Logic

Washington reporters and fans are not too happy that the Commanders let McKissic go...

With this response, you have once again confirmed that you don't understand the meaning or nuance of the term "best player available". I therefore see no reason to continue this conversation. Good day.

You laughed at someone saying he was one of the best receiving backs in the league, when is stats show without question that he IS. Third in receptions and receiving yardage among running backs in the past three seasons. So he is quite literally one of the top three receiving backs in the league. You laughed at the notion. You don't need to be giddy, but laughing off objective facts as if they are merely a laugh-worthy opinion may cause some to wonder if you're being needlessly negative or contrarian for contrarianism's sake.

You're talking about a different thing than what you started out talking about. The conversation we were originally having was about drafting the BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE. You are now simply making the argument that Beane should've drafted better players or could have done a better job. Those are different arguments. You yourself just admitted that Beane "pounced on falling players". That indicates that these players were, as a matter of consensus, ranked highly, and dropped further than expected. Beane "pouncing on them" was therefore a matter of taking the BEST (i.e. highest rated) PLAYER AVAILABLE. Again, remember that you don't get to look at how the players are doing in the NFL after the fact and retroactively decide who was the "best". We're talking about "best player available" as it pertains to pre-draft rankings, not as it pertains to using 20/20 hindsight. If you want to argue that Beane could/should have chosen better players in the draft, that's fine. That's your opinion to have and I won't argue against it. If you're trying to say that he didn't take the consensus BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE, though, that's just not accurate. Both Epenesa and Basham -- but especially Epenesa -- were considered either the best or certainly within the top two or three players available when they were chosen, based on pre-draft rankings by a variety of sources.

It's TBBills that did the laughing. No surprise there. Negative Nancy if ever there was one.

For all those saying he'll be third string or inactive or he's the same as Yeldon/Breida. No, he won't, and no, he isn't. He's third among ALL running backs in receptions and receiving yards the last three seasons. He caught EIGHTY passes in 2020. For the money they're paying him, and given his pass catching and pass blocking prowess, he'll be active on Sundays, will be the primary 3rd down back, and given how much the Bills pass the ball, he'll play a ton of snaps. I echo others in saying that I don't love how much he's being paid. On the other hand, one of the Bills Twitter guys points out that you can think of this more as an addition to the passing game than to the running game. McKissick will both help keep Josh upright and provide production in the passing game. Furthermore, we saw as the year went on that when teams went two high against the Bills, Josh checked the ball down to the running backs A TON. Knowing that, they clearly went after a guy who can actually be a weapon on those plays rather than just an afterthought. At the end of the day, a guy who gets you +/- 800 yards from scrimmage and turns checkdowns into 1st downs is a good get. Still don't love the money, though...

You’re referring to how the players have turned out in the NFL after the fact m, with benefit of hindsight, rather than how they were ranked by most outlets and analysts prior to the draft. Epenesa was absolutely thought to be a first round pick, with most mock drafts having him gone by pick 32. He was the number one player left on the “best remaining players” list on both NFLN and ESPN. You can use hindsight now to say the Bills should’ve taken a running back, but that doesn’t mean the RBs were BPA. Dillon, in particular, had a round 3-4 grade and was DEFINITELY not BPA: https://www.nfl.com/prospects/a.j.-dillon/32004449-4c23-7740-624c-afbd67329c54 I’ll agree that Humphrey would’ve been a better pick than Basham, but again, value wise, they were neck and neck. You don’t get to use hindsight to revise what players’ draft night value was thought to be or agreed upon by mostly every analyst and outlet.

Im genuinely curious what your “questions about overall strategy” are, as it pertains to these signings and free agency in general.

I liked Harry as a person and a player. According to Jeremy Fowler, the Bills wanted him back, but weren't willing to pay what he ultimately wound up getting from the Vikings. While I wanted him back too, I'm not upset. I think Settle and Jones will more than make up for what we lost in Harry. I'm also leery of paying that much to a guy who only really played high level football for one half of one season while he was here. I sincerely wish him all the best going forward, but I think the Bills upgraded the DT position and ultimately saved money doing it.

1. Settle + Jones together are making less than or equal to what Harrison Phillips is making with the Vikings. Two for the price of one DTs. 2. Backup? Have you watched much Bills football the past five years? McDermott rotates his DL more than anyone in the league. 3. Free agency isn't over. It actually hasn't even officially started .

Paying less for Settle + Jones this year than what Harrison Phillips himself is getting is a big win. Upgraded size and talent on the DL and are paying less for it. Good stuff.

So do they get any credit for building a team that has been to the playoffs four out of five seasons after not going for 17 years and are once again Super Bowl favorites, or nah? Do all 30 GMs whose teams don't make the Super Bowl each year suck, too, or is it just Beanie and co?

The Bills are the 2022 AFC Super Bowl favorites. Already. Just as they are. Free agency hasn't even technically started yet. But by all means, let's complain about the best front office we've had in a quarter century.

To be fair, that's revisionist history. Both Epenesa and Basham were considered great value where they were picked, as both fell further on draft day than projected. Edge was a need, sure, but both guys arguably WERE BPA when they were picked.

I think this effectively takes DT off the table as a round one or round two draft option. I know, I know: "Beane will take BPA regardless!". Yeah, yeah, yeah... They have their four-man defensive tackle rotation, and a guy they like a lot in Eli Ankou on the practice squad, to boot. A mid round guy? Sure, maybe. Early pick? Ain't happenin', in my opinion.

Settle and Jones play different positions in this defense. You also NEED a four man defensive tackle rotation, so this was a need. 3T: Oliver, Settle 1T: Star, Jones

I'm sorry, you're correct. The indication on Twitter is that they are using the low tender, with right of first refusal, on Bates. They have not re-signed him, though. Sloppy word choice on my part.

If it wasn't clear before, it is now: Beane's top priority this offseason was to fortify the trenches and get better up the middle. Only day one of tampering period and the Bills have already upgraded at guard, re-signed Morse, tenderedBates, and signed two quality defensive tackles. It may be "old school" and make some roll their eyes, but the Bills are making every effort to be much better at running and stopping the run in 2022.

Some really impressive highlights here. The stuff against the Falcons particularly stands out. Whew.

Very sad to hear that Hall will be taken off life support today. An absolute all time wrestling legend. One of the most entertaining guys to ever lace 'em up. Sad day for wrestling fans everywhere. RIP Scott Hall.

From Settle's draft profile on NFL.com. I italicized the strengths that I like or that I feel make him a great fit in Buffalo. By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst Draft Projection Round 2-3 NFL Comparison: Vince Wilfork Overview Settle has rare gifts for a big man with good mass, play strength, quickness, and agility. His substantial jump in production in 2017 was due to weight loss and additional conditioning that allowed him to play more snaps and play faster. He's a disruptive, versatile defensive lineman who offers enough pass rush potential to warrant reps on passing downs. Settle is a natural 4-3 fit but can play in a 3-4 as well. He has the potential to become a very good starter with a Pro Bowl ceiling if he controls his weight and maintains his conditioning. Strengths Accepted his coaches challenge to lose weight and improve conditioning and has done just that Thick and broad across lower body Rare agility for a man his size Plays with infectious energy Built low to the ground Blasts out of his stance to capture the neutral zone Able to play under and through the edge of blockers Can be destructive along the interior when he has his wind Power in upper body for quick punch and shed at point of attack Good pursuit motor around the field Locates ball early in the snap and plays off blocks to make tackles Pad level is good Has ability to penetrate and two-gap Arm over can get early wins Legitimate pocket pusher who can force quarterback to throw from unbalanced platform Weaknesses Wears bad weight around his midsection Maintaining weight loss and conditioning could be a concern when he has to become a self-motivator on next level Playing style is frenetic and leads to balance issues Over-extends and finds himself on the ground too often Played in just 23 college games Can be inconsistent with hand usage Will need additional technique work to better take on double teams Moved by down blocks when he doesn't stay square Sources Tell Us "I need to watch him more but Bud (Foster) moved him around and I saw a guy who can play both nose spots, 3 (technique), 4i, and maybe 5. Reminds me of when (Dontari) Poe came out. He ain't Poe, but he can play all over the line like Poe could." -- AFC defensive line coach -------------------------- And here's Joe Marino's pre-draft scouting report on Settle: