GunnerBill

Sort of true, except for the fact the game vs Miami where he did his achillies in early 2023 was one of his best games as a Bill. He was back to all pro Tre that day.... the first time he looked like it post the ACL. And then... it was all over.

I'd have WR as "below average (average potential)" and S as "below average (above average potential)." I think if Bishop takes a big step AND he can dovetail effectively with Rapp (I'm sceptical on both but particularly the latter) then I think safety can be above average this year. But it needs both those things to happen. I honestly don't see a way for our WRs to be above average. Not immediately clear to me where the above average potential comes from?

The only part of this where I'm in a slightly different place is I think Strong is a very possible "cut." I think he is in the same bucket as Jackson and White and Ingram and Lewis. I don't think he has a leg up in that competition. I think those 5 guys are probably battling for 2 or 3 spots. I'm not saying he WILL be cut. He could absolutely earn a job. But he is in that bottom of the corner depth chart battle IMO. If it looks like he will miss out watch out for him being pulled out of a pre-season game 3 with a "foot" injury that lands him on IR.

Good lord remember how awful Tasker was as a CBS color guy?

I think we are definitely DEEPER. Last year's roster was the thinnest for a good few years as they grappled with the salary cap and moving on from some season vets, especially on defense. That showed up in pre-season last year IMO. The Bills had a great pre-season record in prior years because their 2s and 3s were almost always better than most other 2s and 3s. Last year they lost heavily to the Bears, lost to the Panthers and eeked out an ugly win vs Pittsburgh in pre-season. Those games almost never tell you anything about your starters.... but they do give you a broad sense of your depth. Whether the roster is upgraded at the top end remains to be seen. I see some potential ways it could be.... but there are no slam dunks. The proof will be in the pudding.

I agree with all this except I still think Keon is best suited as a big slot rather than as a Z receiver. I maintain if he ever ends up putting up really big numbers in the NFL it will be playing at least half of his snaps inside. I also think the fact he has the most upside of anyone on the current roster at X is a bit of an indictment on the Bills outside receiver options, but that has been done to death elsewhere.

Whether he is our best X... possibly. I think Palmer is more of a natural Z. There probably isn't a ton between them. But the Bills are going to start Keon as their X receiver. No doubt about that for me. They are going to try and force it to work for at least one more season.

On 1 it can be learned although there is definitely an instinctual element to it. Some guys just have that natural feel for leverage and pacing more than others. Agree on 2. On 3 and the whole point with that is it doesn't matter until it does. And when it does it matters a lot. Because when you need to win outside then you end up with a guy out there better suited to the slot.

American family friends brought it over as a present. I didn't really know who he was other than an American Football player so stuck it up in the back of the closet. First game was Lions pre-season game 2002.

I had a poster of Jim Kelly before Josh was born. But I had never watched a game (not just a Bills game, ANY NFL game). Don't know if that puts me in this category or not 😄

This list, other than the concussions, actually makes me feel a little better about it. I don't see anything there that is a chronic issue. He needs a bit better luck but other than the head stuff there isn't an accident waiting to happen there and I'm sure the Bills plan is for him to play no more than about 55% of the snaps in any event. The concern to me is more whether the cumulative effect of these injuries has taken something away from his game when he IS on the field. At times it has looked like that to me. It's a swing on him staying healthy, sure, but the bigger swing IMO is on what's left.

Yea. Staying on the field has been his issue. Pre all the injuries he was a top 5 left tackle. At his best he was better than Dion. I don't think he is still that guy anymore after all the injuries and surgeries but he is still a top 32 tackle. And while I wouldn't put Roger Rosengarten in the top 32 or anything at this point he had a darn good rookie year for the Ravens too. He made the all rookie team and deservedly so. The Chiefs is more of a mess. They don't have a top 32 guy. I am not totally sure they have a top 64 guy in terms of proven NFL talent. Never been a Jawaan Taylor fan right back to him coming out of the draft and Jaylon Moore is a career backup to this point. I think long term they might be in good shape. Josh Simmons was a slam dunk of a draft pick for them, but right now in terms of proven talent, sure the Cheifs are as deficient at tackle as the Bills are at receiver, probably evem moreso.

You are right about the ways Coleman's skillset are best applied in the NFL. I said this as long ago as February 2024. Way before he was a Bill. Can he be Michael Thomas? I have my doubts on that. Three reasons: Reason 1 - Thomas's understanding of leverage and route pacing was way in advance of what we have seen so far from Keon, he can develop it but right now that gap is still significant; Reason 2 - Josh Allen ain't Drew Brees who probably threw the slant and the slot seam better than any other QB I have seen in my 25 years watching the sport. There is obviously a ton Josh does better than Drew, but those two routes and the Saints success with Big Slots - from Colston to Graham to Thomas - was as much about the Quarterback as it was about the receivers; and Reason 3 - the Bills have a logjam in the slot. The only receiver on their roster I would say is outside first, slot second is Josh Palmer. I think Keon should be a big slot first, outside guy in certain packages but to get snaps in the slot the queue includes Khalil Shakir (the Bills didn't just pay him to play him less) Dalton Kincaid, a former first round pick who they have to take a big decision on next spring, Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore and even Dawson Knox and James Cook in certain looks. I just don't think he will get sufficient opportunity to break out there to the maximum. If Keon can get to 800 yards and double his touchdown production to 8 by being a redzone weapon that will be a really solid year. Anything more would be above my expectations.

McDermott said he injured it end of last week.

Thing is the OTA schedule is so truncated now that if he is out for 2 weeks that is basically out until training camp. A grade 1 calf strain is 1 to 3 weeks.

The whole thing makes me howl with laughter every time I read it (about once every 2/3 years). It's brilliantly observed.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/bryson-s-america-congratulations-you-are-about-to-be-driven-insane-1129608.html

Equally once they lost to West Ham Arsenal dropped league points resting guys for the Champions League. This is not a vintage Liverpool team and they are not vintage champions.

Yea but they only got 84. That would have won 1 of the last 12 titles before this one.

This should have been our year. But every single bit of bad luck that could have gone against us did. The injuries in particular were brutal. This Arsenal team will win the Premier League in the next two years though. Too good not to.

He has been a Bill 3 years, not 5. He was 21 when we drafted him. But it wasn't just the man vs zone thing. It was his transitions. I said it at the time and Brandon said it in the day 1 presser after the pick. I always thought it was an odd pick and I don't believe it was a "good bet."

Yep. Saw the Kaiser Chiefs do that in a pub in Leeds when I was a student. 20 odd years ago. It flunked the first time they released it. But then they had a hit with one of their others... maybe Every Day I Love You Less and Less... and when they re-released I predict a riot it went big.

Leeeedddss, Leeds are falling apart, again!

Oh he can totally play the Z and run the WR screens, the slants and the quick hitches. The issue is you can't be a Z receiver only running those 3 routes. Whereas you can still run those routes from the slot and, as with your other routes, you will get a lot of free releases off the line. That aids Keon's route running because when he gets to dicatate his spacing he is better than when it is contested when he has the tendency to play to contact.

Liverpool are the Packers. 100%. That is the easiest EPL - NFL comparison there is.