BADOLBILZ

Schopp is saying he would love it because it makes their shows so easy to do and more popular to listen to when people are angry and disillusioned. Controversy = ratings and the back and forth makes him "feel alive". Drafting Breece Hall is job security for Schopp. It's true..........he and Boston sports fan Lap Dog will probably get extensions and raises. Good drafting has been bad for business in drive time.

The 80's were more than 30 years ago and pre-free agency altogether..........which was a significant turning point for the running game because teams could no longer keep offensive lines and RB's together in perpetuity. Your specific RB was much more important in the 1980's.........and still Thurman Thomas becoming the MVP as a second round pick was part of the gradual realization that you really didn't have to use first round picks on RB's even THEN. That gradually evolved throughout the 90's..........culminating with the Broncos turning Terrell Davis into a 6th round HOF'er and subsequently marching out a parade of JAGs and having them rush for 1,000+ yards every year in the Shanahan outside zone system (that some people think is new). Right around the turn of the century was the end of the association between great backs and great teams. I think either Davis or Marshall Faulk are the last RB's to lead the league in rushing and play on the SB winner. That used to be pretty common. So it became a two-fold issue.........you could find good enough ones anywhere in the draft...........and having the best ones really didn't help you win championships any longer. When Goodell really opened up the passing game with rules changes in 2010..........RB's became even less important.

Yep. There are RB's who could go late in the draft and be as good or better than Hall. Taking Hall early actually puts you in position to miss good value at RB later.........and it's a deep draft of RB's. Get the traits at premium positions while they are there. Breece Hall reminds me so much of Antowain Smith.........a near perfect score RAS superstar..........who didn't really pan out by the expectations of the day. The Bills badly needed a DE for their 3-4 and Trevor Pryce was commonly mocked to the Bills as the solution. Bills chose to go Antowain Smith first instead of Pryce........thinking they could get better value at both positions if they went RB in 1 and DE in round 2.......where they took Marcellus Wiley. They got decent players........but Pryce ended up with almost 100 career sacks. Lesser RAS RB's that went in round 2 were Tiki Barber and Corey Dillon.........who combined for around 25,000 rushing yards.

Meh........you are getting carried away with yourself just for the sake of it there. Addressing the offense with a first round pick first assumes that it's a position you should use a first round pick on. Technically a blocking TE, a fullback or a slot-receiver-only are also offensive players but throwing a first round pick at them doesn't really make sense. There are about 4 premium positions on offense.......QB/WRX/WRY/LT.........and a lineman who starts at RT or guard but is expected to graduate to LT also qualifies as a 5th premium option and certain great TE's.....like Kyle Pitts last season........qualify as great receivers in the same way that certain great DT's count as pass rushers.

Love: Jameson Williams Boye Mafe (I don't expect to love the picks this time around ) Expect: (my picks for the two players the Bills come out from this draft with from a month ago......so stick with it) Jameson Williams Troy Anderson Settle for: Andrew Booth Skyy Moore or Chris Olave Tariq Woolen This draft is probably the best chance the Bills have had under McBeane to just take swings at some high ceiling, high risk prospects at premium positions and hope to find themselves some future foundation pieces........instead of letting their late draft positions steer them into going broke making a profit with low ceiling/high floor types like the late 90's Bills did too often.

Make a living? This isn't a 3rd rounder making $900k per year and maybe still having $1M left in the bank if he's lucky. When you make him a first round pick he will have already earned $11M-$12M in his first 3 years. If he plays well.........he has that "war chest" in the bank to allow him hold out for a new contract after year 3. And if you don't oblige........having already picked up his 5th year option.........he can punish you and just show up late in the season of year 4........just in time to accrue a season........and at worst he gets to show up for his $10M guaranteed payday in year 5. So 3 seasons and an abbreviated one for around $25M. If he actually plays well enough to pick up the option in the first place. Which is only a 40% proposition........worst such % among regular positions. I guess if you are determined to screw yourself one way or the other............and it doesn't matter which way..........it's a no-brainer pick. For all the obsession with run-in' backs some of you really haven't thought this thru at all.

It's really not part of the new analytics. That's just bad math. If the RB plays well enough in his first 3 seasons to be worth of the fully guaranteed, pricey 5th year option(for a RB).........or heaven forbid, the franchise tag..........then they will likely be withholding services after year 3 to FORCE a new contract. See Zeke Elliott or Christian McCaffrey.........two tears of regret into the pillow of remorse. So ideally..........I guess you need that 1st round RB to play just well enough in his first 3 seasons to not have any leverage to hold out. You know.........like Devin Singletary. 4.5-5 yards per carry but only about 800 or so yards rushing........just south of the 1,000 magic number.

In the past 30 years the Bills haven't once lived to regret not selecting a RB in round 1 who subsequently went in round 1. The only regrets are the one's they did select. ALL of them. Drafting RB's in round 1 being dumb is "OJ did it" obvious..........except here the civil aspect is the actual decision. You may not like the take but you'd be betting against some incredibly steep odds to think it would turn into an excellent choice. Schopp said he "felt alive" having the debate LOL. That's why we are here........either to be entertained in my case......or to vent emotionally in yours.

Agreed. If you think that way you don't really understand why taking a RB early is a bad idea. It's not a matter of 10 spaces or 5th year options. It's debatable whether taking RB's in round 3 in back to back years wasn't an unnecessary over-invest. Taking one in round 1 or early round 2 still defies logic. If you are picking at 35 you should still have viable options at premium positions.

I caught Schopp and Bulldog on a rant about why you should NEVER take a RB in round 1 today...........and it was one of the most entertaining bits I've ever heard on WGR. It would so obviously be a stupid thing to do. But at the same time...........I do think the Bills could literally forfeit the 25th pick and still win a SB next year..........it's not an organizational maker/breaker. So from that aspect..........the entertainment value of them taking Hall would be off the charts. Schopp is right.........it would be GREAT for his show. Nobody cares to talk about good picks. Only controversial ones. And this would probably be the most reviled and/or polarizing pick in Bills history because of the peaked interest of the fan base and the social media aspect of the time. It would be wildly controversial here on TSW..........that's why this thread is so long. I'm not a finish line fan.........I want them to win a SB but I'm a fan either way and entertainment value is very important to me........it's one of the reasons I really didn't enjoy the mind-numbingly boring 2017 season until the very end.............and I can tell you that drafting Hall would be win/win from the entertainment aspect. Either he would be GREAT and it would be entertaining to watch...........or he will be anything south of GREAT and it will be fun to listen to and read about. His first stop short on 3rd down and the stadium will sound like his name is Bruce instead of Breece. It will get ugly........but ugly is better than boring.........and like I said he could end up a healthy scratch on a SB team........he is't making it happen......great RB's and SB's don't mix for the past couple decades.........but a bonehead pick probably won't break their season either.

Because the team is a contender only because of their passing game and they have gotten there by running a lot of 3 and 4 receiver sets. Currently, non-factor Jake Kumerow is WR3 as the top backup at both the X and Z positions.

Yep.......two bullets dodged. Hopefully they see that.

Considering the regime change, the routine nature of ACL recoveries and the fact Jax already has an RB1...........it speaks volumes that there have been no trade rumors about Etienne. Nothing depreciates faster when you drive it off the lot than a RB.

You are conflating Ed Oliver and Cody Ford.........which is a pretty big mixup. Let me know when I am proven wrong about my post draft take that trading up for and selecting Cody Ford (because "we need a tackle") was a bad move. Rule of thumb......if I said it.......it's almost always right. Like the Star Lotulelei contract. I didn't forget your Star excuses. I just chose to not rub it in the faces of you and some notable other Star defenders when they unceremoniously dumped hizass.

Najee Harris averaged almost a full yard per carry less than Devin Singletary last year. He posted a 3.9 ypc in a league where the AVERAGE rush goes for 4.2. Najee is fun to watch not play well or make a difference though. The jumping, etc..

The "Bills don't have many roster spots left" narrative is grossly overplayed. Tasker tried to sell that to Beane in the interview today and Beane pointed out exactly why they have plenty of roster spots. There are positions they might not draft due to depth..........like they didn't at CB in the early rounds last year because they didn't think a 2nd or 3rd rounder could beat out Dane Jackson(per Beane).........but it's very easy to find positions where they need depth even before the inevitability of injuries.

The lack of forced fumbles is glaring because he gets SO MANY opportunities on short throws underneath where he finds a receiver flat footed after they either squat down in zone or the QB stops them cold by delivering an inaccurate ball...........and Edmunds does not attempt to knock the ball out despite it being almost impossible for the ball carrier to break a tackle there. Contrast that to Darius Leonard who forced 8 fumbles last year and is a sure tackler WHILE routinely, instinctively delivering the peanut punch on the football.

Or be a smart organization..........draft or UDFA one of many late round WR's who would have been RB's in the NFL of 20 years ago but are now going to be well down an NFL WR depth chart......and use them like a wide-back..........turn that market inefficiency into your favor. RB's today are like CB's of yesteryear..........they play those positions only because they CAN'T play receiver. Exceptions are rare........probably only Christian McCaffrey could be a real legit NFL receiver..........and playing RB tore hizass up. Even Alvin Kamara isn't that guy. Top RB's are only going to give you Cole Beasley like 7-9 ypc production. Getting bigger receiving #'s from your back is always an aspiration but I think some people have this idea in mind that throwing screens to RB's totally catches defense's with their pants down. It's not true. Running backs almost always operate within 5 yards of the LOS..........it makes them pretty easy to account for. Whereas a receiver who might run a 9 route on a CB 30 yards down the field..........throwing a screen to him can be explosive........if he is quick and elusive........or has the instincts and contact balance of a RB(which is what Deebo Samuel is, in addition to being a downfield weapon).

I used to find it astonishing that so many people couldn't understand this.........now I just take it for granted that they won't. One could probably put together 59 pages of legitimate reasons why you shouldn't take a RB in round 1............and maybe that's part of the problem..........there are so many logical reasons that it's hard to choose just a few..........and some folks just can't process that much data.

I've approved of all of Beane's 1st round picks. But you knew that. Be who you want to be.

I know this much........if this situation occurred in 1983 the player ain't going anywhere near the drunken fans in the stands. He'd have had a glass beer bottle smashed across his teeth by an inebriated fan in a heartbeat and the cops wouldn't know who to blame. I mean sh*t......fans used to throw D batteries at opposing players in Shea Stadium. Fans know that the cell phones are on now too. That actually minimized the damage. Some players just don't know where their bread is buttered. You ignore opposing fans. You simply can't win an encounter with opposing fans so don't even bother.

And if you are grading production on a curve a late round option like Chandler who put up 6 ypa and 14 ypr in 2021 is a good example of a guy who excelled in a much better defensive conference. It's common sense not to draft a RB in round 1..........there are a mountain of reasons why and tons of supporting evidence. Bills haven't passed on one that went in round 1 in over 30 years and lived to regret it. The only regrets are the one's they did take. But a lot of folks actually think Singletary was a bad pick and desperately needs to be replaced..............and in reality he has produced above what you can expect from pick #72.......or may get from #25. And pick #72 is worth about 220 points of value in trade. Pick #25 is worth 720. How much better than Singletary would a first round RB have to be to justify such a waste of value while also relegating Singletary to the bench?

Yes you were initially arguing that Samuel's YAC production was all schemed. Obviously you've now seen the highlights and saw him turning tons of intermediate routes into big plays after the catch. As I said...........the scheme hurts the Bills YAC..........but there is a chasm between being dead last and scheme limitations when you have a QB like Josh Allen. The Bills chose to build their WR corps around guys who get open but don't produce much in traffic after they catch the ball. They had their reasons.........but it's time to evolve with an improving QB and new OC. And just like they had to evolve from Jordan Matthews/Kelvin Benjamin types they need to evolve to add more YAC talent............the lack of diversity of skill in the WR corps cost them dearly last regular season.........which subsequently put them on the road in the playoffs instead of comfortably at home as they should have been.

Devin Singletary is a career 4.7 ypc RB who actually put up better numbers in college than Hall. For comparison........Leonard Fournette.......long lusted after by RB-centric Bills fans........ is just a career 4.0 ypc RB.........and pretty consistently high 3's and low 4's whether playing with Blake Bortles or Tom Brady. Bills fans simply have a bad case of thinking the grass is always greener because the RB has a higher draft stock or runs a better 40 at a bigger size...........which has been proven wrong time and time again. In the unlikely event that the Bills got top of the league production from Hall..........like Nick Chubb or Johnathon Taylor.....5.3 ypc on 15 carries per game(255 carry pace)..........that's a measly 9 more yards total per game versus an average Singletary day. The Bills should definitely add a RB on day 3 because Singletary is a free agent after the season and because it is a very deep pool or RB's............but they don't need to draft one in the first round and park the productive Singletary on the bench or have them split 20 carries per game. McDermott may disagree.........maybe the objective is to pound the rock for 12 games and then go back into panic mode in December and start running Josh Allen 10 times per game. Either way I don't think you need a first round RB. History has proven that over and over.