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Can Any of the 2020 Draft Picks Start?


Irv

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I know "starting" doesn't mean that much in McD's rotational style.  But I really don't think there is a "starter" or anyone that clearly beats out an incumbent, in the draft class.  Do you?  

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Not this year but next season I could see Gabriel Davis be a starter at WR. We got some big deals coming up and we’re going to have some tough decisions with some of these bigger contracts. I could see Beasley and/or Brown being let go to clear up space for Tre’s giant forthcoming contract...

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Mack.   Watching his film study session from a post on this board, I see him as a professional running back.  He just sets up blocks and sees everything.  Like when he said he wants to know if the linebackers' toes are 5 yards back or 4-and-a-half.

 

By week 6 or so I could see him with the Ones.  Even though the league doesnt have many "starting" RBs, Mack will be taking first snaps.

 

(I know its Zack Moss, buy my brain auto-corrects it to Mack.  A better RB name anyway)

Edited by maddenboy
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5 minutes ago, maddenboy said:

Mack.   Watching his film study session from a post on this board, I see him as a professional running back.  He just sets up blocks and sees everything.  Like when he said he wants to know if the linebackers' toes are 5 yards back or 4-and-a-half.

 

By week 6 or so I could see him with the Ones.  Even though the league doesnt have many "starting" RBs, Mack will be taking first snaps.

 

(I know its Zack Moss, buy my brain auto-corrects it to Mack.  A better RB name anyway)

Singletary has already proven that he is a professional running back and a difference maker at the position. I highly doubt that Moss will overtake him, especially considering McDermott likes to bring along rookies slowly. It took forever for Singletary to get significant snaps even though he was clearly more effective than Gore.

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As you noted, due to the heavy rotational style employed by McDermott at almost every position, "starting" really only means taking the first snap of the game.

As such, Moss will "start" at least one game before the season's over. Ditto AJ Epenesa.

If Bass wins the job from Hauschka, he'll be the "starting" kicker, I suppose.

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10 minutes ago, Logic said:

As you noted, due to the heavy rotational style employed by McDermott at almost every position, "starting" really only means taking the first snap of the game.

As such, Moss will "start" at least one game before the season's over. Ditto AJ Epenesa.

If Bass wins the job from Hauschka, he'll be the "starting" kicker, I suppose.

This is where I’m at. I think that Singletary will get about 70% of the snaps but that may be a little high. Epenesa will be in the regular DE rotation as well. Those 2 positions, along with DT, the Bills don’t really have starters and backups. They play a rotation. Those 2 players will be in the rotation. 
 

I believe that Bass wins the kicker job.

 

As a little bit of an off-the-radar guess it’s possible (not likely) that Trey Adams wins the RT job.

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5 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This is where I’m at. I think that Singletary will get about 70% of the snaps but that may be a little high. Epenesa will be in the regular DE rotation as well. Those 2 positions, along with DT, the Bills don’t really have starters and backups. They play a rotation. Those 2 players will be in the rotation. 
 


I definitely think that Singletary gets the lion's share for the first half of the season, but after that, it won't surprise me if it starts to be closer to 50/50. 

A huge determining factor will be who can pass block the best, in my opinion. 

In any case, I can see Daboll using running backs the way Belichick does: the running back that is primarily "featured" in any given game is dependent on the opponent. So if, for instance, the opposing defense has small, fast flowing linebackers, they might feature Moss, figuring that he can pound the rock up the middle and bulldoze the smaller defenders. If the opposing defense has old school thumpers, the gameplan might be more Singletary-centric due to his elusiveness and outside running ability.

I'm obviously super biased as a Bills fan, but I think Moss/Singletary has the opportunity to be the top duo (or at least one of the top two or three) in football for the next few years.

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3 minutes ago, Logic said:


I definitely think that Singletary gets the lion's share for the first half of the season, but after that, it won't surprise me if it starts to be closer to 50/50. 

A huge determining factor will be who can pass block the best, in my opinion. 

In any case, I can see Daboll using running backs the way Belichick does: the running back that is primarily "featured" in any given game is dependent on the opponent. So if, for instance, the opposing defense has small, fast flowing linebackers, they might feature Moss, figuring that he can pound the rock up the middle and bulldoze the smaller defenders. If the opposing defense has old school thumpers, the gameplan might be more Singletary-centric due to his elusiveness and outside running ability.

I'm obviously super biased as a Bills fan, but I think Moss/Singletary has the opportunity to be the top duo (or at least one of the top two or three) in football for the next few years.

100% agree with you. I believe that Singletary could be (and will be) a star. He’s just so smooth. Moss is a great change of pace to him. He’s the hammer and has a physical, violent running style that will wear teams down. If you add Josh to that equation you have potential for a dynamic running game.

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For Epenesa, I think it depends on what the Bills decide to do about Murphy.  If the Bills have a chance to trade Murphy or cut him outright, I think Epenesa will probably start on the left side of the D-line over Quinton Jefferson while Mario Addison rotates in for Jerry Hughes.

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1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This is where I’m at. I think that Singletary will get about 70% of the snaps but that may be a little high. Epenesa will be in the regular DE rotation as well. Those 2 positions, along with DT, the Bills don’t really have starters and backups. They play a rotation. Those 2 players will be in the rotation. 
 

I believe that Bass wins the kicker job.

 

As a little bit of an off-the-radar guess it’s possible (not likely) that Trey Adams wins the RT job.

I see things the same way.  Adams has a lot of potential and a chance, if he has fully recovered from his back injury.

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7 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Radar?   More like Hubble telescope...:D

Definitely a long shot but a year ago he was going to be a top 20 pick. He has the ability, if healthy, to take that job. The “if healthy” part is tricky; he has had MAJOR injuries. I’d say that it is less than a 10% chance at this point but the odds are still higher than some of the other picks to start this year.

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1 minute ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Definitely a long shot but a year ago he was going to be a top 20 pick. He has the ability, if healthy, to take that job. The “if healthy” part is tricky; he has had MAJOR injuries. I’d say that it is less than a 10% chance at this point but the odds are still higher than some of the other picks to start this year.

 

Long as in looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooog.

 

As the saying goes, he's got a million dollar body and a ten cent head.   Hard to fathom how any rookie makes headway in a disrupted training camp scenario (outside of Moss and Epenesa, who play two of the easiest positions to acclimate to).    Especially if he's as immature as Adams appears to be.     

 

The good news, however, is that immaturity would likely insulate him on a practice squad, which is where I see him headed, assuming he's good enough to even make it that far... 

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I think although many on the board will not like it that Bills will keep a kickoff specialist this year to develop bass and make decision next year whether to keep Stephen Hauschka.  It is rare that a rookie kicker makes it as solo kicker in NFL.

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3 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Long as in looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooog.

 

As the saying goes, he's got a million dollar body and a ten cent head.   Hard to fathom how any rookie makes headway in a disrupted training camp scenario (outside of Moss and Epenesa, who play two of the easiest positions to acclimate to).    Especially if he's as immature as Adams appears to be.     

 

The good news, however, is that immaturity would likely insulate him on a practice squad, which is where I see him headed, assuming he's good enough to even make it that far... 

 

Im just curious: how do you know he has a “ten cent head”? Is it because you saw ONE answer he gave, jokingly?

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2 hours ago, maddenboy said:

Mack.   Watching his film study session from a post on this board, I see him as a professional running back.  He just sets up blocks and sees everything.  Like when he said he wants to know if the linebackers' toes are 5 yards back or 4-and-a-half.

 

By week 6 or so I could see him with the Ones.  Even though the league doesnt have many "starting" RBs, Mack will be taking first snaps.

 

(I know its Zack Moss, buy my brain auto-corrects it to Mack.  A better RB name anyway)

I think he is going to be good. Healthy Devin is going to be hard to get off the field though.

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26 minutes ago, Lurker said:

 

Long as in looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooog.

 

As the saying goes, he's got a million dollar body and a ten cent head.   Hard to fathom how any rookie makes headway in a disrupted training camp scenario (outside of Moss and Epenesa, who play two of the easiest positions to acclimate to).    Especially if he's as immature as Adams appears to be.     

 

The good news, however, is that immaturity would likely insulate him on a practice squad, which is where I see him headed, assuming he's good enough to even make it that far... 

I’ll say this, he’s more likely to start than Davis, Hodgins, Jackson and Fromm.

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2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

This is where I’m at. I think that Singletary will get about 70% of the snaps but that may be a little high. Epenesa will be in the regular DE rotation as well. Those 2 positions, along with DT, the Bills don’t really have starters and backups. They play a rotation. Those 2 players will be in the rotation. 
 

I believe that Bass wins the kicker job.

 

As a little bit of an off-the-radar guess it’s possible (not likely) that Trey Adams wins the RT job.

How great would it be to have an UDFA actually win a job and contribute meaningfully. Bills haven’t had a successful UDFA since Robey. Foster looked like he could have been that guy but alas.

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27 minutes ago, Clyde Smith said:

This guy was undrafted but I'm rooting for him. FB Gillium supplanting Dimarco at fb and special teams.

 

I'm leaning that way myself.

We all know McDermott likes some older guys (especially in mentor roles) but currently there are 16 players 30 years or older on the team.

Last year there was 11 and Lorax and Gore were among them. 

 

I'm thinking that this year some of these guys start to get rotated out.

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4 hours ago, Irv said:

I know "starting" doesn't mean that much in McD's rotational style.  But I really don't think there is a "starter" or anyone that clearly beats out an incumbent, in the draft class.  Do you?  

Zach Moss will get the nod over Yeldon, and there is a good chance Bass  will be our place kicker, that and Epenesa will be in rotation, jmo.

 

Go Bills!!!

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2 hours ago, FireChans said:

How great would it be to have an UDFA actually win a job and contribute meaningfully. Bills haven’t had a successful UDFA since Robey. Foster looked like he could have been that guy but alas.

 

Levi Wallace has been okay. 

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6 hours ago, MJS said:

Singletary has already proven that he is a professional running back and a difference maker at the position. I highly doubt that Moss will overtake him, especially considering McDermott likes to bring along rookies slowly. It took forever for Singletary to get significant snaps even though he was clearly more effective than Gore.

Start in terms of week

one? No

But if Singletary goes down I think he is clearly capable of handling the load providing his pass pro skills are up to snuff

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5 minutes ago, ALLEN-2-DIGGS-TD!! said:

Fromm will be our starting QB by week 10. Call me crazy but when it happens just remember who told you so!!!!!

Unless there is an injury Fromm won’t see the field. So are you saying he will be starting because Allen is injured or you feel Allen will play that badly? 

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5 hours ago, FireChans said:

How great would it be to have an UDFA actually win a job and contribute meaningfully. Bills haven’t had a successful UDFA since Robey. Foster looked like he could have been that guy but alas.

Levi Wallace......how do you not know?

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2 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

 

Levi Wallace has been okay. 

 

11 minutes ago, Just Joshin' said:

Levi Wallace......how do you not know?

You two are exactly right. That’s my mistake. Levi has been solid for sure.

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11 hours ago, maddenboy said:

Mack.   Watching his film study session from a post on this board, I see him as a professional running back.  He just sets up blocks and sees everything.  Like when he said he wants to know if the linebackers' toes are 5 yards back or 4-and-a-half.

 

By week 6 or so I could see him with the Ones.  Even though the league doesnt have many "starting" RBs, Mack will be taking first snaps.

 

(I know its Zack Moss, buy my brain auto-corrects it to Mack.  A better RB name anyway)

 

Aside from the confusion with the name mixup, I don't wholly disagree about him showing up. I do disagree that he'll ever be considered a "Starter." As you say, RB starters don't exist past the "First on the field" tokenism. 

 

 

To answer the OP question, I think Bass has a decent shot to take the K job, I think Gilliam (not technically a draft pick) has a chance to get the FB role, and while I'm sure Epenesa will be rotational heavy early on, I can imagine him starting by mid-season ala Oliver last year. 

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Considering that they are not having minicamps,  off season meetings,  and possibly a restricted training camp, it is going to be hard for these guys to come in and replace NFL starters on day 1, unless one of the starters go down in TC.

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10 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

As Bang said probably only Bass. Next year Epenesa will replace Murphy and Moss/ Singletary will be close to sharing 50-50 duty. Time will tell what we have in Davis/Hodgins?

Addison will be the “starter” at DE opposite Hughes in 20/21. Epenesa will be looking to replace the least effective of those two in 21/22. Murphy will be rotational depth this season. 

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19 hours ago, Logic said:

 

Im just curious: how do you know he has a “ten cent head”? Is it because you saw ONE answer he gave, jokingly?

One answer, in a job interview that is know for whacky questions and where you have time to prepare as well as people to help you prepare? What does that say about his commitment? What would you do if you were interviewing someone for any job and they came back with that answer? Would you want to stake your job and your team on that type of attitude? How about if you had the interview for your dream job and you said that?

 

I'm sure the NFL teams did additional research on him to try and vet all that out and whatever they found was enough for them to take him either off their list or so far down he didn't get picked.

 

Given the circumstances, yeah, it's enough for me.

 

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22 hours ago, Irv said:

I know "starting" doesn't mean that much in McD's rotational style.  But I really don't think there is a "starter" or anyone that clearly beats out an incumbent, in the draft class.  Do you?  

 

AJ will be starting by the end of the season. Don't think he will start day 1 though. 

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36 minutes ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

One answer, in a job interview that is know for whacky questions and where you have time to prepare as well as people to help you prepare? What does that say about his commitment? What would you do if you were interviewing someone for any job and they came back with that answer? Would you want to stake your job and your team on that type of attitude? How about if you had the interview for your dream job and you said that?

 

I'm sure the NFL teams did additional research on him to try and vet all that out and whatever they found was enough for them to take him either off their list or so far down he didn't get picked.

 

Given the circumstances, yeah, it's enough for me.

 

How did you feel when Oliver made the joke about coats in the Bills interview the year before? Just curious as to how people viewed that...

Edited by Kirby Jackson
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