NFL.com David Carr lists Buffalo as a Potential Destination for WR Amari Cooper

[YoloinOhio]

21 minutes ago, MJS said:

I feel like most guys change their tune after they come here, though.

I think that’s true but this just struck me a bit differently for some reason. 

[billsfan89]

I don't see McBeane going after Cooper, he doesn't seem to be a process guy and I think the Bills only make one big move and I don't think it will be a 15 million aav or more signing but it will be more in the range of 10-12 million aav. I think McBeane's approach will be more likely to replicate the 2019 off-season and go after one upper level signing (10+ million) and then go after 2-3 upper mid-level signings (7-9 million aav) and then pepper in the rest of the needs with mid-level or lower signings (4-6 million aav or less.)

 

I think they try to resign 2-3 of the team's primary free agents (Spain, Phillips and Lawson) and then make one solid splash before trying to fill 2 needs with upper mid-level signings and then go after depth and role players in the mid-range or lower level. Obviously the overhaul of the team particularly on offense won't be as drastic but I can see them targeting a big Edge defender in the 10-12 million range and a corner or LB in the 7-9 million range and then possibly a pass catcher in the 7-9 million range. Then going after a TE and RB in the mid range (4-6 million.)

 

I think they then go WR 2 out of their first three picks and then BPA. I think that their goal is to retain talent, fill 2-3 holes in free agency and then fill the remaining needs via the draft and roll over 30-40 million to help ease the burden on extending contracts while not tying them down to more than one massive deal beyond 2021. 

[BADOLBILZ]

40 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Badol, has the Bills FO under Beane ever done what you thought they should?

 

I ask because I'd really like to see us draft at least 2 WR this year so if the answer is "no", perhaps you could "take one for the team" and un-make your suggestion?

 

 

I felt strongly that the Bills should sign Mario Williams and had the audacity to say that they could and that they would try.  (That was generally perceived as astonishing unrealistic.......I think it was @Kevin who nearly lost his mind tryna shout that take down).

 

But I get the joke..........I wish they had some kind of organizational memory so they could stop repeating mistakes.

 

I've liked the 4 players they've drafted in round 1 the past 3 years..........which is a first in itself.

 

As for that organizational memory.........I look back at the Donahoe period where he cleared the roster and he then had a great draft and looked smart and efficient in free agency initially..........and in hindsight the good personnel moves were as much a function of having needs everywhere as anything..........which feels A LOT like the good things that McBeane have done.  

 

It went to Donahoe's head.........and once he felt he only had a few needs left he lost his mind and started making impulsive, unsound decisions.

 

McBeane need to keep filling needs in FA.......address premium positions early in the draft and let the talent come to them in rounds 3-6.    

 

[ProcessTruster]

4 hours ago, Azucho98 said:

Cooper seems to quit when things get tough... so he doesn't fit here.

 

yeah my understanding is he is a weirdo.  doesn't like away games, or something like that.... diva potential.  would never work in the b lo

[YoloinOhio]

3 hours ago, jabu said:

 

I'm surprised you say you like McKenzie. Other than some of his jet sweeps, I thought he largely disappeared in games. His hands were better this year, but he wasn't much of a down field threat, lacked in getting separation and has a small catch radius. He seems more of a gadget guy than a reliable 3 or 4 WR.

I like mckenzie for the role he plays. But I wouldn’t say he’s the 3rd or 4th WR next year, rather the 5th or 6th. In my scenario, it would be Brown, Beasley, alpha rookie WR taken high (ie Shenault), rookie 2 (I personally want elite speed like KJ Hamler), Roberts, mckenzie. That’s 6. If they sign a FA I would go for a guy like Kendrick Bourne from SF. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by YoloinOhio

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I like mckenzie for the role he plays. But I wouldn’t say he’s the 3rd or 4th WR next year, rather the 5th or 6th. In my scenario, it would be Brown, Beasley, alpha rookie WR taken high (ie Shenault), rookie 2 (I personally want elite speed like KJ Hamler), Roberts, mckenzie. That’s 6. If they sign a FA I would go for a guy like Kendrick Bourne from SF. 

 

Have we all decided Duke Williams and Foster are no go's?

[njbuff]

The Bills need a redo behind Brown and Beasley.

 

There should be 3 new WR's on this roster next season and they all could come from this very deep WR class.

[bigK14094]

6 hours ago, warrior9 said:

I just don't see Beane shelling out that kind of money for WR (nor do I want him to)

Dallas had him on the bench an awful lot when they had their season on the line.  He is not the big FA receiver we need in  that light.....

But, I will go with the Bills brain trust on this issue.

Edited February 6, 2020 by bigK14094

[Reed83HOF]

I get this is a deep class and good WRs can be had in any round, but we need elite playmakers on offense(we have none) at least 1 WR needs to have the tools to be elite, not just more #2s & #3s. You can't be scared of Watkins either. The 2014 draft class:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000346685/article/mike-mayocks-position-rankings-for-2014-nfl-draft

https://walterfootball.com/draft2014WR.php

has the same rankings.

 

When we traded we were at pick #9 and at least 1 of the top 3 should have been there for us, but yet we went up to pick #5 to grab Sammy (who was the #1 WR in the draft ranking wise) our problem is that there were 3 WRs in the top Tier (Sammy, Evans & OBJ) and we foolishly gave up too much to grab what we thought was the top one, when there were 2 other players in that tier of WR who were not that far off. This would have been comparable last year if Beane traded up this last draft for Q. Williams & Oliver was taken by the Jets at our pick.

 

In this draft yes there is depth, but again there is a drop of from the Top 3 to the next tier. Given how terrible our roster depth is at this position, we sure as hell can use a top tier WR; we have a roster full of tier 2 and worse.

[offyourocker]

I would not be surprised is we take a serious look at Breshad Perriman.  He really came in last year for Tampa when they needed him.  He would be the perfect compliment to the WR we have now and a Hell of a lot cheaper than Cooper.  

[hondo in seattle]

6 hours ago, SirAndrew said:

We need a receiver, but to say we are, “one receiver away from having one of the top offenses in the league” isn’t true. We need to build this offensive line to be a real contender. However, maybe signing a decent free agent WR would free up our draft picks to devote them to building the line. 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way.  McD's mantra last season was "playoff caliber."  While the OL was much improved, it wasn't playoff caliber.  

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Reed83HOF said:

I get this is a deep class and good WRs can be had in any round, but we need elite playmakers on offense(we have none) at least 1 WR needs to have the tools to be elite, not just more #2s & #3s. You can't be scared of Watkins either. The 2014 draft class:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000346685/article/mike-mayocks-position-rankings-for-2014-nfl-draft

https://walterfootball.com/draft2014WR.php

has the same rankings.

 

When we traded we were at pick #9 and at least 1 of the top 3 should have been there for us, but yet we went up to pick #5 to grab Sammy (who was the #1 WR in the draft ranking wise) our problem is that there were 3 WRs in the top Tier (Sammy, Evans & OBJ) and we foolishly gave up too much to grab what we thought was the top one, when there were 2 other players in that tier of WR who were not that far off. This would have been comparable last year if Beane traded up this last draft for Q. Williams & Oliver was taken by the Jets at our pick.

 

In this draft yes there is depth, but again there is a drop of from the Top 3 to the next tier. Given how terrible our roster depth is at this position, we sure as hell can use a top tier WR; we have a roster full of tier 2 and worse.

 

So by analogy to 2014, Beckham was gone by Pick #12. 

Are you saying we should be trying to trade into the top 10 or 12 picks to get a top WR?

 

Again with the 2014 analogy, Jarvis Landry was drafted late in the 2nd round and Davante Adams at 53 in the 2nd.

 

1 hour ago, offyourocker said:

I would not be surprised is we take a serious look at Breshad Perriman.  He really came in last year for Tampa when they needed him.  He would be the perfect compliment to the WR we have now and a Hell of a lot cheaper than Cooper.  

 

Funny you should mention that.  I was just looking at the list of FA WR today and thinking "I wonder if we'll take a look at Breshad Perriman?"

[BobbyC81]

8 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

 

good.  Cooper has been a disappointment, IMHO, and will be overpaid for what he produces.  I'd rather have a rookie, and someone who will cost less like AJ Green.  

He drops a lot of easy catches.

[Awwufelloff]

9 hours ago, Azucho98 said:

Cooper seems to quit when things get tough... so he doesn't fit here.

 

 

100% agree with this. I saw his last few games where hes huffing and puffing about bad passes or bad plays and gives up on routes. No chance he comes here.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Awwufelloff

[QCity]

21 hours ago, MAJBobby said:

The Bills are one receiver away from having one of the top offenses in the league

 

 

 

Clarification: MAJBobby is quoting David Carr here.  The part that so indicated got edited out

Edited February 6, 2020 by Hapless Bills Fan
Clarifying quote

[Reed83HOF]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

So by analogy to 2014, Beckham was gone by Pick #12. 

Are you saying we should be trying to trade into the top 10 or 12 picks to get a top WR?

 

Again with the 2014 analogy, Jarvis Landry was drafted late in the 2nd round and Davante Adams at 53 in the 2nd.

 

So I want to both encourage discussion and make sure that shades 2014 does not color our views on this draft. Just because it is a deep WR class does not mean that, what we are missing on our offense overall will be found in any round and that all of the WRs are ranked closely in overall skill. The top 3 guys are yes, much better than the next 3-4 guys and the group below them and so on. Beane frequently has talked about this very concept and we all know he will move to get a player who is sliding down the board they have a high value on, especially if it is a position of need.

 

On Knox:

Beane: We were looking at, there was [the] same thing, there was starting to be a run on tight ends and you’re kind of holding your breath and you start looking. Our next pick was 112, I believe, so we started going. He fit the value where we picked him. There’s enough teams that could still use tight ends and we just didn’t see any way that he would fall. The next one that we had ranked was starting to be significantly lower and we just felt that this was the time to jump. That was still another position that we wanted to address in this draft.

 

Beane: I was honestly exhausted after the first [trade up] because we were trying so hard to get Cody [Ford]. We were patient with Devin [Singletary] and then there was the run on tight ends right after we picked Devin. It’s Murphy’s Law, we saw some running backs there we liked and we saw some tight ends that we liked; and it was like ‘ok, it looks like maybe there’s a little more depth still at tight end,’ so we go with Devin, and then the tight ends start going and you start pressing, going ‘alright, how long do we want to wait before we address it. And that felt like the right time to make the move.’

 

Beane: There’s two things, the value on the board, and secondly, we thought it was a position we did need. And again, let’s say he got picked and we’re at four now, I didn’t want to be reaching in a lower round to grab him. It made sense to me, for us to trade up there because we had that value on Dawson [Knox].

 

On Edmunds:

“He was sticking out on our board, and it’s a need,” explained Beane. “If a guy is sticking out on our board, and it’s really not a need, you might not do it. But with the hole we had there, and where he was on our board, it was a no-brainer. Even if we could have got to 14, we would have done it.”

 

We can't compare the 2014 draft and team to the 2020 draft and team, different cap situations, different holes and at different points in their trajectory. There is no need to doa full rundown on 2014, but in a nutshell (Sammy, Evans & OBJ were the top tier, blue chip WR guys) at 9 we would have had a choice of one or even 2 of them. The FO chose to trade up when other areas of the team could have been focused on. As we have discussed ad nauseam over the years.

 

(most of the following notes and comments came from Nolan Nawrocki & Walter football)

 

Landry & Adams well there are reasons for them not being in the top tier. Landry ran a 4.77 40, had the 2nd worst vertical at the combine, and had issues with separation against better DBs in college, he only started in 12 games, he also was listed as 6'1" by LSU but measured 5'11" and had a lean frame. His lack of size and speed would cause issues with better DBs in the NFL. What he did excel at was the route tree and making contested catches (reason for many of these was due to his lack of separation). All of these question marks caused him to drop and his pure athletic talent cannot match the top 3. But great route running and strong hands allowed him to carve a role and be successful, Keenan Allen is the same and Mike Wallace is a guy who faded out due to not being able to develop a route tree.

 

Adams was a third year sophmore entering the draft, average to below average acceleration from a dead stop, did not play against elite competition.

When Adams is asked to run more complex routes, he's often sloppy. He frequently rounds off his routes and doesn't consistently display the sharp cuts that can create separation. The sloppiness of his play raises some concerns that he's willing to play down to the level of his competition, because on occasion he did show the necessary explosiveness to win against NFL-caliber defensive backs.  He ran only a portion of the route tree at Fresno State, running a high percentage of go routes, comebacks and screens—routes which require relatively little timing and explosiveness. 

 

Both of these types of players can take time to develop and are good choices for RDs2 & 3, but are by no means the blue chippers who could come in and contribute immediately to start a run on our current team. The further you go down into the talent, the more questions there are and the more time it will take to develop these guys. How long are you willing to wait for that development and hope it comes? the lack of a blue chip pass catchers on our team is the primary are we need to fix this year.

 

Beane end of the season presser:

 

Hopefully, we’ll just be able to add some pieces here and there to help us take the next step...

 

“Sometimes Josh, he wants it so bad that sometimes he tries to do too much. If we’re not moving the ball at times, I think that’s probably one of the things he has to work on, is still playing within himself. I think he tried to put all 45 other players on his back and do things that he shouldn’t do . . . He’s a fiery competitor, and I would much rather have those errors than check-down-charlie, being timid, all those types of things...

 

At the end of the day, it’s maturity, and it’s me doing a better job of increasing the talent around him, too, so that he can trust, have more players that [he] can trust and make plays for him, where he’s just got to get the ball out, hand it off, do whatever, and not feel like he has to do too much.”

 

For Edmunds in 2018 we gave up Pick #22 in RD1 and Pick #65 in RD3 to move up to pick #16 and Pick #154 in RD5; with this kind of value Beane will move for a top 3 WR. Ithink this makes sense around pick 14-16, need to jump in front of Philly & the Raiders. Easy trade to make especially with our extra 4ths and 5ths we can easily get back into RD3 and even still package them to move up in RD2 or grab another second rounder.

 

In 2017 to move from pick #10 we got #27 in RD1, plus #91 RD3 and 2018#1. Would Beane pull the trigger for Jeudy or Lamb and give up something similar? He might and this is tougher to predict.

 

Just remember we at least had talks on both AB & OBJ last year = big game WR fishing. OBJ was a #1 a 3rd and Peppers for a huge contract and a Diva. Personally I would rather make a trade like that for one of the top in this draft. I'm not addressing AB at all..

 

Edit: @Virgiljust adding you because this more fully explains my trade up for Ruggs and why (if I was free at work during the selection) I would have gone to 13 for Lamb....

Edited February 6, 2020 by Reed83HOF

[NoSaint]

11 hours ago, Azucho98 said:

Cooper seems to quit when things get tough... so he doesn't fit here.

 

add him and a few pieces and it won’t be that tough. I’d be glad for him to be our Sammy in a super bowl run

[MyDogLuvsPB]

12 hours ago, whatdrought said:

 

 

Funny you should mention this... Due to a conversation in another thread, I am (not for the first time in the past couple years, mind you) reading through the 2018 draft night thread... The amount of Allen haters is still surprising to me. 

 

Especially when you figure he has had nothing to do with 4th quarter collapses in the past two years!

[GETTOTHE50]

I think... well I guess I should say hope, that the bengals fail or don’t decide to sign AJ Green and then consequently sign Amari to an egregious deal.

 

they need someone for joe burrow to throw to and develop with.

 

then we can swipe in and sign AJ. I can dream. 

[OutOfBubbleGum]

15 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Mc/Beane has won me over. We’re close because of their shrewdness. If they think he’s the piece, he’ll be wearing Scarlet, Royal & White.

Why don't you just say Red, White and Blue? God bless America!