Shaw66

Really? Kincaid will play WITH Knox, not replace him. And PFF has Torrence tied for first as the best pass blocking guard in the class. Maybe you need to read up on these guys a bit more.

I wouldn't be so quick to send Bernard to the dumpster. You say you have doubts about Williams's instincts. Well, McDermott didn't have doubts about Bernard's instincts. I really think we have to wait and see. Nobody ever raved over Frazier's creativity, but McDermott is a different guy. From the perspective of casual fans like us, he has a hole in the middle. I doubt he believes he has a hole. He has answer, and if his answer doesn't work, he has another answer. He's going to put these guys on the field soon, and he's going to see what they have. Bernard, Spector, Williams, Bernard. Someone is going to play, and there's a good chance that he actually wins the job, as opposed to getting it because everyone else failed.

All of this, especially the first paragraph. Did you see the Bills video of the draft room for the first round pick? Bills decide to move up for Kincaid, and as they're calling the Giants to make the deal, the Giants put their pick in, because their guy was still on the board. So, Bean said to someone, "Get Jacksonville on the phone." Completely calm and collected. Then the conversation is totally no nonsense. Beane only says about five words and hangs up. It was clear that he was operating on trust with the guys he was talking (of course, one was Schoen). Everything about this organization makes them attractive. The weight room. The PR. What the players say about the team. Murray (and Poona) want to come to Buffalo. Undrafted free agents want to come to Buffalo. Kincaid was so happy the moment he got drafted, he looked like he would burst. It's quite impressive.

It's amazing to me that plenty of commentators early last season were saying the Bills had the best roster in the league, and it's clearly gotten better. After a couple of decades, it's just amazing to be in this position.

I remember those ramps! Hadn't thought of them 50 years. Thanks!

That's what I saw, too. He was surprisingly effective, given his limitations. He was a good example of McDermott putting people on the field in positions where they can succeed, rather than asking them to do things they aren't physically suited to.

Interesting comment about Bernard, and I agree. My first reaction to the pick was, "Again?" But I don't think we know yet what Bernard will be, and I'm starting to think we may see a lot of him this season. As for Williams, I finally watched some highlight videos of him, and one thing that stood out to me is that he attacks and closes like Milano. Edmunds didn't attack, which was why he wasn't an effective blitzer. He always seemed to have a containment mentality - he'd hold up ball carriers, waiting for help to arrive. That's a good thing to do, but you have to hit the guy first, then hold on. Edmunds never mastered the hitting part. I'm encouraged. And as I've said elsewhere, it seems that what McBeane are doing is looking at a defense with three layers: A d-line that can get pressure with four and not get gashed by the run, a d-backfield that can blanket the field, and a middle layer that is fast, tough, and quick.

I tried for about five seconds and gave up. Ernie was just SO slow. He was perfect in the college game, but he couldn't play very long with the NBA talent. It was too bad, because he was a magician.

You make good points, but I don't think this is correct. I think we tend to overemphasize whatever last year's best team did, and to think that they have the key to building a team. I think if you try to mimic that style, you're always a step or two behind the competition, because almost every season someone comes along playing a different style that succeeds. We saw defenses adjust last season to shut down the Bills passing attack AND the Chiefs passing attack. The Chiefs adjusted well, and tweaked their offense in ways that allowed them to succeed. But I would argue that the Chiefs' model (which features the pass so heavily) will work less well than what the Bills are trying to, because having a truly versatile offense that can put up 150-yard rushing games consistently is better way to go than hoping you can keep readjusting your passing game. I'm expecting to see it this season - a team that will win by saying to the opponent, "Okay, if you're committing all day to stopping our pass, we will pound the ball and beat you with 200 yards on the ground."

I think this is a good description. It clearly describes how the Pats succeeded on offense. It's what KC does, too, although they certainly feature the pass. Ladainian Tomlinson, Adrian Peterson, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquan Barkley, and Lamar Jackson have proved over and over that a run-dominant offense can't win consistently enough, but it's also clear that a pass-dominant offense, although better, can't win enough, either. You have to be able to run the ball, and the Bills have been trying for years to build a run game that complements the pass. This year they've committed to some personnel changes with the intention of making it happen.

Gar Heard and Mac-Atrue. Love it! Thanks. I had left Buffalo by the time the Braves arrived, so I never followed them all that closely. Until just now, I'd forgotten that Dantley played there. Every time I'm reminded of McAdoo, I'm amazed that a player could have been THAT far ahead of his time. I mean, Iverson would have been incredible in the 2023 NBA, but he was only 20 years ago. McAdoo was 50 years ago!!! He'd be as great today as he was then.

I'm amused by how good the UDFAs look on paper. Some really good looking resumes. I think it has to do with how good the 53-man roster looks. I've gotten used to seeing a lot of talent on the field and roaming the sidelines for the Bills, so I think I tend to see the UDFAs the same way. This year's list looks like guys who, if they don't make the 53, are going to be plucked by other teams. Probably not true, but it feels that way. I think part of it is that guys who have had some serious success in college and don't get drafted want to sign with playoff contenders. Their agents tell them that it will be tough to make the rosters on those teams, but they don't care, for a couple of reasons: First, they have extreme confidence. Second, they know that if they don't make it, they'll still have options (PS or go to a lesser team). Third, they want the coaches on the best teams to see them, so that when they move on to another team, if they've made a good impression, they will have a shot come back a year or two later. Gunner's post showed how unlikely it is that one of these guys will make it, but it really isn't about whether they'll make it this year. It's about what they might become in a year or two, and it's about having a quality guy on the PS for a late-season callup for a game or two.

Happy - This is great. You say it a bit critically, as though it took Beane a while to learn this lesson. I'm not sure that's what happened. As I said, I think the Bills roster keeps getting better and better, which is what McBeane said the objective was when they started. Getting better and better means from year to year you have fewer holes to fill, or smaller problems to deal with in the lineup. Surgical is the right word, but the job three years ago didn't require such precision. For example, I was thrilled when they signed Beas and Brown a few years ago, a clear upgrade. But that wasn't "surgical," that was just trying to get to decent. They signed Beas and Brown and I thought, "Just what they needed." A big step forward. Beas and Brown gave Allen targets. Once they got Diggs, Davis, and Knox, the Bills receiving corps was way more than decent; it just needed some precise improvements to get to elite. Kincaid looks like that kind of addition. And Torrence. Protect Allen better, and run better, both with added power on the line and added power (Harris and Murray) in the backfield. Surgical. And Rapp and Poona. McDermott clearly wants to play with speedy linebackers, and to be able to do that you need to sandwich them between a tough defensive line and a tough defensive backfield. Everything they do has a purpose. It's really impressive.

The point about the officiating is excellent (whether you have data or not!). It's clear every season that two things happen in the playoffs. The ferocity of the play increases, and the officials allow the players to play at that level of hitting. It's just natural for the level of violence to increase as the stakes increase; it's a natural human reaction. If the officials kept calling the game like the regular season, the field would be covered with yellow flags. And there is only one way to succeed in that playoff environment, and that is to be big enough to win the one-on-one battles. The NBA had to change the way they officiate games in order to stop size and strength being the key to winning. They essentially made the small, quick guys untouchable, so they can roam around the three-point circle pretty much untouched. NFL isn't doing that anytime soon. Diggs, Knox, Davis, and Kincaid in the red zone gives Josh targets. The thing that I keep forgetting about Diggs is that he's as good in the slot as Beasley was, so when he's on the field in the red zone, he can force the defense to defend those maddening quick slants and quick outs, while the defense has to defend these 6'2" to 6'4" guys streaming across the back of the end zone. Hadn't thought of it before, but this change is clearly about the playoffs, and the red zone.

Mike Ditka was like an old-time fullback playing tight end. He was a total beast. I would guess that a lot of his yards were YAC.

Thanks. Obviously, I didn't know that.

Interesting. I enjoyed this and comments others have made. Frankly, what I like is that he apparently can play special teams. If so, he makes the roster without pressure to step into a significant role on the offense. Give him a year to learn the job. Whatever. He's intriguing. Meanwhile - what's the deal with a three-year deal for Shavers?

I know. That's the point. Think about what people are saying about this guy. He has a lot of characteristics of great receivers - size, speed, hands. My point was that the talk here is as though Shorter could become a true star receiver, and I agree that he has many of the characteristics, but imagining him becoming that great is the mirror image of imagining FItzgerald lasting to the fifth round. I don't see it. He may have a future in the league, maybe even a long future, because there's always an occasional star who appears out of the late rounds. Much more likely that he proves to be useful for a few years and then gets replaced. Think about Shakir. Maybe, maybe, he's a ten-year player in the league. That would be nice. More likely that he plays five, has some pretty effective seasons, then gets replaced by another fifth round guy.

Yes, and despite all the publicity about Rodgers and and Burrow and other teams, I think by the time preseason ends, the commentators will realize that the Bills will be right there again this season. I'm officially excited. Yes, I agree, but not because of personnel. I think even more so than last season, how far this team goes will be about McDermott and Dorsey.

I've been waiting for an "Adrian who?"

I'm not sure top 3, but it's close enough. It's hard to believe, but the Bills' roster seems to get better every season. I like the receiving corps, I like the running back room, both probably better than ever. I like the oline, even though there may be more work to be done. I like the Dline. The defensive backfield has the big three back, plus Taron Johnson, and they have two second-year corners who are seriously good. And I think even linebacker may be better overall, because they may play with a bit more of a platoon approach. I love it. It's up to McDermott and Dorsey.

Sorry to quote myself, but let's add in Poona Ford. This is a great, great job by Beane. In the UDFA there's discussion about the locks on this roster. The count is up to 49 locks. Whether that's exactly right or not, it's evidence of how solid this roster is. And a lot has to do with what Beane has done in the past two months.

Well, watching you all go around with Mr. Eps reminds me how complicated and unpredictable all of this is. Not all of the locks we see are going to turn out to be locks. We're surprised every summer, with injuries, trades, retirements, whatever. All I can say is that I like the current version of locks. It's a really, really solid team.

Diggs is a good point. Every team could see what he had, and every team convinced themselves that he was not likely to become a star worthy of a first-round grade. That comes in part from the evolving nature of the game, the mix of players and coaches the guy plays with, and the player's ability to use his unique skill set to carve out a place for himself. Personnel evaluation is an art, not a science. I saw Adrian Dantley play in high school, and great as he was, I thought he'd struggle in college. Then he showed everyone that he could play in college, despite being an undersized forward. It was obvious to me that talent or not, he wasn't going to play in the NBA. I was so wrong. If you have the right skillset and the right people around you, you can do it. We can hope.

I'm not arguing with you, because you may be right. But McDermott and Beane clearly disagree. Their objective is to be so good at both that the defense has to make difficult personnel and style choices. What they've done on the offensive line and in the backfield screams that they are determined to run the ball effectively, whenever they want. They want to run to set up the pass just as much as they want the pass to set up the run.