sven233

WARNING - FULL LENGTH ARTICLE INCOMING! HA! The thing is, a tear down really doesn't mean you have to take a step back in my opinion. There are a few bad contracts on this team for sure that would hurt to get out of this season, but if that's the choice you make, it doesn't have to mean a setback because the young talent on team friendly contracts are the ones that are having the best impact on the field. So, if you wanted to move on from some of these bad contracts and absorb the hits, you can. OFFENSE You are golden at the most important position in football. And with his contract and talent level, you know he isn't going anywhere for a very long time. So, you need cap space to absorb the cap hit from cutting a bad contract like Von (if that is something they even want to do), Allen has the contract to make that somewhat possible. You are fine at RB with Cook. Draft someone late to team with him for this year. No need to have a big contract in that room with him as your lead back. The line is fine. Mitch is the biggest question mark. Do you want to save some money by dumping his contract? Does he want to play another year? Would he take a massive pay cut to chase a ring one more time? You have Bates that can hold down the fort for this season if necessary, but you can usually get the best, or one of the best centers in the draft in the 3rd round if you want to go really cheap there and not have a huge talent drop off. It's a big asset to use on a center, but if you pick the right guy, you will have your center for the next decade. Dawkins had his best year this season. You want to clear some space, redo his contract. No problem adding a couple years and some new money for that guy. The rest of the line is fine and doesn't break the bank. WR is the biggest question mark right now. Where is Diggs at with this team? If he's still all in with this team and wants to be here, then he's your #2 going forward for a couple years. You have Shakir on a bargain deal as your #3/slot. If this is the case, we use our first round pick on the most talented, biggest fast guy we can and hope to hit on a new #1 in a very talented WR draft. Then you add another one later in the draft as well and bring in a vet that still has something left in the tank for a reasonable price. This is probably ideal, but you can't get less production out of our WR corps overall than we did this season. Davis was a massive disappointment and shouldn't be hard to replace with the first rounder we draft. And we got nothing out of the other guys on this team......nothing. So, you can either bring in some FAs that won't break the bank or just draft a couple more guys and you will easily replace the production we did receive on this team for cheap. Now, if Diggs wants out, or we want to move on from him this season, that is where this becomes a bit of an issue. Because while I believe he is not the #1 we need anymore, I firmly believe he can be the dominant #2 we have lacked since he got here in the first place. Beane messed up by never getting him the true secondary option we needed. They kept waiting for Davis to turn into that and he never did. Now they need a new superstar. So, in the grand scheme of things, because you have Allen as your QB and a solid line in front of him, it means you don't have to necessarily take a step back on offense by redoing things. You can get better and still save money. A lot will come down to where Diggs' head is at right now. DEFENSE Outside of Von's contract, we are lucky that our most important contributors are young guys under fine contracts. Yesterday's performance aside, Oliver was a beast this season and should be a dominant DT for us for several years to come. We still have Groot who I expect to take one more step next season. There are no other DTs under contact heading into next season, so that is going to offer a fresh start as it is. I would love to have Jones back, but you have to be careful with that contract. His age and injury history makes me hesitant to do too much there, but I would love it if they could find something fair for both sides for a couple years. Honestly outside of Oliver and Jones, what did we really get out of anyone else this season anyway? The rest can go and we can replace the depth production we got with cheaper and younger options and probably not see that much of a difference in what we got out of guys like Phillips, Settle, Ford, etc. Floyd and AJ were great early in the season and then vanished down the stretch. AJ does this every season. He shows up, makes a few amazing plays in September and October and then you never hear from him again. Not sure you will have much of a step down for a cheaper price than you will see him get on the open market. Floyd was great for most of the season, but obviously age or injury or whatever caught up with him down the stretch. And we all know he was signed off the street late in FA as it was. There will always be guys out there like that. Do it again with someone else this season. The real question is what they want to do with Von. Are they confident he will return to form next season? If they are and he does, great. If they aren't and they want to bit the bullet and eat the dead cap, they obviously can replace his current production with anyone off the street for pennies on the dollar. But make not mistake about is, DE is the biggest problem on this team and has been for years now. We got unlucky with Von's injury for sure. He was everything we hoped he would be for us pre-injury and now, if he doesn't return to form, his contract is an anchor for sure. The line is the toughest area to fix going into next season. At LB, we are in a good spot with the guys we have if Milano comes back healthy. The depth can be replaced and supplemented without too much work and money. We are still good at CB as well. Douglas was a great find and will start next season at a reasonable price no matter what. Benford is there and he had a really great year. If he starts next season next to Douglas, we will be just fine. Those 2 with Johnson in the slot is very solid. Tre is the wild card in this. His contract and injury history screams to cut him. But man, I feel how hard that must be on the organization. Would Tre be open to reworking his deal so he won't be cut and come back and compete for a spot? I don't know, but I would love to see it. But his injury history is tough. I can't see anyone paying him big money on the market without him proving he can still play and stay healthy. His best bet may be to redo that contract and prove those things here in a system he has excelled in for years. We'll see what happens there. And then of course you have Elam...... Ugh. Him not being the player we were hoping for as first round pick really hurts. Do you hope he comes back and he's ready to compete? Do you explore trade options to try and reinforce another position? That's a tough one. But overall, we are fine at CB at the top. Then of course we have the Safety position. The one group we haven't had to really question for the last 7 years. As much as it hurts to do it on a personal level, it's time to start completely fresh back there. The money is too big for the production you are going to get going forward with those guys. So, draft your replacements. Heck, find the next duo in FA to come in on team friendly deals like you did with them years ago. The thing is, if there is one place on the roster that this coaching staff gets the most out of, it's the secondary. You don't necessarily have to get worse there by putting fresh legs back there. In fact, maybe.....just maybe, you could get better with some more athleticism. The thing is, if you have a defensive minded coach, you should see a benefit to that with scheme. You should be able to hide a weakness or two. If not, then your defensive minded head coach shouldn't be your head coach. But in the end, after this extremely long and drawn out post, that I don't believe that tearing it down necessarily means not being able to compete for a Super Bowl. In fact, there are several spots you could actually get better by going younger and cheaper. As bad as the cap situation is, and as even worse as it could get by cutting some bad contracts, I don't think that means you have to necessarily take a step back and not compete for a division or Super Bowl.

You can mask his absence against average to below average teams and QBs. You can't cover up what is lacking without him against great teams and great QBs in the Playoffs.

Good on him. He should. Hard worker, but just has never translated to consistency here. We need better and paying him whatever he's going to get isn't going to help us do that. Hopefully, for his sake, someone drastically overpays for his services.

I guess I should add that another reason they will bring him back next year is because of the big contract they gave him this off season. I don't know the exact numbers without looking at his contract, but I believe he would count like 7 million+ in dead cap if we cut him. His contract, coupled with the Knox and Miller contracts, aren't the most team friendly right now. Just no way to get out of them for a couple of years at least.

The thing is, they will bring Bass back and I think it is a mistake. Sure, he's made some big kicks for us. But this is the kind of kick.....coupled with how bad he's been down the stretch, that no matter how mentally tough you are, you will think about every time you are in a clutch situation. And that is very dangerous to have as a team in critical moments. I think you have to cut him now and start fresh. Otherwise, there won't be any confidence foe a crucial kick in the future.

What we saw this season was the transition of Diggs from a #1 to a #2 WR. We no longer need a #2......we need a #1. And for that matter, a #4 and #5 as well. On offense, we do have some talent in place. I am comfortable going into next season with Diggs at #2 and Shakir in the slot. Or, if you want to, make Diggs your slot and use Shakir as your #4 and go out and find a new #1 and #2. We are in great hands with Kincaid at TE1. He's a star in the making. While Knox is a fine #2 TE, I really don't want my second TE making that much money. But that was a mistake by Beane that we will have to live with for a bit. It's not bad having 2 good TEs, but we could really use that Knox money elsewhere. The line proved it was fine this season. Was it perfect? No. But you can't have studs at every position. Torrence was great as a rookie overall and I expect a dominant season from him next year. Dawkins had his best overall season as a Bill in my opinion and McGovern and Brown were pretty good, not great. But, we can get by with them. Center will be interesting. Mitch is long in the tooth and makes a lot of money that we can get out from underneath from. He was very solid this year, but it may be time. You can usually get a very good center in round 3 of the draft and you have Bates to hold the fort down if needed. So, there are pieces on offense that work. But the WR position is very worrisome. Finding 2 quality WRs is priority #1 this off season. Stop forcing Allen to do it by himself and get him some playmakers.

I see a lot of complaining about the TD shot on 3rd down. I for one, have no problem with it as it was called. The route was there and the play was there to be made but late pressure forced the ball to come up a little short. But, make no mistake about it, that was the right read in that situation. It was a TD if he had that extra half second. Sure, Diggs was open, but if the shot is there for the TD, you pull the trigger. Now, I get the argument in the grand scheme of things. Does that play need to be called in the first place or is there a better play that maybe would have given more options that would have gotten the first down to burn some more clock? Sure.....I get that argument. And if you want to blame someone on that play, blame Brady for calling it. But it was called and Allen made the correct read. It was there and was a split second away from connecting. If you call that play, and it's there to be made, you try to make it and take the lead. I know it's Mahomes and I know we hadn't stopped them the entire game, but this is professional football. Score, take the lead, and then find a way to keep them out of the end zone. Just find a way.

I mean Allen did everything he could. He was the best player on the field tonight and GOT 0 HELP..... He's Superman, but even Superman can't throw the ball and go catch it too. Dime after dime.....even 60+ yards down the field and yet, our WRs couldn't make 1 play for him (outside of Shakir.....that guy is our slot going forward). He can't coach the team. He can't kick the FGs. He can't play defense. As brilliant as he is, he just can't play QB and the other 2 phases of the game too. We need 2 more WRs....... As much as I love Diggs, he's made the transition to a #2 WR. We no longer have a #1. The draft should be nothing but weapons for Allen. He's carried this team on his back for years. He's hid so many flaws in personnel and coaching. There needs to be some serious changes. You are wasting, in my opinion, the best QB in the league at this point. I'm sorry, Josh. You deserve better.

Whelp...... Allen was Superman, but got no help. Just sad......

Back to back 60 yard+ dimes and neither of them caught. But Josh's fault somehow......

That ball was not in the air.....screwed again.

Making his transition to a great #2 WR. We need a true #1. Allen throws a dime and our crappy WR drops it. We're going to lose this game. Allen has played great and gotten little help, but will get blamed for the loss and the narrative will continue that he can't beat the Chiefs or win in the Playoffs......blah blah blah.

Whelp.....Shakir is done. And so are we. We are just cursed.

Look......the running game has been nice all game, but this is Josh Allen time. Let him be the one to do both.

WOW...... caught a break. Now it's about what you do with that break.

It's a good challenge that won't get reversed.....

I hate that call........ If you are going to go for it, you let Allen do it. McDermott is a clown. Game over........

May as well go for it. You aren't stopping them......

McDermott is awful. He won't be fired, but there's a good argument that he should be....... Comes up the smallest in the biggest games.

We can't even force a 3rd down, let alone a 4th down. This is an embarrassing performance by the defense.

Dude........if you are going to blitz, fine..... But you can't let him step up like that.

Going to have to do it a couple more times. Defense can't stop a nose bleed.

BOOM

That just can't happen...... Killing ourselves.

I like sticking with the run, but that was a perfect spot for play action