OldTimer1960

There is probably a bit of truth to this, but I don’t think you can point to Oliver, Sanders, Milano or Rapp’s injuries and conclude that if only they were bigger they would not have gotten hurt. Yes, all undersized, but freak injuries happen.

Question is who could they get and fit under the cap and what would they have to give up? Chris Olave was likely not really available unless they sent a couple of 1s back and I think he would have helped, but wasn’t going to guarantee a SB spot.

Likely two later picks in the first unless Daniel Jones self-destructs.

Problem is a bunch of them are injured and can’t stay healthy when they recover. I love Milano, but he is sadly breaking down, Hairston may eventually be good but he isn’t healthy and has missed basically everything to this point. Dorian Williams seems to have difficulty staying healthy too. Without Hairston, CB is bleak and without Milano and Williams LB is a problem too. We also don’t know how Ogunjobi and Hecht will play after missing so much time and without the benefit of PEDS.

Looking at this roster - only the guys who are healthy and not suspended - I don’t think that it is playoff caliber other than Allen. The defense is just decimated, especially the CB and LB spot. No easy fix there this season. If they choose to go into the trade market, CB has to be a priority.

Defense is trash.

I still think it’s a balance - coverage benefits from pass rush by not having to cover as long and therefore can cover more tightly with less worries about deep shots that take longer to develop. On the flip side good coverage helps the pass rush by giving them time to beat the OL.

3 games into the season, 3 rookie DL and two FA DL on suspension - I think things will improve as the rookies gain some experience and Hoecht and Ogunjobi return. Pass rush needs a little help in the form of pass coverage. Playing soft zone due to secondary personnel doesn’t help the rush at all.

Obviously good for Bills if Likely doesn’t play, but the Bills’ secondary is a disaster area. Under the best of circumstances, the secondary will have to cheat to help vs the run. Now, with who-knows-Whois playing CB and the unsettled S position, it looks like only chance to win is to score a TD on every possession.

Get ready for another year of opponents converting every 3rd down. Is Dorian Stroong the “next man up”?

I voted Outside CB given Hairston's injury. An ACL and a full year of no football for a rookie may have killed his career before it even began. I know that players come back from ACLs, but they are frequently not the same after coming back and Hairston has exactly ZERO NFL experience to fall back on if he loses some speed/quickness.

If Hairston has sustained a serious injury, get ready for the Swiss cheese secondary again. I don’t expect Tre White to remain healthy all season given injuries and age and, welp what are we looking at then?

Leif Larson - incredible strength testing numbers, was sure he would be a good DT - alas he couldn’t move well enough.

Jerry Butler was great - it’s a shame he got hurt early in his career.

Samuel is not a star, I concede that, but he has been significantly better than his 2024 production and I think he will return to his usual production if he is healthy. I think Kincaid will be better too if healthy - as Beane has suggested he needs to get a little stronger as well. Coleman is the wild card. I wasn’t a fan of his selection, but he had started showing flashes before he got hurt. Can he get back to that and improve from there? I don’t know, but that is what they are banking on. I do think that the WR group is not a strength of the team and could use help - especially speed, but I have a hard time criticizing their first 3 picks and could not identify a WR that was available at any of those picks that they should have taken over who they did. If Royals, Horton or Thornton pan out, people will be upset, but if they never do anything we won’t hear a peep. Once round 1 is over, a lot of picks are crap shoots. Go back and look at receivers taken after the early 2nd and then remember how they were all going to be great. Of course there are some good ones but I don’t think it’s a high percentage that turned out. Should probably carve out a separate category for slot receivers as they are easier to find later. Should they have taken Royals or Horton over Walker in round 4? I think that’s a debate that could reasonably be had, but if Walker plays back to pre-back injury 2023 his upside is higher than those receivers- of course only my opinion.