Brand J

They’re a billion dollar organization, they certainly have the money to build a plane if they wanted to.

Thanks for the find. I was sitting home screaming “watch the QB boot!” I remember that’s what the Chiefs went to in their crucial 4th and 1 play against the 49ers in the SB, same side too - always to Mahomes right. That falls on the coaches and the player for situational awareness. I didn’t study an ounce of film and knew a boot was a high probability in that situation. I’d still pass at anything more than $18M/yr, that’d be my ceiling. I imagine the team will be drafting multiple DEs, not just because “affecting the QB” remains a huge need, but they have to have a contingency plan if Rousseau walks.

As for travel, it’d be cool if the Bills incorporated something like players of the game (those who get game balls) get to sit in first class on the way back and on the way to the next game, even if it bumps multiple coaches to coach.

He’s also supposed to be an all world edge setter and on that crucial 4th and 1, Mahomes went right around him as he was caught looking inside at the RB. You need your $23M/yr defensive end to make that play.

My misunderstanding. You said Khalil got the deal because “it’s not easy to find players like him” and then later stated it’s easy to find RBs like Cook, just not the elite ones. I took that to mean you believed Shakir was elite since “players like him are difficult to find.” Of course there are going to be more swings and misses on WRs, there’s 3-4 of them on the field at any given time versus 1 RB. Volume wise they have to be selected at a higher clip. I love the deal Shakir got, but nothing you said has convinced me there’s not an inequity between WR and RB contracts. Cook will likely sign for less than $15M/yr, but it isn’t because his value to the Bills offense is less than Shakir’s, it’s because the market value between the two positions are out of whack.

There has never been a point in the NFL where WR has been more bountiful as it is now. It’s the inverse of RB, where the league used to be filled with good backs and the emphasis was on the running game. The best athletes used to play RB, now receivers get the money. You can find a Shakir in the 5th round relatively easy now. I mean, Amon Ra went in the 4th. Nacua, Adams, Hill, Diggs, all in the 5th, etc. WRs are even easier to find than RBs. I’m happy with the re-sign, but Shakir is not some elite, hard to find player. A deal got done because it’s a good contract for all parties, perhaps even a bit of an underpay for Shakir. My whole argument is that there’s an inequity between WR and RB contracts, but that may begin to change with the amount of receivers coming in and immediately contributing and the defense’s goal to defend the pass.

Relative to his RB peers I would agree, I think his value slots around $12M/yr. But relative to his impact on the team I think he’s easily worth $15M/yr. People have argued that a great RB isn’t the driving force to SB appearances. Well, a great WR is even less of a driving force, yet an upper echelon receiver makes 2-3x more than an upper echelon RB despite touching the ball 2-3x less and without the added responsibility of blocking for the QB. There’s a great inequity between those two positions. With the way defenses defend nowadays, a Saquon Barkley is arguably just as valuable to his QB, if not more so, than a Jamarr Chase or J Jefferson. And we just saw Barkley reap offseason awards to prove that point.

Because you need a great QB and teams with those QBs were loading up on WRs as the league turned into an aerial assault. Now, teams are seeing the value of pairing a great RB with a great QB as defenses continuously run cover 2 to limit explosive plays. A great RB makes your great QB’s job much easier. As you referenced, KC was so keen on stopping Barkley, Hurts had little resistance through the air. I’m for replacing Cook ONLY if we get another explosive RB in his spot. I don’t think Ray Davis or Ty Johnson as lead backs would get you the same amount of explosive plays if their workload was bigger. Less explosive plays = more of a struggle to score.

Hope it happens, I thought he did some good things this season. Marino had him at 6 sacks and 30 something QB pressures on a low snap count. It is concerning he only played around 20% of the snaps against KC in the AFCCG. That usually doesn’t bode well.

Beane said Ron Rivera called him up and told him he was going to coach at the collegiate level. Sounded like the two were on good terms. Wasn’t Rivera HC of the Commanders the year JD McKissic reneged on the Bills and stayed with Washington?

Just like the RB is dependent on the OL, the WR is dependent on the OL and the QB delivering a catchable ball. When offenses became pass heavy, WR contracts went up while RB contracts stayed the same. They didn’t inflate with the salary cap. Now, you’ve got a disproportionate value between RBs and WRs where Gabe freaking Davis makes more than Saquon Barkley and King Henry. Sure, the Ravens can roll with Justice Hill and be fine in the rushing game, but Hill ain’t Henry. Ditto for Kenny Gainwell and Barkley. Those are high end RBs, but their importance to the team is not reflected in their salary. Saquon was just an MVP candidate and won offensive player of the year. There aren’t many other RBs who could produce at his level. Same argument could be used for WRs, but their importance in a passing league has inflated with the cap. As more and more NFL WRs come out of the draft ready to go, I would expect for WR contracts to regress. Supply and demand.

Not to mention RBs are asked to pass protect. You’ll get no arguments from me, RB and WR contract differences are out of whack. J Jefferson can’t be worth $35M/yr while Saquon Barkley ($13M AAV) and King Henry ($8M AAV) are that much less.

No, he needs to work on his route running first and foremost. The difference in a 40 yard dash between a 4.61 and a 4.41 is 2 yards. We don’t need Coleman to be a deep threat. If he learns how to run routes properly, like countless other productive (and even Hall of Fame) WRs before him, you’ll see a night and day difference on the field. He needs to study Davante Adams, Tee Higgins, Puka Nacua, Mike Evans, etc, WRs within his range of speed who know how to maximize their talents. Steve Smith excoriated Coleman for his bad route running, I hope someone sent him that video. Link up with Steve in the offseason, learn from him.

I agree with shelf life, but the production high end RBs give is difficult to replace - if we’re talking about explosive plays. CMC, Barkley, and King Henry level production you likely won’t get in the 3rd+ round. If we can get Cook back at about $12M/yr he’s def worth that. I’ve got Cook in that second group with Brandon Jacobs, Gibbs, Bijan, etc., except some of those guys are more complete players. I remember how the running game looked with Zach “grows on” Moss and Devin Dingleberry. I’d rather not go back to those days.

The week before that Dolphins game Coleman was ascending and making big plays. He was playing with a ton of confidence. I don’t know what it was about that Dolphins game (dwindling confidence due to Ramsey locking him up?) but he was never the same afterwards. It started early too, the drop on the goal line that led to an INT. Even if Poyer hadn’t hit him, he would’ve dropped the perfectly thrown long ball as well. Everyone points to the injury in assessing his before and after performance, but the downward slide started with that Fins game as a whole.

I’d stick with Bishop because he isn’t likely to get you value in a trade. His ultimate potential is also untapped, so we still don’t know what he is or what he will eventually be. Not worth trading him for a 4th+ rounder.

College still has the traditional kickoff. Wonder how they get away with it.

Man, I was just coming here to say exactly the same. It’s damning to hear “the Bills have no talent” or “it’s a middling roster” which is somewhat justified with only 1 All Pro and 2 Pro Bowlers, yet the team is over the cap mostly every year. This with Allen being dramatically underpaid in relation to his peers. The money management has to get better.

Wow, a 5’10” 270 lb offensive lineman is on the list. No doubt that guy gets converted to FB in an Alan Ricard type of role. EDIT: Oops, meant Patrick Ricard.

I’m not apologizing for Allen and the offense’s failures or making any excuses, but Chris Jones bull rushed Dawkins and Dawkins inadvertently stepped on Josh’s foot which caused the errant pass. That play became a highly debated one because many others said Allen should’ve taken Diggs on the crosser who was wide open and he wouldn’t have had his foot stepped on. It also would’ve allowed the Bills to milk more time off the clock, leaving Mahomes with less of a chance to come back - if the Bills had eventually scored a TD. All of this is to say, the Bills just haven’t made the play that needed to be made with the game on the line. Whoever was at fault.

Also makes a difference that they play their rookies and don’t have them sitting behind marginal NFL players (looking at you, Hamlin, Klein, and Dane Jackson).

The Josh Allen Bills are 7-1 in the playoffs against all teams not named Kansas City. Make decisions on upcoming FAs (within the team and outside) based on how they play against the Chiefs. Rousseau? It’s a pass for me at anything more than $18M/yr. Benford is always hurt, so it’s hard to tell. Bernard is fine, just needs more help on the DL. Shakir always balls out, but the $20M/yr tag is a bit of sticker shock. Probably worth it though.

Cool with all of that, but not big on extending Rousseau if the $25M/yr projections are correct. To make that much, you gotta have more than 5 sacks in 15 games and disrupt Mahomes far more often than he has rushing against their weak tackles.

I feel like he’s due to strike gold on a DL pick.

It’ll be a crap shoot either way - going with an unproven rookie, or continuing with Bass (who we know has had a case of the yips).