Ayjent

Samuel has a terrible contract and not saying this is the case but it certainly feels like he is playing his leverage to some degree to skip camp, preseason and practice. Keeping him sends a bad signal too. He's also hard to trade bc you basically have to find a willing partner to take on 7+ mill this year for a guy that has done very little as a Bill and missed pretty much all of camp and preseason and has been dealing with some type of nagging injury for the past 3 seasons (23, 24, and this one). I absolutely hate the prospects that Samuel makes the team and Shaver's doesnt, but there's agood chance that is the case. I think keeping Samuel is just going to irritate everyone unless 30 catches and 300 yards for a guy that may or may not be 100% at some point is something that makes him invaluable. I think Moore has been available but i havent seen him make any plays that separate him from other fodder in the preseason. In fact if you were just looking at guys without knowing how they got to the Bills i think he'd easily be middle of the pack of guys who will be cut. I know practice matters and we only hear reports but i also think the games are what you are paid for and if dropping balls and losing yds on short passes keeps you on the team Shavers is doing it all wrong. Id be interested to see what Shavers could do and i do believe that he has the talent to makeplays with the starters but that is still an unknown so i get it.

This is exactly right. Consistency is what separates guys who are fringe to be on a roster from all-pros. Cole has shown way too much inconsistency, coupled with not a lot of flash.

I'm not as worried about White as the Safeties. White is a smart player that understands where he needs to be and how to play things. His physical abilities just aren't where they used to be. He will be a serviceable starter until Hairston is ready to start. Bishop better have just been rusty with being out and then limited, because they can't be happy with what they saw against Chicago. Hamlin is what he is, a guy that is limited in range and coverage and makes the D vulnerable and have to play differently. I think the Bills will be very actively looking for someone they can sign. Bishop just looks like a guy that doesn't have it, and I know that seems premature, but I've not seen a single thing from him that looks promising in any game he's played. Usually you can see the talent even if there are things that are clearly not up to par. I'm not seeing it. I'm not really sure why McD's defense puts such a high emphasis on the S position being so difficult. It just makes replacing people difficult. D is a lot of instinct and if you have guys overthinking things it can definitely cause them to look lost and mitigate what they may be good at. So could that be the case with Cole, maybe? Hopefully...but I don't think so. And here is the thing I see, which I admit I may be wrong about because I don't know what goes on everyday behind the scenes: you have what you have, and sometimes you have to make do and find ways to optimize it. Sometimes it feels like that isn't happening enough on the D side. It's very scheme primacy, rather than talent primacy. I think they do a ton of good things with player development, but also I feel like the talent is sometimes there and they are a little stubborn in how they want to use it. Again, just trying to figure out how there are misses in what Beane and co do on draft day with such high picks and what happens from there on the D side.

BTW - I think Andreesen may have played himself off the team last night. He had a really tough night. Oh he stood out...as a liability. But I don't disagree with those who are saying he is safe. He is. And that is the issue, not because there are better options, but bc there aren't.

Honestly Hancock if his injury isn't that bad could play himself into a starting role at some point this season if they keep him. He played the first touchdown too shallow and wasn't aware enough of the receiver's depth, so I did see some warts in his game. But the guy looks like more aware of where he needs to be and how to play things than Bishop. I have honestly not seen a thing from Bishop that makes me think he is going to be anything but an injury prone meh player at best. I really hope that is a terrible take I'm making, but at this point he should be way more in command of where he needs to be and how to play things. Is that also a product of being paired with Hamlin? Could be. Hamlin forces the defense to play deeper than they need and there is no way a pass rush is getting home when the quick underneath routes are wide open all over the place. Pair that with bad tackling and short underneath routes are house calls. Hamlin may have the starting experience, but the reason the pass D was terrible last year was more a product of the Safeties than the DL. You can have guys getting close to home but if a decent QB is behind center they've already figured out where to go before the pass rush gets there because it ain't like the Bills are choking up the receivers with tight coverage. I get that personnel deficiencies in one spot can hurt your entire defense, but sometimes you've got to give some part of your D a chance to succeed. Play tighter and give the DL a chance to win. If you give up a big play fine, at least you aren't getting destroyed all game. If you aren't then you didn't need to go all in on upgrading the DL.

He was picked up as a projected starter. He clearly isnt the same as either Davis or Diggs but im pretty sure they were expecting more than what he produced. So as a starting wr he was projected as a replacement - but to replace what Diggs or Davis brought to the offense sure you can make that argument - i think they wanted a RAC wr that could get separation on shorter routes and make them into bigger gains or get open early and often. They went out and got Moore and Palmer for similar reasons. I dont think anyone was or is under the illusion Samuel would be Stephon Diggs in his prime. But im pretty sure they expected 600-800 yds with the best case sniffing 1000. Im not sure they have those expectations anymore with him and to a degree they seem like theyve made contingencies accordingly.

I think you are taking some liberties with what im saying to make a point but whatever. To be fair his production didnt really drop off from 2022 to 2023, but toe and foot injuries are usually redflags on receivers and that was why he was available in FA most likely. Bottom line he's had significant nagging injuries that limited his production for two straight years and last year more than the year before (2023). While he's played in a lot of games despite those injuries- there haven't been many games where he isnt limited by those injuries even though he gets snaps. That hurts the offense and gives the Bills a guy that isnt practicing fully and getting in rhythm with be integral to what they do. And the Bills see he's trending that way again. Im sure he is frustrated and the team is as well - its a tough game and almost all of these guys bust their asses to play in the league. The body of some just cant stay healthy or optimal. I dont remember that many people being on the Samuel train before he signed with the Bills. Im not always that active on the board but usually check in enough to see what's going on so maybe people were. I just remember the big thing was people wanting a top tier WR and i dont think anyone was under the impression Samuel was that. People wanted a top level WR from the draft. And they still do. I think a lot of people thought his connection with Brady and being paired with an elite QB in Allen where Diggs and Davis were gone could lead to him having a breakout season once he signed with the Bills, but the turf toe was lingering/reaggravated in camp and he really didnt have an impact until late season. He may be back but weve seen the guy suit up and be a nonfactor. Its tough to cut someone else who can contribute to important depth, especially if it means one less OL or DL roster spot to hedge at WR on Samuel's ability to play AND be a factor.

I hear all of that. And agree with you, but I’m just getting the sense that he is rarely going to be 100% and that is why he was available to the Bills in FA last year. He simply wasn’t available to justify taking up room on a roster, and that hasn’t changed with the Bills. His 31 catches and 253 yds weren’t worth the investment last year and he is just now available with another injury that tends to be a nagging one throughout a season - so by keeping him you are just limiting the WR room with a guy that is likely to be out or limited for more of the season than the guys you would likely cut. To me I just have a gut feeling that he’s cut or traded although I can’t imagine he has much trade value - but something is better than nothing. Again, an injury prone slot wr that is coming off a 253 yd season with a pretty hefty contract for what he brings isn’t going to fetch a lot of interest. But cutting him is a lot of dead cap so he is a big penalty to cut - so I understand why people think he is tough to cut. Honestly it appears to have been a bad gamble by Beane. Maybe they can throw him in with a trade for one of the reserve OL. Trading him solves a lot of cap problems.

I’d rather have Shavers than Samuel. I think Samuel is a dud as much as I wanted him to be good. He doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table versatility wise and with Moore and Palmer he is kinda expendable.

I'm starting to feel like keeping Shenault and Shavers and cutting Samuel is a real possibility. I think Samuel is just not available enough and Shenault covers the same versatility and special teams.

Seems like a guy that thrives on short passing game and I can see why Seahawks wanted him bc he compliments Geno's dink and dunk passing, but i think the bottom line is he just isnt that good of a receiver. Just like Percy Harvin he just isnt a great route runner and that matters a lot in the NFL (I know different types of players -Harvin was incredible once he got the ball but was rarely healthy). Sure they could use him in a variety of ways but there are other guys on the team good enough for that role.

Elam never had the consistency on display in college and that is a much lower bar in the NCAA than NFL. It wasn’t about confidence it was about ability. It was a bad pick and as a Gator fan I said before the draft he was way overrated and was the one player I’d avoid - he was a highly questionable tackler, bit far too often on moves he should know better on, got lost in schemes and lost his man, and relied on his athleticism to get out of bad situations. Penalties weren’t even an issue I would’ve put on the list but he added that to his repertoire as a pro. I said the same thing about Anthony Richardson. Neither played consistently against far inferior competition but had a lot of athleticism and promise. The Bills have made average players look good at CB with good coaching and development so I think it’s fair to say Elam had every shot to take the starting role but never earned the trust of the staff because he couldn’t be effective doing what they needed him to. But Benford and White started as rookies. So I don’t buy narratives that young guys can’t get a shot. They can but they have to earn it and I think Hairston will. He’s a good corner from what I’ve seen. I think the verdict is still out on Bishop and I wouldn’t count on him getting the starting role or ever being a starter. I hope so, but too many think that it will just fall into place. I don’t see it, and I think the staff is hoping for that but I think they were hoping that last year too. They saw what we saw with the safeties last year. They know more talent there shores up a problem area on D, but Bishop may not be the answer.

You get a circus because you are dealing with players AND their agents in your bargaining unit so you’re playing a much different role as a union than what a traditional union would. Also, there are extreme disparities in compensation that results in an extremely difficult balance bc there are a ton of conflicts of interest inherent between the players. Working in partnership with the owners isn’t a bad strategy if you are able to represent your employees effectively that way and can be good for all parties if they are meeting each others interest without extreme measures. In fact, that is the definition of ideal. It’s not a zero sum game. I served in various union capacities and was a union chapter president for over 6 years. We rarely litigated but we got great deals done for both parties because our union was extremely diligent and hard working to both understand what our employees really wanted and needed and what our management/executives wanted and where the organizations challenges were. We got our unit to nearly 100% nationwide telework prior to the pandemic (didn’t have any major challenges when it hit), people have extremely flexible schedules, and we have great incentive awards structures that raised our productivity. All of the benefits were tailored to meet managements interests and were measured in their implementation with pilots and willingness to tweak the programs on both sides. Our union provided many solutions that worked when our management failed to meaningfully address them with their own attempts. We may be an outlier but more than anything good leadership is key and makes all the difference - conflict isn’t a necessity unless someone is being a moron.

It's a variety of factors. Scheme, personnel philosophy and talent. The smallish defense is neutralized in the playoffs because the whistles dont blow the same way, the defensive scheme is more reactive and not dictating the game, and the pass rush is many times ineffectual from the front 4. And here is the thing they are a few plays away but part of being the better team is to not have such slim margins and those most important plays are being lost on both sides of the ball, but the offense typically makes plays (minus Cincinnati) but the D is lacking the big plays to change the outcomes in those losses. So we are trying to beat the best QBs in the big moments without enough pressure on the QB. Easier said than done but small agile players arent undeniable when the refs arent giving them the calls for being held. What the Eagles, Bucs (v Mahomes)and Giants (v Brady) have done in the past several years with the DL is have size and ability to bring it with 4.

I think about it like this even though i know the relative market for positions is different: is he as important to the Bills as other guys getting that much a year on the Bills? I think he is and $15M is less than Benford gets and just north of an oft-injured Bosa. Would $14M/yr get it done? I think he didnt get the Ball enough in the 2nd half of the AFCCG - i dont blame him for staying steady at that amount per yr to stay with the Bills who he may have felt stunted his opportunity in a major game. It sucks this is the situation but i get it.

I find the ESPN headline Vrabel stresses decision making amid Diggs video kind of funny. Says the team giving a 31 yr old wr coming off an acl injury a 3 yr 64 million deal. Look i loved Diggs in buffalo and thought he had a strong desire to win (maybe not in the most productive ways) but when they moved on i also thought it was probably the right move. He showed a lot of people up when he thought they didnt come through in big moments and then had the ultimate chance to get it done as the guy and didnt. It was just a stale relationship that had no good path forward it was a good trade all things considered.

Divisions and schedules can make a 10-7 record a way better accomplishment than 12-5 vs a crap division and easy schedule. I also think winning your division is a big deal where the current seeding system ensures a home game. It makes the division matter more and leads to a way more interesting week to week game. Detroit needs to worry about winning its playoff games not changing the rules. Maybe a qb that doesnt melt under pressure to boot.

It might be cool or it might suck. Just depends on how they do it and how much fan input they allow. If they leave it in the hands of people without real connections to the teams it will show and be hated. Some of these alt unis are sharp but most are a disaster bc they get away from simplicity that makes a uni look good. The nba and mlb have a lot of games so changing it up makes a lot more sense, too. That Nike is involved doesnt likely bode well for good designs. My money is on a Niagara Falls theme.

Frustratingly we can’t seem to hit on high round defensive picks being game changers, much less solid starters (Elam, Basham, Epenesa). Bishop might be the next one to fall into that category bc he really didn’t flash much, but we’ll see this year. Mid to late rounders seem to have about the same success rate. So for as much as McD can maximize marginal talent the team seems to marginalize better talent (and/or they just suck at scouting top talent). They have invested heavily in defense for years with little ROI and few top tier at their position players. Sure they’ve had some hits but they seem built the wrong way for tough games being a light but fast defense that doesn’t seem to ever get enough pressure on the QB in big moments.

No one really knows with these drafts but it does frustrate me that this team constantly drafts defense and then never has a playoff defense that can step up in the biggest moments. Safety is a glaring hole that they didnt address outside of a hybrid DB to boot. They didnt add anything to an offense that needs more weapons. Beane is a good single and double hitter but rarely hits homeruns. Thats what this draft feels like. Guys that will play and arent bums but arent stars. The only player with that potential is Mad Max

Risk/reward - you have no guarantee that the season tickets you buy will be worth the investment. If you team sucks good luck selling them, and if you have a PSL that may be what is driving you to keep them even if you wanted to get rid of them, bc you dont want to take another loss. The NFL is basically making the investment a bad idea but capitalizing on the popularity of the game screwing fans bc others will line up for the opportunity to get screwed. Going to a game is a ridiculous amount of money, especially to sit with a bunch of idiots in most venues (Bills games being one of the few places that still feel genuine and not a generic experience). Home is far more enjoyable week to week, especially when you realize your season tickets are next to the worst of those people. If you have good people it may be awesome and worth it, but good luck there.

Can we get Keon working out with Moulds and Shakir?

We need players that show up in big moments on the DL against crappy OLs. He hasn’t in the playoffs against backups and people playing out of position much less top notch talent. I do wonder if the Bills wanting him to be lighter as a DE makes him less effective. It really depends on his contract but I don’t love the estimated value.

The guy was left with a bad taste in his mouth playing his ass off and they didn’t give him the ball when they needed to answer the Chiefs. Hard to blame him for wanting to get paid or leave. Regardless of what he says that’s the issue and the Bills coaching deserves the blame. He’s one of very few other A+ players on this team.

The Bills need size and some guys that have high ceilings not just safe calls for solid to good starters but not difference makers in big moments.