BillsVet
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Posts posted by BillsVet
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6 minutes ago, Tuco said:
When the latest CBA with its current model was signed in 2020 the salary cap was $198 million and minimum rookie salary was $610,000. Despite a catastrophic loss in revenue and a decreasing cap in 2021, the salary cap is up to $279 million just 5 years later - rookie minimum is $840,000. If the union members want the guy gone, they will get rid of him. But I'm not going to sit around pressing the labor unrest panic button just yet.
Those data points obscure what is the economic reality in the NFL: a higher share of the cap is going to fewer players. It's not unexpected because the supply of excellent QBs, WRs, and pass rushers will always be in demand. And the model the NFL employs will pay them accordingly. Conversely, you can see it with RB's...they're largely not being paid (cue the person who points to Saquon Barkley) because their skill-set isn't as valuable.
Besides, highlighting the decreased 2021 cap fails to consider the aberration that the pandemic was.
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42 minutes ago, MJS said:
None of that seems like that big of a deal to me, but I don't really care what the NFL or NFLPA does. Until it has a direct impact on my ability to watch Bills football, they can do all their squabbling and legal posturing they want. I'm just a football fan.
It's a big picture issue, so I get that some will gloss over it for this reason.
Whole point is...the league and union are working together and someone stands to lose. Especially when you consider there are player safety issues with going to 17 and likely to 18 games. Or, with the increased cap, which all too often is weighted for a more limited group of players.
Something has to give at some point.
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https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45705432/nflpa-head-works-firm-approved-invest-nfl
Imagine being represented by a union where your executive director:
1. Works with management to ensure your pay is made less guaranteed than it could be. Then, agrees with management to keep an arbitrator's findings from becoming known to members that specifies this happened.
2. Receives a multi-million dollar compensation package representing your union while simultaneously doing outside work. When asked to resign from one part-time position, he refuses.
3. That outside work includes working for a private equity firm, albeit in another sector, that is likely to invest in NFL franchises. And, serves on 3 other boards and is paid by those companies as well.
The NFLPA has gradually, since the death of Gene Upshaw, become more of partners with the NFL than anything else. At the same time, the search committee recommended this guy and it's their funeral for hiring him.
I only highlight this situation because, at some point, the players' relationship with both the league and their executive/leadership will sour if it hasn't already. And that means what has been labor peace since 2012 will likely end. The current CBA doesn't expire until 2030, but at some point I expect there will be problems.
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3 hours ago, FireChans said:
We’ve never had the horses on the DL.
The last SB caliber DL in Buffalo was in 2014.
If the GM and HC never had the DL with the investment they've made there since 2017-18...then they're the problem, not the talent.
They've emphasized DL almost every off-season since 2018...stands to reason they'd have figured it out by now. Few teams have alignment in HC and GM on resourcing this group.
They don't get it right this season or they never will...from roster philosophy to scheme to coaching and everything before you get to who the players are.
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PFF grading on a curve...that reflects who invests the most into their DL?
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1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:
I’d rather have lost a game, like Baltimore last year, in exchange for a Super Bowl title 13 seconds year. Payton has proven that he can win the big one. McDermott has not proven that.
Fair or not, McDermott's legacy is 13 seconds unless he wins it all with Josh. It remains one of the most epic collapses in recent NFL history.
And I don't care if one of the assistants botched something...it's on the HC to be prepared and McD is maybe a hair faster on the trigger than Jauron in-game (RIP).
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39 minutes ago, transient said:
I think @GunnerBill and @Bill from NYC probably get their due. @Billl gets left off of a lot of lists because he doesn't know how to spell "Bill" and the whole Chiefs fan check mark against. There aren't lots of other visible Bills on the board that come to mind quickly. A quick perusal of the member list shows a lot of "Bill" related screen names with 0 posts, so the lack of recognition is on them. I find @BillsVet's insistence on pointing at me unnerving... there are too many others to go through night now without getting fired, so...
Least you could do is send a Christmas card, but no. I'd even settle for a birthday card, but nada there too. LOL.
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13 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:
This is correct. It hasn’t been this or that. It has been this AND that. Maybe correcting one of the two will be enough to get a Super Bowl? Maybe it won’t. Either way, the pass rush hasn’t been good enough NOR have the WRs been good enough.
We're back to believing that known entities at both positions will return to form or dramatically improve performance. At DE, that's Bosa remaining healthy, Rousseau becoming consistent, and Oliver producing again. The unknown entities - Jackson and the young DT's perhaps could give them something, but it's less likely. Maybe the scheme gets adjusted and paired with improvements they are finding QBs more often.
The WR's with Palmer, Samuel, and Moore are what they are at this point in their career. Shakir is still somewhat young, albeit a slot receiver. Coleman...maybe he makes a huge leap, but I wouldn't expect it.
All in all...it's odd to see how they've approached the key positions. Nailed the QB, have a reliable LT, have continued to develop and draft CBs, but DE and WR have been unremarkable for different reasons. I would expect a defensive minded HC to understand what a good pass-rusher looks like...and neither he nor the GM have found them. And then there's the stubbornness both reflect about how WRs aren't that important to use premium assets on finding them.
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5 minutes ago, Logic said:
Keon wasn't the same player after injury.
Not the same level of intensity nor effectiveness.
The coach and GM both publicly stated this.Thankfully, McBeane are exonerated from the Coleman pick because team media told us it was Josh who wanted him.
In all seriousness, if you're trying to motivate words alone typically don't get it done. Get some competition if the investment is as significant as they make it out to be.
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1 hour ago, RoscoeParrish said:
It’s very helpful on the money side of things to not pay a QB. But we managed to pay Diggs and Josh big money, together, for a few seasons. You certainly can’t pay everyone, but you can pay great ones.
Each team wants to be in a position to pay a top QB...and most do. It's just that most teams don't devote as many UFA cap dollars and draft picks to keeping a defense intact or re-building it so often because they don't compromise on that. Which makes the cost to invest in a WR1 on the market or taking one higher in the draft too high.
Ever year since about 2021 they've justified their avoidance of WR with some weak excuse, but what it really shows is the defense is more important than the offense. And the cost is they can't draft or acquire a WR who is a clear WR1. As an example, I calculated that since 2021 they've invested about 63% of their draft capital on defense.
That philosophy of defense over offense is squarely in focus even more this year than last. Because if it doesn't work out, as in a really good defense combined with Josh's ensemble cast of WRs, then they have nowhere to run.
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Moving into (and paying for ) a new stadium in 2026, the desire to bring the draft and the SB to Buffalo...yeah, Hard Knocks is like a pre-req from a business standpoint. And now that we've been denied the "genius" the was Mr. Smithers, er Russ Brandon, I gotta believe TPegs loves/pushed for this. It'll drive up revenue, and team valuation with essentially free PR. Probably helps sell tickets while increasing new minority owner share revenue...in short it's perfect.
OTOH, for an uber-control freak like McD I doubt he's elated at the news. And before people conflate that point by noting all NFL HC's are control freaks, well, McD takes it to another level on par with not needing a lab to make diamonds. He can manufacture them himself he's so tight.
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9 hours ago, SoTier said:
The Bills didn't lack the "offensive firepower to overwhelm the Chiefs". They lacked the defensive talent to stop the Chiefs. The Chiefs scored more points in the 2024 AFC Championship than they scored in any other game in 2024 because the Bills defense wasn't good enough to stop a team that averaged 22.6 points per game from scoring 29 points.
As for creating "a Josh-centered team", what could be more "Josh-centered" than providing him with a strong offensive line plus an excellent running game. He's not running for his life and he can play "hero ball" strategically rather than out of necessity?
Against KC, Buffalo faced 14 3rd down and 6 4th down situations. Should tell the story for those who can read it because that ain't a dominating offense Hondo. Especially not when you need to convert twice on 4th and goal with remarkable plays in the second half to stay in the game.
Josh running usage, either sneaks, designed runs, or on scrambles continues to be heavy. In the 2024 playoffs Buffalo needed Josh running is 29 times in 3 games. If the offense is so good, why do they still need Josh putting himself in the line of fire? Why do they end up in short yardage so often for all those tush pushes? It's because the offense predictably struggled against good defenses when it mattered.
The thing you fail to realize or plain refuse to admit is the running game supports the passing game. It's like having a good changeup mixed with a plus plus fastball. Buffalo doesn't really invest compared to their primary playoff competition with WRs, so we compensate by saying the running game is good. But it's not that big of a deal. If it were, they'd re-sign James Cook yesterday.
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3 hours ago, Mister Defense said:
1. I think a team can expect to not be missing their starting (and best) cornerback and player in the secondary AND their starting safety. Those are huge losses in a any defense, especially one clearly undermanned all year long, and now playing Mahomes and his three time Super Bowl champion team in their own home. Bizarre that someone would think the head coach and quarterback of a team in that position would not feel more pressure. Of course, they would. A duh, actually.
2. The Bills getting to the Championship Game again and not winning it would be disappointing, and of course a failure to many concerned. But it is not a massive failure, would likely only be to bashers and haters of McBeane, who try to turn almost every thread into a 'Fire the bum', thread. Hard for them to see the forest through the trees, as their vision is so distorted.
3. ...which is a nice segue into my response to your "They have never played good playoff defense."
Yes, they lost to the Chief in that playoff game, of course, even with an excellent defense that year. The Chiefs got the better of almost every defense they played that year and scored over 30 points nine times that season, winning the Super Bowl to cap it all off. But like so much of the McBeane bashing, just hyperbole and throw away nonsense for anyone to say that Bills have never played good playoff defense--unless they only choose to watch Bills' losses.
The Bills have definitely played good, some would say excellent, or even superb, playoff defense under this particular team. Just the weak before this game, they man handled the Patriots--the pats were never in the game. And then they crushed the Ravens in the playoffs to an even greater degree, holding them to just 3 points. And ditto for their win against the Steelers after the 2023 season, a 31-17 win. And last year's beat down of the Broncos, who, after their initial score early in the game, were shutout, 31-7. The word Never seems to mean something much different to you than to most people, and as defined in most dictionaries, I think.
(I probably should have never said, as I did just a few posts ago, that I did not want this to turn into a 'Fire the coach!' (or GM) thread, as any attention keeps them going...)
You gotta have a backup plan when the defense isn't stopping the offense. It's akin to a MLB pitcher without his + stuff finding a way to win regardless.
In the NFL, the backup plan is being able to out-score the opponent, which this regime doesn't think is necessary. (Cue the scoring 30ppg regular season crowd).
Both this HC and GM expect that all pistons will be firing on both sides of the ball in the biggest games of the year. Even with a workaholic HC and no major weaknesses on that defense they'll run into good offenses who can out-duel it. People should have seen that against Baltimore, where it took a +3 turnover advantage and a dropped 2 point conversion for Buffalo to barely hold on. The following week when the injuries happened, Buffalo lacked the offensive firepower to overwhelm the Chiefs...because they don't invest there like their best/likely playoff opponents do.
They're all-in on the strategy for 2025, although perhaps with some schematic wrinkles. If it doesn't work and they bottom out in the Divisional/Championship game round again...then the current plan should be scrapped in favor of a Josh-centered team. Because it'll have proven their plan is insufficient after 6 seasons doing it their preferred way.
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On 5/10/2025 at 12:29 PM, Coach Tuesday said:
This is why you maximize Allen’s window. NFL careers are fleeting.
Elijah Moore and Josh Palmer aren't maximizing Josh's window?
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2 hours ago, Simon said:
Yep.
Saw Brubeck at the Montreal Jazz Fest...man could he still play well into his late 80s.
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8 hours ago, Simon said:
Oddity:
I actually just learned in the last couple weeks that Take Five is the only song on Time Out that Dave Brubeck didn't write.
Was it Desmond who wrote it?
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1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:
Again, maybe the Bills can win again with a bottom 5 group of WRs. They did last year. They had a lot go their way. I sure hope they can. I do think great receivers are important. The Super Bowl Champs pay their top 2 WRs $57M a year. They clearly think it matters. There are multiple ways to win. The Bills have chosen to build elsewhere and to try to win WITH the WR group that they have. It has worked for them to this point. That doesn’t mean that they are good though.
The WR debate is really just a front in this larger debate over McBeane's philosophy. Should be clear after these past 5 off-seasons it's (1) defense, particularly the DL and secondary along with (2) having a strong OL since Josh proved they have the QB. WR is far down the priority list and Beane isn't about to debate that no matter what.
They didn't change the philosophy after 2020 when Josh proved he was their starting QB. They didn't change it when Josh re-signed the following off-season. They didn't change it after trading Diggs, and I don't expect them to change it even if 2025's quantity WR approach v2.0 doesn't work. Either they prove it works or die trying and from the looks of it that group is here to stay.
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33 minutes ago, Cash said:
A lot of us would like Beane to get into the habit of taking a WR somewhere in the round 3-5 range, maybe not every year, but often. Most of those guys can play at least a little bit, and some of them develop into solid starters or even stars. Knowing that we won't be able to commit a ton of cap $ to the WR position makes it extra important to have a cost-controlled pipeline at the position. And again, we don't necessarily need major stars at WR, but we do need competent NFL players across the board. (And if one of those picks happens to turn into a star, well that's just fine.)
Last year I recall frequent reference to Green Bay having used multiple picks in the RD2-5 range and how a RD1 pick wasn't necessary. That may be true (although GB used their first RD1 pick there in 20+ years), but the Packers have used one Day 1, four Day 2 and four Day 3 picks on WRs going back to 2021. That compared to Buffalo's one Day 2 and three Day 3 picks
At this point it's almost Buffalo being defiant and bucking the trend that teams take WRs. It remains fair, therefore, to highlight the disparity with other teams because it's a position of importance, particularly the boundary receivers. And to your point...yes, having them on rookie deals provides a benefit. The Bills need to do that not only at WR, but across their roster as re-signing all your own is nice in theory, but costly.
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22 hours ago, GunnerBill said:
So because we are in win now mode every year that is a reason not to prioritise receivers? Shakir is actually an argument to do exactly what some of us wanted him to do this year - take a shot on a day 3 guy with a skillset that can be developed. It isn't even just about this year - Shakir came on in year 2. Let's say they moved up a few spots in round 5 and snagged Tory Horton (who went 4 picks ahead, who the Bills spoke to twice including a 30 visit) maybe he only has 10 catches for 100 yards as a rookie in limited playing time.... but this time next year he is another young receiver in reserve who you can continue to develop. Samuel will be a FA after this season, Kincaid's option decision will be due and you have to look in the wider context at how your offensive weapons stock looks.
The personnel planning on defense compared to offense is such a stark contrast. They went DT and DE because their depth there will thin out real fast after 2025.
Yet, at WR there's never been much planning ahead. They can get out of Samuel's deal after this season, Palmer after 2026, which leaves only Coleman and Shakir long-term. They have little in development unless you count a guy like Shavers who has been waived after his last 2 camps and put on the PS.
But they're here at WR today because it wasn't a priority, as others have mentioned for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Taking Kincaid was a backup plan when the WRs were essentially gone his draft year. Coleman was a double-trade down. Right GB...it's not that they don't have them...it's that they don't plan to continuously improve the position as they do the secondary, DL, and even the LBs.
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55 minutes ago, Cray51 said:
Averaging 5 yards a carry and 15 a catch with a 60% catch rate while taking kickoff responsibility as needed, playing special teams, and being a prime blocker? And Allen was effusive in his praise and calls him the best 3rd down back in the league?
Just tell us you don’t understand key player
He averages less than 30 yards of total offense a game.
You really want to die on this hill?
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4 minutes ago, Cray51 said:
So you don’t understand how effective Ty Johnson was for this team last year.
could’ve just said that
Define effective. Because based on the objective evidence below, he's a journeyman RB who does well in certain situations and most certainly is not an every-down player. If he were, he wouldn't be the 28th highest paid player on the team at less than 2M this season. Key UFA's tend to make far more. Nice try Hondo.
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28 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:
I think Jerry is wrong. It is not McDermott's influence. It is Hurney and Gettleman's.
GM comes from team that undervalues drafting receivers and undervalues drafting receivers. More at 9.
At least Gettleman and Hurney used 4 picks (2 1sts and 2 2nds) from 2013-2020. And Hurney was taking guys who were separating unlike Gettleman did in 2014 and 2015.
I mean, are they really so much in lock-step with that philosophy or can they think for themselves at this point? The league changes a lot and if they're still adhering to what their former bosses were doing 5-10 years ago that bodes poorly for the future.
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1 hour ago, Cray51 said:
What's funny, is the Bills signed Leonard Floyd who was a solid player in June of 2023...
And signed Ty Johnson in August of 2023...
So the idea from the other poster that you can't find key players is funny. Both those guys were solid players for the Bills.
Ty Johnson? A 3rd down back, aka the easiest position to find in UFA and a part time one at that is proof positive? Sure dude.
You got me on Leonard Floyd...1 player in the last 8 seasons who came in and produced some.
Although, he was semi-invisible after the mid-way point of the season.
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37 minutes ago, Billl said:
This is true, but don’t you get dismissing returns at some point? I mean, Buffalo traded down in the first round last year to add a third round pick. They effectively sacrificed their options at a 1st round WR and used the pick they gained on D-Line. Then they drafted another D-Lineman later in the draft. Then they added 3 D-Linemen in Free Agency. Then they drafted 3 D-Lineman in this draft. Meanwhile, they added Josh Palmer in FA and drafted a WR with the 240th pick in the draft.
Now I have no idea whether these moves were good, bad, or some combination of both, but that seems like less of a “finite resources” issue than a conscious decision to load up on one side at the expense of other positions.
The trade for Diggs brought them 56 and their 62 which effectively they used to take 2 DL at 41 and 72. I didn't expect they'd walk away using that 2nd for more defense after selecting Hairston.
Still, the defense, by a lot of metrics was not up to par for McD and certainly not in the playoffs. But what they did this off-season was bordering on obsessive defensively. This is a franchise which has now used 63% of their draft value on defense in the last 5 years.
The NFLPA Is Becoming A Sham Organization
in The Stadium Wall
Posted · Edited by BillsVet
People missing the point. There's always going to be more salary concentrated in the hands of the fewer players who have skill sets that are better particularly at positions of high positional value. No one is demanding that interior OL or backup safeties get paid like top QB or WR.
Still, if you're a union member, be it NFLPA, AFL-CIO, CSEA, whatever and the executive is working with management or offering token resistance on issues...the likely outcomes are going to be bad.
Conflict in labor relations can be a good thing if both sides are strong and have differing viewpoints. What isn't good is to avoid all conflict and collude so that negotiations are easy...that typically ends with rank and file getting a bad contract.