GASabresIUFan

I don't think this is an accurate statement. The Bills have consistently failed to draft and develop difference makers at WR or RB under Beane. That stems primarily from a significant failure to invest in those positions in the draft early in his Bills GM career. In Beane first 4 drafts with the Bills he spent 2 picks on RBs (both 3rds) and 5 picks on WRs (a 4th-Davis, a 3 6ths, and a 7th), is it really surprising that none of these players became difference makers? Hard to have difference makers at the skill positions unless you invest in skill players with premium draft picks. In the next 3 drafts Beane has utilized a 1st and 2 2nds on skill players (Coleman, Cook, and Kincaid). The jury is still out on Coleman and Kincaid, but Cook is a bona fide star. Cook is the first legit difference maker at a skill position the Beane drafted besides Josh Allen. I really like Shakir, but he is just a slot receiver who catches the ball almost strictly underneath. (about 3 yards of AIR per catch) Cook, on the other hand, has two consecutive 1000 Yards season on the ground with over 2800 yards from scrimmage. The last Bill RB to have those kind of numbers was McCoy and the last Bills draftee to accomplish it for the Bills was McGahee 20 years ago. The funny thing is that this board is ok with paying Shakir 13 mill a season for 4 years after creating 1400 of offense total the last two years with 6 Tds, while not wanting to give Cook a similar deal when he's created 2800 yards and 24 Tds. Yes that's right, Cook and Shakir have the same number of receiving TDs the last 2 years. For all those who say it's the O Line that makes Cook good, why did Cook average 4.9 yards per carry last year and Davis (who had 100+ carries last season) averaged only 3.9 behind the same line?

that didn't take long.

How many guys coming back from injury are the same player? Tre White for example. Forrest played 10 games and wasn’t a starter.

Besides starting 4 games, playing 34% of the team D snaps (358 plays), and 52% of the ST plays (219 snaps). Other than that he hardly played at all. 😉 By the way Forrest only played 74 D snaps last season over 10 games (12%) with one start. He did play 153 ST snaps (53%) for Wash last season.

Fixed.

https://billswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/bills/2025/05/25/espn-bills-taylor-rapp-the-most-underrated-safety-in-the-nfl/83840347007/

Protector of the Year sponsored by Trojan

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/best-possible-nfl-flag-football-team-for-2028-olympics-commanders-jayden-daniels-could-lead-team-usa-stars/ Only Bill listed is Max Hairston. Understandable in a game about speed.

Doesn’t he get concussed getting up in the morning?

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-owners-vote-to-permit-players-to-participate-in-2028-summer-olympics-flag-football Can you imagine having to play flag football against Josh or Lamar?

First things first. The point of this discussion is that Beane drafted the wrong guy. He did regardless of metrics and internet scouting reports. Unlike the vast majority of people here, I am a UGA season ticket holder and watched every game Ladd played at UGA, most in person. The kid lined up all over the field, both inside and out and the truth be told, I don't care where he lines up as much as where he catches the ball and you shouldn't care either where he lines up. For example, lets say Diggs and Ladd lineup on the same side of the field with Ladd inside of Diggs. They then run a crossing pattern and Ladd catches the ball along the sidelines for 30 yards. Is that a slot play or a boundary play? Under your limited definition, that's a slot play because he lined up inside. I say the opposite. Run the same play and Diggs catches the ball over the middle 15 yards deep. Slot play or boundary play? Your definition doesn't take into account how modern football is played. Ladd may have started 65% of his plays in LA inside, but he caught the ball all over the field both inside and out. Also there was much discussion when Coleman was drafted that he'd be better in the slot. As to Shakir, his average catch last season was 2.9 yards down field (average catch 10.8 yards - Yac/r of 7.9 = 2.9 yards of AIR) and almost all were over the middle. He is a true inside possession slot receiver in the Buffalo offense. Ladd averaged 14 yards per catch with YAC of 4.8. This means his average catch was 9.2 yards down field.

You can’t make that assumption. Just because LA used him inside at the snap is not an indication that’s how he be used in Buffalo. LA had outside receivers when Ladd was drafted. Buffalo needed outside help. Had they drafted Ladd he’d have been used where needed. The truth is where a WR starts on the line is less important than the routes he runs, the depth of his catches and where on the field the catch is made. Shakir catches the ball inside 2-3 yards down the field. That’s a slot receiver. Ladd caught the ball on average over 9 yards down the field. Shakir and Ladd are different kind of players.

He added more speed on both sides of the ball because the team desperately needed speed on both sides of the ball; especially after he let Worthy go to KC.

By the way, Beane knows he blew the Coleman pick. (40 4.61) Since he made that pick, all the skill players on both sides of the ball have speed. At WR were have added Palmer (4.52 @ 6'1 210), Moore (4.35), and Prather (4.46), AT DB & S: Bishop (4.45), Forest (4.41), Hancock (4.42), Hairston (4.28), Strong (4.50)