folz

Well, considering the guys Beane was annoyed with wanted Josh Rosen over Josh Allen, it does seem like a valid point. To kind of say, you know, just because you guys have a platform, doesn't mean you know more or your opinions are more valid or that you are correct. Also, in his second post-draft interview, Beane actually mentioned Boogie and noted that they had some misses at corner (i.e., Elam, though he didn't call him out by name). Beane doesn't shy away from his mistakes. He corrects them. How many times did he say he made a mistake with letting Wyatt Teller go? Brandon is not some ego-maniac that can't admit mistakes. He was basically saying, even when I have proven you guys wrong (the Josh Allen pick, having a great offense without a true #1 receiver last year), you still criticize me as if those things didn't actually go well. And when I know that if we had gone with your decisions (i.e., Josh Rosen), we wouldn't be where we are, so... Dude, that is so ridiculous. "Performance theater" "schtick" "stunt" And the whole signing Amari as some grandiose confession that Beane screwed up last year keeps getting repeated. First of all, we were strapped for cash last year, secondly, we did draft Keon last year, third Curtis Samuel got a turf toe injury in camp. If Curtis doesn't get injured, maybe we don't go after Cooper. With Curtis injured and Coleman a rookie, yeah, it looked like we needed more help at that point (especially after the two bad losses, as you said) and before Brady had time to adapt. But, ultimately, Amari started only 4 games and played only 21% of the offensive snaps on the year, and had two touchdowns. 4/5s of the year we played without Amari and the offense still worked (2nd in the league). As to the two bad losses, they were both early in the year. Remember that going into last year, Shakir was the only receiver that had caught a pass from Josh. And it was the start of the everyone eats philosophy. So, we were a different team at the start of the year, a team in transition, a team still learning each other and figuring out their new offense, we needed time on task, guys needed to get acclimated to the system, Josh and the receivers needed to get on the same page, etc. It's not surprising we had a couple of stumbling blocks early, especially with Samuel being injured. If we are talking overall offense, sure I'll argue it. No question, their top two receivers are studs and better than anything we have at WR. But after that, I would venture to say that the Bills are stronger at every other offensive position. QB: Allen/Trubisky > Burrow/Browning RBs: Cook/Davis/Johnson > Chase Brown (5th rounder)/Zack Moss/Samjae Perine TEs: Kincaid/Knox/Hawes/Davidson > Geisecki/Sample/Eric All, Jr. And then there is the offensive line. We have probably a top 5-10 O-line. The Bengals were ranked 27th last year. Joe Burrow has been the most sacked QB over the last 5 years. He was the 5th most sacked QB last year. They have Cody Ford as their starting right guard. BTW, Josh was the least sacked QB last year (of Qbs with at least 10 starts). It's to Brandon's point about Fantasy Football. Sure, Burrow/Chase/Higgins looks better than Allen/Palmer/Shakir. But when you look at the complete offense (you know, real team building), the Bills are the better overall offense by far (as shown by their record 13-4 to 9-8, and by points scored 525 to 472). I think that was kind of Brandon's point. Last year, everyone bitched and moaned about the receiver position. What are we going to do without Diggs. We're going to take a step back, transition year, Josh can't do it all on his own. Then the team goes out and proves they were correct about how they handled things by being the second highest scoring team in the league and making it all the way to the Championship game with a stronger run game and an everyone eats mentality. And then this year, the conversation is all about not having enough or good enough receiving options. I can see him being like, why are we having this conversation again. Last year is actual evidence/proof that we were correct about how this offense can run, yet here we are with the same questions about WR. Most people hated or wrote off the Hollins pickup last year, and he proved to be a very important piece. Palmer is a big upgrade from Hollins, yet people act like he's just an afterthought. Coleman, Samuels, Dalton: 1,280 yards and 7 TDs Amari and Mack: 675 and 7 TDs As I keep pointing out, Amari Cooper only started 4 games and played a total of 21% of the offensive snaps last year (and he was injured and acclimating to a new team/QB during that). We played 4/5s of the season without him. He had 297 yards and 2 TDs. He had 6 catches for 41 yards and 0 TDs in the three playoff games. People act like Amari was our #1 and integral to the offense's success or something. He helped out in a few games, that's all. And as much as I loved Mack, Palmer is definitely an upgrade to the combination of Mack (66% of snaps) and what we got from Amari (21% of snaps). Coleman should be better in his second year and past the injury. Remember, in the two games just prior to the injury, he had 170 yards and a TD. And Samuels is healthy (hopefully he can stay that way). Curtis was coming on at the end of the year and scored two TDs in the playoffs. Kincaid is going into his third year, often a jump year. And we're also returning Shakir, Knox, and all 3 RBs who are each good at catching the ball out of the backfield. Plus we added a true blocking TE, which we haven't had in a while. Even if the improvements of Palmer, Coleman, and Kincaid are small (not big jumps), there is no reason to think that this offense should regress. We are returning almost everyone and replaced Palmer for Hollins/Cooper (87% combined snap count). If Palmer plays like 70+% of the snaps and has 675 yards and 6 TDs, it will basically equal the combo of Hollins/Cooper. I don't think that is out of the question. Plus, Curtis will eat up a lot more snaps as well being healthy. To the second bolded point. It's not just that we were a good offense last year, we have been the 1st or 2nd best offense every year for the last 5 years. It's Josh, it's the O-line, it's the coaches, it's the RBs, etc. Not everything depends on having the best WR room in the league. And the whole point of this offense is to be unpredictable. Many, versatile weapons that you don't know where we will attack from. Being multiple, so you can change your gameplans according to your opponents (like old NE-style). So, let opposing teams try to figure it out. There is nothing to figure out, we can adapt to your weakness and be on the attack, rather than the defense dictating, because we can hit you from so many areas and out of the same personnel groupings. Scheming guys open and letting our MVP QB make the decisions is what this offense is about in my opinion.

No question, our WR group alone would not be ranked highly. But, maybe you are looking at this offense too traditionally. First off, the Bills like their players to be versatile, the ability to play multiple spots (to disguise better)---but yes, it will most likely be Palmer, Keon, and a bit of Samuel on the outside primarily. And currently at WR5 would be a battle between Shenault, Shavers, Prather, Hamler, Virgil, Presley, Akharaiyi, and Gosnell. But whose to say Beane is done yet? I'm all for adding more depth to the WR room (to compete for the 5/6 spots). And then there is the whole "Everyone eats" thing. I mean, we use our RBs and TEs a lot in the passing game (those are "weapons" for Josh too). The RBs and TEs had 139 receptions last year and 12 TDs through the air. That equates to over 45% of our passing production last year and 43% of the receiving TDs. And that was mostly by design, not desperation. This offense is about Josh spreading the ball around. Also of note, we ran the ball 49% of the time last year (4th most in the league). So, when you add our rushing rate and the number of balls that go to the RBs and TEs in the passing game, I would guess that there are a lot fewer balls for the WRs on the Bills than on most other teams. It seems most people who feel we are lacking at the WR spot want one of two things: 1. Either that true #1 Alpha dog stud receiver. Well, there aren't actually a lot of those guys to go around, first of all. And we're never high enough to draft one. Secondly, they cost a fortune. And lastly, I'm not sure that is what the Bills want. How many stud receivers are going to be ok with Josh spreading the ball around to 8 different targets per game, or almost half of the balls going to the TEs and RBs? I wouldn't turn down a stud receiver if he fell in our lap, but I'm not convinced that that is what this offense needs. Or, 2. A true speed receiver. But honestly, how many of those guys actually pan out? We have seen plenty of John Ross', Henry Ruggs', Marquise Goodwins', Tyquon Thortons, J.J. Nelsons, Jacoby Fords, Andy Isabellas, etc. not do much in the league. And I'm not sold on Worthy yet either. And we actually already have one of those guys of our own in K.J. Hamler. And if you bring up a guy like Tyreek, I'd say, well, he's not just a pure speed guy, he's a stud. That's why he's been one of the highest paid guys in the league. Again, tough to find guys like that. Plus, as far as speed goes, KJ Hamler ran a 4.27, Curtis Samuel ran a 4.31, and Khalil Shakir ran a 4.43. We do actually have some speed on the team. FYI, Curtis Samuel has the 12th best 40-yard dash time ever at the combine for a wide receiver. I also can assume that you are not as bullish on Keon as I am. I think Keon is going to be a very good player and have an excellent season. I definitely think we can count on him as say a WR2. He'll at least be better than last year (with a year under his belt and being past the injury). If Samuel is healthy, that's an upgrade from last year. Not sure how Palmer will work out, but he's no question an upgrade from Hollins (whom I loved). And before you say Palmer is actually Amari's replacement, so it's a downgrade, I'd like to remind you that Amari only started 4 games last year and only played a total of 21% of the offensive snaps last season. We played 4/5ths of the season without Cooper and were still the #2 offense in the league. Hollins, on the other hand, played over 66% of the offensive snaps last year. And then, of course, let's face it, Shakir is a stud...even if it's mostly in the slot or on screens, etc. Do we have a big name receiver? No. But I think last year showed that this offense can be successful without one. It's not that everything is on Josh, it's just that Josh is spreading the ball around to multiple targets rather than favoring a #1. Josh had the fewest sacks and fewest interceptions of his career last year (oh, and won the MVP). He also didn't have to run as much as some other seasons. He's had 3 seasons where he ran more than last year, and only 1 season where he ran significantly less than last year. So, I'm not on board with the Josh has to do it all by himself narrative either. I think we have plenty of weapons, just not household names. This offense is mostly about scheming guys open, which we can do because we have a lot of very good and versatile (even if few or no elite) weapons, and a supremely talented, smart QB, who can make quick decisions, and all of the throws. And if you don't think that fixing, upgrading, and bringing youth to the defense isn't giving Josh help, then I don't know what to tell you. Field position, turnovers, TOP, opponent's score, all help Josh and the offense. Complimentary football.

10 picks to start. Beane moved up, what, three times to get guys he wanted? And we still walk away with 9 players, one in each round---with two in the 5th and 6th (almost all good value where we got them and fulfilling needs---I'm liking the TE pick the more and more I think about it). And our 2026 draft is still in tact. Really like how BBB managed his assets this draft. Can't wait to see this defense come together. Man, if they can build a dominant defense, with a Josh Allen-led offense---this team could be almost unstoppable. I know, I know, one day at a time. But, yeah, I liked the draft.

I know they aren't true down-field burners, but Samuel ran a 4.31 and Shakir ran a 4.43 40-time. I mean, that's not slow. Hamler ran a 4.27 (not that I expect him to see the field much, if at all). Also, six of the top twelve 40-yard dash times ever were wide receivers, how'd they fare in the league (and believe me, I'm not sold on Worthy yet)? Sometimes speed isn't everything. 1. Xavier Worthy, 4.21 seconds in 2024 2. John Ross, 4.22 in 2017 T4. Rondel Menendez, WR, 4.24 in 1999 T6. Jerome Mathis, WR, 4.26 in 2005 T10. Marquise Goodwin, WR, 4.27 in 2013 T10. Henry Ruggs III, WR, 4.27 in 2020

The Bills may need to get bigger meeting rooms for the cornerbacks and defensive line. Talk about stacking positions. Also, Bills Points Scored Rankings last five years: 2024: #2 2023: #6 2022: #2 2021: #3 2020: #2 This draft is exactly what we needed. Lot of versatility added to the D-line and CB rooms too. That will help with the NFL kind of split right now...some teams moving back to heavier ground games (Baltimore, Philly, etc.), while others are still more passing/finesse (KC, LAR). Now, we should hopefully be able to run zone or man equally as well, and go either big and stout or fast and penetrating on the D-line depending on the circumstances.

I gave you an "awesome" for your post Gunner, though I wish I could have given you a "thanks" too. I don't watch college football much and do not spend a lot of time researching the draft, so I really appreciate posters like you (Gunner), Gonzo, Virgil, and all of the other guys that help get the rest of us up to speed with all things draft-related. Much appreciated guys! I know you all put a lot of work into it. 👍

For what it's worth, one of the guys from ESPN said that his issues with run support/tackling was after the shoulder injury, due to the lingering injury. They said he did not have those issues junior year and that his shoulder is now healthy. Not sure how accurate that is, but thought I'd pass it along.

Corner was a position of need. We got probably one of the top 3-5 CBs (picking 30th). We got the fastest CB in the draft. A lot of draftniks may have had other corners higher, but the Bills are drafting for their team, their scheme, etc. So, I can only assume that they felt that Hairston fit them best of the corners who were left. So why wouldn't I be on board with that. Yes, Beane has made mistakes (Elam)...but do I think that means he will screw up every 1st round or cb pick? No. He picked Benford too. And McD picked Tre White. Look, I don't scout the college players. I'm not sure if Johnson, Amos, or anyone else would be better or not (so laugh at us all you want). But Hairston is the guy they chose. He's the guy we will be rooting for over the next few years, so, yeah, I'm getting on board. Doesn't mean you can't have a dissenting opinion. That's fine. Lots of people felt we should have traded down (probably couldn't find a partner), or would have preferred a different player...but it is what it is now. Also, one of the guys on ESPN pointed out that he had a shoulder injury last season that kept him out of 5 games, and when he came back from the injury, his run support was lacking a bit due to the lingering injury (he's good now, heath-wise). He said if he came out the year before, after his junior year, he wouldn't have lasted to this point in the draft---meaning he would have been a much higher 1st round draft pick. Sometimes when you are picking late, you have to go with the highest ceiling. Doesn't always work out, but I'm on board with that philosophy. And as far as no one having Hairston over Amos (or Johnson), just on a quick Google search: -CBS Sports had Johnson at 17 overall (1st cb), Hairston at 26 overall (3rd cb), and Amos at 33 overall (6th cb). -Walter Football had Johnson the 2nd-ranked corner, Hairston as the 3rd-ranked corner, and Amos the 5th-ranked corner -NBCSports had Johnson as the 2nd-ranked corner, Hairston as the 5th-ranked corner, and Amos as the 6th-ranked corner. -Daniel Jeremiah had Johnson at 13 overall, Hairston at 32nd overall, and Amos at 41 overall -NFL Mock Draft Database had Johnson at #13 overall, Hairston at #34 overall and Amos at #38 overall -Pete Prisco had Hairston at 19 overall, Johnson at 31 overall, and Amos not in the first round -Mel Kiper had Johnson as the #1 CB and Hairston as the #3 CB. Amos did not make his top 10 CBs. Todd McShay had Johnson at 17, Hairston at 24, and Amos at 48. So, there are 8 people at least (I stopped looking) that all had Hairston over Amos, and at least one that had Hairston above both Johnson and Amos. I'm curious. Johnson was pretty high up on a lot of draft boards (generally a first-rounder, many had him in the 13-19 range). Why do you (anyone) think he slipped?

If people were hoping he'd be available at 30 for Buffalo, doesn't that make Grant a reach for Miami at 12? May still be a great player, but is it a surprise for him to go that early?

Thanks NFL. I'm sure that will solve the problem, sacking a 1st-year, 2nd-year, and 3rd-year ref, none of whom reffed in the post-season. Now, these guys are all young in their careers, so maybe they do need more experience (weren't quite ready for the NFL/made mistakes), but I hope the NFL isn't doing this, putting this out there to try and convince us that they have somehow solved the ref problem or at least are actually trying to do so. The problems with NFL reffing goes back a lot further than three years and has little to do with inexperienced referees. The change needs to happen at the top, not the bottom.

So, if Cleveland can't get out of any of the contract and Deshaun never plays another snap for Cleveland: The Browns will have paid Watson approx. $410,000.00 per snap. Almost half a million per snap! For comparison, the Bills have paid Josh (over the same 3-year stretch), approx. $65,000.00 per snap. (that's on his second <big> contract---6-yrs, $258 million) So, for every single Watson snap (money-wise), we got 6.31 Josh Allen snaps. And obviously, Josh already has better per snap stats, but now times that by 6.31. Tough to be a Browns fan.

Great Number Eights in Sports Kobe Bryant Cal Ripken, Jr. Alex Overchkin Carl Yastrzemski Yogi Berra Willie Stargell Joe Morgan Troy Aikman Steve Young Andres Iniesta Gary Carter Ray Guy Steve Smith Cam Neely Andre Dawson Teemu Selanne Bill Dickey Archie Manning Albert Belle Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It's like when Trump wanted to trademark, "You're fired!" You should not be able to trademark common phrases, letters, or numbers. BTW, Ranker had Jackson as the 9th best athlete to wear #8. Another site ranking athletes who wore number 8 didn't have Lamar in their top 10. He was in the honorable mentions with 28 other guys. I mean, can no other American athletes wear the number again if Jackson gets a trademark? And don't they actually say, possession is 9/10ths of the law? Considering all of those guys on the list above were older than Lamar, had the number first, and many of them were even more prolific in their sport than Lamar has been thus far (though he still has time), shouldn't their claims on the number supersede his later claim, if thinking about this lunacy logically?

As far as I can tell, we know what Josh got his linemen for Christmas for 4 out of the 7 seasons that Josh has played. Yeah, no word on what he got them this year (as far as I can tell). I assume the story of what they got him overshadowed any need to report what he got them. 2018: ipads 2019: Traeger Ironwood Grills and steaks 2020: A set of Callaway golf clubs, customized golf bags, and golf lessons 2021: ?????? 2022: Customized scooters 2023: ?????? 2024: ??????

Thanks for the correction guys. I forgot that he slipped to the 2nd round. But yeah, that's one more reason why he could have quit...or one more hurdle that he had to jump---the humiliation of expecting to go round one, being in the green room with the cameras on you, and your name not getting called.

Good for Geno. A first round pick, two rough years to start, horrible franchise, the whole punched in the jaw episode, which led to him losing his starting job to Fitzpatrick. Then served 2 years as backup with Jets, 1 year backup with Giants, 1 year backup with Chargers, 3 years backup in Seattle. That was his first 9 years in the league. A lot of guys with his draft status and those circumstances would have quit or been run out of the league for not working hard, attitude, or not fulfilling the role of a backup well (ego), etc. In his first 10 years in the league, he made just shy of $15,000,000 total. In 2019, his salary was only $805,000. In 2022, it was still only $3,500,000. He has now been a starter for the last three years, and it appears that he will have at least one or two more years in that role. And in the last 2.5 years now, he has earned contracts worth approx. $125,000,000. I give him a lot of credit for sticking with it, obviously continuing to work hard and to believe in himself. He obviously loves the game and/or still wanted to prove himself. He will now have carved out a 13+-year career and have generational wealth, when he could have just been a footnote in the league (based only on his draft position), like a lot of other guys. I wouldn't want him as my QB, but ya gotta give him credit for his work ethic and perseverance.