hondo in seattle

Weirdly, I'm very happy with this signing and yet at the same time I don't expect much from him. I think he'll be the #5 receiver and will see only see limited action in specific packages - unless of course there's an injury. I think we now have a respectable, though certainly not elite, WR room.

I share this long-term frustration, even acknowledging that Diggs as a counterargument. It seems to me that when a team lands a QB with generational talent, two things ought to become priorities: (A) You get him a bunch of big uglies on the OL as a capable bodyguard. (B) You get him someone to throw to. I don't feel like Beane's ignored A or B entirely. But it feels like when Josh has had pass catchers to throw the ball to, he didn't have bodyguards providing him the time to throw. And when he finally got a line that gave him time to throw, he had no one to throw to. It just doesn't seem the best way to make use of Josh's talent.

Doesn't go down easy.

1-32 are WR1 33-64 are WR2 65-96 are WR3 His rating seems about right for the role he's play for us.

My SWAG... Starter 2nd Team Safety Rapp Hamlin Bishop Forrest CB Benford Dane Jackson Hairston Tre Nickel Taron Hancock But there's lots of uncertainty with Tre maybe or maybe not making a good recovering, 2nd year guys maybe stepping up in their sophomore years, and 3 rookies who are always question marks.

While Josh has a tremendously strong arm, his deep accuracy is merely average. It's no reason not to throw deep. Facing Cover 2 and Cover 3 a lot is. So is having receivers who don't get separation deep. In either case, it's a problem. The most impotent offenses put defenses on their heels with they can effectively attack every part of the field.

Although I gave it a B, I do have concerns. Ignoring special teams, there are four areas in a football contest. Run offense, pass offense, run defense, pass defense. As I see it right now, only one of those (pass defense) got better. I dread seeing King Henry again and still wish for a speedy separator at wideout.

I gave it a "B." I have little freaking idea if any of these kids will turn out to be valuable starters. But Beane usually scores around a "B" so I'm guessing this draft class turns out to be a "B" as well.

I'm not good with our draft. I think the NFL should have a rule that any team that's been around 50 years or more and still doesn't have a Super Bowl victory will be given 2 picks each round.

I'll grant you this: The draft is a game of probabilities. There are no certainties. A scout once said that no college players play at the NFL level. What you have to do as a scout is guess who'll step up and who won't. It may be an educated guess but it's still a guess. And Beane guesses right somewhat more often than other GMs. I think his track record shows that, so I'm perpetually hopeful. But I don't count anyone in the draft as a given.

Beane attacked the first two days of the draft with a commitment to make our pass D better. He got a CB who's better in coverage than run support. A 1 tech who's built more like a 3 tech and better at penetration than holding up against big run blockers. And a DE who's better at rushing the QB than setting the edge. Despite how King Henry gashed us, it doesn't seem like improving the run D was a priority. And despite the facts that our #1 RB is holding out and our wideouts don't separate well, neither was the offense. I'd love to see us get a speedy wideout but at this point, I'm mostly expecting BPA.

I'm a fan so I will have opinions sometimes. If Beane had drafted Shedeur, for example, I would have yelled angrily at my TV screen: WTF! Still, as a Purdue alum, I once said Drew Brees would become a good pro QB. I got that right. Then again, I had previously said the same thing about Scott Campbell. We all suffer from bad guesses. The same GM who gave us Josh Allen also gave us Kaiir Elam. It's like asking the weatherman for a forecast months in advance. Meteorology and NFL Scouting are crappy predictive sciences. So, most of the time, I don't dabble. In my mind, any of Beane's picks could be an All Pro in a few years. Or dishwashers at the local greasy spoon. I'll find out when I find out.

I was hoping for a speedy receiver in the first three picks. Now, I'm just not sure. Guys picked this late usually don't see the field very much, so I don't care who we get. Then again, Shakir was a fifth rounder. So, yeah, I still want a speedy wideout.

I've been wrong so many times about drafts that I've given up having an opinion. I don't trust Beane - or any GM - to get all their picks right. I don't trust so-called draft experts to get all their evaluations right. I don't trust my own evaluation of college tape. I do trust time: Time will tell. I'll have an opinion on this draft in 2 or 3 years.

So you'll trust the opinion of casual Gamecock fans over the opinion of a professional NFL GM and his scouts? Interesting choice. Personally, I don't actually trust anyone - not even myself. I've read the scouting reports, looked at the highlights, and still haven't formed an opinion. I'll wait to see him play in the NFL.

Why reference Kiper's board? Kiper's board was put together by Kiper. Beane's board was put together by Beane and his entire staff of professionals. Do you think Kiper's board is better? I think Kiper is a smart guy but remember when he swore that he'd quit his draft work if Jimmy Clausen didn't become a successful NFL quarterback? His board means nothing to me.

I get the disappointment about not choosing a 1 tech but, still, this is my favorite comment!

Maybe things are a bit different now with the reemergence of RBs. But in the heyday of the passing league, the most important positions on defense were corner and edge. I don't think it's much different now.

I went with Sanders. He probably wasn't the biggest surprise but, for me, he was the most interesting. Kiper compared it to the fall of Aaron Rodgers and thinks Sanders is a first round talent. On the other hand, an anonymous NFL coach said Sanders gave "the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life," citing entitlement, poor body language, and a tendency to blame teammates.

I personally feel better about his pick than I did about Elam. But let's be honest, I'm just a fan who knows little about the nuances of talent evaluation. Even professional GMs often get things wrong. For example, Bill Polian who got two teams into the Super Bowl once traded away a first-round pick to get Tony Ugoh who went on to became a career journeyman backup. So I don't have 100% confidence in Beane who, after all, picked Elam high. But I have even less faith in Joe Marino or Dougie from NFLSuperDraftExperts.com who writes his takes on his laptop as he suffers from irritable bowel syndrome on the toilet of his shabby apartment paid for by his unemployment checks. I am interested in expert opinions (ex scouts, coaches, and I'll include guys like Cosell) but I'm not sure why the naysayers back up their arguments with the opinions of non-experts. Just give us your own take. Half of us will be wrong and that's okay.

That was hilarious!

Brandon Beane likes Hairston. So does Greg Cosell. But the pimply cellar dweller who runs NFL Draft Files doesn't. I'm worried now.

Shout out to Gonzo and GunnerBill. They predicted the Bills taking Hairston in their podcast. And I feel better about our CB room now.

I asked ChatGPT if Brandon Beane were to allow a Bills fan (one who posts on TBD), who should it be. It responded: If Brandon Beane were to allow a Buffalo Bills fan to run the draft, based on recent discussions on Two Bills Drive, the following posters have demonstrated a strong understanding of the draft process and could competently handle the responsibility: RyanC883: With over 15,000 posts, RyanC883 has been actively involved in mock drafts and discussions, showcasing a deep understanding of player evaluations and team needs. Two Bills Drive NewEra: A member with over 31,000 posts, NewEra has provided insightful analyses on draft prospects and team strategies, indicating a comprehensive grasp of draft dynamics. Two Bills Drive GunnerBill: Holding the highest post count on the forum, GunnerBill has been a consistent contributor to draft discussions, offering well-informed opinions on player selections and team needs. Two Bills Drive These individuals have demonstrated the knowledge and engagement necessary to make informed decisions during the draft process. While other members like BuffaloBillyG and Solomon Grundy have also contributed valuable insights, their involvement in draft discussions appears to be more recent or less extensive. Two Bills Drive In conclusion, based on their active participation and demonstrated understanding, RyanC883, NewEra, and GunnerBill would be among the best choices to competently run the Bills draft.Two Bills Drive+1Two Bills Drive+1 Sources

Gonzo and GunnerBill projected Hairston for the Bills in Round 1 as well. The stars are aligning...