Flip Johnson

The decision making is key - I don't necessarily want to see fewer carries - I want to see fewer plays where JA sees one guy covered, feels pressure and takes off helter-skelter. He is a historically good runner and could keep running 6-10 times per game even as he develops as a passer. Josh ran 7.4 times per game last year. Cam Newton was running 7.8 times per game his first two seasons in the league and averaging 1.5 yards less per carry. Russell Wilson was running 6-7 times per game in his early years and it was a huge part of his effectiveness. Wilson and Newton have gotten more banged up in the pocket than they have on the move. Allen's injury last year was in the pocket. There is a difference between being a "running QB" a la RG3 or Lamar Jackson or Michael Vick. That's nearly impossible to sustain. What we want Allen to become is a good pocket passer who maintains a dynamic running ability.

For all the people who have been speculating for the past 18 months that we are about to trade McCoy, this is much more likely.

The idea that this chart has any real reflection on the battles at OL, TE, RB, and WR is just not realistic. I expect the Bills are spending roughly 30-60 seconds updating this each week.

I was at the game and struggled to find a position group where we are weak. There is legitimate depth across the roster, which comes from being in the 3rd year of competent leadership. - I am concerned at TE. Not sure all of these parts equal a whole ... Croft's timetable is a mystery, Smith is one-dimensional, Croom was marginal last year, and it is a lot to expect the rookies to be taking regular snaps. I like where the group is headed, just not sure where we are at right now. - Hoping the punter battle will sort itself out. Otherwise, I am loving this roster.

Could be relevant combined with his pending FA status in 2020. For all of his mental acumen, he does not have the ability to drive the ball consistently outside the numbers anymore. The Pats adjusted to that on the fly last year by going heavy on the ground, but with two weeks to prep the Rams had the Pats pretty much contained in the SB. It will be hard for him to keep going if defenses don't have to defend the whole field.

The Bills may keep more RBs than they traditionally have - look at the comparison with their backfield and New England. McCoy/Sony Michel - feature back Singletary/Damian Harris - 2019 3rd round pick Gore/Burkhead - versatile veteran Yeldon/James White - strictly pass catching back Dimarco/Develin - FB/Special Teams Perry/Bolden - Special Teams

Moulds was a freakish physical presence at WR and Flutie was on top of the league. That team had won 10 of 13 going into the wildcard game and would have mauled Miami if the game had been in Buffalo. I was a teenager when that game was played and my buddy and I had tickets to see Syracuse basketball at the Carrier Dome, not knowing there would be a conflict. We got to the Dome before tipoff and found the game on in a luxury box. We stood outside the box looking up through the glass window at the TV, losing our minds at the drama in the final minutes. When Flutie fumbled we turned around and there were about 200 people behind us. The SU game was about to tip but everyone had their backs to the court.

Bottom line: he's not playing against the Bills. Even if the suspension gets knocked down, it wouldn't be lower than two games. Whatever happened, the day the NFL erases a banned substance suspension is the day the floodgates open. Tate will get at least two.

Five

I'm not talking about every guy on the 90-man roster. I'm saying Shady, Gore, Singletary, Yeldon, and Dimarco will all make the team.

Going into training camp I've heard quite a bit about the Bills' crowded backfield and who will end up being cut or inactive. Additionally, there's been much talk of the devaluing of the RB position as though it is not important any more. One distinction that isn't getting made is that the RB position is being massively devalued monetarily (no teams want to pay or extend RBs) but the value on the football field is actually rising. This is true even as passing increases because of the way RBs are being used. What's valuable now is not the highly paid "bell cow" but the versatile stable of cheap RBs that can create mismatches out of RB/FB heavy personnel groups. Look at the Patriots. They MASSIVELY value running backs - they just don't pay them. If RBs weren't important Belichick wouldn't keep drafting them in the top 3 rounds - Sony Michel $917K (1st round, 2018) - James White $2.5M - Rex Burkhead $1.75M - Damien Harris - Rookie, 3rd rounder - Brandon Bolden $1M - James Develin $1M They aren't wondering who is going to get cut in NE. At least 5 of those guys make the team, if not all six. And NE will use them in a multitude of different formations and situations. They are all unique weapons, whether it be running inside, outside, splitting wide, blocking, catching the ball, etc. Which is why when it comes to the Bills, I see Daboll looking at BB and doing the same thing. Barring injury, Shady, Gore, Singletary, Yeldon, and DiMarco are ALL MAKING THE TEAM. It's not a problem - it's a new strategy in the modern NFL.

This is the exact point. The Pats used 2 TEs or a FB in the playoffs last year and mashed the ball on the ground against nickel defenses. Then when teams went with bigger personnel, the Pats split the TE out wide and got Gronk matched up against slower or smaller players. Versatile offensive pieces have to be matched up with hybrid-type defensive pieces.

1. This June-July period has been incredibly quiet on the Bills front. Nobody has lost an arm, gotten a DUI, been arrested, run around naked, or threatened a holdout. I think McDermott and Beane have a focused group. Compare this to previous years - Kiko's ACL, Zay Jones' shenanigans, Shady's legal situation, Rex's skydiving, Karlos Williams' weight gain, etc. You can take it for granted but we're not losing anyone in the summer. Unconnected from #1, but 2. I recently listened to this podcast from The Ringer NFL show, focusing on defensive innovation during this era's offensive explosion. Although the pod did not discuss the Bills specifically, you can't listen to it as a fan and not feel great about the defense McDermott and Frazier are building. The hosts focuses specifically on the need for versatility in your linebackers as well as the need for high level talent on the back end. Guys like Milano, Edmunds, and Vosean Joseph have all been drafted with a recognition of where the game is headed. As NFL offenses get more multiple, defenses need hybrid-type LBs who have the power to hit in the box and the speed to matchup with TEs and backs. We are stockpiling these types of players.

Not something I want to hear from my head coach.

It was the no punt game and an unbelievable time to be a Bills fan. Playing SF really carried some extra weight in those days. Everyone anticipated a Bills-49ers Super Bowl in XXV and it didn't materialize. Beating them with a national audience two years later and showing off our unstoppable offense was hard to forget. Two of the best offenses of the era, two of the top 15 QBs of all time at their peak, in the sunshine at Candlestick with Dick Enberg on the call ...awesome.

Sometimes shifty small guys like Beasley are hard for defenders to square up and those guys are surprisingly hard to hurt.

There is a lot to look forward to on this D-line. Hughes facing fewer double teams. Oliver will have an adjustment period but we haven't had a DT that can get in the paint since KW was in his prime. Shaq is playing for the big second contract. All signs are looking up for Murphy. Add in the situational pressure from Lorax and this is a team that could really make opposing QBs uncomfortable.

Good topic! I think Zay hasn't been discussed enough on this board.

I think Christian Wade (the British rugby player) will get put on the practice squad this year but would not be shocked if he is active at some point in 2019 or 2020, especially as a STer or gadget guy.

This is something that the analytics crowd seems unable or unwilling to understand. Relationships matter in football or in any team sport and they have the power to make a difference in wins and losses. It's not easy to quantify and it doesn't replace talent. And the NBA is not the NFL. But I loved the article in the sense that Popovich figured out a way to be himself and use that passion to build his team.

He's a 26 yr old that was picked 16th in the draft only four years ago. If he's healthy - huge if - he's going to push for a job. The guy is going to be hungry.

The Bills website lists him at 225lbs - 14 lbs heavier than any other WR on the team and 25-30 lbs heavier than most. He looks like Keith McKeller to me - can't believe how slow those CFL DBs are.

Keith Ford started a game last year and will not make the 90-man roster this year.

He should have stayed in school ... but it is not like he is going to really refine his game playing at UB playing against the MAC. He is a giant project now or later. I think he was draftable though and don't mind the Bills taking him as a UDFA. There are elements of his game that remind me a little bit of EJ Manuel - big thick guy, strong arm without a very fluid motion, fast enough to run a decent 40 but not functionally fast, kind of slow to process the field.

He could endorse stuff in New England for the rest of his life, but his other potential sources of income - acting, standup, pro wrestling, etc. are going to dry up quick, so I would not be surprised if he wants to come back by Halloween. It would be interesting to see if the Pats want to pay 6-8M for a guy that shows up at Halloween.