BillsFanForever19

What I said about starting someone with just mental reps was that he's never going to start someone Year 1 with the team, defensive scheme, and playbook. Bernard, even though missing time with injuries that year, didn't miss the *entire* offseason and more importantly, had a full year with the coaches and the defensive scheme before it.

I keep seeing this referenced and it's not entirely accurate. Hamlin didn't "beat out Edwards". Hamlin got the job basically by default. Cole Bishop and Mike Edwards were injured for all of Training Camp and the Pre-Season. McDermott is not going to start someone who is in their first year with the team on mental reps alone. In the meantime, Hamlin looked very good during Training Camp. So he ended up starting. This is also true. Is Hamlin a stud? No. But has he cost us games and had a number of horrifically bad plays? No. He's been a perfectly average Safety for us. After last season, fans had it in their heads that he should be cut and that he's terrible. So now that he's starting, even though he hasn't done anything to lose the job he got - fans believe that he's performing terribly bc he's not popping off the screen with multiple INT's. It's not the case. And that really compounds the issue. Bc McDermott isn't going to supplant a Starter unless a.) It's a clear massive upgrade - and I get the feeling that with him only seeing 1 snap when Rapp was down, McDermott doesn't see him as one or b.) He's performed inadequately to deserve to lose the job - which to date, he really hasn't.

That's exactly who I was about to bring up. Mike Edwards is this years Poona Ford. Someone who was expected to be more but just didn't live up to expectations with McDermott. Not so bad that we'd cut him. But not cracking the starting lineup unless there's multiple injuries. If that's the case, they aren't following it bc when Rapp was out, we rolled with Bishop and Hamlin. Bishop, like Rapp, may be interchangeable as well. I'd expect if Hamlin went down - they'd roll with Bishop and Rapp. It seems Edwards is firmly planted as the 4th Safety, at best.

I didn't watch the game yesterday, but the way some of you are talking, I had to look up what he did. 5 receptions on 6 targets for 50 yards against a putrid Saints team in a 33-10 route. Yeah... I mean he could continue to improve and turn into a very good WR. But I don't know how we're taking that statline as any kind of "I told you so".

Oh thank god. I thought this was another "we should trade (this player) - what do you think their worth?" thread.

Seriously. "I'm going to go tell something to my child that's going to upset him.... ooh, let me grab my phone and make sure I record his reaction so I can exploit his sadness for clicks" Real solid stuff, "Dad"

15 of 20 in Field Goals 19 of 22 in Extra Points Yikes.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBJ_gyDyE0u/?igsh=cndtZWxzdnIzemY0

Exactly this. He was using it as an example in which he was essentially saying that he has open dialogue with teams throughout the year every season and how trades come about. There's probably a 100+ conversations regarding players that are never reported as available and we don't know about to every 1 player that is traded. I wouldn't read into that as "ooh! Another trade is definitely coming!". Beane is always working the phone. Myles Garrett isn't happening. Cooper happened bc there was a need and we could afford it. At DE - with Rousseau being Rousseau (and needing an extension soon), what we paid Epenesa to retain him this offseason and how he performed on Monday, Von Miller exceeding expectations and returning in a couple weeks, Smoot signed this offseason and performing well when called upon - I don't see Beane seeing it as a need worthy of giving up either the compensation it would cost or the money. Even if we had the money to pay him, which we don't. I'd definitely be here for Budda Baker. Love him as a player. However, just like Edge, I'd be surprised (albeitly pleasantly) if we made a move like that at that position. Idk what the remainder of his contract would be this season. But he's on his 5th year option as a 1st Round Pick. It's a 14.2m base salary and a 19m cap hit. Even if it's half of that - that's still way too much than we can take on. Especially since we did SO much to the Safety position this offseason. Re-signing Taylor Rapp and Cam Lewis, spending Pick 60 on Cole Bishop, signing Mike Edwards, signing Kareem Jackson and former 1st Round Pick Lewis Cine just before the start of the season and having both on the Practice Squad right now. I feel like Damar Hamlin is in the position he's in just because Cole Bishop and Mike Edwards missed all of the Offseason and Kareem Jackson came in so late. If/when he needs to be replaced, one of Cole Bishop, Mike Edwards, Kareem Jackson, or Lewis Cine will be up to speed and ready to step in as an upgrade - without having to spend a Draft Pick or a dime.

I don't think it takes anything away from the move or enjoying him on the team this year to review all the ramifications and possibilities of the trade. I'm sure we all want him to be successful and re-sign with the team in the Offseason. But looking at all angles of the deal doesn't make anyone less of a fan of the team, Cooper, or the move. It's good to know that either: a.) Cooper re-signs with the team after this season and is a long term piece of the team. or b.) He was a one year rental at the cost of a 3rd in 2025 and a 7th in 2026 in exchange for a 6th in 2025 and a 5th in Compensation for 2026.

In the case of Cooper, being a 10 year veteran, it isn't just based on the contract he signs. In the comp pick formula, 10 year veterans do not exceed a 5th Round Pick in compensation if lost. So, yes, that is the ceiling and no, it cannot be higher.

@paulmm3 beat me to it, but being a 10 year vet, we can't get more than a 5th as a Compensatory.

I keep seeing this being talked about. The difference in price comes from Cleveland taking him on Dallas's 5 year, 100m contract and taking that off their books. Meanwhile in our trade, Cleveland paid him 20m this year to give him to us at 800k. When you take a massive amount of money off the trading teams books and take it on yourself, you're going to pay less on compensation. If the trading team has taken on the money and you're paying close to nothing, youre going to pay more in compensation. Simple as that.

We were. And at the same time, we weren't. Like I said from the beginning, there would be teams that would be able to trade for him and not ask Las Vegas to pay a dime. And even if there weren't any teams that were willing to pick up the contract - there would surely be teams that would ask them to pick up less than we would need them to. And even in the unlikeliest event that there was no one offering anything without Vegas picking up the same amount we needed them to - our Round 3, Conditional 2 Pick would be considered a much lower pick than most, if not all suitors. Sure enough, it was the Jets. They didn't ask them to pay a dime and their pick is perceived to be higher than ours. So while we called and probably made an offer, we were never *really* "in on" him.

Yeah, that's not how veteran NFL players work. Especially vets in a contract year. If he mailed it in, that effects his money and potential suitors next year. Especially with us.

I agree with you here on wishing we picked from a different position. He's already paid for and we don't save any money letting him go. He's been awful for us thus far. But at least he's been working in the system and maybe he and Josh needed some more time to click. He was clearly the last WR on the roster. But i'd have rather let go one of our 11 on the DL, one of our 11 DB's, or one our 6 LB's than our 5th WR.

We literally just acquired Amari Cooper like a few hours ago and you're still talking about moves for more WR's. Reminds me of when we signed Leonard Floyd and you were talking about adding not one, but two more DE's on top of him immediately. Like take a day or two and be happy with what we have done - geesh! This ain't Madden. No way I see us doing TWO trades. With them releasing MVS to make room for him instead of somewhere else says to me that 5 WR's is the max they're going with. They aren't releasing any of Shakir, Samuel (because of the long term financial commitment made to him), Coleman, or Hollins. And having 2 WR's learning the playbook midseason and giving up more Draft capital then we already have - I just don't see it. The *only* one that I can even remotely see being done is if Jacksonville decides they just want to give away Gabe Davis at the deadline. Bc he has chemistry with Josh, knows the system for the most part, and everyone in the building. Even then, I think it would require an injury to someone and Beane willing to take on whatever hit he has next season and whatever it would take to get out from underneath it after that.

Of course they should feel good about it. It gave us a two game lead on the division and a loss would have put us in 2nd place with a .500 record. But let's not get it twisted - we had a nail biter with a 2 win team coming off back to back losses. We came DANGEROUSLY close to being .500 and in 2nd Place in the Division to a .500 Jets team. All of our wins come from losing teams. And we've failed both tests against AFC contenders. One of them in spectacular fashion. I'm happy we won and I'm glad we're in the position we're in. But we're not the 2017 Bills anymore where we're thrilled to just make it to the Playoffs. And watching them over the past 3 weeks, even tonight with a win, a lot of things need to change if we're going to compete.

I think we all would have signed up for 4-2 with a two game lead on the Division before the start of the season. But considering the 4 teams we've beaten are the 2-4 Cardinals, the 2-3 Dolphins, the 1-5 Jaguars, and the 2-4 Jets, of which it came down to the wire - 4-2 isn't quite the victory it seems on paper. Instead 4-2 feels like the bare minimum. Especially with how badly Baltimore owned us and Houston beating us as they did, minus Joe Mixon and Nico Collins going down before the second half. Things certainly could be a lot worse. The record and the division lead is nice. Definitely happy we pulled it out tonight. But I'm certainly not doing backflips and feeling like we're Super Bowl bound right now.

That was the worst officiating performance I've ever seen. Ed Hochuli would have let them play more. Everything that could possibly be called *was* called. Everything that could be picked up or was 50/50 was called. It was pure insanity.