BillsVet

I know lists are generated to validate self-held beliefs, but it's an exercise in futility to grade people on past performance. Who are the guys that are ascending into 2016 and who are the ones descending? In terms of young QBs, it's Derek Carr, Bortles, Cousins, and Wilson. Tyrod still needs another year to evaluate whether he can start reading defenses to use the entire field. The other 4 guys, albeit with more PT, can do that better than him. The question is, does TT go the route of Kaepernick or improve his to beb an all-around good QB like Russell Wilson?

It all comes back to Tyrod and whether he can keep defenses from cheating to defend the run. The comparison which should be made is the 2013-14 49ers to the 2015-16 Bills. In 2013 Kaepernick had extremely similar numbers to the 2015 TT and SF had the league's 3rd ranked rushing offense in yards on their way to 12 wins. In 2014, SF maintained their rushing ability (4th overall) but Kaepernick slipped off and they won 8 games. Roman was OC both seasons. It's going to be interesting seeing Buffalo's offense counter what defenses do to adjust to TT. As others have pointed out, as defenses have more film of the previously unknown TT, they'll have a much better plan to stop him. Even if the Bills still succeed running the ball, they won't get away with what they did last season focusing on the low risk sideline area throws.

I wish he'd have coached EJ more on not not throwing the football like it's a dart. http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/The-QB-guru-on-EJ-Manuel/13361679-9d30-4b54-a3f6-c9ee0b07d4c5

They showed good initiative in signing Harvin, who represented someone to take coverage away from Watkins. I think he was actually leading the team in receiving before the injury last season and probably took time from Woods. But you need 3 WRs in the modern NFL and targets were limited because TT wasn't throwing over the middle as much. Slauson probably didn't want to play RT and they weren't looking at him as a starter at RG. For a team that's now in year 3 of "win now" looking at Slauson as strictly a RT to ensure a draft pick continues to play is perplexing. If Miller doesn't show improvement, particularly in pass blocking, it'll be another move second guessed.

Whaley doesn't typically bring in competition for his higher draft picks until it's blatantly obvious those players won't work out. Perhaps they weren't as interested in Slauson as SD, but I wouldn't expect the Bills to sign someone who'd likely put John Miller off his back and onto the bench.

Scott...you're supposed to be a real fan. And real fans support the team regardless of previous results because emotions always trump logic in fandom.

205# RBs who depend on speed and elusiveness with 7 seasons and upwards of 2k touches behind them typically don't maintain a high level of production. Thurman started slowing down around year 7 and he was a similar type back if a comparison could be made.

OK. It doesn't remove the concept that switching to new defenses has historically required further draft and UFA resources to make the transition. Not every team has a HC who is adamant they need the kind of personnel Rex, Nix/Gailey, DJ, and Greggo needed to transition to and run "their" scheme. The Bills seem to consistently close the barn door after the horse it out. If defense was the problem in 2015, they're addressing it in 2016. That's a reactive ideology that leaves them weak elsewhere. Kinda like how they loaded up on offense in 2015 after they were putrid in 2014. I think it's wise to ask if the offense will be up to the task, as others have said, because their scheme and system are there for everyone to know. Some are of the opinion that going RT and WR early would address what are also weak areas or likely could be weak in 2016.

Was he excited? Obviously.

Denver's played in 8 playoff games that past 4 seasons. The Bills haven't made the playoffs in 16 years. And in terms of defense, in his first season as DC Wade took a 16th ranked defense (in points allowed) and made them 4th. Rex took a 4th and made it a 19th.

Snarky seems to be your retort to anything of dissent around here. It's obviously used when someone cannot debate. But let's get to the point Denver, for 3 years, had Peyton Manning playing excellent ball. Seattle and Carolina had QBs who are the lone examples of mobile proven QBs. Kansas City has a game manager type who is limited. Here's a Sesame Street analogy: One of these (BUF, CAR, DEN, KC, and SEA) is not like the others. Care to guess which one?

Re: Cardale. He is the perfect developmental pick that is little threat to challenge EJM for the backup job. If they'd gone with another more polished QB there would be talk that the 2013 1st round pick wasn't thought of as good enough to backup. And last year signing Cassel ensured EJM was in street clothes on game day. A lack of depth at QB, WR, OT, and perhaps TE is going to affect this team at some point.

And opponents adapt to what you're doing. It won't be as easy for Roman to do the same thing in 2016 that he did in 2015 because there's a full season on film that opposing teams have on Buffalo now. That offense was designed to be safe, and limit teams from keying in on TT. But what happens when defenses put 8 in the box to stop the run and dare TT to make throws? My biggest issue with this team is that they're building the roster to win, only circa 1995. Investing so much in defense the result of frequently changing schemes and building an offense to run is not how to win in 2016.

It's hard to be bad enough to draft high to get a top QB. That's what the GM tells us. Guess it's more ground and pound with a heavy dose of defense. If only teams still made the playoffs this way.

This is the 3rd year they're in win now mode. 2014 saw the trading up for Watkins, which ultimately didn't make EJM better. Marrone was in his second season, as was Whaley, and new ownership came on board. 2015 saw the hiring of a big name HC and an off-season spending spree. 2016 didn't have the spending 2015 did, but without a playoff appearance, it's likely there's going to be changes. If a GM is doing the job correctly, they aren't in win-now mode for this long. Regardless, this is going to be an interesting season for the HC and GM. Their jobs should be on the line given all the resources their owner has provided. More than can be said for anyone before them.

His back is against the wall this year because they almost need a QB at some point in this draft. So they're making a decision out of necessity because no one is signed beyond this season. It's not quite the scenario in 2013, but there are similarities. I'd agree TT was a Rex pushed move, but I'm not able to see how Buddy was the driving force behind EJM. Whaley admitted his excitement of the pick and the ramifications of it not working out here:

I actually have 1-2k more posts but they were wiped out in 2008 when I believe the server crashed.

Vast majority? That's not a straw-man argument? They haven't found a QB because their decisions on the position have been a case study in not prioritizing it. They tried to fill the position with duct tape and bailing wire, then were forced to take one in a bad draft, and now seemingly need to add another arm. Not taking one, especially in 2011 and 2012 haunts them to this day. (Now I suppose someone will say who they should have taken to further conflate the issue) Almost everything in terms of on-field success circles back eventually to bad front office management. Not taking a QB in 3 drafts is a bad decision. And having to enter drafts needing a certain position is the cumulative result of bad decisions. It's why the Bills never really rebuild, but shuffle pieces around and end up with the same result...mediocrity.

It's been a common refrain here for many years it's just bad luck for why the Bills aren't winning. Certainly the writer applied his angle to the story, but it's strange a GM would be talking about this 5 years after the fact. To me it smacks of someone who isn't comfortable with their current QB situation and is preemptively saying it wasn't their fault. We all know GMs and HCs use the media for getting their message out, and that's what this is IMO. Because without a playoff season it's likely people's jobs are at stake.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25567414/gm-explains-how-andrew-luck-spoiled-bills-plan-to-draft-cam-newton Hey, the Bills just aren't lucky. It's a big part of the reason they've struggled finding their QB of the future. First it was QB purgatory and now it's bad luck.

Just because Buffalo has been risk averse taking QB's for the better part of 20 years doesn't mean it's right. Of course there's risk a player won't work out. EJ was a bust and everyone seems to understand that. OTOH, not taking a QB guarantees you don't have anyone. Tyron may be their guy or he could regress. Doesn't mean you don't take one because the player might not work out. There aren't many teams that have invested less the past 20 years in the game's most important position. It's time to change that.

Your unabashed homerism and inability to criticize a franchise winning about 40% of their games for the period I specified is once again noted. I guess this really is the post-factual age. Facts don't matter anymore, but emotions obviously do.

I chose the first year after Donahoe was fired through 2014, which is the last draft class which should be analyzed. Because as many fans have noted here (in unison actually) we can't evaluate a draft class until they've been in the league for 2 perhaps 3 full seasons. That's a 9 year sample size encompassing 18 2nd or 3rd round draft picks.

Where the better drafting teams are getting it done is in the 2nd-3rd rounds. Of Buffalo's drafts from 2006-2014, the only solid starters they've drafted from those rounds have been Posluszny, Byrd, Levitre, and Glenn. Aaron Williams has been nothing special despite being the 34th overall pick in 2011, Woods has been OK and without good QB play, Kiko played one solid NFL season (and is on his 3rd team), leaving Preston Brown who seems like JAG. Hitting on 4 picks out of 18, albeit with different GM's, is part of the reason why the Bills struggle with depth and the cap.

They're going to have to reduce the playbook...chances are 1 perhaps 2 rookies will be playing on the defensive front 7. That, and newcomers like Zach Brown and Robert Blanton will be getting minutes. Maybe Buddy watched the 1985 Chicago Bears 30 for 30 and realized his dad once had to do it.