BillsVet

IMO, that the worst loss since the MCM given the opponent, audience, being a plus 5 in turnovers (with 2 defensive scores!) and a getting KO return for a TD. Oh, and Wade was the opposing HC. The end to that game was the most systematic coaching break-down I've ever seen. Lose an onside kick, Buffalo's defense then allows Crayton to catch a pass at the sideline when Dallas had no timeouts, see Folk miss the FG, but Buffalo call a TO...setting up another kick from 53 which was good to give Dallas the 25-24 win. I will never forget that game. For the obvious and being in the BN after the game.

Every year the off-season gets longer. It would be nice to make the playoffs just so fewer posters can create threads like this.

The off-season: Where reality takes a back seat to fan-hood. He can play based on what exactly? That he beat up on lower-end talent in the CFL? That he once played in the SEC? Plenty of types in both leagues never translate into the pro game. Maybe he's good but the likelihood is he is a camp cut. That team with a bunch of holes had been 7-9 the previous season when McCoach and later Beane came aboard. The cap situation obviously wasn't the best, but jettisoning all that salary wasn't required either. They chose to do a complete rebuild. Yet, in 2 off-seasons, they chose to use 2 first round picks on defensive players and signed 5 more UFAs to decent contracts. In 2 years on offense, aside from getting Allen, they've acquired practically nothing other than Dawkins. Many of their acquisitions (Tolbert, Ducasse, Bodine, Newhouse, DiMarco, Ivory) have been bargain bin types or don't contribute much. They have nothing on offense because they chose to build their defense first. It's why, contrary to a lot of fans' opinions, this will be a 4 year rebuild.

I've often thought about the desire to believe in conspiracy theories and how psychologically appealing they are. This thread reinforces that people will believe almost anything supported with a shred of truth if it aligns with what they want reality to be.

This a heavy dose of sophistry here and...you've completely missed the point. I'm talking specifically about rounds 4-7 and how many are starting NFL players. The Bills have a handful (that's less than 5) from 2001-2015 with a few who went to other teams. And that's out of about 85 picks over those years. I love when people talk about rookies or second year players being good after such a short time in the league. Reminds me of the 2006 Marv/DJ draft people were giddy about. By 2011, only Kyle Williams remained on the team.

The number of players from rounds 4-7 who have decent NFL careers, as in, 5 or more seasons starting or as significant contributors is not very high. In Buffalo, from 2001-2015 there isn't much aside from Terrence McGee, Kyle Williams, Stevie Johnson, and Nigel Bradham out of 85 picks. Some of that I put on the personnel people, but it's also reality in the NFL. Those picks are nice on paper but finding starting material is unlikely.

All the talk about being the youngest HC in the NFL, his photographic memory, innovative concepts, et al...you can throw it out the window. I think McVay went with 11 personnel because he knew NE was stronger against that set and figured he could out-do Belichick. It makes little sense, but then again HC's get stupid sometimes going up against Belichick.

The league wasn't hurting when Green Bay won 5 titles in the 60s, Pittsburgh 4 in the 70s, San Fran 4 in the 80s, Dallas 3 in the 90s, and the Patriots since the millennium started. If anything, dynasties have helped advance the league's popularity given that yes, people hate those teams. This is you wanting something consistent with your opinion when it's not. I can't stand the Patriots, but their dominance is not hurting ratings. Winning means overcoming adversity, and in most cases, not blaming things you can't control for not succeeding. This mindset that there's always a scapegoat like officiating is such a modern incarnation. Los Angeles wasn't ready to win on Sunday and it showed. One call wouldn't have changed that.

It was Brady who went to Kraft and demanded Garoppolo be traded. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/pats-reportedly-offered-jimmy-g-18myear-belichick-furious-demoralized-after-trade/ Not a fan of QBs, even Tommy, affecting personnel decisions. Who does he think he is, LeBron?

Brandon's gone.

McBeane will not enter 2019 with Jason Croom as the starter, especially because he has that injury history and they'll seek to have more competition at the position. Croom also isn't the blocker that I think they're looking for to help establish the running game.

I'd rather defend against a good RB than a TE who can make catches downfield. And the best offensive teams are throwing to set up their running game. A good TE forces teams to play defense differently and Buffalo hasn't had that in years. There will always be "needs" to address, but if we're talking about taking a RB before a TE, well, a that's 1980s mindset.

A negative effect of Buffalo perpetually rebuilding has been using the draft to fill needs. New regimes typically mean the previous group's players are sent packing, and thus, need to be replaced. Now that the Bills have settled on their QB of the future and spent tremendous assets on their defense it's time they drafted a TE. Charles Clay is a likely cap casualty and Jason Croom doesn't seem to be starting material. Buffalo hasn't used a high pick (rounds 1-3) on a TE since 2005 when they selected Kevin Everett in the 3rd. Since that time, several teams have featured TE's who create mismatches, can stretch the middle of the field, and provide Allen with a great weapon. Most of the top offenses feature one who does just this. This year's draft offers some solid options and you're not going to find much in free agency. It's time they use a 2nd or 3rd on a TE.

I don't start multiple threads a day and post thousands of times a year. Those that do need to get outside or, as I said, find something else to do. Welcome aboard noob.

Threads like this prove some people need to get hobbies.

Tanking has worked for whom? Even the 0-16 Lions in 2008 have never, despite taking Stafford, amounted to much. Cleveland remains an incomplete, yet needed significant changes to their front office, coaching staff and two straight top picks to get to 7 wins. No one, not team management or a fan based has the patience to go through a major rebuild that lasts more than 2 seasons. And that's why I think a lot of Bills fans are going to be disappointed in 2019 when it becomes clear that McBeane always saw this as a 4 year plan. They need to totally overhaul the offense save QB and that'll take 2 years.

"Just let the man coach your offensive line! He won't get in the way. He'll just stand in the back of the room while they're watching film." "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST HIRE THE MAN!"

Maybe he was actually forced to find a job. Employment typically makes it difficult to post hundreds of times a week all hours of the day and night.

It's ironic that each of the four conference championship teams had a high pick at RB to start the season: New England - Michel (1st round, 31st overall / 2018) Los Angeles - Gurley (1st round, 10th overall / 2015) New Orleans - Ingram (1st round, 28th overall / 2011) and Kamara (3rd round, 67th overall / 2017) Kansas City - Hunt* (3rd round, 86th overall / 2017) *Released mid-season That said, Buffalo has a lot of personnel issues on offense and while they need to get younger, I would think OT, interior OL, WR, and TE are more pressing issues.

They may have thought long term in years 1 and 2 of their tenure, but I have a feeling they'll be less so in off-season #3. The honeymoon is over now that they've executed their plan to move out the contracts they didn't like.

Being better than the worst was a common refrain here during the late RW years as Buffalo toed the dysfunction line. The effect of an owner like Haslam flip-flopping all the time is no one wants to work for you, regardless of it being a NFL franchise. Thankfully, the last of the Wilson cronies is out and the Bills hopefully are under better front office management, although I've heard rumblings that the Pegula's are involved on certain decisions I'd rather they not be.

Their offensive drafting prowess hasn't struck me as solid, although that's deferring judgement on Allen. The UDFA types are bonuses, particularly at the harder to find positions To me, for McBeane to prove their ability to draft, it would be finding value in the mid rounds, which I consider 3rd-5th. I think Kyle Williams is the last guy, in 2006 (!) that I consider fitting that category. The only other player who looks like a long term starter from 2006-2016 might be Nigel Bradham. For Buffalo to continue rebuilding it's going to take more hits in those rounds. As to the thread, I could see them using a high pick on a RB if it's the right player. A quick cost-benefit analysis tells me that I'd rather have a young guy from round 2 or 3 versus a vet on a contract like what Ivory received. But, as previously mentioned, that line needs a talent influx and that should be prioritized first. Interested to see how McBeane set themselves up in the draft.

McBeane signed Tolbert in 2017...what more do you want? I'm sure they could drag Deangelo Williams out of retirement this year if need be. I think they'd like to lead the league in 30+ year old RBs. Not enough time has elapsed to judge their drafts. There's been some ups and some downs so far, notably with White and Milano, but then Dawkins and Jones from 2017. 2018 I'm not counting yet. This is a team that may be looking at 7-8 starters on offense. To draft well is great...but that's par for the course and getting starters in UFA for one off-season will be a challenge. Not impossible, but difficult.

17M rounding error? Don't you think that's substantial here? I do. Every year TBD goes through the same process. Talking about how close the team was and a player here or there will get them across the finish line. For a time this season they were one of the worst offenses since passing rules were changed in 1978. I'm hopeful and optimistic about Allen, but he's got almost nothing around him in terms of a proven NFL type at the peak of their career. Dawkins took a step back and beyond that, what is there? Everyone loves to point to Foster, but he played well for about a third of a season. They'll sign some free agents, but going from 6 to 10 wins is a big leap. Not impossible, but significant. And there's no way on God's green earth that they use the whole cap space this off-season. Not happening. They need to plan for the 2020 off-season and re-sign their guys from the 2017 draft class.

Who'd they cut to get to $100M? The foundation on offense is extremely suspect: aged at RB, 3-4 new starters needed on OL, WR is an unknown or thin at best, and almost nothing long term at TE.