JohnC

I was not happy with the hiring of Rex. I thought that it was not only a bad hire but it was a peculiar hire. There is no doubt that Rex is a more high profiled coach compared to the faceless and placid personalities that too often get hired in the NFL incestuous hiring world of retreads. But if you examine Rex's record and get beyond this blubbering fools braggadocio pronouncements his record is simply mediocre. It's not surprising to me that this self-promoting huckster's record with the Bills is very comparable to his record with the Jets. He is what he is: Mediocre. In my jaundiced view of this insufferable and obnoxious fool (I readily acknowledge my bias against him) he not only has done a poor job but he has set this franchise back. The front office and ownership have done everything they can from providing staff and accommodating his player requests through the draft and market. Well how has his team performed after all that support? Go back and watch our defense play in the Raider and Steeler games. It was disgraceful and embarrassing! It's no surprise to me that one of this first acts as a new HC was jumping out of an airplane when the cameras were on. If he wanted to jump out of an airplane that's fine with me. But of course this publicity hound had to do it when the cameras were on. How can anyone take this goofball seriously?

Are the Pegulas' too generous and accommodating? An argument can be made that spending a lot of money but not doing it wisely is not the right approach to take. When they first took over the reigns of the hockey team he paid a lot of money for unmotivated free agent talent. It was a disastrous approach that led to the tanking strategy. Look at the Bills. The Pegulas hired Rex after a losing record with the Jets and a record of 4-12 in his last year there before being fired. The Pegulas signed him with a lucrative five year contract. Rex was the caliber of coach who if he was foolishly going to be hired should have garnered a four year deal with the organization holding the option in his last year. In the Rex case and in the case of the Sabres the Pegulas wanted to demonstrate their seriousness through their generous spending on players and staff. What they are painfully learning as new owners is that purposeful spending is more important than injudicious spending.

We got exactly from Rex what he had to offer: Bullllshiiit! Rex didn't hoodwink the organization---- the organization hoodwinked itself. Rex had a losing record with the Jets and he was ignominiously dispatched after a 4 win season. The Bills then enthusiastically hired Rex. Lesson to be learned is that a talker is not necessarily a producer. How about using some common sense and consider the extended record that was glaringly on his unimpressive resume!

There are many reasons why this organization has been floundering for a generation or more. Not being able to evaluate qbs properly as draft prospects and free agent qbs is the single most important reason why this franchise continues to be stuck in the muck of mediocrity. As I stated in other posts Jim Kelly retired two decades ago. Still, this laggard and inept organization has not found a decent replacement. That is pathetic and stupid! In my view the best approach to take this offseason is to see if we can acquire a qb who is currently stuck as a backup but has the potential to be a credible qb. McCarron and Glennon come to mind. If a deal for Garoppolo can be made I would not be against it. That is not to say that the Bills shouldn't continue to engage in the draft in their pursuit of a franchise qb prospect. Is Cardale Jones a good prospect? Maybe so. But at this point he is a raw prospect with tools who needs time to develop before a fair assessment can be made.

Being a Buffalo fan of the local pro sports teams, football and hockey, is tough. The problem is not having poor teams but having poor teams for so long. Yesterday's game was a demonstration of watching a Carolina team that was energetic and motivated compared to a the Sabres that lacked energy and urgency. This was an important game for us. The opposition showed that they cared while the Sabres seem to be apathetic. Little emotion and passion. It showed. So sad.

The bottom line with EJ is that he was improperly evaluated. Whether Kolb or Orton or whoever stop gap qb was brought in to buy time for EJ to be groomed the outcome was going to be the same. There are flaws to his game dealing with accuracy and reading defenses/going through progressions that were not correctable to the extent that he could be a successful franchise qb. The core issue relating to EJ and the qb position is our organization's ability to smartly scout for that position.

I'm responding to the highlighted segment in your post. BB would have no hesitation of trading Garop to the Bills if they made the highest offer. He certainly isn't going to fear this ramshackle organization that he has beaten at least 90% of the time in his long career because of a qb trade. BB has one consideration and it has little to do with how it impacts that puny franchise in western NY: Is it the right thing to do for his organization? His worry in any trade is not whether it makes the other guy more formidable it is basically is it the right thing to do for his team

Whether the Eagles or the Jags had a first round grade on EJ is not the issue. The core issue is whether the Bills' organization can competently evaluate qbs, a task that is much more complicated and comprehensive than evaluating for other positions. In my mind EJ should have had a third round grade as a developmental qb. Drafting him in the first round and playing him sooner than he should hurt his development and prospects. I am a Whaley supporter. However, if he had a first round grade on EJ then he should share blame with Buddy for that pick that ultimately set this franchise back. One of Buddy Nix's major faults when it comes to scouting is that he is too enamored with physical size and prowess instead of focusing on the more important issues of the ability to play and instincts for the game. That is why he would move up in the third round to draft a track receiver in Graham who didn't have a major impact in college instead of taking a chance on a less imposing specimen as Russell Wilson who was the embodiment of talent for knowing how to play.

Brenda Lee singing Jingle Bell Rock

It's funny that you brought up the Andy Dalton comparison. Few would argue that Dalton is an elite qb but that is not to say that he isn't a solid or even good qb. The Bills had an opportunity to draft him in the second round. We passed on him. If we would have taken him I'm confident that this team would have been a much more credible team over the past number of years and our playoff drought would have ended a number of years ago. Few teams have elite qbs. However, with competent qbing you can be in the mix to compete for the playoffs and beyond. Jim Kelly retired two decades ago. We still haven't found an average franchise qb to replace him. That is a disgrace and an embarrassment. Enough is enough!

Next year Garop will be in his free agent year. Even if Brady declines a little he still probably has at least two to three good years. What will it take to keep Garop as an insurance policy at qb? I doubt that BB would franchise the backup. If Garop believes that he can be a starter with another team in another year he will be in a position to force the organization to trade him or lose him for nothing. The Pats under BB are a very calculating organization. They also are very a courageous organization in the sense that they are not afraid to release or trade talent, as demonstrated by the LB Collins deal. The issue over a Garop deal is more than what the Pats what to do; it also comes down to what does Garop wants to do. If he wants to start sooner rather than later he does have leverage in a possible move or not. The point being that it is not a one sided decision because both parties have a say as to how and whether a deal gets done with Buffalo or more likely with another team. I would with no hesitation give up a first round pick and possibly more to acquire him if there is a deal on the table.

In any trade I don't worry about what it means for the other team. The primary concern should be does it make you better. If Garoppolo becomes a credible qb for us that is a major upgrade for the offense in general. If we make a deal with New England (any deal) we are not going to hoodwink them. To get value you have to give value.

A first round pick would be a reasonable price to play for a starting qb. If he plays at a competent level and is able spread the ball around the field our offense becomes more well rounded. With better qb play Watkins and Clay become more productive players. If Garoppolo is added maybe the job would be more enticing for McDaniel if Rex is sent packing?

I'm predicting that Kane will score in this game. If he doesn't my credibility will still be the same because I didn't have any credibility to begin with.

I consider BB better the best because under the current system of the cap and player movements rosters are in a state of constant flux year to year. I am a Walsh fan and recognize his genius on offense. The coach I have the highest regard for offensive innovation is Sid Gilliam. Lombardi had the best disciplined team. His approach was not as innovative as Walsh's, BB's and Gilliam's approaches were. Lombardi and his dictatorial approach to coaching would not work in today's era. That is not to detract from his incredible accomplishments.

I'm not arguing with your position because for the most part we are in agreement. As far as Nix's philosophy of building a team first before addressing the qb position that is a foolish approach to take. My position is get the prospect on your team if the opportunity avails itself. If the qb isn't ready or the team is still in a major rebuild mode then don't play the prospect right away. Not playing a rookie qb right away doesn't mean that the prospect still can't be preparing to play in the not too distant future. The salient point in this discussion is that our front ability to evaluate qbs is less than stellar. The EJ selection is a classic Buddy Nix approach to evaluating where too much emphasis is placed on physical attributes over football traits related to playing the particular position.

Your point brings up the issue of Whaley's ability to evaluate qbs. EJ should have had a third round grade in that draft year. He was at best a developmental qb who was years away from being a finished product. EJ's flaws of accuracy and reading defenses are the type of flaws that usually are not correctable. The bottom line is that misjudging on the qb talent had repercussions down the line that influenced the direction of the draft and the success of the team. Dak Prescott was a fourth round selection by the Cowboys so we would have had to have taken him in the third round. Whaley took the DT from Ohio State. My point is that opportunities existed for this franchise to acquire good qb prospects. The problem is that the opportunities have not been seized. That is a repeated pattern of action for a position that has to be secured in order to achieve a modicum of success. A generation has gone by and this bedraggled organization still hasn't learned that essential lesson. Enough is enough!

BB is going to be a first ballot HOF coach and be considered the best coach in the history of the game. His challenges due to the cap, free agency and player movement make his achievements even more impressive. His sustained success in the modern era of the NFL should be acknowledged and appreciated.

My feeling is if he is a good prospect then bring him on board and start the development process. If the qb is not ready to play then don't play him. Find a qb such as Glennon and McCarron who can start and allow you to bring along the prospects at the right pace. Too many people have the attitude that drafting a qb in the first round is an instant fix. That is not the usual case in this league. There is a development stage that calls for patience. As I stated in a prior post Whaley was aggressive in the Watkins deal. It wasn't worth it because the process he took was backwards. You have to solidify the qb position before you can get maximum production out of the receiver positions. It doesn't matter what coaching changes this organization makes (it should be done) because unless the qb position is substantially upgraded little else will change. If this organization hasn't learned that after a generation of futility then it should close their doors and find another field of endeavor. Enough is enough!

When a new owner took over he foolishly wanted to install his own people. So BB's short stint was ended. What people forget is that Ozzie Newsome, now acknowledged as one of the best personnel in the game, was on his staff. BB is certainly one of the best, if not the best, coach in the history of the game. He is also very astute in building an organization that allows him to have unparalleled sustained success. Rex Ryan compared to BB is like Bozo the Clown compared to Stehpen Hawking.

In a discussion for comparison Rex Ryan being mentioned in the same sentence with Belichick is like Trent Edwards being compared to Tom Brady. Any organization that would hire a Rex Ryan and give him a rich five year contract forfeits its right to be considered a serious franchise. The only thing that Rex Ryan does better than BB is look cooler than BB when wearing his stylish sunglasses on the sidelines.

My feeling on the qb issue is that it is an imperative that we get the best prospect that we can out of this draft, even if it means that we trade additional picks to make the jump up to be in position to secure a qb. Doug Whaley was aggressive in trading up for Watkins. In hindsight, it hasn't worked out not because Watkins isn't a superlative talent, because he is, his production hasn't been realized to the maximum extent because the qbing hasn't been good enough to make the proper use of his abilities. I'll also say the same thing about Clay. Whaley gave Clay a rich contract to sign him in free agency. The GM didn't get his money's worth of production not because of his talent but because of the inadequate level of play from the qb. Jim Kelly retired two decades ago. In those twenty years a legitimate franchise has not been found. That is ridiculous---enough is enough! If the GM was willing to be aggressive in Watkins's draft year, then it is even more important to be aggressive is securing the qb of the future. I would appreciate it if others would comment on North Carolina's qb Mitch Trubinsky? He seems to have a more ready NFL style of game than some of the other top qb prospects in this year's draft.

I wish that this low scoring team would just shoot the puck instead of trying to make the perfect play by making the extra pass. Even if the puck doesn't go in there are opportunities for tip ins and deflections. Boston Jack has recently been over-passing instead of shooting at the net. Observations in this game: As you noted Lehner did play well in the game. Jagr is still a premier player. His instincts and passing have not eroded. Kane on the Larsson and Gionta line does what he doesn't do when he is on the other lines i.e. position himself in front of the net. That is where he scored yesterday.

There is no perfect solution other than what are your best options among the less than best options. You offer some good recommendations in your list. The approach I would take is to try to get a qb such as Glennon (you listed) or McCarron. Are they elite type of prospects? Definitely not. But I feel that it is a priority to acquire a qb who can run an authentic pro offense that includes making reads, accurately throwing the mid-range passes, throwing to the middle of the field and throwing to the receivers while in stride. TT is the best running qb in the game. Where does that get you? Our passing game is so limited and simple that our best receivers in Watkins and Clay are underutilized. Some people fear that TT would go to a place such as Denver and thrive there. If that is the case then I wish him the best. He is a high character guy with a terrific work ethic who deserves nothing but the best. Maybe Cardale will develop into a good qb. However, he is not going to be ready next year for a team that is a fringe wild-card team. Let's develop him the right way and don't put him in a situation that he is not ready for. It has to be remembered that he didn't get much playing time when he was in college. As I and others have often stated unless the play at qb is elevated the cycle of mediocrity will continue. That is the starting and finishing issue for this meandering franchise.

I hope we are not chasing fools gold. His talents have tantalized me enough to hang in longer. I wouldn't be surprised if he was made available for next year's expansion draft for Los Vegas.