JohnC

He did more with less.

In your estimation is Kujo a lost cause? Can he be moved to a guard position or be a utililty RT/LT for us? I get the sense that he is feet are too slow to and is too unathletic to ever be an effective lineman anywhere along the line. This Whaley miss really hurt us!

Absolutely, I agree with your comments. A good example of what you are suggesting happened in Washington with the Redskins. Cousins's play improved as as his unit was upgraded. In my mind Cousins is not an elite, or will ever be an elite qb, but by putting the qb in a good situation to succeed where he doesn't have to primarily carry the offense he is more likely to succeed. The same line of thinking applies to TT. It is less than likely that he will be a top tier qb but I do believe under the right circumstances he can be a very good starting qb in this league, maybe a top one third range, I prefer not discussing the defense because it brings up the Rex factor. It makes me go crazy. So by choice I will lay off of the issue for the sake of my own sanity.

Marrone was a more effective coach than Rex. What does that say about Rex? Crusade? Which crusade are you referring to? Marrone does not work for the Bills. Why even bother with the former employee who didn't want to work in western NY? He left on his own accord. Adios! I don't have strong feelings pro or con over the former curmudgeon HC. He certainly wasn't an upper tier HC for us and he certainly wasn't very likable. Overall, he did a decent job. So why get so irritated over him? He's gone. If you want to work yourself into a state of frenzy over coaching performance then don't look any farther than what happened this season under the current obnoxious coach who squandered a playoff spot because of his stubbornness and dumbness. Now that is something to crusade over!

My point is that agents and clients are very often behind the scenes looking at job openings. More often than not the overtures from colleges/pro teams and vice versa are not known to the public.

You don't think he and his agent aren't checking out the market in both the college and pro ranks? That's what agents do. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-rumors/2014/12/21/7430209/michigan-coach-search-list-doug-marrone-buffalo-bills

All that I was asking out of my qb prior to the season was competent play. TT started camp as the third ranked qp on the roster. It was publicly acknowledged that Cassel was the coaches preferred starter. He competed against all the qbs on the roster and decisively won the competition. He simply earned the starting job, it wasn't handed to him and it wasn't a default type situation. He clearly beat out the other qbs for the starting job. What did he demonstrate as a player? He showed that he was mobile, was an accurate passer with good touch and he showed that he can throw a beautiful long ball. When was the last time that a Bills qb demonstrated such talents? A generation ago? He certainly isn't a finished product. And no one can say for sure that they know how he much further he will develop as a qb. It is acknowledged that the OC took a cautious approach toward handling him by limiting his playbook. But that coaching approach wasn't due to his lack of talent so much as it was the beginning of his developmental process as a starter. In my opinion Roman was wise in the cautious manner he handled TT. This season is going to be very telling as to knowing what caliber of qb TT will develop into. I'm more cautiously optimistic about his upside compared to the many other qb prospects this organization has churned through.

I don't understand your position on this issue? Why would he give up on Marrone as a client, even if he remains as a coordinator in this league. You don't think that the agent for DM can't be approached for a college job? It was reported that Marrone was a serious candidate for the Michigan job before Harbaugh was selected. Your disdain for DM is understandable because of the way he left the organization. My position on his departure is different from yours. My belief is if a person is not happy doing what he is doing and where he is doing it then (in any type of profession) that person not only has a right to leave (as his contract stipulated) but should leave. What I can say for sure is that Marrone did more with a lesser roster than the babbling Rex did with a better roster. That must really get your goat.

The problem/reality is that teams do go through elite qb prospect droughts that last for years because they are not in position to acquire that type of prospect. The mistake that this organization made is that it waited too long to draft a qb and then it got to the point under Nix when it was decided it was imperative to select a qb in a barren qb years. Reaching for any position in a draft is a mistake, especially for the qb position. Sometimes the best approach to take is to get a stop gap qb as we did with TT and as the Jets did with Fitz. It's not a perfect solution but enables you to reasonably compete and gives you more time to continue with your quest for an upgrade at the position. Sometimes you get lucky as the Cardinals did with Palmer and just maybe we might have gotten lucky with TT on an unexpected upswing.

Of course the goal is to win a SB. But you also have to deal with the situation you are in. If the ideal qb is not available you then focus on upgrading your team on both sides of the ball. When you are in a position to acquire a high end qb prospect you do so. Is TT a high end prospect? Probably not? How many elites qbs are their in the league? Maybe four or five at the most. So the next best option is to take what you have and put that qb (good to average) in the best postion he can be in so that he can succeed. You upgrade the OL, have a good running game and give the qb some playmakers to work with. Andy Dalton isn't a great qb but he played at a high level before he got hurt. He became a very good qb this year and in recent years, because he was playing on an offensive unit that had a lot of talent. Carson Palmer has been playing at a high level the past couple of years. Without a doubt his physical abilities have diminished somewhat compared to his younger player days. Yet the Cardinals are a SB contending team because he is playing with a much more talented team compared to when he played in Cincinnatti and Oakland. Kirk Cousins is not, and probably will never be, an elite qb. But as his team improved his play improved to the point that the team is going to invest in him as their long term starter. I'm a believer that TT can be a quality starter in this league. Am I sure that my assessment of him will materialize? No. No one can say for sure. What I can say is that next season we should have a good grasp on how good or not he will be as a qb.

The Sabres are not a prolific scoring team (to say the least). But when you watch them against good teams such as Chicago they are not over matched as they were in previous years. Compared to last year the passing is substantially better and the ability to get the puck out of their end is starkly better. How often last year did the opposing team keep the puck stuck in their own end? The player that intrigues me the most is Kane. It's obvious that he is extremely talented. So far he hasn't smoothly meshed with his line mates but he is steadily getting better at working with them. The production potential is obvious. I see it coming. As you noted Risto is a force on the back line. He is already a top tier defenseman in the league. Even if the wins are not coming at the expected rate what is fun about watching the Sabres is that you can see the plan that the GM envisions and you can see it coming to fruition. There is a unity between what the GM is doing and how it is being implemented by the HC, who I like a lot. Right coach at the right time.

Bingo! That's the girl, Lorie. As you noted she did some excellent pre-game analysis. If I recall correctly she got really upset with the way Tim G was treated. I don't recall where she worked or if she did some independent work in the media field. As you noted she was a good contributor who decided to bolt from the scene.

Is this the song you are referring to? You may be a hard arse sheriff but I'm sure you have soul.

His last five years have not been very successful. This year this experienced HC coached a team that underachieved. When you hire a HC who is trending down don't be surprised when his recent coaching performance is lackluster. For me (not you) his last five years are more telling than what he did half a decade ago.

Rex Ryan absolutely did not overall have success with the Jets. During his stint he lost more than he won. He had some success in his first two years but in his last four years his team was very mediocre. Why do you think he was fired after his last season, a four win season? For doing a stellar job? I for one don't believe that I had inflated expectations entering the season. I thought this was a 9-7 to a 10-6 caliber team. What I didn't expect is that the NFC East and the AFC South would be so bad. What is apparent to me (maybe not you) is that the difference between making the playoffs and not doing so this year is the way the loquacious HC handled the defense. That's on him.

Very few people believed that this was a 12-4 team coming into the season. The majority of sober fans had the reasonable expectation that this team could have been a 10-6 or even an 11-5 team. With a schedule that turned out to be even more favorable than expected because of the weakness of the AFC South and the NFC East the team was in a good position to meet the realistic expectations. The team didn't meet most of our expectations because of the Rex effect. What does that mean? Whatever team he is involved with is going to be known more for the noise and distractions rather for the actual accomplishments on the field. That's what happens with a bull shiiiit showman. Maturity, intelligence and stability have never been associated with a Rex coached team. As far as I am concerned he can hire or fire any staff member he wants. It's his staff. He should then be held accountable for how his team performs. No more excuses.

You are more familiar with the Saints' roster than most of us are. Was the talent level on the defensive side of the ball so deficient that coaching wasn't a significant factor for its defensive troubles? Is Rob Ryan wedded to a particular scheme? My worry with Rob added to the staff or not is whether the Rex approach will continue to focus on making his scheme work rather than adjusting his scheme to the talent on hand. I'm not overly upset with the addition of the coach's brother to the staff. That is not to say I believe that the HC is using good judgment in bringing his brother on board. My position on Rex before he was hired and after he was hired is still the same. He he is a mediocre coach who will generate a lot of noise but accomplish little.

A long time ago there was an experiment of not using announcers for a game and just using cameras and the stadium sound system system. It was dreadful. You do have that option. Just turn off the sound when watching the game. Simple problem with a simple solution.

Yes I was. I thought that he was subjected to some unnecessary assaults. It's obvious that he had a chargeable fuse but there were some personal attacks regarding his integrity and professionalism that made him depart the scene. With his departure another woman who was connected (can't remember her name/Julie/Laura??? ) also bolted in support of TG. The incident that outraged her had to do with questioning TG's sources and challenging him to reveal it. She then said go to hell and joined TG out the door. Whatever happened to John W of AP? He also was a frequent contributor. He liked exotic beer and considered himself a music afficionado. Some people were bothered by the fact that he wasn't an organizational cheer leader. The die hard loyalists prefer conformity to independent thought. Not I. Some people prefer a smaller room filled with group thinking. I don't.

It's part of the business i.e. the number of clicks. Chris Cooley a former Redskin TE who is now part of the broadcast team and a member of the local ESPN outlet was talking about the instructions he received when he started the job. He related how he was told by his new bosses just be yourself and was reminded that he had obligations associated with social media and the number of clicks he gets through twitter and responses to his radio show and blogs. My friend's son in the DC area covers the sports scene in DC. He does radio work for a sports station. The father told me that he is never totally off the job because he is constantly posting on twitter and blogging. One aspect of the "clicking" world that is stressful relative to job performance is that it is measurable. If the clicks drop off your boss is likely to schedule a meeting inquiring what is the problem.

One former athlete who surprised me with his transition from the field to the booth is Troy Aikman. He doesn't over do it with his commentary and he is succinct.

I didn't see your original post which was earlier than mine. If I would have I wouldn't have started this thread but instead responded in your thread. Sorry about that. If the sheriff could merge the thread it would be most appreciated.

I guess you would rather not make the playoffs so you wouldn't lose in the playoffs? Odd logic. I say with no equivocation that I would rather have Lewis or O'Brien as a HC over the blustering Rex. I prefer a mature HC who gets his team into the playoffs over an immature HC who doesn't get his playoff caliber of team into the playoffs. If you believe that Rex is a quality coach that is fine. You are entitled to your opinion. On this issue you and I are riding different choo choo trains that will never arrive at the same destination.

You're right. There are some very high quality posters who are also very insightful. I thought that the analysis was excellent and the writer wrote with great clarity. No one has to agree with all his points but it is obvious that he is very thoughtful and fair-minded.

The highlighted section is the primary source of my exasperation with the Rex hire. I have the same depressing sensation that I had with Wilson as an owner or Levy/Brandon/Nix as GMs. Until there were people changes the long term prospects were dim. It's this sensation of walking down an up escalator at the same rate it is moving and getting nowhere. I respectfully but strenuously disagree with your Cowher or Coughlin fallback position. It's the same mentality of reaching back to Polian trying to recapture the past while in the present. That approach usually doesn't work. The Skins brought back Gibbs to right their floundering ship but it didn't have a long term effect. In my view Whaley has a good understanding of the Pittsburgh and Cowher way----a fundamentally sound approach to building a sustaining successful organization. In my view Whaley knows how to build a team. He somewhat deviated from the Pittsburgh approach because he felt that it was important to take short term risks to get over the barrier (as much psychological) of not being in the playoffs for a generation. He was right (in my estimation) that it was a debilitating cloud over this woebegone franchise. It would have worked this season if the HC in his attempt to demonstrate how smart he was on defense demonstrated how dumb he was to the rest of the league. It's akin to telling your power hitter to bunt and telling your high average contact hitter to swing for the fences. The Pegulas should have taken more time to consult with a greater variety of credible sources outside of the organization before the Rex hire. I don't understand why they were in such a hurry to make such an important hire? Rex Ryan was well known in this league. The Rex that was hired was the authentic Rex that we got. That is why I am so exasperated by this ridiculous situation. Whatever happened to the concept of "due diligence"?