GunnerBill

Is some truth to this. And Monken took Babich's lunch money in that first meeting. That said... his game plan was entirely focussed on attacking Spector, Williams, Lewis (as the nickel) and then Morrow (when they tried to play base). He wasn't really interested in attacking our secondary. He knew we couldn't hold up and the intermediate level and attacked it with nearly every single play call. In the first half he literally called one play not designed to expose the linebackers. I'd still like to see what it looks like with Bernard, Milano, Taron and Williams (if they go base), although I'd take leaving that find out until next season if someone else wants to dump the Ravens out of the playoffs before they reach us.

I think the similarities in it being expected to be a slight step back year and instead their QB playing out of his kind and keeping things rolling are there.

In fairness Humber was different circumstances. Originally signed by Whaley to be a special teamer he was retained in 2017 just while they were in the process of turning over the roster. He was let go pretty quick after that. I never really understood keeping Morrow on the 53 and then bringing him back after cutting him was odd other than "he knows the scheme."

Honestly I don't really remember Henry as a Bill. It was my early days as a fan and in an era when if you were abroad you couldn't just stream every game. So I don't have a strong view on him. I'd take Cook before McGahee. Lynch could play in any era but the point stands the running back position has changed and the old style volume guys who could take a pounding and deliver 4 yards flat per carry are of very limited value now.

Sadly, yes he has taken a snap. When Babich panicked after the Derrick Henry first snap touchdown and tried to play base the next two drives Nicholas Morrow came in to play SAM and the Ravens took Henry out, matched Justice Hill up on Morrow and violated him in coverage for two drives. He is terrible. When the Bills have talked about Morrow going back to camp before he was cut and re-signed they talked about him having ability to play MLB and OLB. But he sucks. If we get down to him being on the field we are dead.

I agree he isn't built to play 20 years ago. That said, some of the bigger, more physical backs of then would not be any more than short yardage backs today. The game has changed. I mean Jerome Bettis is in the HoF. He couldn't start in the league today.

Edwards is a Kromer guy. If Kromer is still here, chances are Edwards is.

But he agreed to take a pay cut on the basis he'd have the opportunity to earn some back. I hope he and Beane could have a sensible chat about it but he might justifiably be pissed if the "opportunity" is scaled back by a game.

Is it regular season only? If it is maybe he plays Sunday then. I'd been working on the basis he'd be one of the vets that sat.

J.A.G. Seven teams in four seasons.

Ordinarily I'd sit him but if Bernard is down I'd probaly have Matt up and let him play a series or two.

They are 11th in points. 20th in yards. The reason I like 3rd down as a true signifier of the strength or otherwise of a defense is that yards and points can be influenced by field position which is not only on defense it can be indicative of O and ST too. 3rd down is how often does your D make a play when it needs to. You don't find good defenses with bad 3rd down numbers. This is not a good defense. It isn't the 31st best defense. I'm not saying that. But the fact it is 31st on 3rd down tells you it isn't a good defense. It's bottom half of the NFL.

Dion is a pro bowler again. He gets some love.

I'd vote for Brown over Lane Johnson. I mean I don't think Johnson is a ludicrous pick or anything but if I was voting my tackles would be: Left tackles: 1st Jordan Mailata; 2nd Tristan Wirfs Right tackles: 1st Penei Sewell; 2nd Spencer Brown. Brown might not get in. He doesn't have the name value of Johnson. But I think he will get votes. The only other Bills I expect to get votes (other than Josh obviously who will be a 1st team all pro) are Benford and possibly Rousseau and I don't think either will get enough to get into the teams.

I am just not sold yet that he is ready for that. He has done some the last two games, agreed. But he really wasn't good against New England. I thought he'd been on a nice upward curve but Sunday was a step back. I really hope they make Rapp and Bishop work. I do not want them to have to spend another day 1/2 pick on a safety.

Yea the Bills got the Oline decisions spot on in the offseason. David Edwards has been very good and McGovern has been an upgrade on Morse at center.

I am a big Benford guy. I think he is excellent. He is PFF's 4th graded corner and 3rd outside corner because Cooper DeJean has been entirely a nickel. And yes, in 2024 he has played better than Sauce (though Sauce has still been better than some of the criticism he faces, his completion rate allowed when targeted is still elite). That said for me to say "yes, Christian Benford is an elite player" rather than "he has had an elite season." We have started to see teams try and stay away from him in coverage the second half of this season. That bears watching too because as I said before, when Tre was in his prime teams just didn't throw at his side of the field other than in the flat or when they were in desperation mode.

He was good last year, but has stepped it up another level this year. Second half of the year he has been our best player not name Josh Allen.

Yea for the fan voting section name value is huge. Dion does Cowherd and McAfee, hence he makes it. The four most deserving Bills after Josh this year are: Benford, Cook, Brown and Rousseau. I actually think Brown will get all pro votes. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he ended up a 2nd team all pro.

Good defenses are not 31st in the league on 3rd down giving up 44.4%

Arguing about past years is pretty pointless anyway. The Bills have had good defenses in past years that haven't got it done in the playoffs for a myriad of reasons. That isn't relevant to this year because, well, we don't have a good defense.

The Bills won't be messing with this oline in the summer. It has been the star of the team aside from Josh Allen in 2024 and all five guys are under contract for next season. They are running it back untouched IMO.

Milano was one of our best players on a Sunday for me. I was super impressed with him when I looked at all22. His best performance since the injury without any doubt.

Beane has one of the lowest bust rates among all GMs in his time here, and that probably justifies him being looked at as a top 10 GM. Though he has advantages some others don't have: a Head Coach he is in complete lock step with and schematic consistency. While the Frazier defense and the McDermott year and the Babich defense are not just exact replicas of one another the fundamental defensive scheme is unchanged. There has been a little more turnover on offense (mainly offensive line we have flip flopped a few times on what we are looking for in our blocking scheme) but not a ton. Those help you avoid busts because you are not drafting player X to play in one scheme and by his second year finding him in another one. But he misses very rarely and he finds plenty of above average starters too. I don't think it is just that the Bills are "more committed to their draft picks." If I look at the Bills drafted players who are currently starters on this team (excluding rookies): Allen, Cook, Kincaid, Dawkins, Brown, Torrence, Shakir, Rousseau, Epenesa, Oliver, Johnson, Bernard, Milano, Benford, Hamlin I think only Hamlin and possible Epenesa are guys who wouldn't start for the majority of NFL teams. The knock, you are right, is he hasn't found enough elite talent. Indeed this regime has only had three first team all pros in their eight seasons: Tre White (2019), Jordan Poyer (2021) and Matt Milano (2022). All three of them were acquired by McDermott in the offseason he ran personnel. Beane has two second team all pros: Josh Allen (2020) and Taron Johnson (2023) who I think we would all agree are his two best draft selections and they are the only two guys we have that I think are elite at their positions and would start not just for most teams but like 30 of 32. And while the defence of him in that regard is "ah he always drafts at the end of rounds, it's harder", which is true, he has had seven goes at it now. You need to start showing more for that around your Quarterback than an elite slot corner. I don't think this is a personnel regime making big blunders year after year that need covering up by Josh Allen. That isn't, in my view, a fair characterisation. I think relative to the rest of the league the Bills do a pretty good job and most of the metrics for measuring these things support that. But they are not beyond legitimate questioning either Beane and his staff. They have not been perfect and there are things they need to do better. Finding more elite difference makers and not wasting cap $$s year after year on defensive tackles in FA only to have pull guys off the street in November every season to bolster the room are the top two on my bingo card but there are others too.

He definitely has the range and the phsicaly profile to suggest he should be able to play free safety but at the moment I don't think he is close to there mentally. Still way too many mistakes.