BillsVet

Ah pride. It goeth before the fall. Nowhere did I mention Wilson, nor am I insinuating as much. But because you're incapable of debating the facts, you fall back on demogoguery. There is no non-sequitur, as Buffalo's current QB conundrum is a result of what transpired in 2011-12 and perhaps the 2014 draft.

No need to be sophomoric and deflect from the point, which you obviously avoid. As you won't answer the question, I'll go ahead and do it myself. The Bills absolutely refused to take a QB in the 2011 and 2012 drafts and that's why they are where they are today. Call it hindsight, call it whatever. The GM was adamant a journeyman on his 3rd team in 6 seasons (at the end of 2010) could start and win, most likely an opinion supported by the HC. After going 4-12 in that 2010 season, the GM and HC went against conventional wisdom which usually has a rebuilding team drafting a young QB early they can groom. Buffalo then re-signed said veteran in mid 2011 when he had early success, after which he predictably went downhill from mid-season on as teams prevented him from the short passing game employed by the HC to cover up for his weak arm. The journeyman lasted another season before being dumped in a salary cap decision which then left the Bills with no young QB to groom in 2013. No one every makes good decisions when in desperate need for something. You can quibble, distort, or disqualify that take. But at the game's most crucial decision they had set themselves up to be forced into taking a QB in 2013, which ultimately proved to be a very poor draft year for QBs.

Of course it is. But can you answer it without deflecting from the question?

Why did they need a starting QB in 2013?

Maybe Dug Whammy made the Manual pick and Gus Cramden was the one who pushed him into it. Billy Nixon was a bystander at that point. It didn't help that their HC, Herron, had already picked Tate Sackett to be both QB coach and offensive coordinator.

It's time for Dug Whammy to admit he made a mistake with DJ Manual and let Dex Bryan just go with Mat Castle or Roddy Baylor at QB.

Well, if you don't draft one high you can't get criticized. Then, sign low ceiling veterans to bridge the gap when the one guy you did draft struggles mightily. And I'm not referring to the 2015 draft, which appears moribund in terms of QB talent. The 2011, 2012, and 2014 drafts were better.

Most media types won't have a take against a player's chances unless they're absolutely convinced. Joe B's a big FSU guy having attended there and if he's not giving Manuel much of a shot, that ought to be telling. By all accounts, EJ still makes some of the same mistakes he made as a rookie, including an inability to make basic throws. No, a scrimmage isn't going to kill his chance to win the starting job, but they don't have another year to find out if the guy can play either. And it's distressing to hear people claim that EJ's issues come down to the previous coaching staff. These guys are pros and need to be able to adapt quickly. EJ should have good coaching now, so it's on him to become the Whaley thought he might be when they selected him 2 years ago. Didn't Joe Flacco have the same situation?

I don't believe Arian Foster can stay healthy for an entire season. Ask Bob McNair, he'll tell ya.

I'm surprised Whaley didn't just echo Dick Jauron and just say "it's hard to find a good QB in the NFL."

I trust Ozzie Newsome's decision making more than your opinion though.

Why would a SB winning GM allow a quality QB to hit UFA? I know the Ravens had some cap challenges, but their backup QB is Matt Schaub now. And if Matt Schaub is a better backup option than Taylor I'm not sure Taylor is starting material. Schaub is being paid 2M for 2015. And Taylor's deal was 2 yrs at 7M total.

I'll answer the question you deflected from: Carr is the better prospect. EJ's career hangs in the balance. This is the "waiting for the ship to come in" mindset. And it usually is unsuccessful. And you're still quibbling.

If you had to pick a QB to play for you in 2015, would it be Carr or Manuel? Teams either have a QB, have a guy they're developing who they hope will be the guy, or are going with scraps. Buffalo is in the final category and Oakland in the second one. Call it luck, call it whatever. The Bills don't have a long term option on the roster. The reason Buffalo is where they are today is because they failed to be aggressive when options were available in 2011 and 2012. It forced them to make a decision in what turned out to be a bad QB draft in 2013. Taking one there meant passing over what looks like better prospects in 2014. A GM who doesn't find a long term answer in their first 3 years on the job, particularly in the NFL of today, should be on a very short leash. The success of a franchise depends on it far too much to be so mediocre there.

So how do you get the team to QB heaven Doug? Because QB hell this season could undermine the talent elsewhere.

And DJ was all about the DB's... Those were some dark days. Even when they made solid picks, those guys were allowed out the door for a song and a dance.

They're going to sign and then stash him on the PS as a DT. But secretly, he'll be working as a guard so no one knows. That's how crafy Doug Whaley is, who learned it from his predecessor, who was even more sneaky.

Fair enough.

E...it's time to throw in the towel on EJM. I realize some posters were vocal in their support and discontinuing that would be a blow to their pride, but it's time to move on. He's never improved on the accuracy issues that have troubled him since day 1. He also struggles to adapt to on-field pressure and his footwork remains sloppy. Non-fans covering this team, i.e. reporters, have signaled his lack of improvement. Other than a blow to pride, I'm not sure why some fans continue to cling to the notion Manuel is OK.

Rex worked more in tandem IIRC with Tannenbaum, who acquired/drafted CB's to fit Rex's defense and built a run heavy offense. When Idzik took over, I don't think he listened to Rex and the result was extremely bad. That's not to say Rex is a personnel expert...he's a HC...but his strategy was better than Whaley's was in 2013-14, which was disjointed. At this point in their careers, Rex is the more proven commodity and Whaley is still proving himself. An earlier poster referred to Buffalo as a "collaborative" process. Well, that's merely a conflation of every GM-HC relationship. I don't think anyone can say this team isn't being built in Rex's image, because it sure as heck isn't Whaley's design.

First, the org chart changed this off-season and the HC no longer reports to the GM. Second, this team is being built to Rex's specifications, not the way Whaley tried in the wake of Nix's tenure. Rex wants tough defense, specifically good corner play to go along with a run heavy offense with a big OL leading the way. And so, Whaley and Rex (EDIT:) signed Incognito, traded for McCoy, then drafted a CB with their first pick and OG with their second selection (third round). I see Whaley performing his duties in a way similar to John Schneider. Carroll essentially provides guidance on what types of players he wants, and Schneider obtains options for the HC, who picks the players. It's not a shaming of Schneider, but Carroll in essence picked him as GM. Pro Personnel has been an issue in Buffalo for a long time now and I'm not sure it's been aligned properly with rebuilding a football team. But that's for another day and certainly the rebuilding should be over.

Only the most ardent homers actually thought the guy would stay healthy. Good thing Rex has more power now in terms of personnel and Whaley's essentially playing a supporting role getting what Ryan says. Back injuries typically don't go completely away for NFL players. Hopefully "Dealer" Doug has learned his lesson.

Their Program Director must be pushing the on-air talent tease every bit of news because lately that's become a big part of the morning and afternoon shows. That never used to be their MO, but they'll throw it into a break and tease a story. I haven't looked at Arbitron to know whether their ratings have flat-lined, but something behind the scenes has changed.

A fan board will never permit much criticism, but... It's rare that a team without a big dollar QB gets into cap trouble. That remains to be seen in Buffalo, but I suspect Mario's deal will be re-worked next year to free up space for others. This team is unique in one aspect: they haven't been to the playoffs in forever and clearly (with Rex's hiring) are in win-now mode minus a very good or better QB. In the next 1-2 years Buffalo is looking at a few who'll command decent pay-days. The mark of a solid GM is how they do in selecting which talent to retain and which to let go, because you can't keep them all. Glenn, Bradham and Dareus are signed through 2015. Gilmore and Woods through 2016. Not all of those guys will be retained and should hit the market. The Bills haven't been in this position since the late 90s because, frankly, they haven't had enough talent for decisions like this. The test for Whaley is how to manage the cap considering what they've given out.

Strait of Miller? Look out Magellan.