Logic

Agreed. He DOES have a quality left tackle and center, and it looks like they may have hit on a right tackle. The guards positions have admittedly been revolving doors. Regardless of the fine details, it's hard to argue with the larger point that the Bills put a system in place to support Allen. Not every aspect of it has been perfect -- the offensive line, as you mentioned, as well as lackluster WR2 production at times from John Brown and Emmanuel Sanders and lackluster running game production at times -- but overall, they surrounded him with enough talent and good coaching that he was able to elevate his game and become a top 5 passer. It hasn't always been perfect or even pretty, but one need only look at what fellow '18 draftees Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Rosen have been through in order to appreciate the stability around Allen.

No need to get testy, buddy. We're all friends here.

I'll post a snippet, but its a bit long. It's a great read, though, so I suggest just checking out the whole thing yourself. https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2022/8/2/23288239/buffalo-bills-josh-allen-ken-dorsey-new-offense How Josh Allen and Ken Dorsey Are Shaping the Next Wave of the Bills Offense The first-year offensive coordinator is trying to craft a system that will keep Buffalo atop a stacked AFC—and he’s working closely with his star quarterback to do it By Kevin Clark Aug 2, 2022, 9:12am EDT Quarterbacks fail in the NFL, sure. But more often they are failed. This was the epiphany Bills general manager Brandon Beane had while studying quarterbacks prior to the 2018 draft. Beane scrutinized the careers of former top prospects who made it, along with ones who didn’t, and found that, overwhelmingly, those in stable organizations with more continuity were more successful. “We’d look at ‘Why did this guy fail?’ Well, three head coaches, or two GMs, it’s crazy,” Beane said this week. “Constant turnover, different coordinators every year.” There is probably a chicken-and-egg conundrum here, in which a bad young passer might get a staff fired and create his own turnover. But even considering that, the evidence was clear: Give a young quarterback the runway to improve, and he usually will. So Beane’s goal ahead of the 2018 draft was simple: Build a steady foundation, then select a quarterback who was good enough to grow on it. Turnover would come eventually, Beane found in his research, but only once the team had won enough that other franchises wanted a piece. It is obvious now that the Bills accomplished their GM’s objective. Four years later, they are the model for building an organization where a quarterback can thrive. They drafted Josh Allen seventh overall in 2018, constructed an offensive line and skill group capable of supporting him, and gave him a coach who could propel him forward. Brian Daboll, the team’s longtime offensive coordinator, was in Buffalo for the first four years of Allen’s professional career, and together they developed a relationship between play caller and quarterback that was among the best in the NFL—and formed the backbone of one of the great turnarounds in recent NFL history. All of those pieces allowed Allen, a quarterback as physically gifted as any in the league, to improve more than nearly anyone outside Buffalo thought possible. But now, after Daboll departed for the Giants’ head coaching job last winter, comes the hard part: Replacing part of the foundation that made the franchise a Super Bowl contender and helped Allen become an MVP candidate. It’s one of the most important jobs in football in 2022, and it falls to Ken Dorsey. I went to Western New York last week to find out what happens next...

Would you have preferred the Bills spent on a couple killer offensive guards instead of, say, Von Miller?

Yep. I believe 3TDT is one of the positions that McDermott views as pretty vital to the success of his defense. Combine that with the Bills' "draft, develop, retain" team building strategy, and it's hard to picture Oliver going anywhere. I suppose if Oliver has huge, unreasonable contract demands and, say, Tim Settle balls out and shows that he can provide the same productivity for less pay, then maybe Oliver leaves. I find that scenario unlikely on multiple fronts, though.

This type of conversation is why the NFL and its analysts have moved away from the "OLB vs DE" debate and instead simply label players like Von Miller "Edge defenders". A 3-4 outside linebacker and a 4-3 defensive end both do the same thing, generally speaking: they set the edge in the run game and rush the passer. Now that's not taking into account the minutia of their responsibilities, their rush technique, etc. It's simply pointing out that whatever scheme they are a part of, they will essentially be doing the same thing. The old "3-4 OLB vs 4-3 DE" discussion becomes even more antiquated and obsolete when one considers the fact that the majority of NFL defenses use nickel as their true base defense anyway. So what, generally speaking, will Von Miller be doing? The same thing he's always done: he'll be an edge defender. Setting the edge and rushing the passer. The question of whether or not he'll rush from a 3-point stance or from a standing start is a valid one, and I would imagine he'll be rushing from a standing start most of the time, as he has done the majority of his career. I also imagine that -- though the coaching staff has said he'll play both sides -- he's ultimately going to wind up lining up on the defensive left the majority of the time, as that is his most effective spot.

So I read that part of the judgement handed down by Judge Robinson is that Watson is required to get massages only from massage therapists provided by the Cleveland Browns from now on. Soooo.....his conduct with independent therapists was egregious enough, and provable enough, for the judge to rule that he's not literally not even allowed to see them any more....but it's not bad enough to call for more than a six game suspension? Nonsense.

Based on the recent posturing of the league and of Watson's camp, I had a feeling the reports of a suspension between four and eight games was true. Lo and behold, it is. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how that judge was able to look at the preponderance of evidence of egregious sexual misconduct -- and in some cases, outright sexual assault -- and decide that six games was sufficient punishment. I realize that it's not apples to apples, but as others have pointed out, the fact that gambling or smoking pot has gotten players suspended for an entire year, but ejaculating on strangers without their consent gets just a six game punishment, is beyond ridiculous. Honestly, the worst part is the hypocrisy and moral ickiness of his continued employment: If he was a fringe player -- say, a special teams linebacker or a WR5 -- he'd likely never play in the NFL again. No one would employ him, regardless of league punishment. Instead, because he's a talented quarterback, a team was willing to give him $250 million, and the league is willing to say "her served his time" and move on from it. He'll probably be in ads and NFL promo spots within a few years, like none of this ever happened. This whole thing was and is and will continue to be super gross. Watson isn't even remorseful, either. Dispicable.

Mike in Horseheads sounding like Dwight Schrute up in here.

I've been following the Justyn Ross saga from draft night until now because I have him on my dynasty team. Also, his story is just super fascinating. Anyway, believe me when I tell you that tons of Chiefs fans were really, really hyped for this guy. There's a not small segment of Chiefs Twitter that was more excited for Justyn Ross than for Skyy Moore. I saw plenty of "Justyn Ross for OROY" comments. The amount of hype for a UDFA WR reminded me of the Da'Rick Rodgers days. It's quite possible that either Josh Gordon or Justin Watson (physically gifted but seldom used in Tampa Bay, signed as a free agent) were going to make the roster over Ross anyway. I hope the kid can get healthy and make a roster in 2023. It's hard not to root for him once you know his backstory.

Purely based on player comparison, I’d probably rather have Cook, too. The only thing I’ll say is that successfully signing a running back would have allowed the Bills to use their second round pick on a more premium position. The failure to land a FA RB may have cost them a talented interior lineman, corner, safety, or tight end. Oh well. What’s done is done, and I do believe that Cook will be a good player.

If either the Edmonds or McKissic signings had worked out, I can’t help but wonder what the Bills’ second round pick would’ve been. I know, I know, “BPA”. But position wise, methinks either WR or TE.

My coolest celebrity encounters when I was a kid happened because my mom worked at a radio station and was able to get me access at events and signings. I met Rod Martin (former Raiders linebacker, three interceptions in Super Bowl XV). I didn't know who he was and, as a Bills fan, had little interest in finding out. I DID notice he had a Super Bowl ring though, and being a kid with no sense of boundaries, I asked if I could l try it on. He said yes! I have a picture of me wearing Rod Martin's Super Bowl ring. 😆 I also got to meet several wrestlers. Mick Foley and the Rock chief among them. They were both enormous! Mick Foley was WWF Tag Team Champion at the time, so -- again, being a kid and having no sense of boundaries -- I asked if I could take a picture wearing the championship belt, which he kindly obliged. Mind you, I would never attempt either of these things as an adult, but it sure made for some cool pictures as a kid!

Are we talking about 2023 Bills 2nd string quarterback Sam Darnold? Keenum's a free agent after this year. Darnold's a free agent after this year. Unless some team out there is willing to give Darnold a shot at winning a starting job in '23, I could see him going the Trubisky route and signing for a cheap deal to play behind his good friend Josh Allen and try to rehabilitate his value.

I'm not gonna lie...I have never understood the desire for an autograph if you're an adult. As a kid, sure, but as an adult? Even if it's your biggest hero in the world, what good is their writing their name on one of your items? "This pen ink once belonged to Josh Allen!" 😆 Now a handshake, a conversation, a shared moment, a picture with the person...these things I understand. But an autograph? Why?

You're too kind. Really. Such a sweetheart.

His name is THAD. Never trust a Thad. **Edit** Okay, there is ONE trustworthy Thad. Only one:

I can relate. I had some fruit and a large iced coffee for breakfast this morning.

I don't wanna say "I told you so", but... Oh hell, yes I do. I told you so! Zack Moss is gonna play significant snaps for this offense this year and be productive.

I'm not surprised by the offensive struggles so far, given the concerning lack of depth at outside WR.

Love ya, buddy. Thanks for thinking of me!

Third straight year with the same offensive coordinator vs first year under this offensive coordinator. Yes, the terminology is the same and much of the playbook will carry over, but it's a new playcaller with new personnel groupings and new points of emphasis. I'd be a little surprised if there weren't any growing pains. If these struggles are still going on when camp breaks, or if the offense struggles in the preseason, then we can start to worry. Right now? Camp number three under a new offensive coordinator? Shrug.