GunnerBill

You could still end up with a home game in the AFCCG as the #5 imo if the 1-4 are Indy, New England, Denver and Pittsburgh. I could see #6 Chargers @ #5 Bills for instance.

I honestly think the #5 with the Chiefs and Ravens out. That guarantees the Bills a clear QB advantage in every match up (I suppose possibly Herbert if he is on a good day and Josh is a bit off)

I am open to the idea. Dorian's issue at linebacker is his play recognition, lane discipline and positioning. Get him lined up on or close to the line of scrimmage on passing downs and just use his physical gifts going forward. That is kind of how we used Lorax under Sean in 2017 and 2018.

Sure but he would be a complimentary piece here not a piece that changes the offense dramatically. He isn't the guy that can just flat out win outside against press coverage. Was that worth what it took to get him? I'd probably have been willing to offer a 4th this year and a 5th next year. But that isn't as good as the Seahawks offer. And that is about as high I'd have gone.

Very sad.

The information I have is at the point the Bills made the trade (which was FA time wasn't it so like 6 weeks out from the draft) the comparison they front office was using to decide whether trading away a first for Diggs made sense to them was Tee Higgins. That leads me to believe that at that point Tee was likely their WR4 because the consensus was Jeudy, Ruggs and Lamb would be gone. It doesn't have to mean that. Maybe the Bills felt Jefferson would almost definitely be gone too and so they thought WR5 was likely the best that would be left for them. Or maybe Higgins was WR4 for them at that point but they could have flipped to Jefferson by draft day - that's also possible. But the player who was their counterfactual in the Diggs decision at the time it was made was Tee Higgins.

There is genuinely a bit of a point about whether you really want to use a first on a WR in 2026 when the 2027 class looks at this stage potentially epic. I know you were talking half in jest but it isn't a great CB crop (and there is zero chance Beane spends a high pick on a corner this year anyway) but it IS a strong defensive line group. And take it from the man himself - he will "never apologise" for prioritising the defensive line. If I had to put money on the position of the Bills 2026 first round pick right now I'd put it on a defensive lineman. Probably EDGE over DT, but one or the other.

If it is long term wear and tear you are worried about then the Bills have guarded against that. This is year 4. They are pretty much committed through year 5. But it would cost $5.4m in dead cap if they wanted to move on in 2027. That isn't a justification anyone can use to still hold onto a wrong opinion about extending him.

Hunt sucks. That's why.

Ah man. A replay? Didn't we win the first time? Replays are for what you guys call ties.

I hope soon.

Taylor, Robinson, Barkley, Cook and Gibbs would be my 5. I am a bit of an ageist (as is known) and McCaffery's 3.5 yards per carry isn't buttering many parsnips anymore.

This is where I am at. Shaheed was a potential complimentary piece. A complimentary piece might help a bit but it doesn't change this offense or how teams defend us. Only a true potential outside #1 does that. Last year you had Adams, DHop and Coop who have all been that in their careers on the market though well on the back 9 and trying for them made sense to me even if Coop didn't totally work out. The trade market this year didn't have those kind of options available. It had pieces that to me move the dial very little. Is there a price at which Shaheed made sense to me? Yea. Not sure it was more than what Seattle paid.

I agree no running back should win it, and there is no bigger JTay fan than me. He is the rare thing.... a running back I thought was worth a 1st round pick (even though he went in the second) and he and Jimbo have elite vision in common. But Cook has been right there on a par with him in terms of performance this year. You say that Taylor means more to the Colts but in the two lesser Cook games (Pats where they dud a nice job on him, Falcons where Brady inexplicably got away from him) what did the Bills offense look like? Cook is more important to the Bills offense than I'd like him to be.... I think without him we are pretty stuck in neutral.

I am not agreeing with that. I think he is 4th on the list, sure. But I think he is still in that tier. He was incredible last season and had his team been better he'd have been MVP.

They'd suffer too, obviously. We have seen plenty of the Ravens without Lamar and it isn't pretty. We haven't seen much recent evidence of Bills or Chiefs without their guy but Matt Barkley once led the Bills to 41 points. It didn't mean they weren't better with Josh Allen. I don't think Joe Flacco's performance on Sunday tells us anything other than if you want a backup QB in the NFL then you can still do a lot worse than former Superbowl MVP Joe Flacco. In other news, water is indeed wet.

The Bengals are 45-32-1 with Joe Burrow since he was drafted. For a 0.576 win percentage. The Bengals are 7-14 without Joe Burrow since he was drafted. For a 0.333 win percentage. He isn't perfect, he holds the ball too long at times which for a QB with limited mobility should be a no-no but he is in the elite club. No question.

It was the right call. 52 yards in the modern NFL in high leverage scenarios is must make. Prater missed. This is actually a VERY good point. Well done that man.

And I think Beane drafted him thinking he'd be a good receiving back and offer some pop in the run game. He has surprised even them I suspect. I am not trying to be smart after the event but there were people before that draft saying the Bills should take Breece Hall in the first and I said I think there is so little between them I'd rather take Cook in the second. It is now undeniably the case that Cook is a better back than Hall.

Health is obviously a consideration with every player in the league. For a back mind you James doesn't take that many big hits. He is a different style of runner to his brother. The bigger risk is him getting his ankle rolled up on etc which he did a bit Sunday and looked gimpy for a series or two afterwards. That can happen to anyone at any time. The him wearing down.... I worry less about that.

The Patriots worry me the most because I think Drake Maye's best can lay up with Josh if Josh is at 80/85% of his best. Jones can't. He needs Josh to be at more like 50/60% and so does Nix. Herbert can lay up but without both tackles he is going to be running for his life unless the gamble on Trevor Penning (who I was a fan of coming out) pays off. If the Bills had to go on the road and beat the Broncos, Colts and Patriots to make the Superbowl you can sign me up for that right now. Not sure I'd include the Chargers in that personally. I think they are pretty beat up and I'd take the Chiefs roster over theirs right now. If everyone was healthy, possibly I'd agree. But their offensive tackles are arguably their two best players and they are both done for the year.

Also I don't think Shaheed is the player some imagine him to be. That isn't to say he isn't good. Or he wouldn't have helped some. But I think people are building him in their heads to be something he isn't. He isn't a player who transforms this offense.

Yes that was a good one.

Yes, but I'd be surprised if that alone dropped him to the 6th. Normally when a guy slides that far there is some sort of medical or off field flag.

"Nah should let him walk. Ray Davis can do the same behind this line." Anyone who had that take should be here to eat crow. Cook's vision is absolutely elite. That is always what wins for running backs. A bit of speed is nice too. Size is good if you can find it. But vision always wins. He was underrated the last two seasons by a large chunk of Bills fans. He is without doubt a top 5 back.