Go on record regarding the trades

[YoloinOhio]

I would not have done it, nor would I have had the cajones to do it. I don't like it right now. My viewpoint may change of course as it all plays out. If the team is better because if it (by wins - I don't care about WR stats) and they gained valuable draft assets in the process - then of course I will look back and applaud it.

Edited August 13, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[WideRightRevenge]

This SUMS up the entire Watkins trade. This crap, we would not, or could not have resigned him is lame and false information people use to rectify the situation or trade in their head.

 

Many Bills fans cannot see we got bent over due to a horrible FO decision is head scratching to me. Strike #2 already letting Gilmore walk to the Pats whom I guarantee will light up the Pats secondary and most likely make the PB for nothing,

 

Add: Typical Bills FO BS at it's finest. So, next year we draft a QB in the 1st rd = great and about time. The following year we spend another 1st pick on WR for our shiny new QB as we don't have a true #1 WR now that can stretch the field. THIS is a complete waste and improper way to build the team when your #1 WR was still very young and on the team already.

 

Hey just curious at combine in 2014 .. Sammy ran a 4.43 ... Zay Jones ran a 4.46 ... 3 100th's of a second is the differential in stretching the field?

Yeah Dock, this team is so flippant about disposing of their talent and trading for other teams losers, I'm supposed to have faith that this regime can magically draft well?

 

Sammy I'm ok with, he is soft. But I didn't like the Darby move at all and have no faith in the 2nd and 3rd Round pick they got. The Bills are a farm team because the weight of losing always makes them fire their Coaches and FO which means constant roster turnover.

 

No team gets less out of their talent and draft picks as the Buffalo Bills.

 

If that were the case why one earth would other teams pay Millions to our draft picks as Free Agents (Gilmore, Gilleslee, Byrd, Levitre) ... wow .. its one thing to say we won't pay for our talent .. its another to say we get less out of them ... wasn't a few years ago the Bills had basically the starting front 4 at the Pro Bowl .. quit being a hater.

[Nick the Greek]

Stockpiling draft picks.. the Browns are notorious for doing that. Look where that has gotten them.

 

Hey, at least we're not the Browns. But we're behaving a lot like them.

[Section242]

The moves don't make sense in conjunction with the other moves the team has made. Why bring in Boldin? Why have Taylor on the roster? They've gotta be worse than the Jets or 9ers to get their guy at QB. Don't sell 24 year old players and say you're building for the future. He should've been part of the future. It's hard to sell another rebuild when they've gone 17 years without making the playoffs. McDermott's different Beane is different, just like Gailey, Nix, Marrone, Jauron, Rex were different when they were hired.

 

If Tyrod is cut tomorrow I would agree with the moves more. If they're trading out of drafting a QB in the draft then trading their most talented player I want the team to get their guy. Not the guy whose leftover after the 9ers and Jets pick. These moves are clearly about getting a QB. Don't try to hide it with Taylor. I can't not root for the Bills and will hope they win on Sundays, yet after the season winning those 6 or so games will be a setback for the franchise.

[fansince88]

Im a diehard Mets fan and I have been saying for 3 years, "gotta let David Wright walk" because he is always injured. Same feeling on Sammy.

[Kirby Jackson]

The moves don't make sense in conjunction with the other moves the team has made. Why bring in Boldin? Why have Taylor on the roster? They've gotta be worse than the Jets or 9ers to get their guy at QB. Don't sell 24 year old players and say you're building for the future. He should've been part of the future. It's hard to sell another rebuild when they've gone 17 years without making the playoffs. McDermott's different Beane is different, just like Gailey, Nix, Marrone, Jauron, Rex were different when they were hired.

 

If Tyrod is cut tomorrow I would agree with the moves more. If they're trading out of drafting a QB in the draft then trading their most talented player I want the team to get their guy. Not the guy whose leftover after the 9ers and Jets pick. These moves are clearly about getting a QB. Don't try to hide it with Taylor. I can't not root for the Bills and will hope they win on Sundays, yet after the season winning those 6 or so games will be a setback for the franchise.

Perfectly said

 

One more thing on the trade a lot of people like it because Sammy was going to be hard to sign. They had the tag to use twice. They controlled his rights. Additionally the Bills have loads of cap space and will have a roster full of guys on rookie deals. They aren't hindered or restricted by the cap at all. That point is totally irrelevant. The Bills could have elected to make Sammy the highest paid player in the NFL and wouldn't have had to make one roster decision because of it. They just decided that they weren't going to re-sign him.

 

Additionally, you have Matthews entering FA next year. He's probably looking at $10M+ a year. It's not like there is massive savings there. Would you rather have Matthews at $10M a year or Watkins at $12M?

 

The whole "signability" thing is a lie. Nothing was preventing the Bills from signing him just like nothing will prevent them from signing Matthews.

Edited August 13, 2017 by Kirby Jackson

[BuffaloWings]

At first, I was shocked and hated it.

 

Then I read Joe B's analysis and I'm happy with it. I still don't see playoffs this year, but they put themselves in a position for 2018 to do whatever they want.

Edited August 13, 2017 by BuffaloWings

[Crusher]

I cannot wrap my head around the fact that so many folks around here support these moves. I just don't understand it. I wonder if Buffalo sports fans and residents are so beaten down that they just assume that good players don't want to be in Buffalo, so it's just a matter of time before the good ones leave and "don't let the door hit you on the way out" if you even hint at being unhappy.

 

Or maybe Bills fans have simply forgotten what it's like to be competitive on Sundays and have focused all of their energies and fantasies on the offseason and NFL Draft, so that they'd rather gear up for a super exciting draft weekend than have to watch their team fall short year after year during the actual season.

 

Mark my words: the Bills are going to spend years - YEARS - trying to acquire another talent the likes of Sammy. To trade away an explosive, game-altering, defense-intimidating player in the prime of his career, after all that has been invested in marketing him and healing him and integrating him - it's just lunacy to me.

 

And wait until you see all of the 4-yard rollout passes to fullbacks and plodding lead-handed receivers this season - folks are gonna start to turn on this trade, I firmly believe. This is going to be a boring, slow, easily-defended offense designed to limit mistakes.

 

This is Jauron Ball 2.0. They're building a roster full of saints and soldiers, that's great, but where is the TALENT?

 

 

One of the least-efficient WRs in the league.

Totally agree.

 

I am extremely disappointed to see so many posters approving of this move...it makes me sick knowing what type of talent we lost and for what? A lousy second rounder and a sixth round DB who's small, slow, and hasn't been decent or healthy since 2014? This is what the Bills deemed appropriate value for Sammy f'n Watkins?!

 

A foolish move at best by the new regime. They have already made me a skeptic

[NoSaint]

One takeaway on this is I think a lot of fans are sorely mistaken on the type of player boldin actually is at this point in his career.

 

lumping him with taylor and kw as a win now... he's much more Tolbert than Kyle or Tyrod as far as impact.

[JohnC]

The moves don't make sense in conjunction with the other moves the team has made. Why bring in Boldin? Why have Taylor on the roster? They've gotta be worse than the Jets or 9ers to get their guy at QB. Don't sell 24 year old players and say you're building for the future. He should've been part of the future. It's hard to sell another rebuild when they've gone 17 years without making the playoffs. McDermott's different Beane is different, just like Gailey, Nix, Marrone, Jauron, Rex were different when they were hired.

 

If Tyrod is cut tomorrow I would agree with the moves more. If they're trading out of drafting a QB in the draft then trading their most talented player I want the team to get their guy. Not the guy whose leftover after the 9ers and Jets pick. These moves are clearly about getting a QB. Don't try to hide it with Taylor. I can't not root for the Bills and will hope they win on Sundays, yet after the season winning those 6 or so games will be a setback for the franchise.

Even without the deals this team is a six or seven win team. After the trades it would be foolish to argue that the Bills are better, but they are not appreciably worse off. The difference is that they have added picks to their stock.

 

This year's team desperately lacks depth. In a crash sport where injuries are inevitable that is a cause for concern almost as much as our qb situation. The accumulation of picks should put this team in a better position to get a franchise qb and also bolster the depth on the roster.

 

I understand the frustration that many people have over the recent deals, especially in light of our extended playoff drought. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Watkins deal at least (for me) there is a logic to it when viewed from a bigger picture perspective.

 

I consider Watkins to be a sterling talent whose value is diminished because of the caliber of qb he is playing with. Until that qb issue is addressed little else matters. These deals put this franchise in a better position to address the qb position and also add an infusion of more talent to this thin roster.

[Kirby Jackson]

One takeaway on this is I think a lot of fans are sorely mistaken on the type of player boldin actually is at this point in his career.

 

lumping him with taylor and kw as a win now... he's much more Tolbert than Kyle or Tyrod as far as impact.

I don't think that it's his production as much as "why sign a 38 year-old receiver in the middle of a rebuild?" Those reps would be better with a young guy. In addition, he will still provide some production which is counter-intuitive to tanking. If you thought that you were a playoff team you don't make those moves. The Bills are going part tank, part compete and are going to win 6 games and be in no man's land.

[/dev/null]

i'm ambivalent on both

 

Straight up 2017 this trade is a net loss. But we've known, might not wanted to admit it, but deep down we all know 2017 will (at best) be another one of those mediocre years

 

2018 and beyond it evens out.

Watkins wasn't coming back in 2018. The new regime wasn't sold on him, declined his fifth year option, and I suspect Sammy was ready to test the market for greener pastures and greener dollars

Darby, I'm more concerned about losing him than Watkins. I would have liked to locked him up long term

 

In the end we downgraded a pair of 2017 starters but picked up a pair of high draft picks for 2018. The Rams will likely have a high draft pick and let's face it so will we. So between our first (top 10), KC's first, and our 2nd and the Rams 2nd, the Bills will have four picks in the top 40. That's four potential starters or should there be a Franchise QB in the 2018 draft we will have lots of ammo to move up

[sjjr]

Like the moves...got rid of two players that haven't produced and didn't fit with the new coaching staff/scheme. Both players will fit the staff/scheme.

 

This team will win running the ball, playing solid defense and winning the turnover battle. Sammy Watkins was never a key ingredient in that formula and certainly not Darby. Matthews and Gaines are upgrades.

 

Plus got more picks...6 picks in the top 100 for 2018. Those will be the building blocks for the future.

[26CornerBlitz]

Like the moves...got rid of two players that haven't produced and didn't fit with the new coaching staff/scheme. Both players will fit the staff/scheme.

 

This team will win running the ball, playing solid defense and winning the turnover battle. Sammy Watkins was never a key ingredient in that formula and certainly not Darby. Matthews and Gaines are upgrades.

 

Plus got more picks...6 picks in the top 100 for 2018. Those will be the building blocks for the future.

 

You can like the trade, but the part I bolded just is not true.

The trade was primarily about the acquisition of 2018 draft capital to give the Bills flexibility to wheel and deal to get players they'll covet.

[Kirby Jackson]

Like the moves...got rid of two players that haven't produced and didn't fit with the new coaching staff/scheme. Both players will fit the staff/scheme.

 

This team will win running the ball, playing solid defense and winning the turnover battle. Sammy Watkins was never a key ingredient in that formula and certainly not Darby. Matthews and Gaines are upgrades.

 

Plus got more picks...6 picks in the top 100 for 2018. Those will be the building blocks for the future.

You think running the ball will be easier without the threat of Watkins over the top??? Also, Matthews and Gaines aren't upgrades (even Beane virtually said so much). He ducked the question on it. No one things that the Bills returned better players. The picks were the appealing part.

[Coach Tuesday]

Even without the deals this team is a six or seven win team. After the trades it would be foolish to argue that the Bills are better, but they are not appreciably worse off. The difference is that they have added picks to their stock.

 

This year's team desperately lacks depth. In a crash sport where injuries are inevitable that is a cause for concern almost as much as our qb situation. The accumulation of picks should put this team in a better position to get a franchise qb and also bolster the depth on the roster.

 

I understand the frustration that many people have over the recent deals, especially in light of our extended playoff drought. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the Watkins deal at least (for me) there is a logic to it when viewed from a bigger picture perspective.

 

I consider Watkins to be a sterling talent whose value is diminished because of the caliber of qb he is playing with. Until that qb issue is addressed little else matters. These deals put this franchise in a better position to address the qb position and also add an infusion of more talent to this thin roster.

They already had two first round picks next year with which to address the QB position. Now they'll finally draft a QB and he'll be saddled with a bunch of joker receivers.

[sjjr]

 

You can like the trade, but the part I bolded just is not true.

The trade was primarily about the acquisition of 2018 draft capital to give the Bills flexibility to wheel and deal to get players they'll covet.

Looking at career stats between Matthews and Watkins is pretty interesting...especially looking at games played, catches and TD. He also seems to be a great teammate and blocker in the run game. Wentz was pretty upset by the trade.

 

Gaines and Darby have similar career stats. Gaines was much more productive in college and always has shown the ability to be around the ball. That fits better.

 

Very subjective until games are played but seems like upgrades with these new coaching staff and scheme.

[TheFunPolice]

I like the trades...

 

What does losing Watkins truly cost us, especially with the addition of Matthews?

 

We don't pass a lot and Watkins is always hurt. Sure there is a bit of a drop off but Matthews has been more productive than Watkins so far. Also Watkins was not coming back next year. Smart move to get something for him.

 

I liked Darby well enough but he got us the WR. So I'm fine with it.

 

Love the 2 picks in each if the 1st 3 rounds. Lots of ammo to trade up and not affect future drafts.

[sjjr]

You think running the ball will be easier without the threat of Watkins over the top??? Also, Matthews and Gaines aren't upgrades (even Beane virtually said so much). He ducked the question on it. No one things that the Bills returned better players. The picks were the appealing part.

I think they expect Clay be a threat down the seam and Zay Jones to win 1 on 1 matchups when he gets them. Have to hope one of the fast guys steps up and becomes another deep threat now.

[Chilly]

Looking at career stats between Matthews and Watkins is pretty interesting...especially looking at games played, catches and TD. He also seems to be a great teammate and blocker in the run game. Wentz was pretty upset by the trade.

 

Gaines and Darby have similar career stats. Gaines was much more productive in college and always has shown the ability to be around the ball. That fits better.

 

Very subjective until games are played but seems like upgrades with these new coaching staff and scheme.

Gaines had the fifth worst season of the past decade last year. He was the Rams #4 CB this year.

 

J Matt wasn't going to beat out Agholor and was going to be the eagles #4 this season according to SiriusXM. He has severely overinflated numbers from the Chip scheme and has only had success in the slot.

 

This isn't even close to the same talent level.

Edited August 13, 2017 by Chilly