Logic

Belichick gets him for a swap of 5th round picks, promptly rides him to another Lombardi. Will it ever end?

I would love, love, LOVE if this meant Anthony Barr. I get the feeling McDermott would have the PERFECT way to use this guy to maximize his potential. He'd be Lorenzo Alexander, but in his prime. I really hope this happens.

I came out of the WOMB watching Jason Taylor clips! I bet I was watching Jason Taylor clips while you were still building Lego dinosaur ships! While you're off at work, earning a living, guess what I'm doing? Yep, Jason Taylor clips. Maybe the body comparisons are close, but that's about it. Maybin was a one-trick pony. He had no pass rush plan, no counter moves, nothing. Burns is not that guy. Really? After his combine, there's some speculation that he'll go in the top 7 or 8 picks. Trading DOWN to get him? I don't see it.

Discussions about the Buffalo Bills' 9th overall pick have centered around offensive tackles, wide receivers, and three-techniques. I see very little talk about edge rushers overall, and ESPECIALLY very little talk about Brian Burns. Before I get to the player, though, let's look at the Bills roster and success (or lack thereof) in rushing the passer. Before anyone says "it's not a need!", they should consult the Bills 2018 sack numbers: The Bills ranked 26th in sacks. As good as the defense was, imagine how ELITE it could be with an actual pass rush! As everyone knows, McDermott's defense is extremely light on blitz packages. He likes to get pressure with his front four. Unfortunately, as demonstrated by the sack ranking, the Bills front four was not so good at that. Not only can they stand to improve to begin with, but Hughes and Lawson's contracts are both up at the end of this year, and Hughes will be 31 years old. Beane even specifically mentioned recently that sometimes you draft a player because you know that "there may be a position where a couple of guys are up at the end of the coming season". He said this unsolicited, but it sure sounds like he's talking about his DE depth chart. Last but not least, the Bills have been using their high picks on premium positions (CB, LT, QB, ILB), and I don't see that changing. After QB, edge rusher is about as premium as it gets. This brings us to the point of this thread: Brian Burns, edge rusher, Florida State. Burns weights 6'5" and, prior to the combine, played at 231 lbs. He weighed in, however, at 249 lbs at the combine, and the added weight did not seem to hinder his speed, as he ran an incredible 4.56 40. He has elite bend, speed, and agility, a quality pass rush plan, and a bevy of counters and moves. His size, athleticism, and bend make me think of Jason Taylor. Don't take my word for it, though, here's some writeups about him from TheDraftNetwork and some videos. If Burns is still on the board at 9 (and he may not be), he looks like a slam dunk pick that will put the Bills defense over the top. https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/brian-burns

If Metcalf's tape backs up his combine numbers and shows that he's an elite WR prospect, then great. If he's just got mediocre tape and/or the only reason people want him top 10 is because of his measurables, then it's a hard pass for me. Every year we get these freak physical specimens that look like Tarzan but play like Jane. And every single year, people get amnesia about the LAST TIME this happened, put their blinders on, and get excited about these beefed up speedsters that can't actually play football. Mind you, I haven't watched much of Metcalf, so maybe he's a quality prospect. I just can't shake the feeling that he's going to be drafted more for his measurables than his abilities as a football player.

Omar Kelly once admitted that he scouts upcoming Dolphins opponents as well as potential free agent additions by looking at their ratings on Madden. I'm serious.

What if Jonah Williams and Jawaan Taylor are both off the board at 9, would you just shoehorn an offensive lineman in there just for the sake of it?

I do, too. And bruising fullbacks. Don't tell anybody.

Another thing to think about: Beane and McDermott come from the Panthers, who have historically NOT drafted receivers with their 1st pick. They have much more often used high picks on defensive linemen and offensive linemen. The Panthers seem to go by the "no #1 WR, but a collection of #2 receivers" (pun intended only if you want it to be) school of thought. Based on McDermott and Beane's recent comments, they seem to agree. Something about a WR at 9 doesn't feel like it's in Beane/McDermott's wheelhouse. At any rate, so much of the draft discussion is almost completely pointless until we see what free agency brings.

I'd be thrilled with Oliver. He looks to me like a dominant 10-year starter at 3T. If anyone knows that being undersized doesn't necessarily keep a defensive tackle from being disruptive and productive, it should be the Buffalo Bills, who just watched an undersized guy do it for 12 seasons. I think people underestimate the importance of a quality 3T to the sustained success of McDermott's defense. Whether it's a high pick or an expensive free agent, this highly underrated need WILL be filled this offseason.

Wait...why should we be "all in" on Metcalf? Because he tested well at the combine? Measurables are great, but what does his film look like? Who will be keeping Josh Allen upright so that he can GET the ball to Metcalf? I'm fine with the Bills drafting him at 9, but I'm also perfectly fine with a big ugly at that spot.

For all those saying Metcalf at 9 is a no-brainer: With the 40 time he just put up, there's a chance he's not even THERE at 9. If he is, I think the Bills have already shown that they like supreme athletic specimens by drafting Edmunds and Allen. The question is how they feel about his health and his college production.

Everybody praised the Rams for being proactive and extending Gurley's contract early. After seeing CJ Anderson offer superior production when he went in and now seeing Gurley's potential long-term knee troubles, that early extension suddenly doesn't seem like such a good idea.

My question about N'Keal Harry and Hakeem Butler: do they have the quickness, speed, and route running ability to get separation consistently in the NFL? I don't care how big a guy is or how well he high-points 50-50 balls. If he can't get open consistently, he's not a 1st or 2nd round pick in my eyes.

This team never really recovered from the loss of Lee Smith. I'd offer him $10million per.

I'm fine with signing him AS LONG AS he's not counted on as anything more than a WR3 or WR4. As long as the Bills don't view him as "the answer" at the WR position or a #1 guy, I do feel he could be useful to the offense, as it currently features no one else with good size.

I respect the OP and the notion the author puts forward. I also respectfully disagree. Zay Jones was the Bills' leading receiver last year. The light seemed to turn on as the season progressed. In the last two games of the season, he had 5 catches for 67 yards and 1 TD one week, then 6 catches for 93 yards and 2 TDs the following week. In addition to the fact that Jones seemed to come on at the end of the year and seemed to be developing chemistry with Josh Allen, he is also cheap labor for an offense desperate for playmakers. To release him for really ANY reason would make no sense to me. Even if you've decided he'll never be better than an 800 yards per year guy, that's still a useful player for an offense that is currently bereft of them.

That was a fun watch. Thanks for posting it. Is it September yet?

Everything Beane and McDermott have said and done point to them wanting to get at least one last good year out of McCoy and Ivory. It seems very clear to me that they will lean on McCoy and Ivory at the running back position this year -- maybe only drafting depth or a role player later in the draft -- and then they'll have a serious youth movement at the position NEXT year at the earliest. I believe they take one look at the Bills roster and its littany of needs (2-3 o-linemen, 2 tight ends, 2 WRs, Edge rusher, 3T, Defensive depth) and figure they can get by on another year of McCoy and Ivory. I happen to agree with their assessment that neither guy has yet lost a step. For the reasons above, and because of the fact that I can't imagine them wanting to invest serious money in a running back when they already pay quite a bit to McCoy and Ivory, I can't imagine them wanting to have anything to do with Jordan Howard. If anything, draft a young running back with one of your 5th round picks and call it a day.

It's been mentioned already in this thread, I think, but Hockenson's blocking ability on day 1 makes him a high floor player that can contribute immediately. Even if the receiving side of his game takes a couple years to get cooking (which I'm not necessarily convinced it will, any way), his immediate contributions in the blocking game would be a great boon to the Bills offense.

Yeah, he clearly meant "at least" 21 on offense. Not 21 exactly. It's the minimum threshold they want to meet each week. Sheesh.

The always awesome TheAthletic.com just posted a piece in which multiple analysts/players discuss the most indelible game memories they have witnessed in their respective careers. The whole piece is interesting, but I'll just highlight the segment about the Bills and the play in question, courtesy of Adam Schefter: Adam Schefter, ESPN In 30 years covering the NFL, there aren’t many press box seats as memorable as the one assigned to me as a reporter for the Denver Post on Jan. 8, 2000 for the wild-card game at what’s now LP Field between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. It was directly above the 25-yard line. From directly beneath that press box seat came one of the most storied plays in NFL postseason history. Moments after Bills kicker Steve Christie booted a 41-yard field goal in the closing seconds, Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal caught the ensuing kickoff and handed it to tight end Frank Wycheck, who ran along the 25-yard line, directly beneath my press box seat. Wycheck stepped back to his left and threw a jump-pass to Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who took off 75 yards for the game-winning score. Madness erupted. Tennessee celebrated. Officials huddled and, eventually, ruled. In their opinion, the pass was a backward legal lateral. Only it wasn’t. Their decision should have been overturned and/or overruled. There wasn’t— and still isn’t — a game official, TV camera, replay booth or single person who had a better view than I did of the play that unfolded directly beneath me. Two trusted and reliable sources confirmed to me it was a forward lateral. My left eye and my right eye. Each — with condolences to Buffalo and its tremendous fans — reported it was an undisputed forward lateral. Officials did not see it that way, but officials did not have my prime seat for the play that still is being replayed, over and over, 19 years later. Instead, the play sent the Bills home and the Titans to the divisional round and eventually the Super Bowl. There will be more memorable and historical moments, plays that send teams on or send them home. There will be plays that children remember as adults, and adults carry with them the rest of their lives. There always are. The joy that single plays can bring to certain cities is directly proportionate to the misery the same play can bring to other cities. Just ask Buffalo. Now, 19 years have come and gone since a forward pass dubbed the “Music City Miracle” ended the Bills’ season. In all that time, nothing has changed the fact that on Jan. 8, 2000, the Titans’ season should have ended and the Bills’ should have continued. Eyes don’t lie.

On a day in which the president's long time personal fixer and former key member of the RNC finance committee is testifying under oath that the sitting US president explicitly directed him to commit crimes while campaigning and that the president was fully aware of the Stone-Wikileaks e-mail hacking events before they happened and did nothing to stop them, and during which Cohen implicated that there are even MORE as-yet-publicly-unknown but ongoing criminal investigations into Trump by the SDNY -- a day, by the way, during which the republican members of the committee have done nothing but try to cover for and obfuscate for the president, and in which they are suddenly pretending to have a problem with serial liars despite doing everything in their power to cover the criminal activities of their serial liar president -- on THIS day, with all that has come out during this hearing and considering the very serious implications of said revelations and the historic nature of what is currently taking place...you choose to single out the fact that Michael Cohen was never in Prague as if that's some sort of end game. Mind you, to reiterate, Cohen stated under oath today that Trump had foreknowledge of a Russian plot to provide his campaign with dirt on the Clinton campaign. It's getting harder and harder to understand how any reasonable and moral person could watch the conduct of the republican committee members today and think "boy am I proud to be a member of this party!". This is a shameful and embarrassing chapter in our country's history. And I hate to be repetitive on this point, but if the tables were turned and someone was testifying under oath that a DEMOCRAT president had committed these acts, you'd all be completely apoplectic and you KNOW it. Stick by your orange menace, though. I'm sure there's no fire behind all this smoke.

The Office is the clear answer for me. Once Steve Carell left, that should have been ball game. Cheers probably overstayed its welcome a bit, too.