Just listened to diggs interview today...

[Hebert19]

Man.  He might be the best interview I can remember for a bills player. Super personable.  Articulate.  And sincere. All while giving props to his entire team.  

 

Good dude.   We are lucky to have him.  

 

 

[Malazan]

Digging (get it?) into that Minnesota situation.. it's really unfortunate that it was portrayed in the media the way it was and he ended up with that reputation. It's hard to shake. 

 

A lot of fragile egos and unreasonable people were involved. Some really ridiculous things that put people in awkward situations and when they don't do what certain people want off the field.. those people start making things on the field part of their grudge. 

 

Bottom line, he wants to win and get better. He's not shy about talking about what's wrong whether it's him or someone else. I can speak from experiencer, I want the guy who tells me to my face that I screwed up over the guy who is silent about it or only talks to other people about what I did wrong. Some folks in Minnesota preferred pretending they didn't make mistakes. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

Credit to Beanne and McD. Culture. And if course winning, targets, catches, 😂

[MJS]

13 minutes ago, jeremy2020 said:

Digging (get it?) into that Minnesota situation.. it's really unfortunate that it was portrayed in the media the way it was and he ended up with that reputation. It's hard to shake. 

 

A lot of fragile egos and unreasonable people were involved. Some really ridiculous things that put people in awkward situations and when they don't do what certain people want off the field.. those people start making things on the field part of their grudge. 

 

Bottom line, he wants to win and get better. He's not shy about talking about what's wrong whether it's him or someone else. I can speak from experiencer, I want the guy who tells me to my face that I screwed up over the guy who is silent about it or only talks to other people about what I did wrong. Some folks in Minnesota preferred pretending they didn't make mistakes. 

All we can really do is speculate. Diggs has said over and over that he has nothing against Cousins and the Vikings organization. The Vikings said over and over that they were happy with Diggs and would keep him. It took a huge haul of draft picks to pry him away from them.

 

In my opinion the media made it a bigger issue than it actually was. Surely there was some squabbling and issues, but I doubt it was anything like how the media built it up to be. And I bet Diggs and Cousins are on good terms.

[DrDawkinstein]

His comments about Beasely are a better representation of who he is, and what kind of team mate he is, than any of the rumors from Minnesota.

 

"Cole Beasley is always open. I want to make sure you guys see that, watch the film. Cole Beasley is always open. Gotta give him a shout out"

[Hebert19]

Ya.  And Beasley said same thing.   No one can cover any of us 1 on 1.  Just a good crew 

[Malazan]

10 minutes ago, MJS said:

All we can really do is speculate. Diggs has said over and over that he has nothing against Cousins and the Vikings organization. The Vikings said over and over that they were happy with Diggs and would keep him. It took a huge haul of draft picks to pry him away from them.

 

In my opinion the media made it a bigger issue than it actually was. Surely there was some squabbling and issues, but I doubt it was anything like how the media built it up to be. And I bet Diggs and Cousins are on good terms.

 

I guess that depends on what 'good terms' are...are they not sniping at each other? Sure. Cousins isn't getting a Christmas Card for Diggs, that's for sure. The sh*t with the prayer meetings should never have been allowed. 

[Gugny]

51 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Man.  He might be the best interview I can remember for a bills player. Super personable.  Articulate.  And sincere. All while giving props to his entire team.  

 

Good dude.   We are lucky to have him.  

 

Agree, he's very well-spoken!

[DrDawkinstein]

Noticed he calls everyone "Big guy", so it wasnt just a shot at @john wawrow's weight!

[ColoradoBills]

1 hour ago, Hebert19 said:

Man.  He might be the best interview I can remember for a bills player. Super personable.  Articulate.  And sincere. All while giving props to his entire team.  

 

Good dude.   We are lucky to have him.  

 

 

 

On a personal note about Diggs, he is easy to listen to.

He has to be an asset in the locker room.

[MJS]

12 minutes ago, jeremy2020 said:

I guess that depends on what 'good terms' are...are they not sniping at each other? Sure. Cousins isn't getting a Christmas Card for Diggs, that's for sure. The sh*t with the prayer meetings should never have been allowed. 

I wouldn't be surprised if he DID send him a Christmas card. I have no reason to believe they are not friends.

 

People fight and then make up all the time.

[Punching Bag]

He is very articulate and eloquent.  I think he would be a good radio announcer.

[billsfan89]

I love everything about Diggs, he really was that last elite piece needed to have everything fall right in place for the offense. 

[wjag]

13 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

I love everything about Diggs, he really was that last elite piece needed to have everything fall right in place for the offense. 

 

I keep hoping for a Gronk-type Tight End to compliment those wideouts.  Or even a Mark Andrews type, good route runner, sure hands.  No one in the TE room is that guy.  That's the missing piece for me.  Oh and a LG/RG that can stay healthy.

[The Gravytrain]

Like an Allstate ad, we're in good hands. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

His comments about Beasely are a better representation of who he is, and what kind of team mate he is, than any of the rumors from Minnesota.

 

"Cole Beasley is always open. I want to make sure you guys see that, watch the film. Cole Beasley is always open. Gotta give him a shout out"

 

Was that in today's interview?  I missed it.

3 minutes ago, wjag said:

 

I keep hoping for a Gronk-type Tight End to compliment those wideouts.  Or even a Mark Andrews type, good route runner, sure hands.  No one in the TE room is that guy.  That's the missing piece for me.  Oh and a LG/RG that can stay healthy.

 

Tieing threads together, but I transcribed McD's comments on Knox in another thread. 

Judge for yourself - for that matter judge for yourself that it's an accurate transcript - but it seems pretty clear to me that Knox has been put on notice that he needs to "shape up or (be) ship(ped) out":

 

McD: (speaking very firmly and brusquely) "Right.  It's in his control. He has the ability, as you said...... But at the end of the day you've got to get the job done and Dawson is very well aware of that.  He has the skill.  And we've got..we feel like.. at a minimum, 7 more games in the regular season, and I can't wait to watch him and his career take off through the next seven games"

[Hebert19]

Knox is an elite blocker and an elite runner with the ball in his hands for a tight end...its the stuff in the middle that needs work.  

 

If Josh can make the jumps he has im still optimistic with knox

15 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Was that in today's interview?  I missed it.

 

Tieing threads together, but I transcribed McD's comments on Knox in another thread. 

Judge for yourself - for that matter judge for yourself that it's an accurate transcript - but it seems pretty clear to me that Knox has been put on notice that he needs to "shape up or (be) ship(ped) out":

 

McD: (speaking very firmly and brusquely) "Right.  It's in his control. He has the ability, as you said...... But at the end of the day you've got to get the job done and Dawson is very well aware of that.  He has the skill.  And we've got..we feel like.. at a minimum, 7 more games in the regular season, and I can't wait to watch him and his career take off through the next seven games"

Great quote. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, jeremy2020 said:

 

I guess that depends on what 'good terms' are...are they not sniping at each other? Sure. Cousins isn't getting a Christmas Card for Diggs, that's for sure. The sh*t with the prayer meetings should never have been allowed. 

 

I missed this last, and google isn't enlightening me.  Can you say more?

 

12 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Knox is an elite blocker and an elite runner with the ball in his hands for a tight end...its the stuff in the middle that needs work.  

 

If Josh can make the jumps he has im still optimistic with knox

 

Knox is at best, an inconsistent blocker.  He appears to me to have improved this year, but he still misses critical blocks on a regular basis and I'm not talking "he isn't stout", I'm talking he just whiffs.  That miss on Adams that led to a Josh Allen sack was just brutal.  Adams p'wned him.

 

Elite runners with the ball in their hands don't fumble.  Allen is not an elite runner at this point, because he fumbles too much. 

 

Knox is the same as a receiver: he can be totally legit, but he can also be maddeningly inconsistent.

 

Patience is a virtue, and young players need time to develop but as McDermott said, "at the end of the day, you've got to get the job done".

[AmishRifle]

Do yourself a favor and listen to this interview.  Well worth the 20 mins.

[Malazan]

12 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

I missed this last, and google isn't enlightening me.  Can you say more?

 

Long story, short. Cousins holds some sort of prayer get togethers in team facilities (and has a history of openly advocating for his teammates to share his beliefs) and Diggs wasn't interested (Diggs seems to be religious though). Cousins didn't like it and that supposedly exasperated the situation when Diggs would tell cousins he made an error. Not the prime reason for the fallout, but in my own opinion one that probably could have been avoided all together with some common sense. 

 

If you're really interested some searches on the Purple Pain forums will lead you to the threads from last season where this all was discussed. 

Edited November 11, 2020 by jeremy2020

[ProcessAccepted]

I think Diggs wanted to play with guys who want to win and do the necessary work to do so. I think what McD is building is what he was looking for. I loved the way he shut down the line of questioning about his interest in fashion. "I'm at work right now we can talk about that on our free time" 😂

[jamiezzz]

Dude is a baller.  Can't wait for him to play in front of the Mafia. 

Edited November 11, 2020 by jamiezzz

[muppy]

1 hour ago, AmishRifle said:

Do yourself a favor and listen to this interview.  Well worth the 20 mins.

I agree I really enjoyed it. What impressed me was he isn't a prima donna nor come off that way at all...he spoke of being very team oriented and not worrying so much about his personal stats and winning be the utimate goal. When I hear that from some guys it almost sounds like lip service but he was very genuine and hinest in all his answers very forthrite and no baloney...I feel like I understand him and can assess he as a very legit guy and teammate after hearing this. Glad he is a Bill is an understatement.

[muppy]

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

I love everything about Diggs, he really was that last elite piece needed to have everything fall right in place for the offense. 

I understand this sentiment because clearly Diggs is an excellent receiver who runs great routes and has great hands and a total asset to the offense and the team. But even more importantly to me is the development and increased accuracy of Josh Allen. Those 2 things have allowed Josh to progress in a way that makes everyone else better around him because when they do what they are best at he is accurately delivering and seeing the options he has on the field better than he used to. If you want to call it a chicken or the egg scenario I put Joshes advancement first of importance. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Stefon Diggs on Larry Fitzgerald (after a lot of very complimentary things): "He should write a book, 'How to be an NFL Wide Receiver for Dummies' "

 

Stefon!!!!! 😂😂

 

"I talked to Cole earlier and he said you're a big believer in  'if you look good, you play good'. Does that describe you?"

"One Hundred Percent!  Cole be swaggin', but I try to tell him I gotta look a certain - I got to the way I want to look in order to feel good so I can play well.  He be swaggin' too.  But Shoutouts to Cole on always being open. (very intense look)  I want you guys to never forget that!  Cole Beasley, you watch the tape, he is always open."

 

That guy.  Turns a fluff thing about how he likes to look good into a powerful shout-out to his teammate.

 

Stefon!!!!! 😍😍

[billsfan89]

3 hours ago, wjag said:

 

I keep hoping for a Gronk-type Tight End to compliment those wideouts.  Or even a Mark Andrews type, good route runner, sure hands.  No one in the TE room is that guy.  That's the missing piece for me.  Oh and a LG/RG that can stay healthy.

 

I don't think this offense needs an elite TE. But it would be a nice add. Knox I still think can pan out but he is at the very least two years away and probably would be better served as a backup for 2021 so that he can come along at this own pace. Kroft is a very good backup or a fringe starter, for now he is a solid complementary piece but longer term I don't see him being the solution. Sweeney is a fringe backup and Lee Smith is an antiquated specialist who I think will be a cap casualty. 

 

Ideally I would cut Lee Smith, and try to find a better vet TE to complement Knox. I also think the offense could use a speed back in the vein of Darren Sproles to help add some speed to the offense. My ideal off-season to reload this team would simply be to retain as much of the O-line talent as possible (Resigning Ty, Williams, Mongo, and sign another vet guard to be off the bench) and improving the TE position. Then on defense resign Milano to a one year deal and spend most of the draft picks on the defensive side of the ball.

[BillnutinHouston]

5 hours ago, Hebert19 said:

Knox is an elite blocker

 

Wow.  Jamal Adams says "hi!"

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, BillnutinHouston said:

 

Wow.  Jamal Adams says "hi!"

 

 

Then last year, there was this

 

Now I admit that a rookie against a top sack artist LB (who went to the probowl that year) is a tough assignment. 

But you hate to see the same level of blow-by against a safety the following year.

 

And it's certainly not what one expects of a good blocker, much less a blocker one would describe as "elite"

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

I don't think this offense needs an elite TE.

 

It is just possible that last year's Superbowl teams both feature elite TE for good reason

Titans last year were more of a run team, but Jonnu Smith contributed a reliable 80% catch rate when called upon.

That's not to mention the blocking.

 

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

Knox I still think can pan out but he is at the very least two years away and probably would be better served as a backup for 2021 so that he can come along at this own pace.

 

Look, I like a lot of what I've seen from Knox as a player and he seems to be a good person from what we know.  But you want to give him two more years to develop?  Four years total?  He was a 3rd round pick.  Those are the guys who at the least, you expect to have contributing by their 2nd year.  Under the CBA, in four years you have to be deciding "do I want to re-sign this guy and for what?"

 

Four years to develop is what you give to the UDFA and late rounders who fill out the practice squad or play special teams with occasional chances to sub in for a starter and show what they got.

[Success]

After years of being JAG city, it's hard to even comprehend our WR corps right now.  

 

 

 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

9 hours ago, Hebert19 said:

Man.  He might be the best interview I can remember for a bills player. Super personable.  Articulate.  And sincere. All while giving props to his entire team.  

 

Good dude.   We are lucky to have him.  

 

 

Oozes with likability. Thanks for the steal minny.

 

with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Buffalo bills select the leading WR in the NFL 

 

Mic drop....

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by Over 29 years of fanhood

[Mango]

8 hours ago, jeremy2020 said:

 

I guess that depends on what 'good terms' are...are they not sniping at each other? Sure. Cousins isn't getting a Christmas Card for Diggs, that's for sure. The sh*t with the prayer meetings should never have been allowed. 

What did I miss in MN? Prayer circle? 

[BillsFan619]

11 hours ago, Hebert19 said:

Man.  He might be the best interview I can remember for a bills player. Super personable.  Articulate.  And sincere. All while giving props to his entire team.  

 

Good dude.   We are lucky to have him.  

 

 

Yup! Very blessed to have him in a Bills uni.

[billsfan89]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

It is just possible that last year's Superbowl teams both feature elite TE for good reason

Titans last year were more of a run team, but Jonnu Smith contributed a reliable 80% catch rate when called upon.

That's not to mention the blocking.

 

 

Look, I like a lot of what I've seen from Knox as a player and he seems to be a good person from what we know.  But you want to give him two more years to develop?  Four years total?  He was a 3rd round pick.  Those are the guys who at the least, you expect to have contributing by their 2nd year.  Under the CBA, in four years you have to be deciding "do I want to re-sign this guy and for what?"

 

Four years to develop is what you give to the UDFA and late rounders who fill out the practice squad or play special teams with occasional chances to sub in for a starter and show what they got.

 

I have no issue with the Bills drafting a TE high, trading for an established player at TE or signing one in free agency. However I do think that the Bills already have a dynamic passing attack without a dynamic TE. Diggs is a true WR1, Brown a very good WR2, Beasley one of the best slot WR's in the league, Davis a quality WR4 who can take over for Brown in a year or two, two RB's that catch out of the backfield, Mac who can make some plays as a gadget player and a combo at TE that fills in to complement in Knox and Kroft.

 

Obviously a great TE will help things even more but in football with the cap and limited draft choices you have to make cuts somewhere and I think I would prioritize retaining the O-line talent (Ty, D.Williams, Mongo and adding more guard depth), resigning Milano to a reasonable deal and adding more to the defense via the draft over getting a blockbuster TE which would be expensive either requiring a high draft pick and or an expensive salary, tying up resources in a position that might not be fully needed. 

 

As far as Knox I am a believer that he was over drafted by the Bills. He possess the physical tools to be a dynamic player but he hardly played in college. Just because he was drafted in round 3 doesn't make him more ready to play at the NFL level. I think that regardless of where a player is drafted you take a look at them as an individual prospect. Right now he is a backup caliber TE on the fringes of being a lower end starter. I think the Bills need to focus on getting an upgrade to Kroft as a vet TE and then have Knox play more dynamically and go into year 4 ready to be the starter. 

[eball]

12 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Agree, he's very well-spoken!

LOL! I literally cringed when I read the word “articulate” in the OP. 

[Warcodered]

8 minutes ago, eball said:

LOL! I literally cringed when I read the word “articulate” in the OP. 

Yeah made me twitch and go "I wouldn't use that word."

 

Fun/enjoyable to listen to would sound better.

[JerseyBills]

Kim Jones , who has great takes , has followed this team closely, went as far as to say Diggs changed the whole culture of this offense with not only his amazing work on the field but just the level at which he works and the impact that has had on his teammates. He's a  rah rah guy but a phenomenal teammate.  

 

I'm not going to sit here and call him the best in the game but he might have been the #1 WR in the game,  for the Buffalo Bills. 

 

I knew Beane wouldn't give up a 1 and 3 rounder if he wasn't the real deal on and off the field.  

 

14 makes everyone around him better. I'm thrilled he is ours. Our 4 WR sets are nearly impossible to stop. Diggs (the best) and Bease (top 10)  are 2 of the best route runners in the game.  You can see on Sundays these guys are putting in that work Mon-Sat.. Just can't say enough about Diggs and his impact.  

 

 

 

[Ayjent]

Great players elevate the play of teammates and when you have multiple great players you see the difference. Too many times organizations reward the wrong types of players with big contracts. 

 

Diggs is worth it and Josh Allen is a perfect fit bc all he ever does is try his best and try to improve. Diggs is helping him in the most important part - confidence.  

[Trogdor]

2 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I have no issue with the Bills drafting a TE high, trading for an established player at TE or signing one in free agency. However I do think that the Bills already have a dynamic passing attack without a dynamic TE. Diggs is a true WR1, Brown a very good WR2, Beasley one of the best slot WR's in the league, Davis a quality WR4 who can take over for Brown in a year or two, two RB's that catch out of the backfield, Mac who can make some plays as a gadget player and a combo at TE that fills in to complement in Knox and Kroft.

 

Obviously a great TE will help things even more but in football with the cap and limited draft choices you have to make cuts somewhere and I think I would prioritize retaining the O-line talent (Ty, D.Williams, Mongo and adding more guard depth), resigning Milano to a reasonable deal and adding more to the defense via the draft over getting a blockbuster TE which would be expensive either requiring a high draft pick and or an expensive salary, tying up resources in a position that might not be fully needed. 

 

As far as Knox I am a believer that he was over drafted by the Bills. He possess the physical tools to be a dynamic player but he hardly played in college. Just because he was drafted in round 3 doesn't make him more ready to play at the NFL level. I think that regardless of where a player is drafted you take a look at them as an individual prospect. Right now he is a backup caliber TE on the fringes of being a lower end starter. I think the Bills need to focus on getting an upgrade to Kroft as a vet TE and then have Knox play more dynamically and go into year 4 ready to be the starter. 

I would really be happy with a more athletic Lee. I think if you look at the types of guys Notre Dame produces it might be in that mold. They really block well and can catch, but they aren't asked to be wide outs as much as the spread offenses. I wish that Michael Mayer wasn't a freshman, but still the mold is out there. I'd also take a flyer on their RB to chip on pass plays or to show our guys how to.

[meh]

21 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Agree, he's very well-spoken!

Well, he's certainly no Ellis Lankster...