BADOLBILZ

My favorite rookie stat combo of his was the 209 carries.........but only 7 receptions! As @DCOrange said.........he's the definition of one dimensional............and in that one dimension his career average is just 4.3 yards per carry.......one degree north of the equator.

I agree he was a tremendous pass rusher and would have been an even better fit in today's game. I think he got swept up in the losing culture. The environment around the organization was so awful back then...........Schobel got to a point where he just wanted to fly in for games and not have to be in Buffalo to practice.......a crazy demand..........Buddy Nix couldn't let things degenerate THAT badly so he basically had no choice but to tell Schobel to retire. If Schobel had played for the Patriots I think he plays at least another 3 seasons.

I do believe he opted out because, not yet knowing the consequences of doing so, Beane guaranteed his base salary to get him to take the pay cut. If his base salary wasn't guaranteed and he opted out, Beane could have cut him after the season and Star never sees that money. Like he did EJ Gaines.

I was making the same point the past month when I assumed it was a $2M difference between the option and the tag. Plus, then you are competing against that $12.7 gtd for just one season if you are trying to get a reasonable extension done. People are free to disagree but here are two simple reasons to not unnecessarily guarantee top dollar two years down the line to an off-ball LB when you don't need to: Sam Cowart Takeo Spikes One injury and overnight they went from All Pro to All JAG.

I'm not certain but I wouldn't consider $2.2M a big difference at all when it comes to committing to a fully guaranteed salary 2 years down the road for an off-ball LB. That's what's changed with this 5th year option.........the NFLPA doesn't get much respect but they certainly have succeeded in marginalizing the value of 5th year options. If they are worth picking up the option they are worth that much and 50% guaranteed on a 5 year deal. I don't think I'd put Edmunds in that category.......whether it was $13M or $15M per year.

I suspect they will too...........but as you know I generally am skeptical of their motives because so much of their success has only come after first blundering. I hope they are smarter than that..........it's simple dollars and sense.

Seeing that the 5th year option value with 2 Pro Bowls = the franchise tag value.............I think it would be illogical for the Bills to pick up the option. That's a huge amount of injury risk for what would only amount to a "vote of confidence". Just let him play it out..........dangle the UFA carrot.........and make him EARN that $15M 2022 tag rather than just picking up the option for $15M now.

The above is why, IMO, you have to have systems in place for drafting and not easily stray from them(as so many posters here would do annually for their favorite RB or LB). You need to realize what you said...........that offense is the better investment..........especially when you have a franchise QB. I think the system of only selecting key, big money positions in round 1 (QB, pass rusher, LT, CB1, WR1) allows you some room to address the most critical defensive positions before you hit that slippery slope and start selecting 1T DT's and off-ball LB's. But ultimately, if you have a $40M QB you are going to have to be an offense driven team.

The only time the Bills had that kind of 1T player under McD was the brief period that Dareus was here. Star isn't an automatic double team draw.........he got singled plenty, unfortunately. The 1T position itself lends itself to double teaming schematically.......which is why whoever played it last year (Phillips, Butler, Zimmer, Oliver, Jefferson) all drew consistent double teams. The 3T is positioned on the guard's outside shoulder........so with the OT occupied it's challenging to double team that player. It would be nice to have a 1T like Damon Harrison was a couple years ago who could FORCE double teams with his physical presence and still put up a staggering 70+ tackles..........but instead they have Star who just does draws them because he's positioned there and then labors to average a tackle per game.

Gronk just got a 1 year $10M deal in a depressed market as a UFA. Ertz is under contract for just $8.5M. Once you trade for him any negotiating leverage or incentive to take a pay cut is gone. I could see him on the Bills after he goes thru the process of being released and testing the market........... but he has no real trade value, IMO...........cap figure is too big..........he sees 2020 as an aberration rather than a steep decline.........a similar player has just been paid MORE in UFA etc.. It's not like he's chasing a ring.

Tampa is a team full of grizzled vets........and now a SB ring..........I doubt they will see the value in playing that hard in the regular season after they just went from 7-5 to winning the SB. Chiefs are still the best bet.

Why does Ertz re-work his deal? I don't see where he has any motivation to do so. It's not like he's chasing a ring. I am sure he wants to hit UFA next offseason and that limits the re-structuring options.

Yeah there is a perception that the 1T in the Bills defense is not supposed to make any tackles or plays...........but it isn't the NT position...........the 1T is positioned between the guard and the center which is still an opportunity to shoot gaps and make plays for the right player. In Lotulelei's first two seasons he had 16 TFL's.........his play simply dropped off which is why he's had 16 in his last 5 seasons combined. It doesn't have to be a net zero position statistically. I don't see them using that pick on Barmore though. They just need a big slug with a decent motor to keep the relative status quo of the past 3 seasons of Bills defense. That's not worth a high pick or a lot of money.

They cut Star's pay after the 2019 season and structured the deal so they could release him after the 2020 season. Actions speak louder than words. You can field fluffy quotes about his play all you want............I believe Lorenzo Alexander once said that Tremaine Edmunds was going to be a HOF'er.

No, it doesn't advance his argument. I think you are confused about what I was responding to. I was answering @HappyDays claim that the Bills were unable to replace Star. After a slow start where they tried to make all the DT's share the statistically unrewarding task of playing the 1T.........by midseason they had replaced him with effectively the same level of play or even slightly better. Vernon Butler replicated Star's performance both statistically and stylistically. Butler and Phillips drew their double teams at the line and the Bills front created plenty of clean looks for Edmunds which were still just too often misplayed by Edmunds. Again.......2020 was a MUCH more difficult schedule. They went from maybe their easiest schedule in over 40 years to one of the most difficult schedules in the league. Everything was much easier in 2019 when the Bills were playing a host of unexplosive, one-dimensional offenses. It would be good if they upgraded their 1T. But it's not a position they need another $10M/yr player or first round pick to play. I don't think the Bills even have real confidence that Star will be on the field this year so I do assume they will make a move during or after the draft to add another 1T. Their intention was obviously to cut Star after the 2020 season, hence the structuring of the contract when they forced the pay cut.

If it's the same as the franchise tag there isn't any reason to pick it up and guarantee his pay 2 seasons down the road..........just use the tag when the time comes due. No value in taking the risk..........plus it dangles a carrot this year.

Edmunds had 10 TFL in 2019.........Preston Brown had 7 in 2017. Edmunds has just 9 in his other two seasons combined. You besmirched ol' Preston using TFL numbers as the basis when there really wasn't much difference.....Edmunds hasn't even averaged as many as Preston did to earn his walking papers. Bottom line, neither have been playmakers. And as I've said before.........that 2019 schedule was maybe the easiest they've had since the league went to 16 games. It really caused some unrealistic expectations relative to the talent the Bills defense was putting on the field.

I would say that "in a good year" this years 4th rounders would be 6th or 7th rounders. I wouldn't characterize "normal" drafts as being good. It's hit and miss. Like 2016 was a BAD draft. Look at the back half of that first round. But still there were studs like Michael Thomas and Dak Prescott and Tyreek Hill and good players like Austin Hooper and Matt Judos and DJ Reader as you progressed past the first round. Perhaps the takeaway from that 2016 draft was that taking "off the bus starters" wasn't a great idea in a hit and miss draft. The Bills approach was lose-lose........they drafted guys with low ceilings and found out that they also had low floors.

Preston Brown was top ONE in the entire NFL in tackles in this defense in 2017. Stats aren't going to help defend Edmunds.........his 3 year totals are not impressive.........especially big plays LIKE tfl's and turnover stats. To put the TFL stats in perspective.......he has 19 in 3 years.........Roquan Smith had 18 last year. He hasn't forced or recovered a fumble in his last 42 regular season games. Guy just doesn't make plays anywhere near commensurate to his physical gifts. Also, Edmunds #'s get worse in the playoffs. And saying he is better than a JAG Preston Brown isn't saying much. We are talking about the difference between a guy getting a cheap, one year $4M deal after leading the league in tackles versus Edmunds maybe getting a 5 year $70M deal to keep just being "better than Preston Brown".

Nah, his browser just became incompatible

We are half in agreement: I am on the Liam Eichenberg, Gregory Rousseau and Terrace Marshall bandwagons for this reason..........they have both produced when on the field and have upside and play premium positions. To me, they are all off the board by #30........but as we get closer the big draftniks start getting fed more realistic info and it seems that generally it's believed at least one of them will make it to #30 so not giving up hope. Regarding high floor players at lesser positions.......you can still add players who can just give you good floor production in those spots in free agency..........look at recent signing of Forrest Lamp.........very good upside but also started all 16 games last year. I wouldn't abandon ship on high floor, premium positions just yet. It's not a good draft but it really doesn't change my approach much. The only real change would be that I'd be more amenable to trade a pick for a good player. Having a "Diggs trade" type option come available this year would be an opportunity for a potential Win-Lose trade scenario where the bird in hand could be worth a lot more than the draft pick in the bush. I don't mind win-wins like the Diggs trade but it's definitely more fun when you pants the other team.

Agree but even if Epenesa turns into a great player he's still just a rotation player in this system. The other guy(s) gotta' be good too. Whatever we assume Epenesa will be doesn't really lessen the need there. It's a long term and short term concern. Addison and Hughes are very old, Bam Johnson hasn't produced yet and Obada had almost all of his success rushing from a DT position.

I consider this group of available players as mediocre..........but I will accept bad as a correct answer also because IMO the difference between mediocre and bad is the fact that I think some of the opt outs are going to be good.......and it's hard to tell without having 2020 tape on them. Anytime you have so many unproductive, underachieving or disappointing players projected as first or second round picks....... based heavily on track #'s.......you are probably looking at a poor class.

I think if people were a little more realistic and accepted that there is a very good chance that the teams first and second round picks will not have a major impact on the field as rookies.........then there would be more acceptance of the concept of picking the players who provide the best long term benefit. The reality is that at least half of first round picks fail to meet expectations..........as evidenced by the 5th year option data. It isn't going to be any better in round 2. The objective should be to come out of the annual process of drafting with the most long term value to your organization. If you are trying to fill a position in round 2 with a player that only plays 2 downs or gets taken off the field on obvious passing downs.......on either side of the ball.........then you are definitely doing this the wrong way.

He's been a college and pro LB for 6 years now. Inexperience shouldn't be an excuse for uninstinctive play at LB at this point. The "but he's a young player" crowd reminds me a lot of the people who were insistent that CJ Spiller was going to rush for 2,000 yards after he had just his second 1,000 yard rushing season in 7 seasons of college or pro football. You reach a certain point where it's kinda' foolish to keep expecting a player to turn into something different than what he has been. (which in Spiller's case was the laughable expectation that he was going to become a 350+ carry RB.) Edmunds was raised by a pro football father........he isn't one of the wave of "athletes" we see every draft who weren't exposed to football until late in High School.........he was raised to be a pro football player. The fact that the mental part of his game is what is lagging is a concern.