Einstein's Dog

It comes down to a matter of prioritization. And I have finally come over to the group on here (Gunner/Baldo/Happy) that have suggested for much longer that WR is not high enough on the FO list (although Gunner gives McD slack for this prioritization miscue somehow). In retrospect I now think they should have made a move at the end of the third for T Franklin, seemed like great value to me (but at the time I was rooting against it because it would have meant they weren't going to do a large trade for a top tier WR- I still had high hopes). The FO would have had to figure the rest out, but I think they could still have picked up who they wanted - they did end up with an extra 4th next year out of what they did.

I think a lot of it is because the OP specifically mentions WRs. And for most of us, it is a huge stretch to love this WR group or think it got better. Secondly, we finally have an excellent TE group - probably the best the Bills have ever had, and J Cook is improving rapidly and that is after a pretty good season, along with Shakir improving. All this offense needed to be among the top, was a top tier WR. Apparently that is not going to happen. And if the FO knew that a top tier WR wasn't in the cards then double dipping in the deep WR draft would seem to have been the way to go. That would have been an exciting rebuild with a bright offensive future. So a lot of people are upset, not so much about what we have, but for what could have been.

While Diggs may have had to go, it seemed to highlight a failure to prepare. The strategy of going thin in the WR room has caught up with the Bills. From Elam over Watkins/Pickens to not picking up what looks to be a great value in DHop - there doesn't seem to have been much of a backup plan. Like you said they knew Diggs' history and yet they didn't put anything in the pipeline. Even after they knew they were in a rebuild they didn't pick up 2 WRs in the deep WR draft. I don't get that. It would be a lot more exciting to me if the Bills had picked up T Franklin at the end of the third to go with K Coleman. As it stands now it looks like WR is a glaring need for next year.

K Cousins? That would have required big time cash, $50M signing bonus, $100M guaranteed. Miami wants a decent QB on a budget, that is not Cousins. I don't know what "holding in" means. Even if Tua didn't have his injury history, playing at less than half your market value doesn't seem like a smart move.

That could be me. I was in the Denial stage, expecting a trade. Now I'm in the Anger stage. Hope I can get to the Acceptance stage by the start of the season. I remember last year people on this board wanting us to lose when we were teetering on the edge. I thought that was weird. Now if I can't snap out of it, I could see myself getting weird too.

While Diggs departure may have been somewhat unexpected, the FO seems to have been caught completely off-guard. Some responsibility comes from the past neglect (Elam over C Watkins or Pickens for example). And as you mention the post moves have been just so weak - no big FA, no double dip, and no trade. I think I have moved into the Anger portion of the grief stage. I don't like the lack of weapons and now blame the entire FO Beane/McD/Brady team. We see SF doing a double dip when they have Deebo/Aiyuk/McCaffery and Kittle. Watching an offensive minded coach at Tenn who has DHop and Burk add in C Ridley and Boyd. I want that kind of thought process here and see Josh cook.

I hear ya. I'm trying to view it from my optimistic Bills perspective. This could be a real mess and I couldn't be happier. And unfortunately I've heard this Tua is a good guy thing too. And that is why I want him to have the aggressive agent. And I want Tua to hold a grudge. Otherwise I think he would have been reasonable.

You seem to be viewing it from a Dolphins GM perspective. And I agree from that perspective you would want another year and an out. But now view it from Tua's agents perspective - you don't want him to have to go out another year at an under-market rate. You don't let him play at $24M for the year when he could hold out and get the market rate of $50M/yr + guaranteed money the next time he plays. Someone will pay it, look at the Trevor/K Cousins/D Jones contracts. So when you say "Squeeze all you want, but if I’m the Dolphins I’m protecting the team by structuring the contract in a way that allows them outs" then they won't be accepting the contract because Tua's agent will be putting huge guarantees in it. Personally I'm glad to see it. When they brought Tua back out at that Bills game, I said they'll pay for this. And they have, karma is a b*tch. Not only the Cincy game, but that whole season. Now as the gift that keeps on giving, Tua can guilt-free hold them over a barrel. He owes them nothing, outwardly say this is just business (and quietly, internally, smile).

I don't see how you can hold only Beane culpable for the WR mess. This is an organizational philosophy. Beane/McD/Brady are all liable (and hopefully not Pegula). McD has replaced the offensive influence of Dabol with OC's who are just grateful to have the job. Dorsey kept Dabol's style but was slowly drained of the WR personnel to pull it off. And it seems Brady has adopted a style McD likes of a YAC, complementary football. If you don't like the style or where this looks like it is headed, it would seem the whole Beane/McD/Brady team would need to go.

Tua potentially missing out on the $24M will get him $40M+ the next time he hits the field. And that is what his agent should be telling him. And if Miami doesn't pay the $40M+ they can watch the serious drop of the Vegas odds for them to make the playoffs. Tua is worth the new Trevor rate - which happens to be Josh/Mahomes territory of yesteryear. And while the Dolphins would love to have outs, the agent needs to bring home a huge guarantee for Tua. Tua should be listening to his agent, and his agent should be sending him weekly repeats of video when Tua got up in that Bills game - and the Fins sent him back out there in the second half.

And if I'm Tua's agent I'm telling him he's not to take the field until he gets over $40M guaranteed. That's the range he is in and he shouldn't play until he gets it. If Miami doesn't want to pay it, trade him to someone who will. Of course, in the mean time, Miami is screwed this season. But that should not be Tua's concern, the Fins weren't concerned when they ran him back out there with "back spasms".

But from Tua's angle, he had a concussion and the team put him back out there. So while the team (like you + me) may not forget it, I don't think Tua (or his agent) will forget that treatment either. Tua owes no favors to the Fins. And right now is when Tua holds huge leverage. Miami would have a lost season without Tua this year. This would be the time to squeeze Miami, you do not wait.

But what about style? You've mentioned prior about the lack of WR investment and development. And it looks like for the upcoming season the regime has hit a new low. This regime of Beane/McD/Brady look to have jointly determined the emphasis on this team to be the conservative, YAC, run, complementary offense. While we wouldn't know if Ben Johnson could beat KC, we do have a good idea he would be supplying Josh with much better WR weapons than we currently have. Look at what the OC turned HC B Callahan has done in Tenn, got C Ridley + Boyd to go with DHop + Burks.

Chase Claypool. Seemed like a total out of character type addition. Could serve a real need.

For me the problem is seeing the priorities of this regime. When the resources are scarce the WR room suffers. For change for that Beane/McD and Brady may need to go. As you mentioned above, I doubt B Johnson would have the same priorities. Also B Belichick would be intriguing. But like you, I fear that Pegula is on-board with lowered expectations. I just hope the plan is to replenish the WR room with a quality acquisition next year.

Another potential problem is with no top tier WR the defense can switch who a top CB1 can cover, like Sauce could cover Samuel on one play and Kincaid on another making it harder for the offense to scheme plays. For me a disappointing and frustrating part of this off-season is coming to terms with your last paragraph. It appears the Beane/McD/Brady combo adopted this run more, move the chains thing, as the new 2024 strategy.

On the positive side, under almost all scenarios there should be a significant spend next off-season. It makes sense from a business perspective. What would be interesting to know is what expectations Pegula has for the current season. What's it going to take for the Beane/McD/Brady to keep their jobs.

Yes, the 5th year option is a minor issue. But it certainly will not look smarter if K Coleman is 5th year option worthy and they don't have it. It looks like Carolina traded up just to get this 5th year option. If Leggette goes big Carolina will look smart. But you touch on the larger issue, "no current WR in the pipeline". That's a problem whose cause goes directly to our FO. Most of us feel WR will be one of the top priorities to fix next off-season. This is not good planning.

Speaking of the WR debacle, don't you have any blame for McD here? The Brady/McD/Beane team has chosen this path. Based on the past I like McD, but looking ahead I am not pleased. When the times get tough and the resources are limited the offensive weapons are down on the list. Look at what someone like B Callahan is doing at Tennessee - C Ridley/DHop/Boyd + Burks. I wonder what that guy would have surrounded Josh with. I think priorities would be different with a Ben Johnson regime. I bet B Belichick would love the opportunity to clobber NE a few times and get a ring here.

That's only if Tua will play for them. He could do a Le'Veon Bell. Tua shouldn't play another season until he gets Trevor money. If Miami isn't going to pay it he should hold out and wait because someone will. Any season Tua plays could be his last so he should do it at a high rate of pay.

I agree with what you have written. But you make the case for Tua to get paid now! Waiting a year allows Miami to find that cheap 2nd or 3rd round prospect that can run the offense. For this year, Miami would be toast without Tua. Remember how short lived Mike Whites reign was after the Bills exposed his weaknesses with the Jets. And that is thinking M White could last more than 6 games. As to the fragile part, I too, think he is risky. But that too should be reason to get your guaranteed $40M now, one serious injury (concussion) and it's gone. And lets face it, Tua is putting a lot on the line when he goes out there - long term damage is a possibility. From the Dolphins perspective I can understand not wanting to pay him. From Tua (and his agents) angle, I would think a big guarantee for this season would be needed. If I were Tua's agent I would be sending weekly emails with the clip of him getting up in the Bills game a little before half time. He was staggering in a way that at first I thought was so exaggerated he was trying to draw a flag. But then I thought that wouldn't be smart he'll have to sit the whole game. The Fins ran him back out there.

Please don't make it personal. But my opinion is starting to change drastically to wanting the whole Beane/McD/Brady ouster. It's on style. I want to see Josh and the offense flourish with investments and game plans that prioritize the 25-30 yard laser pass that separates Josh from the field. It seems when we lost Daboll we lost a strong voice for the WR investment. We carried over the exciting have Josh create/scramble for extra time and then fire a 25-30 yard laser down field. Other teams didn't have the ability to do that. Because of that, half the time we would blow teams out, it wouldn't be close. However without a strong influence for investment this offense lost weapons. Dorsey was trying to accomplish this with G Davis which was a disaster. J Brady switched to using more Shakir/Kincaid/Cook which brought us back into playoff contention. That looked like better use of what personnel they had. Now it looks like they are tailoring their scheme and personnel to this style and foregoing even an average investment into the outside WRs. I don't want that.

This is another fear of mine - the significant drop in spend. I hope this is not a change in business philosophy related to Kim's departure and business change. The addition of Laura (the business woman) over Jessica (the competitive athlete) makes me a little nervous. And this can be related to the fear of no top tier WR. Pegula may have had a say in going this route because of the nice bottom line in brings. And if Pegula was involved in the decision he might give Beane/McD/Brady leniency in a less than stellar season.

I'm sure his agent is advising him now is the time, hold strong. Tua made it through all last season. Big bucks now or don't play. Right now he is certainly in the Trevor class, If Tua suffers a major injury or career ending concussion he loses financially big time. He's already experienced the business side of things when they sent him back out in that Bills game after his concussion. His agent must be reminding him of this regularly. Tua has a strong negotiating position right now. It would be foolish of him not to use it.

But it's up to Tua to not allow the Dolphins to do the waiting game. Hold out now for big bucks or come back and play the last what 6? games to have the season count- some RB did this. The Dolphins 2024 season would take a huge hit without Tua.