BillsFanForever19

Yeah, "friggin' wrestling", only one of the most athletic sports in the world that translates well to a lot of other sports 🙄

Taiwan Jones and Daryl Johnson being released? That's really an assault to our Special Teams. It's all the rage for fans to release Taiwan because he doesn't offer much beyond Special Teams. But they knew that when they re-signed him. They talk him up as "maybe the best gunner in the NFL". I guarantee you, he will be on this roster. Whether fans like it or not.

This is not at all shocking to me. Bills fans have been trying to replace him from Day One. The Bills themselves have made him earn the #2 CB spot each and every training camp and preseason. And year in and year out, he goes out and does it. Is he a Superstar in this league? No. But he's a solid player, a solid #2, and I think it's time a lot of fans put some respect on his name.

See: Kroft, Tyler And who is having serious discussions that either should be cut, outside of a vocal minority in the fan base? Beane and McDermott continue to speak very highly of Addison. If either were to be cut, given their stature with the team, it would have happened a few months back to save the cap space and replace them instead of holding on to them with restructures.

I'd lock down Diggs as soon as he wants a new deal. That said, Edmunds is most likely the next one to get done.

This may be how you believe a franchise should be run. But saying that Beane has proven he's not afraid to cut a player outright that he's asked to take a pay cut to stay is flat out false. He's cut guys like McCoy, sure. But that's because he wouldn't take a paycut or wasn't asked to. As I've stated in my earlier posts in this thread, he's never done it. Not even fringe players like Kroft who we barely dressed. Even DiMarco was kept on the payroll on IR and wasn't released without an agreed upon settlement before his retirement. Is it possible? Yes. But again, it would be the very first time he's done it and I think there's a reason he hasn't. It's a bad look to the locker room to tell a player if he wants to stay he has to take a paycut and then cut them anyways before the start of the season, when it's difficult to latch on to a new team and be productive.

He was placed on Injured Reserve. Was only released on a mutually agreed upon settlement deal and he later retired. That's not the same thing. I'd even argue this further proves my point because they were willing to keep him on the payroll even though he was shot and only released him after they paid him. And it was only because the guy was toast. Which is not the case with Addison and Butler.

I think the bigger thing with these two is that they both were approached by Beane and told that if they'd like to stay, they'd have to take a pay cut. Both agreed to it. Beane has never told a player that they can stay if they take a pay cut and released them. Not even Tyler Kroft who barely dressed last season. For a regime that places a large emphasis on the team believing in the process and having high morale in the locker room - I believe that sticking to their word is important to this end. I think it would send a negative message for them to make players take pay cuts to stay and then say "thanks for doing that, but we're releasing you anyways and doing so after training camp where it will be difficult to find a gig and you'll be playing catch up all year". Long story short, while it is possible for them to do it - it would be the first time.

I wonder how many other playoff teams have 4 topics on the first page and a half dedicated to a fringe player.

Maybe they are trying him out at Tight End after all.

Kawann Short is still available. Given his familiarity with Lotulelei, Butler, and McDermott - I wouldn't be shocked if we were one of the teams reportedly in on him.

Yes. And although as I stated, I don't see it as likely - McKenzie is not the stone cold locks that Diggs, Beasley, Davis, and Sanders are. He's essentially on a 1 year league minimum deal. So it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that 2/3 of Stevenson, Hodgins, and Kumerow are so undeniable that they cut McKenzie loose. Especially if Stevenson outright wins the KR job.

I only mentioned where he was drafted bc you were mentioning players drafted in the bottom half of the 6th and that didn't apply with Stevenson. Ultimately, it's extremely early in Training Camp to be crowning anyone. But I can't help but feel that the Kumerow hype from fans and the media is getting overblown simply because Rodgers raved about him. We're talking about a guy who has been cut 4 times in the past year (once by GB, once by us, twice by NO). He's had some reported good practices. But so has Stevenson. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out. And yes, it's a good problem we have right now. But my gut has Stevenson over Kumerow and Hodgins.

No, I wouldn't. But another thing to keep in mind with Stevenson is that while he was a 6th Rounder - he was our 5th selection this year and in the top half of that round. I don't see our last 6th Rounder Rachad Wildgoose staying on (as our only loss at CB from last season was Norman and Dane Jackson will fill his roster spot on the 53), nor do I see our 7th Rounder Jack Anderson making it. I'm also not high on Isaiah Hodgins' chances as I feel he lacks the speed or return ability that is lacking in our WR core. So those are some Vallejo/McCloud cuts that will come this year that you wouldn't see in other years. But, I do feel that Stevenson (who does have those traits) and our 2nd 6th Damar Hamlin (who will fill Dean Marlowe's roster spot with little competition for it) won't be subjected to possibly being poached.

There could be something to that. But I think what it ultimately boils down to is a general disregard of the importance of Special Teams. Seems a portion of the fan base feels like roster spots being used for players who contribute almost exclusively on Special Teams like Taiwan Jones or Tyler Matakevitch - are a waste. That they'd sacrifice a really good Special Teams player for a guy who contributes more on Offense or Defense while also playing Special Teams, even if they aren't as good there. Or in Kumerow's case, a complete unknown on Special Teams. Because apparently anybody can do it and do it well 🙄

You're talking about replacing a guy who is our top Special Teams player and one of the better gunners in the NFL with a guy who has barely taken snaps on Special Teams. What's your reasoning here? Do you think you can put just anybody back there to play Special Teams? Taiwan Jones is not going anywhere. We're probably going to already have to cut one of our core Special Teamers in Daryl 'Bam Bam' Johnson from a pure numbers standpoint at Defensive End. If we weren't interested in having Taiwan back on Special Teams, we wouldn't have signed him to a new deal this offseason. Also, Stevenson was our 5th pick in this Draft. I'd call our 7th and 8th selections longshots. But we're not cutting more than a 3rd of our Draft. Especially when Stevenson provides speed and return ability, something our core needed addressing this offseason.

I do not see him as a lock. I've actually been asking the same question the past few weeks. Specifically, why does everyone speak of him so glowingly while completely discounting Stevenson? They were both Draft Picks of the team, in the same round. And personally - for what this WR core is lacking - I value Stevenson's speed and return ability over what Hodgins provides. Ultimately, it comes down to 4 guys battling for two spots. Isaiah McKenzie, Marquez Stevenson, Isaiah Hodgins, and Jake Kumerow. I think McKenzie's versatility and repore with Allen speaks for itself. Then it's two draft picks and Kumerow. While I could see them giving up on one of the picks - I can't see them giving up both.

One can argue that we're entering The Legend of Jake Kumerow territory as well here...

Not true. He was put on Injured Reserve. Widely considered to have been done specifically to not subject him to possibly being poached from the Practice Squad.

You have to cut them to put them on the Practice Squad. And if they make it to the Practice Squad, anyone can sign them off at any time. I like Kumerow but we know what he is. He's floated around the league and been released multiple times. These are two developmental players who could be lottery tickets we've put investments into. Maybe one doesn't cut it. But I don't see us bailing on both for Kumerow.

Specifically, Marquez Stevenson. We needed a true speedster in our WR core going into this offseason. We also needed a Kick Returner to replace Roberts. Stevenson was drafted for both. I'm not convinced Isaiah McKenzie is the man for the job. He was cut by the Broncos for fumbling too many returns. A whopping 6 in 2017 and 2 more in 2018. When Roberts was unavailable, we often put Micah Hyde on Punt Returns simply because of their faith in his ability to cleanly retrieve them. Which speaks volumes of their faith or lack thereof on McKenzie. And yes - what you're ultimately saying is you'd trade not one, but two 6th Round developmental talents, of which we don't know what they'd become at this point - for Kumerow. A guy that has been around the league for a number of years and one we've cut multiple times before. To me, that seems unlikely. One of them will stick, my gut saying Stevenson. And while I don't believe McKenzie will be our Returner, his versatility and what he has provided in our Offense trumps that of Kumerow.

Cutting two draft picks to keep Kumerow? I don't see it.

Why not? Because you generally only keep 5-6 WR's at a time. I've seen us carry 7 once or twice, but it's not very common. Plus, this season everyone wants us to keep a 6th Defensive End and a 6th Cornerback as well. And you can't keep an extra guy at all these positions without severely hindering the 53 at depth in a number of places to make it happen. So long story short, which two players do you cut at WR when your roster looks like this? Stefon Diggs Cole Beasley Emmanuel Sanders Gabe Davis Isaiah McKenzie Marquez Stevenson (2021 Draft Pick) Isaiah Hodgins (2020 Draft Pick) Jake Kumerow I'm a Kumerow fan. But we're so deep, it's really uphill sledding for him.

Don't get me wrong, I think McKenzie makes the roster regardless. He has value in this core given his speed, ability out of the slot, rushing skill, and chemistry with Josh. His overall versatility will give him a spot on the 53. But I see it being the same role as he's had since he's been here. Which is not as the primary return man. I see it being a 3 person competition for the last WR on the roster - Stevenson v. Hodgins v. Kumerow. And right now, I value Stevenson's speed and return ability above the other two's size and red zone ability. And I, at least, put him on an even keel in the competition with Hodgins. Again, I don't understand the complete confidence and infatuation fans have with Hodgins and indifference towards Stevenson when they both have the same level of experience in so much as a preseason game - which is zero.

And I think he has a much better chance of doing that then people are giving him credit for. McKenzie was cut by the Broncos and ended up here for fumbling too many returns. He had 6 fumbles in 2017, 3 were lost. In 2018, he had 2 more and lost one of them. This is why he wasn't used as a Returner for us very often. Even when we were down a return man, we would often put Micah Hyde back there to return Punts because he was more trusted to cleanly handle them. That combined with us drafting a return man in Stevenson and I don't see it being a done deal that McKenzie's just being handed the job. I think it's at least an open competition between the two. Or possibly just Stevenson's job in their eyes outright.