2003Contenders

Beane likely had a number of strategies as it pertains to the WR position headed into Free Agency: Plan A, Plan B, etc. The plan sequence may have been based less on desirability and more on time factors, since free agency operates in such a hasty vacuum. While Sanders would have certainly been a worthwhile acquisition, I suspect -- given his age -- that signing him would not have precluded the team from making additional moves at the position... for example, a high draft pick in the up coming draft. We also don't know what other discussions were going on simultaneously. How confident was Beane that he would be able to make the move to get Diggs, for example? Note also that athletes and their agents like to put their own spin on things. That is, we can't necessarily take what Sanders said at face value. It could be (as he suggests) that the Bills were eager to sign Sanders, worried about not being able to do so when he asked for another day to decide -- and then went full court toward the Vikings with an offer to acquire Diggs. Or, maybe the Diggs deal came up quickly and somewhat unexpectedly during Sanders' wait. Or, maybe the Bills were all in on trying to get Diggs from the beginning and the possibility of signing Sanders was a contingency plan in case they could not make the trade with the Vikings. I think it is certainly believable that there was mutual interest and Sanders and the Bills may have even got to the point where they had reached an agreement on compensation. However, that does not mean that an offer was firm or that Beane and OBD were ready to consummate a deal. IMHO, given how free agency operates in the first 48 hours, the fact that Beane allowed Sanders to leave town without a contract tells me that the Bills' pursuit of him was not as epic as Sanders suggests. In the end, I am happy with the move that they made to obtain Diggs -- and I suspect that the front office, coaches and players are too.

Yep. And I love Andre but he could be a bit of a diva at times too.

I trust McBeane to have a plan. They saw first-hand back in 2018 what happens when your RB depth chart is depleted. Who can forget the game against the Pats when the only healthy player in the backfield was DiMarco -- and he too got banged up late in the game. Josh had to essentially play both QB and RB in the 4th quarter of that game. There were rumors of Beane having been in talks with a couple of the RBs (M. Gordon, etc.) who wound up signing with other teams in free agency. Where there's smoke there is usually fire. I sense that Beane realizes that there is a need for an additional RB -- but he also realizes that there are plenty of options in FA and the draft that prohibit the need to overpay. As others have pointed out, there are still some serviceable guys (Hyde, Freeman, Miller, etc.) still out there in free agency. I expect the Bills to bring one of them in on a modest deal AND use the draft as another means of addressing the need. I honestly believe the draft could go any number of ways. If the RBs somehow fall to the point where a bell cow guy is there in the middle of the 2nd round, I could see Beane make a modest move up to get him with the belief that this would REALLY bolster the position, essentially finding a guy that could potentially be an upgrade over Singletary -- that is, become the 1A to Devin's 1B. Conversely, I could see them pass on a RB in the 2nd (and even 3rd) if they see better value there at other positions -- and address the position in the mid rounds with a "diamond in the rough" (e.g. Aiken) to compete for the 1B role.

The team's MO -- even in prior regimes -- has been to move around in the 2nd round. Odds are pretty good that they will not be picking at 54 when it all said and done. If there is a guy they like with a 1st round grade, then I can see them moving up a bit.

Bringing in an additional QB (whether it is Flacco, pending a passed physical, or someone else) to compete with Barkley for the backup job is not a bad idea. Heck, especially with the expanded roster size, there is no reason the Bills couldn't bring in a solid veteran as backup and STILL keep Barkley as a QB3 for his locker room presence, familiarity with the offense and as an advocate for Josh. Many teams do keep 3 QBs on the active roster, although our current regime has shied away from that.

This is egregious -- if true. Michael Irvin isn't exactly the beacon of credibility.

Bingo! I suspect the OP was simply trolling; however, your explanation should answer any serious questions he/she may have had. ? Note also this silly complaint about "all those draft picks" that were involved in the trade. The only pick of consequence was this year's #1 (22 overall). The others are all day 3 picks (of which we still have numerous others). Yes, I know sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough in those later rounds -- but the current regime has done a great job of rebuilding this roster to the point where a hit with one of those late-round picks has to be viewed as "icing on the cake" as opposed to a necessity to fill out the roster. The aim of the game at this point is to come away with 2-3 impact players -- and this trade ensures that they have already acquired one of those with Diggs (who is already a sure thing as opposed to a "hopeful" impact player at #22). The team still has a 2nd and 3rd round pick as well as multiple Day 3 picks that they could package to move up again if they so choose.

Washington? Following Riverboat Ron, maybe.

Nicely done. He is an excellent DC, has the respect of the players and appears to have a great relationship with McD. And, to think, he was a finalist for the Bills' head coaching position a decade ago!

Bingo! To make matters worse, the Bills also had glaring needs elsewhere and were not in the position to make this pick. I do think that the selection tipped their hand that Lynch was on the outs, which is why all they were able to net for Marshawn was a 4th round pick. Chan had also made the dubious decision to impose a switch to the 3-4 defense with a roster that was not suited to play it. Buddy badly wanted to acquire a NT in the draft and tried to trade up for Dan Williams late in the 1st round. (There were misinformed reports at the time that he was trying to trade up for Tebow.) When he was unable to make the deal, Buddy apparently panicked and reached (badly) for Troup to hopefully fill that NT spot early in the 2nd round. The very next pick in the draft was Gronk to the Pats. Ouch!

Given that his family lives (and apparently wants to stay) in Carolina, I would imagine his geographic preference would be Washington. That being the case, Seattle would seem to be his least inviting option.

This is a fair take. The reality is that even as a Josh Allen doubter, you have to acknowledge that given the reality of what you stated above, the Bills will provide him with at least the next 2 years to sink or swim. Bill Parcells always said that teams have a 4-year strategy when it comes to assessing highly drafted young QBs. Year 1: he is a rookie learning what it is like to be an NFL QB, so that season serves as a mulligan (assuming the talent flashes are there). Year 2: Signs of improvement need to show up. Year 3: He needs to show the ability to go out and win games. Year 4: You either have your Franchise QB or decide to move on. By any measure, Josh Allen is well on track. Let's hope he continues the progression entering his 3rd season.

I really am to the point where I trust the front office and their decision-making when it comes to the draft. With Gore likely retiring/moving on, there is a hole to fill there, so it isn't as if this selection wouldn't fill a need. I agree that WR is a more pressing need -- but the WR position is supposed to be very deep in this year's draft, so they can probably land a good one in the 2nd round (and this front office likes trading up in the 2nd round). I suppose if the opportunity presents itself to draft the best RB in the draft to go along with a promising 2nd year RB (who frankly may not have the size to be a true workhorse), then I for one will not throw a fit. Of course, what happens in free agency in a month or so could very well make all of these thoughts moot.

Sammy wasn't a horrible player during his time in Buffalo. In fact, he had a promising rookie season -- and was quite effective when healthy. The issue was that he had trouble staying healthy -- especially with chronic foot problems. When DW traded from 9 up to 4 (and in the process traded away the 2015 1st rounder and other draft capital) , he was hoping for a Julio Jones sort of player. While Sammy had his moments, he never developed into that kind of player. What's more, the team was not in the position (especially with lingering questions at the QB position) to invest so much in a single player -- even if he HAD been the stud WR the team was hoping he would be. When the new regime came aboard back in 2017, they were looking to clean house and they were not invested in Sammy Watkins as they were not tied to the trade in any way. Also, Sammy was nearing the end of his rookie contract -- so the team was happy to get something in terms of compensation for him. They netted a 2nd rounder from the Rams. Obviously that ship has sailed -- but truthfully, the offense could use a player with his skill-set to compliment Brown and Beasley.

Yea, Howie Long was one of the best defensive players of his era and belongs in the Hall. That said, I do agree that his stature has been somewhat accentuated by his TV persona. I remember a few years back, shortly after Reggie White passed away, one of the networks had a caller vote-in to identify the two greatest defensive linemen in the HoF. They had Long, Deacon Jones and Bruce Smith all on hand to state their cases. Long even seemed embarrassed to be campaigning against the likes of Deacon Jones (who MAY have been the all time sack leader if the stat had been recorded during his era) and Bruce (the official sack leader for a time, which is even more extraordinary when you realize that he played in a 3-4 defense most of his career). When the voting results came in, the winners were White and ... Howie. Bruce looked like he was going to cry...

Tre didn't give up any TDs in the playoffs either. The Texans scored 2 TDs -- the first was on Watson's run. The second was on a swing pass to the RB in the backfield. That isn't to say that Tre played especially well late in the game when Hopkins exploded for some big catches, but he was kept out of the endzone.

I think it was a couple of things (neither of which were his fault): 1. Similar to why fans disiked D. Whitner, Kelsay was over-drafted. To make matters worse, Donahoe knew that the Steelers liked him, so he traded up into the 2nd round to get ahead of the Steelers to take him. 2. Related to the above, Donahoe over-sold the fans and media on Kelsay's abilities -- which inevitably led him to be a bit of a disappointment. By all accounts Kelsay was a good guy and not a HORRIBLE player. He was strictly a role-player and not a difference-maker. Buddy Nix indicated as much when he signed him to a contract extension, referencing Kelsay as a "good -- not great player".

I hear ya, and I am sure that Reid was a major influence on McDermott's coaching style/philosophy. That said, the key difference is that Reid is an offensive-minded guy whereas McD has a defensive background. That undoubtedly plays a role in Reid's focus on the Offense as opposed to McD's focus on the Defense.

Hmmm, no need to pay heavily for an OG in free agency this year. I think we were pretty good at those interior positions and just need to keep the guys we have. Now, fortifying the RT position is a different story (unless Ford makes great strides and doesn't have to play inside).

Sounds about right. Regarding the positioning, this is pretty much the identical trade-up that the Bills made back in 2018 to get Edmunds (going from 22 to 16, I believe). That trade required the #3 (1st pick of the 3rd round) that we acquired from the Browns for Tyrod.

Bingo!

No doubt. Brees is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and one of the most precise passers ever. But he wasn't always that way. In fact, there is a clear delineation between his days with the Chargers (his first 5 years in the league) and what he has been able to do with Sean Payton in New Orleans since then. If we want to talk apples to apples, Brees completed less than 58% of his passes in 2 of his first 3 years in the league. His combined TD-INT ratio after those three seasons was 29-31. The Chargers thought so much of him after those first 3 years, that they pulled the trigger to acquire Phil Rivers in the 2004 draft. I remember seeing him first-hand back in 2002 against the Bledsoe Bills in Orchard Park; Brees absolutely could NOT physically throw the ball in those winds -- and Flutie came in off the bench to play for him. If nothing else, I guess the Brees saga proves that Accuracy CAN improve over time (Brees has been no worse than 63% -- and usually near 70% -- every year since going to New Orleans).

The Manning-Allen comparisons are silly. Aside from having similar records after 2 seasons, their style of play is in no way comparable. Manning was groomed to be an NFL QB from the time he was a child and was maybe the most "sure thing" of any NFL prospect -- ever. The offense at Tennessee was built around him, and he would have been the no-doubt #1 overall pick if he had chosen to come out in the 1997 draft. He elected to stay for his senior year -- and was the no doubt #1 overall pick the following year. Manning was one of the most cerebral (from a football perspective) players to ever set foot on the field. Even Josh Allen's biggest supporters recognized that he came into the league extremely raw. His first-round draft position was based on his great physical talent -- and potential. Josh's arm strength and mobility FAR surpass the natural talent that Manning possessed; however, after just two seasons in the league, Josh isn't even in the same stratosphere as Peyton Manning when it comes to X's and O's. Josh is a bright kid and has a strong desire to get better, which I believe will continue to serve him well -- but trying to draw comparisons between him and arguably the QB with the greatest mind in NFL history is unfair.

Like many have said, I did not have any issues with Roberts as the primary returner. He was a reliable professional back there, who made smart decisions with the ball -- and we always had complete confidence that he was not going to turn the ball over. I know he rarely had any big returns -- but some of that could be attributed to lackluster blocking. I remember a 2-3 game stretch in the middle of the season where it seemed like every kick was called back due to a penalty. I think that as the overall roster talent continues to improve (and become more consistent/stable), the Special Teams units we see on the field will also improve -- maybe back to the days when Bobby April was here and had say-so on the talent that was brought in. While I do not have issue with the roster spot that Roberts occupies being strictly for returns (with an occasional appearance as a WR5 thrown in), the real issue is the presence of McKenzie/Foster/Roberts all active each week and filling in the WR3/4/5 spots. Adding Duke (who was only occasionally active) to that mix, I think what we come away with is that the McKenzie/Foster/Roberts/Foster foursome needs to be upgraded with 2-3 of those players replaced via the draft and/or free agency.

What keeps getting lost in all of this is that if the Bills had stayed put at 10, they reportedly would not have drafted Mahomes anyway. They were prepared to take Lattimore there and had a provisional trade in place with the Chiefs that was finally cemented when the Chiefs agreed to throw in the 2017 3rd rounder in addition to the 2017 and 2018 1st rounders.