Reed83HOF Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 http://buffalonews.com/2018/02/28/sean-mcdermott-qa-were-not-as-far-along-as-some-think/ Q: You made progress in the AFC East. What work still needs to be done? A: We made a lot of progress in a short amount of time, made some big-time gains in that first year. It was a team effort, really. The biggest thing for us is making sure we hit the reset button. We're not maybe as far along as some people think we are. We've got a lot of work to do. At the same time remaining true to who we are as an organization and our core values. Q: Do you plan to have Tyrod Taylor as your quarterback this year? A: When you look at our quarterback position, Tyrod and Nate, those are two good quarterbacks. Tyrod now can add to his resume that he was instrumental in getting us to the playoffs and breaking what was a 17-year drought. You've heard me say it before, his work ethic and intangibles are unmatched, and his leadership that goes along with the position. We're still going through that process. We're in a good position with some options out there. So that will work itself out. 1
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 1 hour ago, kdiggz said: did we get a QB yet? i've been saying the same thing every draft for the past decade. search my posts in the archive I think we are making the same point?
GunnerBill Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 2 hours ago, JohnC said: Whaley seemed to always overrate his roster and make moves to get over the hump. McBeane seems to have a plan and blueprint to build a roster. The Bills were very fortunate to make the playoffs. At best they were a middle of a road team. I'm on board with this regime's multi-year plan to build a more sustainable roster. In the long run strategic thinking is better than short term tactical thinking. Without a doubt a thoughtful organization is better than a scrambling organization. I'm not sure Whaley overrated his roster I just think the circumstances around the franchise meant they were always chasing it in that "one more piece" type way. The desperation to "make a statement" in the 2014 draft when under caretaker ownership, the infamous and ill advised 2015 FA splurge to support the big reputation coaching hire, the 2016 post ultimatum dash to find draft picks who could "start straight off the bus". McDermott and Beane are much more methodical and much more process driven and are less likely to get blown off course by events. But make no mistake the franchise is more stable now than it was at any point in the Whaley tenure with an owner with a bit more experience willing to be hands off and a GM and Coach who are ideologically and personally aligned. That gives us a great chance. At no point in my Bills fandom (goes back to 2002) have I been more optimistic that we have the right guys. But as Badol and others have rightly observed, and as McDermott himself alluded to today, there is still some work to be done until this roster and this organisation is properly rebuilt in the image that McDermott and Beane have. It wouldn't shock me if we took a little step back in win-loss in 2018... not saying we will but it wouldn't shock me. 2019 is the year I really expect them to be able to roll a contender out of the garage on the second Sunday in September.... though of course finding their Quarterback is a key element to that. 2 1
jimmy10 Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 I don't think anybody is comfortable with where the team is at right now. I, like many others, was thrilled the playoff drought ended. Not because "OMG NOW WE'RE GOOD!" but because the distraction of that drought narrative is gone, and now the focus can be getting back to the playoffs, getting back consistently, and advancing more often than not. 3
Reed83HOF Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 30 minutes ago, GunnerBill said: I'm not sure Whaley overrated his roster I just think the circumstances around the franchise meant they were always chasing it in that "one more piece" type way. The desperation to "make a statement" in the 2014 draft when under caretaker ownership, the infamous and ill advised 2015 FA splurge to support the big reputation coaching hire, the 2016 post ultimatum dash to find draft picks who could "start straight off the bus". McDermott and Beane are much more methodical and much more process driven and are less likely to get blown off course by events. But make no mistake the franchise is more stable now than it was at any point in the Whaley tenure with an owner with a bit more experience willing to be hands off and a GM and Coach who are ideologically and personally aligned. That gives us a great chance. At no point in my Bills fandom (goes back to 2002) have I been more optimistic that we have the right guys. But as Badol and others have rightly observed, and as McDermott himself alluded to today, there is still some work to be done until this roster and this organisation is properly rebuilt in the image that McDermott and Beane have. It wouldn't shock me if we took a little step back in win-loss in 2018... not saying we will but it wouldn't shock me. 2019 is the year I really expect them to be able to roll a contender out of the garage on the second Sunday in September.... though of course finding their Quarterback is a key element to that. I mostly agree, I think 2019 for being a contender is a bit optimistic and depends on what is given up (if we move up for a QB) and how well FA next offseason goes in reshaping the rest of the roster. I am thinking 2019 will be a much better year, but the foot on the gas will come 2020...
Another Fan Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 Pretty much agree with most sentiments here. Still we were due a break sometime though. It came in the form of an Andy 2
nedboy7 Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 3 hours ago, jr1 said: are people ready for a 4 win season with a rookie QB? I’m not sure this fan base is ready for anything but bitching. 1
SectionC3 Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 4 hours ago, Boyst62 said: He's right. We were a .500 team that got lucky. We have a lot of room to improve. I totally agree with this. I’ll also add that finally having decent coaching out us in a position where a lot of the coin flip games finally went our way.
JohnC Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 1 hour ago, GunnerBill said: I'm not sure Whaley overrated his roster I just think the circumstances around the franchise meant they were always chasing it in that "one more piece" type way. The desperation to "make a statement" in the 2014 draft when under caretaker ownership, the infamous and ill advised 2015 FA splurge to support the big reputation coaching hire, the 2016 post ultimatum dash to find draft picks who could "start straight off the bus". McDermott and Beane are much more methodical and much more process driven and are less likely to get blown off course by events. But make no mistake the franchise is more stable now than it was at any point in the Whaley tenure with an owner with a bit more experience willing to be hands off and a GM and Coach who are ideologically and personally aligned. That gives us a great chance. At no point in my Bills fandom (goes back to 2002) have I been more optimistic that we have the right guys. But as Badol and others have rightly observed, and as McDermott himself alluded to today, there is still some work to be done until this roster and this organisation is properly rebuilt in the image that McDermott and Beane have. It wouldn't shock me if we took a little step back in win-loss in 2018... not saying we will but it wouldn't shock me. 2019 is the year I really expect them to be able to roll a contender out of the garage on the second Sunday in September.... though of course finding their Quarterback is a key element to that. There are a variety of reasons why the Whaley tenure didn't get beyond trending water and making a leap forward. The hiring of Rex set this franchise back by years. Most of the blame goes to the owners who were hoodwinked by a fraud. In somewhat of a defense of Whaley he wasn't the most influential person when it came to hiring the HC. The majority of that responsibility for that disconnect again goes to the owners. They were too involved with making the hire. As owners it is their prerogative but as novices they should have sought out more and better advice before making their decisions. Where I am not going to shy away from criticizing Whaley is his failure to find a credible franchise qb. There is no excuse not to come up with a reasonable starter over a three or four year period. If he couldn't get it done through the draft there were other avenues to take, such as trading or through free agency. As with you I'm very optimistic about this franchise's future because there seems to be a coherent strategy on how this organization is going to be run and how the roster is going to be built. However, I'm no longer receptive to excuses on the qb issue. If a high end prospect or a credible qb from the market isn't brought in this year then my attitude will become much harsher. The thought of Tyrod being a starter for four years is an absurdity. I can understand him being a starter for the first two years. But having him as a starter in his third year was problematic. He being our starting qb for a fourth consecutive year is outright ridiculous and embarrassing.
sleeby Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) Good on McD! He's absolutely correct and honest enough and smart enough to say it. You can tell the guys here who enjoyed rex Ryan's BS bravado - they want to be sold a dream is all: " hush lil bills fans don't you cry, rex is gonna win you a playoff bye. And if that playoff bye don't fall, rex is gonna show you bully ball. . ." I ain't johnny cash, eh. I hope this is also a foreshadow that they are not going to trade a ton of picks to move way up for one guy this year. I suspect it is but I'm also biased and maybe reading as I want. Edited February 28, 2018 by sleeby
#34fan Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) I can't believe someone actually thought we were "far along".... -I sure didn't. McDoomed must do more than state the obvious here... He's got an owner who believes in him... A GM he knows and understands... And, as much as I hate to reflect on it, -A wildcard football team... That's should be more than enough to build on... Git R done McD.... NO EXCUSES. Edited February 28, 2018 by #34fan
FappyTheClown Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 McDermott says they're not as far as long as people think because they're not.
SouthNYfan Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 5 hours ago, nucci said: a relief that we may go backwards? Not for me. You are supposed to build on your previous season...not go backwards Not necessarily true. If you have a unsteady foundation on a house, you need to take some time and fix that before you address other areas/expand. Trying to spend all your resources to plug leaks in a ship that was already sinking is not smart. In the case of the Bills, we basically fell into the playoffs, we weren't a hot, young team who peaked at the right time, we were a deeply flawed roster who did just enough, and still needed a ton of help. We were estimated at 6.8 wins, and came out with 9. We played above our level and got lucky a couple of times. I actually expect a regression this year, maybe 4-6 wins, depending on the QB situation (we have a rough schedule too)
McD Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 4 hours ago, RalphWilson'sNewWar said: If we were 4-12 but that Rookie was playing at a high rookie level. 1986 Bills were 4-12 in Jim Kelly's *Rookie year. AFC Championship game 2 years later.... just sayin'.
Reed83HOF Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 Sal Capaccio ?Verified account @SalSports 28m28 minutes ago You have to really, really parse words and try to read into what McDermott and/or Beane said re: Tyrod today. Phrases used: -"At this point" (used 4 times) -"Right now" -"Day-by-day" -"Unless something changes" -"he'll be here through that part" -"Way too early" Sal Capaccio ?Verified account @SalSports 26m26 minutes ago One thing neither said was that he will be on the Bills' roster in 2018. 2
nucci Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 3 minutes ago, McD said: 1986 Bills were 4-12 in Jim Kelly's *Rookie year. AFC Championship game 2 years later.... just sayin'. and Kelly was an established Pro at the time...not a rookie QB....but point taken
DrDawkinstein Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 Not surprised. This team was more lucky than good, and definitely NOT the best team throughout the playoff drought. I fully expect a regression next year, especially if we are starting a rookie QB. And that's ok. We got the playoff monkey off our back. That is huge for this organization, and huge for this young coach. 3 hours ago, Doc said: Last year was year one of rebuilding and they made the playoffs. We'll see where year 2 takes us. Disagree. I see it as Year 0. A wash, if you will. Whaley was still GM through the draft, and Beane didnt start cleaning house until later on. Year 1 is upon us now with the new FO. That's why McD was happier to stockpile 2018 picks instead of getting players "right now".
BADOLBILZ Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 3 hours ago, Doc said: Last year was year one of rebuilding and they made the playoffs. We'll see where year 2 takes us. What makes this rebuild unique is that the team got considerably older in the first year. Most re-builds start with some kind of youth movement........this started the other way around. More of a re-tool in that regard I guess.......for example: they shuffled in Gaines......then Davis will likely replace him this year.......then hopefully in year 3 they will have accumulated enough chips(draft picks/FA dollars) to fill the spot with a younger guy who will overlap into Tre White's second contract.
thebandit27 Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 3 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said: What makes this rebuild unique is that the team got considerably older in the first year. Most re-builds start with some kind of youth movement........this started the other way around. More of a re-tool in that regard I guess.......for example: they shuffled in Gaines......then Davis will likely replace him this year.......then hopefully in year 3 they will have accumulated enough chips(draft picks/FA dollars) to fill the spot with a younger guy who will overlap into Tre White's second contract. This is how I keep looking at it...2017 was sort of a "re-shape the team image and try to survive on the field" year; 2018 will be a "fill some key spots, set the stage, and try to keep on-field performance up" year; 2019 will be a "load up on talent and let's make a run" year if all goes well. 3
Reed83HOF Posted February 28, 2018 Posted February 28, 2018 27 minutes ago, thebandit27 said: This is how I keep looking at it...2017 was sort of a "re-shape the team image and try to survive on the field" year; 2018 will be a "fill some key spots, set the stage, and try to keep on-field performance up" year; 2019 will be a "load up on talent and let's make a run" year if all goes well. Last year/this year was dump the bad contracts, create the cap space and begin to establish the culture....
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