Summary: Players lost/gained in 2017.

[Pbomb]

For me, as a Bills fan, you want to hope that with even a mediocre GM in DW that entire drafts weren't a complete waste of time, so you hope that with a new regime you get better systems where they blah blah blah make the team better and win. The 2016 draft, looking at it in the rear view, seems like a huge fail. Washington is OK, I guess. Lawson looks slow and out of place, oh yeah, and there was that whole pesky shoulder injury debacle. And nobody has a clue about Ragland. The 20-millionth Williams at RB looks like a non factor. Listenbee has been completely absent, but I guess that a guy selected that late and not playing at all shouldn't be a shock, but is more an indicator of a team selecting guys who aren't shovel ready than anything else.

 

Where I don't feel so pessimistic is where it comes to maybe, just maybe, having coaches where every game doesn't seem like I'm riding the Viper, or that the coaches and players did their homework on the bus. One hopes that we won't see terrible decision making on the field, slews of penalties, and a decent competitive level -- while they work out the issues with talent acquisition and retention.

so everyone from last years draft is a bust, dammit i was hoping atleast one of them would be good. Are any of this years picks gonna amount to anything or do they all suck too?

[Guest NeckBeard]

so everyone from last years draft is a bust, dammit i was hoping atleast one of them would be good. Are any of this years picks gonna amount to anything or do they all suck too?

 

Isn't calling someone a bust a first rounder thing? But I have no idea how many of Lawson, Ragland, and Washington, if any or all of them, will turn out to be good, or if they will play into a second contract. I can only be honest and say that it doesn't look good at the moment, and this is coming from someone who is pretty neutral/moderate when it comes to this team and its longstanding losing ways.

 

As for this year's draft, like last year's it made sense, and plus there is that added first rounder for 2018, which is terrific. I have been definitely at the show me state with this team for a long time.

[JerseyBills]

Nice write-up and thanks for the work.

 

Wouldn't include Lawson in additions this year. He did play last year, so where should the line be drawn - 2 weeks? 4? 8? 12? Still, he does figure to be impactful.

 

Would find it hilarious if we went from keeping a K, P, and KOS, to just Rehkow, who should compete with Haushka who misses XPs at a near-Carpenter rate.

 

Otherwise, again, much appreciated!

I would include Lawson because it's a scheme change, and he missed all off season activities which is crucial for a rookie.

I think we improved in many areas,

 

OL-Improved (Dawkins looks to be a big upgrade at RT). LT LG C RG areally all locks and are great together. Lost Kujo but get Henderson back, Duccasse, kept Groy, Mills probably becomes depth now. That's a very deep, very talented OL.

 

WR-Improved (Asuing Watkins is available full time),added Zay and Holmes, got a speedster in Listenbee to replace Glass Goodwin. Got depth in Philly Brown.

 

RB - PUSH. We lost Gills,which hurts but gained the best blocking FB , added Tolbert and have a 2nd year guy in J Williams that has serious upside. Remember, two years in a row an unknown RB lit it up in Karlos and then Gillissee. A lot is because Shady is so special,and it's hard for a D to go from Shady to a 1 cut back or power back. And also because the OL is that good.

 

TE- Push. You can make a case for upgrade. O'Leary who suprisingly was a very solid #2 TE is now in year 3 and we added some interesting players, specifically the 6'6 Logan Thomas and Blake Annen.

 

DL- Upgrade. This is mainly because of the scheme change which is better suited for Shaq, Jerry , Darues and a guy I feel will absolutely strive in this scheme, Adolphus Washington. I love our DT depth. DE depth scares me a bit but I'm sure Lorax will be playing LB and DE.

 

LB - Upgrade. I'm a huge Ragland fan, I thought he'd be the most successful LB out of the class, because he shows such amazing instincts. Ppl claim he's slow but I disagree. He plays fast. He has super quick decision making. He's going to bring the nasty in the middle of that field.

 

Now with Hodges signed , this group is looking good and deep. I'm also very high on Milano, the kid can flat out play.. Suddenly a guy like Prestonsburg Brown is depth , so that looks like a group with serious potential.

 

DB - Push. We lose an above average Gilmore, sorry, he's not elite, )thank God we didn't pay 14m), and Robey.

 

But we got Darby and Seymour,both very young,both showed many flashes in a scheme that put tons of pressure on em.

Our 1st rounder ,White looks to be an immefiate starter with a lot of potential.

That has the POTENTIAL to be one of the best young trios in the game. Love the vision.

Added a solid vet in Shareece Wright.

We need a guy like Charles James or Leonardo Johnson to step up.

As for S, we massively upgraded with Micah Hyde and Poyer over Graham and Meeks/Duke and an unavailable Aaron Williams .

We need a guy like Colt Anderson, Dowling to step up and they have a bunch of 2ND year players at S , hopefully one of them can step up. But the starters are better and the depth is the same, so it's anot upgrade imo.

 

Coaching- Upgrade.

Self explanatory

[SoCal Deek]

Well composed. I think this is sort of overall roster review is EXACTLY how the Front Office looks at things. You can't be improving everywhere and you hope to not be declining everywhere.

 

To my way of thinking the biggest variables from 2016 are of course a new Coach and 'sort of' two incoming Draft classes. The hope is that Lawson, Ragland, Seymour, Washington and Listenbee will not ALL end up in the Bills Trivia thread some years from now.

 

Go Bills

[Figster]

I would include Lawson because it's a scheme change, and he missed all off season activities which is crucial for a rookie.

I think we improved in many areas,

 

OL-Improved (Dawkins looks to be a big upgrade at RT). LT LG C RG areally all locks and are great together. Lost Kujo but get Henderson back, Duccasse, kept Groy, Mills probably becomes depth now. That's a very deep, very talented OL.

 

WR-Improved (Asuing Watkins is available full time),added Zay and Holmes, got a speedster in Listenbee to replace Glass Goodwin. Got depth in Philly Brown.

 

RB - PUSH. We lost Gills,which hurts but gained the best blocking FB , added Tolbert and have a 2nd year guy in J Williams that has serious upside. Remember, two years in a row an unknown RB lit it up in Karlos and then Gillissee. A lot is because Shady is so special,and it's hard for a D to go from Shady to a 1 cut back or power back. And also because the OL is that good.

 

TE- Push. You can make a case for upgrade. O'Leary who suprisingly was a very solid #2 TE is now in year 3 and we added some interesting players, specifically the 6'6 Logan Thomas and Blake Annen.

 

DL- Upgrade. This is mainly because of the scheme change which is better suited for Shaq, Jerry , Darues and a guy I feel will absolutely strive in this scheme, Adolphus Washington. I love our DT depth. DE depth scares me a bit but I'm sure Lorax will be playing LB and DE.

 

LB - Upgrade. I'm a huge Ragland fan, I thought he'd be the most successful LB out of the class, because he shows such amazing instincts. Ppl claim he's slow but I disagree. He plays fast. He has super quick decision making. He's going to bring the nasty in the middle of that field.

 

Now with Hodges signed , this group is looking good and deep. I'm also very high on Milano, the kid can flat out play.. Suddenly a guy like Prestonsburg Brown is depth , so that looks like a group with serious potential.

 

DB - Push. We lose an above average Gilmore, sorry, he's not elite, )thank God we didn't pay 14m), and Robey.

 

But we got Darby and Seymour,both very young,both showed many flashes in a scheme that put tons of pressure on em.

Our 1st rounder ,White looks to be an immefiate starter with a lot of potential.

That has the POTENTIAL to be one of the best young trios in the game. Love the vision.

Added a solid vet in Shareece Wright.

We need a guy like Charles James or Leonardo Johnson to step up.

As for S, we massively upgraded with Micah Hyde and Poyer over Graham and Meeks/Duke and an unavailable Aaron Williams .

We need a guy like Colt Anderson, Dowling to step up and they have a bunch of 2ND year players at S , hopefully one of them can step up. But the starters are better and the depth is the same, so it's anot upgrade imo.

 

Coaching- Upgrade.

Self explanatory

Nice reply

 

The coaching upgrade (IMO) puts every player on the Bills roster in a better position to succeed.

 

thanks OP

Edited May 30, 2017 by Figster