[Bill Barnwell's Speculation for a Bills trade for Melvin Gordon]

Quote

Another running back who could possibly make a quick return to the market, Gordon's future with the Chargers remains in question. His holdout turned out to be a waste of time, as the Chargers didn't give in to his demands, while Austin Ekeler impressed as the primary back in Gordon's absence. In his 2019 debut Sunday, Gordon carried the ball 12 times for 31 yards and turned six targets into seven receiving yards in a 20-13 loss to the Broncos. The loss dropped the Chargers to 2-3 in advance of a home game against the Steelers on Sunday.

The former first-round pick has just under $3.3 million left in prorated salary on his deal. I don't think the Chargers are desperate to move on from Gordon -- they could wait out this final year and then either franchise him or pick up a compensatory pick in the 2021 draft -- but if he struggles and the Chargers lose to the Steelers and Titans in advance of the Oct. 29 trade deadline, would L.A. consider moving on from Gordon and going with Ekeler as its starter?

 

The trade: Buffalo Bills send a 2020 third-round pick and RB T.J. Yeldon to the Chargers for Gordon and a 2020 fifth-round pick

After beating the Titans on Sunday, the 4-1 Bills have an 74.3% shot of making it to the playoffs, per ESPN's Football Power Index. FPI had the Bills at only 18% before the season, so the hot start has them in a different place and with different expectations than where they were before 2019 began.

Getting Gordon would give the Bills another valuable option for Josh Allen, who rebounded from a dismal performance against the Patriots in Week 4 with arguably his best game of the year against the Titans in Week 5. Allen's struggles against the Pats pointed out just how much Buffalo will need its running game and receivers to make an impact with the ball in their hands against top-level competition.

Buffalo has Frank Gore and rookie Devin Singletary in the backfield, but Gore is 36 and Singletary has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury. Can the Bills get by with that duo into January? Maybe. Gore and Singletary could still have viable roles in the offense even after adding Gordon, though, and the Bills could either choose to re-sign the Chargers standout or go after a compensatory pick during the offseason.

 

Should the Bills make the suggested trade?  Or should we stand pat with the running back by committee we have?

 

I'd rather stand pat and develop Singletary with Gore as the mentor, rather than trade for Gordon and limit Singletary's touches and progression.

 

[THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - Titans Meet the New Bills]

Quote

7.  The final drive to run the clock and close out the game was excellent.  Some might say that it was garbage time yards for Gore, but it was anything but that.  The Titans were down only one score and desperately needed the ball for one more shot to tie the game.   The offensive line took over when the Bills needed first downs, and Gore did the rest.  

 

From Peter King (FMIA)

Quote

i. Frank Gore, closer. Trying to hold a 14-7 lead with three minutes left at Tennessee, from the Buffalo 39, Gore ran for 11 and then 19 and then four and then three, causing the Titans to bleed their final two timeouts

 

This is the thing of beauty that many miss.  We pounded the rock when we needed to to finish the game.  Again,  the game was not a thing of beauty as two teams basically shut each other down, but the outcome was and is the most important thing.  

 

I'm with you, Shaw, in that I like and trust the process, too.  And I would rather have us win in this fashion than to have a high powered offense that puts up 40 and loses by 2 touchdowns (I'm speaking about the Rams here).  

 

The injuries are troubling and the bye is coming at the right time for the team.  

 

And one more thing...ya gotta love the Duke story and the game that he played.  

[Duke signed to active roster]

I'm very happy for Duke Williams and I think he's going to be the red zone threat that's been lacking in the recent past.  Someone mentioned that we already have Dawson Knox as that one target...I'm just envisioning two big targets lining up and running pick plays for the crossers  running underneath when we get between the 20 and the 10 inside the redzone.   There seem to be a few more options now.   

[Roster Move 10/5]

1 minute ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

That just gave me an excellent idea for a jersey.  ‘S. Else’ on the nameplate, paired with an unusual player number.  Thanks!  ?

Not a problem. 

 

[Roster Move 10/5]

With the release of Conor McDermott, which player do you believe will be added to the active roster?  

 

Davis Webb?

Duke Williams?

Erik Magnuson?

Nick Easley

 

 

Someone else?

[Would you have taken 3-2 at the bye?]

Before the season, I would have been glad that we were 3-2 at this point in the season.  I stated it a couple of weeks ago that we'd be 3-2...and now after 4 weeks of play against 3 poor teams and one good team, I definitely think this is a winnable game.  If the D has the ability to rattle Brady the way that they did last week, they sure as heck can rattle Mariota.  The Bills fared poorly against the Pats defense (rated #1 in overall DVOA through 4 weeks) and even without Josh they should do better against Tennesse (rated #16 overall DVOA).

[THE ROCKPILE REVIEW - An Emotional Loss]

Thanks, Shaw.    

[This is a must win game for the Bills.]

To move up the ladder to the playoffs, we need to win against teams that won't make the playoffs...like the Jets and the Giants.  

 

The rest of the schedule looks like this:

    
Sep 22 - Cincinnati Bengals - W (3-0)
Sep. 29 -  New England Patriots - L (3-1)
Oct. 6  -  at Tennessee Titans - L (3-2) and it depends on how well Mariotta plays.  Could be a W
Oct. 20  - Miami Dolphins - W (4-2) 
Oct. 27  - Philadelphia Eagles - L (4-3) 
Nov. 3  - Washington Redskins - W (5-3)
Nov. 10 -  at Cleveland Browns - W (6-3) - Similar teams on their way up.  We squeak one out.
Nov. 17  - at Miami Dolphins - W (7-3) On their way to having all of The Replacements in the lineup and 0-16
Nov. 24  - Denver Broncos - W (8-3)
Nov. 28   - at Dallas Cowboys - L (8-4) - Dallas is 31-20-1 on Thanksgiving.
Dec. 8  - Baltimore Ravens - L (8-5) - The start of the nobody wants to play in Buffalo in December games.  This could be a W
Dec. 15 - at Pittsburgh Steelers - W (9-5) - The Mason Rudolf era has begun.  
Dec. 21 - at New England Patriots - L (9-6) - 42 YO Brady still has our number.
Dec. 29  - New York Jets - W (10-6) - Playoffs on the line.  Rich Stadium The Ralph  New Era Field will be rockin'.  
 

[ROCKPILE REVIEW - The Hopeless Optimist]

Hey Shaw,

 

Your analysis is spot on.   I, too, am a hopeless optimist and I look forward to this season to see how all the moves will have played out.  

 

One thing that is a great point that you've made is that the team from the top (Terry and Kim) seem to want to improve.  Everyone has made their mistakes -- hiring Rex and playing Nathan Peterman a second time are two glaring examples -- however the continuing improvement is the part of the process that everyone seems to be embracing.  Compounding personnel errors seems to be a thing of a past as well (we can all give countless examples of that).  

 

As a life long Bills fan I'm a believer in what this regime is doing.      

[Your final prediction: Who will the Bills draft in round 1]

I agree with the OP.  I think it's going to be Wilkins.  It seems like his is more of a McBeane type of guy than Oliver is.