Kirby Jackson

https://deadspin.com/rod-woodson-says-what-were-all-quietly-thinking-about-t-1832846438

I agree 1,000,000%

So sorry Gug!! Spend as much time with Chloe as you can and tell her you love her.

Ha ha, no woo.

Here’s my guess: LT - Andre Dillard LG - Dion Dawkins C - Mitch Morse RG - John Miller (that’s my surprise) RT - Ja’Wuan James That was RT. I don’t think that he has played OG in the NFL.

FWIW, strengthfinders 2.0 was one of the best books that we ever did in our group. We did it as a management team. There is a test that you take online (kind of a survey) to reveal your 5 best strengths. You get a report on how those strengths manifest themselves. We did it to learn how we need to approach different situations and communicate with one another in addition to our teams. Basically, we tried to quantify how we need to communicate to the staff. Certain people are wired to do different things and fill different roles. It really is an incredible concept and quite interesting. Not that you (or anyone else cares) but my top 5 strengths were: ideation, competition, strategic thinker, includer and futuristic. In a nutshell, I am an empathetic problem-solver. I am a big picture person, driven by people, that sucks at details. I’m not good in conflict because I don’t like to let people down. So, we had other people whose skills plugged those gaps and vice versa. We would try to loom at the task and decide the person best equipped to handle it. I know that’s a bit of a tangent but it something that I buy into. That’s part of the reason that I am so high on Josh (and I didn’t like the pick at the time). He has a few MASSIVE strengths. He’s not “pretty good at everything” like Alex Smith for example. Allen has a few elite talents. He needs to harness them and improve but he can be a great player because of it. Alex Smith can never be great because he doesn’t do anything to differentiate himself. He is just, good at a bunch of different things.

I think that he and Reggie are on different pages. I’m not sure what the exact issue was but they better get it figured out. They are leading the conference without the preseason player of the year. If they get Reese back they have a real chance to be in the tournament.

I agree with what you’re saying. Ideally, he gets better at everything. At the same time, if you are “better” at your strengths it should have a similar impact to getting better at your weaknesses. If BB is focused on the deep ball, and you are the best deep ball thrower in the game, you are still going to make some plays. If he’s focused on that and you become average at throwing in the flat, you’ll make some plays there. The point is that it doesn’t really matter where Josh takes steps forward. The team will improve regardless of it. I just happen to fall in the group that believes “strengthening your strengths” is more important than raising your weaknesses. Ideally, you get better at everything.

I’d love to have the right guy. I just don’t see it in the “top 5 offseason priorities.” I say that because, imo, that isn’t Allen’s strength. They need OL, WR, RB, pass rush and Kyle’s replacement more than a TE. Now, if they draft Hockensen (or someone like that) he will make them better. Devin White makes them better too but LB isn’t a huge need. I am ALL for adding talent though. If Hockensen is the top player on their board at 9 I hope that they draft him. I feel the same way about Devin White (who I LOVE as a prospect). The Bills need an I fusion of talent everywhere. I don’t really care where they decide to address it, just upgrade the talent.

I actually LOVE this approach but it scares me some. I am a huge believer in the Strengthfinders model (if you guys haven’t read the book you should). The general philosophy is “maximize your strengths” and don’t worry so much about trying to make your weaknesses functioning. If anyone is going to flourish it’s because of their elite traits. That’s where I am with Allen. I am not too concerned about how he throws a swing pass. I want him to be an elite big play QB. That’s what he does well. I would much rather Josh improves his accuracy down the field than on swing passes. The sarcasm came from you asking if I realized that blocking was important. Of course I do, but that isn’t a trait that I am paying for. James is a guy that I’d be glad to add to this team. The entire premise of my posts on the topic are that he’s just okay. He makes the Bills better. He doesn’t make the Bills good at TE. Both of those things can be (and would be) true. There is nothing wrong with that.

Sure, but that’s not Jesse James.

I’m not saying “don’t” have it. I am saying that the best part of Allen’s game is his big play ability. We should do everything possible to surround him with people to help in that. That, to me, is OL help and speed. Play to your strengths and be elite at something not okay at a bunch of things. Also, to me it is more about the player. James is a guy imo. We need people like that but he’s not moving the needle. That makes me totally indifferent on him. If the price is right, sure. If not, find someone else.

I don’t see how (or why) they’d move to a more ball controlled offense? That’s not who Allen is. That’s Alex Smith. Allen is a guy that makes big plays and throws with a lot of air yards. I don’t see the Bills throwing a lot of curls. They try to pick up chunks at a time. I haven’t read anywhere that they plan to change that and would be surprised to see if I did.

Ha ha ha

I guess that we will agree to disagree. I know Clay wasn’t very good last year but his production fell off a cliff. I don’t think a TE is that important with Allen. I’d still like one but would rather spend the same money on John Brown if you had to pick one or the other.

I didn’t realize that. That changes everything. He’s a top 5 guy now (just behind Lee Smith).

I think that his production is kind of who he is. He’s a guy that can catch 40 or so balls for 500 yards and 4 TDs. He saw more targets before McDonald got there but largely had similar production. If anything he may be improving and it helps him to have someone else. James is a solid TE and would instantly be the best on the Bills roster. That’s more a function of the Bills roster though than of James. FWIW, I’m not sure that a TE is ever going to be a huge weapon for Josh Allen. TEs, imo, are most effective in ball control offenses. The Bills offense isn’t that. It’s a big play offense. Allen is never going to be a 70% completion guy. He has too many air yards for that. I would much, much, much, much, much rather add speed receivers than a large TE. Ideally, though you can add both.

That’s fair but James has started 36 games (7 last year) and the production isn’t much different. If anything it helps him having McDonald. It cuts back his targets some but also gives him an easier matchup. It comes out in the wash. He was the same player when he started 27 of 32 games the previous 2 years. Again, I’m all for adding the guy. He makes the position group better than it is now. He does not however make it a “good” group or solve the problem. They need to get a number 1 TE to do that. I’d rather take a shot on Cook who has put up good seasons before. He’s older but is a better player.

He’s 36th in receptions per game and 26th in yards per game amongst TEs. This is in a pass happy offense with a HOF QB. He’s tied with 13 other TEs for 31st in TDs (2). That’s not a decent starter IMO. With that being said, he’d be a good add on a team that needs guys at the position. He is an upgrade over Croom or O’Leary or Thomas or Khari Lee. That’s where he slots in though. He isn’t a good starter. He’s a good 2nd option.

I didn’t call him a poor man’s Chandler. I said that he’s the same player (ie a decent #2TE).

He would be a solid addition. He just isn’t “solving the problem” at the position. He’s a good number 2 TE. That’s what he was there. That is currently an open slot on the Bills roster (as is TE1). He IS what Scott Chandler was in Buffalo. Those are realistic expectations. We just need to temper our expectations that he’s going to sign and be Travis Kelce.

I agree here too. He was special in college.

There is no disagreement. We are saying the same thing. The point was, “if you are expecting this guy to sign with the Bills and explode prepare to be disappointed. He is Scott Chandler in his prime. A solid TE and the ideal 2nd guy there.”

100% agree...he is closer to “body” than “talent” is my point. James would be a fine TE 2.