That Aud Smell

I think this is overly harsh. Bradford has never been great (obviously), but he's generally been good. I'm confident that GMs are not being bamboozled -- they're signing him for a reason. Now, mind you, the fact that Bradford gets the money he does for what he can do is most likely an indictment on the dearth of quality QB talent in the league. My point being: GMs are responding to market conditions -- they're not getting duped or anything. If we were to give up some additional picks (but please not a king's ransom) in order to move into Denver's slot and choose Rosen, and Rosen turned out to be Bradford-like, but a notch above how Bradford panned out in the NFL, that'd be a very good or maybe great outcome.

Well - I'm thinking it'd have to be a blend, if we are being realistic. The idea would be to have better luck with the durability issues. Just better luck, overall. I tend to like the idea of getting a very smart and accurate QB.

Mayock called Rosen a Sam Bradford sort of prospect. Is that good enough? I'm actually thinking it might be, at least for a while. That is: A wonderful pure passer, accurate, but not very durable.

Lulz. If I may, we've has seemed a touch grouchy around here of late, at least on the topic of the Bills. I hope all is well, brother!

Because it's fun?

Right. Yes. I am sure Russ is a _real_ shrinking violet in that war room.

Oh, Wawrow. You called me an anonymous interwebs clown. Then I apologized (mostly). But you never came back. Welp. At least we can look forward to seeing reports based on your Russ Brandon leaks. #Hmmm

For sure. To be sure, he doesn't have to be there for administrative and marketing functions. I firmly believe that that he's NOT there for those kinds of reasons. That he's there for other reasons. Like, oh, I don't know, being there for the purpose of WEIGHING IN ON FOOTBALL PERSONNEL ISSUES.

God DAMMIT, Beane. Appearing on the team-produced "One Bills Live," the Buffalo Bills' general manager was asked by co-host Steve Tasker who will have a seat at the team's draft table later this week. "It'll be me, Sean, Kim and Terry, Joe Schoen, Terrence Gray, who's our college director, and then Russ Brandon," Beane said. "So that'll be us."

Not really. Was it bad?

This could be a thing. Man. It's hard to imagine it being a thing. But it could be. Also, to the idea that trading ROR would definitely make the team worse: How much worse could this team get? (Maybe don't answer that.) No thanks. I mean: When have Swedish brothers ever done anything of value in the NHL when paired on the same team?

The guy who Tweets as Yards Per Pass (re the Bills) is pretty good. He Tweeted over the weekend that the reason he likes Allen over Mayfield (but *not* more than Darnold or Rosen) is that Allen's "best" is better than any other QB prospect's best. Which just seems like a perspective and take tailor-made for teeing up a bust. I am sure it's analytically flawed, or worse, but I can't shake this video of Allen at the Senior Bowl practices. https://twitter.com/NickiJhabvala/status/956228021945618437

Um, well - okay: “I'm told by @JennaCottrell that Casey Nelson is a healthy scratch for the Amerks in Syracuse. Amerks lost Game 1 and trail in the first period of Game 2.” Paul Hamilton

I’m not sure why - but I am aggressively fed up with the NFL draft talk this year. Which is a little weird because you’d think I’d be super into it with the Bills such a big player. That’s no slag on the good talk here, btw. But it hit me yesterday: I’ve had enough. “Uncle.”

Very well deserved. His emo stuff aside, the guy had an objectively remarkable season. Playing against top competition and taking only 2 PIM, while killing face offs and getting solid point production? That’s pretty nuts. Oh, and I read that his one minor was coincidental.

Gah. Sorry to hear. I was taking a shortcut through a trucking depot area yesterday and hit a pothole so massive that I still cannot believe that the entire wheel assembly didn't just disintegrate.

For any considered fan of the club, it has to be a day of mixed emotions. It was time for him to go, and yet -- dude's a legend. One thing I've always heard about him: He did his very best to treat everyone associated with the club -- *everyone* -- with genuine kindness. That sort of thing always counts a lot, for me.

I appreciate the feedback and acknowledge that the issue is a massive one. Here’s what I don’t want for an east side revitalization: Another avenue by which a small group of politicians enrich a small group of developers, who build tax-incentivized housing for relatively well-off people. That is: I’d rather an east side comeback not resemble much of what’s been going on to date in Buffalo.

To the question: The training center states in its publicity material that the region is slated for a massive wave of retirements of skilled mfg workers. So, there's that. Also, there are apparently a number of manufacturers in the region who have been talking to Albany about being unable to hire qualified people from the area. So, that too. I appreciate what you're saying about small businesses. That's not for everyone, though. Hardly, in fact. The large majority of people just wanna go to work somewhere. Days gone by, there were thriving pockets of middle class black Americans in the area -- due largely to large-scale employers like Bethlehem Steel. It's also a bit of a chicken and egg issue. Until you get real wages flowing into the neighborhood, who's going to support the local shops?

^ Good stuff. I take a dim view of Prince Andrew's Buffalo Beelyun, but I think some of that money is backing the workforce training center that's being built in an existing building on Northland Avenue. The goals of that place sound intriguing and promising. Maybe training 100s of east side residents for modern manufacturing jobs could make some headway in regenerating a black middle class.

Good letter.

I took you to be talking about the redevelopment, rebirth of the east side and the people who live there -- something that would be done for, and perhaps in some significant part by, the under-served people who have lived (and often languished) there for decades. OTOH, gentrification is the process whereby (mostly) white folks move into a neighborhood and displace the folks mentioned immediately above. Some of that is already going on in and around the Fruit Belt and the medical campus.

I'll try to re-state the major points (such as they are): 1. The big 4 (plus Jackson and Rudolph) constitute a cohort of QB prospects that seems materially different in terms of quality and quantity than any year in recent memory. I'm not sure what conclusions can be drawn from that -- but it seems like history may not be a good predictor. I think there's a good a chance that the 4th (maybe 5th) QB taken will be the top player from his QB draft class as there is a chance that the 1st QB taken will prove superior to the rest. Which is quite a departure from what the data would suggest. 2. Goff and Wentz make me think that the NFL actually has its version of a system quarterback. Actually, wait. Did frickin' Tom Brady herald the same?!

Because it's a goddamned disjointed mess of unconnected, incomplete thoughts. Sorry.