Shaw66

Like, I watched bits and pieces. I remember the Edwards INT and didn't happen to see it last night, but I remember it exactly as you say. Raw, inexperienced QB, big game, take the field goal and go home. Incredibly dumb move to let him throw it in that situation. The other coaching killer was that the Bills absolutely invited the Cowboys to throw two quick sideline passes and get into field goal range with two seconds left. Jauron was so wed to the Tampa 2 it was ridiculous. Week after week, all game long, standard 4-3 with a seven-man drop that was great at stopping the big play. All the Bills needed was one tackle in bounds to end the game, but on both receptions there wasn't a defender in sight. Brutal.

If you watch the replays carefully, only one Cowboy got to the 50 yard line, the guy who touched the ball as it crossed the 50 and forced the ball downfield. All the other Cowboys coming to the point of attack were blocked on about the 47. All of the blockers had moved forward on the kick, as they were supposed to, except one. He held his ground at the 50, and he was trying to block the Cowboy who touched the ball. He was out of position. He was supposed to have moved up to form the wall at the 47, but he was new to special teams and didn't know or didn't execute his assignment. The size of the guys was irrelevant. One blocker missed his assignment. If he'd done his job, the ball would have crossed the 50 untouched and the receiver, I believe it was Robert Royal, would have had a clean shot at catching the ball against his chest.

It was a blown play by the Bills. On that play four or five guys are supposed to move forward on the kick and block the coverage guys. They all did but one. The one had just joined the team and didn't understand his assignment. He wait on the fifty, and the man he was supposed to have blocked got his hand on the ball. With just ordinary execution the ball sails right to Royal, who was waiting to catch it.

Great stuff, Gunner. Thanks.

Huck - I think the value of the Megatrons and Joneses is overstated. At the end of the day, there is only position that makes a dramatic difference, multiple points per game, and that's QB. But having said that, I look at the video of Diggs and can't imagine a player who can make the offense better to a greater extent than Diggs. What I like about him particularly is that he is a threat all over the field, in every aspect of the game. Johnson and Julio Jones don't run the jet sweep, Diggs does. They can't run the quick dig routes that slot guys thrive on; Diggs does. (Not that those guys don't run quick slants, and their size admittedly makes them better targets.) They don't go deep better than Diggs. He does everything. And I watch that video and see him devouring the best corners in the league on press coverage. And then I imagine that kind of talent added to the current receiving corps and as I said, it's hard to imagine a player having a greater impact. He will make Brown more valuable, he will make Beasley more valuable, he will help Allen significantly. Defensive coordinators will have difficulty scheming against them, but you're right, it's not a mystery. They will have plans. The problem they will have is personnel. They can scheme, but if they want to play man coverage, how does their number 2 corner look against Brown? How does their nickel man match up with Beasley? If they want to play zone all day, fine. Can't play zone and blitz a whole lot. That's why I think it's all on Daboll and Allen. These skill position players should be tough to stop.

Yeah, he's not Watt. He's not quite the athlete that Watt is. What I like best is that he plays with Watt's intensity. And he was a three-sport star in high school, and a five-star recruit. He's a football player, for sure.

It sounded like a lot when the deal happened. In retrospect, it's easier to see. What would the Bills have done with a 5th and a 6th? They would have added another Jake Fromm and another Tyler Bass. Both could make the team, but only because they are special cases - Bills needed a young back-up QB and decided to take a shot to improve at kicker. Chances of finding a guy who would crack the 53 at by competing for the usual positions was pretty small. Instead, the Bills traded those two picks to upgrade from a rookie receiver with a learning curve ahead of him to a young veteran who already knows it all. You know, it's kind of amazing that Beane and McDermott were working in Carolina a little over three years ago. Today, they're in Buffalo doing wonders, and Carolina has a new GM and a new HC. An object lesson of how an owner can make a difference.

If you want to get excited about Diggs all over again, watch this. Diggs is what we thought Sammy Watkins was going to be. Look at the names on the backs of the corners that Diggs leaves in the dust: Slay, Gilmore, Sherman. He undresses guys. And then he catches the ball, wherever it is. Oh, and he's fast.

I think most of us in January and early February expected the Bills would take a receiver at 22, maybe even move up to get the guy they wanted. Rookie receivers rarely are major impact players - it happens, but not that often. Drafting a first round receiver would have said "this team is still building, still growing. Josh and his new number one will grow together into a great tandem." That is, I believe that drafting a receiver in the first round would have said that 2021 was the year they expect to win. Sure, if Justin Jefferson turned out to be the rookie OBJ, great, but there's not reason to expect that a guy taken at 22 is going over 1000 yards in 2020. Getting Diggs says something different. Getting Diggs says "we're not waiting for our receiver to grow up. We've got a grown up receiver right now." Not only was getting Diggs a challenge to Daboll and Allen; it was a vote of confidence. It said "we believe you can do this."

The first thing I wrote when the Bills traded for Diggs was that it was a message to Allen and Daboll. The message said "w\We plan to win now. It's up to you." That's the kind of statement that keeps a guy from the second round of interviews for any NFL GM job.

Your last sentence is what I think McBeane envision. Be alert to opportunities to draft or sign a star here or there, have a solid team with no glaring holes, then just stick to you knitting in the draft, and you'll have a good team year after year.

I agree he isn't Scholes. He has better power than Denney. In another thread someone mentioned Hansen. Hansen was quicker, but Epenesa seems to play more of a power game.

I'd suggest listening to McBeane. They have been pretty good at doing what they say. They say they are building for sustained long term success. Their intention is to be the Pats, not the Falcons, Packers, Chatgers or Saints.

He seems to play like Watt, who also doesn't look like a classic DE. He's just a relentless big athlete. Not Watt's strength or quickness, but similar style. Who knows? I just like the size and intensity.

I really haven't been paying attention. That guy looks like something more than Lawson, and he has a better attitude. That was a great day 2.

Absolutely it all depends in Allen. Heck, I can wait three, four more years. If Allen keeps progressing, he will be a star. If he becomes a star in four years, he still has eight or ten years left. If thats how long it takes, and it's followed by an eight year championship run, I definitely can wait.

And this says he is not quite JJ Watt. I will take almost JJWatt. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2878147-nfl-scouting-combine-notebook-did-aj-epenesa-crater-his-draft-stock Watching video tonight, the guy plays like a monster. That body and that attitude. Looks like a great value at 58. Goodness

And he was available at 58 why? Quickness?

You're right, of course. There's an exception somewhere, I suppose. This type of guy has been scrutinized by 32 teams, scrutinized more thoroughly than most because they once demonstrated NFL potential. He is less likely to make it than most the UDFAs , less likely but greater upside. Most UDFAS don't have Pro Bowl potential.

Good stuff here. Thanks. Yes, for sure about the back end of the draft. Welcome to the mid-20s. The other thing that Beane now will have to do is play the salary cap game. The Lawson Epenesa move looks brilliant in that regard. Bills avoid a big contract and get what looks to be an equivalent player, maybe even better. At the end of the season, McDermott said he'd be happy to go into 2020 with the roster he closed 2019 with. I thought it was a statement of support for his team, one of those positive coach-speak things that's true, of course, but McD knew he was going to get better. Turns out it was very true about the offensive line. But the more important point about that comment, which bears on the draft position Beane will have to deal with, is that McDermott was saying to Beane "I don't have any holes. I don't have needs. Get me players wherever you want, at whatever position, and if some of them turn out to be better than what I have today, great." Having an existing lineup like that was what allowed Belichick to take two tight-ends in the first four rounds a few years ago. Gotcha. You probably agree with how Gunner put it, too. I agree with what you've said. No one has low expectations. Not the fans, not the owners, not the GM, not McDermott. Not now. As soon as I heard the Bills traded for Diggs I said it was a message to McDermott and Allen - "you're expected to win now." Keeping the first pick and getting a receiver would have said "grow with this guy - we expect you to win with him." Getting Diggs said instead "keep up with this guy. It's time." I've always said that I've surmised from things McBeane have said that two years ago they targeted 2021 as the season it would all come together, the first time they should be good enough to play for a Lombardi. But I also thought they implied that if things well, it could be as early as 2020. I think the Diggs trade said they think things went well.

I agree too. My point really is that there are two different standards - the owners' and the fans. When BillsVet said the "plan has to bear fruit this season," that's a fan's standard. It doesn't "have to" at all. It's hard to win the NFL, and it's really hard to win in the playoffs. It doesn't happen in a straight line. It isn't no playoffs, wildcard loss, wildcard win, conference championship loss, then Super Bowl loss, then Super Bowl win. If the Bills have to lose another wildcard game to figure it out, that's okay with me. Not what I'll want, sitting and watching the game, but it simply isn't for me to tell the team what it "has to do." As usual, Gunner said it right. Gunner. By the way, I commented in your day 2 draft commentary that you wanted more speed. I care less about the speed than that Moss is a nice complement to Singletary. I think it's good to have guys with similar running styles - that means both guys can run the whole play book. And I think quickness, change of direction, and vision are more important in the modern NFL than break-away speed. So I actually was happy to hear the descriptions of Moss's style. On video he runs a lot like Singletary. Of course, the Bills needed a power short-yardage back, and it looks like they got that in Moss, too.

This debate went on endlessly in a thread a few weeks. It doesn't have to happen in 2020. If the Bills go 9-7, neither the HC nor the GM will be going anywhere.

My view too. I think Bojo is a leg with no real finesse. Spec teams coordinator wants to rely on him for different kicks in different situations. Coffin corner. Directional. Hang time. Low line drive types. With Boji you never know what you're going to get.

Oooh! I forgot Spiller! Oh, how I wanted Spiller to be good!

Cool way to look at it. A good balance.