus improving the pass blocking you will be putting our current qb in a better position to succeed. The financial commitment to TT is not onerous. It is basically a two year commitment at a mid-level starting qb price. When your best option is your best option then you go with your best option. Sometimes when one over thinks a problem/issue one ends up outsmarting oneself.

eball, I was watching the game on TV and I think I saw you. Were you the naked guy wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots being escorted by security out of the arena in the second period?

What are you talking about? This is a bawdy group that prefers an erect point rather than a flaccid point. Most of the disreputable members here would rather for a change of pace anonymously visit a house of ill-repute than be stuck listening to Murphy glowingly describe the state of affairs at OBD. Being stimulated is certainly better than expending energy to make oneself depressed.

I'm ecstatic that the Pegulas are the owners of the Bills and Sabres. As owners they have made mistakes but their intentions are good. But let's be real here. Listening to Terry Pegula and what he has to say is a waste of time. I'm not focusing on his bland style of oratory as I am on the substance of what he has to say. It is usually non-substantive and not worth discussing. Vapid comments from the podium are vapid comments from the podium.

I'm not a puritan who espouses drafting only saintly people. But drafting players who repeatedly fail drug tests is foolish. It's not so much about the drugs as much as it is about the stupidity to fail a test that you know ahead of time that you will be subjected to. That is a gamble that you will usually lose.

Be aware! I tried her. She has long fingernails. The probing resulted in a bloody scene.

You have something to look forward to as the years pass: Getting up in the middle of the night more frequently to pee.

Or like good Irish men they can down shots of well aged whiskey and reminisce about the good old days of the chalk board while watching game tapes.

Tyrod's best situation to start is in Buffalo. The question is what does Whaley think of him? And the next question if the GM is willing to keep him is to what extent does his contract have to be re-worked? When Tyrod first signed with Buffalo he did so because it gave him the best chance to start. He took the offer to play in western NY despite being offered more money from Denver. I'm sure TT has some negative feelings from the way the season concluded. But as it turned out it worked to his benefit in that he didn't have to play with an injury and risk making it worse. And it also demonstrated to the organization that as it stands TT is our best option for now.