SB Nation: Are the Bills rebuilding, or trying to win now? No one seems to know, not even the Bills

[YoloinOhio]

The Bills can’t seem to decide if they’re rebuilding or trying to win right away

Trades to land Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds struck a puzzling mix of rebuilding and ‘win now’ strategies.https://www.sbnation.com/2018/5/7/17319572/buffalo-bills-rebuilding-2018-nfl-draft

[BuffaloRebound]

Hard to question McBeane coming off a year where everyone thought they were tanking and they broke a 17 year playoff drought.  Seems like they can try to win now and still aim to build a super bowl contender in the future. 

[BillsFan17]

I had to call that guy out for that. That was an awful piece of conjecture and way off.

 

There is a direct quote from Beane in regards to where he views the team currently, yet there is still uncertainties? 

[Your Brown Eye]

I think they are "rebuilding" one more year then go for it when we supposedly have 100 million in cap space 

[Heitz]

Read this last night - another "The Bills didn't take the QB most likely to play, therefore must be a rebuild". 

 

When people say "Allen isn't ready and needs a lot of work", do they think we're going to keep him on the bench for like 5 years?  If he doesn't start this season, it'll likely be mid-season (depending on how AJ plays, obvi), or next year.  Not like we're stashing him for some way off in the future run...

 

 

[schoolhouserock]

I feel the exact opposite of this article. For the first time in a long time I feel like there is a plan in place that the entire organization has embraced.

[thenorthremembers]

A team that is only trying to win now will have to tear down and rebuild five years from now, unless they have a franchise QB.

 

A team that is only building for the future will have no success in short term, unless they have a franchise QB.

 

With any business you have to strike a balance between start up success and long term viability, and that's what "the process" is about.   The process in this case was about trading up to #7 to get a quarterback a lot of people thought would go #1 to the Browns, bottom line.   Beane and McDermott understood they could pay a risk adverse QB 16 million a year,  build a strong defense and win 8-9 games a year and hope for the playoffs, but Tyrod wasnt going to win you a championship.  

 

This isn't about McCaron, Peterman or even Tremaine Edmunds.  This is 100% about Josh Allen.  

[BillsFan4]

I guess I just don't see how a couple of trade ups (especially for 2 extremely important positions - QB of the offense and QB of the defense (an athletic Mike LB is key to McDermott's defensive scheme functioning properly)) means that their plan isn't clear... 

 

Beane and McDermott aggressively went after 2 young players they think will be key cogs to the Bills long term success. Nothing wrong with that.

 

And it certainly doesn't mean that they are unclear of their long term plan. In fact, i'd say quite the opposite - they have a clear vision of what type of players they want/need  and are willing to do what it takes to acquire those types of players that they think will have a long term impact here. 

 

Its not like they gave up prime assets for 30yr old players or something. Both of these kids will hopefully be with the Bills for the next decade +. 

 

 

And why why should they take a QB they feel has a lower ceiling just because he may be able to start sooner? 

I don't know if Allen is the least ready to start, either. He played in a pro style offense that asked him to change coverage and make checks at the line. Rudolph played in a college style spread offense that asked him to do much less of what he will be asked to do in the NFL. 

Edited May 8, 2018 by BillsFan4

[GoBills808]

Seems like in the author's mind the Bills should be happy with 9-7, a wildcard exit, and Tyrod Taylor at QB. 

[QCity]

They've been rebuilding for the 2019/2020 seasons since they walked in the door. If you think you got a chance to get your franchise QB, you take it regardless of the stage of the rebuild.

[billsfan1959]

Why is it that the two are viewed as mutually exclusive? Can they not be in the process of a long-term rebuild toward the team they want to be, while still staying competitive in the present (and, hopefully, becoming more and more competitive each successive year)? If I am not mistaken, Bean and McDermott have been pretty clear on this point.

[Wayne Arnold]

I read the article. I still don't understand the writer's point.

[B-Man]

[nucci]

you build your team and improve to try to win every year.

Edited May 8, 2018 by nucci

[pennstate10]

Yikes!

that was a truly brain dead article. 

One of the first wrong assumptions was that all the trades were made to amass draft capital. Not true. Just as important was shipping out players who didn't fit the process, for one reason or another (Darius--lazy, Tyrod-- good guy, but not a Super Bowl caliber QB). 

[Chuck Wagon]

I'd say I'm more confused about someone paying Adam Stites money to write about sports than I am about McBeane's (pretty clear) plan.

[billsfan1959]

3 minutes ago, Wayne Arnold said:

I read the article. I still don't understand the writer's point.

It was an awful article full of self-contradictions, a lack of actual knowledge of the team,  lazy journalism and, generally, the product of what I might expect from a room temperature IQ.

[BillsFan17]

Beane literally makes a comment indiciating that he feels "we havent arrived." Then proceeds to take physical freaks who are raw and may not impact year one, yet the author is still trying to stir up conjecture.

 

Problem is the Bills arent the league pinata anymore. So nonsense articles like these dont get the steam or creedence they once would.

[Ramza86]

Bills cant decide? or that writer cant decide?

 

That guy literally has no idea. lol

[Steve Billieve]

Maybe good decisions are made independent of convenient narratives and useless dichotomies.