Logic

Agreed. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder with corners. Johnson will contribute on ST and defense for the Bills. Sirian Neal will also likely see immediate playing time in sub-packages as a big nickel, and will also contribute heavily on special teams. That's the kind of thing the 4th and 5th rounds are for. Not taking need positions just so we can say we addressed them.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Just because we NEED a few offensive linemen doesn't necessarily mean that the ones left on the board are worth taking. What if the highest rated player on the Bills' board is a safety or corner, and he's highest ranked BY FAR. Do you want them to draft an inferior player just because they have a need? A fifth round offensive lineman isn't walking through the door and curing what ails the Bills in terms of run and pass protection. Honor value, find contributors, trust your board. Don't reach for need in late rounds to make fans happy.

Should be a "big nickel" (hybrid linebacker/safety) in our defense. Could immediately get on to the field in certain packages. Nice pick at this point in the draft, even though a bunch of people will complain because it wasn't their chosen wide receiver or whatever. As if a 5th round receiver is what we need to push us over the top!

Just a quick note. It always bugs me when, int he 4th round and beyond, people get upset about certain picks. First of all, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY the complaining person has actually seen the person they're complaining about play football. Is anyone really gonna sit here and tell me they watched film on Teron Johnson from Weber State? More importantly, though, the 4th through 7th rounds are not for filling perceived needs! They're just not. You find your starters and early big time contributors in rounds 1-3. Rounds 4-7 are for special teams players and depth, and hopefully those players also profile to long term starters or sub-package players. So next time you want the 19th ranked wide receiver from Valdasta St and the Bills instead draft the 22nd ranked inside linebacker from Alcorn St, let's not pretend like it's a make-or-break crisis that's gonna cost the Bills the season. Okay? Okay.

Just saw a graphic on Twitter that lists the two players to whom Teron Johnson compares athletically and based on measurables: EJ Gaines and Tre'Davious White. Soooo....it seems McDermott has a type when it comes to CBs! Johnson should be an immediate CB4 and special teams contributor, with the upside to be a long term starter at nickel.

I agree that the defense should be much improved. The defensive line rotation looks miles better with the additions of Star, Phillips, and Murphy. Edmunds should elevate the entire defense to a new level. Even the secondary should be improved with White a year wiser, Poyer and Hyde, and Vontae instead of Gaines. The offense could surprise people, too. They already have some legit NFL stars or high quality players. McCoy, Benjamin, and Clay represent three quality skill players. And if Allen turns out to be a franchise QB, he'll obviously elevate the offense. The thing that scares the daylights out of me right now is the offensive line. Dawkins is a good player, but pretty much the entire rest of the line is a question mark. Here's hoping guys like Groy, Miller, and Connor McDermott step up and protect our new quarterback.

Early in the draft process, Gettleman had a quote where he said "you want to get a player you believe can be a Hall of Famer at pick 2. You don't want to get too cute". From that moment on, I didn't believe he was going to trade the pick. Why? Because Barkley profiles as a player who could be a Hall of Famer one day. I really believe that only an obscene overpay, like both 1sts, both 2nds, both 3rds, and next year's 1st, were going to get the job done. The Bills and Beane must not have felt like Darnold was worth that kind of capital. If it was a "sure thing" like an Andrew Luck coming out, maybe. But then, if it was an Andrew Luck, the Browns would've taken him. And yes, it DOES make me feel better to know that Mayfield and Darnold (my top two favorite choices for the Bills) weren't even really a realistic option. That means the choice in reality was Allen vs Rosen. And whether I agree or not, I can absolutely see why the Bills preferred Allen. Superior upside, character, personality, work ethic, team fit, you name it.

Appreciate the post, but did you just say that Allen is SLIGHTLY more athletic than Bledsoe? You might want to go watch a few more Wyoming games. Bledsoe was a statue back there. I may not be thrilled that Allen was the pick, but I can readily admit that he's miles and miles ahead of Bledsoe athletically.

Oh, that's just Greggggggg Rosenthal being Greggggggg Rosenthal. Don't worry about him.

http://www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2018/01/senior_bowl_why_harrison_phillips_is_an_ideal_fit_for_sean_mcdermott_buffalo_bil.html "I kind of say the saying that my position is like the fire hydrant at the dog show," Phillips said. "You're the guy in the middle right there and everyone's kind of coming up and pissing on you. I was able to be a really shiny fire hydrant at the dog show I guess."

Me three. Ever since the very first time I read about him, he stood out as the most obvious Sean McDermott player that will ever exist. Wrestling champion, member of the 40-40 club, off-the-charts intangibles, high motor, team captain...he may be more McDermott-y than McDermott! If they could just draft 7 Harrison Phillipses every year, I'm pretty sure they would. If you want to know what "Bills DNA" looks like, just check out this dude. And now to hear that the first time he ever met McDermott, coach immediately tried a wrestling move on him! Pure gold. Makes me like coach even more. Outstanding pick and just like Mayock said: "Kyle Williams Jr". Love, love, love it.

First, I was only commenting on the notion that Rudolph was somehow a 1st round talent. He clearly wasn't. Second, I love how people always trot out Brady, Wilson, or Prescott, as if that's the norm. The vast, VAST majority of later round quarterbacks fail or, at best, amount to career backups. Always pointing out the .1% of exceptions doesn't make it any more likely that late round guys are going to succeed.

It's funny that a decent amount of people thought the Bills could pick him at 12. Well, it turns out he DID get taken with the 12th pick....of the 3rd round!

I hear you. I fully plan to support the guy and hope he becomes a Hall of Famer. I do reserve the right, however, to be nervous and have doubts while doing so. And besides, the post is about David Culley and my concerns that perhaps Allen would have a better shot at success if he had a better QB coach. Thoughts on that notion?

I just posted this in Shaw's thread, and it got me to thinking: The thing that makes me most nervous about Josh Allen being a Buffalo Bill? Well, we all know that Allen was the biggest boom or bust, project quarterback in the draft. He has A LOT to work on in order to become a franchise QB in the NFL. And who are the Bills entrusting to be the quarterback coach and to mold Josh Allen? David Culley. Who is David Culley? Well, as far as I can tell, he's been a receivers coach and offensive assistant for a number of years now. But the last time he was a QUARTERBACKS coach? If my reading comprehension is as good as I think, he last coached quarterbacks in 1988. 1988!!! And that was for the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. Allen as the potential "Franchise Guy" is nerve-wracking enough...but entrusting his development to a guy who hasn't coached QBs in 30 years and who has NEVER been an NFL QB coach? Well...that's just downright terrifying!

I don't disagree with the notion that McDermott's D would benefit greatly from this type of player. HOWEVER...the Bills did add veterans and quality special teamers and sub-package guys Kelcie McCray and Rafael Bush at safety. It will not surprise me at all if they don't take the type of player you mentioned and prefer the veteran depth/ST contributors instead. Great post overall, but I wanted to highlight the above section. I think it's very accurate and very telling as to what Beane and McDermott will be doing in terms of rookie player acquisition going forward. The Carolina Panthers famously drafted the best athletic specimens they could find for years and told the coaches "here you go, now coach 'em up". By and large, it worked. The question in Buffalo is whether or not they will be able to "coach 'em up" as well as the Carolina staff was able to. Defensively, I feel great about the prospects of this happening. McDermott, Frazier, and Babich are an EXCELLENT trio of coaches. We saw it last year with how much the Bills defenders improved their fundamentals, smarts, and execution from where they were under Rex. We also saw it with how they turned Poyer and Hyde into elite safeties and helped Tre'Davious White play like a seasoned veteran. Offensively? That one makes me a little bit more nervous. Bills quarterbacks coach David Culley hasn't coached quarterbacks since 1988, and that was for the Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns! I'm not making that up, even though it sounds like I am. We're entrusting the biggest boom-or-bust, project QB in the draft (and with him, the ultimate fate of the franchise)...to a man who hasn't coached QBs in 30 years. That is tremendously worrisome, in my opinion. The "get great athletes, let the coaches coach" strategy can be a good one. So long as the coaches can coach. I have faith in the defensive coaches to do just that. I am nervous about the offensive coaches holding up their end of the bargain.

Hahahaha. This guy, though. These comments AND "Fire Beane and McDermott" in his profile. Too funny. Wants to fire a coach and GM who brought the Bills to the playoffs for the first time in 20 years because they picked a QB other than the one that he personally liked. Glad Johnny Flynn is back to being Johnny Flynn. Joker.

"If Edmunds DOES reach that lofty ceiling, and he DOES realize his full potential, it's gonna set a new bar for the linebacker position that we have never, EVER seen before." The above quote is from this video. This guy is, um, quite bullish on Edmunds to say the least.

I didn't want Allen either, but...In fairness, I bet lots of Bills fans rejoiced at some of the AWFUL picks we have made over the years. I know I did. And as others have said, I GUARANTEE that 90% of those people have never seen Josh Allen throw a football. Time will tell, and I wanted any QB but Allen, but....he's a Bill now. Let's give him a chance.

He just has the generic archetype of a face. He has the face that your WWE video game create-a-wrestler has by default before you make any changes.

Wentz also completed 64.1% of his passes and had a 45-14 TD-INT ratio at North Dakota State, so....not exactly apples to apples!

"The only thing better than playoff hockey is throwing touchdowns and winning football games". ...There's one way to ingratiate yourself to Buffalo sports fans! Now if only we could get some playoff hockey...

I just wish they weren't so tone deaf. Bills fans don't want to hear "he has a big arm! He's athletic! Snow and rain!". We want to hear that the front office believes he can be the best quarterback in the league. That he can lead the team to championships. I really hope someone in the media is a little tough on them at some point in the near future, and asks them something like "other than being a nice kid from a farm and having a big arm, what do you actually see in him that makes you think he'll be successful?". But, ya know...journalism is horrific these days, so I won't hold my breath.

No. Schefter reported that the Cardinals wanted him, and that had been reported by other draft analysts recently. I think they still would have traded up, but would have taken Allen at 10 instead of Rosen. Now...would ROSEN have been available at 12? Very possibly.

We only know that they had Allen rated higher than Rosen, Rudolph, Jackson, and whoever else gets drafted at QB this year. We do NOT know if they had Allen rated higher than Mayfield or Darnold. It's a moot point now.