2003Contenders

I think the issue heading into that draft was that Beane was most concerned about the limited number of draft picks on hand and doing whatever he could to acquire additional ones. In particular, he was dead set on re-acquiring the 3rd rounder that he parted with to acquire R. Douglas during the prior season. That desire to add picks is also what precluded him from making any kind of trade-up that many of us were clamoring for to get into the range to draft one of the top 3 WR prospects (Harrison, Nabors, Odunze) or even BTJ, who fell into a reasonable trade-up position. So, if that was his goal, then he managed to achieve it by two modest trade-downs and picking up a 3rd and 5th rounder in the process. As much as I love the many positive things that Beane has done for this team, I must admit that he has begun to sour on me a bit. Part of that is due to his seemingly inconsistent vision for building the team. At times, he seems obsessive about acquiring draft picks -- at other times he seemingly throws them away for questionable move-ups in the draft. It is interesting that he appears to have done better with late-round picks than he has with the earlier round picks. I wonder if that is indicative of perhaps the coaches and top level executives having had more say in those early-round picks (see; Elam) over the scouts who have earned their money by identifying the late-round and lesser known gems like Benford. The interesting thing is that it's looking like neither Worthy nor Coleman is a great 1st round pick, which may make Coleman's ultimate 2nd round selection easier to digest. Worthy's speed was obvious -- but there were definitely concerns about his hands, skepticism about his ability to run a full route tree and his ability to physically hold up for a full season. Meanwhile, Coleman's lack of speed and ability to separate are the reason he was not drafted in the 1st round. Those concerns about both players have already manifested themselves in the first two seasons. Obviously it is early -- and there is a chance that both players could eventually evolve. The interesting thing about Coleman is that he does possess that prototypical size and physical ability (especially given his basketball background) to emerge as a classic "West Coast" style receiver. The problem is that Brady is not utilizing him in that role. Rather than getting the ball to him quickly on slants, bubbles, etc. and relying on solid YAC, they are more often throwing jump balls to him and trying to get him the ball downfield, which does not play to his strengths, especially given his inability to separate. Perhaps Coleman is not doing what he needs to do to best understand route concepts, etc. For example, if he and Josh could develop better chemistry (especially on busted plays) that would go a long way toward improving Coleman's value to the team. Let's also remember that Coleman is young -- and given comments from the coaches, it sounds like maturity is very likely an issue. Whether he gets past that is up to him. Getting back to Beane's obsession with re-acquiring that 3rd rounder given up for Douglas... Never mind that that 3rd rounder he eventually obtained resulted in D. Carter, who now appears to be a bust!

The funny thing is that PI may have inadvertently saved the day if whatever Patriots fan who was running the clock hadn't screwed the Bills over. When that play was over there were 4 seconds on the clock. Say an incompletion there rather than the PI, the Pats would have undoubtedly kicked the FG there to end the half. Instead with the ball at the 1, they elected to try to score a quick TD. When the ball fell incomplete on that risky play that should have been the end of the half -- and the Pats would (and should) have felt deflated coming away with no points there. Instead, there was somehow 1 second left, which allowed them to kick that field goal. I am not sure I have EVER seen a play that took less than 3 seconds off the clock!

I do honestly believe that having Diggs in the house -- and watching him torch our defense -- was a contributing factor in Josh's pressing. All season long, Josh had done a great job of being smart and patient with the ball and taking what the defense gave him. He wasn't horrible Sunday night, but he certainly regressed to "hero ball" Josh on some occasions.

It also seems like it just takes so lo-o-o-o-ong for our plays to develop -- and often for minimal yardage. I would think that quick slants to Keon (given his size and basketball background, knowing how to box-out) would be a staple in this offense? And I really do hope that the offense focuses on scramble drills this week. I am tired of seeing Josh break contain, buy 5-6 seconds -- and have no one to throw the ball to.

What was it that the Cowboys gave up for G. Pickens?

From an offensive coaching standpoint, I marvel at the number of times I see opposing WRs running WIDE OPEN. I know that some of that is because of how terrible our secondary has been playing, but how much of that is due to opposing OC's calling plays that allow their receivers to get so open? Meanwhile, it is well known that we don't exactly have speed burners at the WR position. But how much of this is also due to route concepts, etc. that would best serve the qualities (or lack thereof) of each of our receivers?

I have typically been an apologist for McD because I really do believe he does A LOT of things really well. But I think he has reached the point where he may best serve in the coach-as-CEO role, rather than in the defensive strategist role, when "his" defense continues to decline as the years go by. McD is so married to "his" system -- and keeps bringing in coordinators that are like-minded or outright acolytes of his. Part of the reason for the decline is that his system seems to center around having athletes with a particular skill set to run his defense. That was great when we had one of the best safety tandems in the league with Hyde/Poyer. But that is no longer the case. And as they and others (like T. White, T. Johnson and M Milano) have regressed, so has his defense. Wouldn't it be nice if the defense weren't so "system-based" and was adaptable to best handle the opponent at hand? It may be time for McD to bring in an outside "consultant" to help identify where and how to improve. Someone who isn't married to this same sort of system -- but brings an array of different concepts to the table.

Some thoughts about Maye's Sunday night performance off the top of my head: 1. Early in the game (really, through most of the first half) the Bills did a great job pressuring him. He wasn't necessarily seeing ghosts -- but you could tell he was rattled. Collinsworth kept pointing out how he was unable to see beyond the pass rush and was keeping his eyes down. And, for as bad as the Bills offense played in the first half with 2 really bad turnovers that placed the defense in precarious situations -- Maye really only led the Pats to one scoring drive that resulted in just 3 points (and even that was gifted by the stadium's questionable timekeeper, who left a second on the clock for them to kick that field goal). For whatever reason the Bills eased up on the pressure -- not sure how much of it was good adjustments made by the Pats or how much of it was McD becoming overly conservative and backing off. Regardless, once the pressure eased you could see Maye's confidence increasingly rise -- to the point where he started making plays downfield even when he was under duress. 2. It can't be understated just how good Diggs was Sunday night. He made clutch plays and made a concerted effort to help his young QB whenever he was flushed from the pocket. Compare that to what Josh endured. I know many of us complain about the Bills' lacking a true downfield threat, someone with speed who can stretch a defense. That is true. But even more desirable is a receiver that simply has a feel for the game and is instinctively on the same page as his QB. We greatly miss what we had with Diggs (when he was motivated) and (to a lesser extent) a prime Beasley. There is no one on the team we have now who can (or appears willing to) do these things. Maybe Shakir to a certain extent -- and Kincaid has shown some real promise this year. But too many times Sunday night (and at other points this season) Josh has bought time with his legs and pocket presence -- and yet no receivers break open. I confess that I lack the insight to know whether this is something that could come with the crew we have on hand as time/chemistry improves -- or is it simply a fact that one or more massive upgrades are required at the position? For example, we joke here all the time about Coleman's lack of speed and inability to create separation -- but is it really impossible for him to a find a way to help his QB on a scramble drill? 3. Like others have said, if I were a Pats fan I would be excited. Maye has all of the physical tools. Maybe not Josh's upside (which is generational) -- but certainly in that next tier of guys like Herbert/Lawrence/Love. He's physical, nimble for such a big guy and can make all of the NFL throws.

I agree -- and I'll even take it a step farther. Those first two drives seemed so effortless for the Bills that I think Josh (and perhaps Brady) started taking the Saints defense for granted and playing in almost complacent fashion. Josh started holding the ball too long, which was not wise given the struggles our backup RT started having in the 2nd quarter. I started noticing this on the play immediately BEFORE the INT, which was a "cute" attempt by Josh to toss a lollypop "touch" pass that should have been an easy completion if he just fires the ball to a wide open Kincaid instead of allowing the rookie DB to recover and make the play. The INT itself was poorly advised, throwing into double coverage. On the very next series, no one mentions the pass that SHOULD have been intercepted but was fortunately dropped. That was set up by Josh, again, holding the ball too long and allowing the DE (I think it was Jordan) to get past RVD and interrupt Josh's delivery of the ball. It didn't seem like he felt that backside pressure (unusual for him). Not complaining about Josh, of course, as he played much better in the 2nd half after looking all world in the 1st quarter. But I am sure that there is plenty in that 2nd quarter that he and the coaching staff will want to address via film review.

Each team handles walk through's differently. But typically they consist of running through the plays at half-speed (with no pads) with a focus on what the overall game plan is for offense/defense/special teams.

Which makes me wonder if it really is an injury he sustained after practice. The injury report lists it as an ankle, so maybe he turned/sprained his ankle at home?

I get that on the first one. I can see the logic of leaving the points on the board -- or trying to get the extra point once the ball was moved to the one-yard line. That one is truly debatable, and I can respect the decision he made at that time. Obviously, he had no choice but to go for 2 on the final one when the score was 40-38. Honestly, when we didn't convert that one, I was fearful that it was eerily similar comeuppance after Mark Andrews' drop on the 2-point conversion in the playoff game! The one I take issue with is the 2nd one, when we were down by 9. I think part of the weighing of risk vs reward has to be what happens if you DON'T convert the 2-point try. That is why I would always wait until you really HAVE to get the 2 points over the more sure-thing in the extra point. I am sure that McD's thought was that you know that you have to get that 2-point conversion at SOME point, so he elected to do it then to put the team within 7. However, by not making it, the team was still down by 9 -- making it a two possession game. If they kick the extra point there (and assuming that Prater makes it), they are down by 8, still potentially a 1-possession game. Given that they failed on that later 2-point conversion, I guess this doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. LOL In a weird way, maybe the failed 2-point conversions may have played to the Bills' favor. Assuming they kicked extra points on all three of those TDs rather than the failed 2-point conversions, presumably they would have been up by a point rather than down by 2 after that last TD. (I know scoring decisions on the part of the Ravens may have changed too based on the Bills' having done things differently.) As we saw, the Bills D did what they needed to do to get the ball back when the Ravens were in kill-the-clock/preserve-the-lead mode on offense. I wonder how differently things may have been if they got the ball back, down by a point with plenty of time and all 3 timeouts just needing a FG to win?

I agree. Note that in Josh's first 2 years here he never passed for 300 yards in a game. He broke that mark in his first game with Diggs. For all of the issues I eventually had with him, I believe that Diggs' veteran presence played an instrumental role in Josh's meteoric rise back in 2020.

I agree that it certainly isn't fair, given the responsibilities that are placed at the feet of RBs versus WRs in the NFL. However, I understand why the disparity exists: 1. More and more these days we see RBs who are specialized in their roles, leading to the now notorious Running Back By Committee approach. There just aren't many bell cow, 3-down RBs in the modern NFL. 2. Due to the wear and tear that RBs take (as opposed to WRs), their career-life expectancy is typically shorter. That also means greater risk for teams who are negotiating with a RB on his 2nd contract and beyond. 3. Much of this, unfortunately, is also related to pure genetics. WRs tend to be some of the finest athletes on the field in terms of size-to-speed ratio. There simply are not many guys that fit such a prototype walking around on this planet. Meanwhile, even in the modern era, quality RBs come in all shapes and sizes.

My guess is that -- even if he is fully healed from his abdominal injury -- the Browns will "hide" Sanders on IR.

Those negative tweets about Moore all appear to be coming from a single "source" whom I have never heard of named Mike Ross. Not sure if he is viewing things from a different perspective or if he is a troll.

These lists are so subjective! I do think there is still some negative bias against McD thanks to that hit-piece article that came out in 2023. I have a hard time ranking McD behind the likes of O'Connell (who has yet to even win a playoff game), LaFleur (who inherited a rich roster and has won fewer playoff games than McD; love how the author says LaFleur has led the Packers to 5 playoff appearances in 6 years -- McD has led the Bills to 7 in 8!) and Dan Campbell (who I love but is winless against McD and hasn't done much prior to the past 2 seasons). Reid is obviously the superior coach. I would also find it hard to rank McD over McVay, given McVay's 2 Super Bowl appearances, ingenuity as an offensive mind and motivational aura. I can see strong debates pro and con for any of the following over/under McD: Shanahan (2 Super Bowl appearances but has struggled against McD) Payton (past glory with Brees, but forever perhaps overrated thanks to a single gutsy call in his lone Super Bowl appearance) Tomlin (yes, past Super Bowls -- but little playoff success in the last decade) Jim Harbaugh (like Jerry Glanville, makes an immediate positive impact but jerk personality wears out his welcome everywhere he has been) Sirianni (appeared in 2 of the last 3 Super Bowls; many were calling for his termination back in 2023 around the same time that article came out on McD) John Harbaugh (past Super Bowl winner, teams are always well-coached and competitive; similar to Tomlin recent poor showings in the playoffs) So, I can't see how a fair and reasonable evaluator would rank him higher than 3 -- but I also can't see ranking him any lower than 9. I think those 6 debatable guys (along with McD) all have to be ranked pretty closely, depending on what you value in a head coach. So, it is hard to argue with him being ranked anywhere from 3 to 9 IMHO. Personally, I would probably rank him around 7th (after Reid, McVay, the Harbaughs, Sirianni, and Payton). If he ever wins a Super Bowl, he catapults into the top 5, possibly top 3.

Also, I think this also contributed to Josh's major improvement in the turnover department last season as he was no longer trying to force the ball to a "WR1" target a la Diggs.

Cook plays a position that historically has a very short shelf-life in the NFL, and there is a good chance that this is his one-and-only shot at a huge payday -- so it is hard to fault him and his agent for playing hardball and try to get every penny they can. Meanwhile, Beane has to be fiscally responsible and look at the entire roster structure and contend with a tight salary cap. We're mercifully pretty far removed from the Russ days of the front office going to the press to demean players during negotiations to preemptively cast them as malcontents or greedy in the public's eye (and hope fans view the player as such when he inevitably signed somewhere else). The good news is that Cook did show up for mandatory workouts, so hopefully that is a sign that both sides are working in good faith.

I've always likened that 2008 draft in which Stevie was drafted out of Kentucky as an almost after-thought in the 7th round -- but became a much more significant part of the team than the higher profile (and unfortunately late) James Hardy, who was drafted early in the 2nd round -- to what happened in 2022 when the Bills whiffed on Elam late in the 1st but made up for it by landing Benford in the 6th. Regardless of how you view him after all these years, one thing is for certain: Stevie certainly way out-played his draft position.

IIRC that was the “hug and make up” game for Kelly and Reed. The previous game, the offense struggled, and Jim and Andre had a very public and heated altercation on the sideline. This GB game showed them clicking on all cylinders, and I believe Andre set the record (at that time) for the most receptions in a game. Showed what a leader Jim was. Such a shame that Jim went down with a knee injury a few weeks later in a comeback attempt against the Vikings. The Bills lost the remaining 3 games without him and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

With two of the recently acquired DL on the shelf for the first several weeks, Solomon should get some opportunities. What he does with those opportunities is up to him.

Considering his size and basketball background, I could absolutely see Keon being successful in that role if he toughens up and uses proper leverage and nuance to block out defenders. I also thought that -- admittedly with a limited sample size -- he was somewhat effective as a rookie with screens/bubble routes. That is an element that had been missing from the Bills' passing game in recent years (Diggs was terrible at them)

And this is probably the range in which the two sides will wind up -- $12M to $13M per year -- unless Cook and his agent prove to be unreasonable.

Maybe I am missing something but Shakir, Coleman and Samuel were all on the team last year. Hollins is gone and has ostensibly been replaced by Palmer. Amari Cooper is gone and now potentially replaced by Moore. So not sure why Clay seems to think there is not enough room for all of them.