dave mcbride

I don't have a dog in the Legette fight because I don't know enough, but this scouting report does raise some red flags given what sort of player Beane says he wants at the position: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10095835-xavier-legette-nfl-draft-2024-scouting-report-for-south-carolina-wr.

I look at it differently than you. My take on what he's saying is that we had a guy in Davis who was not versatile and -- just as importantly -- not really on-field smart given how many times he and Allen weren't on the same page regarding option routes (and I'm assuming Allen was making correct reads). There are a lot of option routes in the Bills offense, and I think the Bills are totally done with losing games because their X receiver made the wrong decision on an option route (and I think this goes back to the final play of the Vikings game in OT in 2022). The Bills are not moving away from this system because it obviously works if you have the right players -- and the Bills have the right QB and the rest of the right players (Kincaid, Samuel, Diggs, Shakhir).

The Bills put a LOT of stock in RAS scores (because you can't coach physical ability/speed), and Legette's is very high. But Mitchell's is higher, and I won't be surprised if he's the pick (provided he's within reach): https://www.profootballnetwork.com/2024-nfl-combine-top-wr-performers-by-ras/

Tyron Smith, who was a second-team all-pro last season.

From the way you describe him, he sounds like the next version of Keyshawn Johnson (who wasn't blazing): 6'4", 211 lbs to Harrison's 6'4" 205 lb frame. Johnson went #1 overall and had an excellent career, but he wasn't generational: 814 receptions, 10,571 yards, a few pro bowls but never a first- or second-team all pro. Johnson's career suggests he was a top 15 or so talent. Ironically, Marvin Harrison, Sr., far better statistically but with one of the best QBs ever throwing to him (which needs to be factored in), went #19 that season. People talk about this being a good receiver draft, but check out 1996: 1 - Keyshawn Johnson (814 receptions, 10,571 yards, 64 tds) 7 - Terry Glenn (593 receptions; 8823 yards, 14.9 career ypr) 18 - Eddie Kennison (548 receptions; 8,345 yards, 15.2 career ypr) 19 - Marvin Harrison (HOF) 24 - Eric Moulds (764 receptions, 9,995 yards, all-pro (second team) twice) 31 - Alex Van D yke (bust) 34 - Amari Toomer (668 receptions, 9,497 yards; 14.2 career ypc; huge game in the SB vs the 19-0 Pats) 41 - Bryan Still (bust) 43 - Muhsin Muhammed (860 receptions, 11,438 yards, 62 TDs) 52 - Bobby Engram (650 receptions) 56 - Derrick Mayes (bust; one decent season in Seattle in 1999) 89 - Terrell Owens (HOF) ... 135 - Joe Horn (603 receptions; 8,744 yards, 14.2 ypr, 58 TDs) 153 - Jermaine Lewis (great career as a returner; 2-time all pro)

Now THAT was pretty amazing!! The one thing that puzzled, me though, was Jeudy's response in which he used "ninja." I assumed he was using it as an acronym, and the acronym traditionally stands for "no income, no job, no assets." 🤔

Mack was pretty awesome for the Bears in 2018 and 2020 - all pro both seasons and finished second in DPOY voting in 2018. He had his highest AV rating in 2018 (17, which is really high) in 2018. The Bears went from a decent defense in 2017 to the #1 defense in the league in 2018, when he joined. He was the key reason. He's sneakily putting together a HOF fame career: 101.5 sacks so far and a cumulative AV total of 116. Last season was ridiculous: 17 sacks, 10 (!) passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, and 21 tackles for a loss. From The Athletic's Chargers beat writer a couple of days ago: "They kept Mack, who turned 33 in February. This likely came down to the tape and the upside. Mack was a truly dominant player last season in all facets of the edge position. There is no other way to state it. His impact on games week after week was monumental, against the run and as a pass rusher. He was healthy after dealing with the lingering effects of 2021 foot surgery in his first Chargers season. As a result, Mack looked like a top-10 edge rusher in the league in 2023. The tape showed a player who can continue playing at that level. He is worth paying for. The Chargers agreed with that assessment."

He tore it on September 23, 2023 - third game of the season.

What do folks think? I viewed as a player with clear #1 WR talent but he's coming off an ACL tear. I don't know how bad it was (as we all know, some are worse than others), but if he's healthy he'd be interesting. He's a much better version of Gabe Davis IMHO. He's nearly 29 and a half years old, though.

Agreed. He certainly passed the eyeball test last season and is a classic case of why RBs are regarded as a dime a dozen.

The fundamental problem with this argument is that having to be prepared to defend against the run forces suspect defensive lines to always anticipate moving laterally to get to the back, and if you can be run on, your d-line’s get-upfield-to-the-qb ability will be significantly handicapped. Being weak against the run means that you have to play two-dimensionally on d-line all the time, and that is NOT a good thing. Also, being weak against the run tends to create massive problems inside the red zone. This is why there is literally not one defensive coordinator or head coach in the NFL who would agree with this take (flagging @GunnerBill, who somehow bizarrely agrees in part with this argument.)

Paladin or sorcerer, though?

It's mystifying. Edmunds was the fourth highest-paid LB last year and received the fifth biggest contract in FA in 2023. Is it all based on position? If so, LB is below D-line, o-line, WR, and QB in terms of AAV paid. The fact that the Bengals only got sixths for losing two top-level safeties suggestions that positional worth might be a factor. Bengals got only sixths for the two very good safeties they lost. I am starting to think that overall positional value plays a role.

The idea that the Bills were not awarded a third round pick based on the minority hiring situation is false. There were 7 third round comp picks handed out last year and 9 the year before.

This is false. The NFL awarded 9 third-round comp picks in 2022. https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-awards-39-compensatory-2022-nfl-draft-picks-to-16-teams There were 8 last year too. Maybe when we aim to get a 3rd next time we'll let a WR walk. Honestly, I won't be shocked if Gabe Davis nets us a fourth given that he plays a premium dollar position.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/03/05/russell-wilson-broncos-breakup-inevitable Supports your take.

He played in two playoff games and lost them both. They blew a 16-3 lead in 1984 and lost 17-16, and they lost 22-20 to Birmingham the next season. Joe Cribbs was the lead running back for Birmingham (16 carries for 70 yards). In fact, you can watch the whole game right here:

Seems like the sort of study that’s going to be a classic example of the replication crisis in the behavioral sciences. I don’t believe these findings to be even remotely accurate.

Tyrod is now available and is ten times better than Trubisky as a backup. Just sayin' ...

Achilles tears are not the injuries they used to be — at all. I won’t be shocked if he’s fine by camp. We shall see.

I'll just point out that he had a pretty good third season - the year the Browns went 11-5 (95.9 passer rating and 65.5 QBR plus a 14 AV rating via PFR). Brady was actually very good last season. They couldn't run the ball at all because of line issues, and that killed their play action game. In the run game, they were literally 32nd in rushing yards, 32nd in rushing TDs, and 32nd in yards per attempt.

Mayfield has proven he's a pretty good QB. Why the Browns got rid of him remains a mystery to me. He was playing with a significant injury his final year there and gutted it out. The year before, he was good. And he was good this year. Almost rallied to beat the Bills after being down by a lot.

I am assuming no trade, which is the real issue because they lost a first round pick in the process. Not good.

Just to clarify, Mike Evans was gone by the time the Bills would have picked (at #9). Beckham was still on the board, however. He went at #11. I will say this about Sammy Watkins: before the injuries began to chronically diminish his game, Watkins looked as good as any of those other receivers. People forget how Watkins could at times utterly dominate opponents in his first couple of seasons.

I'd also add that in 14 non-Bills playoff games since Mahomes became QB, KC has averaged 29.1 points per game. And that includes a 9-point Super Bowl game when they were missing both of their starting OTs (take out that game and they've averaged 31 points over 13 playoff games against teams other than the Bills). Maybe, just maybe, they're a really good playoff offense.