OldTimer1960

It is very hard to win championships and that involves some level of luck (avoidance of bad breaks, injuries, bad calls, etc). Every team should strive to win a championship, but really all any organization can do is put together the best possible team they can and compete. Having the most talented team or the best coach is often not enough. Some (much?) of the disappointment in the Bills this year is related to the false belief that they clearly had more talent than any other team and therefore, it must be that someone f*cked up because they failed to win it all. I believe that the Bills are currently in the top group of organizations in terms of how well they are run. Are they perfect? Of course not, but neither is any other team. I think it would be a major mistake to get rid of Brandon Beane or Sean McDermott. The Bills are competing at the level of the very top teams right now.

I’m not trying to be argumentative, but what assets would he trade to move up, say 20 spots in round 2? I would not want to trade our 2nd and 3rd to move up in the second. Maybe they trade Oliver, but I don’t think you’ll get a high 2nd rounder for him given he is due a new contract soon. What I am suggesting is that it might not be easy to address OL in the late 2nd, so that makes Robinson an ill-advised luxury pick, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean that I am certain to be right - just how I see it.

How will you get Darnell Wright and Bijon Robinson in the draft. I would be very surprised if Wright makes it past early-mid 2nd.

I’m just noting that in 5 years, they will have a hole whereas selection of a good OL leaves the possibility that he is still with your team and performing well for maybe 3-4 more years. Additionally, picking Robinson with this OL will dilute his value/production until they can fix the line. The Eagles are not a great running team because Miles Sanders is the best RB in the league, it is because they have a really good OL and weapons in the passing game that spread defenses thin. I am wholeheartedly on board with Bills improving their run game, I just think that is better and more sustainably done through a good OL and other weapons to threaten a defense than through picking an Uber-talented runner and dumping him behind a weak OL with only 1 NFL starting caliber WR.

Slot is where Boutte played a lot, too. I agree Downs’ size really limits him to that and Boutte at least has decent size to play out wide, but not sure he did it much.

If the talent lines up with our picks, remember the Bills’ 2nd round pick is only a few picks from being top of 3rd round and their 3rd is nearly a 4th rounder. All things being equal, I’d hope for 2 good OL in this draft. One more OL isn’t going to fix that group. I agree that WR is a big need. If they go that way, I’d look at Josh Downs before Boutte. Rice might be ok.

He is good, no doubt. I don’t think he would be nearly as good behind a poor OL in an offense that only runs the ball occasionally. RBs really don’t generally have long careers, so if you draft one you figure he is on your team four only 4-5 years. A good OL can play much longer.

I think because the WR class is not as good as years past, some are projecting guys like Boutte and Rice into the first. I just don’t want to see them reach for wr just to get one if there are better players available at other positions, like OT, G, C. Rice and Boutte seem on different paths. Rice seems to have helped his stock with a good year where Boutte was hyped highly going in, but failed to really show he was a first rounder. Maybe both will go early, if I had to choose one I’d take Rice, but I would lean OL there because I don’t think either Rice or Boutte are real game changers. Long way to go before the draft and I could change me opinion when I see some game tape of each.

I don’t think Boutte is going to be a consideration for any team in round 1, but who knows? He is reportedly highly talented, but he wasn’t really dominant in college.

Henry Riggs didn’t.

Well, that is really the only real option because they don’t have cap room to bring in any significant FAs. Mid-tier FAs may be a pipe dream.

The team was 13-3 with a ton of inuries - particularly the secondary - they lost a home game to a blizzard, they had travel disrupted by another blizzard, had several games where Allen’s elbow wasn’t fully right and had a player literally dead on the field. I am not saying they are perfect. I am not saying that they should just stand pat. I AM saying: 1. They went 13-3 in a very difficult season, in a very difficult division 2. There are other excellent teams in the league, too. It isn’t hyperbole to say that there were at least 8 teams on their level in terms of talent and some were subjectively more talented. This is a very well run organization, but there are other well run organizations in the league, too.

We’ll have to see if any of the prospects show that kind of talent through the Shrine and Senior Bowl games and the combine. Would love to find a very good outside WR prospect, but if one isn’t there, totally comfortable going OL, especially OT if a better prospect is available.

The thing is that Watson went 34th - 25 picks earlier than the Bills 2nd round pick this year. 34th is only 7 later than the Bills 1st pick. I am just highlighting that there is a big difference between an early pick and a late pick in the same round.

While I agree that the offense needs help, the last 3 years, Bills really haven’t picked early in rounds. Picking late, you have to balance best player among who’s left by your turn vs positions you might really want to pick. I had no problem with Rousseau pick and I didn’t mind Epenesa and Basham picks. Late 2nd and they are contributing, not stars, but OK. It can be argued that maybe Epenesa or Basham should have been passed for someone on O, but who?

That will be the question for sure. I don’t know that he has the high-end arm talent to be a top pro. He is also much older than most college QBs (25), so you would expect top understanding and leadership at the college level.

I don’t understand your last comment above. Singletary has been good, Cook looked very good so far. Do you mean they haven’t found a dominant 20 carry/game back? There are very few of those guys in today’s NFL.

I think Stetson Bennett will be a middling backup, but I have been wrong about a lot of QBs.

Safety or CB isn’t exciting, but look at the receivers in this division - Miami has Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle along with a good TE and RB. If they had Tua, they would have won the Wild Card game. Jets have Garrett Wilson who killed the Bills this year. I think likely they add another WR early and will have the immortal Breece Hall at RB (if healthy).

This is likely going to be the problem with taking WR at 27. At that spot, you are likely taking a compromise WR for need over better players at other positions. Maybe someone like Rashee Rice will show that he deserves a late round 1 selection, but as of now looks like they won’t get a sniff of the two top prospects in Johnston and Addison. I love what I’ve seen of a couple slot receivers, but can you really take a slot only guy that early and think that is a better plan than an OT or other premium position player that can be more versatile?

See Spencer Brown. He is exceptionally tall with long arms too, but so far has not been very good at pass blocking. I am still hopeful that Brown, who had basically no offseason strength training due to his back, can make a big jump next year - if his back is healthy. That being said, I would not be opposed to an OT early - especially one who could play G if Brown improves or play RT if Brown doesn’t.

Isn’t Allen’s contract brand new? Probably not a lot of room to do too much.

He is good, but I would not put him on Barry Sanders’ level. The Bills currently don’t have the OL to take advantage of Robinson’s talent.

Singletary is one of my favorite players. I love the shiftiness and hard running for his size, but if any team offers him a substantial amount, Bills will have to let him leave. They have to be very careful with how the spend cap money now that Allen’s big contract is kicking in.

It’s a highlight video, of course most of the passes shown are right on the money.