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Shaw66

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Everything posted by Shaw66

  1. Really Turk. Get off it. Here's what I said:
  2. Absolutely the dog days. There's nothing to talk about. This wasn't intended to "justify" anything. It was just noting that the NBA seems to be moving away from the pack-your-roster-with-stars philosophy and approaching roster building in a way that is similar to what McDermott has been doing. Can't help it if you have trouble thinking about two sports at the same time.
  3. I've been in the difference maker camp for a long time. However, the other side of the argument is this. When JJ Watt was the best defensive player in the league, I heard Colin Cowherd say he asked a Las Vegas bookmaker what impact it would have on the betting line if Watt is out of the lineup. The answer was a half point, maybe a point. The best defensive player in the league! It seems to me that 11 dedicated good athletes playing an excellent team concept are worth more than a half point. They won without Durant. Durant took them way over top. Green was always a role player, even in his best years. And it's not depth that makes the difference, it's team play. Team play is where you get synergies, and it was team play that made Green so valuable. And Kerr won in his first season with essentially the same team that Jackson couldn't win with. It was the team concept that did it.
  4. Good arguments. It's true, one or more of them may emerge as "the guy." But that would mean that by accident four teams emerged on top playing the same style. That's pretty unlikely. The "do your job" "everyone eats" concept (I wish I'd referenced those phrases) is what made the Warriors great, and I don't think it's an accident that several teams are playing this way now. What teams thought was the winning model a few years ago was to get three stars and just overpower teams. Heat did it with Lebron, Celtics with Pierce and Allen and whoever was the third. We're not seeing that now. Lakers thought they could do it with Lebron and Davis, now Lebron and Doncic. Trailblazers hoped to do it. Phoenix hoped to do it. You may be correct that this is an accident. However, my point wasn't that the NBA has changed permanently. My point was the philosophy that these teams clearly are following is the philosophy McDermott is running with.
  5. As I was watching the Oklahoma City Thunder take apart the Denver Nuggets, I could see the tangible realization of the formula Sean McDermott is pursuing with the Bills. I've seen it before from time to time, but what's happening in the NBA makes it hard to ignore. The formula: collect the most talented athletes you can find and ask them to do everything that their position on the field may require from time to time. Everything. That means: 1. Execute your assignment within the team concept. 2. Play - and fight - as hard as you can, all the time. It's easy to see in the NBA this season. The superstars can't carry their teams any longer. Yes, there were injuries, and yes some are past their prime, but whatever the reason, they're all gone from the final four: Lebron, Tatum, Curry, Durant, Jokic, Giannis, Doncic, and probably one or two I'm forgetting. Jokic is the really important name on the list. The guy is supremely talented, an exceptional, one-of-a-kind offensive talent. in his prime. In years past, including only a few years ago, having a guy like that on your team meant you were more or less automatic to make it to the conference finals. Not any longer. This year's final four teams each have a great player: Brunson, Gilgeous-Alexander, Haliburton, and Edwards, but those teams don't depend on them like teams depended on superstars in the past. These guys play within a team concept, especially on defense, team concepts that depend on relentless pursuit and extreme athleticism. They're stars, for sure, and there are times when they carry their teams, but their teams win because they're willing to play the style that their less talented teammates play - tough, tough in-your-face defense, team-oriented offenses that create opportunities for all the players on the floor, and a commitment to delivering when those opportunities arise. When the Thunder beat the Nuggets in game seven yesterday, Alex Caruso was as important as Gilgeous-Alexander. Caruso is by no means a star, but what the Thunder gets from Caruso (and from a half-dozen other role players) is intense execution, play after play. And what the NBA is realizing is that when you have a team full of intense, committed players, talented guys but not necessarily highlight-reel talented, and when they play a team concept on offense and on defense, they can be consistently better than teams who feature stars. For the best NBA teams this season, it’s not about having players who have raised their game over a year ago; it’s about talented players who do their absolute best, play after play. Who are these players, what's their profile? They are exceptional athletes, with speed, quickness, jumping ability, and highly developed basketball skills (shooting, passing, dribbling, protecting the ball). Those skills all are matches for what their expected to do on the court: Run fast, change direction fast, jump, shoot, pass, dribble, protect the ball. And they are intense competitors, willing to use all of their physical ability and skills, all of the time, in whatever way is necessary for the team to succeed on every play. As the Thunder's blowout of the Nuggets was playing out in the fourth quarter, the TV announcers filled the time talking about, among other things, what the Nuggets had to do to their roster to get better. They said the Nuggets need to find the right role players to team with Jokic and Murray. That's wrong. The problem with the Nuggets is that Jokic and Murray can't play with the speed and intensity that the stars on the final four teams show. They don't play consistently intense defense, they don't run the floor with amazing speed and quickness. The NBA is showing that five guys playing with speed and intensity will beat two stars and three role-players, all the time. It doesn't matter if some of those five have names like Hartenstein and Caruso, guys who sometimes make you wonder how they're even in the league. Those guys are dedicated, hard working athletes who thrive in a true team concept. The Warriors began the trend. Curry was, of course, the leader, but it was the dedication to the team concept by both Curry and the lesser players that made them special. Gilgeous-Alexander, Brunson, Edwards, and Haliburton each are their team’s Curry, and their teammates are the Greens and Looneys and other guys. What does that have to do with McDermott and the Bills? McDermott is following the same formula. It’s most easily seen in everyone’s favorite punching bag these days: the wide receiver room. McDermott has a room full of high-quality athletes who never will threaten to go to the Hall of Fame (the same as all those role players on the NBA’s final four team this season). The Bills’ receivers are pesky; they keep coming at the opponent, and together they consistently to make the passing game work. Shakir is the model for the receivers: Intense athlete, competitor, works at his game all the time, consistently delivers everything he has, every play. McDermott has a defensive backfield that looks the same. McDermott’s defensive backs all run to the ball with intensity, in the same way OKC’s run in transition. It’s not a mystery why Dane Jackson is back. He has a defensive line that looks the same. Epenesa is the Energizer bunny. An offensive line too. His offensive players always use their very good but not necessarily great athleticism to make the block. Each guy does whatever he can to make each play work. Spencer Brown is not a classic offensive tackle, but his talent and his intense dedication to the team concept is one example. The reason the Cowboys never succeed is that Jerry Jones operates on the old NBA philosophy—get two or three or four of the best players you can, and then try to fill in the rest of team. That formula doesn’t work, for two reasons: First, as the NBA is showing, collective teamwork with good athletes beats the best players trying to carry their teams. Second, the dedicated role players on teams like the Thunder can be found all over the basketball world, and they can be signed without breaking the bank. Jerry Jones loves his stars so much he doesn’t have the money to pay the modest salaries of the no-name guys who drive success. Some will say, “yes, but each of the NBA final four has a legitimate star to lead them.” True, you have to have the star. And the Bills have theirs, a guy who meets all the requirements: Great athlete, intense competitor, never quits on a play. What the Bills have been doing, year after year, is collecting better and better role players around Josh Allen. It takes longer to assemble that roster than in the NBA, because you need 35 or 40 of those guys in the NFL, and only eight or ten in the NBA. People complain that the Bills have lost some big games—literally lost them—and haven’t won the big one. And that’s true. But the Bills are getting better each year, and the pro football world is noticing, even if all Bills fans aren’t. The Bills are now a perennial favorite to win it all. It’s noteworthy that the betting world has made the Bills the favorite to win each of its regular season games in 2025. It’s a sign of perceived dominance, a sign that McDermott’s approach, the modern NBA’s approach, is working. GO BILLS!!! The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.
  6. I haven't read very much of this thread, because I agree with Happy here. There are a lot of really interesting arguments being made one way or another, but I think the real answer is that Beane and McDermott saw exactly what they getting and they saw a fit based on what they want the receiver room to look like. Now, that plan for the receiver room may be a bad plan and won't work well, but we at least can be sure that (1) they knew what they were getting and (2) they had reasons for taking a guy with the limitations that several people are pointing out here. Second, my view of the 2025 draft now makes me see the 2024 a little more clearly. I think the draft philosophy generally is take guys with solid floors and intriguing high ceilings. I think the first four picks in 2025 follow that rule, and Coleman, Bishop, Carter, Davis do too. The disappointing think about Coleman to date is that least his floor was at least shaky. We haven't yet seen whether he can reach a high ceiling. As for Kincaid, we'll see. He showed a better floor as a rookie, but showed no progress last season. Injuries may have caused that. So, for both Kincaid and Coleman, this is a big season. I think we'll see at least one of them go off.
  7. So, I guess we can't talk about it now.
  8. Yeah but after taxes and paying his agent that's probably only $100 million. 😄
  9. Well, I agree that Forest might win a starting job, but his signing certainly did not make him the presumptive starter over anyone on the roster. The guy has played for 4 years and never was more than a part-time starter. So, I think it is hard to say that Beane filled a hole when he signed Forest. It's more like Beane brought in someone who, like other someones he has on the roster, might compete for a starting job. It's true that Poyer had an equally unimpressive record prior to coming to Buffalo, but there are dozens and dozens of players with unimpressive records. The fact that Forests record looks like Poyer's simply highlights how Beane caught lightning in a bottle with Poyer.
  10. I am not saying that I agree or disagree about whether the Bills need more safety help. I truly don't know. However, Beane and McDermott have a reason for everything. They might choose the wrong guy here or there, but they know what they need. The fact that the Bills have done more or less nothing at safety can mean only one thing: they have what they need at safety. Your thought is the same thing many people, including me, were saying a couple years ago when Bernard, coming off a rookie season when he played little and didn't really impress, had no competition for the job. Put another way, if the Bills think they need someone, they go and get competition. Like DT this year, and corner. And wideout. If they aren't bringing in competition, it means they like what they have.
  11. I'm a hard pass. Clowney seems to me to be on a downward trajectory. He's past his real or imagined peak. Having him on your team is betting that you'll get a year out of him before the decline makes him not good enough. I also think his strength is his creativity, and McDermott's style is to encourage playing within the system and discourage independent decision making. I think betting on Bosa is a little different. Bosa has shown that he can be consistently valuable, game after game. The question with him is whether injuries have just made him less effective. The Bosa bet is more similar to the Miller bet. Miller had plateaued at a good place - he wasn't at his peak but he wasn't declining. And that's what the Bills got, until he got injured. They're hoping they get that from Bosa, too.
  12. auto correct!
  13. Thanks. Great explanation. I appreciate it.
  14. If that's true, he was the second beat wide out on the Jags. So why is he a free agent today?
  15. I don't think he fits the style the Bills are playing. The Bills want guys who can play multiple positions are quick and shifty. I don't think he's the guy.
  16. That may be true, and if you asked the coaches today, they might tell you exactly that today. However, I think the coaches would tell you also that it's a competition, a daily competition, and that Moore has the talent to take playing time from any one of them, depending on circumstances in October. In other words, you're giving me the depth chart today. I think the Bills' philosophy, both with the receiver room and the defensive line rooms, is that the depth chart today doesn't necessarily control the number of snaps players will get when the season rolls around. Snap counts are determined week to week.
  17. Well, maybe, but I think the Bills' approach is much more open-ended than that. I really think that from week to week and month to month they want to be looking at what works and what teams are doing against them and then running route schemes and players that they think will work best. To do that, they're trying to match the talents of their players with the schemes. Moore is a talented guy, and in the right circumstances, he could be a 1000-yard guy in a given season, even with Shakir and Kincaid on the field. I've really come around to thinking that each position group is operated with one of two philosophies: One philosophy is the fixed-starter philosophy - name the starters and absent injuries, those starters player every down. In that philosophy, the Bills value team play and coordination. The defensive backfield and the offensive line operate on that philosophy. The Bills want the same guys on the field every down (except for sub-packages in the defensive backfield). The other philosophy values mix-and-match opportunities and versatility. The defensive line, the receivers, and the running backs operate on that philosophy. From game to game and play to play, with those groups the Bills put the players on the field who often them the opportunity to do what they want to do in that situation. They want to be as multiple as possible, because they get an advantage by the forcing the opponent to adjust to what the Bills happen to bringing. If what the Bills have done to the defensive line works, for example, the Bills will be driving offenses nuts, because the Bills will be showing a big variety of players, and looks and styles, on the defensive line. If it works, a lot of guys will be able to get to the QB, a lot of guys will have the mobility the Bills want to manage run gaps. Bringing it back to Moore, I think the Bills are thinking that a guy with experience in the league and sub 3.4 speed could, in the right circumstances, pile up a lot of yards. For example, suppose that the Bills' running game takes another step forward this season and forces defenses to drop the extra man into the box. In that case, maybe Moore starts getting open down field more regularly. It all will depend on whose number Joe Brady calls.
  18. I have a lot of them. Maybe I should write a book.
  19. I was hoping someone would start a discussion about these position groups. I don't know who will win the corner roster spots, but I'm confident it'll be a good group. Safety is where I, and I think most others, are concerned. There isn't one who gives me a lot of confidence to be a solid, above-average start. I can't get enthused about Rapp, Bishop didn't show last season that he was ready (although he may and very well could make the jump he needs this season), Hamlin doesn't do it for me. It seems to me like a room full of backups and projects. One or two need to emerge.
  20. I like Ingram last season. I though he played well and showed potential. If he can't make it, it means the Bills are pretty good. Same for Lewis, who has been a solid reserve. Right. Fifth round pick has to be pretty disappointing to get cut.
  21. Well, I generally agree with you. He's not likely to emerge as a top-10 receiver. Those guys have special talent, and it shows up wherever they may be playing. However, the beauty of McDermott's system, and the wideout philosophy in general, is that system doesn't require him to be a top-10 receiver. It doesn't require ANYONE to be a top-10 receiver. What the system hopes it can get out of each receiver is 600-1000 yards, Instead of requiring a 1500-yard man, this system just requires that Beane find several 800-yard men. That's a much easier task. The receiver room looks better with Moore and Palmer than without them, for sure. Both have shown that they can get that kind of yardage. Whether they make the room better than with healthy Cooper and Hollins is a real question for some, but I think the Moore and Palmer offer more upside. If Samuel is the weakest player in the room, I think it's a strong group.
  22. Congrats to him. I've always thought he was one of the best of his era.
  23. I don't care about any of the other teams. Therefore, by default, the Bills had the best off-season.
  24. This is interesting. It's not so much a question of whether Palmer and Moore fit Brady's offense. I wouldn't call it "expanding" the play book, more like evolving it. What's happened is they've substituted guys who are, I think, better physically than the guys who left. It's up to Brady to figure out how his offense must change to create the kind of opportunities that fit the skills of his new players. And yes, it's true every season, for every coordinator, because as the season progresses, defenses figure out how to stop almost everyone. These free agent signings are about getting Brady the best athletes for him to work with.
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