GunnerBill

Too early to write the book on the early picks. I quite liked Bishop at the time (although would rather have had Bullock or Hicks), Coleman and Carter I thought were both reaches. The two guys I have most excitement about long term are Solomon and Grable. Not sure how Grable gets on the field given our current strength at tackle but even if he ends up a good serviceable swing tackle picked in round 6 that is still a win.

You are off. I would change "limited pass rush ability" for "zero pass rush ability" just joking, but yea, very little pass rush potential. He is a 2nd round pick all day to me. I think you can plug and play him as a 1 tech and he will be a good starting player at that spot for 8-10 years in the NFL who will play the run really well and anchor the line. The problem is that to me is also his ceiling. He is not on my list for #30 for that reason. If the Bills went a different position at that spot and he was still there come their second round pick, I can get on board. Kinda similar to where I was on O'Cyrus Torrence (obviously different position but similar floor / ceiling) a couple of years ago.

And Ridley only won one, in his final year there by which time he was basically a backup. He was never better than average in any case. I can't comment on New England's first dynasty - the 2001, 2003, 2004 team, but their second dynasty - the 2014, 2016, 2018 team - their three most important offensive skill players were Brady, Edelman and Gronk.

We do have the second best W-L in football the past half decade. The team that keeps ending our season has the best. Ultimate success is a Superbowl championship. There is no feasible argument to contrary. Where the nuance in the discussion exists is whether judgment should be so binary as to class everything else as failure. I'm not sure it should. The Bills have been successful but ultimate success has eluded them.

No I don't think he was. But in terms of the toxicity no I don't think it matters. I just think it is ridiculous. If you are coming at me, come at me. Don't go after my family it is not a motiviational tool, it's just offensive.

Yep been thinking the same. Keep Cooper and draft an outside guy with some speed in rounds 2 through 5.... and then make a more concerted effort at a long term #1 next year.

He had major health concerns though didn't he? I know Higgins has a tendency to get nicked up but Golladay it was more serious concerns and in truth he was never the same guy.

Ah okay. I agree with everything you said there. That is my exact thing on Egbuka too. Is there a special trait. I said to @Dr. Who yesterday I want to see the testing because he is so smooth maybe it hides the explosion a bit. Or maybe it is just not there. And we are actually pretty aligned on those other guys too. I have Higgins at WR6 (third round grade).

Honestly? I don't have an answer for you. For once I am stumped. I don't love the Higgins idea for the reasons stated, I don't see an obvious trade idea that is realistic, and I don't love the draft class. I probably lean towards you are not getting a #1 this offseason. So get an outside receiver you think can be a serviceable medium-term #2 but as a deep, vertical, speed guy. Then that frees you up to go for any type of #1 boundary guy next year (i.e. you could go for your route runner style #1 if your #2 is a take the top off deep theat). Best ways to get the medium-term #2: FA - Hollywood Brown is the obvious one or more of a punt one either Tutu Atwell or Dyami Brown? Draft - Golden possible if at #30m? Or Bond on day 2. Buf I don't love any of those options. Even though I think it majorly needs fixing, I think this might be the toughest of all the required fixes this offseason.

Haha. I am not sold on the Bills being all in on Higgins, so no ❌️ from me! I do think he is better than you think he is. But I don't think he is completely what this team lacks. And I don't think we are in a spot in our cycle where we can spend top of the WR market on a player who isn't the ideal fit for what we need.

The problem with Elam was never lack of splash plays. It was lack of consistent making of the routine plays.

I was the same on Egbuka but the more I watch the more I like him. He has definitely grown on me. I do have a conscious bias that route runners are kinda my thing for the most part at receiver but I think he can play outside at the next level (and I mean predominantly outside, not take a few snaps out there) and win. That said, if the option is any kind of big trade up, no I'm not about that. He isn't worth the sort of price I'd have been happy the Bills paying for BTJ or Addison in the past two drafts IMO. If he got to say #26 and they want to jump in front of Baltimore (who could be a WR team if they cut Bateman) or Washington (who definitely could be a WR team) at the cost of a 4th round pick? Sure I could live with that. But wouldn't pay up any greater cost. Golden I have kind of gone the other way a bit. 10 days ago if he was there I'd have had a hard time passing, but the hands and the sloppy route running do concern me a bit. He is still on my shortlist at #30 if he makes it there but would depend on what was there at DL and corner. Interesting you have Higgins in your batch with Bryant and Felton. I have him a tier above them, and a day 2 pick, but testing will be big for him. If he runs slow I expect him to fall more into that early day 3 territory.

Diggs created plays. 100%. He was the best separator in football his first 2 years (and still very good year 3) here. The Bills did force feed him the ball, sure, but his ability to just get open down in and down out created plays. And you saw that when the drop off happened. Because he was still getting targets, they were still force feeding him the ball, but the production dropped off because he could no longer create to anything like the same extent. So the balls would be going to him but the coverage would be tighter and as a result fewer completions and less YAC. I don't think Higgins will create plays in quite that way, but he will make plays a lot of guys can't make, because he can catch balls that to a lot of receivers would be uncatchable.

Yep. I asked this the other day. Who is the last prime age, boundary receiver, as good as Tee Higgins to hit FA? I was honestly struggling for an answer. Maybe Mike Wallace from the Steelers? Possibly Santonio Holmes? Anquan Boldin? (removed Bolden he was traded from AZ to BAL)

I agree that I don't think Higgins is the ideal #1 receiver for our needs. He is a massive upgrade on what we have on the boundary but he isn't exactly the idea type. He is like a much better version of Gabe Davis. He is clearly a few talent levels above Gabe but in terms of style of player that is what you are getting. Where I disagree with you is on "he needs a #1 opposite him." As a rookie, playing with a rookie Joe Burrow and backups when Burrow went down he put up 908 yards and 6 TDs as a #1, that was pre-Chase. Then in 2022 the four games Chase missed Higgins stepped up had 2 solid games and two monster games, including a 148 yard day against the Steelers. I actually his production has been held back slightly by being on a team where Chase dominates targets. I think he will prove himself an a legit #1 receiver wherever he ends up. Probably someone who is 11-15 territory rather than top 10, but a legit #1.

They didn't though. Whaley's was negotiating with Hue Jackson's agent the night before Rex was hired. Terry Pegula made that decision.

Maybe it is. But I promise you if you said that in a locker room in this country it would go off. You'd have a mass brawl in seconds. I think your mistake there was watching Guy Ritchie movies.

Ha. Try coaching semi-professional football in East London where at least half your players are involved in some sort of gang or other. I've coached players who've ended up in prison for attempted murder. I never heard any of them threaten to hit a teammate's mother to motivate them. And if they had all hell would have broken loose.

Let's be honest.... a guess is a guess. He could last 5 years, he could last 10 years, he could have a serious injury in the season opener and never be the same again. We just have no idea. It's not something I spend time worrying about.

Buddy was GM in name only in 2013, the power had already passed to Whaley and Buddy was allowed to retire gracefully a few weeks later. But to be fair to Monos he didn't arrive until after Doug took over formally so he had no hand in Manuel.

I don't agree. I played and coached a reasonably high level of competitive sport without ever using the threat of slapping someone's mother to motivate them.

Whether it was intended or indeed perceived as bullying by Jonathan Martin in this specific case we need to improve a culture that allows that sort of toxicity to prevail, regardless.

What do you think he is? That is what I struggled with. I'm not sure he quite has the burst or agility to project to a true outside 9 tech type pass rusher and I don't think he plays with enough leverage to be a 5 tech DE in a 3-4. I ended up thinking he might fit best as a 6/7T base "big end" in a 4-3 - a guy who plays the run really well and gets you 5-6 sacks a season.

When I was asked to go back and look at who I've mocked to the Bills over the years since Josh it is really staggering. I had them trading back into the end of 1 for DK in 2019, taking Higgins in 2020, taking Olave in 2022, taking Addison in 23, taking BTJ last year. Of those obviously the last 3 didn't get to them although Addison and BTJ definitely got into trade up range. But I've had receiver as a need before Diggs signed, while he was here and after he left. And the Bills just have not shown that urgency.

I am fine with Shakir at $15m AAV so long as their plan for the boundary is draft a guy. If their plan outside is trade / FA then not sure if Shakir fits.