mjt328

The problem is not in the ability of Josh Allen to read a defense. The problem is a combination of issues. Stefon Diggs is the only proven receiver on the Bills capable of consistently beating coverage on short/quick/timing routes. Gabe Davis is more of a downfield threat. Isaiah McKenzie is just a gadget guy. The loss of Cole Beasley last year was horribly underrated. Defenses have gradually figured this out, and focused on taking Diggs away with extra coverage. Realizing the extreme limitations of his other WRs, Ken Dorsey really had no choice but respond with an attack heavy with downfield passes. While the offensive numbers remained strong overall, the efficiency decreased as the season rolled along. The inconsistency increased. It's only natural when you are talking about passes 20+ yards. With downfield passing, this also requires an average O-Line to withstand an extra 1-2 seconds, which they are generally not capable of doing. By the end of 2022, all of this resulted in an offense that was mostly Allen running around in the backfield avoiding pass rushers and making miracles happen... along with an offense incapable of consistently sustaining drives, then nosediving in the Red Zone. The success of this season depends on two things: - Can the Bills get production from other WRs outside of Diggs, especially on quicker/short routes? - If not, is the O-Line improved enough to allow deeper routes to develop?

No matter what, the MLB situation is going to be very interesting this season. There weren't a lot of options, but Brandon Beane showed very little interest in signing anybody with starting experience at that position. He would rather roll with vets like Tyrell Dodson and AJ Klein. His two draft choices (Terrell Bernard and Dorian Williams) are universally regarded as too small for the middle, and better suited for an outside role. Maybe this coaching staff has a genius plan for the defense, which will go completely against the grain and make Bernard/Williams work in the MLB spot. That would be great. Because if that position ends up being a weak-link that costs us games, it's going to get really ugly around here.

Despite the sarcastic comments, I think the OP is making a legitimate observation. When the UCL injury occurred, there were many concerns that it could be a long-term/career type problem. It clearly bothered him up until the season ended in January, and there is no guarantee he's just going to be OK with an offseason to rest. From reports, he's taken at least 2-3 hard hits in training camp. And it was after one of these incidents that he went back with the training staff, and since that point has suddenly started wearing sleeves at all times. Maybe it's a precaution. Maybe it's a coincidence. Or maybe there was a flare-up. You really can't expect the coaching staff to tell us if this was the case. For all the videos of Josh "slinging it" all over the field, he was doing it last year too after the injury. The issues that cropped up where mostly with short-range accuracy, and times he needed to adjust his arm angle.

I guess it depends on your definition of what a "rigged" game actually is. Are we talking about WWE-style scripts, with Roger Goodell working with owners, coaches, players, refs, etc. to fix a pre-determined outcome? Considering the large number of people who would need to stay quiet, that seems more than unlikely. However, is it possible that refs have occasionally been bought-off and paid to swing some games (or scores) a certain direction? Is it possible that players have been paid under the table to drop a pass, miss a block/tackle, fumble the ball? We know it has occurred in other sports (basketball, boxing for example). So why would football somehow be exempt? Especially with the huge money gambling generates. We know that NFL refs give favorable calls to the league's biggest stars. Ed Hochuli allegedly told Cam Newton he wasn't old enough to get a roughing call. And it's more than obvious that Tom Brady was babied by the officials for many years, after his knee injury. Many fans observe that star corners get called for pass interference less, even when playing very physical. Star receivers seem to get the benefit of the doubt more often on questionable catches. I've heard many in the sports media admit league officials want success from bigger market teams (New York, Dallas, etc.) That doesn't necessarily mean they are going to fix games in a certain direction. But it may influence some decisions. Does anyone remember when Goodell steered Michael Vick away from joining the Bills/Bengals, following his suspension?

For the media, the offseason is all about making bold (and often ridiculous) predictions. Without actual games, what else can they really do to catch people's attention? Last year, the AFC West teams all made their big moves to catch Kansas City. Combining that with the loss of Tyreek Hill, and there were TONS of media personalities predicting the Chargers, Raiders or Broncos to finish a top the division. Of course none of it came remotely true, and all the doubters probably gave the Chiefs even more motivation. In regards to the AFC East, I've noticed a pattern during the offseason where the talking heads keep trying to "one-up" each other. At first, the talk was about how Buffalo's window was possibly closing soon. Then you started hearing that Miami or New York could possibly dethrone us. Before long, most predictions had us in a Wild Card slot. Last week, one of the major outlets had us 9-8 and third place.

There are multiple things that obviously could go wrong. Injuries are always a possibility. Aging veterans could start to decline. Etc. But on paper, the Bills do look better than last year.

I think they consider linebacker a valuable position. This offseason was just the perfect storm. They certainly wanted to keep Tremaine Edmunds, but just couldn't match what his value was on the open market. Considering what the Bears gave him, that was probably a very wise decision. After that, free agency was extremely weak at the position, and there was nobody really worth signing. The draft was equally as bad, and never came close to lining up value with our draft position. Beane wasn't ever going to throw a big contract at an aging Bobby Wagner, or reach to grab someone like Jack Campbell. The Bills will likely cast the MLB as the player with the mic in his helmet. Outside of that, I don't think you will see much physical difference between the two guys. Considering the league's pullback on the running game (and RBs in general), it's an interesting approach to go smaller. We will see.

Based on everything Beane/McDermott have said over the past 5-6 months, this team is clearly moving away from the traditional MLB. They DO NOT CARE about size. I'm not sure why so many fans are struggling to catch-on. This team has drafted three linebackers in the past two years. Terrell Bernard, Baylon Spector and Dorian Williams. All are closer to the Matt Milano mold. And newsflash... Milano isn't going anywhere. The plan is to have two Milano-type LBs on the field in most of our base sets. It's probably been the plan since Tremaine Edmunds walked out the door. Not sure if one of the young guys will be ready to start Week 1, because they want someone who can run the defensive huddle and communicate assignments. That is why Tyrell Dodson is in the mix to start, and AJ Klein was signed as backup insurance. But eventually (probably this season), one of those three guys almost certainly will be taking over the MLB.

I've never been happier NOT to have a star running back. Now in addition to them being the worst value on the roster, they are becoming a massive off-field distraction. I'm perfectly happy rolling into the season with James Cook, Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, and letting other teams deal with the mess.

This. Some positions can flash in training camp. But at this point, the linemen are just going through the motions with their hands and feet. Until they put on pads and are playing at least somewhat physical, it's really hard to draw anything from their performance in practice.

The Bills had some REALLY bad offensive coordinators during the drought. But there was just something about Nate Hackett that was especially awful. Not sure I could even put my finger on it, but I must say I was floored when the Broncos hired him last year.

So basically, Stefon Diggs is frustrated that he's getting older and the Bills haven't figured out how to get over the hump in the playoffs. Completely understandable. That's exactly how I feel as a fan on the sidelines. Not sure exactly what was said at the meeting with Beane/McDermott, but for some reason the head coach believed that Diggs needed a day to cool-off and dismissed him from OTA practice. He then used a poor choice of words at the press conference to explain the absence, and the story blew up way bigger than it should have. The media had plenty of reason to pursue this story. But the rampant speculation that many "reporters" dished out... about Diggs being upset with the quarterback, wanting input in the playbook, demanding we sign DeAndre Hopkins, etc., etc., etc. Those guys should be ashamed of themselves and resign from their jobs.

Wow. Couldn't even make it to training camp before the first season-ending injury.

Jalen Hurts probably has the best O-Line in football, and one of the best #1-2 WR combos. Not to mention his breakout season happened during a ridiculously easy schedule in 2022. I want to see him continue the high-level of play for multiple seasons, before I rank him ahead of guys who have been doing it for 3-4 years (or even longer).

Every person requires a different approach. Some players need hard practices and ruthless coaching in order to stay motivated. Others respond better to softer practice sessions, and coaches who are less "in-your face." Beane/McDermott seem to understand what kind of players fit well in this locker room.

I voted Daniel Jones. The worst thing a team can have is an average QB on a franchise QB contract. The Giants surprised a little bit last year, but I see them falling back out of the playoffs and Jones getting the majority of the blame. Unfortunately, I don't think Aaron Rodgers is the decline that some Bills fans tend to believe. He has some weapons in New York, and some renewed motivation. Hopefully we can fight them off, but I think the Jets are going to be very tough this season. I could see David Carr bouncing back a little bit as well, especially in a very weak division. Lamar Jackson's deal will look fine by the end of 2023. I just don't think he continues to play at an elite level over the long-term, and the Ravens might be regretting it a couple more seasons down the line.

A player's "value" is only what NFL teams are willing to pay. And for many legitimate reasons, teams are realizing it's not worth paying Running Backs big contracts. Considering the wear/tear and small shelf-life, I agree that RBs get a raw deal compared to most other NFL positions. But then again, the fact that so many serviceable guys can be found out of college... that suggests it's one of the easiest positions to play in the league. I know that even back in high school, there were tons of guys who were pretty good at playing RB. Much tougher to find a guy who could throw or run routes and catch. When it comes to linemen, the physical size disqualifies the majority of human beings. And at the end of the day, even these devalued RBs are making 100x more than average Americans. Nothing is stopping them from playing 3-5 years and then retiring if they can't get the contract they want. Someone will surely step up and take that job.

The media had a responsibility to report on the Stefon Diggs situation, especially after the coach said he was "concerned." The media has a responsibility to continue asking questions and following-up on the situation as the season progresses, especially if new information becomes available. However... there has been NOTHING NEW to report since about June 13-14. The media has been very irresponsible regarding this story over the last 3 weeks, constantly adding new fuel to the fire through anonymous sources and rampant speculation. None of these so-called reporters knows anything, but I've still seen stories about how Diggs is mad at the coaches, Diggs is mad at the quarterback, Diggs is mad about us not getting D-Hop, the front office is quietly trying to trade Diggs, etc., etc., etc. The fact that Thad Brown is now tossing threats, shows he's got no clue on what reporters are actually supposed to do. His job is to report the news, not get involved and emotional.

Both the offense and defense have played a role in our playoff losses the last 3 years. The difference between the two... is that we've invested so much draft capitol and cap space into the defense, loaded it up with a half-dozen All-Pro and Pro-Bowl talents (Tre White, Matt Milano, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Von Miller, Tremaine Edmunds) and the team was STILL totally helpless in stopping Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow at any point during those three postseason losses. This unit has been pretty much maxed out in talent, and it has meant absolutely nothing. The Chiefs and Bengals moved the ball at will. Our struggles on offense can usually be attributed to weak positions where the team just hasn't been able to find an answer. This side of the ball is pretty much just Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and not much else that scares opponents. When another weapon other than Diggs actually shows up (such as Gabe Davis in the 2021 divisional game), the offense does great. When the O-Line actually protects Josh Allen, the offense does great.

Well, our 1st Round Pick this year dropped almost nothing in college. So maybe Brandon Beane realized his hit percentage at this position wasn't good enough, and he decided to adjust scouting priorities.

Every time Brandon Beane talked this offseason, he mentioned getting the offense MORE weapons. He was limited in cap space and there weren't a bunch of options, but he still signed two free agent receivers (Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty). We know he explored signing Odell Beckham and acquiring DeAndre Hopkins. In the draft, he ended up getting the best receiving Tight End (Dalton Kincaid) and adding another receiver (Justin Shorter). Everyone knows the Bills are inside a rapidly closing Super Bowl window. Everyone in the organization has acknowledged that. There isn't a single example in the last 2-3 seasons of us doing anything that could possibly be viewed as a rebuild or reset. Beane's moves have all been about trying to win a championship right now, with a little bit of care to not totally mortgaging the future. The idea he would trade away Stefon Diggs is laughable. Not only because it would completely blow-up our Super Bowl aspirations, but because it would also cause dead-cap problems. It would pretty much be the opposite strategy of every move Beane has made recently. Regardless of whether Diggs is causing issues internally (which is entirely possible), the Bills know they NEED him badly and couldn't realistically move on financially if they wanted to. I absolutely believe more is going on with Diggs than our front office is currently admitting. It could stem from a multitude of issues, up to and including anger with the coaching staff, gameplan, team acquisitions, or personal beef with other players. All of these possibilities are on the table. But nobody outside of a select few people on this planet know the truth, and the Bills are notoriously tight-lipped with allowing leaks. The media is desperate to milk this story during the NFL's slowest time of year, but they can't get anything concrete. So as usual, they are just running with rumors from anonymous sources. It's pathetic.

Maybe. Hopkins clearly wants to be on a contender with a top QB. He said so himself, even before the Cardinals released him. The Bills pursued a trade for Hopkins before the draft, and checked into signing him after his release. Brandon Beane admitted it publicly. There were also rumors about teams like the Chiefs, Cowboys, Ravens and others being interested. But nothing ever materialized. The fact that Hopkins sat for a few weeks and then started visiting teams like the Texans, Titans and Patriots tells me that offers from those higher teams weren't close to what he was looking for. But since he hasn't signed with any of those teams and things have suddenly gone quiet... it makes you wonder if their contract offers didn't quite blow him away either. He may be torn between the money and going for a ring, and having trouble deciding which way to go.

Ironically, this may be Elam's biggest hurdle. We saw plenty of flashes during his rookie season. But the main reason he couldn't secure the job last year (or yet this offseason), is because the Bills have also gotten strong play out of their 6th Round CB from the same draft. Not to mention that 7th Round corner they started developing a couple years back won't go away without a fight.

See the thread from yesterday about reporters making stuff up, using anonymous sources.

If you read the entire post, there are obviously exceptions to the rule. There are rare times when sources cannot (or should not) go on the record, and must remain anonymous. However, when this occurs, it should fall on the reporter to track down the proof BEFORE the story is published. They should use the anonymous tip to find additional documentation, or find someone else that IS willing to go on the record. It's foolish to just take someone's word... do no additional follow-up... and then report the story like it's breaking news. Yet based on the inaccuracy we see in the media, this is clearly the way things are being done now.