GM Doug Whaley has been fired

[GunnerBill]

While we can't be sure yet which ones will come out, my point is that I believe that the group of Allen, Darnold, Rosen, Browning, Mayfield, Rudolph, and Falk will produce more successful NFL QBs than this year's group regardless of how many are taken in the top 12.

 

Lamar Jackson possibly too? Look there could be good Quarterbacks in that 2018 class, but there were good Quarterbacks in this 2017 class as well. And passing on them because there might be more to shoot at next year to me is not a sound strategy. If you think all the ones in 2017 suck - fine. I am pretty confident you will be proven wrong though. The Bills constant punting on picking Quarterbacks always waiting for the next great one to fall in their laps is a bad strategy.

[BillsVet]

I dont know if anyone seen this:

 

Per reporter Vic Carucci, Whaley's firing was "fulfillment of a condition of McDermott's employment." This had been the rumor for months. It's a little surprising the Bills were willing to go through the public motions for weeks on end, but then again, they're not a good franchise. They're hoping McDermott will change that. May 1 - 2:59 PM

Source: Buffalo News

 

In a roundabout way, McD was the consultant some of us have advocated for going back to TPegs purchasing the team in 2014.

 

It's still ironic that Whaley pushed to get RR fired, won that battle, and then lost the war because the successor at HC promptly demanded the GM's tenure end.

[BuffaloHokie13]

 

Lamar Jackson possibly too? Look there could be good Quarterbacks in that 2018 class, but there were good Quarterbacks in this 2017 class as well. And passing on them because there might be more to shoot at next year to me is not a sound strategy. If you think all the ones in 2017 suck - fine. I am pretty confident you will be proven wrong though. The Bills constant punting on picking Quarterbacks always waiting for the next great one to fall in their laps is a bad strategy.

Not a fan of Jackson, but hey he's got a year to prove me wrong haha. I know you were high on this year's class, I think one may end up decent. Simply a difference in evals.

[PlayoffsPlease]

 

Lamar Jackson possibly too? Look there could be good Quarterbacks in that 2018 class, but there were good Quarterbacks in this 2017 class as well. And passing on them because there might be more to shoot at next year to me is not a sound strategy. If you think all the ones in 2017 suck - fine. I am pretty confident you will be proven wrong though. The Bills constant punting on picking Quarterbacks always waiting for the next great one to fall in their laps is a bad strategy.

The Bills did pick a QB this year that has an outside shot of 'being the guy'. This is quite a bit different, and quite a bit better than the past strategy of basically not using the draft at all to address the QB position.

[GunnerBill]

Not a fan of Jackson, but hey he's got a year to prove me wrong haha. I know you were high on this year's class, I think one may end up decent. Simply a difference in evals.

 

I wasn't so much high on them.... I did think they were criminally underrated by the talking heads. I expect the top 4 to end up looking like 2014 - a star, a solid game manager type, another borderline starter and one total bust. Nobody was whaling for months before about how bad the 2014 class was going to be.

 

I'll be honest the comparisons between 2013 and 2017 really annoyed me. I never saw a shred of truth in it. There was simply too much good there on tape.

[BringBackOrton]

While we can't be sure yet which ones will come out, my point is that I believe that the group of Allen, Darnold, Rosen, Browning, Mayfield, Rudolph, and Falk will produce more successful NFL QBs than this year's group regardless of how many are taken in the top 12.

And yet we all belived that Mahomes, Watson, Kizer etc would produce more successful NFL QB's than the group in the 2016 class.

 

That belief changes, fast. Usually when the fanbase and team is actually faced with the prospect of taking a QB.

[BuffaloHokie13]

And yet we all belived that Mahomes, Watson, Kizer etc would produce more successful NFL QB's than the group in the 2016 class.

 

That belief changes, fast. Usually when the fanbase and team is actually faced with the prospect of taking a QB.

I did not believe that. Sorry.

 

I wasn't so much high on them.... I did think they were criminally underrated by the talking heads. I expect the top 4 to end up looking like 2014 - a star, a solid game manager type, another borderline starter and one total bust. Nobody was whaling for months before about how bad the 2014 class was going to be.

 

I'll be honest the comparisons between 2013 and 2017 really annoyed me. I never saw a shred of truth in it. There was simply too much good there on tape.

Yeah, the '13 comparison was a very silly one. I don't think the 2011 comparison is that far off though. It's pretty much what I expect vs. your '14 comparison.

[jeffismagic]

This QB Class stuff is just fun talking points for the TV pundits. If you are a team and have Derek Carr on the board and you don't have a QB you draft Derek Carr. You don't wait for a better group. You don't draft entire QB groups. You draft one of them.

 

The 2018 QB Greatness Myth will be shattered once the games begin. 2004 was the best class of the last 20 years and what did the Bills get out of that drafting at 13? J.P. Losman.

[Buffalo86]

The Bills' recent decision-making seems to have been geared toward asking Whaley what he would do, and then doing the opposite.

 

Pegula: "What's that, Doug? You want to hire Lynn, who won't fight you for power? OK, we're hiring McDermott, who doesn't want to deal with you at all.

You think we should get rid of Tyrod Taylor? Cool story; let's re-sign him. Want to draft DeShaun Watson in the first? Nah, we'll take Nathan Peterman in the fifth. Want to pick up Sammy's option because of how much you invested in him? No, we're tired of making moves to help you save face."

 

Love it all. I think we're on the right track for the first time in ~17 years.

[JohnC]

 

Yet, people are still going to run around and claim how good this crop is just because 3 went in top 12, which was relatively expected given how many QB needy teams were in this draft. It was hard to predict who, where and when given the great divide on this class where none of the QB's really established themselves as a must have guy or the clear pecking order of the top 4 guys. At one point Kizer was considered the guy likely to go first, and went last out of the top 4.

 

Jeffismagic wants to validate Mahomes as the next great thing before putting his cleats on just because Chiefs traded up for him and will use any piece of news he can to sell that agenda. The truth is, by almost all accounts, the Bears and the Chiefs are looked at having bad overall drafts. NONE of that means squat of course, all that will matter 3 years from now is what happens on the field of course.

 

Main reason the Chiefs are getting killed on this isn't even as much about Mahomes, but rather the fact they have a roster that contended for a SB birth this past year and could contend the next 2 seasons. But instead of using this talented and deep draft to try and get over the hump, they just used a first and a 3rd this year on a player who wont contribute likely for at least a year or two (depending how long he sits behind Smith) and next years first as well.

 

So the Chiefs, who lost Poe, could have reloaded with someone like Allen or another stud and still added another great prospect in the 3rd to help propel them further, but instead took a guy who wont likely play for this team for at least 1 to 2 years nor help them push for a SB in the near term. And they spent next years first to do so as well.

 

In the NFL you only have small windows to make the big dance. With FA and the high frequency of injuries with bigger and faster players, windows of opportunities don't typically last long. Which is another reason the Pats are a modern day marvel based how long they have fielded a dominant team, but its hard and rare to do so. The Chiefs basically chose to not try and take that next step now in hopes this pick proves to be something 3 to 5 years from now (he sits 1 to 2 years, then still needs time to play a year or two to start to reach his potential). They better be right, otherwise they will quickly go to the bottom of the AFC and this will go down as a terrible franchise turning trade of what was a strong team.

It's really rich that a fan of the Bills lecturing the Chiefs organization on how to run their operation and address the qb issue. The Bills are one of the least successful franchises over the past generation while the Chiefs are one of the most consistently good teams in the NFL. To put it mildly the Bills franchise is one of the most erratically run organizations in the sport compared to the Chiefs who are one of the most stable franchises in the NFL. Compare the torrential staffing changes the Bills have had over the past decade with coaches and front office staff to the Chiefs whose coaching and front office staff are and have been well anchored within the organization.

 

As you noted the Chiefs could have gone is a number of directions in this draft. They identified a qb that they believe after some understudying will be their franchise qb for a long time. Will he? Who knows. They evaluated a player and had a conviction on him and took a decisive action. Compare that to the Bills organization that hasn't had a quality franchise qb for more than two consecutive decades? Yet you still have the temerity to criticize a team that is proactive in securing the qb position for not necessarily now but shortly down the road.

 

The issue under discussion will not be fairly judged until a few years down the road when it is determined whether Mahomes is a good qb or not. The argument that is too often used is that the qb a team aggressively pursued might not work out is nonsensical because highly selected players at all positions very often do not work out. It's a calculated gamble. If you go into the casino and don't consider the possibility that you might lose that day then you are an oblivious fool. It's the nature of beast.

 

The CB that the Bills selected with the lower first round pick is a good prospect who when all is said and done will have little impact on the team. I'm confident that if Mahomes turns out to be as good as the KC organization believes he will be that in the long run he will have a substantially more consequential impact compared to the CB the Bills selected.

[HappyDays]

The Bills did pick a QB this year that has an outside shot of 'being the guy'. This is quite a bit different, and quite a bit better than the past strategy of basically not using the draft at all to address the QB position.

Exactly. Now that the Bills did what everyone wanted they're just complaining it isn't the right QB, or the pick wasn't as high as they wanted. I for one think Peterman was a 3rd round prospect and I think we got a steal.

[jeffismagic]

Exactly. Now that the Bills did what everyone wanted they're just complaining it isn't the right QB, or the pick wasn't as high as they wanted. I for one think Peterman was a 3rd round prospect and I think we got a steal.

 

How is drafting a noodle arm QB in the 5th doing what everyone wanted? It's not even close. You can be happy that they got a guy you like but not everyone will be so easily satisfied.

 

I see a younger T.J. Yates.

 

I said before the draft Sean would use high draft picks to fill needs and that a QB would be taken later to sell people on the idea that the Bills care about the position. I thought it would be Kelly but Nathan "next Tom Brady" Peterman will do.

[BringBackOrton]

I did not believe that. Sorry.

 

Yeah, the '13 comparison was a very silly one. I don't think the 2011 comparison is that far off though. It's pretty much what I expect vs. your '14 comparison.

you didn't think Watson was a much better prospect than Wentz/Goff in 2016?

[BuffaloHokie13]

you didn't think Watson was a much better prospect than Wentz/Goff in 2016?

No, I had Wentz higher and Goff graded similarly to Watson as end of the 1st type guys. Hopefully Watson transitions more easily than Goff.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I'm amazed this thread is still going

[HappyDays]

 

How is drafting a noodle arm QB in the 5th doing what everyone wanted? It's not even close. You can be happy that they got a guy you like but not everyone will be so easily satisfied.

 

I see a younger T.J. Yates.

 

I said before the draft Sean would use high draft picks to fill needs and that a QB would be taken later to sell people on the idea that the Bills care about the position. I thought it would be Kelly but Nathan "next Tom Brady" Peterman will do.

You've been on a Mahomes bender for over a week now. Your family is worried about you. Please call them.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

You've been on a Mahomes bender for over a week now. Your family is worried about you. Please call them.

 

Is this an intervention?

[jeffismagic]

You've been on a Mahomes bender for over a week now. Your family is worried about you. Please call them.

 

To be honest I have posted much more about Sean the GM but others have wanted to discuss Mahomes with me. But nice try to paint me as irrational. If wanting the Bills to prioritize drafting good QB prospects is crazy then I admit my guilt.

[Jeebus]

When it comes to all this, everyone knew this would be the outcome. Whaley made some good decisions, made some poor ones, he didn't exactly have the best of situations with all the coaching and scheme changes. Hughes, Lorax, McCoy were huge plusses... EJ, cardale, Watkins were his downfall. I always had the impression he was trying to find the next cam Newton, even with Tyrod. I'm not completely dissatisfied with the job DW did, but optimistic a better job can be done

[GunnerBill]

And yet we all belived that Mahomes, Watson, Kizer etc would produce more successful NFL QB's than the group in the 2016 class.

 

That belief changes, fast. Usually when the fanbase and team is actually faced with the prospect of taking a QB.

Actually at this time last year the 2017 QB class was seen as being Watson, Kizer, Kaaya and Kelly. The general consensus was 1 star (Watson) and better depth than 2016.

 

Kaaya went in the 6th and Kelly the 7th. It just shows how perspectives change. I think one of the supposed 2018 top 3 now (Darnold, Rosen and Allen) will end up picked after the 1st round next year. My guess is Rosen who has been really unimpressive when I have watched him to this point but I don't evaluate a year ahead. The only one of these guys I had started on was Rudolph when it looked like he might declare for 2017.

Edited May 3, 2017 by GunnerBill