GunnerBill

I think we might be arguing semantics in that to me "ok to decent" means basic starting level players whereas good to very good is desirable starters that would be sought after in free agency. I think we have a lot of guys who are top 15 in the league in their position: Dawkins, Brown, McGovern, Cook, Shakir, Oliver, Milano, Taron, Bernard, Benford, Rousseau (Groot probably more like 20 than top 15 but close enough). Those are all guys that would get very good contracts if they hit FA. The problem is we don't have anyone top 5 at their position except Josh Allen (maybe Taron he is right there on the borderline but slot corner low positional value). We are all in agreement that a lack of elite is a major factor holding us back.

Guys... we tried to play man coverage vs the Chiefs. We got torn apart. The Bills played more man coverage in its final two games of 2024 (Baltimore and KC) than in any two consecutive games of the McDemott era. This narrative that the problem is zone coverage has to stop. It is utter, utter, hogwash. Agree on Hamlin. Unfortunately Bishop does not play that position. He is a Rapp alternative. We still need a free safety.

Honestly I think guard is the least of their problems. Sure it was the weakest spot on offense, but I don't think that is a critical upgrade. My thoughts on Bond are he offers a vetical speed element we lack. I don't think he is a #1 receiver or anything but despite his holes we need his strengths so bad I'd live with them.

The weaker guard spot is not Edwards, it is Torrence. I don't disagree with much of your thought in terms of offensive team building but they have blown it the last two drafts IMO. This is a defense heavy draft and the worst receiver class for about a decade.

I think "spotty" is very unfair on Addison. He has put up excellent numbers despite being a #2 across from the best receiver in football and having a couple of injury concerns. 19 touchdowns in 2 years despite less that optimal QB play too.

You can play to keep plays in front of you on defense. But you need to be able to confuse or speed up the QB and you can't do that with no special players up front and no special players in the secondary. On offense I think it is just about making better decisions. Brandon Beane grew up in an organistion that didn't believe in drafting receivers high, from two GMs that didn't believe in drafting receivers high. He has to shake the Carolina philosophy. Yes I do. He was a boundary guy for Texas in 2024 and had his best season. He is a shade under 6ft so arm length measurements will decide whether he is a top 15 pick or slides some. But in a predominantly zone scheme, yep, I have zero doubts he is an outside corner. If you are more of a hybrid team that play a fair chunk of man you use him like KC use McDuffie. Outside on early downs then coming into the slot in nickel defense.

I think okay to decent is a bit harsh. I think they have a lot of good to very good players. But they definitely lack elite talent. I have been expressing this concern for as long as I can remember. At the moment there is no elite difference maker on D and there is no elite weapon for Josh. And I didn't like the Keon pick. I was pro trading up for BTJ and the year before pro trading up for Jordan Addison. Either of those would have been difference makers on this O. Keon is not.

I am not sure I'd trade up for either Green or Burden tbh. I like Green a lot but I think he is just a pass rush specialist as a rook (was also told by someone I trust the other day he won't get past the Cardinals at #16) which is valuable don't get me wrong but I am not sure it is trade up valuable. And Burden I don't see elite in. Honestly think you could stay where you are and take guys who are in the same broad range as them as prospects (Princely U from Ole Miss at DE and Matthew Golden from Texas at WR). The only guy I'd be willing to trade up for in the first round of this class who I think has a reasonable hope of getting within say 10 picks of the Bills is Jahdae Barron.

Yea I don't think overall it is as few as you think but it is non-existant for guys coming off their rookie deals. The guys who will take a little less for one year to chase a ring and then dip into FA again are without exception guys who are coming off their 2nd contract (or sometimes 3rd or 4th) or who have been cut by their team for being too expensive (which generally means they have already banked a very healthy signing bonus). Tee Higgins has already been essentially forced to take a 1 year deal playing on the tag in 2024. He will take whoever puts the most guaranteed money on the table in free agency. Not necessarily the highest AAV (although they'd have to be close) but the biggest guaranteed number.

I do believe it should be what is says on the tin - the Hall of FAME and not the Hall of Great which is what it is. If it were actually about fame I agree you can't tell the story of the 2010s in the NFL without Fitz.

I did not know this! Thanks!

The other thing they might do is trade one for an up next year. One of those 4ths was from trading away a 5th last draft day to the Bears. That would be next year and I doubt he nets a 3rd. 4th maybe.

Yea the same. If you honestly don't believe it is a coaching problem you should have the courage of your convictions and say that.

My Jags correspondent friend tells me Pederson was under extreme pressure internally to fire Nielsen in-season this year for the terrible defensive performance but resolutely defended him, insisting that coaching was not the reason for their struggles. Not sure what to take from that but found it interesting.

If he puts it altogether he is an ELITE edge player who will get plenty of sacks. The problem with him is his lack of production is because he is unrefined technically. He is a major leaner and when you lean against NFL calibre tackles who have a solid anchor they are just going to overwhelm you. Add to that is hand usage is terrible. It's like he woke up one morning and found two new appendages had been stitched onto the ends of his arms and hasn't yet worked out why. The ceiling is sky high, the floor is basement level low.

Love Princely. He is a very high second round grade to me and EDGE4. I like TJ too. I am trying to divorce "he isn't a fit for the Bills" from "he is a darn good player". I have a 2nd on him but he isn't getting the pop his tape deserves IMO. On Barron he just played 70% boundary corner in 2024 and had his best season. I am adamant he is a full time outside corner at the next level as long as he goes to a predominant zone team. If he goes to a team that plays a lot of man I think you use him like McDuffie is used in KC. He plays outside in base but when they go to nickel comes inside. I think he is the best corner in the class if you think Hunter is a WR. I like all three of those players a LOT though. I like Revel a lot too, but I don't think this regime has ever drafted someone coming off a major injury and I don't expect them to start now. I'll throw a few other names out there: Grey Zabel, OT, North Dakota State - has played every spot on the OL in college. Think he is probably a guard at the NFL level, but he can move and finishes his blocks. Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA - bit of a one year wonder but love his 2024 film. He moves really well and he can hit, he can blitz, he can cover... plays with some twitch. Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa - coverage linebacker, can be used as a matchup weapon, is the kind of guy you don't have to take off the field if you are going to nickel or dime on 3rd and long, has a habit of finding the football.

I'd have put Kuechly in. But I'm delighted Jared Allen got in. He was one of the most underrated players of the 00s. He was properly elite he just played on (at the time) unfashionable Chief and Viking teams.

Nope, he didn't. He drafted Tebow, couldn't work out how to get him on the field and got fired. John Fox was the coach who made the playoffs with Tebow. EDIT: just to add to this... in both of his HC stops he arrived at teams with viable Quarterbacks. Not top 10 guys, no stars, but Jay Cutler and Derek Carr were legit NFL starters. In both spots he fell out with them, traded them, and then got worse at the position.

Huge congrats to Josh. Well deserved. I was very confident he would win it until the all pro voting came out, but this is the rare year when the voters split the riches. And I have to say, both Josh and Lamar were deserving in 2024 so splitting the riches was probably the right call.

What does Mike Vrabel have to do with the Music City Miracle? And Josh Daniels? Who he?

Why pray that the Bills don't play as a road team in Australia? I get the not wanting to give up a home game (to an extent at least) but why so desperate when the Bills would be a road team?

@corta765 I believe it is only three London games in 2025.

Reed would be a de-facto #1 here like he has been in Green Bay by virtue of being the best receiver but he isn't a #1 receiver talent IMO. He is a very good #2.

Reed and Doubs are also not #1s. The closest guy they have is Watson but he can't stay healthy.

Haha and now you are mixing up FA fullbacks. It was Jerome Felton, signed as a FA in 2015, cut at final cutdowns in 2016 for baby Gronk, a move reversed before week 2. DiMarco was a McDermott signing in 2017.