Richard Noggin

How does anyone forget the Jets preseason hype machine? Is it the unbelievably hilarious and predictable Rodgers flop that ended their season four snaps into week one (despite Allen's nightmare efforts to lose that one)? Oh man, him running onto the field with an American flag. So good. They did play us tough in 2022 in general, including their 3rd string QB nearly pulling something off on the road in the playoffs. That was troubling. But seems like McD and his D have since adjusted to Miami's mostly scripted first-read attack. And now that their defense has lost mucho talent in the front-7 (to injury and FA)...I think they're even less of a threat than ever. Allen was an effing beast in that game, and ironically it was HIS bad throw at the end that was the difference. Miami's only win involved all of these extenuating circumstances. It's remarkable what it takes for the Dolphins to beat Josh Allen. Gotta be real here: this highlight package is super impressive. Looks like the OBJ that generated so much buzz so long ago. So was it just injuries, and then (when healthy again finally) being part of a Lamar Jackson offense that diminished his impact? These are Baltimore highlights, but from the look of them, you have to at least wonder, "why aren't there more of these?"

You haven't seen a college dorm room like ever then lol (But 100% agree)

I'm ashamed to admit my first thought was the same. When he's got his arms up while seated on a bench in the weight rack. Looking in shape but not possessing the arm length of a 6' man.

It's true what you say, all of it. The stadium has been disproportionately negative/impatient the last two or three seasons, for example. In 2021 the gameday weather was improbably bad each week, and a few of the results were improbably disappointing (PIT, IND, NE in 2021, and in 2023 the 2nd half against GB through OT against MIN in 2022). There is so much angst when the offense is out of sync. So much cynicism and amateurism lurking just below the surface. So many fans yelling "Let's go, Josh!" or "Come on, Josh!" right before the snap like absolute rookies. I guess my point is that the Bills need to rediscover some joy. Despite some real success, there has been a lot of stress and strain and trauma the last few seasons. We really need to see the boys play for each other and do so with some youthful effing joy. Maybe there is some favorable addition by subtraction math on this particular point. Maybe we'll get to see the QB free to read the field purely. No personalities involved (unless they're positive/constructive).

No notes. Let's keep this clean, huh

But were defenses continually pressing the Bills and compressing their coverages? From what I recall, and what I've seen from analysts and team sources, opposing defenses mostly relied on dropping their DBs (post-snap) into deeper shell coverages, banking on QB17's impatience/reluctance to continually take the underneath routes/checkdowns. Heck, recall Dallas' doomed plan to defend the Bills offense by exclusively fielding light nickel and dime packages. Allen was definitely blitzed in 2023, and there were definitely some coordinated zero-coverages, but overall the defenses who best frustrated Allen and Co utilized LOS disruption but with deeper coverage drops designed to capitalize on QB17's tendency to look downfield. The Jets are the best example for this. They mostly utilized deep safety coverages post-snap, daring Allen to take the checkdowns and underneath stuff, but also trying to speed him up with their pass rush. Meanwhile they entrusted Williams and Moseley to clamp down on their RB/TE responsibilities.

Same boat: was excited about the player in the pre-draft process, and remain super excited about him moving forward. I don't care that he's 6'1"ish. He has incredibly long arms, huge hands, and on-field explosion and bend that you cannot teach. The dude is primed to see the field early as a DPR because he provides pass rush juice the Bills don't otherwise have on the roster. Really like the pick in the short and long term.

Yards and/or catches for Samuel (I suspect they intend to use him as a featured pre-snap motion weapon, like a Harty+Diggs ZxY amalgamation). They want to feature Samuel as moving eye candy/protein while also feeding Kincaid and Cook... Shakir should be doing exactly what he did the back half of 2023, converting his moderate progression-based targets into explosive plays, and hopefully Coleman is sprinkled in on screens and slants and digs and 1:1 fades.

I see what you did there. This time of year, in a couple years, could in fact find the Bills OL scattered across the country, depending on OTA schedules.

No way Brady participates without final edit approval baked in. That guy is NOT a "good sport" when it comes to humor/criticism. The tone and tenor will be celebratory of his accomplishments but a little critical of Brady's hyper-competitiveness. They probably won't even mention his scandals (except in passing absurdity) or pseudo-scientific/nonsense TB12 brand.

I wish you were right. Would be a better world. But I fear "very many people...feel as though they know better" than whomever disagrees with them. In general. This board is better than most forums, to be clear. I think fans generally wanted a speedy deep threat WR (because we don't really have that threat on the roster), and would have LOVED if we traded with KC and they took Coleman...and ultimately we took Worthy. Was even getting to the point where Worthy was the guy I wanted the Bills to draft above all others, and thought he'd be gone by 28. (Conversely, I definitely also shared some posts here the past few months proclaiming my counterintuitive optimism for Keon Coleman's prospects, given his combine gauntlet and best-in-class hands. Earlier in the winter, I was definitely concerned with Coleman's contested catch rate, lumping him in with the likes of Q Johnson and N'Keal Harry. It's been a journey.) Is the color-coding on these route graphics inconsistent? Slant and Screen routes, for example, are mis-colored on both infographics, according to their own internal logic.

LOL my 72-year old mother gave up such dreams a LONG time ago

Stay right where you are. McBeane's scouts are on their way. Don't panic. This is the big break you've been working for all these years.

We've seen this before lol (immediately thinking Kelvin Benjamin and Karlos Williams, both FSU, comps) Fortunately, there is NO way Coleman follows in Benjamin's heavy footsteps. Just wondering where @Not at the table Karlos is? It's just sitting there on a tee.

In some circles, this is fightin' words. In others, it's high praise.

Sounds to me like the Bills (and probably NFL teams in general) are waiting on Hyde's decision to either seek another NFL contract or hang 'em up for good. Beane said all but the retirement part out loud recently. He said the Bills do not yet know/are waiting to hear what Hyde has decided. WHAT Hyde is deciding on exactly, I guess, could be whether to agree to whatever modest contract number the Bills have proposed, if they've even gotten that far with his agent, versus continuing to seek more money and/or term elsewhere...but I strongly suspect it's more existential than that at this stage. My read is, like you @billsfan89, that Hyde is considering retirement...and also that the Bills would 100% welcome him back at a modest number for one more run if he decides to suit it up again in 2024. Kind of a no brainer for the team, but all contingent on the player.

Edit: I'll leave my initial question intact below so you can all laugh at me. Turns out Coleman only participated in positional drills at his pro day. Guess it isn't some grand conspiracy. "Who has Coleman's faster pro day 40 time? For some reason I can't find it. Big tech colluding to keep us Bills fans divided over reductive data points." Derp.

"I don't have a life outside of football." -actual quote from our new WR. Love to see it. Josh's new little brother. We both keyed on that same quote, of course, but that whole stretch of the interview is REALLY refreshing to hear from a fairly highly drafted NFL WR. His vision for QB<>WR chemistry is so pure, so idyllic. Hope Josh is willing to grind with him on that film stuff. Would love it if all the targets and the QBs had an easier time coming together as a tribe in 2024. Allen has a clearer path to leadership this season. I hope he really goes for it.

Is this a football-related post, or...?

Why is Shakir having to elevate to #2 when the Bills also signed Samuel? And why are those WR #s so important, but also so impossible to define? Curtis Samuel is almost the same exact size as Stefon Diggs (but thicker), definitely faster, less productive down the field but more productive in the short and intermediate zones where Brady seems to want to operate, higher draft pick/higher perceived pedigree initially but at a lower tier of production to date, and is 4 years younger...so why isn't he a great idea for this offense? Like a MUCH cheaper but not super substantively-lesser replacement.

Allen has already QB'd offenses where Cole Beasley, John Brown, Stefon Diggs, and Robert Foster (separately) had career years. Of course Gabe Davis had career games, but never really a top flight season. I think the QB can obviously work with a variety of skillsets. Imagine him with improved talent like he has in 2024? (That's right, the overall talent with Coleman, Samuel, Shakir, Kincaid, Knox, Hollins, and Shorter is an actual improvement to past years.)

This deserves a noisy LFG because Solomon has legitimate traits and legitimate production from a small school that has already produced legitimate pass rushers.

Just hope this likeable, 20 year-old innocent doesn't take Reed's advice on anything OUTSIDE the scope of football lol. Reed was a dawg on the field, and I'd like guys to have access to Former Buffalo Alphas like Reed and Moulds. Reed was eventually effing AWESOME every other year, oddly, just like Moulds was. But it was SUCH a different league. I mean, look at Reed's career 59.6% catch percentage! Gold jacket! That alternating YoY success is a curious phenomenon for the franchise's first two best WRs. Stevie Johnson of all people broke that pattern, and then of course Diggs set a new paradigm in a new era. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/ReedAn00.htm https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MoulEr00.htm (Love that Shakir is intentionally letting Eric Moulds wear him out on the field this offseason. That's where I want these guys tapping into Bills legends. On the field.) Beane's comments about Coleman being "Buffalo" (anticipating how much fans will embrace him here) are intentionally the same way he framed Josh Allen for us. And I gotta be honest: he's not wrong. The kid is likeable. Can't tell you how many acquaintances who know how problematic my Bills thing is have reached out to say that Coleman is so grounded/likeable in his press conference (and usually also include how they think his little lisp is endearing fwiw).

Yeah, you sounded right from the jump. Just thought I remembered a quote in there that broadened the advice, or laid out a more general philosophy about advising his draft eligible guys from the South on where they should be not trying to end up.

I think you MIGHT be right with respect to the focus? But WAS it exclusive to QBs, or is that just how they got into it?