This is not a rebuild, folks...

[JohnC]

 

 

We don't know if it's a good start. They hired a bunch of unknowns with meh track records. Let's not give them too much credit by calling it a good start.

 

I think where we differ is that I am looking at the "sports money" aspect and the idea that the Pegula's need to make the Bills something other than a tax shelter because money gets old and small over time.........ask Ralph, he went from giving loans to his fellow owners to relative penny pinching in a couple decades.

 

They need to make this a Steelers or Packers like organization in terms of attractiveness to fans/sponsors etc..

 

Not sure the Pegula's have it in them from what I've seen.

I understand your skepticism and reluctance to give this organization the benefit of the doubt. Although relatively young people were hired to staff the front office that doesn't mean that each of the top three staffers lacked experienced. What they all have in common is that each of them worked their way up the ranks accumulating extensive experience. Does that guarantee success? Of course not. But I would rather ride young ponies who are open to ideas that ride worn out hags who are stuck on their antiquated systems.

 

Am I giving this new team more of the benefit of the doubt than you are? Yes. I'm more optimistic about the front office hires than the cliche spouting wrestling coach who I find very tiresome whenever he speaks at the podium and says little. Although I may not like his sanctimonious persona one area that I do believe he will do well is instill in is discipline and accountability. That is a major step forward that should reverberate throughout the roster.

 

What this franchise desperately needs that is possessed by the Steelers and Packers (you cited) is more stability and less churning of staff and philosophies. There is no doubt that the Pegulas as new owners have made some glaring mistakes. But while you are skeptical of them, I am not. I do believe that they want do the right things and create not only a winning team but also a sustainable successful franchise not only for themselves but also for the community. Let's face it even with their flagrant mistakes they have put their money where their mouth is. Maybe you are too jaded to give them the benefit of the doubt but I'm not. For me the arrow is pointing up.

[JohnC]

In regards to your comments on McDermott, I agree.... And the players will grow tired of it quickly if they aren't winning.

Putting aside his personal traits I do believe that he has strong convictions on how to coach and run a team. I get the sense that he is going to be a strong coach who will strictly enforce his rules and standards. He is diametrically the opposite of Rex. As with all bosses who are new it is also a learning process for them. Without a doubt the players will have to adjust to him as he will also have to adjust to the players.

[mannc]

Absolutely.

 

The dumb penaltys and confusion are sure to be gone.... Some mental toughness should be evident as well.

I am hoping for competent game management, as well. That alone could result in two more wins. A reluctance to punt (or kick FGs) on 4th and short would be a bonus...

[Albwan]

it will be an ongoing build until they stumble into a qb

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

Absolutely.

 

The dumb penaltys and confusion are sure to be gone.... Some mental toughness should be evident as well.

....and no Reggie reverse or Spiller off tackle or a Shaud draw with 3rd and a country mile......oh the pain............

[BADOLBILZ]

I understand your skepticism and reluctance to give this organization the benefit of the doubt. Although relatively young people were hired to staff the front office that doesn't mean that each of the top three staffers lacked experienced. What they all have in common is that each of them worked their way up the ranks accumulating extensive experience. Does that guarantee success? Of course not. But I would rather ride young ponies who are open to ideas that ride worn out hags who are stuck on their antiquated systems.

 

Am I giving this new team more of the benefit of the doubt than you are? Yes. I'm more optimistic about the front office hires than the cliche spouting wrestling coach who I find very tiresome whenever he speaks at the podium and says little. Although I may not like his sanctimonious persona one area that I do believe he will do well is instill in is discipline and accountability. That is a major step forward that should reverberate throughout the roster.

 

What this franchise desperately needs that is possessed by the Steelers and Packers (you cited) is more stability and less churning of staff and philosophies. There is no doubt that the Pegulas as new owners have made some glaring mistakes. But while you are skeptical of them, I am not. I do believe that they want do the right things and create not only a winning team but also a sustainable successful franchise not only for themselves but also for the community. Let's face it even with their flagrant mistakes they have put their money where their mouth is. Maybe you are too jaded to give them the benefit of the doubt but I'm not. For me the arrow is pointing up.

 

 

It's not about being jaded. We got to see Terry P's impetuous side at the end of the season and thru the offseason process.

 

He is generous to a fault in some regards but isn't all in on what it takes to be a great owner, IMO. You need to understand when you buy an NFL team that you are totally accountable to the fanbase. Don't tell them the drought gets reset, or tell us "Beane is the first GM I hired"......it's an awful look and the fact that he is pointing out things he shouldn't be blamed for reflects on his mindset poorly. First rule of management anyone?

 

It's just not a commodity business like natural gas.......people don't buy football at a price point and out of necessity. Terry Pegula is an unnatural fit in the NFL, like it or not. Kim may have never earned even $1M in her lifetime on the course she was on if she didn't meet Terry.....but the truth is that she should probably be in front of the deal.

 

It's more of a people business and that's why you see smiling faced handshakers like Kraft and the Rooney's raking exponential rewards. Terry ain't that guy......when he tries to be he just gets taken advantage of. Guys like Kraft can bend employees over and they take it and like it. The Steelers are merciless and the players they dispose of like trash remain ardent fans of the Rooney's. Guys like Ralph and Terry can pay more and actually treat people better and they still won't like working for him as much. Hell Terry fired the ever positive Rex Ryan and gave him $15M to go away and Rex STILL shat on him. It just is what it is.

[John from Riverside]

 

 

It's not about being jaded. We got to see Terry P's impetuous side at the end of the season and thru the offseason process.

 

He is generous to a fault in some regards but isn't all in on what it takes to be a great owner, IMO. You need to understand when you buy an NFL team that you are totally accountable to the fanbase. Don't tell them the drought gets reset, or tell us "Beane is the first GM I hired"......it's an awful look and the fact that he is pointing out things he shouldn't be blamed for reflects on his mindset poorly. First rule of management anyone?

 

It's just not a commodity business like natural gas.......people don't buy football at a price point and out of necessity. Terry Pegula is an unnatural fit in the NFL, like it or not. Kim may have never earned even $1M in her lifetime on the course she was on if she didn't meet Terry.....but the truth is that she should probably be in front of the deal.

 

It's more of a people business and that's why you see smiling faced handshakers like Kraft and the Rooney's raking exponential rewards. Terry ain't that guy......when he tries to be he just gets taken advantage of. Guys like Kraft can bend employees over and they take it and like it. The Steelers are merciless and the players they dispose of like trash remain ardent fans of the Rooney's. Guys like Ralph and Terry can pay more and actually treat people better and they still won't like working for him as much. Hell Terry fired the ever positive Rex Ryan and gave him $15M to go away and Rex STILL shat on him. It just is what it is.

Its a little early for this kind of take on the Pegula's

 

They have made some mistakes.....if they get it right this time all will be forgiven

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

...yes it IS a rebuild, but one that has been necessary since the Polian firing....FO/Administration/Coaching.......nothing but patchwork unqualified junk since BP.....a gang of "young gun football execs" now in charge.....hard to deny that does not put a bounce in a player's step who has been here through "garbage time"...........

[JohnC]

 

 

It's not about being jaded. We got to see Terry P's impetuous side at the end of the season and thru the offseason process.

 

He is generous to a fault in some regards but isn't all in on what it takes to be a great owner, IMO. You need to understand when you buy an NFL team that you are totally accountable to the fanbase. Don't tell them the drought gets reset, or tell us "Beane is the first GM I hired"......it's an awful look and the fact that he is pointing out things he shouldn't be blamed for reflects on his mindset poorly. First rule of management anyone?

 

It's just not a commodity business like natural gas.......people don't buy football at a price point and out of necessity. Terry Pegula is an unnatural fit in the NFL, like it or not. Kim may have never earned even $1M in her lifetime on the course she was on if she didn't meet Terry.....but the truth is that she should probably be in front of the deal.

 

It's more of a people business and that's why you see smiling faced handshakers like Kraft and the Rooney's raking exponential rewards. Terry ain't that guy......when he tries to be he just gets taken advantage of. Guys like Kraft can bend employees over and they take it and like it. The Steelers are merciless and the players they dispose of like trash remain ardent fans of the Rooney's. Guys like Ralph and Terry can pay more and actually treat people better and they still won't like working for him as much. Hell Terry fired the ever positive Rex Ryan and gave him $15M to go away and Rex STILL shat on him. It just is what it is.

Your responses are knocking me out of my seat. I can't figure where you are coming from. With respect to the first highlighted segment that relates to your perception of the owners' impetuousness your response makes absolutely no sense to me. Firing Rex was not an impulsive and irrational act, it was an act of necessity. How much more did you want the loquacious coach to set this franchise back? The owner made a ridiculous mistake in hiring this corpulent fool; and he quickly rectified it by firing him and paying him off. The fact that the rich former HC responded in a classless way is a testament to his boorish character and doesn't reflect on the owner at all. Exchanging Rex for McDermott was a dramatic upgrade. The owner should be saluted and not criticized for making that change.

 

Pegula is not Kraft or Rooney. They have been in the business for a very long time while he is still basically a novice. Without a doubt Pegula does not possess a sparkling personality. So what! At the podium he talks as if he has marbles in his mouth. So what! He can only be who he is. He is still in the learning phase of his new endeavor so I'm going to cut him some slack. Let's get real here---he is a self-made billionaire. What I can tell you is that he is certainly not a fool who is going to be hoodwinked by anyone, and if so, at least not for long.

 

Another area of your comments that perplex me very much is that you seem to be holding him accountable for what went on before he bought the team. That is both illogical and unreasonable. If you want to criticize him for what he has done, then that is fair game. Criticizing him for not willing to take responsibility prior to assuming ownership is an odd position for you take. Usually your positions are well reasoned and articulated. But on this issue of accountability before he entered the scene as an owner it is an outright zany positions to take.

 

As I said in the prior posts I see this offseason of organizational change as being for the most part very positive. I'm encouraged with the direction this franchise is moving with the realization that this team is still at least three years away from being a serious team. I'm cautiously optimistic.

[BADOLBILZ]

Your responses are knocking me out of my seat. I can't figure where you are coming from. With respect to the first highlighted segment that relates to your perception of the owners' impetuousness your response makes absolutely no sense to me. Firing Rex was not an impulsive and irrational act, it was an act of necessity. How much more did you want the loquacious coach to set this franchise back? The owner made a ridiculous mistake in hiring this corpulent fool; and he quickly rectified it by firing him and paying him off. The fact that the rich former HC responded in a classless way is a testament to his boorish character and doesn't reflect on the owner at all. Exchanging Rex for McDermott was a dramatic upgrade. The owner should be saluted and not criticized for making that change.

 

Pegula is not Kraft or Rooney. They have been in the business for a very long time while he is still basically a novice. Without a doubt Pegula does not possess a sparkling personality. So what! At the podium he talks as if he has marbles in his mouth. So what! He can only be who he is. He is still in the learning phase of his new endeavor so I'm going to cut him some slack. Let's get real here---he is a self-made billionaire. What I can tell you is that he is certainly not a fool who is going to be hoodwinked by anyone, and if so, at least not for long.

 

Another area of your comments that perplex me very much is that you seem to be holding him accountable for what went on before he bought the team. That is both illogical and unreasonable. If you want to criticize him for what he has done, then that is fair game. Criticizing him for not willing to take responsibility prior to assuming ownership is an odd position for you take. Usually your positions are well reasoned and articulated. But on this issue of accountability before he entered the scene as an owner it is an outright zany positions to take.

 

As I said in the prior posts I see this offseason of organizational change as being for the most part very positive. I'm encouraged with the direction this franchise is moving with the realization that this team is still at least three years away from being a serious team. I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

Terry Pegula IS a fool in the NFL.

 

He hired the "corpulent fool" Rex..........against the wishes of his GM........on the advice of a guy with a BRUTAL football operations record in Russ Brandon.........and then wasted two seasons on him.

 

That is certainly being a fool.

 

Certainly.

 

As for his impetuousness I am speaking of his behavior AFTER firing Rex.

 

Like it or not, the media is the teams main connection to the fans...........and by basically refusing to address the Rex firing......marching out the interim coach to discuss it.......the Whaley PC........OMG the dick moves by TP for the next month plus after that were absurd.

 

Including telling everyone Whaley was leading the coaching search and then personally hiring a guy that wanted to get rid of Whaley.

 

Utter douchery/clown-show/dumpster-fire material......... and the people he hired now know that when push comes to shove he doesn't really have anyone's back but his own.

 

And I never said Pegula IS accountable for the past.........it's just that openly saying "not my fault, not my fault" is more douchery from TP.

 

I mean if you are Brandon Beane and at your PC the owner is like "let it be said that this is my FIRST GM HIRE" after he just canned a guy he chose to keep......is a TACIT admission that he has less than full confidence that Beane is going to work out and wants to be given a pass on Whaley. Just flat out things that should NOT be said but he can't control his inner monolog.

 

Accountability starts at the top........and TP doesn't want to even own what HE'S ACTUALLY DONE let alone realize that the past still matters to followers of the team and should not be downplayed for his own self-interest. Nobody wants to hear that sh*t.

Its a little early for this kind of take on the Pegula's

 

They have made some mistakes.....if they get it right this time all will be forgiven

 

Oh we got a big introduction to Terry Pegula this past offseason.

 

Wasn't flattering.

[Augie]

Making mistakes and being a fool are two different things. Everyone makes mistakes. Smart people make corrections.

[JM2009]

Making mistakes and being a fool are two different things. Everyone makes mistakes. Smart people make corrections.

The Pegulas are learning and slowly getting it right.

[Bill_with_it]

Me neither, I thought that his feet were slow.

His whole body looked slow including his decision making, and committing to a running lane.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

 

Terry Pegula IS a fool in the NFL.

 

I'll stop right there ..

 

Answer this ..

 

Where would the Buffalo Bills be if Donald Trump purchased the team?

 

Lets imagine ....

Ivanka Trump would be PR Director

Jared Kushner would be GM

Don, Jr would be Director of Player Personnel

Eric would be Assistant HC

Barron would be the ball boy

 

Day 1, we'd have seen a TV show where all of the Bills staff sat at a table and one by one The Donald would say

 

You're fired.

Edited May 18, 2017 by ShadyBillsFan

[BringBackOrton]

I'll stop right there ..

 

Answer this ..

 

Where would the Buffalo Bills be if Donald Trump purchased the team?

 

Lets imagine ....

Ivanka Trump would be PR Director

Jared Kushner would be GM

Don, Jr would be Director of Player Personnel

Eric would be Assistant HC

Barron would be the ball boy

 

Day 1, we'd have seen a TV show where all of the Bills staff sat at a table and one by one The Donald would say

 

You're fired.

We got that 2 years too late in Pegulaville.

[Thurman#1]

I didn't say TT is the long-term answer, although I think he might be. Have to wait and see. And I think Bills' management agrees with that view or they would have dumped TT and moved aggressively on the QB search. They didn't do that. Instead, they traded down from 10, which they could have used to get a serious candidate for the long-term position. Trading down hedged their bets, giving them a chance to see Taylor under the new system and putting them in position to move on a QB next year if necessary.

 

That's smart management (give the credit to Whaley and/or McDermott). That's what teams do all the time. If you have a good player who's not all you need at the position, you invest in him to see whether he can take a step or two to a higher level. If you cut guys because they aren't performing this year, you see a lot of those guys performing well someplace else in a year or two. Taylor is clearly in that category.

 

 

It's not all that clear.

 

Here's what else happens all the time.

 

Coaches who have a guy who they're 95% sure isn't the answer, and costs too much. So they tell him that if he wants to be paid at the standards his current contract stipulates, it'll have to be elsewhere. The guy bows to pressure and accepts a lot less money and a lot less of a guarantee. Now the team isn't paying too much for him if he turns out to be a one-year bridge guy which is what they think he probably is.

 

So they take a good long look at the draft but either decide the answer isn't there or discover that maybe the one guy they might possibly have been interested in isn't still there when their draft spot arrives. They've also looked at next year's crop and think it's better, so they trade back thinking that it's smarter to wait till next year and use the current guy as a bridge guy.

 

And then they grab the most pro-ready guy in the draft, a guy who is available in the 5th round because though he can make all the NFL throws, he hasn't got a gun by any means, figuring the more stuff they throw at the wall the more chance one will stick.

 

That sort of thing happens all the time too.

 

My guess is that they think there's very little chance Tyrod becomes the guy, but thought that an aggressive search wasn't going to be productive this year, unless they thought Trubisky was the only guy with a chance but not a high enough chance to go up that high. And that rather than investing in him with any real hope that he ever becomes a franchise guy but that they invest only bridge money in him expecting that's what he'll be.

 

You've argued it's a prove-it deal rather than a bridge deal. That sounds like a real positive way to frame things, and you'd hope Tyrod has self-confidence enough to think that way but it is basically a nice way to spin things.

 

Agreed we'll have to wait and see. We can at least see that the same way.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Thurman#1

[JohnC]

 

Terry Pegula IS a fool in the NFL.

 

He hired the "corpulent fool" Rex..........against the wishes of his GM........on the advice of a guy with a BRUTAL football operations record in Russ Brandon.........and then wasted two seasons on him.

 

That is certainly being a fool.

 

Certainly.

 

As for his impetuousness I am speaking of his behavior AFTER firing Rex.

 

Like it or not, the media is the teams main connection to the fans...........and by basically refusing to address the Rex firing......marching out the interim coach to discuss it.......the Whaley PC........OMG the dick moves by TP for the next month plus after that were absurd.

 

Including telling everyone Whaley was leading the coaching search and then personally hiring a guy that wanted to get rid of Whaley.

 

Utter douchery/clown-show/dumpster-fire material......... and the people he hired now know that when push comes to shove he doesn't really have anyone's back but his own.

 

And I never said Pegula IS accountable for the past.........it's just that openly saying "not my fault, not my fault" is more douchery from TP.

 

I mean if you are Brandon Beane and at your PC the owner is like "let it be said that this is my FIRST GM HIRE" after he just canned a guy he chose to keep......is a TACIT admission that he has less than full confidence that Beane is going to work out and wants to be given a pass on Whaley. Just flat out things that should NOT be said but he can't control his inner monolog.

 

Accountability starts at the top........and TP doesn't want to even own what HE'S ACTUALLY DONE let alone realize that the past still matters to followers of the team and should not be downplayed for his own self-interest. Nobody wants to hear that sh*t.

 

Oh we got a big introduction to Terry Pegula this past offseason.

 

Wasn't flattering.

There is a new football regime in place that is headed by the new HC, an organizational structure that bothers me a lot. At this point it is futile to lament how the organization is structured because it is already in place. It seems to me that all the upper echelon front office hires and the HC are in sync. Until more time goes by we will not know whether the theory will match the application.

 

I have said on many postings that there is no quick fix to reworking the roster and being a contending team. Because of the lackluster qb situation it's going to take at least another few years to be anything other than a fringe wild-card contending team. (My opinion.)

 

What I want to see is an organization that functions in a unified manner and makes sound decisions. By the nature of the business not every transaction is going to work out. However, over time doing things the right way will have a cumulative effect and get this train back on track.

 

Where I disagree with your perspective, although understandable, is that you are focusing too much on the dysfunctional past and applying it to the present and future. I'm taking a different approach. I'm looking at what has recently happened and seeing it in a more positive light. With a recognition that there is still a lot more to do I'm comfortable in saying that I am cautiously optimistic.

[Thurman#1]

Your responses are knocking me out of my seat. I can't figure where you are coming from. With respect to the first highlighted segment that relates to your perception of the owners' impetuousness your response makes absolutely no sense to me. Firing Rex was not an impulsive and irrational act, it was an act of necessity. How much more did you want the loquacious coach to set this franchise back? The owner made a ridiculous mistake in hiring this corpulent fool; and he quickly rectified it by firing him and paying him off. The fact that the rich former HC responded in a classless way is a testament to his boorish character and doesn't reflect on the owner at all. Exchanging Rex for McDermott was a dramatic upgrade. The owner should be saluted and not criticized for making that change.

 

Pegula is not Kraft or Rooney. They have been in the business for a very long time while he is still basically a novice. Without a doubt Pegula does not possess a sparkling personality. So what! At the podium he talks as if he has marbles in his mouth. So what! He can only be who he is. He is still in the learning phase of his new endeavor so I'm going to cut him some slack. Let's get real here---he is a self-made billionaire. What I can tell you is that he is certainly not a fool who is going to be hoodwinked by anyone, and if so, at least not for long.

 

Another area of your comments that perplex me very much is that you seem to be holding him accountable for what went on before he bought the team. That is both illogical and unreasonable. If you want to criticize him for what he has done, then that is fair game. Criticizing him for not willing to take responsibility prior to assuming ownership is an odd position for you take. Usually your positions are well reasoned and articulated. But on this issue of accountability before he entered the scene as an owner it is an outright zany positions to take.

 

As I said in the prior posts I see this offseason of organizational change as being for the most part very positive. I'm encouraged with the direction this franchise is moving with the realization that this team is still at least three years away from being a serious team. I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

 

 

John, Dan Snyder is a self-made billionaire too. Doesn't mean he's ever going to be good at being an NFL owner. Or that he won't be fooled, even for a long time.

 

I don't know what to think about the Pegulas yet, but I haven't liked what I've seen till now. I'm a bit more hopeful with the new group, but here's what I can tell you. Getting rich in business does not mean you'll be a good owner. Nearly every owner in the league at this point was wildly successful in business before picking up their team. And yet there are some bad owner and franchises that don't seem to go anywhere.

[JohnC]

 

 

 

John, Dan Snyder is a self-made billionaire too. Doesn't mean he's ever going to be good at being an NFL owner. Or that he won't be fooled, even for a long time.

 

I don't know what to think about the Pegulas yet, but I haven't liked what I've seen till now. I'm a bit more hopeful with the new group, but here's what I can tell you. Getting rich in business does not mean you'll be a good owner. Nearly every owner in the league at this point was wildly successful in business before picking up their team. And yet there are some bad owner and franchises that don't seem to go anywhere.

No one is arguing that being a self-made billionaire is automatically going to make you a good owner. In fact, I have argued otherwise in that your success in a prior endeavor doesn't necessarily translate into success in your new endeavor as an owner. It should not be surprising that there is a learning curve. That's why I'm giving the Pegulas some slack.

 

There is no question that the Pegulas have made some major missteps. The Rex hire was outright weird. And there is no question that there has been a major mismatch between the front office and the hired coaching staffs because he made the hires without the required input of the GM.

 

But making mistakes in the past doesn't mean that everything you currently are doing is wrong. I believe the inarticulate owner has learned from his mistakes. I see a greater alignment between the coaching staff and the front office. I also see him putting more attention on buttressing the front office with his recent hires.

 

Dan Snyder has reflexively drawn a lot of criticism. Due to his past involvement in the operation that criticism was very warranted. But now he is not as involved in the details of the football operation as he used to be. And clearly the team has been more successful on the field because of it.

[Bill from NYC]

I'll stop right there ..

 

Answer this ..

 

Where would the Buffalo Bills be if Donald Trump purchased the team?

They would win.