Dr. Who

The price for trading up for one of the top three is probably prohibitive. I'd like to figure out a way to get one of them and still draft Claypool. Likely impossible, but that would really improve the wr room.

Not bad. Really like all three of those picks. I'm not so high on Chaisson, but lots of folks appear to want him.

Yeah, that's the prudential calculation. Does one think Lamb is a "transcendent WR" that justifies such a price. I put it in the subjunctive, because I don't know, but I think he might be that guy.

I recall lots of folks lambasting the Falcons when they moved up for Julio Jones. If you believe Lamb is that kind of WR, he's absolutely worth the price. Whether Beane & Co are willing and able to pull off that kind of trade, as you say, is another matter.

Hooper and Conklin.

I suggested we go after him upthread. Don't really know why anyone would be against bringing him in. I live in Atlanta and Hooper is a very good, reliable target. Atlanta can't afford him. We have the cap room to go get him.

You're really trying to hurt that 4merper4mer fella, aren't you?

Should go after Hooper. Atlanta's cap situation will make it difficult for the Falcons to retain him.

Do you find the political satire of the left deeply offensive? When all the late night shows and comedians routinely ridicule and belittle those they disagree with, calling them racist, homophobe, backwards bigots, is that okay because you happen to agree with them? But when someone effectively turns satire on them, it's just so mean and nasty and bigoted, so much so that hordes of social justice warriors are publicly expressing their joy that a fellow human being is facing a gruesome ordeal just because they consider his political views objectionable -- truly deplorable.

I honestly never think in these terms. There are players I really like and others less so, but even if I think a player is bad, I don't put him in a "least favorite" category. I think this kind of question fosters a form of brooding dislike that is unhealthy and sometimes unkind. I would never hate on a truly decent fella like Scott Norwood, for instance, who quite evidently took it very hard. Guy was clutch, but did not have a strong leg and never hit from that distance on grass. Bills partied hard and Belichick had an answer for an offense that was overconfident after smashing the Raiders 51 - 3. We were the better team and got outcoached and outplayed. It never should have come down to asking a player to do something exceptional given his particular skillset. But if you're going to hate, at least be amusing about it. Gugny's good at it after a lifetime of honing his craft.

Yeah, I would be excited, but nervous about Shenault. O-line upgrades still and playmakers are the most important elements to helping Josh become a franchise qb so I am good with investment in those areas.

Why would you trade for an UFA?

Man, I really wanted the Watkins that was supposed to be, but now I'm gun shy about that kind of player.

It's simply vile and indecent to bring up something like that at a time like this. Fella was being a good father and his little girl dies with him. Anything other than heartfelt sorrow is a sign of a sick soul.

Has to fix the long ball issue. That happens, the YPA problem goes away. Hoping an off-season where that is a focus and the addition of playmakers, especially WR1 does the trick. (Also really need to still improve the O-line, imo.) I think it's reasonable to be hopeful it will happen and until proven otherwise, I'm going to stick with that.

Are you Catholic? There's a fella who has to listen to your scrupulous quibbling over ethical quandaries. You should go see him. I mean, I come to this board to go in, not talk, get right out.

If you're going oline in the first, I'd love to get Andrew Thomas, but I think you'd have to trade up pretty high to get him.

I actually agree with almost all of this. I just believe Allen is likely to end up a franchise qb, and that's a pretty major difference. It's true the WR depth in the draft is exceptional. I am still inclined to grab one early and also draft another later in the draft. I am not an expert, but to my old eyes, Jeudy and Lamb appear to stand out as players I would take if I had my choice of any of the receivers. I also like Ruggs. I would trade up for either of the first two. Ruggs and Higgins are fellas I like at #22 if they are there. If you pass on WR in the first, I hope Jefferson is there in the second. Rbs I like are Swift (probably a first rounder, so too rich for us,) Dobbins (2nd? maybe, but probably still too early), Etienne (could you get him in the third?) and AJ Dillon (fifth or six, really like him as a bruiser back who probably is available for a decent price.) Forgot about Najee Harris -- he's an excellent choice at rb and might be there in the third, not sure.

Singletary is very good. We need a stable of good running backs, so I think upgrading the overall quality there is wise. I'd like Conklin in free agency to really address RT, but I am definitely looking to add a WR1 early in the draft. Allen is better than you credit, but I'm not going to argue with the convinced. Next year will probably determine who is correct in their assessment there. I think Edge may be addressed in free agency. I'd like to add RT and G in free agency as well. Ford might end up kicked inside replacing Spain. You can find a good rb in the middle rounds. I'm not worried about that. If a big, fast WR1 with good hands and tracking ability isn't the top target I think it's a mistake.

I dunno, I think this is just a backhanded way of saying you think Allen sucks at qb and is best as a glorified rb. You're wrong about that.

I was just joking about Lamonica, but thanks for the narrative on Kelly.

Maybe that fella (Jeffismagic) who got banned for crusading to draft Mahomes is owed an apology. For the record (and if you are better at searching really old threads there is archival evidence) I also argued strongly to draft Mahomes as well thinking Watson would be good despite naysayers who said he had a noodle arm and could not succeed. I was also one of the few who was happy on draft day when Allen was selected. His ceiling remains very high and I think it's better than a coin flip Allen substantially reaches his potential, especially if Beane properly adds to the playmaking and oline talent this offseason. Further, as many have said, it's likely Mahomes would not be the Mahomes who is now routinely talked about as a generational qb had he been drafted by the Bills. (No doubt, he would still be good.) He landed in an exceptional situation where he could be the understudy of a solid qb for a year surrounded by superior talent on offense and coached by one of the best offensive coaches in football. In the end, none of this matters if Allen becomes a franchise qb and the overall talent of the team includes a top defense to go along with a productive offense. No reason we can't get there, the pessimism of continuing Allen skeptics notwithstanding.

If you're prioritizing Dline over Oline and offensive playmakers, you're utterly ignoring the side of the ball that clearly needs the most attention. Allen's development into a franchise qb is also keyed into increasing the talent around him. There's really not any aspect of the team more important than securing the franchise qb, so unless one is a member of the dismal group that already "knows" Allen is not a good qb, it makes more sense to primarily address the offense.

Frankly, I'm still not over it?

Yeah, none of this gives one confidence that the head coach really understood the lesson of last season which ought to be the offense needs more playmakers and still needs better talent on the o-line. You can fill some of those gaps with rookies, but you ought to be spending free agent dollars to boost the offense while the fella you think is going to be a franchise qb is playing on a rookie contract. (And, btw, the best way to ensure he becomes that franchise qb is to put some veteran o-lineman with superior talent at RT and G, and add maybe a TE like Hooper who won't drop a ton of passes, and maybe another veteran wr to pair with a top wideout and another young rb in the draft.) I don't worry about upgrading at edge and cb on the defensive side because I think McDermott is going to see what needs fixing on that side of the ball.