Dr. Who

I think he goes day 2. It would be nice if we had a 3rd round pick.

Yes, I understand that reasoning. If you don't think the DT at #30 is special, you make that judgment. And then it depends on whose your last CB that could start. I'm not certain there's no one there at 56. Also, I don't like the desperation about CB. Beane has screwed up if he has forced his hand into having to secure one at #30. Paradoxically, perhaps, I wouldn't blame him if he made a small trade up for Barron if he fell close enough to grab.

Well, I disagree with the notion that Coleman and Palmer are adequate answers for the outside WR. I'd much rather go after a boundary receiver. I'm not sure that player is in the draft. I would spend a lottery ticket on Thornton with a day 3 pick, i guess. I think someone is going to take him earlier, and I wouldn't gamble that much on him. Noel is one of the players I like, however. If they take WR day 2, he ought to be a consideration.

No kidding. The folks who want to go CB at #30 emphasize the massive need at the position, and the relatively limited draft depth in comparison to DL (stipulating that is the likely alternative in the first.) For those who think the need is dire, there isn't any room for prudential calculation. Myself, I believe if there is a fella who can genuinely stop the run and provide pass rush up the middle, you take that guy, because that kind of pressure helps the entire secondary. Is Grant or Harmon that player? Well, I like Grant, and I'd be very tempted to take him. All that said, I think Amos and Revel are a step ahead of the likely alternatives with a chance to be there at #30. Would you rather bank one of them, and then "settle" for a Collins or a Farmer, who they seem to like, day 2? Maybe, but I'm not ready to just concede CB at #30.

I'm not convinced he's another DK Metcalf. He's going to get overdrafted now, I think. Afraid I don't much like this draft for WR. I wouldn't take Thornton that high.

You should take a look at Desnoyers. I'd add him to the list if we're picking in the 5 to 7 range.

From what I have read, and the opinions of some other folk who seem generally informed, I don't think Martone is really Tkachuk, but he's maybe Tuch. I'm curious about McQueen. Ideally, of course, you end up with Misa.

I suppose I think he can provide some interior pass rush, as SoonerBillsFan suggests. And then you would pay him. But if I'm wrong on that, my fall back plan is to go after Collins in the second. Beane either goes CB or Edge most likely at #30 then, though I'm not sure I like any of the DE there unless someone unexpected falls.

I understand. I just really like Grant.

I don't think that's a position you pay big FA dollars to, and it's a deep position in the draft. However, I would entertain taking one at #30, which would disappoint those who believe it is not a premium position worthy of a first rounder. I am not opposed to retaining our good players, though I think Bernard was an overpay, and I'm ambivalent about Groot. Where I dissent from Beane's choices is that I personally think Metcalf is a perfect plus player for the team. I would have paid the draft price to acquire him, and I also believe that he could have been fit reasonably in the cap. That is the kind of adjustment Philly makes on the regular. I was onboard with a bigger draft and cap expenditure for Garrett, but he wasn't really available. And then, the real gap in the FA spending is CB. If that means Beane feels compelled to fill that need in the first (it might be value there, it might not), that is where I foresee further disagreement. If Grant is there at #30, I prefer him to some of the supposed upper tier CBs, for instance.

Let's remember the context of this discussion based on the OP: it was the question of whether it matters how one scores, if one happens to be a top 3 scoring team. There is a presupposition built into that question, which pertains to the crowd that believes that all the handwringing over WR1 or the talent surrounding Josh Allen, however one wishes to phrase it, is misplaced, with the frequent, but not uniform corollary that we ought to just focus on the defense. So, there is a kind of implied conversation in the question. There is a reshifting away from that when it becomes a narrower conversation about specific aspects of whether or not players should have made plays in Buffalo playoff games. And yet, I think that does implicitly redound to the question of quality, and obviously FireChans and I agree on the basic point about roster building and doing what one can in terms of how best to increase one's chances of success.

Zebras always seem to be force for evil, or at least one-sided judgment. Luck is something one can hardly prepare for, but having superlative players is at least a partial counter, because elite players have greater capacity to respond to those moments where a clutch play is needed. I don't think this is much beyond common sense, but if you think it is a bad take, have at it.

My current, but still changeable view on WR is that I'd take Bond in the second for the speed, even though he's obviously not a perfect boundary receiver. And I've been convinced that Kyle Williams might be worth a shot later. It doesn't seem to me that the fella we would want is necessarily in this draft; maybe Golden, but I wouldn't trade up to get him. I was keen on Jayden Higgins for a while, but I doubt he has explosive play ability, though he's more athletic than some give him credit for.

Somewhere in one of these threads @LEBills has a pretty devastating analysis of Williams. He's a definite "no" for me.

Pedantic point. Break long passages into a few shorter paragraphs for greater readability. More substantial point: I agree with many of your observations, but not your conclusions. Minor disagreement: Coleman is an early second pick. Beane punted. He could have traded up for Brian Thomas, Jr., for instance, a receiver that doesn't have trouble getting separation. Larger disagreement: But actually, yes, we agree the pass receivers need to make those catches. They haven't. They don't. Beyond skill set, we need one or two more clutch, elite players on both sides of the ball. Beane has a recipe, and he plays it safe more often than not. The result has been good teams with solid depth that lack the plus players. It matches up with our generally mediocre playoff performance.

So, I was going to rant about this, but didn't really have the energy. And for sure, being proactive here, they could have fit him under the cap. Exasperating.

It's just complete lack of contextual awareness that leads folks to simply look at points scored as a sufficient metric.

Technically, it wasn't 30+ against the Chiefs in 2025, but "should have been enough" is what you say when your team has the game on the line with the ball in its hands and fails at the end. And it's not a zero sum game where addressing WR means not addressing DL, CB, S.

I'm fine with the Palmer signing. I think he raises the floor for boundary receiver. I'm not convinced he's much more than adequate, though one can always hope for more. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is anyone in the draft who even has the capacity to really grow into that position. The folks who are more expert than I have been poking holes in all the options I've been entertaining. Nonetheless, my feeling on offense is, yes, they should add someone with potential at WR, and I wouldn't be surprised if they add a guard maybe a bit earlier than folks expect.

The last two years, the defense failed and the offense did not come through in the crucial moments at the end of games. Both are important, and both need to be addressed.

What do you folks think of Jayden Higgins? He was the fella I was favoring for a while, but I get thrown off by all the critics. A lot of them sound persuasive, even when they don't agree . . .

Yeah, I was just going for the easy joke.

I kinda like him, too, but when I hear he's a Bills' type of rusher, I can't help thinking six to eight sacks a year and doesn't show up in the playoffs.

There seems to be difference of opinion, here at least, as to whether he is basically a slot, or can legitimately play on the outside. My sense is he could, but I'm not an expert. If he can be a boundary receiver, he definitely should be a strong consideration at #30.

30. Kenneth GrantDT Michigan 56. Maxwell HairstonCB Kentucky 62. Isaiah BondWR Texas 109. Billy BowmanS Oklahoma 132. Sai'vion JonesEDGE LSU 169. Marcus TateOG Clemson 170. Raheim SandersRB South Carolina 173. Nohl WilliamsCB California 177. Mitchell EvansTE Notre Dame 206. Tyrion Ingram-DawkinsDT Georgia