billsfan89

This is still a QB-driven league. But I do think having a traditional bullying ground game is important. I know teams like to use short passes to set up longer passes but running the ball has so many positives to it. The first thing running the ball does is helps the offensive line wear down the opposing defenses line. Pass blocking allows the D-line to be the aggressor. By running the ball well you control the line of scrimmage so much better. Running the ball is also so critical in controlling the time of possession and holding leads. You need a strong running game to run a great four-minute offense. That helps you take away late-game possessions from opposing teams. Finally running the ball well keeps your QB safer by opening up play-action passes and taking the ball out of the QB's hands. It's insanely hard to sustain success with an everything but the QB approach. Keeping together an elite defense is hard to do beyond a few years and then having to keep together elite offensive non-QB talent is also tremendously difficult to do so consistently. It is possible but when you have an elite QB it is a consistent and sustainable advantage.

My impressions of Josh in year 1 was that this guy has a high ceiling but he has several key things he needs to work on. I thought that he had Cam Newton's size and speed but Bret Farve's arm strength and a refined throwing form (which is kind of how Mel Kiper described him). But in 2018 Josh was really wild and had bad footwork. So for as dynamic as Josh was he was also still very much a work in progress and could still be a bust. Going into 2019 I thought Josh had two major weaknesses. One was his footwork. He had really bad footwork coming out of college and in 2018. Part of the reason he was so inaccurate in college was due to his footwork. The second weakness Josh had was decision making, he would often play "hero ball" and force plays that sometimes only he can make but also plays that would end in disaster a lot of the time. I knew that as Josh simply played more he would improve decision making but if Josh couldn't improve footwork he would likely never be a top QB. In 2019 Josh still had "wild" moments but played more within himself and to the strength of the team (that 2019 defense was really good) his footwork improved as he was dramatically more accurate in the short range. But Josh did regress throwing the deep ball a bit as I think he was still calibrating his arm and footwork. I came away from 2019 thinking Josh is definitely a "starting" caliber QB but if he could just continue to improve decision making and recalibrate his deep ball he could be elite. In 2020 Diggs giving him a true WR1 and his recalibration of his deep ball and tightening up of his decision making made him the MVP level QB he is today.

Good move to keep Bates in the fold, at worst He is an ok starter and great depth and tremendous versatility. The cost isn’t too bad either. Love keeping more players in house. My dream ending to the off season would be to resign D Williams for depth along the Oline and a veteran corner then hit CB at pick 25 and just go BPA the rest of the way.

I suspect he ends camp on IR, it would be best for him and the Bills that they see how he is doing in camp and then “red shirt” his recovery with the teams doctors and trainers. But if he is somehow responding well he adds some depth to the Oline that badly needs it.

I think most fans want a vet CB plus a pick in the first two rounds. I think a high pick is likely needed too but not signing a vet CB might be a sign that the coaching staff and organization like what they have so to speak at the position.

I think the Lions would go with a trade down before reaching at pick 2 but QB's always shoot up boards. Honestly if I am the Lions I just don't "force" a QB decision this year. You have two firsts next year so you can trade up for a QB in what will likely be a better QB class.

I get not wanting to switch to grass as grass will likely not hold up against 16 regular season games plus 6 pre-season games and all the other college/high school games that get played there. But Dallas and LA have field turf that doesn't have those issues. Why can't they switch to that kind of turf? That seems to me to be the best solution.

Is there any reason why Met Life’s field is such a possible issue? It’s a fairly new stadium it shouldn’t have those issues. Why not replace the field turf?

Any word on the numbers for Bates yet?

No idea why anyone would hate brining back an ST ace.

2018 Josh was in an offense that lacked talent and he looked like he did in college bad and good aspects of his game showed. In 2019 Josh was around better offensive talent and he played more within himself and tampered down the “wild” aspects of his game. In 2019 Josh played more like a game manager who can flash and make plays. He still needed a bit more firepower and to fine tune his game. In 2020 Josh got his deep ball back and had the firepower on offense and in 2021 it was more of the same.

It is NBA levels of start movement

Got to hope he is OK with taking less money to stay on a competitive team. Adam’s and Hill destroyed the WR market but maybe Diggs takes 22.5 to 25 million with a heftier guarantee as opposed to dam near 30 million. If Diggs isn’t willing to take less then play out the year and trade him for a haul.

Love it, Josh will make him better than he was on the Jets.

Solid little move for the Titans, he was stuck in a bad situation with the Browns and was only cut because he was overpaid.

Matt Ryan hasn’t been a top 10 QB since 2018. The past three seasons while he hasn’t been bad, he hasn’t been all that great either. Granted the Falcons haven’t put an elite team around him and they have been bad defensively for the past 4-5 seasons. But Ryan’s play has also gone from top 10-5 QB to an average QB at best. I think the Colts did the best they could with the given circumstances (not having a 1st and not being able to trade for Watson). The Colts have an elite team so they should be very competitive with average QB play but in the playoffs going up against stacked teams with more dynamic QB's will lead to an early exit.

Sometimes not making a move is a good sign that the coaching staff likes what they have.

Don't underestimate the power of cohesion in the locker room. These guys are together from late July to the beginning of January for the regular season and possibly another 5ish weeks for a playoff run. Having people that are liked in the locker room makes cohesion better. It's not a major impact but it is an impact.

Can't do too much better for a third string QB. The help he provides in the locker room is also a nice bonus you don't get with many third string QB's.

Their other options were Jimmy G or Baker. Although I think Jimmy G was the better option Matty Ice is not a bad way for them to go.

Solid Breida replacement nothing fancy but a nice roster building move. Hopefully a vet corner or some significant O-line depth is the next move.

The CB depth isn't great but I like Dane as a CB2 more than most. I also think that this coaching staff has shown to make chicken soup out of chicken ***** when it comes to the secondary. I think there is also more corners out on the market and better options deeper in the draft to figure out the CB position than the O-line.

If they don't resign Bates easily 2 out of the top 3 picks need to be on the O-line. Insisting on pick 25 maybe hyperbolic but the O-line is becoming a massive area of concern for me personally. Not much out on the free agency market and Bates is not yet back officially.

The Bills O-line is starting to be a real concern for me. They have 4 starting caliber linemen and not much else. Brining back Bates would be a nice move but this team then has very little depth. Only Doyle and Ford would be behind the starting 5. Without Bates there is a gaping hole at LG that should be filled at pick 25.

The Colts are out of "A-level" options. Wilson and Watson are potential game changers are they are no longer on the market. But the Colts aren't out of starting caliber options either. Jimmy G, Baker and Matt Ryan are all on the market and I would classify them as starting caliber QB's. I think they go with Baker I think they swap their second round pick for a third round pick and a future conditional pick (basically making it an even trade). Jimmy G is their best option. Jimmy G gives them a quality "game manager" with significant playoff experience (I think he has played in 6 playoff games including a Super Bowl).