KOKBILLS

You think we have tackling problems now...Wait till you see Tre White at Safety...

Oh for sure, Burns is a heck of a player...I've lived down here in NC for 30 years now. All my immediate family are Carolina fans...That kid is very good. I agree that despite the positional difference, I would not separate those 2 much.

Exactly. It also can't be ignored that even if the Bills were hell bent on getting a DT in 2019, they chose Oliver over Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence who have both been better NFL players so far in the their careers.

I don't know...We'll see. If you listen to Beane's comments in the Presser he basically said it's mental not physical with Tre right now. Sure he could be hiding some things. But they have internal testing from before the injury and after, and it sounded to me like the Bills feel he's back physically, but mentally he struggled with the first major injury he's ever had playing football. Beane even mentioned stopping and cutting on that knee being different until you get over the mental part of it. That would explain his looking a step slower. But the only way we're going to find out for sure is to see how he plays early next year.

Well...If anyone want to bore themselves to death they could go back and look at my posts from that 2016 Draft. They would see that I LOVED Chis Jones for the Bills. He was probably my favorite prospect from that entire Draft. The Bills took Shaq Lawson at #19 instead. I liked Lawson too, but I did not put him even remotely in Jones category as a prospect overall. When you look at the Oliver pick too it stands out to me because all of Beane's other picks in the 1st Round are Height, Weight, athletic ability-outliers. Rousseau is a huge DE...Elam is a big CB...And of course Josh and Edmunds are freaks at their positions. This is what happens when you miss on premium Draft picks...There is a domino effect...If we Draft Jones over Lawson maybe we're a little light at DE (though Jones rushes off the edge some), but there's no need for Oliver in 2019. So we could have had say...Jones and DK Metcalf instead? Oh well...

Well...I'm not going under the assumption that the Bills will trade Oliver because I seriously doubt they will. But depending on the return I would absolutely consider it. Like I said previously I'm not going to assume anything because teams do dumb things all the time. The Bears gave up a 2nd round pick for Chase Claypool...You just never know. Are you saying regardless of the package offered, an Oliver trade would be completely off the table? The book on Oliver has played out pretty much exactly the way he was scouted. Undersized, great physical traits, etc...But at the end of the day we are looking at a DT who is expected to bring Pass Rush consistency, and he has 21 QB pressures and 16.5 sacks in 70 games played including the Playoffs. He's averaged 2.5 total tackles in those games. That's good stats for a 0/1-tech. But a 3-tech in a Defense that is greatly reliant on pressure from rushing only 4, it's not great. I fully understand a lot of those games came when he was not getting much help from others. And he's had some injuries. But that does not explain everything. The Bills need more from that position. Normally I would say replacing Oliver would not result in better results given his pedigree. But the number don't lie. His closest stat comparisons league wide are Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill, and D.J. Jones...A 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Round pick. Which admittedly would lend credence to the "no one will trade for him" argument. But it would also lend credence to the "see what you can get for him" argument as well. I'm just saying I would absolutely see if one team out there is willing to give the Bills a deal they can't refuse. They can use that Cap space. I would feel 100% different if I was convinced Oliver will have a breakout 2023...I'm not... Here's what Spotrac says about dead cap in an Oliver trade...

No team would trade for him without signing him to an extension. I would imagine that's a given. Unless you can't restructure off the 5th year? Is that a rule?

I'll probably be typing this a lot over the next 3 Months... Jalin Hyatt...

I would absolute trade Oliver. And I'm not going to say there will be no market either. There's 28 other teams out there outside of our Division...28 other Defensive Coordinators. Teams do dumb things all the time...Some teams are desperate with a ton of cap space. He won't be 26 till next December. You never know.

I voted no on all 3...But I'm really surprised at the poll results so far. 70% to question #3 is substantial... I had to say no to #3 because it's my humble opinion that this Defensive scheme, and the weird way it devolved this year, is figured out somehow. What I saw this year, even in the game that Zack Wilson played, was one guy wide open way too often. And QB whoever just playing pitch and catch for YAC...I totally realize the Bills had injury problems all over...I get it. But are they blowing coverage and just out-of-position THAT much? If so, then coaching is an even bigger issue. I know the scoring Defense is usually great, but Offenses are getting better and better...Even in our Division. And you get killed on those easy plays vs the really good teams... Miami scored 17 points in consecutive weeks vs San Fran and SD...The entire NFL football community was talking about the specific Defensive approach the West Coast teams played vs Tua. Miami goes to Buffalo and scores 29. Then the following week it's 20 against Green Bay. In the SD/SF/GB games the fish averaged 301 total yards. They got 405 total at Buffalo. Then Cincy... First I saw this from Anthony at Cover 1... The Baltimore Ravens vs the Bengals in the wild card: -light box rate of 80% -2-high shell rate of 80% -blitz rate of 10% -3 man rush rate of 18% Then I saw the Cover 1 Chart on Burrow. His lowest success rate and completion percentage over expected (-12.83) was vs 3 man rush Defenses. I thought this was right up the Bills alley...I really did. They can't pass rush with any consistency anyway. I really thought they would advance scout and come out dropping 8 a lot from the beginning. It would have been a twist at least! But I'm not sure they ever saw that stat? They may have rushed 3 a few times last Sunday...But I did not catch it. Maybe I'm wrong. And I did see some blitzes, which are generally ill advised vs Burrow. Especially rushing more than 5... I do agree with Mango's post above that part of it is the play calls vs the situation. But goodness they got that wrong a lot this year. Seemed like way too may 3rd and 10's or more were converted. I contend teams know how to beat this Defense easier now. For whatever reason. And it's only going to get harder if they try to stay the course with their stubbornness. Teams understand how to manufacture space to get a guy wide open vs this Bills D way too often. That's a Coaching philosophy problem McD must solve. It can be done. It's fixable. But I think they need some new eyes in that room to see it.

Jalin Hyatt...

I guess everyone is going to see this different...There are a lot of potential possibilities... I'm not interested in Meyer, or most any of the UFA-route WR's. Some of these players like Meyer are fine if they come in close to the Vet minimum. But most of them won't. But if the Bills Draft a WR in the 1st or 2nd, which they damn well better, That will give them Diggs, Davis, Shakir, the Draft Pick, likely Beasley (for one more year and he will have a roll), and probably Crowder too...In that case with a high Draft pick, how is a Vet UFA like Meyer going to get on the field? I have zero interest in 1st Rd OG's...Zero...It's just a poor roster investment IMHO. If the Bills go O-Line in the 1st it has to be an OT who can move inside if Brown looks better next year (Beane strongly defended Brown in his Presser). Or even a top OC that can play OG for a year or two. I very much doubt the Bills Draft a TE in the first 3 Rounds either. Unless one of the really good TE's slide. Or unless they fall in love with Darnell Washington who would give them a massive TE that can block. I don't mind Forman as a RB option to bring in. He's not bad at all. I'd rather see something like this... RD 1 - Jalin Hyatt - WR, or Rachee Rice - WR...But Hyatt is clearly my preference right now. RD 2 - Jaelyn Duncan - OT, or one of the top OC's that can play OG for a year RD 3 - Probably a Safety

That list is too long already...

If this happened and the Bills took Parker Washington over Jalin Hyatt, I would NOT be a happy camper...Not saying Washington can't move up some, and I like him...But I've yet to consider Washington as more than a Day 2 prospect...And IMHO, Hyatt is a perfect match for what the Bills need...Plus he looks to be as fast as lightning...

You're asking this question like I have input...I don't... I like McD...But he's clearly not flawless...I promise you, if we hung out for one Bills game you would not think I go easy on McD at all...I see that Defense as his...This is a huge gut check moment for him. Everyone knows it. And I'm going under the general assumption that he's going to be here for at least another year minimum...Probably many more...He's 66-40 career...It's Buffalo...They're not getting rid of him. But he needs to step up and fix this fast.

The Bills could have easily had DK Metcalf...Fell right into our laps...In the 2nd...The 2nd!!! I'm still hurt...Wounded...I had so many plans...

Agreed...McD and his quest for love will definitely get in the way of doing what needs to be done...As much as I like McD...And I really like him...They roll this crap out on Defense again next year I'll be leading the charge to get rid of him.

I read a bunch of those quotes and it seems to me the players know their coaches are in trouble, and they were covering for them with that excuse. Saffold even said "our coaches did the best they could at trying to modify the week to get us back to snuff.” I'm glad they modified the week while rolling out that ridiculously bad game plan...But whatever...

I totally agree with the mindset...For sure...But McD runs that Organization basically, and at best it's a 50/50 with Beane because both have different duties and jobs. Pegula is McD's boss...Not Beane IMHO...

Agreed...I just want to point out that I very much doubt there has been a single premium Draft pick since McD has been here that he has not had a major say in. In fact I think it works like...Here's what we need...find me this...then bring them in and I'll tell you which one I like best. Now that is just my opinion. And I do think they all agree most of the time. But my point is that McD is a HUGE part of who we pick and should not be off-the-hook in that area.

I hear you...Bernard was Drafted at #89 overall...There were few decent players that went shortly after him. Most notably Kirby Joseph...But I can accept missing in that area from time to time. Bernard is behind a few for me...They Drafted Basham two picks before Creed freaking Humphrey...If you listen to Joe Marino enough you understand the pain there. They Drafted Epenesa, who they made drop weight just to try and fit, over Josh Uche who is a problem pass rusher. They wasted a 3rd Round pick on Zack Moss. Terry McLaurin went 2 picks after Motor...And as I've said ad nauseum...Cody Ford over DK Metcalf, who I thought was the best player in that entire Draft outside of Bosa...So...

I'm not going to defend Beane...It has not been ideal...But I also don't think there has been a single Draft pick on Day 1, or 2, that McD has not had a major say in since he's been here. The thing with me and Beane/McD will always be DK Metcalf...I still cannot believe that one. I would have taken him over Oliver...But I understood when they didn't...But having him fall into your lap in the 2nd, then picking Cody Ford...I was so dumbfounded by that one...Just fell right into our laps and they passed. That was my favorite Draft to look at leading up to it because I just knew we were going to get DK Metcalf...lol...I was so disappointed...

I totally agree...And I've been harping on the Bills being more balance-minded on Offense forever. I just have a different philosophy about having a Franchise guy. The 1st thing I want to do is make it as easy as I possibly can for them. You do that by having a consistent run game, which in turn makes play-action easier. Then you go all kinds of mixed formations to scheme easy pass plays for YAC...You do that stuff and the over the top becomes easier. You have Josh Allen. He's going to do amazing things at times... Dorsey did not show me much of anything this year...There were personnel issues granted. The Offensive Line struggled on and off all year. And the games where they really ran it well outside of Josh were rare. All receivers outside of Diggs could have been better this year. All of them. But Dorsey was certainly not up to that challenge. I think Josh was for the most part. But he needed help his OC and his organization could not give him this year. And the only way they turn this thing around immediately is to find that formula around Josh that makes everything easier, if only by a moderate degree. Anything would help. I think the easiest way around this whole thing is the people in place understanding and recognizing the problems. On Offense and Defense. If they get honest about it, I think they have the people in place in Coaching (for the most part) and at GM to get it done. But they have to have a deep gut check on everything...Especially on making life easier for their Franchise QB.

It didn't open wider that's for sure...