BillsVet

The problem with the EJ debate is that people here have made it far too personal, as though they have a vested interest in him starting. The result is a lashing out at any and all critics who don't absolutely share that same viewpoint.

There are elite QB's...and then beneath them are guys who can be elite in short spans. Flacco in the 2011 playoffs and Eli in the SB runs come to mind. Wilson may be somewhere in the middle. If you think Manuel's career hasn't progressed because the coaching he had in his first 2 years was substandard, well, I've got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

There isn't a Bills fan on this board who wouldn't sign up for having a 27 year old QB who, in years 1-4 of his career, has thrown for an average of 3700 yards, 25 TD's and 16 INTs each year. And who's to say he's reached his peak? Downplaying another team that's made the playoffs 4 years running out of a tough AFCN when the Bills are 0-15 in playoff appearances really comes off as pointless.

IMO, they should poll the entire team and front office via a secret ballot and count them up after the final preseason game. In that way, we can have fairness and a democratic process. Only trouble is, we have three QB's vying for the starting job and there may not be a clear majority so they'll have to establish that it's a winner take all secret ballot and require them to abide by the vote.

Tyrod is the same guy Ozzie Newsome allowed out the door in UFA and replaced with Matt Schaub. Being a clipboard holder doesn't mean the starter's magic pixie dust spreads to the backup.

And this ratchets up the pressure to win now. Keeping the core of a good team together is expensive. That is, unless you can mine talent to replace the talent which supports those core players.

What if re-signing Dareus means you're going to part ways with Bradham? Or requires re-negotiating Mario's contract? Or hinders the re-signing of Gilmore? I'm sure they've prioritized who and which positions mean the most based on a) who they already have b) Rex's/Roman's scheme needs and c) ability to replace the player based on position played. They may "only" be apart 15M over the length of the deal, but that's money not going to someone.

It's a bad approach for addressing future talent, acquired via UFA or drafted and seeking extensions.

Only if you want to make it impossible to sign future UFA's and re-sign your own talent at the end of their contract.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13473403/kam-chancellor-not-report-seattle-seahawks-deal Chancellor signed a deal before the 2013 season through 2016. Michael Bennett is also unhappy about his deal and Lynch had contract issues last off-season. This is the price you pay when your team gets good. Guys want to get paid. The Bills however haven't gotten good just yet though, which illustrates how important it is to win now.

They did pay some playmakers this year. McCoy, Clay, Hughes, and Harvin. The issue isn't that they won't pay, it's the priority of who they'll pay and how that affects other players. It should be based on team building priorities. When you make a decision on one guy, it's going to impact another. Look at Seattle with Russell Wilson. They chose to prioritize him over guys like Kam Chancellor. Probably a wise decision, but now Chancellor is holding out. The Bills are finally reaching a point where they cannot possibly re-sign all of their guys. Someone will be let go via UFA. At the same time, this is a tremendous departure from the days when they could afford players (Peters, Clements) but management forced them to improve the bottom line.

Tyrod got 2 yrs 7M total. Cassel and Manuel's contract are not huge, so they're probably spending all of 10M in 2015 on QB's, or about 7% of the 143M cap this year. Then you look at how much they spend on QB versus the total cap and then the DL versus the cap, it's amazing. The Bills have chosen to invest in their DL, draft DL, sign UFA DL. They need that strategy to pay off and make up for what may be average QB play.

They're too busy complaining that Dareus is negotiating publicly and that he should accept what they're offering.

Ironic that during contract impasses some fans instinctively blame the player first, especially if the negotiations are acrimonious. But why does the team predominantly get the benefit of the doubt here? The player has no leverage but to negotiate publicly and threaten to leave in hopes the fan base will tell management to keep him. Still, it's amazing how much the Bills have invested or will have to invest in their DL.

Is that why Schwartz got so much interest after he was essentially fired?

It's only just shy of the 43k+ posts the two of you have combined for defending the organization during their greatest period of ineptitude. But you can debate when the snark gets turned off. For now I stand by what I wrote. Their strategy hasn't worked and it could undermine what's been built already.

I think the most telling stat, aside from the number drafted, is how many have started. That's the best indicator of issues at the position. Based on this camp, the Bills will start their 5th different QB since 2013 alone. Management to me, remains much the same. Sure there are new Pro Personnel and College Scouting people. But the strategy hasn't changed because they don't draft anyone until it's clear the last option has failed. In 2011-12 Nix adamantly stuck by Fitz without drafting a young guy. And they went into two training camps (2013-14) without serious competition for Manuel.

It's staggering how the numbers fall when you discuss Buffalo's QB situation since 2010: 17 have been on the preseason or regular season roster since 2010 11 have been on the preseason or regular season roster since 2013 7 have started a regular season game with another likely added to that list on opening day. 6 were on the preseason or regular season roster in 2013 alone (EDIT: Kolb, Manuel, Tuel, Leinart, T. Lewis, Flynn) 4 were signed in UFA (Thigpen, Kolb, Orton,Taylor) 3 were traded for (T. Jackson, T. Lewis, Cassel) 2 were drafted in 6 total drafts And this is with one guy (Fitzpatrick) starting 45 of 48 games from 2010-2012. This doesn't appear like a team that knows what they're doing at the game's most important position. That's QB purgatory.

Wood's under contract through 2017 at an average of 6M+ per. That's a lot of money for a center who admitted at the end of last season he didn't play well.

That'd represent one heckuva turn of events. From January HC interviews when Whaley talked up developing Manuel to now, the team trying to cut losses on a 1st round pick 2 years ago.

This may be, I'm not a daily reader of Carrucci, but he's been a respected NFL journalist for years now. There has to be something other than old age which drives someone to say what they do.

I used the example to show that a person who goes against the team can become a pariah of the fan base. Even if they enjoyed a good journalistic reputation before, as Carrucci had before this interview. But when he or any media say anything perceived as anti-Bills, they become a target of scorn. There's not even any debate about the merits of what they say, only that they're wrong and anti-team. And Carrucci will never be accused of inciting people like Sullivan.

Vic is to some Bills fans now what Chuck Schumer has become to the President.

My point remains that the "strategy" of not taking a QB until they had no long term option (i.e. post Fitz) is why they're in this QB predicament today. You've said that they did what they had to do when on draft day 2013. I choose to look at it deeper, which is to say, why they were in the place they were at in 2013 at all. You don't get a lot of shots at good QB prospects and choosing to eschew the position entirely at the outset of a rebuild isn't what I'd call a good professional strategy. It's actually the prime reason they're 0 for 5 in playoff appearances since Nix took over.

I find it ironic that Jim Kelly is your avatar. Buffalo didn't take a QB to replace him until Todd Collins in '95. But under your rationale, it wasn't Butler's fault he waited until the draft before Kelly's penultimate season to find a successor. It was just that Buffalo's options when they decided to take a QB weren't very good and therefore, the GM/team cannot be blamed. You can believe what you want. I simply disagree with the notion you wait until you have bad or no options remaining to draft a QB.