Richard Noggin

No way they franchise Cook IMHO. Unless they're super confident in finding a trading partner. To franchise James Cook, after he reluctantly soldiers through his contract year, would be to invite distraction and disruption. The comp pick value could very well be fair enough compensation without the headaches.

I see Dorian Strong as a relative lock, personally, barring injury or very unforeseen flop. Tre White I could even see agreeing to go to the PS to help the Bills secure a young prospect like Strong on the roster. But knowing that Alexander is unlikely to play for Buffalo in 2025, I'm thinking White simply replaces him in your depth chart and Strong beats out Ingram and Jackson. Hancock is also a lock, but as NCB, DB, or S?

Cook's relatively low mileage (in college and the pros) is a positive with respect to the RB age cliff, but also a potential negative with respect to his overall evaluation (why hasn't he had a larger snap % thus far in his career). The safest bet in my opinion is to help Cook go bonkers in this contract year, and allow him to move on with dignity. That seems like what Beane has in mind. Then Davis and Johnson and another rookie (or other low-risk acquisition) steps up. And so on and so forth.

Rodgers DOES seem to me like the perfect QB to maximize Metcalf, in that he throws elite slants, boundary fades, and back shoulders. Rodgers will wear out single coverage if he's got a legit "#1" he syncs up with. I don't know how much RPO Arthur Smith intends to implement, but that seems like one way to give Rodgers and Metcalf the stage to shine. (Also relies on a decent running game; stay tuned there.) Am I remembering correctly that Rodgers historically hates pre-snap motion? I'm curious how that aligns with his OC, and how ANY contemporary NFL OC could justify LESS pre-snap motion these days. I get that simplicity can allow a team to play freer and faster, but I believe you gotta try to give your guys some easy reads and manufactured advantages whenever possible. (Remember when Pittsburgh's last franchise QB eventually hated being under center and running play-action off of being under center, because he didn't like to turn his back to the D? How did that serve Pitt's offense down the back stretch of his career?)

Liked this bit from Matt Parrino's recent report: Coleman seems like a guy who responds to/needs hard coaching. Humble and hungry. The social media physique police will appreciate Keon's hard work so far this offseason. Seems like the local pundits are also noticing some on-field growth this Spring. Let's hope it translates.

Solomon might be better suited to see the field in an odd-front OLB role or more of a wide-9 alignment. The learning curve would be a lot flatter for him. Our system/coaches greatly prefer long, stout, 3-down types. Solomon IS actually super long-armed, but he obviously ain't tall for the position.

I agree with the sentiment. Just wait for 2026. He'll get more snaps this year, provided he shows growth. And then in 2026 he'll be the returning workhouse sharing reps with a rookie and Johnson, most likely. The Bills are 100% better in 2025 with Cook as part of the team. You're not questioning that, are you?

That was a helluva heady, hustle play.

The Bills are better with James Cook as part of the team, without question. He might not be worth $20M AAV, but he's worth what he's getting paid in 2025 for sure. So hopefully he does the smart thing and reports for camp eventually. Having another great season would get him closer to his dream of a massive payday. Simple math. Sucks that Hard Knocks has this pre-loaded contract drama to harp on relentlessly.

I actually assume there will be 4 "true" safeties rostered initially, with at least 1 of Lewis and Hancock serving as depth for both NCB and S. Could be a position that gets trimmed once Hoecht and Ogunjobi return, depending on injuries. The lack of an established depth chart might make a deeper room more appealing out of the gates.

For sure except that Hancock feels like a LOCK, to this poster at least. They seemed thrilled to land him when they did. He might not necessarily count towards the core-4 S depth chart, seeing as Lewis has traditionally been rostered in addition to 4 true safeties, right?

Tomlin might be too legit to be predictably, subversively undermined by some washed up coach killer. Or so I assume.

I find it odd I've never heard of pink cocaine before this. Turns out it's a total misnomer, and is actually closer to exactly what my first ID was: molly and other more "designer" synthetics. All news to me. The unhinged behavior in this case is Diggs letting anyone record and release anything unvetted. One imagines the attention is not entirely unwelcome, despite being negative. Builds upon his off-field legacy/persona.

I generally agree with all of this, and I have a special disdain for fans who gripe and complain while the Bills are winning (which sometimes involves grinding out narrow, chippy victories over inferior teams, and other times involves stealing a last second victory from the jaws of defeat). However, it's understandable that some passionate fans are fighting against the trap of "good being the enemy of great." As in, good isn't good enough. And ugly wins CAN raise red flags for that cohort of discerning Statler and Waldorfs.

Lulling us to sleep with his predictable offseason soft tissue injury...yeah, we're onto you, sir! **about to break out and prove the doubters wrong, or, maybe have an uneven campaign of inconsistent availability, or something in between ***The house is kinda: shipping container x nouveau riche x not a big reader, BUT...you know, it's definitely "better" than my house.

Von before injury was pretty awesome, and possibly gaining momentum. Probably not exactly a super star, though. Peak Milano has been absolutely elite at times, in the top 3 at his position. Super star though? No. But starting with when McDermott had a little 1:1 sideline "mound visit" with him in the New England MNF wind game, Milano has had multiple stretches of All-Pro play. Ed Oliver against Detroit in 2024 was bonkers. So...there was that.

Think he did individual, but not team, work.

So you'd argue it's more a dearth of defensive talent, especially up front, that has doomed the Bills in the playoffs? (Minus 13 seconds, because obviously no one can reasonably defend the situational and special teams/defensive coaching at the end of that one.) So, more Beane than McD and his staff? I wonder, though, if it can't be both? Sure, the 2023 playoffs were a nightmare of defensive injuries, BUT...the coaches just CANNOT leave a retired AJ Klein manned up on Travis effing Kelce. That's criminal. They needed a better plan than that. I don't care how limited the practice snaps were gonna be in Klein's leadup. You just don't let that happen.

Love both these vids, but what's with the ZERO CONTEXT / NO THUMBNAIL links? And yes, I clicked on them both because I love and trust all of you implicitly.

It looks like a bed pan, not a toilet bowl. Come ON, people.

A 305+ lb DT with length, strength, and explosion can absolutely help against the run. The Bills don't do much 2-gapping overall, so the DTs can interchange at least a little. DaQuan Jones isn't much bigger tbh. We get so incredibly pedantic and prescriptive at times as observers and fans, when there is room for nuance and guys who can do more than the "pundits" proclaim.

Cook isn't going to sit out the season; that has never worked. Therefore, trading him now hurts the Bills for the 2025 season, which by all reasonable expectations is Super Bowl or bust. Would Beane make a move if someone absolutely wows him? I don't know, yeah maybe. But who would do that? And Cook is super valuable on the field to the Bills. They have a nice RB room with him. They're suddenly meh without him. Maybe if a RB with some degree of unrealized pedigree plus a day one draft pick are coming back, maybe that could work? No clue who and what teams fit that profile.

I mean, rookie deals are heavily regulated and prescribed at this point. Guys don't have much leverage at first, especially outside the 1st round. And we all know the teams can cut a guy at any point, which means the player stops receiving paychecks. This is why players use leverage from past performance and with current offseason participation to seek new deals/additional guaranteed money. It's also a way to minimize injury risk while the player still has no future guarantees.

Hairston could have some height/weight challenges defending a Tee Higgins type, but might (eventually) be better suited against a speed/separation beast like Chase. Which theoretically works out really well in tandem with guys like Benford and hopefully Strong, who are the opposite. (If I may be so reductive)

He's less a CB1 to me, at least in his first couple years with Benford around, and more a dynamic matchup guy with some early dime/slot inside flex. On obvious passing downs in his 2nd season, 2026, would love to see Benford and Strong on the outside with Hairston kicking inside (not unlike what KC has often done with McDuffie, especially prior to last year).