[Pitts RB Israel Abanikanda. Maybe a 3rd rder?]

I think that people are taking for granted that all the RBs, which imo all the RBs that the Bills currently have on the roster (except for Cook) have their limitations, are going to stay healthy. This is the position where the player gets hit all the time. I would really like to see another RB back there with some size. I like UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet as well, either him or Abanikanda works for me and if using a 3rd or a 4th rder to fortify this offensive position then I think that the draft pick used would be well spent. The best part of Charbonnet is that he worked hard to get  himself into position to be a top RB.

 

 

[Pitts RB Israel Abanikanda. Maybe a 3rd rder?]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

Wait when did Bills re-sign Taiwan Jones?

Oops, maybe I misspoke, I pulled up the roster on the Bills’ app and there he was listed. Either way it doesn’t matter with him because he’s just a STer which shows the need all the more. Btw, thanks for your alertness! I must say if anyone ever wants to find out information on the Bills, past or present, all one needs to do is to pull up this message board because it is VERY astute.

[Pitts RB Israel Abanikanda. Maybe a 3rd rder?]

Here’s my thinking, at one point, beginning of last season, we had a ton of secondary guys and it seemed that in a blink of an eye we were down to a7th rder, FAs and just back up type players. If James Cook goes down then what do we really have, a Patriot cast off (Harris)? A 3rd down RB (Hines) or a STer (Jones)? No, the Bills need another RB, a valid one at that and imo Abanikanda could be that guy, he’s heavier than Cook and he can also catch out of the backfield, so why not him? There’s usually some quality RBs in the 3rd and 4th rds and I think Abanikanda fits the Bills’ criteria.

[Pitts RB Israel Abanikanda. Maybe a 3rd rder?]

As much as I would love for the Bills to draft Texas RB Bijan Robinson, maybe Abanikanda could be a steal in the 3rd rd, might take a move up though for that to happen. 
 

 

[TE? Darnell Washington]

On 3/1/2023 at 2:00 PM, billvernsays said:

Based on Beane’s PC yesterday I’m thinking we may be considering the TE from Georgia, Darnell Washington.

He was saying to get playmakers and match up guys in the 1st round that make defenses second guess their personal.
 

Darnell Would do this for us and he’s a blocking stud in both the run game and passing game. 
 

I bring it up because I haven’t seen him projected to us at all and he may be someone we haven’t discussed much and overlooked but after thinking about it I think he would look great in our offense allowing Knox to be more of a receiving TE and steam stretcher like Ertz was in his prime. 

I’m glad that your post has been revived, I wanted to do it the other day but I didn’t know how. Anyways I believe that at pick #27 Washington is a very worthy candidate for the Bills. He would bring immediate help to the OL, provide a valid 2 TE set that would be very potent and it also allows some more flexibility for the following couple of rounds after the 1st round. I’d be very happy with the pick, I lived in Augusta, Ga for 3 years and still have a lot of connections up there and they are absolutely crazy about the guy, they have a rabid fan base for the Bulldogs up there.

[With their first pick of the draft WR makes the most sense for the Bills.]

41 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

It’s definitely looks like the most likely position for them to pick

 

From that list Flowers and Addison are definitely the most likely. Bills won’t have a chance at JSN (unless they trade up) and Johnston is the only one they haven’t had in for a visit.

You make some great points, especially about the smoke screening that Beane seems to like to do. Thanks for your insight.

[With their first pick of the draft WR makes the most sense for the Bills.]

Oops, I completely missed stating that I don’t believe that the Bills should rely on or trust Diggs. His flare up(s) make me nervous and I think that the Bills should prepare in case of a fall out with this guy.

[With their first pick of the draft WR makes the most sense for the Bills.]

It makes the most sense simply because this is the Bills biggest need as of date. I expect the Bills to move up as well, I believe this with all the rumors flying around lately. Beane may believe in Gabe Davis but relying on him is a different story and I’m pretty sure that Beane and McDermott are feeling the heat as well. Not only do they have to win imo but also to go far into the play-offs/Super Bowl, inspite of having a cash strapped year and with limited resources. 
 

Here is the top 4 WR prospects, not necessarily in order, in this year’s draft.

1. TCU WR Qentin Johnston

2. USC Jordan Addison

3. Boston College Zay Flowers

4. Ohio State Jaxon Smith-Njigba

 

If there is any accuracy to this speculation then which one of them do you think or want the Bills to draft?

[TSW Mock Draft Poll - Who Should the Bills select at #91]

How about Pitts’ RB Israel Abanikanda? I think  he’d be a perfect fit for this offense.

[Prayer service planned for Kim Pegula]

Kim Pegula is one of the best things that has ever happened for the Buffalo Bills. My thoughts and prayers are on her for a full recovery and a healthy life. 🙏🙏🙏

[I’d like to see the Bills bring back Shaq Lawson and pay him fairly.]

19 hours ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

@Tipster19 Who is next on your wish list?

Bijan Robinson.

[I’d like to see the Bills bring back Shaq Lawson and pay him fairly.]

5 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

I’m not sure what Tipster thinks is a fair price, but I agree Beane will work his magic on the cap to get Shaw back.

 He’s not a top $ talent anymore, but a viable cog and sets the edge well.  I like Shaw at a reasonable price.

Whatever makes him happy and gets him to re-sign. Where he liked a tweet stating that he was’t getting paid peanuts, whatever that offer was, to where he finds it satisfactory. Like Poyer I suspect that they may have over valued themselves and when they looked around the league they saw that Buffalo was more in line to what other teams perceived them. Either way I’m glad to see Shaq back, I think he provides an important piece to our DL. Phillips and Shaq have an attitude that I like and that nobody else on this team provides, I’m real happy to have both of them back. Go Bills!

[My money is on Beane moving up in the 1st rd to take an offensive player.]

3 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Wait, wait....CBS Sports is busy typing too 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-draft-2023-rumors-bills-eying-trade-up-from-no-27-to-improve-offense-here-are-some-potential-targets/

It only makes sense. Why wouldn’t Beane do something like this, it’s no secret that he’s been whiffing on most of his drafts and the way the season ended last year there’s been talk about him having some heat on him. 

[My money is on Beane moving up in the 1st rd to take an offensive player.]

I love this time of the year, it’s the most exciting outside of the games themselves. Bear with me the draft will be here soon enough and then you won’t hear that much from me the rest of the year. All I do is envision different scenarios from all different angles, I only post about 5% of what goes through my head. If ESPN (not that they are the most credible) is posting this then it gives me even more hope that something like this will happen. 

2 minutes ago, Herb Nightly said:

So ,you just read Matt Miller on ESPN Insider? Nothing to see here.. 

If I had it…

[My money is on Beane moving up in the 1st rd to take an offensive player.]

The more I think about it this makes the most sense. Imo the pressure is on Beane to make this draft work and fortifying Josh would be the best bet, whether it be a stud RB, a top tier WR or a OL to help solidify the trenches. To me it’s really between a stud RB or a mainstay OL because to hear Beane a top WR isn’t as important as one would think. 
 

Not having an abundance of draft picks this year I expect Beane to tap into the the 2024 draft resource to make this happen, either using a day 2 or 3 pick to move up in this year’s draft. Why not use a future draft pick when the heat is on now for a successful draft. If Beane comes up short this year he may not have to worry about next year’s draft. 

[Brandon Beane Set To Double Down on 2022’s Big Disappointments]

14 hours ago, JohnNord said:

I took another listen to the Brandon Beane interviews after the season and at the combine.  What stuck out to me was his defense of players than were much maligned by the fan base.  
 

In my opinion, the three of his former draft picks who didn’t “take the next step” in 2022, are being counted on to “take the next step” in 2023.  
 

This season will prove to see if The Bills faith in these players will be rewarded. 
 

Spencer Brown

Brown was the Bills worst lineman at times in 2022 which is notable considering how poorly Roger Saffold played.  
 

Still, Beane was effusive in his praise and defense of Brown.  He point blank said he had confidence in him and listed some reason for his poor performance in 2022.
 

These comments make me think that the Bills won’t invest a high draft pick at tackle and will again roll the dice that Brown greatly improves.  

Gabe Davis

Like Brown, Beane was quick to defend Gabe citing “unrealistic expectations” from his amazing playoff performance and a numbers of injuries. 

 

Losing faith in Davis as a true WR2, many fans wanted the Bills to make a big move.  Some foolish fans convinced themselves to believe the lying huckster on Twitter “ErieCountyBills” who said they were trading for DeAndre Hopkins.  All false hope.

 

It’s doubtful the Bills make a huge move at WR like OBJ or Hopkins given the context,    Because Davis is a FA in 2024 I can see a scenario where they draft a WR in the first 3 rounds.  But again, when it comes to WR2 in 2023, the Bills are putting their faith in Davis to improve yet again.  
 

Ed Oliver

Same story with Ed Oliver.   Nice player.  Not a difference maker unless he plays against a BAD offensive line…or on Thanksgiving.  

 

Beane again defended Oliver mentioning how the things he does go unnoticed and that he fought through injuries.  He did mention that he left “more meat on the bone.”  But Beane could have said this during any of Oliver’s seasons in Buffalo.  
 

Because of his guaranteed 5th year option, The Bills likely didn’t have a choice but to have faith in Oliver.  But I can definitely see the Bills use a higher draft selection on a DT given the contract situation.  
 

The concern for me, is that we’ve seen the Bills make similar excuses for players in the past and it hasn’t worked out (Star, Cody Ford, Zach Moss, AJ Epinesa, Boogie Basham).  IMO a big part of next season will be whether the faith the Bills placed in these former draft picks will pay off…

Great post, one that needs to be discussed at great lengths. When I think of the position(s) that we’re addressed heavily (DL) and/or dealt with with poor results (OL & RB) one comes to the conclusion that Beane and/or McDermott failed and failed greatly imo. Outside of Von Miller one can’t be too thrilled with the results along that DL and the OL, outside of paying huge money (hopefully all of the restructures made it more plausible), for an above average Center the OL is nothing special, actually it’s one of the weak positions on this roster. As far as RBs go, I don’t think that I have to even say anything about this position. The only thing that may become redeemable for Beane on this position is that it’s way too early to get a bead on Cook, time will reveal his actually worth. If he was overwhelmingly the answer than there wouldn’t be any kind of discussion on the Bills drafting a RB potentially in the first round.

 

Thanks for posting this, it was well written and truly a topic that is worthy of being discussed much more than it already has been.

[Which would you rather have the Bills draft first, a better #2 TE or a better #2 WR?]

4 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

No disrespect, but this notion we are going TE in the first has no rhyme or reason to it.  

Thanks but none was taken. I better clarify the title, I never meant in the first round, what I was referring to was which of these 2 positions should the Bills draft first, meaning it doesn’t have to be a specific round. Sorry for the confusion.

[Which would you rather have the Bills draft first, a better #2 TE or a better #2 WR?]

I think the better value is in the better #2 TE. It would help solidly the OL while providing help with the passing game. 

[I’d like to see the Bills bring back Shaq Lawson and pay him fairly.]

1 hour ago, BillsFan130 said:

I like him when he’s healthy, although I will say he’s a streaky player.

 

But 3 years in a row he has shown he can’t stay healthy and he just turned 31.

Not a guy you can count on IMO

What I like about Phillips and with Shaq as well is that they pay to the crowd. They both want and love to be a Bill and play with passion imo. One never really hears anything quotable or memorable from say someone like Oliver, Groot etc etc. I will say that they both give great effort, regardless of the results. I like that about both of them, they make a good tandem. 

[I’d like to see the Bills bring back Shaq Lawson and pay him fairly.]

2 minutes ago, BillsFan130 said:

Like the signing of J Phillips back didn’t make a lot of sense IMO

I find this interesting. I take it that you’re not a fan of Phillips?

[I’d like to see the Bills bring back Shaq Lawson and pay him fairly.]

He was a great soldier last year when we needed defensive help the most. He wants to be here and it would help keep continuity on the DL imo. I’m surprise this hasn’t happened yet, it looks like the money is the issue right now but with a little bit of effort this should get done fairly easily. A 1 year contract like Jordan Phillips’, would make the most sense at this time, you know with the salary restrictions that the Bills are currently facing. I’d also like to see this thread become a petition to help make this cause happen but if anybody disagrees then I’d like to know the reason(s) why, everybody has a right to their opinion so please let’s hear the pros and cons. Bring back Shaq!

[All your juicy Odell Beckham gossip]

This is a monster thread so I don’t know if this has already been posted but man what a nice feeling it is to see a WR comfortably catch the football, especially with just one hand! I realize that there’s been probably a ton of info on new WR Coach Adam Henry but although I knew that he was OBJ’s college WR Coach I didn’t know that Henry also followed OBJ to the Giants and to Cleveland. Having Henry as the new hire I would have to think that that is a pretty good precursor to signing OBJ. I guess we’ll have to wait and see about that. Go Bills!

[Drafting a TE Day 1 & 2]

30 minutes ago, 78thealltimegreat said:

The thing about getting a top flight TE is you take care of multiple issues…extra blocker on the line…the size allows them to make a contested catch…because the bills don’t use 2TE hardly at all it would give defenses something completely different to gameplan for…quite frankly behind Dawson Knox the TE cupboard is pretty bare on this team…you could lineup a really athletic one as an extra wideout. All the great offenses in the league have effective TE play. 

I totally agree with this and then some. Changing our offense, giving different looks would certainly be advantageous. I truly believe that if prospect(s) that the Bills like are still on the board when they pick in the first 3 rounds then they will take a TE this year.

 

On a side note I’m a bit surprised that Dorcey hasn’t used a lot more TE play than what he has been doing. In Carolina the only one Cam would throw to was Greg Olsen. I’d love to see the Bills draft a HD RB (Robinson) and a great TE, in addition to Knox. Using a jumbo offense with 2 big time TEs would awesome imo. I know Dorsey will be capable to do it, utilize 2 TEs and a bruising RB. That would make Josh more dangerous than ever before! Allen had to be the offense but how nice would it be to have Josh being a great addition to a great offense rather than hoping to have a great offense being a great addition to Josh. It’s time to build a total offense.

[I’d like to advocate some opinions on contracts, especially in regards to Edmunds’.]

12 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Traded to who, for what? That's a nice wish, but in reality you need a team willing to make that trade, and willing to offer something worthwhile.

 

No GM is perfect 100% of the time. The best ones hit at a rate slightly above 50% (and we have one of the better ones). Life has too many variables at play from so many different angles.

 

It's easy to sit in hindsight and bag on past decisions, but at the time, letting him play out was the best choice.

Sorry, I accidentally overlooked your response. The main intent of this thread is about contracts and after reviewing the evidence I’ve come to realize that there is a few holes in how Beane is handling these contracts and players. 
 

I’m not of the thinking that oh well Beane made a mistake, stuff happens. I’m really not trying to crucify Beane because I like him but it’s not ok for Beane to whiff on 1st rd pick(s) and/or player(s). I’m not saying he should be fired but as a committed fan one should question the state of affairs. It’s about learning about correcting and preventing the mistakes. Maybe there’s a better way than my suggestion on solutions but bottom line is that you just can’t have your big investment and asset just walk out the door and not receive any kind of compensation. Let’s just call it for what it is and that is just plain old bad management.

[I’d like to advocate some opinions on contracts, especially in regards to Edmunds’.]

6 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

I have observed a trend with threads you start in that you never re-enter to discuss.  It's just throw a subject out, let others debate, and then go away.  

 

The discussion and debate around Edmunds has continued ad nauseam to the point it's asinine  The team made a business decision on a player that, yes they selected high, but who provided less than ideal value at a position of lesser importance.  He was a matchup disadvantage for that defense and those who used bulk stats always missed that.   He was not the player they envisioned to him to be.  

 

Edmunds the player is the first example that fans cannot have everything (player-wise) you want and that includes players drafted.  Eventually the cap must be managed and they're doing it.  Right or wrong, that's the issue.  

 

Are you a moderator?? I find your statement inaccurate. Btw, whenever I post a thread THAT is my opinion, it’s not always needed to elaborate on it.

 

The second point of your response really doesn’t make sense. The point of this thread is contracts and if they are good ones but according to you if the Bills are drafting players in the mid 1st rd that “provided less than ideal value at a position of lesser importance” than we got bigger issues than I have realized! Lol!

 

The 3rd point that you’re trying to make is oh well if we whiff on a 1st rd pick and do nothing to minimize that mistake then that’s ok, that’s the price you pay. Do I have that right?? 
 

Anyways how did I do?? Did I engage and argue enough for you?