GASabresIUFan

Fiske is the highest rated player on my board remaining. I love Lassiter, but I don't think CB is a position of need this early in the draft with Benford and Douglas as the starters and my belief that management still has hopes for Elam. Drafting Lassiter here would be a statement that Elam was a wasted draft pick. There are also good corners to be had later in the draft. I also like Trice, Kneeland and Bullock here, but safety would be best in the 3rd if Beane can find us a pick there.

The key is it doesn't matter any longer who gets the lions shares of the targets or yards. Allen has finally been let out of Diggs jail. He can now scan the field and throw to whomever is open without worrying that Diggs is going to be whining on the sidelines. Brady's plan next season is to spread the ball around like GB did last season. GB's was lead in receiving yards last season on a game by game basis by 9 different skills players (5 different WRs, 2 different TEs and 2 different RBs). The Bills did have 5 different leaders by year's end, but that was only because Brady starting distributing the ball. Diggs was the leading receiver 5 of the first 6 weeks, but only twice the remainder of the season.

Hill lead the NFL in 20+ yard plays last season with 57. He accomplished that on 119 receptions and 171 targets (1799 yards & 13 TDs). That's about one explosive play for every 2 catches and one explosive play every 3 targets. Diggs had 19 on 160 targets. Shakir had 17 last season on 39 catches and 45 targets. That's one explosive play on every 2.3 catches and amazingly it's one explosive play for every 2.7 targets. My guess is these numbers helped make Beane's decision to move on from Diggs a little easier.

No, just no. Did anyone here watch him play at Mich or Tenn? The guy isn’t good. Both Mich and Tenn thought they could mold the athlete into a QB and couldn’t. He is a terrible version of Anthony Richardson and Richardson is also lousy. The idea of drafting a developmental QB is a good one, but Milton is not the right guy. Travis from FSU seems like a better option.

I understand where this is coming from, but I disagree as to the receivers. You can't hold on to declining aging players forever. Davis caught 55% of his targets. Diggs 67% overall, but 62% after week 6. Beane kept the 3 players that caught 80% plus in Shakir, Kincaid and Cook. He brought in a proven slot player in Samuel and now has the opportunity to upgrade Davis with a 1st rd talent. To me it looks like Allen is going to have a younger, faster and more talented overall group of pass catchers than he has ever had while in the NFL. How much better would the Bills have been had Diggs & Davis caught the ball at even a 70% clip? The math says easily another 10-12 catches and about 150 yards. Those yards might have won us the Philly game or one of the other close games earlier in the season. As to the offensive line, I was in your camp before the off-season. I am not fully on board with moving McGovern to center. However, Beane & Co, must truly believe that McGovern can be effective there and as others have pointed out there were issues on the line at the point of attack between McGovern and Morse.

Bills add more OL help in vet La'al Collins. 33rd move of the off-season so far. New Players (10) - Trubisky, Marrow, Hillins, Samuel, Toohill, M Edwards, Clapp, A Johnson, De Williams & Collins Returnees (8) - D Edwards, Haack, Rapp, Morris, Lewis, Epenesa, Jones, & Ty Johnson Extensions (2) - Dawkins & Ta Johnson Restructures (5) - McGovern, Douglas, Miller, Knox, & Allen Releases/Trades (8) - Diggs (HOU), Bates (CHI), White (LAR), Poyer (MIA), Morse (JAC), Neal (MIA), Harty & Hines (CLE) Other roster changes from 2023: UFAs signed elsewhere (8): Davis (Jac), Floyd (SF), D Jackson (CAR), Settle (HOU), Dodson (SEA), Ford (LAC), Sherfield (MIN), and K Allen (PIT) UFAs unsigned (7): Hyde, Phillips, Matakevich, Harris (retired), Joseph, Murray & Lawson The 46 player depth chart looks like this (Starter) Specialists - Bass (PK), Haack (P) & Ferguson (LS) - I think Haack beats out Martin Offense QB - Allen & Trubisky RB - Cook, Ty Johnson, DRAFT PICK, Gilliam WR -Shakir, Samuel, DRAFT PICK, Hollins, Shorter & possible 2nd draft pick TE - Kincaid, Knox & Morris OL - Brown, Dawkins, D. Edwards, McGovern, Torrence, Van Demark, Clapp, Anderson, Collins & DRAFT PICK Defense DL - Rousseau, Oliver, Jones, Miller, Epenesa, DS Williams, Jonathan, Toohill, A. Johnson & DRAFT PICK LB- Milano, Benard, Do Williams, Spector, & Morrow CB - Ta Johnson, Benford, Douglas, Elam, Lewis (S) & DRAFT PICK S - M. Edwards, Rapp, Hamlin & DRAFT PICK

The NFL stands for Not For Long for a reason. Players come and go all time. 2024 will be remember for the year the Bills transitioned from older declining players, most of which came from other teams, to younger, cheaper home grown talent. Out with Poyer, Diggs, Morse, Hyde, Davis and White. Only Davis & White were Bills draftees. Now the core of the team is home grown players like Allen, Cook, Kincaid, Benard, Torrence, Dawkins, Brown, Shakir, Rousseau, Oliver, Benford, Milano and T Johnson. This team is younger, cheaper and honestly has more upside than the aging veteran team that was just let go. Will that potential come to fruition as early as the 2024 season? Don’t know, but I’m significantly more optimistic about the team’s long-term future today than I was on Tuesday.

CJ Stroud - 2023’s NFL O Rookie of the Year. Is Diggs going to be the 3rd or 4th target in Houston behind Collins, Dell, and TE Schultz?

https://theathletic.com/5389671/2024/04/04/buffalo-bills-stefon-diggs-trade-texans/

One small point of clarification. Diggs was going to cost us nearly 28 in cap this season. Trading him costs us 31 million (or only 3 million more this season), but saves 27 million in 2025. The Bills are still 4+ under the cap even after this move and will be about $12 mill under on June 1 after the draft picks are signed. I agree with the OP that this offense has the opportunity to be significantly more dynamic next season. I’ve talked about GB before with their 4 excellent young WRs and 2 good young TEs who make it near impossible for defenses to focus on any one player in the passing game. The Bills now have a similar opportunity. Brady and Allen can redistribute the 300 targets that went to Diggs, Davis, Harty and Sherfiled among Samuel and the kids and give Allen the green light to throw to the open guy. No favorites. Kincaid, Cook and Shakir proved last year if you throw to them they’ll catch it. They each caught over 80% plus of the balls thrown their way. Davis and Diggs were a combined 63% on 241 targets. Now add a dynamic WR talent from the draft, and I think we’ll see Josh running less and complete a significantly higher % in 2024 than in recent years. Assuming everyone stays relatively healthy I see Kincaid going over 1000 yards on 125 targets (95 receptions) Cook jumps to 50 catches from 44 for 500 yards Draftee replaces Davis with 750 yards on about 45 catches on 65 targets Shakir doubles his targets to about 90 with 70 receptions for 925 yards Samuel adds another 700 yards on 58 catches on 80 targets

Beane has been a step ahead of the fans, media and so called experts all off-season. He signed Samuel which made zero sense to me at the time, if the intent was to keep Shakir in the slot. However then I did a physical comparison between Diggs and Shakir and then compared their explosive plays and I realized that Beane may try Shakir on the outside. I still didn't love the Samuel signing because I felt we needed at least one big and fast receiver to replace Davis. I didn't make sense to me that you'd draft a guy like Mitchell or Worthy to not give them an immediate opportunity to start. However, now Diggs is gone and the master plan is revealed. Shakir replaces Diggs, Samuel replaces Shakir in the slot, the 28th pick will be used on a Davis replacement and Kincaid will become a huge focal point of the offense. With Diggs, Davis, Harty and Sherfield gone, there are about 300 targets up for grabs. It will be interesting to see of Brady and Allen distribute those targets. Brady had 4 guys with 1000+ yards from scrimmage in his year in Carolina (Samuel, RB Davis and 2 other WRs). How many will be have in an offense more evenly featuring 5 good to excellent playmakers rather than just Diggs and the RB?

I tend to not post about players I don't believe in. As a Bills and UGA fan, I post about players I believe fit with the Bills and should be available when the Bills draft. I haven't commented on Lassiter and Mims for example because I don't think they fit with the Bills needs or will be available when the Bills draft (or both). However if you want to know some issues with McConkey, Mitchell and Bullard, here they are. McConkey seems a little fragile to me. He seems to get nicked up. I also think he'll be best utilized against zone type defenses or in the slot in the NFL. Mitchell, on the other hand, I really like in one on one battles for the football, however I think his route running could use some polish. The injury and size issues are why I like Mitchell over McConkey in the draft despite Ladd being more productive in college. As to Bullard, my biggest issue with him is his height. I'd love him to be more the size of Bullock. I also thought his coverage skill were just ok, but he made huge strides in coverage last season going from QB having a rating about 87 against in 2022 to 36 last season. I also think he relies to much on his speed to cover up positional mistakes, but that also improved significantly last season.

You admit my comments are true but then dismiss them because of my alleged "bias." Should we dismiss everyone here's comments on Bills players because they're biased? I have spoken about UGA players because I have strong first hand knowledge. I am a fan, but my comments are from direct observation of their play. I have seen Legette, Bowers, Mitchell, Burton and McConkey play live on a variety of occasions. Burton played at Georgia as well, but I don't remember pounding the table for him. Do you? I also don't comment I players that I don't have good knowledge about. Have you seen me comment Chop Robinson or other guys projected to the Bills at 28, except maybe to say I think will the Bills will go WR over Edge. Also what in my comments about McConkey, Mitchell, Bullard, Bowers and even Van Pran aren't accurate and haven't been confirmed from the stats or other sources? Didn't Mitchell catch a TD in all 5 CFP games he played? Wasn't Bullard the MVP of multiple CFP games? Wasn't Van Pran a 2nd team All-American and 1st team all-SEC? Don't various "experts" have all these players amongst the highest rated at their positions in the draft? Last I looked Georgia was 42-2 the last 3 seasons with 2 National Titles, 25 players drafted the last 2 drafts (including a record 15 in 2022) with another 10 players likely to be drafted in 2024. Maybe it's not bias, but just first hand knowledge about good to great players I have been fortunate enough to see play every week. https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/bestavailable Here is a link to ESPN's best available for the draft. They have Bowers (11th overall), Mims (22nd), Mitchell (23rd), McConkey (29th), Lassiter (46th), and Bullard 49th. Personally, I'd also much prefer to hear from someone who has actually watched a prospect play and then someone who dismisses a player out of hand because they didn't have a 1000 yard season in their college career. That's real bias. Name one!

You have clearly never watched the kid play in person. What does 1000 yards have to do with drafting a college WR? Diggs never approached 1000 yards in college. Mitchell's freshman year at UGA the WR/TE room had Mitchell, Pickens (Pitt 2nd rd), McConkey, Bowers, Burton, Darnell Washington (3rd rd Pitt), and Kearis Jackson (Ten). The running backs included Cook (2nd rd Buf), McIntosh (7th rd Sea), and Zamir White (4th rd LVR). Burton, Bowers, Mitchell and McConkey will all go in the top 3 rounds in 2024. That's a huge amount of talent and Mitchell was 4th in receptions and yards. His second year he was hurt most of the year and worked his butt off to be ready for the end of the season and the CFP games. He caught a TD in all 5 CFP games he played in his career. The kid left UGA to be closer to home and his daughter. There is nothing wrong with the kids attitude or work ethic and his talent is off the charts.

He has a daughter and she was living in Texas. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/why-did-ad-mitchell-transfer-draft/ I want Mitchell in the draft, but I love Ladd McConkey. I've watched Bowers, Burton, McConkey, Mitchell, and Rosemy-Jacksaint in person many times. Mitchell and McConkey are simply game breakers. Ladd can turn a dump off into a 60 yard TD run. Mitchell has the ability to beat CB's deep, but also the ability to get separation in the end zone. Either guy would make the Bills better immediately. I also love the idea of Jacksaint as a 7th round flyer. The kid isn't the fastest, but he has excellent hands, run very good routes and has a knack for making important catches. With Kincaid, we don't need Bowers, but he is the most dynamic TE I've ever seen in college.

FYI on DIggs last season Games 1-6 49 catches on 66 targets for 620 yards and 5 TDs. Catch % 74.24%; Yards/C 12.65 Games 7-19 68 catches on 111 targets for 636 yards and 3 TDS. Catch % 61.26%; yards/c 9.35

I guess Draft Kings got wind of the deal before the media did. I hope you didn't make the Diggs staying in Buffalo bet. More proof why I don't gamble.

I'm perfectly OK with moving Diggs. I'm also perfectly OK with Beane staying at 28 and picking the best WR available on his draft board at that point. I'm hopeful AD Mitchell is still there. Beane's clear goal this off-season was to get younger and cheaper while staying competitive both short and long-term. This deal is a huge step in that direction. I graded the deal a "C" initially, but the more I look at the team's construction and improved cap situation in 2024, 2025 and beyond, I think this deal is better that I initially beleived. If we enter next season with Shakir and Mitchell on the boundary, Samuel, Kincaid and a healthy Knox in the middle, Shorter and Hollins as big receivers, and Cook out of the back field we will have a very dynamic passing attack. Admittedly, it may take a few games for the players to acclimate. However given that list of players, the offense will be younger, faster and have more deep potential. Adding Shorter, Hollins and Mitchell to the receiving group, will also give Josh 5 big targets to throw to. Last season Kincaid caught 80.2% of his targets, Cook 81.5, and Shakir 86.7. The departed receivers: Diggs 66.9, Davis, 55.6, Harty 71.4 and Sherfield 50. Noticing a trend here? Samuel was 68.1% last season, but with Brady as his coach, he caught 79.4% in 2020. As much as I don't like taking a $31 mill cap hit this season, getting $27.3 back in 2025 is a huge benefit of the deal.

Diggs trade cap ramifications. Diggs' dead cap is $31,096000. His cap was going to be $27,854,000 anyway. Therefore the net cap loss is $3,242,000, for 2024, but saves 18 million plus is 2025 and beyond. I would have liked to see a 2nd rd pick in 2024, but such is life.

https://theathletic.com/5385582/2024/04/03/stefon-diggs-trade-texans-bills/ I’m competently shocked. Doesn’t feel legit. So Shakir to Diggs’ spot, Samuel to the slot. 1st rd pick to replace Davis?

Not sure what the OP is really getting at, but the most recent time we drafted immediate starters in the 1st 2 rounds of the draft was last year in Kincaid and Torrence. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/draft.htm If you look at the Bills sorry draft history and looking for good players with our 1st two picks, you come back with 2018 (Allen & Edmunds), 2017 (White, Zay Jones & Dion Dawkins - although Jones is better in Jax then he ever was with us), 2007 (Lynch & Pusluszny), 2003 (McGahee and Kelsey), and 2001 (Clements & Schobel). Not exactly a great drafting history. I am excited about the last two drafts, especially 2022. So far there are 4 starters from that class (Cook (2nd), Bernard (3rd), Shakir (5th) & Benford (6th)) and that is even with the 1st rd miss in Elam. This rivals 2018 (Allen, Edmunds, Philips, Taron Johnson and Wyatt Teller) and 2017 (White, Jones, Dawkins, and Milano) What is the best class in Bills' history? 1985 - Bruce Smith, Chris Burkett, Frank Reich, Andre Reed and Dale Hellestrae? Of the 12 Bills draftees to play 200 or more NFL games, 3 come from the 1985 class. (Class also includes 2 of the 6 Bills HOF draftees who actually played for Buffalo.)

It looks like KC may have to draft two WRs in the upcoming draft.

Taro Tsujimoto jr., PK, Osaka Buffaloes

I hope this helps. https://nfltraderumors.co/nfl-announces-top-25-performance-incentive-bonuses/ https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/2024-giants-PBP-payouts#:~:text=The PBP is classified as a benefit for,contracts and which do count toward the cap.

Benard also made the list at 777K (No. 17). I wonder how much Benford received?