ChanOverChin

I think that Hauschka will turn out to be a huge addition and will be a big weapon, esp. in very close games. We could steal 2-3 games because Hauschka is one of the top long range 2-3 kickers in the entire league. The battle between Schmidt and rookie Rehkow rages on. Schmidt was one of the very worst punters in the league last year. Rehkow was the best punter to come out of college this year and has a big time leg. He could easily unseat Schmidt and be a nice improvement in the punting game.

The '17 Bills are definitely better on paper than the '16 Bills. A full season from Watkins, Clay, Sh. Lawson and the addition of Bolden, Ragland, T. White, Hyde, Hodges will do wonders. Henderson and Dawkins will likely be upgrades over Mills. Not to mention that Dennison's Denver offense is thought to be the best in the league and very well suited for a mobile QB like Taylor. It's also likely to spring McCoy and J. Williams for a lot of big gainers. Frazier' 4-3 defense is also much better suited for the personnel that the Bills currently have. Hughes and Lawson were lost last year. This year they should thrive. The biggest weakness is in the secondary. More help is needed there. More depth at DE would also be nice behind Hughes, Lawson, and Alexander (who will ply DE in obvious passing situations. Are R. Davis and Yarbrough capable contributors??

Humber rhymes with slumber...........so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. He's a good ST player, but I don't expect him to be a standout LB. Our best LBs in order of ability: 1. Ragland. 2. Alexander. 3. Brown. 4. Hodges. 5. Humber. 6. Vallejo. 7. Milano. I expect the first three to be our starters in the standard 4-3. Hodges will mix in, esp. for coverage situations. Vallejo has outplayed Milano thus far.

Mark this as the "most asinine post of the year" by an OP. Easily the MOST asinine. Ragland is a stud. Give him some time to get acclimated to the NFL and McD's new system.

We really only have four LBs who can be counted on........Ragland, P. Brown, Alexander, and Hodges. Frazier will find a way to play the best of the four according to down and distance. Alexander may be out of position at LB, but he sure seems to be able to adapt well quickly. He played LB in the pro Bowl recently and voted Pro Bowl MVP. I happen to think that Ragland is going to be the best of the four. By the end of the fourth preseason game that will be quite evident. You can bet that Ragland will be starting, whether at MLB or OLB. Brown is accustomed to being the defensive play caller. That means that the coaches trust him considerably. He played quite well in Schwartz's 4-3 defense as the MLB calling out the defensive alignments. I think the Bills may lean on him to be their MLB for awhile until Ragland gets his feet wet. In the meantime, Ragland will likely play OLB because he's too damn good to not have on the field. Hodges is a bona fide NFL starting LB. He definitely looks the part. He will play OLB for the Bills and likely spell Ragland and Alexander. Alexander will be expected to be a third down pass rushing specialist as well as play on ST. He'll be playing OLB because he too is too damn good to not have on the field.

Let's compare the Bills starter from 2016 vs 2017 to see if the team, at least on paper, is better or worse than last year. Bills Starters - 2016 OFFENSE: QB Taylor RB McCoy FB Felton WR Watkins * WR Woods * TE Clay LT Glenn LG Incognito OC Wood RG Miller RT Mills Other prominent players: QB Manuel, RB Gillislee, WR Goodwin, WR Hunter, TE O'Leary, OC/OG Groy, OT Kouandjio. DEFENSE: LB Hughes DT Dareus * DT K. Williams DL Washington LB Z. Brown LB P. Brown LB Alexander CB Gilmore CB Darby S C. Graham S A. Williams * Other prominent players: DL Douzable, DL McCray, DL S. Lawson, LB Spikes, CB Robey-Coleman, CB Seymour, S D. Williams, S Meeks. K Carpenter P Schmidt LS Sanborn Bills Starters - 2017 OFFENSE: QB Taylor RB McCoy FB DiMarco (NEW) WR Watkins WR Holmes (NEW) TE Clay LT Glenn LG Incognito OC Wood RG Miller RT Dawkins (NEW) Other prominent players: QB Yates, RB J. Williams, RB M. Tolbert, WR Z. Jones, WR C. Brown, WR Streater, TE O'Leary, OC/OG Groy, OT Mills, OG Ducasse. DEFENSE: DE Hughes DT Dareus DT K. Williams DE S. Lawson (NEW) LB Hodges (NEW) LB Ragland (NEW) LB Alexander CB White (NEW) CB Darby S Hyde (NEW) S Poyer (NEW) Other prominent players: DT Worthy, DT Washington, DE R. Davis, LB P. Brown, LB Humber, LB Milano, CB S. Wright, CB Seymour, CB L. Coleman, S S. Gary. K Haischka (NEW) P Rehkow (NEW) LS Ferguson (NEW) SUMMARY OFFENSE: Three new starters in DiMarco, Holmes, and Dawkins. Watkins missed most of the season so he is like adding a new, very talented player. Woods also missed a lot of time. DiMarco is an improvement over Felton because DiMarco can actually catch the ball and is a better blocker. Players like Holmes, Dawkins, Z. Jones, J. Williams, Tolbert, O'Leary, and C. Brown can make this a much improved offense over last year. The biggest improvement may come from Taylor and McCoy under Dennison's new short passing ball control scheme, which may very well be one of the top 3 offensive schemes in the NFL. DEFENSE: Six new starters in Lawson, Hodges, Ragland, White, Hyde, and Poyer. Lawson and Ragland could provide a huge impact. Hyde is a special player and a new team leader. White is a rookie but seems to be mature beyond his years and a very solid player. Hodges looks the part. Poyer could be a liability (may be a little too light/frail). Dareus missed four games and was out of shape most of the year. Getting him primed for this year would make a big difference for Mr. Big Stuff. This may be a more talented defense if Lawson and Ragland turn out to be as talented as expected. Players like Worthy, Washington, Davis, P. Brown, Humber, Seymour, Wright, and L. Coleman will need to step up and contribute when called upon. The depth doesn't seem to be as good when compared to last year. K/P/LS: Three new players in Hauschka, Rehkow, Ferguson. Hauschka is a definite improvement over Carpenter, who proved that he could no longer be counted on. His big leg (capable of 60 yd FGs) could help the Bills to steal a game or two this year. Rehkow figures to outperform Schmidt, who was one of the worst punters in the league last year. Rehkow's versatility puts him over the top. Reports say that Ferguson is a very dependable LS at a much more affordable price than Sanborn. OVERALL: Keeping Taylor, McCoy, Watkins, and Clay is a big key. Can the defense mount a pass rush with just their front four?? Can the defense cover on the back end with the likes of White (rookie), Seymour, and Poyer playing prominent roles?? Can McDermott match wits with more experienced NFL HCs?? Can the offense adapt quickly to Dennison's new scheme?? Can the defense adjust to Frazier's new 4-3 scheme?? There are a lot of unknowns, but certainly a lot to be excited about.

BillsVet, All you have to do is watch him play. He was considered to be a R1 pick, even a top 3 pick at one time. He plays the game with more aggression than most players. He has the pedigree. Besides, my son, I mean Reggie is just a great kid. He's definitely something to get excited about if you're a true Bills fan.

The point that you're missing is that Ragland is an impact player. Is he going to miss some tackles?? yep, probably. But because he loves to hit and hit hard he intimidates other players. He causes turnovers. He doesn't just make tackles. He tries to break people in half. He tries to break their will to play the game. I thought he was a real standout player for Alabama, even amongst the many stud players that they have (and that is hard to do). He was the Captain of that 2015 Alabama team, which should tell you something. He is supremely confident, aggressive, fearless, and very talented.

I think we'll see a much different player this year. First, Lawson had surgery and missed about half the season last year. Second, as a result he was not in the best possible physical condition. Third, he was asked to play a position that he was not familiar with and that did not play to his strengths. Now fully healthy and with an entire training camp soon to have under his belt, he'll be much better prepared for this coming season. Add in that he will play the 4-3 DE position that he is accustomed to playing and the result is that we have a much better chance of seeing the guy who was viewed by many as the very best DL in the 2016 Draft. That's something to be excited about.

DE Shaq Lawson, the #11 pick overall in 2016 and possibly the best defensive lineman in the 2016 Draft, had a bad shoulder which required surgery. Thus, Lawson was never fully healthy and in prime condition in 2016. Getting Lawson back healthy this year and playing him in his more familiar 4-3 DE position should do wonders for him. Like Ragland, getting Lawson back healthy is just like giving the Bills an extra first round pick in 2017. Enjoy!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duQ0csOVe4I.

Don't be sleepin' on this guy. He's a first round talent if you ask me. Since Ragland missed all of last year with an ACL tear it's just like we got an extra R1 pick this year. Enjoy!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bzn7AN9k1s.

C'mon, it's definitely safety. Hyde is a very good player. After that, lots of luck. Hopefully the Bills are just waiting out Graham and/or Byrd. TE is fine with Clay and O'Leary (much improved) and DiMarco who will play the blocking TE role with some nice prospects behind them....as long as Clay stays healthy that is. Signing Barnidge would be nice insurance. WR is fine as long as Watkins plays most of the year. Jones, Holmes, Brown, and Streater are all capable contributors. DE is fine if you consider that Alexander will be used as a pass rushing specialist in obvious passing situations. Hughes, Lawson, Alexander, and R. Davis are the main guys. After that it's a crapshoot. The Bills have high hopes for Seymour. Wright and Coleman could be pleasant surprises. This team still needs to add some players. Staying healthy is the key to making the playoffs.

I think both teams are finally on the right track. The Bills with Beane and McD, two R1 picks in 2018, and a ton of cap space in 2018. The Sabres with Botterill and Housley and building the team by starting with the defense. It may still take a few years, but it all starts at the top. I think both teams have the right people in place to make the right decisions to get them to where they want to be. My prediction: Bills in three years (once Brady calls it quits). Sabres in three years (Botterill needs time for the young guys to mature and to add some key vets).

I think the Bills are better at QB than they were last year. #1 Dennison's offense is taylor-made for Taylor (yes, pun intended). I think this season will bear that out. In addition, Taylor has another year under his belt as a full-fledged NFL starting QB. That has to count for something. In fact, it should help to boost his confidence and allow him to be much more of a leader of the offense. Carucci says that it will hurt Taylor that the Bills haven't committed to him long term. I could just as easily say that it could work to the Bills' favor because he could play with a chip on his shoulder and out to prove that he deserves to be the starting QB for the Bills and to be paid the big money long term. #2 Manuel turned out to be nothing but a big tease. He just doesn't have what it takes upstairs. Yates is easily an upgrade over him. #3 Peterman gives the Bills something they haven't had in a long time.......a young QB who has a real chance to develop into a long time starter. Yet another upgrade.

I don't think the Bills are setting themselves up to tank this year. If they were they would NOT have resigned T. Taylor and would have instead planned to start rookie QB N. Peterman (which is pretty much what the Jets are planning to do in addition to releasing many of their better, proven, vet players). Remember, McD is a rookie HC who knows that he needs to prove himself as an NFL HC. If he doesn't show that he can handle himself well against other NFL HCs he could be gone. Thus, I think the Bills (Beane and McD) are planning to try to win with what they have, fill in a few gaps, but not go all the way because they have their eyes on the future. However, if things go south early (say they start out 1-7 for example) I could see them replacing Taylor with Peterman to give Peterman some experience and show what he can do. The tank would be in full swing in that case because Peterman, who may have a bright future, is probably not going to be ready to start full time this year.

I think we still need more help at the positions that I have mentioned above. The S position is very weak after Hyde and Poyer. Hyde is an excellent player. Poyer still has much to prove. Beyond that the Bills have very little. At LB the Bills will start Hodges, Ragland, and Alexander, but is Alexander really well suited to play OLB?? That remains to be seen. If not then either Humber or P. Brown will be asked to step in and I'm not sure that is a good thing. At CB the Bills will likely start Darby and T. White with Seymour, Wright, and Coleman providing depth. That's just not good enough IMHO. At least one more solid CB is needed. Adding Barnidge would greatly improve the offense and might preclude the need to add another vet WR. Adding De. Williams would add another dimension to the offense because Dennison likes to pass the ball to his RBs quite a bit.

I'm just glad that the Bills are still seriously considering adding players to improve their roster. Obviously, they were serious about adding a big name FA WR in J. Maclin, which also means that they have acknowledged that they still have a deficiency at WR that needs to be addressed. It's apparent that there are still many valuable FAs on the market who can be signed at the right price. Unfortunately for the Bills, these guys are going to try to remain unsigned for as long as it takes for them to make the most money possible. I would advise the Bills to serious consider the following players. All fill a need. Some may not be great players anymore, but they help to improve the roster at a low cost and at a low risk. RB De. Williams - He's older, but he can still be very effective as a complement to McCoy. McD knows him well from his days in Carolina. TE G. Barnidge - The best TE on the market. Great possession type receive. He will help to move the chains. WR E. Decker - Still a very good player. He needs to get back to full strength. LB P. Riley - Would add good value, depth. LB D. Levy - Starting caliber player who can do it all. CB B. Flowers - Very talented. He needs to recover fully from his injuries. S C. Graham - More depth is needed at S. He'd be a good value signing. S J. Byrd - Again, more depth is needed at S. I think he can help us for the right price. Would he come back to Buffalo to ply for his Dad??

Coach McD has made it clear, even recently, that he and Beane are always on the lookout for players who they can bring in to create more competition and help to improve the team. With that being said, here are 10 available free agents who can make an impact in 2017. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2715195-10-nfl-free-agents-who-can-make-an-impact-in-2017?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nfl. FYI, WR E. Decker is one of them. In fact, of the 10 that are listed, I believe that WR Decker, WR Boldin, TE Barnidge, LB Riley, LB Levy, CB Flowers, and CB/S Revis can all help to improve the Bills in 2017.

It's well deserved. McCoy is still one of the very best RBs in the entire league. He could win the rushing title this year with Dennison's Denver offense in place. Giving Shady multiple cut back lanes is going to be a long run waiting to happen.

Guys who have a good chance to be cut: QB Yates P Schmidt WR Butler Guys who won't likely be cut: LB Alexander - Still very effective as a PR and ST demon. DT Washington - Young, talented, DT depth is poor. LB P. Brown - Young, talented, LB depth is poor. DE Hughes - Too good, DE depth is very poor. You realize that a lot will depend upon the philosophy that Beane/McD take when it comes time to determine the final roster. Will they try to win in 2017 or will they try to go young and try to create max. cap space for next year?? If they add a few more players at key positions they could be a nice surprise team in 2017. if not, they could end up going the "tank it" route. If they go the "tank it" route then clearly guys like QB Yates and DT K. Williams and even TE Clay could be released to create cap space for next year.

We're not going to trade Ragland. First of all, the guy has the potential to be a star. Secondly, we are woefully thin at LB. I project that our three starting LBs this year will be: OLB Hodges, MLB Ragland, OLB Alexander. The Bills need to keep P. Brown to be the backup MLB. He may not be a great player, but he's still pretty good. After that, it gets to be very dicey. Humber (played for NE) is the next best player and could play some OLB, but is mostly a ST guy. Bradford (played for GB) has a real shot to make the team as an OLB and ST player. Milano and Vallejo are small OLBs. I don't expect either player to contribute much except on ST. There's no guarantee that either will even make the final roster, esp. if the Bills keep only 6 LBs.

TE Annen was released today, which opens up a roster spot for the Bills. Will they fill the roster spot with another TE, WR, LB, S, CB?? Having lost Maclin to the Ravens on a 2 yr $11M contract maybe the Bills will consider signing WR Decker, who was recently released?? Possibly TE Barnidge?? I'd take Decker and Barnidge as a nice consolation prize for not being able to sign Maclin. The Bills have to be considering the signing of a S at this point. Safeties Byrd, Graham, and Gilchrist are still out there.

Decker, when cut by the Jets, would be a very good signing on the cheap. I don't expect the Bills to make anymore major moves. I expect that they will only sign FA players on the cheap. I think Beane and McD are looking more towards next year when they will likely have possibly two high R1 picks and $50M+ in cap space to significantly improve the roster.

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/6/12/15781198/buffalo-bills-baltimore-ravens-jeremy-maclin-decide-his-future-today. It's between Buffalo and Baltimore. Will he go for the most cash?? He has the most familiarity with the Bills. Taylor and McCoy actively recruited him. My guess is that it's about 70-30 in the Bills' favor because of the familiarity and because the Bills are in a position to offer him more money. I'd love to know what Andy Reid told McD when McD inquired about why Maclin was waived from the Chiefs earlier this year.

Yep.