starrymessenger

Oh ok not to worry then lol. Anyway we will see what the coverage is.

I don't always read the entire thread, especially when it's lengthy, before responding to a post and that's on me so apologies. I would however say that though I don't necessarily take issue with the personnel groupings or the offensive philosophy the lack of talent at the WR position is imo fatal to our chances for success against good teams who are able to defend the run. If you shut down Saquon Brown and Smith are quite capable of cleaning your clock. We can't come close to doing that because IMO we have neither a legit #1 or#2 receiver. They have clearly tried to sell Keon as a reasonable #1 facsimile which was a ludicrous expectation and which calls their competence into question. As for Josh he does need to play better. He used to lead the league in efficiency when under pressure and he is operating at about 50% of that so far this year. You do have to wonder how much of it is because of his WRs and play design that is influenced by the lack of talent. It's fair to mention that he used the word "trust" seven times in his presser. If he throws for 250+ yards, three tds and no picks tomorrow I'll shut up. At least for a while.

Yes because nobody else can run with Worthy. Should be an interesting matchup.

Could/should be Kincaid. But I'm looking for big plays from Cook or Johnson - not so much in the run game but out of the backfield at intermediate depth on the boundaries or between the numbers.

Well I agree he was always projected as a slot who could occasionally line up outside. He has developed nicely of course but he's pretty much the same player type as he was in college.

Maybe Palmer can ascend to #2 but really imo he's a solid #3, which I think is how he's generally been considered. The remaining spare parts (excluding Shavers) I think could be serviceable and more productive than they have been. But if this is true it only goes to show how deficient our WR room is. It means you are lacking a true #1 and #2 receiver, which many other teams have. That is pretty bad. I mean just imagine if you could add both Olave and Shaheen. The Bills passing attack would potentially be devastating. That's why if Shaheen is who many think he is we would be well advised to go hard at him. You'd still need a #1 receiver, and they are hard to find, but it would be worth seriously prioritizing that effort imo. Shakir was a great pick in the fifth, but it's worth remembering that many observers at the time saw him as round 3 worthy, including Greg Cosell. Given what we know where do you think he'd go in a redraft?

So if indeed Beane has invested in the passing offence is it that he has invested poorly? Or do you feel that we have the talent we need to succeed? Or do you actually think that we are good at this?

It's certainly true that WR evals are generally hard, but the same can be said about any position. But while not all positions are represented with equal strength in any draft, there are usually a handful of players at pretty much every position who can be expected to succeed with reasonable certainty. If you are going to land one of those it helps a lot if you are picking lower in the order which typically we don't do. And since we don't pick early we are often having to decide whether to move up in the draft. Well not only did the Bills not make a move for BTJ but the same can be said about Addison, who is a solid #2, and who the Bills were reputed to be high on. The Bills really do not prioritize the position in the way that many other teams do, WR being in the minds of many a premium position, especially if you happen to have an elite quarterback. Other than Keon their only move in the last draft was a throw away 7th round pick. The Coleman pick also suggests that it's not just that they tend to place emphasis elsewhere. It's also that they appear not to know or know how to develop wideouts either. Keon is a raw, developmental talent. Personally I continue to think that he could be a productive player but not given the responsibilities he's been assigned. They are not doing him any favours even if he shares some blame. It's pretty obvious that Brady's scheme and current philosophy is not conducive to having an effective passing attack. That's why Diggs wanted out IMO. Eagles are also run first these days but they still line up with two WRs who by themselves are capable of breaking a game open (which can only make Saquon even more effective). Brady had a great passing attack at LSU so I'm not sure he's to blame. He doesn't have the horses, so it's chicken and egg. The thinking, such as it is, comes from elsewhere, higher up. Just guessing but I suspect McD has the most to say in how these decisions are made. I hope that they land Shaheen. Given that he is a rental for which they would have to overpay, the move makes the most sense if they immediately enter into discussions with his agent. He should be their #2 going forward. Prioritize finding a #1 by any means and if you are successful you've got a juggernaut for an offence.

Ok so the pending make up call is what the refs were discussing. Two wrongs make a right I guess.

Unless they do something to upgrade the passing game I fear it will forever remain a secret.

And many calls do in fact get reversed. As would be the case in football no doubt.

I hear you but I think the problem is more scheme and the fact that we are missing a piece. Talent wise things are obviously not ideal but I do think that what we have can be serviceable enough if they find a credible downfield threat and Brady opens things up route wise/play design. For arguments sake if they trade for Shaheen we know where he lines up. Why not move Coleman to the slot and Shakir the Z?

I agree with this. I love a dominant running game, such as we have, assuming you have the horses to execute (and we do). I'd much rather be run first team than a team that over relies on the pass. The defending world champions offer an instructive example. Saquon is of course their bread and butter. Earlier this got AJB's nose out of joint and Smith too aired his displeasure with the number of targets they were getting. The OC tried to cater to their needs but soon and firmly reverted to the norm because it simply wasn't working to optimal advantage. But the Eagles nevertheless invested in not one but two game breaking receivers and they are not trading a disgruntled AJB. I wonder why. It's not just that both the run and passing games are, ideally, complementary, each making the other better. It's that having a passing attack that can on its own be a credible menace to put up points on a defence is a good, and likely necessary thing to have if you want to compete for a championship. Passing cannot simply be only supportive of and an adjunct to the run. That's what we seem to have now. In the Steve Smith clip he is asked how important having a downfield threat was to the Bills O. He said it was absolutely imperative. I tend to agree. Anyway, not to worry, I'm pretty sure we are going to land Shaheen next week. Bills will overpay because they will need to.

Interesting. At least we know his torn meniscus is totally healed up. I wouldn't blame the guy for wanting to get paid. As an undrafted free agent from Weber State who flashed some ability it was a shame his 2024 season ended after 6 games. He looked to be headed for a 1000 yard season.

Ok thanks. What I said was reported but maybe it was old and before the year actually began. Wasn't Locked on Bills recently saying we should trade for him as the answer to our safety issues?

Hard to know just what Shaheed is actually worth to the Saints. Their offence is terrible. The whole team is bad. Shaheed is actually a good piece that many feel is young enuf to have jets for the next three or four years. His football speed is unquestionably elite. Has logged the fastest game speed so far this year. He looks as explosive as James Cook. With Olave who they apparently want to extend (and assuming he remains healthy) it gives their passing attack some cred (if only Rattler wasn't throwing to them). So not long ago the thinking amongst observers in NO was that the Saints should offer him a new contract when (or before) his current one year deal ends. Thing is he is to become an UFA at the end of the year and this is almost certainly his one and only chance to get paid. And he will get paid. The Saints cap for 2026 is not good. They are about 18 bucks over for 2026 right now that they will have to clear by then. They may be able to rollover 30 bucks from 2025 but they have big hits for void years coming due and they can't easily cut an number of underperforming players because their dead cap hit would exceed what gets used if you just pay them. Can they afford to pay Shaheed? In discussions with teams who might be interested in trading for him no doubt they will point to the compensatory pick they could expect to receive if they let him walk. Not exactly sure where it comes from but what you hear is a 3rd. That is valuing hm at the max and may not be realistic. He has to be in the top 35% of players in the league to even qualify as a compensatory free agent and the Saints get nothing if they sign as many or more free agents than they lose. You have to look in part at his new contract to determine his value and that is guesswork at this point. On the other hand I don't know how many FAs the Saints will be signing (as opposed to losing) given their cap situation. I think they may well try to sign Mathieu to a new deal even in spite of his age (he can still flat out play). I'll be interested in seeing if they try to unload big contracts like Kamara's, but I don't know whether a buyer would be willing to take on all of his 2026 comp at this stage in his career. If the Bills are truly interested, I think they may want to get a good look at him and decide whether to offer him a contract. Why not. He runs more than go routes, has decent hands and his football speed is absolutely tops. Might be exactly what this O needs now and for the future. He has also proven that he can play in the league whereas a drafted player is unproven (even assuming you get to pick one that's promising) and Shaheed is dual purpose (all pro returner). He's also relatively young, not a retread vet like Amari. Could be J. Williams in a Bills uniform. A third is probably rich but I'd roll the dice for sure. Thing is even if he's good Brady would need to make adjustments to the scheme, and that's a real question mark imo.

I think it's probably fair to say that Chase is a more versatile receiver than Jefferson. His usage from the slot has consistently increased year over year whereas Jefferson's has decreased, standing now at only about 15%. It should be noted though that he isn't quite Randy Moss either imo. About 50% of his targets are between the numbers at intermediate depth and he is said to be a pretty fearless guy. I think BTJ should maybe be used like Jefferson, as a boundary receiver with very limited slot presence - we've already got a very good slot receiver. And I suspect that BTJ would be fine being targeted in the middle of the field at intermediate depth and beyond. He was able to do that last year. Just don't expect him to be J. Chase or Beckham Jr. He is not that guy. I would roll the dice and offer a first out of sheer desperation.

Josh is a good citizen. He is trying to do what he is being asked to do. But it’s just not him. They have turned a stallion into a gelding. That is a capital felony.

Beane has a habit of drafting athletes. Sometimes it works (Josh). Sometimes not (Tremaine). Knox was never thrown the ball at Ole Miss. Little evidence that he would be a top TE, if that is what he was thinking.

Looks like the Pats have found their guy. He made some great throws yesterday with guys in his face. Extremely cool hand for a second year QB. Pats are a team on the move and headed in the right direction, like we were years ago. Honestly im fine with that. I’d rather play (and hopefully beat) a good team than wipe the floor with dishrags week after week. I’m less concerned about them than I am about us.

Sure. He can flat out play and while he's nursing a hammy right now he has been a durable player. Haven’t checked out the cap implications though.

You get to know him well and what he could do for you. You can offer him a contract if you think he's the real deal, even before he hits FA. If you dont do something you are dead meat this year imo. Shaheed is a dual threat, all pro returner and though relatively young he's an experienced vet. Maybe better than putting your hopes on next years draft-which is not without risk. At this point I’d use a third to keep us in the running this year.

If he stands pat then he needs to be fired. He has got to do something otherwise this team will be an also ran. With a #1 or reasonable facsimile they at least have a chance, assuming Brady can pull his head out of his…

Although he has all the talent in the world I'm not sure that BTJ has the makings of a true #1 receiver. He was force fed the ball last year because he was pretty much all they had. He lined up about 75% of the time outside last year. This year they wanted to leverage his speed, quickness and separation ability by lining him up in the slot at least 40% of the time, like a true #1 actually. It hasn't worked out so far. It's possible that BJTs true value is more like a high end #2. Having said that I'd be prepared to roll the dice by offering a first, though I feel this is an overpay all things considered. Then I would line him up the vast majority of the time outside the way the Jags did last year and let him run mostly push routes. My preference though would be to send a third and change to the Saints for Shaheed.

Josh is quite capable of executing an electric passing game. We have all seen it, lots of it. But the Bills don't actually have a real passing game right now. It's just ancillary to and actually part of and an adjunct to the run game. We talk a lot about players needing to be put in a position to succeed, to make the best use of their skills and aptitudes, including psychological. Josh Allen is playing in the wrong system.