starrymessenger

So lets draft a safety # 1.

I honestly thought Daboll did a good job of reigning Josh in, given Josh's inclinations. This has got to be on Dorsey's to do list.

That's the thing about trading for a back like Henry or drafting a player like Bijan. If you are going to do them justice you build your offense around them. If you do that you're taking the ball out of Allen's hands to a significant extent. I thought the idea was to improve the O-line to give Allen more opportunity to work his magic with better weapons in the passing game. You need a credible running game and a more balanced attack but there are some very promising RBs in this draft who should be available in the fourth or fifth rounds who can serve as excellent complements to Cook and NH (if he sticks around).

Its like now you're negotiating with me.

I just went on the record saying he's not getting everything he has asked for in the way of a guarantee, specifically a fully guaranteed contract. Maybe some GM will do it but I don't believe many would. I think someone, maybe even the Ravens, could offer him more money over a cap friendly six year contract but it won't be fully guaranteed imo (nor should it be).

Yeah we should just leave it up to the player. We shouldn't even discuss player comp lol... By the way, I think Lamar should be listening to a professional representative instead of his mom.

If they franchise him under a non-exclusive tag (I think they will) he can sit in a room alone under the light of a single bulb and negotiate with himself. I don't think anyone meets his demands. In addition to the risk of injury teams also have to figure out whether Lamar really is scheme versatile or whether Roman's run heavy offence was crucial in putting him in a position to succeed.

You can draft a better receiver for cheaper $. Nothing against Woods. He's been a real pro.

Addison is not big. We will see how he runs at the Combine but although he will be sub 4.5 he’s not in Hyatt’s league in that regard. He likely has Diggs speed and like Diggs is a great route runner. He absolutely is a vertical threat on the outside despite his size and he can take the top off a defence operating from the slot in the short and intermediate depths. To me Hyatt is a big risk of busting or underperforming relative to where he gets drafted. I wouldn’t touch him.

He is strictly a slot guy at the next level. Very good safe pick if a slot WR is what you are looking for. You are right though inasmuch as some analysts believe he wont be a big plays guy in the pros like he was in college. Simply not fast or explosive enuf for that. A good comparable might be Cole Beasley at his best, which is good.

Agree with Skoronski projecting as a guard (with I would assume some tackle and center versatility) and would be an excellent pick. As a pretty much day one starter and maybe the first o-line off the board I wonder whether he will be there at 27. I know he has been mocked as late as the early second.

Let us know when you know.

I think Hyatt is at high risk of busting. I would not draft him.

Hard to argue too much against this pick, because imo it would be a good one. Thing is though this is a strong draft at the RB position and so the Bills might be better served picking one later in the draft, maybe rounds four or five. There are some good big possibly three down between the tackles backs with speed that could be available and who could complement Cook well.

How do you feel about Steve Avila? Has guard/centre versatility. Good in pass pro. Mobile and quick.

I voted for Addison. I think he's by far the best WR in this class for the Bills and a legit first round value. He could come in and immediately take the WR 2 role. A couple of years down the road he could grow into a # 1. Most of the WR in this class are pure slot guys, like JSN. I think Shakir is our slot guy going forward, and he will be a good one. Addison played 75% of his snaps at USC on the outside. That will come down in the pros but he remains a vertical threat. Among the few big bodied WRs, QJ won't be there imo (if he was I might take him because of his crazy high ceiling) or are of uncertain rd 1 value. Everybody's favourite vertical threat, Jalen Hyatt, might be there, but he is a very risky pick. Ran only three or four routes in college, all vertical, skinny post, go, wheel route, and was schemed up for a free release all day long in the Vols O. That's not happening in the pros where he will be pressed and jammed by physical DBs. I wouldn't draft him. Addison is high value and a very safe pick. Dont know how needs will be prioritized in the Bills draft but if we don't go WR early there are, like the running backs, some good ones who may fall out of rds 1 or 2. I think Marvin Mims could be there in the third or maybe the Bama monster.

Torrence is the # 1 IOL in the minds of many analysts, and some would say it's not even close. He's a road grader in the run game and he did not allow a single sack in college. He's been mocked to the Bills but there may be a suitability issue in that though he anchors well in pass pro and has quick, agile feet for a man weighing 340 pounds, there isn't much there in the way of lateral mobility. Depending upon what exactly Kromer wants to do, Steve Avila, who could just be there in the second for us might actually be a better choice. Also Torrence is a guy who really needs to watch his weight. Rumour has it he's weighed as much as 400 pounds. And premium guards can bust. Greg Robinson who went maybe second overall and was felt to be a generational talent busted completely in large measure because he could not transition to the pro game. Coming from a college spread offense he couldn't play out of the typical pro set three point stance. Torrence played in a spread offence. Whoever drafts him better make sure he can do what GR could not.

Packers have a good ream. If they want to compete in 2023 they make nice with AR and find him a #1 receiver, like the one he had before. Who knows, maybe Hop (if he's still a # 1 receiver).

We will all be interested observers when # 27 is on the clock. It may show whether a new commitment to the O is in the cards. We need WR and O-line help and, probably, also with the running back position if DS walks, which I expect he will. Of course if Poyer and Tremaine also sign with other teams we will have important holes to fill at safety and LB. The safety position is especially concerning since it has been a strength of the D but Hyde is getting up there in years and who knows if Hamlin will ever be able to play again. Maybe Benford can transition maybe not. I think I would try hard to finalize a team friendly contract with Poyer if at all possible. I would not be completely surprised if when we pick both Addison (WR) and Johnson (S) are on the board. Either one would be an outstanding pick at a position of need. My feeling is that McD would want the safety and that defensive players are perhaps graded more highly than equivalent players on offence talent-wise on the Bill's board. If instead a receiver is taken in the first (or a IOL or OT) it may indicate the change in emphasis going forward that some fans are hoping to see. Of course FA and possibly trades might answer a lot of questions even before we get to the draft.

Don't know that guy would be there at 27. But if McD feels the irresistible need for a first round linebacker to replace Edmunds, at least the guys he would likely be picking from can all get after the QB.

I actually want to see him in another system. Nor should they. He's a good back but the draft is very strong for RBs. Beane should be able to find another in the later rounds who will be just as good and cheaper.

Josh regressed at times this year. Of course the easy thing to do is blame the player when he underperforms. The point is that as great a player as he can be Josh is fully capable of underperforming at times. His instincts can tend towards sandlot hero ball antics. He absolutely needs to be coached and imo coached hard. To me it doesn't seem like Dorsey can do that. Imo Daboll could. Since, as you seem to agree, McD and Frazier are defensive coaches I don't know how emphasis on the offence, if it even happens, would have good chances of being successful. Who is going to build this thing?

McD and Frazier do not appear to do offence. They are both defensive specialists. Their OC doesn't seem to do it well either. If developing the offence is the way forward I don't have the confidence right now that this staff can do it now that Daboll is gone.

Looking at this year's draft (and FA) I think Beane has an opportunity to make changes that can help right the ship but he needs to find starters and potential impact players at the top of the draft, say the first 3 rounds. IMO these picks should lay the foundation for a change in direction and football philosophy. The players you want and need are there to be picked but it certainly would help to have some luck in having your targets be available to you. All the teams are competing for these most desirable assets. Addison has been mocked to the Bills. Pick him at 27 and your WR problems insofar as talent is concerned should be resolved. Addison is DeShaun Jackson. I'll take that any day. Most of the best WRs in this draft are pure slot guys. We don't need another slot receiver to start. I think Shakir could prove good enuf and very good indeed if used properly. Addison is versatile, fast and sufficiently gifted with ball skills to have productive reps on the outside as a deep threat. He can also take the top off a D running intermediate depth routes in the middle of the field. In the second round it's just possible that you could land Jack Clark to replace the departing Edmunds. I think he will be a terrific player even if you need to cheat a bit in covering the deeper zones on passing downs to occasionally help him out. If you get to do something like that in the first two rounds you have greatly improved both sides of the ball. It needn't really be those particular guys either. They could replace Edmunds with Trenton Simpson in the first if he's there. There will be promising IOL prospects in the second, maybe Steve Avila who has centre/guard versatility. In the third Marvin Mims, a guy I'm very high on as a legit # 2 WR could still be hanging around. The point is simply that there are plenty of players in the draft that could do the Bills a lot of good, but Beane needs to hit on them early. And there would be, depending on the position, good players available in the later rounds. The RB group is very strong and there are bigger between the tackles short yardage backs but with with wheels who should be there in the fifth. For this reason and also because of other priorities I would pass on Bijan if there even though he's a great player and would take some of the heat off Josh, who thankfully would no longer be RB 1. Needless to say, Beane can also look to improve the roster through FA and possibly trades. What I wouldn't want to see is Beane/McD showing everybody how smart they are like they did in the third round last year. If they pick Andrew Vorhees in the first I'll be buying a new TV day after. My expectation though is that this Bills brain trust will probably look to fill holes in a piecemeal fashion, in other words run it back. I don't believe that this coaching staff is capable of implementing a strategic shift, so it's maybe just as well. If so the result is likely to not be good enough, once more.

I don't think Diggs has ever complained about Josh's passes not being receiver friendly. Stephon Diggs basically catches everything. I've seen him dig that laser out of his chest, make the adjustments necessary when ball placement is not great but the pass is still catchable. He's just a great receiver. Diggs is a huge competitor. If he is unhappy about the turn of events it may be because he knows that as Josh's #1 he is not being targeted even when open and more generally I wouldn't be surprised if he is unhappy with the apparent lack of purpose, direction and identity of the O. If Diggs is unhappy he will let it be known. That's the kind of guy he is. Given his cred that might actually be a good thing. It might bring things to a head in a positive way.