BarleyNY

There is no way I could bring myself to root for Hardy. His talent is undeniable, but I still don't think he can be counted on in any way - not to stay out of trouble, not in the locker room and not on the field.

I saw it once. That was enough, thanks. Speaking of 2015, it's a great example of posters ripping those with a more realistic view of the team. Either you're a Pollyanna or ridiculed. Take a couple of my predictions for 2015: - My Bills season projection was that they'd make the playoffs, but lose in the WC round. I got ripped by some for saying that they wouldn't win a playoff game and for saying that they weren't good enough to compete for a title. My projection was actually better than what they achieved, but I was considered to be negative. - I thought the Rex hire was excellent and that he'd have the defense playing great. I expected a top defense by the end of the season, giving some early leeway for players learning a new system. I way overestimated him and his ability to tailor his defense to the talent. So now think I was wrong based on his performance and that of the defense. But I guess I'm not supposed to take what I see into consideration. If I don't see how super-awesome Rex is, I shouldn't post on here. Or I should just wait until he's on his way out and then we can all bash him together! Sorry, rose colored glasses shouldn't be required to post here and some people should really take theirs off before ripping people who are correct a whole lot more than they are.

Schwartz is in Philly. He's just bringing in guys he is familiar with and who know and fit his scheme.

I remember Ryan SAYING that he was going to add in some of the previously used concepts, but I saw no proof that it ever happened beyond lip service.

I wasn't arguing the point, just trying to clarify that the writer didn't say that last season was an anomaly for Rex. Ryan showed me who he was last season when he was unable or unwilling to work with the defensive talent in place. The best coaches mold their systems to their players. He can't/won't. So we wound up a lot of players who didn't fit the scheme, many of whom were way overpaid for what they were asked to do. Some of them are gone, but not all of them. Now we just used virtually a whole draft to help get players who fit Rex's scheme and, as a result, totally neglected adding some desperately needed offensive help. Last season, when I realized what was going on, I predicted that Rex would last just long enough here to dismantle the impressive, attacking defense that was in place. That we'd wind up with some expensive leftovers from that defense mixed with his more passive and complicated style of players. In short, that the defense will be a mess for the next coaching staff. I hope I'm wrong, but I still think this is where it's heading.

He just said that Ryan needs to prove that last year was an anomaly, not that it actually was one. The not so subtle inference is that Ryan's seat is getting hot.

Also a fair point. Maybe they tried to let them heal on their own and one wouldn't heal properly? That's all I can think of.

The first sentence is a lot more concerning than the recent surgery. Played through stress fractures - PLURAL - last season!? Among my concerns: - that Watkins had more than one stress fracture in his feet last season (that seems very bad, exactly how many?) - that he was allowed to play on those fractures after the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs (why?) - that him continuing to play on the fractures may have led to needing this surgery (bad situation gets made worse)

That's fair. I think it's a little bit of wishful thinking on my part. I try to be a realist, but sometimes a little optimist comes shining through.

This is disappointing to say the least. I loved the Shaq pick at 19. I wanted Doctson, but I did not expect that Lawson would make it to 19. I was pretty locked into Doctson, but I'd have had a tough time making the call between the two if I thought both were healthy. I guess the most likely scenario is that the doctors found the shoulder issue and thought that correcting it could wait until after the season. It seems that the medical problem was know by the league and viewed that way by most. It is probably why he fell. If I had known about it I would have passed on him for a player like Doctson too. It looks like the Bills took a chance on it and it is going to cost them in the short term. Here's hoping he still does well long term and the short term pain is worth the long term gain. I still love him as a player.

Throw in a pretty desperate contract to Percy Harvin last season and you get a clear picture of what's going on with this organization. They've been trying to get a viable deep threat opposite Watkins. Rewatch the KC game to see what it could mean to his success. His first half was unreal. Just incredible. But he got shut out in the second half. The difference was coverage. The safety was consistiently late to help in the first half. Sammy's speed was a big part of why. Taylor also put the ball in good spots for him on many of the throws. But the typical coverage in the second half was the CB playing press and the safety over the top of Sammy. Safety help was right there. Defenses can't be allowed to do that to him. A deep threat is desperately needed across from him. I get what the Bills did in the offseason. They kept Glenn, Incognito and Gilmore. That's reasonable and it's what I wanted. They had a choice in the draft - 1) go all out to fix the offense, 2) go all out to fix the defense or 3) split the help. They chose #2. I'd have chosen #1, but their choice is one I understand - especially with the defensive line depth in this draft. My main reason for wanting to go offense is that I want to know what I have in Taylor this season. I didn't want to risk him failing because of his supporting cast.

Something like that he sucks? He's a QB that has been poor overall but has showed occasional flashes that make you think he could be something much more. Those occasional flashes have stayed just that - occasional. He also brings some serious character issues with him. It'll be interesting to see if he makes it through waivers.

Lol

At least the Bills tried with Harvin last season. I hated the choice of him, but it was at least an attempt to address the receiving corps. Watkins, Harvin, Woods and Clay with Shady in the backfield and Hogan as a 4th WR sounds a lot better than Watkins, Woods, Lewis/Hankerson?, Clay and Shady with Lewis/Hankerson as the 4th. Plus there's the whole "guys get hurt" thing. I can't reasonably see where the offense got better from last year to this. It's the same group except for a worse WR corps. They've had a year's experience in the system, but they've got less offensive talent now than at this point last season. 3 deep at every position? Please. The 3rd WR is usually considered a starter (and certainly sees more playing time than a FB these days). The Bills are deficient there. Their OL will start 3 quality players plus two guys that shouldn't be in a starting lineup going into training camp. The Bills had injuries last season, but Glenn, Incognito and Wood stayed healthy. What happens if one of them goes down this season? How's that OL going to look then? An OL with five starting level players can weather some injuries. An OL with three quality players can't afford to lose even one of them. This isn't about unrealistic depth, it's about fielding starting level players. A weak receiving corps and weak right side of the OL is particularly concerning at a time when the Bills are trying to find out what they have in Taylor. I have my reservations about him, but I don't like sending him out at such a disadvantage. It isn't going to help his development or help him succeed. The first game is still months away so I haven't given up hope that the team can add some help. It sure needs to at WR/TE and OL.

I'm from Cleveland and live in Buffalo so I root for both the Browns and Bills. I've seen Dray play for the Browns. He's serviceable, but that's pretty much it. The OP is correct. The TE position is very, very thin after Clay and it is something to be worried about - especially since the WR corps is so thin after Watkins and Woods. I'm not sure who the 4th WR/TE option is after those three. And what percentage of time do you want a FB on the field where you wouldn't need one? There's got to be someone else you can depend on and I don't know who that's going to be. I'm not even getting into the situation the Bills would be in if, God forbid, one of Watkins/Woods/Clay were to down with injury. I'm really hoping they get some help somehow, someway before the season starts.

Agreed. 10/30 against the Pats with Brady.

I think this line of thought often gets lost in the typical post draft exuberance. People see nothing but upside as they learn about the players their team drafted and get emotionally attached to them. But the draft usually progresses from getting guys you expect to help in major roles to guys you expect to help in lesser roles to guys you don't count on, but who have traits that could push them into one of the first two categories. The 4th round is not a bad place to get a player from that second category and situational pass rushers on the DL are important to every team.

Specatacular.

That's a good read. Thanks for posting.

👍🏼

I'd like to add that if Lawson has a medical issue it sure would explain why he was available at 19. I really didn't think he'd make it there.

CJ Spiller, 6 seasons:Rushing: 704 carries for 3,433 yards. 4.9 ypc. 12 TDs. Receiving: 192 receptions for 1,434 yards. 7.5 ypr. 8 TDs. Dri Archer, 2 seasons: Rushing: 10 carries for 40 yards. That's 4.0 ypc. 0 TDs. Receiving: 7 receptions for 23 yards. 3.3 ypr. 0 TDs. People like to dump on Spiller here. He wasn't worth the draft slot the Bills picked him at, but he's a decent rotational back - not the bum some people act like he is. I was selling him short saying that he was only 10 times the back Archer is.

Some poster (even a very credible one) on a message board stating something vague is not likely to get picked up by the general media. Something specific might at least lead to media people asking questions about the specific. Something specific could also get him pinpointed. That's when crap could hit the fan for him specifically.

Spiller is 10 times the player Archer is. Just looking at filling a need and a player's measurables, I'd wager. It's easy to talk yourself into picking someone in that case.

I agree with this. The Bills had a nice draft, but they lost a lot of talent - even if some of that talent wasn't producing due to scheme, motivation or whatever reason. Their biggest moves were retaining some of their free agents. They'll have to rely on better use of the talent they have, familiarity with the schemes implemented last season and development of players to improve.