Roster Construction: Balancing Continuity, Consistency, and Crappy with Internal and External Free Agents

[Wizard]

Free Agency Approach...A Little Nervous

There is something I am a little leery about when it comes to this year's free agency approach. I am afraid that McDermott and Beane are maybe too loyal to their continuity and consistency messaging and approach. While it is great we have a roster that is a playoff or near playoff caliber team, some reasonable but bold upgrade signings are the only way to take the next step in consistently making and competing in the playoffs.

 

Continuity and Consistency=Complacency?

Continuity and consistency are great as long as crappy players are replaced and complacency does not become the norm.

 

The signing, resigning, or restructuring of guys like Norman, Kroft, Foster, and Croom are crappy signings. Are they moves of continuity and consistency? Yes. Are they moves that also tend toward complacency in filling out a roster? Yes.  Norman is done. Kroft ought to have been outright cut for the valuable cap space. And, Croom is only on the roster because of "relations" with the Pegula's daughter.

 

Do Not Become Complacent by Keeping Less Than Competitive Talent

We can not use gold spray paint on "crappy players" and keep them as a symbol of the "process" of continuity and consistency approach.  Continuity also means stepping forward in a continuously successful direction.  And, consistency also means consistently getting better at positions.  Current crappy players like Murphy, DiMarco, Smith, and a bevy of underwhelming group of receivers and linebackers after Brown, Beasley, Edmunds, and Milano is continuity and consistency, but unless there players are cut and the money revitalized into serious upgrades, then we will be a somewhat competitive but complacent team.

 

3 Ways to Determine if the Bills Believe in Both Continuity/Consistency & Not Crappy Complacency....Watch How These 4 Areas are Addressed 

• Defensive End: Having Just Jerry Hughes who has 1-2 years left is not going to generate a pass rush. Anything less than cutting Murphy, resigning Lawson, adding a starting defensive end (meaning a top 10 DE free agent), and drafting a defensive end in the first 3 rounds is complacency. Less than this is a crappy and complacent pass-rush unit.

 

• Wide Receivers:  The Bills will need to sign an Amari Cooper/Robby Anderson type, and ADD a 1st/2nd round receiver to John Brown and Cole Beasley to not be a crappy and complacent receiving corps. If more than 2 of Robert Foster, Isiah McKenzie, Ray Ray McCloud, Andre Roberts, Duke Williams, and Nick Easley are on the roster, then continuity and consistency is valued as well as crappy non-competitive complacency.

 

•  Tight Ends:  Having Kroft, Knox, Sweeney, Smith, Croom, and Becker is one of the saddest TE lineups in the NFL. Knox is the only roster lock. Sweeney is maybe a #4. A top 5 TE free agent, and the drafting of a TE better than everyone else besides Knox currently on the roster is the only way to avoid complacency.

 

Fortify All Areas: The Only way to Balance Continuity and Consistency While Avoiding Crappy Players and Complacency 

The Bills can not obviously get an above average start or even average starters  in all of these positions. However, they do need to be better than last year in all of the following areas for continuity and consistently moving forward. 

• The Bills will need a #1/#2 running back
•  Another starting OLB
• A starting right tackle
• A starting TE
• A #1 WR
• A #1 and #3 Defensive End
• Stronger overall depth at LB and CB from last year.

 

What will Bills Leadership Do?

Yes...they have key people to resign very soon. And, yes, not every solid player in free agency or the draft can be added.

 

Will the Bills this free agency and draft balance continuity and consistency while getting more quality and skilled competitors? 

 

Or, will the Bills be more adverse to taking competitive risks and shelling out cash to players that take the overall roster to the next level?

 

My Hope

I am hoping to hear more Bills signings with names  like Hooper, Kirksey, Van Noy, Howard, or Bulaga, than I am recent transactions like Norman, Croom, Kroft, and Foster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Rc2catch]

Your hopes may be crushed. 

[ALLEN1QB]

The TE position really concerns me. Definitely need an upgrade over what we have.

[loveorhatembillsfan4life]

Great points! I sort of feel Beane must have something big up his sleeve.

 

The goal is to score more points. How he accomplishes this I have no idea.?

 

I imagine we draft a Wr in round one or two. Aside from the top two, and then maybe Ruggs unless we are willing to move up to grab one of them, we better hope that we hit on one of the others. Even then how much of an impact rookie can come in and contribute right away will remain to be seen. This doesn’t seem like an easy offense to pick up. Of all the Wr out there I wouldn’t complain with an Anderson or Higgins.

 

i think the front office believes the line is set with Ford at RT 
 

I would have been interested in a guy like hooper but the recent moves make me think they seem to suggest 

They are satisfied with Knox being the number one. 

 

I think they will find some nice Olb available and possibly could find an end. Maybe they snag a Robert Quinn at decent deal. Would he try to snag Yannick
For some draft picks...I’m not as concerned on the defensive side..they put a lot of effort into filling those gaps

 

I agree with you and think some risks need to be taken at this point. How do we score more points and will front office do enough in fa and draft to accomplish this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nucci]

6 minutes ago, ALLEN1QB said:

The TE position really concerns me. Definitely need an upgrade over what we have.

I like our TEs. i'm more concerned about the DL and LB

Edited March 14, 2020 by nucci

[CNYfan]

Mr. Beane did say that he and "satisfied did not get along".   So I wouldn't bet on complacency.   

 

Spain was a nice signing.

 

I also remember Croom coming free on some nice drag routes and making good YAC when he was healthy two (2) years ago.    Croom made some nice downfield plays and I like the guy, maybe he can help.  

 

Kroft caught a winning touchdown pass late in the 4th qtr of a game.  I would like to see what a full offseason of healthy Croft looks like.  

 

They need edge and one  could do worse than Shaq, but we will see.   If 92 can grow in his second year he surely seemed to be a good pass rusher.

 

  I will withhold judgment on their play for now , but these are decent guys.    They are c----py when they get lay hands on a woman or child, or act in other harmful ways.    These guys are depth and good team mates that like playing for the Buffalo Bills.

 

Mr. Beane is doing a nice job with this roster.

[formerlyofCtown]

Yes.  They looked overly concerned with continuity last offseason when the replaced Almost the entire offense it seemed like.

[Aussie Joe]

Premature.
 

Free Agency hasn’t started yet..

 

Guys like Croom, Foster  and Norman will be battling for their spot come Week 1 and sgning them won’t stop Beane looking for upgrades..

 

He signed Long this time last year and then signed another half a dozen linemen in FA..

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by Aussie Joe

[Green Lightning]

1 hour ago, Aussie Joe said:

Premature.
 

Free Agency hasn’t started yet..

 

Guys like Croom, Foster  and Norman will be battling for their spot come Week 1 and sgning them won’t stop Beane looking for upgrades..

 

He signed Long this time last year and then signed another half a dozen linemen in FA..

 

Precisely right. Let's see what unfolds. 

[Aussie Joe]

26 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

His post is premature?

 

How? He’s saying what he thinks needs to happen in FA/draft for this team to get to the next level..... not getting complacent with continuity of not good enough NFL starters. 

Don’t count on them doing anything at TE.... IMO they are rolling with what they got(which really depends on Knox).

 

 

It’s premature because we don’t know what Beane is going to do in Free Agency..

 

Re-signing Foster and Croom to minimum contracts does not prevent them still seeking to upgrade those positions.. 

 

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, Wizard said:

Free Agency Approach...A Little Nervous

There is something I am a little leery about when it comes to this year's free agency approach. I am afraid that McDermott and Beane are maybe too loyal to their continuity and consistency messaging and approach. While it is great we have a roster that is a playoff or near playoff caliber team, some reasonable but bold upgrade signings are the only way to take the next step in consistently making and competing in the playoffs.

 

Continuity and Consistency=Complacency?

Continuity and consistency are great as long as crappy players are replaced and complacency does not become the norm.

 

The signing, resigning, or restructuring of guys like Norman, Kroft, Foster, and Croom are crappy signings. Are they moves of continuity and consistency? Yes. Are they moves that also tend toward complacency in filling out a roster? Yes.  Norman is done. Kroft ought to have been outright cut for the valuable cap space. And, Croom is only on the roster because of "relations" with the Pegula's daughter.

 

Do Not Become Complacent by Keeping Less Than Competitive Talent

We can not use gold spray paint on "crappy players" and keep them as a symbol of the "process" of continuity and consistency approach.  Continuity also means stepping forward in a continuously successful direction.  And, consistency also means consistently getting better at positions.  Current crappy players like Murphy, DiMarco, Smith, and a bevy of underwhelming group of receivers and linebackers after Brown, Beasley, Edmunds, and Milano is continuity and consistency, but unless there players are cut and the money revitalized into serious upgrades, then we will be a somewhat competitive but complacent team.

 

3 Ways to Determine if the Bills Believe in Both Continuity/Consistency & Not Crappy Complacency....Watch How These 4 Areas are Addressed 

• Defensive End: Having Just Jerry Hughes who has 1-2 years left is not going to generate a pass rush. Anything less than cutting Murphy, resigning Lawson, adding a starting defensive end (meaning a top 10 DE free agent), and drafting a defensive end in the first 3 rounds is complacency. Less than this is a crappy and complacent pass-rush unit.

 

• Wide Receivers:  The Bills will need to sign an Amari Cooper/Robby Anderson type, and ADD a 1st/2nd round receiver to John Brown and Cole Beasley to not be a crappy and complacent receiving corps. If more than 2 of Robert Foster, Isiah McKenzie, Ray Ray McCloud, Andre Roberts, Duke Williams, and Nick Easley are on the roster, then continuity and consistency is valued as well as crappy non-competitive complacency.

 

•  Tight Ends:  Having Kroft, Knox, Sweeney, Smith, Croom, and Becker is one of the saddest TE lineups in the NFL. Knox is the only roster lock. Sweeney is maybe a #4. A top 5 TE free agent, and the drafting of a TE better than everyone else besides Knox currently on the roster is the only way to avoid complacency.

 

Fortify All Areas: The Only way to Balance Continuity and Consistency While Avoiding Crappy Players and Complacency 

The Bills can not obviously get an above average start or even average starters  in all of these positions. However, they do need to be better than last year in all of the following areas for continuity and consistently moving forward. 

• The Bills will need a #1/#2 running back
•  Another starting OLB
• A starting right tackle
• A starting TE
• A #1 WR
• A #1 and #3 Defensive End
• Stronger overall depth at LB and CB from last year.

 

What will Bills Leadership Do?

Yes...they have key people to resign very soon. And, yes, not every solid player in free agency or the draft can be added.

 

Will the Bills this free agency and draft balance continuity and consistency while getting more quality and skilled competitors? 

 

Or, will the Bills be more adverse to taking competitive risks and shelling out cash to players that take the overall roster to the next level?

 

My Hope

I am hoping to hear more Bills signings with names  like Hooper, Kirksey, Van Noy, Howard, or Bulaga, than I am recent transactions like Norman, Croom, Kroft, and Foster.

Here's what I think Beane would say to you:

 

You don't understand or you haven't been listening.   The Bills are about continuous improvement.   They want better players at every position every year.  They want intense competition in camp at every position every year. 

 

To have that competition, the Bills need to take 90 guys to camp.   If they don't re-sign their players, the Crooms and Crofts and Fosters, and if they don't sign free agents who either will make it or not, like Norman, they won't have 90 players in camp and they won't have competition.  

 

Competition at positions makes players out of some guys you wouldn't expect.   So some of the guys you don't like will improve from last year and contribute in 2020.  We don't know which ones will improve and contribute and which ones will lose out to newcomers.  That's what camp is for. 

 

When the free agent market opens, we will get some good players.   You may not be impressed by the names, but we know what we need and what we're looking for.   

 

Same thing for the draft.   

 

If Croom and Croft are still around in September, it will be because they're good and can contribute. 

 

Beyond that, you overemphasize the value of marquee talent.  Winning football is about good football players doing their jobs, and only to a lesser extent is about great players.  The Patriots have had great teams for 20 years, and they haven't done it  by chasing after great players.  They do it with good football players who are smart and do their jobs.   That's what the Bills are trying to do.  

 

At the end of free agency and the draft, you will probably be disappointed.   You won't like the names.   The Bills management will not be disappointed.   They are going to get the guys they want, and they are going to work those guys into the roster in a way that makes the Bills a better team.   

 

That's exactly what's been happening for two full seasons now, and it's going to continue.   You seem to have missed that point.  

[Wizard]

I hear what you are saying. No doubt that having 90 players in camp will separate the best players and some will continue to improve and grow into higher level talent.

 

There does reach a point though when a mustang or two and few thoroughbreds is needed among a team of plowhorses.

 

The Bills have a good collection of plowhorses. They have a Mustang who plays CB in White and maybe a few others in Edmunds, Singletary, Brown, and Allen.

 

Yes...go through camp...sign players and let them compete to build.

 

All I am saying is buy a Mustang or thoroughbred to surround the plowhorses with some of your money. Guys like Foster, Croom, Smith, Nsheke, Bojo, Kroft, Murphy and a few others are plowhorses whose skills may be useful but are not going to be the horses than win you races.

 

Citing the greatest QB of all-time, a top 5 TE of all-time, and another mustang or two on each Patriots roster (minus last year) over the last 15 years is exactly right.

 

Yes...a bunch of expensive free agents does not work, but steady plowhorses with some marquee talent does.

 

The Bills are currently lacking a marquee talent (some others could grow into that level on the roster) other than CB.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Wizard

[Shaw66]

13 minutes ago, Wizard said:

I hear what you are saying. No doubt that having 90 players in camp will separate the best players and some will continue to improve and grow into higher level talent.

 

There does reach a point though when a mustang or two and few thoroughbreds is needed among a team of plowhorses.

 

The Bills have a good collection of plowhorses. They have a Mustang who plays CB in White and maybe a few others in Edmunds, Singletary, Brown, and Allen.

 

Yes...go through camp...sign players and let them compete to build.

 

All I am saying is buy a Mustang or thoroughbred to surround the plowhorses with some of your money. Guys like Foster, Croom, Smith, Nsheke, Bojo, Kroft, Murphy and a few others are plowhorses whose skills may be useful but are not goung to be the horses than win you races.

I agree with this, and I think Beane does too.  The only reservation is that Beane doesn't want to buy thoroughbreds in free agency.   He wants them in the draft, and after Allen and Edmunds, he doesn't care much which position the thoroughbred plays.  Last year it was Oliver.   Tougher this year, picking at 22.   That's why some may be right and he'll trade up.   But if he can't do that and he can get a couple of mustangs with the first and second picks, and a couple more in free agency, Bills will be in good shape.   

 

I think Beane is good for a mustang a year in free agency.   A Hyde (I know, he wasn't Beane's), a Morse.   I'm assuming we'll see another one or two of those this year.   Not a Clwoney, not a Cooper.  Beane wants to get his thoroughbreds in the draft, so he can have them for a long time.  

 

I don't know if Beane ever will be that guy who thinks he is one player away and makes a big splash in free agency to get him.  If he is that kind of guy, I think he's still a year away from doing it.  

 

I have no idea who Beane will get, but he's convinced me after two years that he's going to keep building talent.  

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Shaw66

[below]

4 hours ago, ALLEN1QB said:

The TE position really concerns me. Definitely need an upgrade over what we have.

I've been watching the Bills since the early 90s and Knox is already one of the best TEs we've had, and he was only a rookie.

 

He's going to be very good if he catches the ball with more consistency.

[Wizard]

Agree that we are not a year away, and the draft is the least expensive way of hitting on a potential racehorse.

 

We have a short window to find out if Allen is the man, so if there is a racehorse like a Hooper, Cooper, or a 2nd running back to determine if Allen is an average starter or a franchise-level QB, buy a horse or two that is a Stud along with drafting too.

 

[hjnick]

While every roster can always try and improve, I think there is a lesser amount of spots that need 'help'.

 

I would say we are adequate at all positions except for WR and DE. 

 

We need a #1 WR to go with Brown for when we line up with 1RB, 2TE, 2WR.  Which I think we will see more of this year.

I'm assuming Shaq is gone, which leaves a hole at DE.

 

Already, before free agency has truly begun, Beane has already solidified the CB and OLine.  The signings of Norman and Spain means, IMO, there will NOT be any big signings in those areas.

 

Now, for WR and DE, there might be a 'big splash' signing at those positions.  A STUD DE would elevate this DEF even more.

Personally, I think we can find a #1 WR in the draft.

 

So, in retrospect after that diatribe, I think we will focus on

 

WR

DE

OLB (which MIGHT be signed before free agency again...)

 

All other positions will be backed up with draft picks.

[Aussie Joe]

On 3/15/2020 at 11:31 AM, ScottLaw said:

His post is premature?

 

How? He’s saying what he thinks needs to happen in FA/draft for this team to get to the next level..... not getting complacent with continuity of not good enough NFL starters. 

Don’t count on them doing anything at TE.... IMO they are rolling with what they got(which really depends on Knox).

 

Agree 100% with your point on receivers. They need one good veteran and one high round rookie. 

Hey Scott..
 

You understand now my point about the OP’s anxiety being premature?

[Rock-A-Bye Beasley]

27 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

Hey Scott..
 

You understand now my point about the OP’s anxiety being premature?

It wasn’t premature because he was saying what he hopes will happen. What’s wrong with that?

[Aussie Joe]

42 minutes ago, Chemical said:

It wasn’t premature because he was saying what he hopes will happen. What’s wrong with that?

Why was he “nervous” then?

 

Upgrades in Free Agency can’t happen until free agency starts...