Ayjent

Oh he was valued that high by a lot of people but as a fan watching game after game and the development or lack thereof of his play, I didnt understand why he was valued where he was. Especially following the college season he was drafted where he regressed. The gator D was terrible and Elam was part of the problem, despite flashes of good plays. For all the work scouts and NFL personnel guys do, there are still things that get overlooked or dismissed. All teams make bad picks, and its not a science bc you never know how a player will respond and adapt to the pro game and how determined they will be to find success, and whether that hard work will even translate into success. I was just saying that the play on the college level gave a lot of insight into Elam's prospects of being a star CB in the NFL. I was vocal about him not being a 1st rounder prior to that draft and the only gator i wanted to see on the Bills was Damien Pierce with a mid round pick bc of his physical running style to take some of those carries off of Josh.

I hope the pick is Donte Whitner

Consistency is the issue. He’s getting thrown at bc he isn’t consistent and there are big plays to have against him. That’s why he is on the bench if the staff has an option. It’s why they went out and got Douglas and resigned him. I’m a Gator and I’d love for him to play well, but so far he hasn’t shown the ability to be trusted to be a solid starter.

It was all there if you watched the games. He played well against a couple of good WRs and teams fell in love with what he could be instead of what he was. Terrible tackler, inconsistent in coverage, capable of getting completely lost in scheme. I thought he was being overvalued a lot in pre draft and was absolutely shocked when Bills took him. I watch all UF games and I wasn’t a fan of his game. I had hope that maybe it was just Mullen’s terrible staff that was the issue and talked myself into the pick trusting Beane. He played decent in yr 1 at times, but the chance he develops is slim at this point. Maybe it was hubris with the Bills staff and FO. There just isn’t much of a place for him other than outside CB and the Bills don’t trust him there.

He’s a good player but he gets shut down against tight physical man coverage. I think he’s rated about right if not a little overvalued. I’m not saying he can’t work on his game and technique to get better against man, but he was expected to be a bigger impact player this past year and fell a bit short of expectations. He had a good college career, but there are limitations in his game. He could be as effective as Gabe was, but that’s about it, although different set of pluses and minuses. I don’t see the rote running of Edelman at all, like not even close, and I’m wondering who made that comp and how much they actually watched him play. He’s a crafty guy that gets where is supposed to be and excels against zone with good hands and ball skills, but physical defenders can impact him a lot.

Those are all easy questions until you get to Legette or Mitchell which I’d take Mitchell but see the attraction of Legette and think Legette may actually be more suited for the Bills under Brady, but see Mitchell as the higher probability of NFL success with his length, speed and route running. Polk all day over Coleman, McConkey is a way better route runner and separator against man than Pearsall, Thomas Jr is way better than Franklin (who I think may be the most overhyped WR prospect in the bunch). I like the idea of double dipping at WR bc of the talent and second contracts are expensive at the position although eventually teams will wise up on paying big contracts to WRs if the talent pipeline continues to be solid. A lot needs to go right for a WR to be effective and I understand why the position is valued with current offenses. The truth is that you still need good protection and a good qb to get the value. The Bills have the QB, and just one ? on the OL. If they went Center in the first two rounds I wouldn’t be upset either.

That’s just not true about this class compared to others. It’s revisionist history based on the results. This year may be considered deeper but the talent level isn’t a known commodity yet in the NFL, and we are comparing projection with production. There have been classes every couple of years lauded as a big wr class and each time there are absolute turds picked in the top 10 at the position.

They’d be into it for the same reason the Bills shouldn’t- that’s a lot of draft capital for one pick on one player.

Look regardless of his success here, for all of his competitive fire and “accountability” he held his teammates to, he didn’t hold up to his own standard when he had the chance to. Josh gave him the opportunity to be the man, the star of getting the chiefs monkey off their back. He shrunk in the moment, and he demonstrated to everyone that he didn’t make the team better at the most crucial time. At that point he is immediately expendable if there is a willing partner, especially with that contract. Throw in everything else and it was nearly a necessity. I like the competitive fire and extreme desire to win, but if you’re going to be that and get paid to be that guy and given the chance to show out that you are what you say you are, then you can’t crap in your hat and disappear when you are to blame. A play can change so much, but the way it went down made it an easy calculation. The Bills lost a great talent but also have a chance to see if a different combination is the one that makes them better. But they need to nail it in this draft all over the place. WR C DL S. Beane just put the pressure on himself but let’s see how this goes.

Rodgers is done. He'll be more statuesque coming off that Achilles at his age, his arm may not be as live, and he's too busy "reading books" and talking to RFK, Jr. about a potential VP bid. Winning the offseason is only good for selling season tickets.

I’ll get excited once I see what they do in the draft. We’ll see if they’ve truly adapted or are just repeating their past approach. That will be evident in where they put the draft capital and how many picks they end up with actually filling the roster. I know they have holes on the D, but it’s a bit of an indictment of how flawed the past emphasis on that side has been when it comes to results when it matters most and how they are in the position of having so many holes despite the heavy investment.

Our defense goes belly up putting all of the pressure on offense. Too many examples to just not be a fatal flaw of McD teams bc ultimately he has his fingerprints all over it. I know this isnt going to happen but a Belicheck or Vrabel Defense may be the only shot where McD is hands off. Bur we all know that aint happening.

I think we can all agree that our biggest Ks outside of Josh didnt make a positive difference in the biggest game. When Diggs, Oliver, and Miller dont make an impact its not really a mystery as to why they lost. At least Oliver was a big part of how they got in that position. I love Diggs' passion but you got lead by example not flub it at crunch time.

They need to use all of those picks to replenish the roster. The draft has a lot of depth in the positions the Bills need to fill. The more at bats the more chances at a home run.

Anyone who knows football and isn’t a Bills fan knows that the Bills have put their draft capital on the wrong side of the Ball and not surrounded their best players with enough talent on offense. Sorry but Knox isn’t a weapon, Gabe’s been a guy that shows up best in big moments but he is very replaceable and could easily be a place where the Bills improve dramatically, and they need a younger big body back that can be a receiving threat to compliment Cook. I think about a guy like Mike Evans, who has a tendency to drops, but ultimately can’t be denied because of his ability to get the ball no matter the coverage - and I’m not saying a HOFer is just waiting to be picked in every draft but those skills paired with Allen would be scary for the rest of the NFL. He also blocks. The Bills need to knock it out of the park again this year in the draft. I think last year was a great draft - Kincaid, Torrence and Williams will all likely be quality starters next year, but the drafts the preceding 2-3 years weren’t. They need to pick up more draft picks if they can as they carry the weight of the Miller and Diggs contracts. I get spending the money to take a chance to get over the hump but everyone grimaced at the Miller contract when it was announced and now it’s going to be up to Beane to get his staff to kill it in the draft. There really is no other way to get this team retooled to be the best of the AFC. Honestly, I don’t give a crap about the D bc if it isn’t going to show up when it matters as has been the case every year, then what’s the point of limiting the offensive weapons bc of investments in the D. Maybe take the medicine on some of these contracts so they are off the books ASAP and start looking to reshape with a new core. The team has a lot of money outside Allen in places that don’t warrant the compensation.

The offensive gameplan against KC was perfect and executed very well. I liked Brady. It wasnt fireworks but it was good situational football that was a stark contrast to Dorsey's playcalling that melted when it mattered. The problem with the playoff loss was that the D did not show up...again. We all understand the injuries had their impact but the D was completely ineffective but for a fumble and one forced punt. Do they need more weapons on Offense? Yeah they do and its no surprise to see the Bills and Gabe Davis fine with parting ways. However, the willingness to be tougher more physical team on offense is the right philosophy. They just need a complimentary thumping back to Cook, preferably one that is also a receiving threat and a 1b WR that is able to adjust to throws and win contested catches. Josh trusted Gabe too much in that role and Gabe for either a lack of ability (he is a bit of a stiff WR when it comes to adjusting) or lack of desire wasnt consistent in fighting to win those battles leading to turnovers. He did from time to time, but he also seemed to get frustrated that Josh didnt put the ball where he wanted it and IMO didnt always give 100% in fighting DBs on contested throws. You could see it in his body language. I wont agree that the team was better without Gabe, but they can upgrade and that is a priority. There are plenty of options this year to try in the draft. I just dont trust that they will change their philosophy to try to level up the offense and will continue feeding the D draft picks and end up being fatally flawed on both sides (coaching on D and not enough talent around great QB on O).

So keep doing what hasnt worked?

1 on 1 bigger body box out where if the wr plants and comes back towards the ball there is a good chance it’s an easy td.

Yes and I don’t think any of us now the option reads for the play call, but one thing that is a universal for receivers, especially in the red zone, is to get your head around looking for the ball and otherwise have eyes on the qb out of your break. I put it on Gabe and I like him but it’s hard to deny that interceptions happen way too much on passes to him and he has inconsistent tenacity in fighting for contested passes that may not be perfect throws. It seems to me Gabe works hard and may even be right where Josh guesses wrong at times, but as someone said earlier they just aren’t on the same page enough.

I’m aware and think he is a coach that has proven he can win. It’s not that common for fired head coaches to become hired somewhere else the next season, especially a defensive minded one. It does happen, I know, and maybe you’re right and I’ll be very wrong as multiple teams vie for him. I wouldn’t be surprised to see chargers pursue Ben Johnson. Given the group put together in Washington I fully expect a Shanahan protege to be the pick. Carolina might be the spot where they pursue him, but IMO I think Vrabel might not see that as attractive and might decline that job. If they are willing to move on from Young, then maybe, but I wouldn’t want to be saddled with trying to make water into wine. That roster is awful.

Shaw glad to see you posting these this year. This game was a perfect embodiment of the 2023-24 Bills. The Bills are extremely talented but sometimes make themselves the toughest opponent. They still persevere and win, playing their best when it matters most. They have the talent to win it all, but also can be prone to mistakes that derail that opportunity as the margin for error gets smaller. However, the team is mentally and physically tough, which is what is different from past years. This team has a different identity this year, a nastier, tougher one. I think that helps them in the playoffs this year significantly. They’ve also made a point to infuse the team with FAs with rings or Super Bowl experience, such as Rapp, Floyd, Miller, Fournette, and Joseph. This is not an insignificant thing coupled with the bad taste of playoff exits in prior years. I’m not saying it’s destiny they go or win it by any means, but the ingredients are different this time around. It’s a confident group that has the talent and experience, and they just need to continue on playing their best football. If they do I’m not sure who can stop them, but we shall see.

This has been a problem the past 2 years with Davis and I just don’t understand why they don’t cut out the option routes with Gabe or limit them a lot more. I’m guessing it has to do with how well it can work, but they are too often not on the same page regardless and it’s just hurting them.

Maybe. The NFL is weird sometimes and despite Vrabel's success teams will still gamble for a home run hire over a retread. Atlanta wants an offensive minded coach and is likely already locked in on who their first choices are. Chargers will probably be in same boat after taking a shot on a young DC. Washington is going to probably take a look at an entire top to bottom housecleaning that doesnt seem like a good fit. The Raiders might be the best fit but I think Pierce might be the guy. The Panthers want someone who can work with Bryce Young. I dont think its a slam dunk he gets a HC gig.

It was clear that he wasn’t putting the team in the best position to succeed, and it was obvious that he didn’t know how to build off of doing something successful against an opponent. It also promoted a narrative that still exists that Josh has Diggs and not enough of a supporting cast of skill players. Thing is, I’m not sure we really know if there isn’t more talent than we think. Cook has been a revelation the last several weeks, and I’m assuming that is going to start drawing more attention and less for Diggs and DKs.

McDermott is a part of the problem not talent. The team has more than enough talent to win the championship and I watched the Defense totally change its approach in Philly last week in the second half. I was at the game and the defense went from pressing to off coverage and the defense went from dominating to doormat. I had been ambivalent about McD until i witnessed this. Totally baffling and basically took the foot off the Eagles neck and gave them a hand to help them up. The D he is calling when it matters is losing games. The proof is there all season. They lost several games at the end do to poor defensive calls during his stint and this year in particular. The Giants snd Bucs games could have easily been 2 more. On one hsnd i have nothing but respect for the team being good agsin under his watch on the other, we aint getting anything but teased with a championship with him.