Buffalo Bills 2016

[K-9]

Vikings going all in.

[Rasmus_]

I hate the NFL, almost a month until hockey!

[TrueBlueGED]

So, the Vikings trade a 2017 1st and conditional 2018 4th for.....Sam Bradford? :huh:

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17454929/minnesota-vikings-trade-philadelphia-eagles-qb-sam-bradford

Sam Bradford's ability to get handed starting jobs and big money will never cease to amaze me.

[WildCard]

Sam Bradford's ability to get handed starting jobs and big money will never cease to amaze me.

Right there with you. He honestly is the luckiest man in the league that I can recall

[K-9]

Right there with you. He honestly is the luckiest man in the league that I can recall

Better to be lucky than good as the old saying goes. That said, the Vikings are legitimate contenders in the NFC and it makes perfect sense for them to acquire Bradford. Remains to be seen if they gave up too much, but starting QBs aren't in plentiful supply as it is and it won't matter if they are successful anyway.

[TrueBlueGED]

Better to be lucky than good as the old saying goes. That said, the Vikings are legitimate contenders in the NFC and it makes perfect sense for them to acquire Bradford. Remains to be seen if they gave up too much, but starting QBs aren't in plentiful supply as it is and it won't matter if they are successful anyway.

I don't think they're a contender with Bradford at the helm. Their defense is good, but it's not last year's Broncos or 2013 Seahawks good.

[K-9]

I don't think they're a contender with Bradford at the helm. Their defense is good, but it's not last year's Broncos or 2013 Seahawks good.

I predict there will be little dropoff from Bridgewater to Bradford in Norv Turner's scheme, which is tailor made for a QB like Bradford. The Vikings were a missed chip shot FG away from beating Seattle in the playoffs last season as it is and I think that defense will be even better this year.

[That Aud Smell]

So, Hoss taught me how to track what people like on Instagram (with the whole E Kane nonsense).

 

Just wanna say: Tyrod Taylor has liked ~8 posts on Instagram today -- at least 7 of which are suggestive selfies of hot women who appear to be, um, putting themselves out there a bit via social media.

 

Go ahead with your bad self, TT.

[MattPie]

I don't think they're a contender with Bradford at the helm. Their defense is good, but it's not last year's Broncos or 2013 Seahawks good.

 

Are they a contender with whomever Bradford is replacing? If they figure their collection of players won't be together much longer, they're shooting for the moon.

[JohnRobertEichel]

What I found after scanning the current 53-man roster (excluding IR/practice squad/suspension lists):

 

20 are new to the team

12 came to the Bills last year for Rex's first season as head coach

15 came to the Bills during the 2013-14 Marrone era

6 were already on the team by 2012 before Marrone arrived

 

So while the 16-year playoff drought and that "here we go again" feeling certainly hangs over us fans, I wonder how much the so-called "culture of losing" actually still exists within the Buffalo Bills franchise? The lame duck Ralph Wilson ownership era is over. Brandon is back doing what he's good at instead of making football decisions. I'd argue that the team has been steadily improving since Whaley arrived in early 2010 and especially since he took over following the 2013 draft. 2014-15 were the franchise's first consecutive non-losing seasons since 1998-2000. By mid-season when Dareus and Shaq Lawson arrive, this team could be as strong as they've ever been in the 21st century so long as they can stay reasonably healthy.

[inkman]

I'd argue that the culture of losing might not be instilled the urgency to win right mutha now isn't really there either

[K-9]

Are they a contender with whomever Bradford is replacing? If they figure their collection of players won't be together much longer, they're shooting for the moon.

Yes, they were considered contenders by all the talking heads before Bridgewater's injury. A couple league personnel guys I've spoken to feel they have one of the more talented teams, especially on the D side. Makes perfect sense to go all in with Bradford at this juncture. Shaun Hill is a big drop off.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Eleven]

Damn, Chad Kelly might be an like his uncle was, but apparently he can run an offense like his uncle could, too.

[Hoss]

I know it's well known JK was an ass but was he also known to be legitimately stupid? Because Chad Kelly is legitimately and objectively stupid.

Edited September 6, 2016 by Hoss

[TrueBlueGED]

Yes, they were considered contenders by all the talking heads before Bridgewater's injury. A couple league personnel guys I've spoken to feel they have one of the more talented teams, especially on the D side. Makes perfect sense to go all in with Bradford at this juncture. Shaun Hill is a big drop off.

 

GO BILLS!!!

There is not a single, solitary statistical argument to be made that Bradford is meaningfully better than Hill. If pro personnel guys want to hang their hat on a tool set or what they saw in college they're more than welcome to, but I'll hang mine on his five pro seasons.

[Hoss]

Sam Bradford had the best completion percentage under pressure last season. Teddy Bridgewater was the most pressured QB in the league.

It makes a world of sense outside of the price paid to acquire the asset.

[WildCard]

Sam Bradford had the best completion percentage under pressure last season. Teddy Bridgewater was the most pressured QB in the league.

It makes a world of sense outside of the price paid to acquire the asset.

TBF isn't that the entire point? If they gave a 4th for him nobody would care

[K-9]

There is not a single, solitary statistical argument to be made that Bradford is meaningfully better than Hill. If pro personnel guys want to hang their hat on a tool set or what they saw in college they're more than welcome to, but I'll hang mine on his five pro seasons.

They weren't referring to Bradford, they were referring to the talent the Vikings had before they acquired him.

 

That said, Shaun Hill is not as good a QB, regardless of your requirement for statistical proof otherwise. And the Vikings front office knows it or they wouldn't have considered the deal in the first place.

Edited September 6, 2016 by K-9

[TrueBlueGED]

They weren't referring to Bradford, they were referring to the talent the Vikings had before they acquired him.

 

I misread, I thought you were presenting the dropoff as their argument. That it's your argument and not theirs does not disprove my point, however :)

Sam Bradford had the best completion percentage under pressure last season. Teddy Bridgewater was the most pressured QB in the league.

It makes a world of sense outside of the price paid to acquire the asset.

 

And? Do those passes do anything? Are they quality pre-snap hot reads that move the chains? Are they Trend Edwards-quality checkdowns? Sam Bradford has an entire career of pedestrian performance, and one stat in isolation doesn't change that.

That said, Shaun Hill is not as good a QB, regardless of your requirement for statistical proof otherwise. And the Vikings front office knows it or they wouldn't have considered the deal in the first place.

 

Maybe he's not, but the difference isn't the difference between missing the playoffs and being a legitimate contender. 

[K-9]

I misread, I thought you were presenting the dropoff as their argument. That it's your argument and not theirs does not disprove my point, however :)

I think what disproves your point is that Shaun Hill's own front office was willing to pay a steep price to get another QB to start instead.

[TrueBlueGED]

I think what disproves your point is that Shaun Hill's own front office was willing to pay a steep price to get another QB to start instead.

So they can't be wrong? They wouldn't be the first NFL front office to believe in Bradford only to be woefully disappointed.

[K-9]

Maybe he's not, but the difference isn't the difference between missing the playoffs and being a legitimate contender.

 

Well, the Vikings certainly don't agree with that assessment. Makes it kind of a moot point.

So they can't be wrong? They wouldn't be the first NFL front office to believe in Bradford only to be woefully disappointed.

Of course they can be wrong and that remains to be seen.

[TrueBlueGED]

Well, the Vikings certainly don't agree with that assessment. Makes it kind of a moot point.

 

Of course they can be wrong and that remains to be seen.

Then it doesn't disprove my point as you initially asserted ;)

[That Aud Smell]

Damn, Chad Kelly might be an ###### like his uncle was, but apparently he can run an offense like his uncle could, too.

Started out well enough, but ultimately showed his true colours, I think.

 

If that box of rocks (h/t Hoss) were to become a Bill, it would somehow become even more painful to be a fan of the team.

[Neo]

Damn, Chad Kelly might be an ###### like his uncle was, but apparently he can run an offense like his uncle could, too.

I figure out what "#####" means based on the preceding indefinite article.

There is not a single, solitary statistical argument to be made that Bradford is meaningfully better than Hill. If pro personnel guys want to hang their hat on a tool set or what they saw in college they're more than welcome to, but I'll hang mine on his five pro seasons.

Bradford is to football as Bogosian is to hockey?