Shaw66

Well, I look at and listen to some rankings. I find I'm most interested in those confidential polls of GMs, because I think collectively the GMs know the subject better than anyone else. I also listen to the anecdotal evidence from other players. I think PFF is a joke, but I still feel good when they rank a Bills player high! Posters here? In my professional experience, I came to realize that there are some people who are just really smart, and if they put their minds to it, they can form really good opinions about subjects where they aren't experts. There aren't many people like that, but there are a few. And there are some people here like that, people who even though they haven't worked in the NFL for 20 years, or coached D-I for 20 years, still somehow are right about things most of the time. The rest of us? We just have opinions that seem correct to us, but in reality, we aren't right often enough to be experts. Having said that, I'll also say this. I read somewhere that if you take a big glass jar, a jar that holds maybe two gallons or five gallons, fill it with gumballs, and then ask a thousand people to guess how many gumballs are in the jar, you'll get a guess or two or three that are very accurate, and you'll get some guesses that ridiculously off, and you'll get a lot of guesses in between the accurate ones and the hopelessly wrong ones. However, it turns that if you take the average of all of the guesses, that average comes out close to the right number pretty consistently. It means that the collective knowledge of human beings is quite good, even though the knowledge of any one individual is spotty. Therefore, I'd guess that the collective knowledge of all of us posting here is pretty much on the money. Therefore, there are some things we can be sure of: The Dolphins suck. Keon is slow. Diggs used to be great, but now he's a jerk. It's always worth taking a peak at Rachel Bush images. Ralph was cheap. It was a forward pass. The Dolphins suck.

I love his hands. Every ball sticks. Rollover on the ground and catch. Really? There is more to the position than that, but I keep liking what I see.

That version of McCoy had his best year receiving ever, and one of his best years rushing. Shady would have liked the 2024 offensive line. And he had Tyrod Taylor as his quarterback. I'd take McCoy.

Yeah. It's all just another way of saying, "If you have Josh Allen, then reasonable talent and reasonable coaching will make you a contender." Coaching will be the difference this season. On way or the other.

The fact is, he's more or less correct, in the sense that teams didn't feel the need to be all over the Bills receivers. Defenders seemed to be able to stay close to the Bills' receivers without having to get to close. As defenses prepare each week, the emphasis always is what it is that the defense has to stop - the think that can just eat them up. At the beginning of the season we all would have said that's Diggs, but by the end of the season, Diggs could be stopped without making him the primary focus. The focus shifted to Kincaid or to Cook, and either case, those guys weren't striking fear in anyone's heart. It makes sense that defenses weren't interfering with the Bills. It's been obvious for a while now that for the Bills passing game to be a serious threat, it's going to be about route design, play calling and execution. That's primarily Brady. They have a roomful of receivers who are route runners and after the catch guys, with the possibility that either MVS or Claypool emerges as a real threat. The route runners will run their routes; if the routes stress the defense, and if Allen makes good decisions, it'll be a good passing offense and then, maybe we'll see more PI and holding.

Hey, I didn't want to let this go by without commenting on it. I particularly appreciate the list of commentators who have podcasts worth listening to. I knew they must be out there, but I never know who they are. I'm gratified to know that they're saying what I've been thinking - there are plenty of questions, but it's a fundamentally good team. I started getting excited about this year's team a few weeks ago. I think this will be another edition of McDermott's we do everything well philosophy. They're going to run, they're going to pass, and when you key on one, they're going to do the other. They're going to rush the passer and they're going to take the ball away. It's going to be fun.

I remember liking Hyde in Green Bay and was happy when the Bills got him. Not so much Poyer. My recollection is that some fans had little to say about Hyde but liked Poyer. Either way, they were two late-round picks whose team did not renew their contracts. Rapp and Edwards are the same (both higher picks than either Hyde or Poyer), and Bishop sounds like he has real potential. I think, absent injury, we're going to be seeing some high-end safety play come November. And although I don't have high hopes, there's even a chance that Hamlin will raise his game.

Yeah, I too worry about Rapp. I have the same hopes for Bishop.

I agree. You get it. Every place I look at the roster, pretty much every place, I think, "Well, this could be good. Or not." One reason I wrote about 2017 was that I think that was the kind of team, personnel-wise, that McDermott wants to have: loaded with good football players who are long on want-to. It's a team full of wrestlers, guys who will do whatever it takes, every minute. I've always thought McDermott hit the ground running because he had Kyle Williams. He could hold Kyle up to the entire team and let them all see what an outstanding football player looks like: a guy who comes to work every day and does whatever it takes. Every day. For Williams, it never was about him; it was always about the team. I think that's what McDermott has in this roster. And I don't think McDermott feels like he's on some kind of hot seat. I think he has the guys he wants, and he KNOWS he can win with these guys. His players are not the challenge this season - his ability to muster and direct the football acumen of his coaches is the challenge, and that's what McDermott wants. Mike Tomlin said he always hated practicing against McDermott at William and Mary, because McDermott brought everything he had, every day, every practice, every rep. This season, we're going to get everything McDermott has because he now has a team full of players who are going to give him everything they have. And, as the months have gone by, increasingly I think that in McDermott-world, the team got BETTER the day they traded Diggs. I think McDermott may have said to Beane (or it went without saying), "Get rid of Diggs and get me some more of my kind of players." The thing about Diggs is this: When all is said and done, he's just another prima donna "look at me" wideout. It's true, he has an incredible work ethic, and he works at his craft in a way that sets an example for the rest of his team. But every day, in subtle little ways, it's always about Diggs. I think Beane and McDermott understood that when they got him, but they thought they could maximize the "team" part of his psyche and control the "me" part. What I think about Diggs, and what I think McBeane discovered about him, is that Diggs has an intense desire to fight, and that's what makes him the dog you want on your team. The problem with Diggs is that his desire to fight is so intense that sooner or later he turns that desire in little ways on his teammates and/or his coaches. He can't help it - at some point, the only way he can satisfy the "me" in him is to fight with his team. I think that's what happened in Minnesota, and I think it's what happened in Buffalo. I think that Houston will get the "team" Diggs for a year or two, just like the Vikings and the Bills did. Good for them. So, I think that the day Beane dumped Diggs, McDermott's world got brighter and the team got better. Just look at what happened to the wide receiver room. Distraction number 1 was traded. Distraction 1A left in free agency. (Not that Davis was a problem like Diggs, but he was a problem nevertheless, a problem because he never could meet expectations.) What is the one distinctive feature about the wide receiver room now? There is not an ounce of "me" in that room. If there ever was any "me" in Samuel, in Claypool, in MVS, in Hollins, in Hamler, the league has beaten it out of them. Shakir showed up with no "me." None of this is to say, however, that the team is going to be great. As I said at the start, thing about this team is that in almost every positional grouping, my reaction is that I can see how each grouping can be good, but I don't know if they will be good. If McDermott succeeds and they're all good, then you have a lot of good players playing football with Superman at quarterback. I like the Bills' chances.

I like this. And I agree. One of the points I was trying to make is that the 2924 roster is pretty solid, and your comparison shows it better than mine. We can't expect studs everywhere, and 2024 looks like a solid collection of athletes.

Yeah, Jerry almost caused me to do a player by player breakdown. He and Kyle were good. But the line goes eight deep, and Oliver and Rousseau are decent matches for Jerry and Kyle.

There was a lot of uncertainty every offseason with the Patriots, too. The difference was they had Brady and Belichick. The Bills have Allen. It's time for McDermott to show he can win.

For the past several months, I've always come back to the safeties looking like the weak part of the lineup. Assuming the linebackers are back to good health, the success of the defense will depend on the safeties.

Happy Independence Day! I don’t read or listen to much of what is said about the Bills at this time of year, because there just isn’t that much known about what these Bills are going to do or about how well they’re going to do it. Questions everywhere, and whatever some expert says is largely speculation. We Bills fans think we know, but until the real games start, it just isn’t knowable. Think about it. Run down the roster and ask your self whether you’re sure the Bills are set at position groups. QB? Got it. Of course. Running back? Yes, I guess, but I’m not overwhelmed. Offensive line? A lot of “should be ok” answers. Brown should be. McGovern should be. Left guard should be. The line should be pretty good. Receivers? Lots of great story lines, but which of those stories will have traction? Dline? Solid, on the brink of great and also on the brink of average. Linebackers? Ask the doctors and trainers, because no one ever can know whether guys will come back the same. Corners? Should be fine. Should be. Safeties? Maybe good (three young guys drafted in the second and third rounds should be talented enough) but really, no one knows until we see them and see what McDermott can do with them. All of that is what makes this season a serious test for McDermott. Starting with good talent with a lot of questions, can he build a team that wins?. It is, in fact, the kind of team that McDermott coaches best, a team without stars, a team where almost every player has something to prove. Thinking about whether this is a playoff team and possibly a serious contender, I began to think about the first time McDermott went to the playoffs - 2017. So, I compared the rosters:- RB LeSean McCoy* James Cook FB Patrick DiMarco Reggie Gilliam/Dawson Knox WR Kelvin Benjamin Curtis Samuel/Chase Claypool WR Deonte Thompson Shakir/Keon Coleman/Marquez Valdez-Scantling TE Charles Clay Dalton Kincaid LT Dion Dawkins Deon Dawkins LG Richie Incognito* David Edwards C Eric Wood Connor McGovern RG Vlad Ducasse O'Cyrus Torrence RT Jordan Mills Spencer Brown LDE Shaq Lawson Greg Rousseau LDT Kyle Williams Ed Oliver RDT Adolphus Washington DaQuan Jones RDE Jerry Hughes AJ Epenesa LLB Lorenzo Alexander Taron Johnson MLB Preston Brown Terrel Bernard RLB Ramon Humber Matt Milano LCB Tre'Davious White Rasul Douglas RCB E.J. Gaines Christian Benford SS Micah Hyde* Taylor Rapp FS Jordan Poyer Cole Bishop I like the 2024 roster a lot better. I’d take Shady, of course, over Cook. But oline, receivers, dline, I’ll take 2024. Corners are a wash – White was a rookie, good then, but not yet what he became. And Hyde and Poyer were in their first season together, first under McDermott – they were no less question marks at the beginning of the season then the current safeties are now. And then, of course, there’s the QB. If the starting 21 players in 2017 was good enough to make the playoffs with Tyrod Taylor at QB, then the starting 21 in 2024 certainly is good enough to go deep into the playoffs with Allen at QB. I like where the Bills are, rosterwise. And looking at those two rosters, it reminds me about the reality of the NFL: Every team, every team, has multiple guys in the lineup where the fans have their fingers crossed, hoping to see the good story and not the bad story. I've watched a few minutes here and there of games the NFL Network shows in the evening. Two, three, five, ten years old. One think I've noticed - how many unrecognizable names there were on good teams. No teams are loaded with studs; most teams at most positions have guys who are excellent football players fighting every play to execute and stay in the lineup. A year or two later, they're gone, replaced with a new guy fighting every play. I’m not here to argue whether the 2024 roster is better or worse than 2017, and I’m not here to argue that the 2024 Bills roster is as good as it needs to be. Looking at the collection of names, and the skills of the players, the 2024 Bills roster is a collection solid NFL talent and good rookies with a great quarterback. How far the team goes will depend on how well the team is coached. It’s a big year for McDermott. GO BILLS!!!

I hope they resurface for you. I reserved a trip with them, and as my plans evolved they weren't the best choice, so I requested a refund. They were easy to work with and I got my money back. That is, they did what they promised.

For me, it's Rapp. The biggest loss for the Bills has been the safety combo. Yes, last season wasn't their best, and that's one of the reasons last season's defense wasn't the best. Over the past several years, the mastery of the defensive scheme that Poyer and Hyde showed was a key to the Bills' success. Now, that mastery is gone. Except for the occasional star who comes along, successful NFL safeties tend to get drafted in the second and third rounds. The Bills have a trio in Rapp, Edwards, and Bishop, and the Bills need two of them emerge as the successors to Poyer and Hyde. They have the talent; they need to learn to play the game that McDermott teaches. And Rapp is, I think, the key. There have been plenty of flashes but not the necessary consistency. I think if he can raise his game, he can bring Edwards or Bishop along with him. That could have a big impact on the quality of the defense. I'm hoping Van Pran-Granger can step up and take over by mid-season. It would be great to get Von's sacks, but the Bills can win without him.

That's interesting, that you get it in Massachusetts. Maybe I'm not out and around enough. So true about the Giants. I have a friend who is from Portland originally. Die-hard Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and - huh? - Giants. It's true all over New England. Except that Belichick and Brady caused many of them to flip their allegiance to the Pats.

No "Go Bills!!!" in New England.

If I had made 9-12 a choice, then I would have needed a fourth category, 13-32. I didn't see the point; I didn't think many people would have the Bills below 8, and the poll results suggest that was correct. Maybe it should have been 1-5, 6-10, 11-32. Gunner would have liked that breakdown. I would have been in the 6-10 group.

People will jump on you, but that is a reasonable list. I would say that either Dolphins or Browns will make you wrong, but on the other hand, either one could make the Super Bowl with some luck. Each team has a QB who, with a career year, could go far. I doubt both will.

ESPN ranks the Bills fifth. Do you think the Bills will be better than that? Fifth through eighth? Or worse than that?

When you're old, you have a lot of them. For my oldest son, it was playing in the college Ultimate national championships, and several Ultimate mixed championships (as player/coach). For my second son, it was his season as the closer on his Little League Team. For my daughter, it was the NCAA Division III Basketball Final Four. All great moments.

That's a great comeback game story.

Certainly more hits than misses, so he's at least a B. But he actually has put the Bills in contention to win Super Bowls, so although I was torn, I gave him the A. I think his career as GM is an object lesson in the reality of being a GM. Every GM has misses, and he's had his. But wherever the misses, he gets enormous credit, enormous, for maneuvering up the first round to get Allen. It was brilliant. And in a minor way, he did it again this year, trading back twice and still getting the receiver he wanted. I wouldn't recommend playing poker with the guy.

There's a difference between minor tweaks and a more general overhaul. Coaches for years looked at Rivers throwing and said, "That's horrible," but everyone knew that trying to get him to switch to a more classic throwing motion would be a mistake. Pitchers tweak their mechanics all the time. Favre tweaked his mechanics all the way to the Hall of Fame. Golfers do it. Baseball hitters do it.