Dont Stop Billeiving

I knew I was forgetting a prospect in my OP, you nailed it. Super impressed with Benjamin despite living in Ireland and never getting to watch the PAC-12 (8 hour time difference is the worst!) but he just never goes down on first contact and can help our team on all 3 downs. To be honest, id be ok with drafting one of Benjamin/Moss/Perine in rounds 3-4 and then getting Dillon in the 5th or 6th. A backfield of Singletary/Moss/Dillon would be the dream and allow us to cut Yeldon while using less than a million cap space on our entire RB room.

This is a big part of what I was trying to get at in my OP...you just said it a lot better! Cheers dude!

Very good pro comp! I’d sign up for getting the new Jacobs for a 5th rounder!

First off, I think we can all agree that we need a better #2 RB in 2020 to complement Devin Singletary. With all respect to the legend that is Frank Gore, he wore down as the season went on and the coaching staff never seemed to trust Yeldon. Christian Wade remains the wildest of wildcards, but it's very unlikely he could fill this role next year or at least it would be foolish to make that assumption. However, there are several directions in which the team could go to fill this #2 RB spot. I've seen some posters asking McBeane to go big in free agency and sign Derrick Henry who is undoubtedly an excellent player. However, it's been my belief (and I think the past decade or so in the NFL has proven this) that it's unwise to invest huge contracts or high draft picks at the RB position. As I've researched the 2020 draft, I've been targeting names like Zack Moss, LaMichel Perine, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (probably in that order) as perfect fits for the Bills falling somewhere in the 3rd-4th Rounds. But could there be a potential compromise between these two scenarios (top free agent vs draft)? Is it at least possible for the Bills find a way to get a player like Derrick Henry without sacrificing a huge level or resources? To my knowledge, there is one similarly-sized RB with the stats to match who could be the perfect Thunder to Singletary's slightly slow Lightening for the cost of a 4th-6th Round draft pick. The draft is basically a lottery, but it seems like AJ Dillon could have a chance to make a Henry-like impact at the next level. Dillon is 3 inches shorter than Henry, but outweighs him by 11 POUNDS. Think about that and then watch the highlights below...it's exactly what you'd expect. Nobody wants to tackle this guy. He's not going to be a 4.4 burner, but he has enough speed and enough shiftiness to make guys miss or run over them if they don't. Boston College was not an offensive juggernaut by any means during his time there and defenses were putting 8 guys in the box/keying in on stopping Dillon every week. Despite this, he put up 4,618 rushing/receiving yards and 40 TDs in 3 seasons. From day one, his physicality, pass blocking, and efficiency in short-yardage situations could help this team. All from a player who is 5 years younger than Derrick Henry and will take up about 1/25th of the cap space. It's not guaranteed he'll be a star or become a Derrick Henry, but I think this guy gives us a chance to zag (have a huge RB) when the rest of the league is zigging (defenses getting smaller and more spread out). I want to see the Bills pass more in general, but Dillon would give us the #2 back we desperately need and it would be well worth a 5th rounder to find out. Go Bills!

Also, @bills_fan, are you sure you aren't thinking of the Titans' LEFT tackle Taylor Lewan? As far as I was aware, Lewan has the infamous reputation for being dirty. For example, our secondary had a lot to say about his behavior after our win against them this year. However, I've never heard anything similar about Conklin. Just seems like a good player and a great fit for our team. Adding Conklin and either Hooper/Henry at TE would make a huge difference to our offense. Sign 1-2 playmakers on defense, re-sign/extend our own, and solve the rest through the draft. With our talent and all these resources, no reason this team cannot be a genuine contender for multiple years.

I really hope we don't target Clowney in FA. He's too injury-prone, doesn't make enough difference-making plays, and will not warrant the money he'll get on the open mkt. I would guess that he'll break down completely from a physical standpoint in 2 more seasons or less. If we are going to spend top dollar on this position, I would target Ngakoue, Judon, and Dupree in that order. Yannick is by far the best...players like him don't make it to free agency EVER. Hugely productive, has never missed a game, Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee, and will only be 25 when next season starts...anything can happen, but all the signs point to a superstar who would be worth his big second contract.

Beane's post-draft press conference where he said 'Singletary's tape was the most fun to watch of any prospect he scouted' might have been the understatement of the year. Love this kid...now let's get him Zack Moss or Lamichel Perine to pair with and watch them make NFL defenses look silly for the next decade!

He probably wants to take time away from the game, but I'd say do whatever it takes to bring Kuechly in as a defensive assistant for the coaching staff. Pay him whatever he wants, think of the impact he could have filling the leadership void left by Lorax and Kyle Williams even though he won't be an active player anymore. I'm also guessing he could really maximize the play/potential of Edmunds and Milano (as well as the younger guys like Vosean Joseph) and could even serve as a recruiting tool in free agency. I always hoped the McDermott/Beane connections would eventually lead Keuchly to play for us, but this could work too.

I want Laviska Shenault at #22, then would target Michael Pittman or Chase Claypool in the later rounds. Might be willing to trade up into the late 3rd to land Claypool (to pair with Shenault, John Brown, and Beasley) along with an edge rusher/RB/CB with our other two Day 1-2 picks.

This x 1000. He screwed up and the refs gave him the benefit of the doubt which isn't their job. Also, I kept waiting for the officiating assistants to storm the field again and overturn the blindside block on Ford or throw a flag on the illegal helmet-to-helmet hit on Josh by Cunningham but no such luck... We made a lot of mistakes that cost us, but we certainly didn't get any help from the refs on this one.

Great post @MAJBobby, appreciate all the detail and hard work on your part. Agree with all of your takes except for the fact that I believe Moss and Harris won't last until the 5th round. I know the position is devalued (and I am completely against paying a UFA like Henry top dollar or drafting an RB in the 1st round), but I'd spend our late 3rd or trade up in the 4th to get Moss, Harris, or Edwards-Helaire if that's what it took. Getting an upgrade at RB2 would be huge for this offense and the middle of the draft seems like the best way to do this. Go Bills!

If we stay at #22, give me the best player available...from LSU. WR Justin Jefferson or Edge K'Lavon Chaisson. Wouldn't mind a trade up for either CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, or Yetur Gross-Matos though if the price was right (may need to get to picks 14-17 for them). Go WR/Edge in the 2nd (whichever we didn't grab in the 1st) and then get me Zack Moss/Clyde Edwards-Helaire or another RB that will compliment Motor. April 23rd can't come soon enough...Go Bills!

Yeah for sure, they’ve been crushing it. I would say that they’ve been an even better fantasy defense than in real life. I don’t like starting guys against the Bills if I can help it though (primarily because I don’t want anyone to play well against us and also because Bills games are stressful enough as it is!). But since I can’t buy another defense, happy to provide a reverse jinx and help the Bills out!! ??

Since I have $0 FAAB left, I'm forced to start the Steelers defense against us in the second leg of my fantasy football championship this weekend...so rejoice! The Bills are definitely putting up 40+ points! ? Would sacrifice the $350 prize money in a heartbeat if it meant the Bills would win in a stress-free blowout and clinch the playoff spot!

It really is...Exhibit A that coaching and culture do matter (and that having a meddlesome sociopath for an owner can really hurt your team's chances for success). Thankfully, I think we're in good shape on all three and another great off-season would vault our Bills into the upper echelon of genuine Super Bowl contenders.

Enjoy man, hopefully there will be a large Bills contingent there with you to turn up the noise on the inexperienced Hodges. I was at Heinz Field to see UB play University of Pittsburgh back in 2007 or 2008. Was a cool stadium from what I can remember, we were up in the nosebleeds. Pitt had a certain RB back then as well who made a lot of tacklers look silly (Shady). Go Bills!

We’re due...time for Roberts to finally break one and/or for our back seven to bait Hodges into throwing a DUCK that we take back the other way ?

Per the Buffalo news, "Baltimore is blitzing an NFL-high 53.4% of pass plays through 13 games...Pittsburgh is blitzing on 36.5% of pass plays this season, according to Pro Football Focus." Also, "In the three-game win streak against Miami, Denver and Dallas, the Bills had showed progress against pressure. Those teams blitzed Allen at a combined 30% rate, and Allen went 17 of 23 for 209 yards with two TDs, no interceptions and a 130.5 rating, according to News charts." Denver and Dallas have elite pass rushers, but we limited them effectively. Baltimore plays Cover-0 and blitzes more than any team in the league and we struggled (the Pats and the Browns also blitz very frequently and efficiently too so that's 3 of our 4 losses right there). As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I believe the Steelers are more similar to Denver/Dallas than the Ravens which should make this an easier match up in theory. Plus they play zone rather than the press man coverage the Ravens rely on. Pittsburgh has a great defense and pass rush, but a lot of people are giving them too much respect on here. Our offense should actually match up pretty well with them and play well as long as we clean up the mistakes from this past week. https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/09/josh-allen-blitz-rate-baltimore-ravens-completion-percentage-analysis/

Absolutely man, happy to help. Only other rec I have is Goat Hill Tavern in Costa Mesa (right next to Newport). Awesome dive bar, great music and huge beer selection. Do the LA sights for a day if you haven't done so already, but otherwise stick to the beaches...much better vibes IMO. Have fun!

Honestly asking...I've seen this mentioned several times about the Steelers being one of the best blitzing teams and I would have assumed that too, but do the stats actually back this up? According to NFL Matchup on ESPN (they tweet out stats a lot), they aren't even in the top 10 (meanwhile the Ravens are 1st by a mile). No doubt that Watt, Dupree, and others provide an excellent pass rush, but good blitzing teams seem to be our biggest kryptonite at the moment and I think we match up better against the Steelers. I think the Bills have demonstrated that they're able to neutralize good pass rushers for the most part when they know where they're coming from throughout the season. Also, as @whatdrought mentioned, the Steelers have played some pretty trash offenses for the last 6-7 weeks to pad their turnover and sack stats. Bengals, Dolphins, Cardinals, Browns twice, Rams at their worst...no real tests since they played the Ravens in week 5. Just my opinion, but I think we are likely undervaluing the Raven's defense and overestimating the Steelers a decent amount.

Congrats! And have you been to Newport before? Probably my favorite place in California. Apologies if you know all of this already, but Mutt Lynch's is a great beach bar for food/drinks, Stag Bar for late night/pool tables/pizza. Definitely rent some bikes and check out The Wedge! Anyways hopefully the Bills can gift you a stress-free win!

Great recap as always Virgil, something I look forward to on Mondays win, lose, or draw. Lawson is earning a big payday either from us or another team (possible comp pick?). He's so underrated vs. the run. Judon is an excellent player with the athleticism and football IQ to disrupt offenses in a lot of ways...any interest in signing him as a free agent? As you said, it will cost a lot, but probably less than the Clowney/Ngakoue types. Hypothetically, would people rather get Judon at 16 million per year or Ngakoue at 23 million per year? RE: the lack of replays- it's not just you, they were few and far between yesterday and it was very frustrating. Joe Marino on his podcast basically said that unlike other game analysts, Dan Fouts is incapable of providing an adequate level of analysis on replays so they just don't bother with them on his broadcasts. Incredible... I share your concern, but I think Smoke will be ok...Marlon Humphrey might be one of the top 2-3 most underrated CBs in the league. He's had tough match ups recently and we haven't executed well on the plays designed to go his way. As you mentioned though, he could have been better at gaining separation or even coming back to the ball a bit on the final play. Tough game overall in which we didn't get much luck and made a lot of mistakes, but this year's team always seems to fight back and give themselves a chance and that gives me hope. Go Bills!

Has made some monster plays in this one!

Agreed, what are the announcers blabbering on about? You need to go for two at some point. At least if you go for it now, we know where we stand. Great play and execution! 7 pt game!

Cole Beasley...ON FIRE!