JohnNord

That’s why his “I shouldn’t have been playing last season” comment annoyed me. Without exaggeration, Von was consistently the weakest player on defense. It should have become clear to both the Bills and Von that he physically wasn’t ready, yet it took them until Week 17 to figure this out. I think it’s a long shot that Von will ever get back to the player he was pre-ACL. But he was so bad last season, I think it will be impossible for him not to play better. I’d bet anything that this is his final season with Buffalo. With that being said, I don’t fault Beane for taking the big swing to land Von. Every player is one bad injury away from changing the trajectory of their career and you can’t really predict ACL tears.

Not if they knew how poorly he played. The criticism for Miller last year is warranted IMO It’s not hindsight when Von was the least effective player in the field week after week. I know the Bills made him inactive in Week 17. It probably should have happened weeks earlier. His play was so bad People in this thread would disagree with you

The whole situation is kind of infuriating. If he knew he shouldn’t have been playing he never should have been pushing to play. Also Buffalo never should have taken him off IR until he was ready. I don’t find Von playing when he knew his knee wasn’t ready to be admirable. Just the opposite, as his play hurt the team. Von had 0 sacks and 3 tackles in 12 games last season. It’s not a stretch to believe that role players like Shaq Lawson, Kingsley Jonathan or even Kameron Cline could have been more productive with his snaps. I always thought the game against Cincinnati was very telling. It was 3rd and 2 and the Bills were down a score and Von’s responsibility was to hold the edge. Bengals run right at Von and he’s great position to make the stop. Just Joe Mixon broke his ankles, picking up the first down and ending the game. So much for “the Closer.” I really hope Von can turn things around but it can be understated how ineffective he was last season. Everyone understands that the injury derailed his stint in Buffalo. The frustration comes from comments he made that shouldn’t have been playing. If he shouldn’t have been playing, why was he pushing to return as quickly as he did. And why did Buffalo activate and play him when it clear he wasn’t anywhere close to ready?

I am pretty sure he has regular media access this year and was covering Bills mini camp and OTA’s with the rest of the crew.

I think the gates open at 9:00. There’s a huge line that forms before then, so get there early if you want a certain spot on the bleachers

Under normal circumstances, yes. But I don’t get the impression that Douglas and Saleh have much more time. This move, along with several others this offseason, show that 2024 is a make or break year for that regime

Yes, it’s been well-documented that the Bills have typically blocked media access to just about everyone that isn’t connected to a TV/radio/newspaper. Years ago, I recall the Cover 1 guy sharing that they were denied for the same reasons. I believe the Bills rationale is, if you allow one of the bloggers like Cover 1, it opens the door for several others (Trainwreck Sports, Built in Buffalo etc) who may not understand the rules/etiquette of the press. The fear is that it crowds the press room and that the bloggers, who are mostly fans, could interfere with the media outlets. I wouldn’t be shocked if those in the media support the ban on bloggers. However, I do feel they should review requests for bloggers on a case-by-case basis. I think allowing access to 1 member of the C1 crew would actually be a good thing. They do an awesome job. Ironically they did grant access to Tyler Dunne of Go Long this year which is an independent self-published Substack newsletter. While he’s an established writer, he too was previously denied media access under those grounds. But this seems to be an exception to the norm. As far as Joe Marino I don’t think he’s ever had media access and has sat in the stands with the rest of us. However he works for the Locked On podcast network which is technically owned by Gannett (USA Today). So if the parent org requested media access, he could probably get it. Not sure if they would do this.

I know Buffalo loves him. But he seems like the type of young, athletic player that will be in line for a massive deal and I’m unsure if Buffalo is going to want to match it. Almost like a Tremaine Edmunds situation. An interesting name to watch could be Ryan VanDenmark - another athletic RT that has been brought along slowly in Kroger’s system. He could potentially be a low cost starter with upside.

At this point, I can only see Taron or Milano and Allen of course

He seems to miss multiple practices each season with “illness.” Very odd

Some coaches will put up with a lot of crap when a players at the top of his game. When he’s not…it isn’t worth the BS that comes along with him

Heart of a winner…maybe. Not sure if he still has the ability he’ll need to put up the numbers you think he will.

Given the new kickoff rules, it makes sense for teams to use LB’s like Matakevich who can tackle in space (to an extent) and shed blocks. The problem is you’re getting a one dimensional ST’er who doesn’t off much on defense

Tim Graham has said the trade was the result of a “death by a thousand paper cuts.” This could include Diggs’: - age /contract - role in the offense - declining ability - attitude - social media nonsense - potential disputes with QB/HC - playoff performance - “the drop” Basically the Bills could tolerate Diggs if he played like a true WR1. They have less tolerance when he’s not making plays and is overpaid. Diggs is going to be fools gold for many fantasy owners.

I think the plan was always to get rid of Diggs after the 2024 season. It’s a fair assumption that his numbers would be greatly reduced compared to his first four seasons. At that point, the Bills lose a lot of leverage in the trade market for a 31 year-old WR and still would have to eat dead money. What could they get? Maybe a 5th round pick? Houston’s 2nd round pick was enough for them to make the move and take the cap hit a season early. As far as whether Diggs is washed? There were was an advanced stat by ESPN that scored receivers ability to get open. From 2020-2022, Diggs ranked in the Top 5. Last season he was #67. That’s probably not all on Diggs - it could be a result of the offense - but I think it’s to fair to question whether that massive drop is a sign of things of come. I also though there were a number of times this past season when Diggs didn’t come make the clutch catches he had in the past - like the bomb vs. Jacksonville, the final play New England, and of course “the drop” versus KC. Also if you’re Houston, why would you void the final 3 years of his contract if you truly believed Diggs was a #1 WR in the prime of his career? With that being said, I think Diggs still could be a very good recovering option in the Houston offense though I will be shocked if his numbers are anywhere close to Buffalo