dgrochester55

I personally see Burks as being in the same tier as the Claypool, Hamler, Hollins, Isabella group battling for the last spots on the Roster. I would not see a need to add him and definitely see no benefit to spending a draft pick on a trade for him.

Rex Ryan would have him averaging 50 points a game while the defense gave up 60 Chan Gailey would somehow get a pro bowl season out of him with a WR unit of Hollins, Isabella and Claypool but also have atrocious defenses. Dick Jauron would have Allen handing it off on nearly every snap which the exception of a few check downs to Gilliam and Morris. Wade Phillips would have them playing like contenders as Allen had an MVP caliber season until he decided to start Trubisky in Week 18 during mop up and be so impressed that he started him in the playoffs Marrone left a bad taste in everyone's mouth by walking out, but having them the verge of the playoffs with Kyle Orton as the QB was an impressive feat. If that unit had Allen, they are in the playoffs. I even think they would have made it in with Tyrod Taylor in his 2015-16 form.

If I had to Pick, I would say Aiyuk or Metcalf. I don't think that it is happening. Buffalo has been playing with the cap for years, and this is the year to pay the piper and eat some of that cap. Restructuring more contracts kicks the can down the road and I would rather have more cap space in 2025. In addition, I feel like we need more help at CB if we decide to spend on one more option. After Douglas and Benford, we have Taron Johnson who is a good nickel dime package CB but gets beat a lot if starting and Elam who was so green and unprepared that McDermott preferred activating a years past their prime Josh Norman off the practice squad when there were injuries last year. If injuries are an issue in the same way that they have been over the last two years,, I feel a lot less worried relying on Hollins, Claypool and Shorter as depth at WR than Elam and unproven street FA's at CB

I am not necessarily taking a leap of faith and assuming a good group. Whether or not this works is wholly based on whether or not Kincaid, Shakir, Samuel and Coleman are ready to take on larger roles. It is not a guarantee that it will or wont happen, we will have to see. I do not think that it is ideal, but much better than where were in 2018( the primary topic of the post that I responded to). I also do not feel like a declining disgruntled Diggs and a replacement level Davis were any more likely to elevate the group in 2024 then the current group. In addition, any of our top four WR options are likely to produce more than Sherfield and Harty in 2023. We took a huge risk by not coming in with a true #1. We can only hope that it either pays off or that Beane and McDermott are willing to trade for someone if they begin to think that it won't

This group is much better, primarily because nobody in the 2018 WR room was productive enough to even be a #4 for any other team. They were abyssmal. We have no clear #1 in 2024, but I am certain that any of Shakir, Samuel, Coleman and maybe even MVS as they are today could have been the clear #1 option if they were in the 2018 group. In addition, Allen has Kincaid and Knox at TE instead of Charles Clay and Jason Croom. A more fair comparison would be to the 2019 WR Group of Beasley, Brown, McKenzie, Roberts, Knox and Kroft.

It was quite the run for Cephus here. What was your favorite Quintez Cephus Bills moment? Mine was coming on here on the day that he was signed to make a witty post about him "being a gamble" and seeing immediately after logging on that at least a dozen others had the same idea before me. Thanks for the memories.

In the grand scheme of things, Buffalo did address the WR position by signing two veterans in Samuel and MVS and spending their top draft pick on Coleman. Unfortunately, it takes a lot to replace the loss of four receivers including the two who were seen as the #1 and #2. Keeping them may not have been better. Diggs' was disgruntled and his production was dropping off. Davis did not adjust to a starting role like hoped and was playing replacement level at best. Harty and Sherfield did virtually nothing so even if the top two out of the MVS/Claypool/Cephus/Shorter/Hollins/Hamler group get 20-30 catches each, it is an upgrade over those two. This was also a cap strapped year, so Buffalo needed to be creative in adding depth. They went with borderline and last chance veterans at minimum contract levels instead of mid and late round draft picks at the WR position. Whether or not that pays off remains to be seen. Allen did a good job of spreading the ball around after Brady took over, but the lack of a clear #1 is still a long term concern. We can only hope that Shakir, Coleman or Kincaid can develop into that role. In the meantime, if four of our receiver group can play consistently this season, we will be fine running this offense in 2024.

I am seeing a lot of Shakir and Shorter, but that does not quite fit the question because they both have some expectations coming into the season. This would apply more to a scenario where before the season, the player is written off and/or seen as a poster child for why the team hasn't done enough or made the wrong choices at the position. This would make the candidates players like Elam, Dorian Williams, and Some of the low risk high reward receivers that were signed. I am going to go with either Hamler or Cephus at WR as this year's Bernard.

This prompted me to look at out CB room, and I didn't realize just how thin that position is. After Douglas, Benford and Taron Johnson, it is JAG/replacement level. We really need Elam to step it up this year.

I am not ready to give up on Elam just yet. Most of us saw Bernard, Dodson and Espeneza as expendable around this time last year. Sometimes it just takes a little longer for things to click.

This is one of those "impossible to solve" math problems that will result in the quiet angst-ridden janitor solving it during the break on their overnight shift and leaving everyone shocked and mystified the next day.

If Buffalo signed the top two 100m sprinters after the Summer Olympics, put some pads on them and had them just run far really fast, would that satisfy you?

The over/under for Tony Romo mentioning this in the first Bills/Chiefs game that he announces has to be in the triple digits.

If filling immediate needs, I would say Stevie Johnson or Lee Evans and Brian Moorman If personal favorites, I would say Kyle Williams and Marshawn Lynch.

If one out of the three in Claypool, Cephus or Hamler can play to their potential, that would go a long way in upgrading our WR room. It is not that far fetched, but I would rather seem them sign or trade for one more established veteran before the season starts than count on that happening.

We don't need an OBJ, we already have a Chase Claypool at home.

I dont see Claypool has a sure thing, but he has a slightly better chance than Hamler or Cephus of finding his niche and surprising everyone.

I hope so, I see the potential, but it is not a guarantee. Lets not forget how many people saw Gabe Davis as the next breakthrough star two years ago. There is a huge difference on how you are covered when you are seen by opponents as the #4 or #5 option compared to the #1 or #2. It will be interesting to see if Shakir can step up and fill that role.

I do not think that Buffalo is done. Having a true #1 seems to be off the table for now unless something crazy happens with Deebo or Metcalf, but the offense can still be potent if there are six or seven steady targets to spread the ball around to. As of now, we have Shakir, Coleman, Samuel, and a whole bunch of ifs, ands and buts at WR. Even with those three, we are asking them to play a larger role than they have been accustomed to. It helps that we have Kincaid and Knox, but I would hope to see one more veteran WR in the mix. My guess is that this will happen after June 1st. Out of the rest, we have Andy Isabella, KJ Hamler, Justin Shorter, Mack Hollins, Quintez Cephus, Tyrell Shavers, Bryan Thompson, Xavier Johnson and Lawrence Keys. Maybe one or two of those emerge, but I am not comfortable counting on that. Out of that group, Hollins likely makes it in a Special teams Andre Roberts type role and Shorter will get a good look. After that. it is up in the air. I would love to see Hamler or Cephus play to their potential, but more likely than not, they are camp fodder. Isabella is likely a practice squad member again. The others are long shots IMO. All we can do at this point is see how things play out between now and week 1.

Transition does not always mean rebuilding. It is more of finding new players that fit the system and having new veterans take the lead. How we do this year completely depends on whether the draft picks and free agents produce and fit the system. I could see a slow start, but I can also see us still making the playoffs. I do not see this Bills as a Super Bowl contender yet unless they get hot at the right time, but they weren't going to be with last year's group either.

Before Dorsey was fired, the offense was spinning it's wheels because we were relying too much on Diggs and the long ball. The offense did much better when Allen was spreading it around to Kincaid, Cook and Shakir. I do not mind that there will be five or six regular players to throw to. I am a little more concerned that there is no true elite #1 target, but maybe Kincaid, Coleman or Shakir can develop into that.

The signing is quite the gamble. I'll bet that no one saw that coming.

Why is this comment on a thread about UDFA's? We all want to win a super bowl and McDermott two minute game management is off the charts bad, but 6 playoff appearances in 7 years after a 17 year drought is quite an accomplishment. This year may potentially be a step down or a mini rebuild which is frustrating, but It is not nearly as bad as you want it to be in your head. Have you considered being a fan of any of the other 31 teams? You seem quite unhappy as a Bills fan. If it is that bad for you, maybe for your own mental health it is best to move on.

I get that complaining about draft is an annual rite of passage, but I swear, if Buffalo got Aiyuk or Higgins for a 6th or 7th rounder, some people here would be fuming because we didn't use that pick to draft a replacement kicker for Tyler Bass

If only we kept that 5th round pick and didn't trade down a few spots, we would have certainly won a super bowl.