transient

Curtis Samuel ran a 4.3 40.

Didn’t like when he did it. I mean, why the hell did I stay up to watch? But, in the light of day, he managed to add early picks in a draft where talent is expected to fall off sharply due to the lack of underclassmen, and get relative value at the draft selection position, something the team sorely needed given the exodus of the old vets. Not sexy, but functional.

If you look at him as a Davis replacement and not a Diggs replacement, he should be a definite upgrade. I think those wailing and gnashing their teeth are sleeping on Curtis Samuel a bit. Do we have a true WR1 right now? Probably not. But when you look at Diggs production the way they ran offense the last half of last season and then consider Samuel in his role (4.3s 40, physical player) and Coleman in Davis’s role (big target, better hands, better with contested catches, similarly good blocker) with year 2 Kincaid, a rising Shakir and a dual threat Cook it’s not as bad as some here are making it seem. The individual talent may not be as high with Samuel vs Diggs, but collectively, if Coleman turns out to be a Davis upgrade, it’s probably better rounded than any WR room since the 2021 season. They presumably won’t need to give Samuel 100+ catches per year to keep him from being a problem child, and they shouldn’t need to count on replacement level players like off-the-street Cole Beasley and the ghost of John Brown, McKenzie and his inability to focus, Harty, or Sherfield for meaningful production. Looking at it from the perspective of next season, if this doesn’t pan out, they have cap space and draft capital (Vikes 2nd rd expected to be a high second) to actually move up to select a WR in the top of the first or bring in a FA if needed.

So we're done then? After the first round of the 2024 draft? These are the guys that they're taking to camp?

Hey Kirk, what do you think of the draft pick?

Yes, but let's say Butler had moved up and taken a player he really coveted and the Bills were better for it. If the team was better, Wade Phillips may not have been fired (although he may still have fallen on the sword for Ronnie "the mullet" Jones). As a result, the subsequent timeline of coaching hiring and firing may have been very different. Wrex Ryan may have never walked through the door in 2015, so Russ Brandon would never have had the chance to ply him with wine so that he wouldn't leave the buiding. In that case, Doug Whaley may not have been a dead man walking in 2017, and Brandon Beane may not have been there to select Josh Allen in 2018. This whole butterfly effect from trading up would have ruined the most entertaining Bills football since the Kelly era!! I think the moral of this story is that you should NEVER trade up for good players. The peril of trading up for players that you covet just might be that you kill your future unicorn!! You're an awful, awful man for even suggesting such a thing, @dave mcbride!! For those wondering, I am well aware that Brandon Beane, in fact, traded up to select Josh Allen. I'm hoping the absurdity of the post will result in the masses overlooking this obvious flaw in this otherwise ever-so-well-thought-out post.

And a Putney.

The best part of that movie is Tom Telesco’s review of it…

I’m not going to do the work, but I’d be interested in seeing this list relative to QB they played with and staff they were coached by. WR production really depends on the team they have around them.

You do realize that Denver cut RW, right? The only thing remaining of RW in Denver is a giant cap hit...

Technically Nolan wasn’t fired, Regier upon his hiring, opted not to retain him and offered him an underwhelming 1 yr contract. Given the ongoing headache between Muckler, Hasek, and Nolan during the preceding season, one could hardly blame Regier for being wary, and in hindsight Ruff over Nolan was obviously the right call.

Well, it’s better than re-hiring Ted Nolan… time will tell how much. I’m hoping that Adams made the decision to fire Granato some time ago and gauged the interest of other currently unemployed coaches. I suspect, however, that Adams knows his job is on the line and Ruff is a desperate panic hire given their familiarity with one another with Adams having previously been on Ruff’s staff. Hoping it works, but certainly tempering my enthusiasm (despite being a big fan of Ruff during his first stint). To those citing his lack of a Cup, he got them there and came close with a much less talented team than the Stars, and their best chance was derailed by a freakish run of defensive injuries against Carolina. It was certainly not a coaching issue in either of those seasons. Can’t speak to his time outside of Buffalo.

Always get/give the “Go Bills”. Never ask about TBD… don’t want to spoil the interaction in case it’s someone that has me on “ignore”. 😂 Edit: Maybe instead of “Go Bills” I’ll start responding with “high level meetings”, “F5”, “Luke Russert’s mom”, “what kind of car do you drive”, “ground up and in the freezer”, or “deers” just to test the waters. 🤔🤣

John Waters called, he wants his mustache back. He said while you’re at it, he’d take Kermit’s voice, too, and he’d give it back to him the next time he sees him.

Why no love for Ray-Ray?

Who's Allen going to throw to?

Ok look, an NFL QB can throw an accurate ball in shorts to an uncovered WR... the things people crow about. Not to mention, based on the pulling up at the point of the catch, looks to me like the last 2 were underthrown...

Diggs the player was in decline IMO, and I thought they'd get 1 more season out of him before making this move purely due to his cap hit. I think Diggs the person became enough of a pain in the ass that Beane decided the extra 3M cap hit was worth it to get him out of the locker room NOW. I suspect he's burned enough bridges behind closed doors that he won't be asked back to represent the team in any meaningful fashion in the future, and I kinda doubt he'd want to anyway. I wouldn't say I have any particular hard feelings, but I was one of the people that downplayed his bull####. Obviously, I was wrong, and as a result I don't think I'd want to see him back in the future representing the team in any meaningful fashion after this exit. I doubt I'm alone in that.

You forgot Diggs…

Poe-tay-toe Poe-tah-toe. Regardless, Beane was not involved in the decision regarding trading the pick and selecting Tre White.

If there's going to be a big move this season, IMO, it has to be the draft. I can't see them adding significant salary this year by trading for a WR. If it means trading picks in next year's draft, a year they'll get significant cap relief from all of the moves this offseason, they can fill in the roster with FA's in 2025. I can see Beane doing this if the player they really want is attainable. They can then let the kids get their feet wet this season when they'll be competitive but, unless they unexpectedly catch fire, are probably not going to make a serious run at the SB, and then they'll be ready to roll next season.

We didn’t win without him, we won without him producing. Big difference. What’s Shakir gonna look like drawing the coverages Diggs got? Gabe couldn’t handle the jump from 3 to 2 WITH Diggs. Gonna be interesting without him.

Beane was not the GM, Whaley was.

Wrex is no Marvin Lewis.