thurst44

Chiefs, Broncos, Steelers didn't trade for anyone either. Colts got a guy in our division that the Jets weren't trading to us. Patriots traded AWAY two players. Chargers got an O-lineman who is... fine. Quiet AFC contender dance I guess. This is hardly a Buddy Nix situation.

Seriously, we're doing this after a game where there's an argument (I've heard many creators and national people I respect make) that McD may have outcoached one of the GOATS (and GOAT staffs). McD certainly has some gameday question marks, sure, but this Sunday was not one of them.

I'm genuinely surprised many people are saying this about a list including Raekwon Davis. He was a 2nd round pick for the Dolphins and was a chattered-about prospect and played in 80 NFL games, starting 48.

Hey, I'm known among my Bills fan friends as insanely positive and even I was bitching about him during the game and between PFF, Joe Marino, and Brandon Thorn, I'm willing to admit that I was probably wrong. Having first heard of him when meeting his parents at an NJ Bills bar (and he was on the PS), I'm glad to be wrong.

He had 6 catches for 61 yards in this game we're talking about right now.

What always bugs me about this logic of going after the front office for not bringing in any players like this is both Peppers and Wilkens were released by meh teams for a reason. Honestly, I'd rather bring in a guy that knows our system than a player with a "name" who has flamed out in other environments. And Wilkens... do we really want whatever the heck is going on there in our organization? Dude's a train wreck. And we have drafted two promising players at his position who... don't have a weird groping and kissing fetish as far as we know. To be fair, I wouldn't be against Peppers and he didn't particularly flame out (there were some DV questions of which he was cleared, but don't think that had anything to do with his release). He's had a spotty career in relation to his draft stock, but he's been effective at some stops. That said, I don't think there's any certainty he would help our team, so I'm not particularly pointing fingers at the front office for not signing these players.

I get to a degree the point you are trying to make, but whatever his stats were in the game, his catches in the Colts game were clutch toe tappers that kept the key drive alive. He had 4 catches for 85 yards and was a big reason why they won that game, their first playoff win since 1995. So maybe it's two outlier games, but diminishing his Colts game is not the way.

Given they went 13-4 in a season that seemed like at least a reset, and it's hard not to believe they quietly had a season of improvement, I'm optimistic... Optimism: - Coleman and Kincaid more likely to improve than regress and Kincaid's second season was just weird - One of the best O-lines in football (and perfectly paired with Allen) and they quietly have a lot of great depth - Thoughtfully paired WR room: Shakir (high YAC, catches everything), Coleman (Contested catch dude), Palmer (separation), Moore/Samuel (speed), Shavers (big, reliable target) - D-line very promising: Sanders and Walker look great, Jackson might be slower to start, Bosa looked like dominant self in small flashes, additions should push Rousseau and Oliver to another level, Solomon could be a secret stud (or could be gone week 7), Hoecht has looked amazing and his swiss army knife-ness could change the whole defensive dynamic - On that note, Rousseau is poised for a breakout - Sneakily strong and deep LB room: we've never seen Milano/Bernard together for long stretch and Milano looked great in pre-season, Williams could be a future solid starter, Thompson is a former solid starter and Andreessen plays with fire in games making for some impressive depth. And Jenkins and Ciarlo on PS even looked great. - Christian Benford just keeps getting better and better and may jump to all-pro level (if not already there... a lot of his metrics were off the charts) - Jackson Hawes could add to both the run and pass game with his blocking ability - ST coverage plus Codrington on returns led by well-respected new ST coach could be huge, especially with this year's changes. - Babich's plans could take flight in year 2 - Oh, right, that guy wearing 17 is likely to still be pretty damn good Pessimism: - Secondary Beyond Benford: I feel confident about Tre's return, but he is 30 coming off multiple injuries, we don't know Hairston's NFL career and even if he comes back it could be a lost season, Taron had a relatively down year so is it just an anomaly, Rapp is a great tackler, but can he stay healthy, Bishop's a question mark, Hamlin is overly maligned here, but would prefer he not have to start... - Babich could just be a bad defensive coach - Kicking game is a question mark: Bass looks like he's out of his yipsy phase, but still has too many bad moments. Robbins was the worst punter in his one healthy season - Maybe Allen and Kincaid just have zero on-field chemistry - Can O-line stay incredibly healthy for THREE seasons and depth, while promising, has very little experience - Injuries can happen at any time and if we're talking Super Bowl, as much as we want to say "Super Bowl or Bust," Dion is right... 31/32 teams go home sad. You can have an amazing team and one bad day or just bad luck (i.e. a delayed wild card game meaning two days fewer rest combined with the entire middle of defense hurt against the best QB/TE combo in the game)... or as great as your team is, one other team could just be better

So, we're saying pretty close to the same thing here. Although "complete lack of athleticism" feels a bit over the top. And, yes, I do get that you caveat'ed this with "considerably slower" so that may be your counter to this assessment from when he was drafted.

Well, I disagree that he's "just not good", and many Bills media who analyze the film also disagree. Even PFF (who I don't love) rates him as... fine (above average against run, below against the pass). And again, while I can't say 144 when targeted isn't terrible, he was so bad in 2022 that they had one of the best defenses in football. As another poster mentioned, when a player is surrounded by great players, they tend to get targeted. He had 103 last year, which is also pretty bad, but it wasn't even close to worst on the defense. And coverage isn't 100% of a safety's job. I'm not arguing that Hamlin is an above average (or even good) starter, just that he's not a liability on the roster. To an extent, I agree, the less he plays, the better the defense will be... if that means Cole Bishop is playing well. I do agree we should have a better starter than Damar Hamlin. But we could also do worse if our starters go down. Many of us are just pushing back against the notion he wouldn't be on any other roster.

Did I say he's a starter? I guess I should have been more precise with my language--he's an adequate spot starter. While I don't really buy the logic you proposed, I said he's a quality backup who is an adequate starter when need be, so 63rd best safety in the league would mathematically translate to an above average back-up. People are saying he doesn't belong in the league. That's silly.

In 2022, they had the number 2 defense and he started 13 games. As most people who study the film will attest, Hamlin's a quality backup who can play adequately if need be. He's not there b/c of "charity" or "character," but because he is a solid backup who is a veteran in the system and this idea that he wouldn't be on any other roster is downright silly.

I'm there too on refreshing. Beyond thinking he was ready for a revival and the need for the team, I'm just tired of Tre's story being defined by misfortune. (and happy birthday, shrug) Personally, I still feel superstitiously responsible. Nothing good ever happens to players I get merch for. Bought a Tre White Hockey Academy Jersey, loved it, but only got to wear it three times and we were 1-2. The one win: you guessed it! The Thanksgiving game where he got hurt.

Exactly! Also, the pass rush and secondary are deeply connected. If you have an effective pass rush and are menacing the QB most downs, it aids the secondary measurably.

Beane: We've got this punter, Brad Robbins... NewEra: Brandon, that's the worst name I've ever heard Brad Robbins {runs out of the room}: ooooh, goooood noooooo McDermott: goodbye, Braddy Jo Jo....

Agreed. I liked McConkey and was not a fan of Coleman going into the draft, but I also think the latter played better than people give him credit for and showed promise of what he could be and why Allen apparently wanted him. Before his injury, he was on pace for around 750 yards which is not too bad a rookie season for a project WR. Even after the injury, he had a few flashes that give hope for the future. His ***** TD in the Jets game showed his potential to be a match-up nightmare and he had a couple moments where he drew penalties in key moments. He was mostly dormant and even Beane and McDermott called him out for his post-injury play, but even then there were moments of hope.

I'm on your side wrt the comparison, but I think we're all missing the most critical difference between the two wrt this list. While both of them were born in 2000, currently Rousseau is 25, Verse is 24 and turns 25 mid-season. As someone else has mentioned, PFF likes Rousseau quite a bit.

Thanks for posting this (it brought me back in although I've mostly lurked most of my time here which I think goes back to the '90s when I lived in Buffalo). Weirdly, it was the 2-14 years that made me a die hard fan. I grew up in NYC, but my family was from Lockport. By age 7 in 1980, I was already a definite fan as I remember my aunt telling me in a car that the Bills were in the playoffs and being happy about it, but it was in the bad years that I started following them more closely. I still remember sharply my uncle shaking his head ruefully about the signing of Vince Ferragamo. It certainly affixed my perspective and made me tend to be thankful for the good seasons (and even the positives in the bad seasons) and maybe made me TOO positive of a fan, nearly toxically so. The four Super Bowls were my college years at UB. While it would have been nice to win one, it was fun having a chance years round. And after 17 years in the absolute wilderness, it's great to be a contender every season. I've been moonlighting as a DoorDash driver in North Jersey, wearing an old-time Bills cap and almost every day lately, I've got a "Go Bills!" or at least a positive comment from people in other fanbases (one customer from Orchard Park gave me the "just one before I die." They're an easy team for whom to root. While I don't agree with all the choices, I do love the teambuilding philosophy and the whole "come to Buffalo and be your best self." It shouldn't matter, but it's been amazing to watch the unique nature of the Bills fanbase get a national (and mostly beloved) presence. If you told me years ago that the Bills would be one of the top TV draws, I'd say you're crazy. In any case, this year feels oddly different. It could all blow up... it often does, but the schedule, the spirit, and the thoughtfulness around what they are doing makes me feel like this could be that "just one"! Go Bills!

OTC surprisingly seems to have us right up against the cap on its 2025 page today (412k under)... not sure what changed, b/c I saw 14m with them using the same ceiling after the Rousseau signing. That said, they are using a 2025 cap that is bizarrely, unrealistically low (an increase of a few million from 2024 when it's expected to go up 20-25m), so it's likely they have a bit more than that 14m in reality.

Our QB is hardly a slouch and I'm not going to predict Kelce levels for Kincaid, but he's promising as a top 5 TE and possible first option and we have a better TE2 and better pass-catching RBs. We also don't know how the WRs will play this year. Diggs and Davis were doing very little during the drive to the AFC East lead. Yes, Diggs was drawing coverage, but even there, one of the Cover 1 creators cited a stat where the team had a better EPA when Diggs was not on the field. The WR room may not be bad, just different. There seems to be a plan to me: add some upside tall receivers, a speedy WR who was one of the top with separation. Both FA period WR signings had their best season under Brady. It portends to be a very different and interesting offense. Or you could be right. But dismissing it out of hand is not painting the whole picture.

Ed Oliver is also 13th among all eligible defensive linemen (over 200 of them) for pass rush efficiency. He's off to a torrid start.

If we're counting Anderson, don't we have to also count Boldin? He did play in one pre-season game.

White has been targeted just 3 times and the TD he gave up, he played it about as well as anyone could have (Wilson made an amazing play). I suspect he's playing better than you think.

They were also well ahead of the Dolphins and Jets at the end of the season, both of whom finished on long losing streaks except for the game they played each other. Also, let's look at the "upgrades": Jets added a legendary QB who barely seems to want to be there (yet the press is stuck on the Diggs repeating record) and a productive RB who might pair well with Hall or they might have diminishing returns. After that it's players like Mecole Hardman, who could never reach his full potential with Mahomes throwing to him, Quinton Jefferson, a solid contributor who is a bit better than when we practically ran him out of town, and a bunch of meh receivers. The Dolphins have added Jalen Ramsey, who was mortal last year and who Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs have practically owned. Beyond that, it's Mike White, Braxton Berrios, Malik Reed (solid role player), Eli Apple {?!}

I love the Kirksey signing, and it assuages the last worry I have. It means we at least have someone experienced in the mix for MLB. I'm guessing Bernard will still play there week 1 and if Bernard proves most of us (including me) wrong, all the better. If not, we have an option of a player with experience to hold down the center and with all the all-pros around him, that may be all we need. He's also a leader (like Edmunds) and perhaps could both be a bridge to Dorian Williams taking over the position and someone who helps him learn the ins and outs, if that's the path. There's instantly more options. However, Dave McBride upthread says it well. When you actually look beyond tackles (and even there, it's pretty close if you consider Edmunds missed 4 games with injury). Edmunds has become one of the best coverage LBs in the league and had an astonishing 1(?!) missed tackle last year. That said, they decided not to extend him for a reason. In any case, both the DB and DL rooms got considerably deeper, and playing next to an all-pro LB, a competent, experienced MLB with leadership qualities may be all they need to have one of the top 5 defenses in the NFL again, if not the best.