HappyDays

I would be really surprised if he fell out of the top 3. But one thing going against him is Chris Simms ranked him as his #6 QB in the class. Some will roll their eyes at this, but while Simms has been too high on a couple QBs (most notably Zach Wilson) I can't remember a time where he ended up being too low on a QB. He seems to have a great eye for identifying mechanical issues that will lead to limited success in the NFL.

I would like WR Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane, in round 6 or 7. He's Ed Reed's nephew. What I like about him is that if you're thinking of a depth WR who gets maybe 12 targets in an entire season you want someone that can create explosive plays with those limited reps. His acceleration and vertical traits give you that. There is some upside there that maybe he could turn into a productive slot/vertical receiver after a year or two of development. Most importantly for a late round sleeper he could immediately contribute on special teams as a kick and punt returner, under a new set of rules where that skill set matters maybe more than ever. NFL pedigree, explosive traits, special teams contributions. That's all you can ask for out of a late round flyer.

Derrik Klassen with Bleacher Report, whose opinion I really respect, wrote up his top 16 WR prospects: He breaks down what makes each of the prospects special in their own right. It's a fantastic read. His list in order: 1. Marvin Harrison Jr 2. Rome Odunze 3. Malik Nabers 4. Keon Coleman 5. Brian Thomas Jr 6. Jalen McMillan 7. Roman Wilson 8. Ja'Lynn Polk 9. Xavier Worthy 10. Ladd McConkey 11. Adonai Mitchell 12. Jermaine Burton 13. Xavier Legette 14. Malachi Corley 15. Troy Franklin 16. Ricky Pearsall

I did check to make sure it wasn't a sick April Fools joke, but no it's real. The news article confirms it. And his former college coach is the one that broke the news.

Not a lot of info yet... https://wsvn.com/news/local/broward/death-investigation-underway-after-body-found-at-residence-in-southwest-ranches/

Eagles Lions Chiefs

Only the Bills have this problem every year. The Chiefs were shut out in two entire halfs over the AFCCG and Super Bowl. Every defense they've ever faced from the divisional round on has put up a better fight than we ever have. I'm not asking for us to shut them out for an entire half. Just a decent defensive performance would practically guarantee us a win.

You don't think drag racing on a public highway, causing a 6 car accident, and fleeing the scene is an arrestable offense?

Yeah we should have gone with your idea and drafted Trenton Simpson in the 1st last year. Nevermind that he almost made it to our 3rd round pick. His 1 sack and 2 TFL on the season surely would have been the difference. Why he even played 61% of special teams snaps. If the rest of us weren't so clueless maybe we would have foreseen this elite production.

I like Legette too, his package of physical traits is tantalizing. The concern on him is he is 27 months older than Coleman so I worry that he is already close to his ceiling. I prefer high upside in my 1st round picks if it can be helped. Mitchell I don't see a physically dominant player on tape. He has the look of a good all around WR2. I'd be fine with him in the 1st round but I fear that he wouldn't ever give us a true #1. It is kind of the poor man's version of Jerry Jeudy coming out where everyone agreed he was a very good well rounded WR but at this stage his lack of one elite trait has limited his ceiling in the NFL. I've ultimately decided my preferences are Coleman, Legette, and Franklin, in that order and with more separation between Coleman and Legette than Legtte and Franklin. After that I would be happy with Thomas (I don't think he will be at 28 in any case) then Mitchell. Then there is a drop off to the next batch which for me is Worthy then McConkey. After that I think you're getting into prospects that I wouldn't consider until the middle of the 2nd round or later. So for me there are 7 WRs that I would be at least happy with at #28, although the last 3 I would feel better if it came after a trade down.

Yeah because what we've learned is that great route running isn't enough to get open outside in the playoffs. DBs are allowed to put their hands all over you and the officials are keeping their flags tucked away. So at this point we need physical traits - size/strength or speed. Someone that can either bully through the physical coverage or run away from it.

I think his QB invited the competition a lot of times. I think he is better at separating at the top of his route than you give him credit for... but the ball has to be on him as soon as he separates or else it will turn into a contested catch every time. It is a different kind of separation than what most people talk about though. It isn't Stefon Diggs in his prime juking CBs out of their cleats and catching the ball a full 4 yards away from the nearest body. He instead uses his size and strength to box out the CB and create a window for the ball at the last second, but those windows close fast when your QB is a pure "see it, then see it one more time, then throw it" type. I agree he could be a great big slot in the NFL but I don't think that's his only role. Guys with his size and strength can be planted outside full time if needed. He has the frame and the look of a true #1 X. But with his run after catch skills he definitely has the inside/out versatility that the Bills love. And he's probably not even fully developed yet - he'll just be turning 21 this May. So when you talk about the physical traits AND upside that you look for in a 1st round pick, he fits the profile. The question I keep coming back to in these discussions is, what has been our kryptonite (on offense) in our annual playoff losses? To me the answer is obvious - our WRs get bullied by physical man CBs every year. They simply can't match the physical intensity of DBs that are allowed to get away with murder in the playoffs. With Diggs in particular this has been why every year his production from regular season to the playoffs doesn't translate. So I am looking for a counter to that kryptonite and I believe Coleman would be the answer. He doles out the bullying, not the other way around. Give Josh Allen a physical stud on the field with him for the first time in his career.

When I watch Coleman full game cut ups I see the ball constantly arriving late. And when it isn't arriving late, it's arriving high or behind. The extra half second it takes for the ball to get to him is leaving room for the DB to impact the catch. In the NFL playing with good QBs that stick the ball on him he won't have that problem. So the real problem is that his style of game isn't conducive to playing with a pure college QB because he isn't creating yards of separation. I still think his skill set projects very well to the pros though.

They didn't do that because our coaching inevitably fails in critical moments in playoff games year after year after year. There were multiple coaching issues during that final offensive series. Wasting a 1st round pick on the easiest offensive position to fill besides RB would not solve that problem. Even if you want to say center was a problem last year, fine. It's an easily solvable problem without using a 1st round pick. Outside WR is not so easily solvable.

That was Chris Jones on Dawkins, not on Morse. Anyways, Chris Jones is a mismatch against any offensive lineman in the final minutes of a game, other than maybe 6 or 7 guys in the entire league. You aren't going to get over the hump by improving at center and expect to just take Chris Jones out of the game. We get over the hump by out scoring KC. Which means when three perfect deep balls hit the intended receiver in the hands, we can't have all three of them hitting the ground.

The only thing I'll say is a lot, if not all WRs take some plays off when they know they're not getting the ball. But once you're pegged as a guy that takes off plays it becomes the entire story around you. Perhaps the Bills will find that the story doesn't match the tape. Nobody seems to question his willingness to play when he knows he might be getting the ball. My concern with Mitchell is that he doesn't have WR1 traits. I could see him being a very good WR2 but of course we want more than that from a 1st round pick. I would feel better about him being the pick if it came after a trade back.

I have warmed up to Mitchell. I'm not sure he has a single elite trait but his all around package plus his combine numbers make me think there is upside there to be a true #1. The only thing is I don't know if he'll be on our board if the reported work ethic/football character issues are true. That is one factor that the Bills have simply not been willing to look past.

It also has Chris Grier written all over it. To me he is the closest modern equivalent of Doug Whaley. He gets easily bamboozled by "off the bus" talent but has no clue how to build a team for a playoff run.

This was a coaching issue, not a roster management issue.

Drafting two WRs with our first two picks would just bump Mack Hollins off the roster and increase the chance that we come away with a stud at the position. It would also help us catch up to the rest of the league as far as investment at the position over the last four years. I would be all for this if the value is there.

How would you feel about Coleman after a trade back that netted us a 3rd rounder?

Correct. So based off that game our #1 need is an outside WR that can win vertically. A close 2nd is a pass rusher that can actually take down Mahomes. We didn't lose to the Chiefs because of our IOL.

The blips don't add up. Only the top 51 contracts count towards the cap. Vet minimums push other vet minimums out of the calculation. My hope is that the team will be more willing to let day three picks replace the likes of DeShawn Williams and Casey Toohill. But we still need a baseline piece in place before the draft because maybe we won't get any DEs for example on day three. At least now we are spending the vet minimum or close to it on these baseline depth pieces, instead of paying Jordan Phillips $5M to sit in the medical tent.

One of their reported top 30 visits is a DT projected to go in the 6th round (Khristian Boyd out of Northern Iowa). I think Beane has finally learned his lesson after years of wasting money 3-4 players deep at the position. The savings from Jordan Phillips/Tim Settle to the depth DTs he has signed this offseason is probably enough to cover the year one salary of Curtis Samuel. Small philosophical changes at the bottom of the roster lead to more difference makers at the top of the roster.