[T'Vondre Sweat arrested for DWI]

Update, and it isn't a good one:

 

Quote

First, and most importantly, Sweat’s blood-alcohol concentration was measured at 0.105 percent. That’s more than 25 percent over the legal limit.

 

As previously noted, it takes a considerable amount of alcohol to get a 366-pound man to 0.105 percent BAC.

 

The BAC was measured at 6:08 a.m. The officer arrived on the scene of a two-car accident at 4:41 a.m. It’s possible, and perhaps likely, that Sweat’s BAC was higher at the time of the incident, and that it dropped in the ensuing 87 minutes.

 

Honestly I won't be surprised if he drops to like the 5th round, or even out of the draft entirely. He supposedly has questions of work ethic pop up on his tape, and now this during the most important offseason of his life.

 

[Does Josh Allen still work as hard in the offseason?]

18 minutes ago, Process said:

Can we close this thread now?

 

It's really embarrassing that some people think Allen doesn't work out with his WRs in the offseason because he doesn't hire a production company to show up and film it. Every single starting QB works out with their guys at some point in the offseason.

[Bills top 30 visits]

A private workout and a top 30 visit. That tells me we're very interested, perhaps as a 2nd round target. Based on his frame and combine I don't think he'll be a 1st round pick anymore.

[2024 WR Draft Class]

2 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

I like Coleman, but I don’t think he’s a great fit with Josh.  Josh with his rocket arm is better suited with the separators.

 

I've seen a lot of people say this, I just don't agree. Allen likes finding a matchup he likes pre-snap and going after it. Last year in obvious man coverage situations he was locking in on Diggs first most of the time. If he trusts Coleman to create leverage at the catch point he'll do the same thing with him. And with a prospect like Coleman you don't need super precise throws because he has a wide catch radius and is as good as anyone in the class at high pointing the ball.

 

Allen hasn't ever had a WR with this skill set. Personally I think he would thrive with Coleman. Every gunslinger needs their guy that goes up and gets the ball. The closest Allen had to that was Kelvin Benjamin and, well...

[2024 WR Draft Class]

I'll post Keon Coleman's write up too because I like him and this write up confirms what I've seen:

 

Quote

STRENGTHS: Physically impressive athlete … outstanding body control, hip flexibility and leaping skills to sky the ball and make plays above the rim … didn’t record first drop of 2023 until the ACC title game (had an outstanding gauntlet drill at the NFL combine) … routinely makes 50/50 grabs, and his highlight reel includes several one-handed catches … maintains his focus to track/finish while wearing defenders like a backpack … consistently draws pass interference calls, especially in the red zone … catch-and-go receiver with the limber frame that allows for half of his body to make the catch while the other half gets a head start working upfield … quick at the line and at the top of his route … improved nuance as a route runner, introducing head bobs or jab steps to get corners leaning at the break point … knows how to use his body to shield defenders on slants … able to physically dominate as a blocker and will take cornerbacks completely out of plays … wasn’t expected to return punts at Florida State, but he filled the need and was productive (joined Peter Warrick as the only FSU players with 100-plus receiving yards and 100-plus punt return yards in the same game) … averaged 12.0 yards per punt return in 2023 (25/300/0) … “loves to work,” according to head coach Mike Norvell (NFL scout: “His drive since he was a kid was to max out his ability and cash in for his family. … That singular focus and talent? Yeah, I’ll bet on that.”) … teammates speak highly of the way he carries himself (Trey Benson: “He has so much energy. … I’ve never seen him down.”) … led team in receiving at two different schools.

 

WEAKNESSES: Not a burner, and his speed is mediocre by NFL standards … can be more efficient beating the jam and stacking corners … routes require additional polish and deception … doesn’t consistently separate on film, leading to a high-trafficked catch points (his 30 contested targets ranked second most in the FBS in 2023) … guilty of extending both hands and pushing off defenders downfield (flagged twice for offensive pass interference in 2023) … played through a partial muscle tear in his hip/groin area throughout the 2022 season at Michigan State (an injury contributed to his decision to give up basketball); missed one game as a junior and parts of several others because of nagging injuries (November 2023).

 

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Florida State, Coleman lined up inside and outside (motion-heavy) in head coach Mike Norvell’s up-tempo scheme. After putting himself on the NFL radar as a two-sport athlete at Michigan State, he transferred to Tallahassee in 2023 and led the Seminoles in receiving — and the nation in acrobatic “He did what?!” catches. Thanks to his basketball background, Coleman “big brothers” cornerbacks up and down the fi eld using size, strength and athleticism. But what really separates him as a pass catcher is his dominance with the ball in the air. Not only can he overpower defenders at the catch point, but he also makes leaping acrobatic stabs appear routine with his natural body control and extraordinary catch radius. Overall, Coleman must develop more nuance to his route running, but his big-man twitch, physicality and ball-winning adjustment skills allow him to be a difference maker. With continued refinement, he has the talent to be an NFL starter (similar in ways to Courtland Sutton). GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 37 overall)

 

The note about drawing DPIs is interesting because it's not the sort of thing that shows up in normal cut-ups. But it is an underrated trait that becomes probably even more valuable in the NFL.

 

Coleman seems like the type of prospect the Bills would love. High upside physical traits, young, puts his body on the line for his team even on run plays, described as having very good work ethic and high football character.

 

[2024 WR Draft Class]

12 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Was just reading this! Interesting how low he has Legette at.

 

Legette is an interesting prospect because the people that love him really love him, and the ones that don't have him at the end of day two. He and Coleman are the most polarizing WRs for sure.

 

Here is Brugler's write up on Legette:

 

Quote

STRENGTHS: Well-built athlete with speed … galloping, long strides outpace everyone else on the field (his 1.78-second “flying 20” tied Brian Thomas Jr. for the fastest at the combine) … dangerous catch-and-run weapon on bubbles, slants and crossers … explodes out of his release to get vertical and behind coverage (led all Power 5 receivers with five receptions of 50-plus yards in 2023) … can sell deep route before dropping his weight and giving the quarterback a clear window at the sticks … strong hands and can climb the ladder to pull throws down (dropped only 2.1 percent of his targets in 2023) … really competitive and likes to get after it as a blocker … averaged 26.4 yards as a kick returner (29/767/1), including a 100-yard touchdown in 2022 … an impactful gunner on punt coverages in 2023 and genuinely enjoys playing on special teams … established a reputation for his reliability and toughness in the Gamecocks’ program (NFL scout: “The coaches say he became their best practice player. And he never misses a practice.”) … had a career year in 2023, becoming just the second player in school history to surpass 1,200 receiving yards in a season (joining Alshon Jeffery in 2010).

 

WEAKNESSES: Choppy footwork when attempting to gear down and snap 90-degree breaks, leading him to round his routes … has a slight hitch when attempting to work around press and needs to develop his releases … inconsistent results with crowded catch points … had a tough time in the gauntlet at the combine … will occasionally break tackles with his speed/power mix, but he doesn’t have the elusiveness to shake defenders in small areas … will get himself in trouble trying to go east-west with the ball in his hands … missed two games after suffering multiple “cuts and bruises” in a motorcycle accident (September 2021) … only one season of high-level production (never finished better than seventh on the team in receiving before 2023).

 

SUMMARY: A four-year starter at South Carolina, Legette was an inside/outside receiver in offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ scheme (64.6 percent wide, 34.0 percent slot in 2023). A quarterback out of necessity as a senior in high school, he was raw when he joined the Gamecocks and didn’t break out until his fifth season (he and Malik Nabers were the only two SEC players to average more than 100 yards receiving per game in 2023). Legette is at his best on runway routes (verticals, posts, crossers) or sweeps and end-arounds that get his long-striding acceleration going. He doesn’t consistently shake tight man coverage, but he will use his size to play strong through contact. Overall, Legette needs to continue developing his route proficiency and tempo, but his film gives off DK Metcalf vibes, and he has the explosive speed and physicality to be a matchup weapon. He should be an immediate contributor on special teams before competing for starting reps outside.

 

GRADE: 3rd Round (No. 76 overall)

 

[2024 WR Draft Class]

Dane Brugler published The Beast today. If you have one reason to sign up for the Athletic for a month, this is it:

 

Here are his WR rankings:

 

[How should we address WR?]

18 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

I also think it is not necessarily accurate to compare his last 11 games and extrapolate that to this upcoming season. First off Shakir was not the leading receiver on the team in that time period he was just the most efficient. Shakir only had 27 targets in the last 11 games. That was 4th most on the team in that time period. Diggs had 94 targets, Kincaid 72 and even Gabe Davis had 51 in that same game span compared to Shakir's 27. 

 

WRs are ranked by yards, not by targets. Shakir WAS the #1 pass catcher on the team by that metric over the last 11 games. He bested #2 and #3 by over 300 yards each. And don't make the mistake of assuming his yards per target will stay the same as his total targets go up. His skill set lends itself to low volume high efficiency usage. Don't mess with a good thing like we did with Gabe Davis after he excelled as the WR4 in 2020.

 

18 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

If you draft a WR at pick 28 and at pick 60 how many targets are each of those players getting?

 

A lot! Do you realize we currently have zero starting caliber WRs on the roster that can play outside full time? Shakir should be in the slot 75% of the time, Samuel should be at best a 50/50 split, and the other WRs on the roster aren't even worth mentioning. We have a QB who excels at throwing outside the numbers to the intermediate area of the field better than any other QB in the league, and I repeat we have zero true outside WRs on the roster.

 

We can't afford to screw this up. Diggs and Davis both could be planted outside. We no longer have either on the roster. So we need TWO replacements, not one. And both replacements have to be good enough to start. If we wait until the end of the 4th to find the second guy, I guess we'll have to sign OBJ or something like that just to have a functional outside passing offense. But I would rather just invest high in young players and start making up the massive under-investment we've made at that position since 2020.

 

[2024 WR Draft Class]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

 

 

I'm good with trading up in the 2nd for McConkey, after taking another WR before him. I personally have no interest in taking a WR in the 1st round whose signature trait is route running. You can find great route runners throughout the draft. I want a physical stud, the type that you never find outside the top 50. We had the best route runner in the NFL for 3.5 seasons. It got us elite regular season production, followed by playoff matchups where DBs were allowed to bully him and erase his route running from the game. In this next cycle of Allen's career I want his #1 WR to be the bully. Let the route runner be the complement, not the engine.

[2024 WR Draft Class]

10 hours ago, DCOrange said:

He's obviously nowhere near as jacked as DK was, but skillset/usage wise, Thomas is very similar to DK right now IMO.

 

Interesting you say that because Legette is the Metcalf comp for me in this draft. Size and speed and ability to go up and get the ball. Not a fluid route runner, but so much a physical stud that it doesn't matter.

 

BTJ is a tough comp. Best I can come up with is a bigger Will Fuller.

[How should we address WR?]

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

Shakir 100

 

More than doubling Shakir's targets from last year is not a solution. I can't even imagine a scenario where this would be true. Even if you just look at the last 11 games of the season (when he was the leading receiver on the team) he paced for 62 targets over a 17 season.

 

You're actually making the pro-"draft two WRs high" argument here. You've proven that a world where the Bills don't draft two WRs high is a world where Shakir has to get a ridiculously high number of targets just to even have a functional passing offense. That world can't exist.

 

[Calling it now: You're all about to witness the arrival of Shakir]

Here you go @Alphadawg7. Today's Locked on Bills episode was entirely about Shakir.

 

 

He notes that out of every WR who ever measured 29" or shorter arms, the only ones to have meaningful careers were Hunter Renfrow, Isaiah McKenzie, and Braxton Berrios. Shakir would be the first to ever make it as even a 50% outside WR with that arm length.

[Which player is the draft community too low on?]

24 minutes ago, HaldimandBills said:

I heard the biggest knock on him to the Bills was that he wasn't smooth and elusive and would struggle creating his own separation in the NFL?

 

I think he creates separation at the catch point - using his size to lean into the CB at his route break and create an available target. There isn't going to be a ton of wide open separation at the NFL level. It's more about creating leverage to give your QB a throwing window. I think Coleman can do that just fine.

[Which player is the draft community too low on?]

I'm sticking with Keon Coleman. Every draft analyst I follow keeps posting his contested catch percentage and that's the end of the conversation for them. Personally I would bet on his size, strength, and competitiveness. He is not even 21 years old yet so he has room to grow into his skill set. When it all comes together I think he could be a true WR1. He won't separate with quicks but he'll bully defenders through the route, at the catch point, and with the ball in his hands.

[TSW Mock Draft 2.0 - Completed]

Chiefs

Dolphins

Bengals

[Why does Beane get a pass?]

1 hour ago, FireChans said:

Talk about easy to please. 
 

He’s learned from his mistakes because he signed…. one WR after losing 2 starters to FA’s and trades?

 

When Samuel is our starting boundary WR Week 1 and can’t get off the press, he will have learned from his mistakes?

 

When someone gets banged up and Mack Hollins is running routes in the playoffs, he will have learned from his mistakes?

 

I failed my social studies test because I didn’t study at all, but I opened the textbook once after that. I’m learning from my mistakes!

 

I'm not gonna go out of my way vehemently defending him. His failure to invest in WR and leave us in a desperate situation is worth criticizing. But I'm defending him under the assumption he is going to make a real investment at two starting WRs, whether in the draft or one of the remaining free agents or by trade. If he does, that will be two offseasons in a row where he finally made serious investments in pass catching weapons (although I am still totally confused about his failure to sign Hopkins last year). That tells me he has learned something even if it doesn't excuse past mistakes.

 

Also it's pretty undeniable that the Bills had a championship caliber roster at least once over the past 4 seasons. 2021 for sure, probably 2022 if not for a series of mishaps that befell the roster.

[Josh Allen Snapped at Diggs - Per Tim Graham]

14 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

We have no idea what Diggs said to him. Could have been a dumb comment, could have simply been "wtf was THAT bro?"

 

If I had ever seen him show a shred of accountability I would buy that. Instead he turns around after a possible game losing drop against the Chiefs making a "this close" gesture and nonchalantly jogging back to the huddle. There's really no excusing his behavior. Two separate teams now, ended the same way both times.

[Josh Allen Snapped at Diggs - Per Tim Graham]

2 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Sorry Josh didnt want to hear that his dumb decisions and 3 ints cost us an easy Jets win.

 

Coming up to him in the locker room and making a stupid comment when he's already down on himself accomplishes what exactly? That's not leadership or teamwork. That's an emotional player letting his emotions get the best of him, as usual.

[interesting WR scenario posed by a friend]

26 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

I'll confess to being influenced by Chris Simms on this, although the bits I've seen of him impress me too: 

 

 

 

I like Simms but his track record on WRs is not particularly good. He gets blown away by physical traits, to a fault. BTJ can certainly release and separate vertically, but he has question marks everywhere else. My issue with him is that he isn't an alpha at the catch point. Can a pure vertical WR with a limited route tree and without elite catch ability really be a true #1? I have my doubts.

[interesting WR scenario posed by a friend]

I don't want to trade for Aiyuk even if we can somehow make it work under this year's cap (and I believe this would be literally impossible in any case). The fact that this is an incredible WR class gives us an opportunity to get two very good WRs on rookie contracts instead of tying up a bunch of cap space.

 

I also don't want to trade up in the 1st, for similar reasons. If we made a huge trade up for one of Nabers, Harrison, or Odunze, I suppose I would understand it. Not what I would do but I get trying to add a true #1 WR to immediately replace Diggs. But trading up for anybody else would be a big mistake IMO. I would rather get two very good WR prospects than just get Brian Thomas Jr (admittedly I'm lower on him than most, but even the consensus says that he is a tier below the top 3).

 

My goal in this draft would be to come away with two WRs in the top 50. If a trade down partner is there I would try to trade back and get a 3rd rounder back, but staying at #28 and picking the best WR available would be perfectly fine. I would then trade back up into the 40s using one of our 2025 2nd rounders.

 

Using that strategy, I would come away with two of the following WRs:

 

Keon Coleman

Xavier Legette

Troy Franklin

Ladd McConkey

Adonai Mitchell

Xavier Worthy

 

I have my preferences from that list, and ideally we would draft two WRs that complement each other (one X, one Z), but I'm less concerned about the specific players drafted than I am about the position.

 

Imagine coming away with two young studs at WR with high upside traits, to kick off the 2nd half of Allen's career. That should be the goal.

 

If this strategy comes after an initial trade down we would still have one more top 100 pick to fill another need with a good prospect, and a litany of day three picks to fill out the rest of the roster. We would eventually enter 2025 with a normal complement of draft picks and a relatively good cap position. I would expect somewhat of a mini rebuild in 2024 but the future would look bright, and who knows maybe the rookie WRs hit the ground running and the offense looks even better than it did last year before long.

[Does Josh Allen still work as hard in the offseason?]

18 minutes ago, FireChans said:

When Mahomes is 15-1 in the playoffs against QB’s not named Brady, it’s not a uniquely Bills problem

 

I know. But we happen to have the only QB in the league that can actually match Mahomes' play in the playoffs, so naturally it's frustrating that our current regime can't find a way to make that work. Assign blame to McDermott and Beane however you wish. Just don't be so simple as to say "Mahomes has 3 Super Bowls, Allen has 0, therefore Mahomes is in a completely different tier." Any difference in play between Allen and Mahomes is not the reason for the difference in their teams' results. To make that claim is to say that, like I said above, elite players and elite coaches don't matter.

 

I mean I've seen real people on this forum say that Brock Purdy deserved to finish ahead of Allen in MVP voting. That's how insane the conversation has gotten. I guess it needs to be reminded from time to time that QBs represent the plurality of their teams' success, not the majority.

[Does Josh Allen still work as hard in the offseason?]

2 minutes ago, BillsFan130 said:

100 percent. I can't stand the "Mahomes is the best cause he wins SB argument". It's so lazy

 

If people say Mahomes is better than Josh, that's fair of course. But to use the SB argument is extremely lazy 

 

Imagine if we had Chris Jones and Travis Kelce over the past five years. Hell even just one of them and I am extremely confident we would have at least one Super Bowl win.

 

By the way some of these people will go in other threads saying that Beane hasn't done a good enough job finding elite players. But why does that matter if Mahomes is the main reason Allen hasn't won a Super Bowl? So deep down they know the real reason. It's just easier to boil it down to something simple.

[Does Josh Allen still work as hard in the offseason?]

7 minutes ago, BillsFan130 said:

I didn't know Mahomes and Josh played individual sports. I thought football was a 53 man team game, but what do I know.

 

You'll find in this discussion that certain people have to pretend elite players and elite coaches don't matter. To me it's simple - If Allen and Mahomes play equally in a matchup, the Bills will lose every single time. Because in that scenario the people around Mahomes are far and away better than the people around Allen and that will be the difference. For us to get past Mahomes we either need to get a couple of elite players or we need a new coaching staff, or we have to just hope Mahomes happens to play below his standard. Under our current circumstances there's no realistic scenario where Mahomes plays well and we beat the Chiefs, and nothing Allen can do to force that to happen. He played the best game of his career against them in 2021 and it still wasn't enough. If people can't see that, it's on them.

 

[Does Josh Allen still work as hard in the offseason?]

1 hour ago, KDIGGZ said:

That's exactly how he felt. Diggs would give his life to win a Superbowl. Josh Allen is just happy to be in the conversation 

 

He would give his life but he wouldn't attend OTAs? Trust me, the public image of Diggs as a football obsessed workout warrior is a mirage. He is the type that loves holding others to impossibly high standards but makes excuses for himself.

[T'Vondre Sweat arrested for DWI]

23 minutes ago, TPS said:

He might fall down the board a bit, but that's the kind of things the Bills shy away from.  No chance now.

 

I think when you're a team like the Bills picking late year after year you have to be willing to take advantage of opportunities like this, where say the 40th ranked player on your board is available at pick 60 because of one really stupid mistake. Obviously you have to do a deep dive into the person and make sure it is in fact just one mistake, not part of a larger pattern.

 

Who knows, maybe he even drops all the way to day three. He isn't an elite prospect. Some teams might drop him off their board entirely and decide the risk isn't worth the player. I personally would not go that far unless I uncovered a pattern of behavior.