TigerJ

The weights are bigger in Texas.

I imagine that John Murphy and Steve Tasker are funded by the Pegulas and the Bills. They are probably safe. I could see Sal Capaccio getting laid off.

It will make the later rounds even more of a crap shoot than they are normally.

I look up players at The Draft Network often.

Big nickel. Put one of them in when the team is in a nickel formation. He can give you pass coverage, particularly in the short zone, while being big enough to pack at least a little "whallop" when tackling a running back.

Greg Roman is known to have a pretty focused offensive philosophy. He spoke about it when he was OC for Buffalo. Essentially, he believes in using a huge variety of running plays to force defenses to over commit to run defense (stack the box). That will provide opportunity for the QB to make easier completions for chunk plays downfield. As it happens, Lamar Jackson is just about the perfect QB to run an offense like that, because his running ability allows for a whole new layer of variations in the run game. There are a lot of things, in terms of reads that Lamar Jackson is not good at. Certainly, Greg Roman will come up with some wrinkles, and will try to change things up, but he is likely to still operate within his philosophical perspective, especially given Lamar Jackson's rather specialized skill set. That means there is probably a limit to the variety he can bring to his game plan.

The Bills showed in principle how the Ravens can be beaten, but it still takes a great defense to accomplish it. The Ravens are still going to make the playoffs even if every opposing team on the schedule uses Buffalo's blueprint. Once the playoffs are here, almost anything can happen.

I don't recall where, but someone observed that rather than acquiring compensatory picks from a net loss of free agents, Beane has developed a knack for acquiring more quality on the roster than the team can actually use, then trading away the excess for draft picks. That could happen, for instance on the offensive line.

I hope that everybody who has recovered from COVID-19 that is able will consider donating plasma for use in treating those who are still serious ill with the disease. That can be saving other lives.

Turn away? The problem is, people are already turning away from the Chargers in droves. I like Tyrod, and I even think he can be a decent backup, but . . .

Who is Mike Clay?

Again, backchecking the new playoff format shows that far few teams will make the playoffs with losing records than will 10 win teams that failed to make the playoffs under the previous format. Teams with losing records make the playoffs when there happens to be a really lousy division in the NFL. The new playoff formula will do nothing to change that. The new formula will add a wild card berth. Wild car berths go to the "best of the rest" - teams that didn't win in strong divisions, teams that are almost always going to have winning records.

On One Bills Live, they backchecked the drought and learned a 14 team playoff field would not have put the Bills into the playoffs even once. I hesitate to say the Bills are a lock. Too many times, teams that had high expectations in the off season flopped for one reason or another when they actually played games. However, if the Bills fail to make the playoffs, it would be a major disappointment.

I doubt that the remainder of free agency or the draft are going to have a major effect on the ranking of Buffalo's roster strength.

If the US is in a position to allow public gatherings on the scale of an NFL game, the border between the US and Canada will be open.

That would be a dream come true for many of us Bills fans.

Inmates in jail don't normally spend all their time in a cell. Coronavirus realities will change practices to be sure, but jails normally have a common dining area, and opportunities for inmates to get exercise in various ways. If coronavirus were brought into a facility by a corrections officer who did not know he had it, and the jail was operating normally, it could spread like wild fire.

I've seen some big boards - sites like Drafttek. When I see a mock draft mock a player to the Bills with whom I am unfamiliar, I'll do an online search for some scouting reports like those that The Draft Network produces. That's about as "in depth" as I'll go.

Sean McDermott is wired to keep doing everything the same way, until or unless it stops working. He is an extremely self disciplined person, so I don't think the sudden high expectations will change much of anything inside the organization.

I think the process is still in process. Beane is still working on getting all the parts in place and McDermott is still working on getting new parts to buy in to the overall plan, but the team is worlds ahead of 3 years ago. In theory, they should be better this season than last, but I think there will still be room for improvement going into the 2021 season.

Everything you say is true. Allen with an empty backfield can be lethal for defenses, but that will depend on Allen continuing to improve his ability to read the blitz and react quickly and accurately. What makes the empty backfield potentially more effective for Josh Allen than for many QBs is his mobility and running ability. With an empty backfield, you're forcing the defense into a nickel or dime alignment. The defense either has to commit to either trying to cover five potential receivers or blitzing. If they commit to coverage, there will likely be running lanes for Allen. If they blitz, somebody will be open. It's a chess game. The offense may find potential advantages, but too take full advantage, you need a smart QB with an expansive skill set

Not a fan of Weaver. I think he's a great college player who struggles in the NFL. Troy Pride is a decent zone cornerback but needs to learn to tackle better. Ke'Shawn Vaughn is regarded as a high floor low ceiling running back by the staff at The Draft Network. He'll get you positive yardage, but he's not creative in running and lacks a high end skill set. Colon Castillo is supposedly a decent locker room guy and strong (though a muscle strain led to a terrible bench press at the combine. Looking at what Buffalo has on the offensive line, this is a wasted pick, and he would not make the team. Quartney Davis is a good short area route runner with poor hand usage and limited athleticism. He won't make the team. Joe Bachie plays downhill as a tackler but has a poor football IQ and limited athleticism. He does not make the team. I agree, this is a pretty lousy mock draft. The drafter tries to plug holes, but with little appreciation for what Buffalo really needs and is looking for. I see three players at most making the team, with no starters, and nobody who makes the team better. But, as others have observed, mock drafts are not worth getting overly excited about.

It is definitely a need. It might be the easiest need to fill in all of football, however. Running backs come out of nowhere all the time and end up starring in the NFL. Phillip Lindsay made the pro bowl for Denver as an undrafted free agent. Aaron Jones for the Packers was a fifth round pick. Damien Williams has carved out a nice career, first with Miami and now with KC, starting out as an undrafted free agent. I expect Buffalo will draft a running back somewhere in rounds 2-4, but they also could sign a veteran free agent at a value price, and probably find a UDFA who can play too, if they want. Running backs are just not that hard to find.

I think the league has declared that team training facilities are off limits to players in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. The only training that players can do is on their own. I imagine, however, that as soon as the league permits it, Buffalo coaches and strength and conditioning staffers will be in touch with players to encourage them and give guidance on how they can best use their time.

I believe his last season with the Bills was 2017. He played in 12 games, including their wild card game. If he can play in 12 games in 2020, he's worth it.