Dr. Who

I understand. He's a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern level player. But his peculiarities make him interesting for discussion. Well, I hope that's true. It seems the top tier is prohibitively expensive, so you're talking about Thomas, and then maybe Mitchell. Mitchell you might get for a reasonable cost. I think Thomas, you have to be willing to gamble, and I'm not sold on Beane's willingness to take that much risk. If you're thinking another scenario, I'd love to hear it.

If he can play, he can be as eccentric as he likes. As I wrote elsewhere, shoeless in Buffalo is not a good plan for football season.

If you are in a position to field the equivalent of the '85 Bears, I say go for it. You can win a Super Bowl that way. I think the current game is geared to help the offense, and in the post-season, the Oline often has a full pass to hold pretty much almost all the time without consequences. (Maybe it depends on which team you play for, I dunno.) So I favor taking that into account, though it's possible the pendulum will swing back. I still think I can find explosive defensive players later in the draft, but not at the edge. Peyton Wilson is going to be an amazing LB, though that's not a position we are likely to be looking at. You can get an interesting DT in the second. I like Tykee Smith and Jaylon Carlies as middle round safeties. And yes, a bad OC will sink the plan. There might be diminishing returns on upgrading WR, but we haven't tried it enough to tell, imo. We aren't going to get an OC to equal Reid, but I think you can get sufficient to create an imposing offense that worries the other team. Folks worry about Mahomes, even when his receivers are mediocre. Kelce is part of that, of course. They worry about the Dolphins, even with Tua, who is a good system qb, but not top tier. The Bengals are good, because they lucked into a situation with two WR1. You can't aim for that, but you can aim for better than we have had. My bottom line is a Josh Allen led offense needs sufficient oline protection and weapons to become a constant threat. We shouldn't have long stretches of ineptitude, and the other D needs to be worried about us. Beane can acquire the talent to make that a possibility, and I don't think we're far off, actually. But we still need a few pieces, and I'd rather not put it on the back burner because our D is not ferocious enough. (I'm all for ferocious though. Rapp might not be the best player, but he brings an edge we need. More of that is fine by me.)

Well, you're one of the solid fellas on this board. I respect your intellect and general decency. However, I'm going to stubbornly disagree with your interpretation of the state of the team. I think we both are more optimistic than not, so none of what follows should be understood as a repudiation of that. Nonetheless, here's my brief counter-argument. Wanting a strong WR room does not mean dismissing the value of other positions or groups. You can get a solid S and C outside of the first round. You can often find quality in the middle rounds there. So even if you think those are crucial to the Bills in 2024, that doesn't mean one is compelled to pick them above WR. It's a false either/or, if one intends that. Now, I believe the WR room isn't just about upgrading talent, but getting the right mix of talent. Some folks don't think a big X is needed, for instance. If you have sufficient talent, just make that work. I think having that big X with speed and reliable hands results in an exponential jump on the collective value, the whole transcending the particular values of the parts. I also just don't happen to like many of the other options likely to be there at #28. You can make a case for Cooper Dejean, I suppose. There might be a CB worth the pick. Unless Latu inexplicably falls, I don't like the edge players, and I would not want Beane to reach for need ahead of WR if a fella like Mitchell is still on the board. But also, and here, I'm pretty sure we just differ, I don't think we're likely to prevail in the post-season on the basis of a superior D. There's a threshhold below which you are sunk, but I think McD can coach them up to get above that line. What helps a D a lot is a really outstanding offense that threatens and stresses the other team a great deal. We don't have that, but we could. We have RB1. I think we'll add another in the draft. It doesn't have to be a high pick, because you can get solid RBs late. I think they should and will add to the OL. You might find someone worthy late first, but I doubt it will outweigh WR as I judge the need. Kincaid and Shakir are young, ascending players. I'm high on Kincaid. Samuel is a nice add. It's still missing an outside boundary receiver to make the recipe complete. But overall, I have more urgency not only because I think it is wisest to protect Josh Allen and surround him with the best collection of talent possible, but because I'm not sure about Diggs, how far he'll come back, and exactly where he is altogether. I think it would be foolish to wait until you absolutely have to replace WR1 before you bring the new guy in. Get him now and develop him.

I'm waiting on the Steelers to pick him up, too.

I like this one pretty well, but I'm not crazy about Lloyd at 128. Orhorhoro is an interesting fella. It's a bit of a bet on a wild card, but I'm okay with it.

Yeah, I like the idea of Samuel replaces Harty, Weirdo Hollins replaces Sherfield. They haven't replaced Davis yet, and that needs to be an early pick in the draft.

I like soup, and I love cats. I am a crazy cat person, novelist, collector of too many books. The fella is amusingly eccentric. I don't care one way or the other, if he makes plays. If he doesn't, I'm going to find it easy to hold a grudge against the weirdo whose proclivities I don't agree with. Barefoot in Buffalo doesn't seem like the brightest idea in football season.

I'm sorry, I just hate that argument. Positional value ought to be a consideration. You don't just say, well, I could have the seventh best WR or the second best S, I guess I better pick S. Look at the loaded free agents at S. Look at how RB is now a position you can fill with late round fellas and UFA. And this is an exceptionally good draft at WR, so the seventh best is likely the third best in an ordinary draft. Regardless, my view is that they should draft someone who can conceivably grow into WR1, and preferably someone who is a big X with speed and good hands. That is a piece that we presently lack, and adding it to what we have in the WR room will make the entire ensemble much more dangerous. I sure as hell wouldn't pass on an AD Mitchell to take Chop Robinson, for instance.

Better pray Cooper Dejean isn't on the table at #28, because I can't see McD passing on him. I think Beane will land a veteran S yet, and I'd like to see him gamble some depth to go get the best possible WR in round 1. My confidence in that happening fluctuates by the day.

Some folks think signing Samuel means Beane should pass on the 2024 WR draft, or wait until you're left with tier 3 and below because of S and DL. Beane seems to have grown into the job. I hope he's smart enough not to wait until day 3 to take a WR in this draft.

I certainly prefer him to Chop.

That is hyperbole, you can't or everyone would. I hate the edge players at #28. Dejean, I could understand. If that's the play, they better go get Legette or Coleman in the second.

You can't dig a hole where you have to win 80% of your games in March to have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

I understand, but that is like saying you can wait on QB till the sixth because Tom Brady. The bulk of the excellent WR depth in this draft is going to be gone probably before 60, but definitely day 2. It's plain stupid to pass on that, especially with Diggs on the wrong side of 30.

Okay, seems to me that WR is having immediate impact more frequently. For example, Nacua last year. I think they will sign a vet S, but even if they don't, you don't ordinarily spend a first on one. (I just did a mock where I took Cooper DeJean, however, because I think McD would want him badly if he fell that far.) I don't see massive gaps on OL, but I do think they should keep drafting OL. You can find a C early day 3 that could be good, btw. I'll be more shocked if they wait on WR past round 2, and it would be a mistake to do so, imo. Personally, if AD Mitchell is sitting there, I'm taking him. Thomas, too, but he won't be. I like Legette, but it looks like you could trade back and get him, which might happen.

So, your presumption is they are basically going to pass on one of the deepest drafts at WR because of holes on D and Curtis Samuel? I hope they go WR at #28, but if they don't, my bet would be on WR day 2. (And I'm not sold on Diggs being here in 2025.)

Passed on Mitchell to take the fella I suppose McD would really want if available at #28. Still came out pretty well. BUF 28. Cooper DeJeanS Iowa 64. Xavier LegetteWR South Carolina 128. Tanor BortoliniOC Wisconsin 132. Jordan JeffersonDT LSU 134. Isaiah DavisRB South Dakota State 144. Javon BakerWR UCF 160. Keith Randolph Jr.DT Illinois 163. Jaylon CarliesS Missouri 189. Marist LiufauLB Notre Dame 200. Dylan McMahonOG NC State 204. Myles ColeEDGE Texas Tech 248. Carter BradleyQB South Alabama

I agree. He's not a realistic option for us, but I'd love to get him.

If you read through the subsequent thread, you'll see that I explained that it was mainly a joke, and that I hope we get one of Thomas, Mitchell, Legette, or Coleman, with that order of preference.

You're hired.

He isn't a WR2, and I don't think he was signed to replace Davis. He's a nice piece if he's a #3 or #4. I still expect WR2 is an early draft pick. I'd be thrilled with either. I just don't believe Thomas is going to be there at #28 or really anywhere near there.

I think he could go day 2. If he's there in the fourth, you've got a steal.

Allen isn't slipping to round 4. I'd go with Isaiah Davis in the mid-rounds, or if you go a different direction, Dylan Laube. I think vet S is next, and probably about it, but who knows?

No, it was mainly a joke, but the idea of having another super fast guy is fun to contemplate. I've said already till it's boring for others. I'd love to be able to get Thomas. I'd pay too much to get him. Beane won't. My next on the wish list is Mitchell. I think he can be really good, and he might be within reach. Then Legette, and Coleman for me in that order. You might be able to trade back a bit and still get Legette. Can't get a read on Coleman and where he's likely to go. I love the versatility Beane is infusing into the WR room, but they still need the big X. Those who are skeptical about that need are simply fooling themselves.