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hondo in seattle

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    We have not taken a step back.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    While I think the roster right now is worse than last year's, I'm not a complete curmudgeon.

     

    If we enter the playoffs healthy, I believe we have a chance to make a run even with this squad.   

     

    The best team doesn't always win the Lombardi.  Sometimes being healthy and hot make the day - though that's not anything I've ever personally experienced.   

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    The Case for Trading Back [Discussion]

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    Obviously, it depends on need, players available, and so on...  But I generally like trading back.

     

    Talent evaluation is an imperfect science.  There's no certainty in the draft.  It's a crap shoot.  So the more rolls of the dice, the better your chances of getting someone good.  

    We have not taken a step back.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    23 minutes ago, Doc said:

     

    McGovern is the putative starter.  Clapp is the backup.

     

    As for the secondary, Poyer was washed and Tre missed almost the entire season.  And I think at worst they could get Hyde to come back given the soft safety market.  Linebacker will be set.  The issue is replacing Floyd.  Hopefully that's done by Von.

     

    Doc, I know McGovern is the starter.  He was already on the squad last season, so I don't know how Morse's departure makes us better as the OP asserted when the OL roster clearly got worse (Morse released, Clapp signed).    Maybe McGovern will be a revelation as a starting center and play better than Morse.  And maybe Edwards, who seems likely to take over McGovern's vacated guard spot, plays guard better than McGovern.  But it's too many maybes.  

     

    And for DE...  Floyd gave us double digit sacks last season.  If you want to think about it this way, his replacement as stud DE is Von who's coming off a significant injury and hasn't had double-digit sack production since 2018.  

     

    Overall, I'm just not seeing a better roster - yet.  Though I'm hoping for the following:

     

    *  Our key defensive players are healthier this season than they've been the past couple of years.

     

    *  Beane finds some impact players in free agency and the draft.

     

    *  Brady turns out to be a lights-out OC who gets the most out of his offensive players.  

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    We have not taken a step back.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted · Edited by hondo in seattle

    12 minutes ago, Chaos said:

    Well we finished top 8 again last year.  Most any roster with Josh Allen at QB, is a top 8 roster.  I think the real question is "Have we taken a step forward?"

     

    That's the right question.  

     

    Offense.  

     

    WR - maybe a slight step forward.

     

    OL - I'm not sure how shedding Morse and picking up the Clapp makes the OL better.

     

    OC - I don't know if Brady will be better this year than last year.  I hope so.  But saying so is just hope and speculation. 

     

    Overall, the O seems about the same.

     

    Defense.  

     

    We lost some good starters and gained some low-end starters and back-ups.  The secondary, in particular, doesn't look as stout as it did back when Poyer, Hyde, and Tre were all in their primes.  I'm not seeing a better roster.  

     

    But health is a factor here.  If Milano and the D stays healthier this season than it has in past years, and if Von returns to form, we could perform better defensively than last year.

     

    The offseason isn't over yet but - other than Mafia Optimism - I see no reason to believe the roster is better than another top eight finish.  

     

     

     

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    Pass rusher. A huge need not being talked about enough

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    I disagree that DE is not being talked about.  People mention it in "What starting spots still need to be filled?" and other threads.

     

    I do agree it's a concern though I guess it depends on how you feel about Von.  If he returns to form, we're okay.  If not, it's a problem.  In today's NFL, you need to pressure the QB and I don't trust Epenesa and Groot to do enough of that.  

     

    And this isn't our only concern.  I'm worried about this being another playoff year that doesn't end in a Super Bowl appearance.  Good but not good enough.  

    What starting spots still need to be filled?

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    Looking at the current roster, all 22 expected starters are legit.  They could all start on other teams.  My concern is that this fact doesn't make this a SB roster.

     

    I worry about the secondary.  It was once anchored by Poyer, Hyde, and White in their primes.  It's not elite anymore.

     

    I think Samuel is a legit replacement for Davis.  But I'm hoping we don't go into 2024 with a wideout group comparable to 2023's.  I want something noticeably, significantly better.   Josh deserves that.  So does the mafia.  

     

    IOL/OL...  When you have a QB as talented as Josh, you want a talented bodyguard upfront to give him time to throw and keep him healthy.  The current OL is okay, but I'd love to see a couple of Pro Bowlers up there.  

     

    Edge.  Considering it's a passing league, if I was a GM these might be the first four positions I'd prioritize: QB, WR, CB, Edge.  If you have a superstar in each of these roles, your odds are pretty good.  Depending on Von's health, we have some decent DEs but we lack a difference-maker.  

     

    RB.  I'm fine with Cook as the starter but a bruising Cookie Gilchrist/King Henry type back for short-yardage situations and light boxes would be an excellent complement.  

    Safety Julian Blackmon visiting Bills

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

    Not bad. Check the chart and find your favorite safeties.

     

     

     

    I like Blackmon because he's versatile.  He can play free, strong, slot...  McD loves versatile safeties (like Poyer and Hyde) because they help him disguise his defensive calls.  Opposing QBs are uncertain who's doing what.  

     

    The chart shows performance from 2019 to 2023 and actually rates Blackmon better than Poyer or Hyde at "Separation Prevented" which surprises me.  In fact, Blackmon is rated among the best in the league.     

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    Predict Reception Yardage Leaders

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    2 hours ago, boyst said:

    i think knox may get more yards because of playing time. simple as that.

     

    the other part is bias thinking he is better than he has been the last two years.

     

    I think Samuel may do well here.  I think, in some ways, he's better than Gabe.   But his production will depend on the mysterious rookie.  If the Bills draft a wideout in the first or second rounds and make him the starter, Samuel's production will suffer.  

     

    Brady is the other wildcard.  I wasn't overly impressed with Brady's first half-season.  But maybe with a full offseason to tweak the playbook and implement his own offense, he'll show us something good.  It'll be interesting to see how he makes use of Samuel, Knox, and his other weapons.  

    Predict Reception Yardage Leaders

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted · Edited by hondo in seattle

    3 hours ago, boyst said:

    How do you think 2024's season will finish with regard to the yardage per player for our team:

     

    Diggs

    Rookie

    Kincaid

    Knox

    Samuel

    Shakir

    Hollins

    Shorter
    Cook

     

    My choice:

    Diggs

    Kincaid

    Rookie

    Shakir

    Cook

    Samuel

    Knox

    Hollins

    Shorter

     

    I don't think they're paying Samuel to be the 5th or 6th target though it depends a lot on the speculative rookie.  We'll see.  

     

     

    • Agree 1

    We are set at WR. Maybe we’ll grab one in Round 6.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    8 hours ago, BringBackFergy said:

    Speaking of Lombardi Trophy - Would you say the Chief’s WR room was stellar last year? The answer is NO

     

    Fergy, this is a fair point.   

     

    But when you throw in Kelce, Mahomes had good targets to throw to.  And even if KC's wideouts weren't all-stars, Reid knew how to scheme them open.  

     

    The more important point is that you can't fill up a roster with jags and expect to win the Super Bowl.   A GM ought to aim for SB quality in every position group.  And then settle for what he can actually afford.  But too much settling leads to mediocrity.  

     

    To get your money's worth out of an expensive and supremely talented QB like Josh, I think you need to give him a couple of Pro Bowl level targets and a good bodyguard/OL and economize at RB.  

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    We are set at WR. Maybe we’ll grab one in Round 6.

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    14 hours ago, BringBackFergy said:

    Diggs, Shakir, Hollins, Samuel, Shorter…even Kincaid (WR/TE). Nice WR room.

     

    Face it…we need an interior O lineman or a safety.
     

    Deal with it.  

     

    A nice room?  Maybe.  I don't hate it.  I guess it depends on what your standard it.  

     

    This might be an average group of targets.  Maybe Diggs elevates it to above-average.  Maybe it's even a playoff-caliber receiver room.  To me, though, it doesn't look like an elite, Lombardi-hoisting group of receivers.    

     

    Brady is the wild card.  Maybe he can scheme guys open more than we've seen in the recent past.   

    Nathan Peterman - Signs with Saints

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    There were three times in all my years of Bills fandom that I thought I witnessed a football career come to a premature end.  When Kevin Everett got hurt.  When Hamlin got hurt.  And when Nathan Peterman threw 5 picks before halftime in his first start.


    I was wrong on two of the three.  So happy for Hamlin.  As for Peterman, I'm still kind of amazed that his career has lasted another 6 years and counting.  

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    Do The Bills Have Enough "Elite" Talent?

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    I'm very appreciative of Beane's work.  He took a crap roster and built the franchise into a perennial contender.  

     

    But this thread underscored my problem with his work thus far: not enough difference-makers.  The best teams have more elite game-changing type players than we do.

     

    Some will rail against this opinion, but I think this is the main reason we haven't won a Lombardi.  McD hasn't held us back.  Beane just hasn't - yet - given him a SB-worthy roster.  

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