BigAl2526

Yeah, that really is the issue. Good teams have good players, and good players want to get paid. Beane's strategy in building the Bills has included a few big splash free agents, but he has also depended a lot on acquiring young talent with a lot of upside, and then developing that talent. Jordan Poyer was one of those. I had to look it up, but I think he was signed after McDermott was named head coach, but before Beane was hired as GM. Still, he was a promising young safety with Cleveland, though entirely unproven before Buffalo signed him. If those young, talented players do develop, they are eventually going to get paid. GMs of successful teams have to engage in a delicate balancing act to keep their teams on top. Who do you give a big money deal to get the best bang for your buck, and who do you let go because the money is better spent elsewhere. I don't envy Beane's position for the challenges he's facing.

I get that OBJ is an elite talent, and would potentially make the team better. I still have some difficulty with the fact that his presence would take away reps from young, promising receivers we've been waiting to for a while to break out: Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie. Khalil Shakir is just a rookie, but what he's done has been impressive and fun to watch. Even Isaiah Hodgins seems like a player who has shown enough that he deserves a shot to show what he can do on Sundays. (and now in prime time). I know it is my own bias, but where possible, I like to see the home grown talent develop and shine. Yes, the Bills signed Stephon Diggs when the receiving corps needed help, but now we've got home grown talent just begging for the chance to shine. They will get less of a chance to shine if OBJ becomes a Bill.

Kelly is just jealous that he never had the athleticism to pull off designed runs with any regularity. Relax - I'm kidding.

Hmmm. If you see him, what do you think the odds are of him saying some version of, "It's the fault of the Panthers. Thy must have started it."

I do remember the days when he was QB of the Chiefs, and I watched a few of the games where he was QB. At 87 he has lived a long, full life, longer than I expect to live. Still, a slow death is tough no matter what age you are. I hope he is at peace.

This could be big! Not necessarily good, but big. On a more serious note, the answer could depend on the situation. What is the skill set of the cornerback the replacement will be facing? If it is a small, quick CB, I might like the matchup Hodgins provides. Hodgins can box him out like a basketball player and outreach him easily. If the CB is bigger, and not as athletic, then McDermott might decide Shakir's quickness and moves will give him an advantage in creating separation. Both receivers have great hands.

There is a sllim chance Beane can make a trade or two, but I won't be the least bit surprised if none happen.

You'll have to head to Piggly Wiggly where he'll be stocking groceries.

The latest news: They were claimed off waivers by Piggly Wiggly.

I don't know that his place on the PS is a given. He's got some UDFA competition for that spot. He's getting a look because he's a draft pick, but having played poorly, it would not surprise me to see those UDFAs get more of a look going forward.

I think Spencer brown is going to be fine as starter, and Quessenberry is more than adequate as a backup. Tenuta is going to be on the practice squad at best. He may have upside, but he needs plenty of development.

I feel as if Tyler Matekevich is in the roster spot that would be occupied by Specter. Matekevich is on the Bills by virtue of his prowess as a special teams player, although he hasn't embarrassed himself when he's subbed for Edmunds. He just doesn't have the athleticism to be more than an occasional sub. Specter was on special teams tonight and made some plays. McDermott tends to trust his veterans all other things being equal, but Specter. being a 7th round draft pick has a really cheap contract, while Matekevich's contract is pricey for what he is. If Specter continues to play well, both on defense and special teams, the difference in contracts between the two players could make Beane and McDermott think long and hard about cutting Matekevich in favor of Specter.

I think I'll just set back and see how all this shakes out. Too many conflicting bits of information in this thread to come to any kind of iron clad conclusion.

While most teams don't go to a remote location for training camp, "training camp has traditionally referred to the time that teams spend at a remote location. Of course, the Bills will continue training and practicing at the team facility in Orchard Park. The schedule may change, and, of course, fans won't have the access to practices that they do at SJF.

AB was a great football player. As a human being, he is something akin to a banana slug.

The focus on illegal contact will not help Kaiir Elam. I wonder if it could even affect whether the Bills decide to start him or sit him.

There might be a few first stringers sprinkled in, but it's likely to be mostly second string defensive players for Buffalo going up against the Colts' first string offense. I'm OK with that, but it's not going to give us a true picture of what our first string defense can do. It will be about evaluating individual performances.

Making a prognosis on the basis of what? News reports? I'm glad he's not my doctor.

Benford is no burner for sure, but he actually timed a lot better than Levi Wallace at his pro day. 4.53 in the 40

I heard on the radio that Mekhi Becton is likely out for the season. Fractured patella? (kneecap)

A lot of urban, predominantly minority neighborhoods are tough places to grow up. The lack of opportunity breeds drugs and violence. Put the kid in a different neighborhood and he might grow up as a model citizen. Sometimes kids escape. Athletics is one of the avenues that allows some to get find a different life. I feel for both Dalvin and James. It's got to be tough to have a younger brother get in trouble like that. I don't know if the younger half-brother has any football talent or not but he can probably kiss any hope of a bright future goodbye.

We're getting some mixed vibes about Kaiir Elam. Some say he's doing fine. Some think he's struggling. I think it will be really helpful to see him working againts WRs from another team. I'm ready for the preseason game versus Indianapolis. I think Elam is going to get plenty of reps

From what I could see in the quote, the author seems to be spot on. I think it is clear that Beane and McDermott have followed a carefully thought out methodology in building the team and facilitating the development of Josh Allen. It's also clear to me that a lot of franchises have screwed any chance for a young potential franchise QB to succeed. The New York Jets is exhibit A.

When Allen was drafted, it was clear he had amazing raw talent and insane measurables. Of course, it was always a question of the accuracy and the things he didn't do well. Conventional wisdom in the league has always been that QBs can't outgrow inaccuracy issues. I always wondered about that in Josh's case. The reason was Josh's incredible rawness. I never had anywhere near the level of coaching that is typical of highly drafted QBs. In terms of his development, he was a lot closer to a high school QB than most QBs coming out of college hoping for a shot in the NFL. To me, that meant he had a lot less time for bad habits to become ingrained. The other issue with Josh Allen is his internal make up. Internal makeup ("heart," "drive") or what ever you want to call it is impossible to objectively measure or quantify. Scouts and evaluators do their best to try and figure out what's happening inside of a player, but they can't know for sure. I'm sure Brandon Beane would tell you they thought they might have a gem in Josh Allen, but even he was probably pleasantly surprised at just how "right" Josh's mental makeup and heart seems to be. Lots of people place great stock in their own ability to evaluate young talent, and even when they prove to be wrong, they hold on to their perceptions for an inappropriate amount of time, looking for every scrap they can to justify their preconceptions. I just don't think they matter any more.