billsfan89

Oliver has two years left on his rookie deal and then a possible fifth year option. He hasn't lived up to his draft status but he has been a starting caliber player. He is only entering into his third year and hasn't had a normal off-season since his rookie year. I think the fact that he has played well enough to justify his starting snaps is good for him. The best way to develop is to play and if you aren't good enough to get snaps there is only so much "goodwill" your draft stock or potential will go. I think Oliver with a true one tech next to him will have a good season and will be entering into his last year in good standing to get his fifth year option picked up. But this year is definitely a big one for him, not make or break but pivotal. The Bills in my opinion will use 2021 to assess if they want to pick up his fifth year option. But I agree with your logic that the cap going up massively will only positively impact the chances of Oliver getting his option picked up as it will seem more and more like a bargain as the cap is set to explode.

I thought he would have been a good hire in 2004 as well. Looking at his career post Giants and it is very odd. He went to the Ravens for 3 years coordinating and coaching their offense they weren’t offensive juggernauts but in 2006 his last year with the Ravens they went 13-3 and had a respectable offense. Then he goes into broadcasting for a few years before returning to coaching in the UFL where granted he was super successful but in a go nowhere league. Then he retired in his early 60’s. Just odd that a coach of his caliber didn’t pop up in the NFL at some point from 2007 to 2012 when he was last coaching. Just sad to see someone go before their time.

You could even look like an athlete and be out of shape (unlikely but possible esp if you are younger) the best thing I ever did was hassle my mom to stop smoking 15+ years ago. Smoking cuts your life short, degrades the quality of your life as you get older and costs a lot of money. Hard to justify such a bad habit.

Their analysis was pretty spot on, the teams were often just below average but not tragic and there were a couple of years where bad luck resulted in not making the playoffs.

That was an issue but I would also say that the Bills also suffered from bad ownership during most of the drought. That’s not to disrespect all that Ralph has done for the team but he was more of an old school owner who ran the team as a profit center and not a vanity project where year to year losses don’t matter. There we’re so many years where the Bills didn’t spend money on free agents and weren’t in the running for a lot of the better coaches. The Bills also had lackluster facilities and were a third tier destination in all aspects. Even if the Bills had a great QB they didn’t have the infrastructure in place to actually take advantage of one. If you aren’t going to spend to the cap for a long period of time and you can’t find a good coach or invest in the infrastructure of the team it will not end well. The Chan years were a dark time in my fandom honestly I had just written off the team as ever having a chance to do anything. Glad to be very far away from that.

The drought Bills were bad but not tragically bad, I do suspect that the drought will be on the list certainly the 2009-2013 stretch where the Bills had four 6 win seasons and a 4 win season in a five years span. The rest of the drought just looks like mediocrity and a couple of instances of bad luck. If you take out 2009-2013 from the drought you have a team that only finished 3 times below 7 wins (2001, 2003 and 2005) had 5 seasons of 8 or more wins (2000, 2002, 2004, 2014 and 2015) and then a bunch of 7 win seasons ( 2006-2008 and 2016). It really was that stretch over 2009-2013 where the team was just horrendously stuck at 6 wins and very little hope. I don't think the Bills will be too high on the list because there other teams like the 2007-2011 Rams that had win totals of 3, 2, 1, 7 and 2 in a five year span and several 6-7 win seasons afterwards. I think the Bills are more likely to be on the middle of the list as the drought years were bad but not painfully tragic like some of these other stretches.

The market for Jones is much more limited given how late in the offseason it was. Very few teams had the cap flexibility to make a trade work which depressed a market. Draft trade ups are a much more open market and values are context dependent. I just don’t see the two situations as comparable. The Titans got better but not significantly enough to move the needle they have Oline and defensive concerns while being capped by at best above average QB play. It is a nice trade but not one that is shifting the landscape for the Titans.

Good move for the Titans but I don’t see it moving the needle too much for them. Yes they needed WR help and they got it big time but they still have an eroding Oline and their defense is aging a bit. Mainly I just don’t really believe in Tanny as their QB. It just seems like a good move but for a team that just doesn’t have the QB needed to get them beyond being a very good team.

Maybin, McCargo and a slew of others are in contention.

This policy was instituted in the 1990’s and continued until 2021. Just insane. I think the reason the NFL gets in trouble over high school and college is the length of the exposure and the marketing the NFL used to do of big hits. I played low level high school football and while I am sure there was some concussions I honestly can’t say any trauma is long lasting to anyone I know that played. The NCAA should get in more hot water as it is 4 years and at a higher impact but for whatever reason they skirt that.

I would tend to agree that given the cap situation it doesn’t seem likely but I would also say that I do imagine that if they were to make a move for a vet front line DE the Bills would likely toss Addison back in a trade to make room. If it could fit cap wise somehow I would gladly trade a 1st in 2022 and Addison got Jones. This teams biggest weakness in my opinion is the lack of a prime time pass rusher. Jones would fit that bill instantly and even if he only has 2 or 3 more good years left it could be the last piece needed.

USFL had some fun rules like the action point. But spring football has always been that good on paper idea that has not worked since the 1980's when the USFL had some traction with it but never got to where it was viable long term. The new XFL I thought was going to maybe get off the ground but the pandemic derailed any chance of success it had.

I just don't think it works cap wise. The Bears adjusted his contract to help give them some space which means he becomes very hard to trade. In an ideal world I would have loved to have traded a 1st for him. But this just doesn't add up given the circumstances.

You could definitely argue it especially if you are factoring in depth. The team still lacks a true elite pass rusher, a consistent TE and a CB2 could be an area of upgrade. But the areas of need can still be addressed (outside of the lack of a true number one elite pass rusher) ton of good corners out on the market and Ertz is an option at TE. If the Bills can just add one more piece to an already good off-season I think it would be a nice cherry on top and further solidify the roster.

Hyde, Poyer, Beasley and Dawkins are the only other ones that you can say could be on the list but leaving them off is justifiable.

Maybe in 2019 you could have made that criticism of Josh but this idea that it is applicable to his 2020 season is so hilarious and reaching.

They are really going with the Josh’s arm is “too good” narrative?

In the end the player’s careers will justify the decision making retroactively or call into question the decision making. But in terms of general philosophy it is always better to not trade up for a non-QB player and it is a better bet to take a chance on a pass rusher than a RB. The Bills made the right decision on paper will it pan out in reality? I hope so but that’s TBD. I will say that it is always best to make the prudent move on paper as the odds are typically better in your favor.

I have to think they will bring in a one tech before camp starts just to eat some snaps but I am concerned about the one tech as Star coming off a season off and no one else really on the roster with any track record at one tech is making me concerned it will be an issue. Not a huge glaring concern but a concern.

Continuity improves Oline play but talent is more important. The 2020 Oline was better than the 2019 Oline in part due to D Williams being added but also due to the fact that they played a season together.

I don’t personally consider Tanny a good QB above average at best, so I don’t really see him throwing the ball as that much of a plus.

Not sure why the Titans would be so appealing?

I think the Colts would make the most sense, they are in desperate need for a prime WR and want to win now. But let’s see if the Falcons get the offers they want or even if this rumor has any legs.

Definitely will need to come along slowly in a rotational role unless he just bursts onto the scene.

Reminds me of Rex when he first joined the Jets.