Positions to look at/improve in the offseason

[Jerry Jabber]

 It seems on defense for the front seven to work solely depends on Lotulelei taking up blockers in the middle for the other DT to be effective and for the LB's to make it cleanly to their gaps. The Bills needs to find out from Lotulelei before the start of FA to see if he's playing next season or not. If not, then they have to find a replacement ASAP! I think the Bills need to seriously evaluate if Edmunds is the future MLB? After this season, I don't think he is as he is always out of place. The Bills sucked at covering TE's this year, so they need to get better LB's and possibly CB's to address that issue. DE needs to be addressed. Hughes shows up sporadically. Addison should be used as a backup. Too early to tell on Epeneza, but he wasn’t impressive this year. If Lotulelei doesn't come back, maybe the Bills should start giving reps to Oliver at DE, because I think Oliver is undersized for DT.

 

Singletary is a #2 or #3 RB. He needs an O-line like the Ravens to be effective. The Bills have to get an RB that can catch and has home run speed. They also need an effective TE. Knox is a backup at best. 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Jerry Jabber

[TBBills]

No what they need to do is not care all the sudden and just let everything collapse aka Houston style... What do you think they do almost every day? This whole roster is being looked at all the time.

[Punching Bag]

We need more posts with "HOT SEAT" in subject and more posts with it subject when that is what they are saying.

[Jerry Jabber]

2 minutes ago, TBBills said:

No what they need to do is not care all the sudden and just let everything collapse aka Houston style... What do you think they do almost every day? This whole roster is being looked at all the time.

I’ve been very happy with how McDermott/Beane have transformed the roster in the time they’ve been here and I’m not knocking them on the issues I see with the team. It’s just my opinion on positions that need to be addressed. This was a great season, going 15-4, winning the AFC East and making it to the AFCCG was incredible. I see this years team similar to the 1988 Bills team that lost to the Bengals. I hope this offseason the Bills can fine tune the roster to make it over the hump, beat the Chiefs and go on to win the Super Bowl.

[Ya Digg?]

7 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

We need more posts with "HOT SEAT" in subject and more posts with it subject when that is what they are saying.

I'm not sure if I'm entertained or annoyed with all of the hot takes that have happened since last night

[Shaw66]

9 minutes ago, TBBills said:

No what they need to do is not care all the sudden and just let everything collapse aka Houston style... What do you think they do almost every day? This whole roster is being looked at all the time.

Thanks.

 

How many times has Beane said they're looking to get better at every position every year?

[Jerry Jabber]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

Thanks.

 

How many times has Beane said they're looking to get better at every position every year?

I believe Beane when he says that. I just wonder how long do they try and stick with the players before they look for a replacement? For example, Edmunds did not have a good year this year. Yes, I know he was injured early on, but he was out of position a lot this season and especially last night. I just don’t know if he’s the long term answer at MLB.

[Jerome007]

They do every year... and in fact way more often than that! Especially Beane. I'm sure McD does a lot but it's normal he could have more of an emotional tie to some players.

 

You really think in this parity salary cap league teams don't have weaknesses?  Bills sure deserved to be on the last 4 teams to play. Of course, Beane and McD - and us all! - want the SB, not Top 4. Still, I think it shows they kind of work they have done so far!

 

I don't see this team being like what happened to Marino or Phillip Rivers. The foundation and Josh himself look way more solid.

 

 

[MJS]

Seems like people want to tear down the team that got us to the AFC Championships...

[Jerry Jabber]

Just now, MJS said:

Seems like people want to tear down the team that got us to the AFC Championships...

Not at all, just fine tune it and make improvements.

[MJS]

Just now, Jerry Jabber said:

Not at all, just fine tune it and make improvements.

Not necessarily you. But I've seen people make comments that everyone should be replaced on defense except White, Poyer, and Hyde.

 

There are fans who are jumping off the ledge right now and can't see the big picture. I'm sure glad fans aren't in charge of this team.

[Jerry Jabber]

1 minute ago, MJS said:

Not necessarily you. But I've seen people make comments that everyone should be replaced on defense except White, Poyer, and Hyde.

 

There are fans who are jumping off the ledge right now and can't see the big picture. I'm sure glad fans aren't in charge of this team.

That’s going overboard. 
 

The defense took a big hit in the offseason with Lotulelei opting out due to COVID-19 and losing Phillips to FA. I hope Lotulelei plays this season, but I feel he should let the team know sooner than later, that way McDermott/Beane can either prepare for him to be on the roster or look for a replacement. With Edmunds, I don’t know if he should be switched to OLB, but he seemed out of position a lot this season. 

[Shaw66]

22 minutes ago, Jerry Jabber said:

I believe Beane when he says that. I just wonder how long do they try and stick with the players before they look for a replacement? For example, Edmunds did not have a good year this year. Yes, I know he was injured early on, but he was out of position a lot this season and especially last night. I just don’t know if he’s the long term answer at MLB.

I don't think there are many positions where they think they have a substandard player.  They have good players everywhere.  They'll be looking to upgrade generally.  

 

I think Edmunds played just fine last night.  I think what happened is that the Chiefs figured out how force Edmunds to commit in one direction so they could throw in the other.  He followed guys in his zone, as he should, and they threw to another guy who filled the space Edmunds vacated.  Sometimes Mahomes moved in the pocket, and Edmunds followed him, respecting the run threat, then Mahomes threw behind him.  They exploited tendencies that they discovered in the Bills defense.  The Bills asked Edmunds to cover big zones, in part because the safeties were dropping deeper to shut down the Chiefs long game.  

 

The thing only wrong with Edmunds is he isn't a Pro Bowl guy.   He's good, but not a star. 

[Shaw66]

11 minutes ago, Jerry Jabber said:

With Edmunds, I don’t know if he should be switched to OLB, but he seemed out of position a lot this season. 

He was 17th in the league in total tackles.   That would suggest that he was in position to make the play a lot more than he was out of position.  If he was out of position twice a game, that would have resulted in 32 more tackles.  He would have been third in the league.  Aren't you holding him to an awfully high standard?

 

Give him Star or some other guy who really occupies space in the middle and you'll be amazed how much more Tremaine is "in position."

 

 

[billieve420]

Team should be focusing on what it will take to beat KC. Finding a guy who can cover TEs worth a damn would be a start.

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

You have to take pieces of what we did on offense this year and mix in a bit more of 2019. It’s wonderful that we learned a lot about Josh and we scored a ton of points. We absolutely need more balance. I don’t care if it results in less points. When the money is on the line, you need to be able to do more then 1 thing on offense. A good DC is going to force you to your backhand. It’s senseless to purposely make yourself 1 dimensional. You have to take Dabol aside and tell him to start mixing in the run. All that’s going to do is make Josh even more dangerous. We need play calling and formation diversity. It seemed like KC knew exactly what we wanted to do and forced us into low pct throws all night. You need to keep a team guessing and you do that with balance. Throwing every down, especially out of empty sets, is not the way to live. At least if you are going to pass, run play action or use formations that don’t give away your intentions pre snap. All that does is help the defense. Look at what our offense looked like in the playoffs. Each game was a struggle. You have to be able to do more then 1 thing in the playoffs. This year was impressive but we aren’t going to beat the Chiefs playing that way. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1. DE - Addison was a terrible signing.  He is washed up.  They need to get younger and faster on the edge.  I suspect he will be back nextyear as a veteran rotation guy given the contract he signed.  Murphy will be gone.  I like the weight loss they asked Epenesa to do.  His frame now looks like TJ Watt now.  I don't think he will ever be as explosive as TJ Watt but he may be able to contribute some next year.

2. Center - Morse is overpaid and a concussion away from missing serious time.  They should cut him, move Feliciano to C, and draft a true center in the first three rounds.  Then start Ford at guard.

3. Edge - move Edmunds to edge and find a new MLB.  Solves two problems.  Edmunds is a terrible MLB.  He would be amazing OLB.

4. TE - I had hoped Knox would break out but that didn't happen.  They will let Kroft go so adding another TE to compete with Knox will be a necessity

5. QB - neither Fromm or Barkley should be counted on to win a few games if Allen missed time.  Fromm has a Peterman arm and while I have no issue with the wasting a day 3 pick on a QB, I just hope they do it on a guy that can at least throw a NFL pass.

 

 

 

[Jerry Jabber]

15 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I don't think there are many positions where they think they have a substandard player.  They have good players everywhere.  They'll be looking to upgrade generally.  

 

I think Edmunds played just fine last night.  I think what happened is that the Chiefs figured out how force Edmunds to commit in one direction so they could throw in the other.  He followed guys in his zone, as he should, and they threw to another guy who filled the space Edmunds vacated.  Sometimes Mahomes moved in the pocket, and Edmunds followed him, respecting the run threat, then Mahomes threw behind him.  They exploited tendencies that they discovered in the Bills defense.  The Bills asked Edmunds to cover big zones, in part because the safeties were dropping deeper to shut down the Chiefs long game.  

 

The thing only wrong with Edmunds is he isn't a Pro Bowl guy.   He's good, but not a star. 

I agree with your assessment that the Bills don’t have a lot of substandard players, but I feel upgrades can be made. 
 

With Edmunds, he was out of position a lot this season. It just wasn’t last nights game either. Even Sal Capaccio said on the extra point show this morning that the Bills need to take a long hard look at Edmunds in the offseason to see if they feel he’s the long term answer at MLB. Sal feels Edmunds would be a good MLB in a 3-4 scheme, considering his size, but no so much in a 4-3.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

7 minutes ago, billieve420 said:

Team should be focusing on what it will take to beat KC. Finding a guy who can cover TEs worth a damn would be a start.

Wrong answer to the wrong problem.  Rush the passer.  That is how you prevent the TE from catching passes.

[Mike in Horseheads]

A offensive line would help.

[Protocal69]

I hate to say it but a big problem is our reliance on zone defense as our primary defense. If you look at teams that made the final 4 all except Buffalo plays man coverage. Most coaches would rather play man BUT from a cost perspective zone corners are cheaper than man corners. The BILLS had to play Tre White but he really needs to pick up his man coverage to justify his contract. 

 

Most QB's worth a damn will pick zone defenses apart UNLESS the team running zone has a GREAT pass rush. Think of the 49ers team that went to the Super Bowl last year. I'm not saying ditch zone coverage all together but we should be able to say we are playing man coverage and do it well when the situation dictates it.

[Da webster guy]

41 minutes ago, MJS said:

Seems like people want to tear down the team that got us to the AFC Championships...

Good point.

We lost on the road to a team who won the bowl last year and almost had a perfect season this year.

[billieve420]

10 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Wrong answer to the wrong problem.  Rush the passer.  That is how you prevent the TE from catching passes.

 No arguments there the entire defensive line needs a makeover. Guys played out of position due to Stars opt out. This is a small defense across the board. Finding pass rushers and a tackle to play alongside Oliver should be a priority as well. 

[C.Biscuit97]

Stud rb with breakaway speed

a legit TE (Knox has shown some flashes though)

a dominant pass rusher

maybe another cb

probably another OLB

 

little tweaks. The future is so bright. 

[JoshAllin]

You improve whatever would help beat KC and try not to fix what isnt broken in terms of dominating other teams that got the bills there. I would love to get the D fixed

[The Jokeman]

9 hours ago, billieve420 said:

Team should be focusing on what it will take to beat KC. Finding a guy who can cover TEs worth a damn would be a start.

Did anyone cover Kelce this season? Look at his game log for the season one bad game, 3 catches for 31 yards against Denver. Other than that he was beating everyone https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/15847/travis-kelce

[SoCal Deek]

9 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Stud rb with breakaway speed

a legit TE (Knox has shown some flashes though)

a dominant pass rusher

maybe another cb

probably another OLB

 

little tweaks. The future is so bright. 

I’ll agree with this list but I’d stick with Knox and instead go after TWO pass rushers. Get it done Beane! 

Just now, SoCal Deek said:

I’ll agree with this list but I’d stick with Knox and instead go after TWO pass rushers. Get it done Beane! 

By the way...assuming we get Star back is another ‘free’ addition. Has anyone heard from him at all?

[BillsFanSD]

11 hours ago, TBBills said:

No what they need to do is not care all the sudden and just let everything collapse aka Houston style... What do you think they do almost every day? This whole roster is being looked at all the time.

Nobody's saying "blow up the roster and start over."  It's the off-season, and I can guarantee McBeane has already identified a few areas where the roster is comparatively weak and where they can make some improvements.  

 

I mean, does anybody here think that we're in good shape at RB?  McDermott obviously doesn't.  Surely we can all agree that our pass rush and coverage against TEs wasn't up to standard.  Those aren't problems that just showed up on Sunday night -- we've been talking about them all season.

[BillsFanSD]

One additional danger with the "Don't blow up the roster that got us here" mentality is that it often leads teams to re-sign "name" players who are past their expiration date to contracts that exceed their value, in the interest of keeping the band together for one more gig.  That generally doesn't work.  

Edited January 26, 2021 by BillsFanSD

[RichRiderBills]

8 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

1. DE - Addison was a terrible signing.  He is washed up.  They need to get younger and faster on the edge.  I suspect he will be back nextyear as a veteran rotation guy given the contract he signed.  Murphy will be gone.  I like the weight loss they asked Epenesa to do.  His frame now looks like TJ Watt now.  I don't think he will ever be as explosive as TJ Watt but he may be able to contribute some next year.

2. Center - Morse is overpaid and a concussion away from missing serious time.  They should cut him, move Feliciano to C, and draft a true center in the first three rounds.  Then start Ford at guard.

3. Edge - move Edmunds to edge and find a new MLB.  Solves two problems.  Edmunds is a terrible MLB.  He would be amazing OLB.

4. TE - I had hoped Knox would break out but that didn't happen.  They will let Kroft go so adding another TE to compete with Knox will be a necessity

5. QB - neither Fromm or Barkley should be counted on to win a few games if Allen missed time.  Fromm has a Peterman arm and while I have no issue with the wasting a day 3 pick on a QB, I just hope they do it on a guy that can at least throw a NFL pass.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I disagree with this list.

 

Our top needs are 

 

1. RB1 

2. Interior OL

3. DT

4. Pass rusher

5. Gadget player/ playmaker

 

Morse is our best OL but has concussion issues and age. He's also a big leader. We should keep him, but draft a good C/ G to groom, possibly step in at Gaurd. Most folks think Felciano will be gone. Id personally keep him too.

 

TE your stuck on the notion an offense needs a playmaker at TE to win. We dont need a 100 catch TE. We need some solid depth here, but dont neccesarily need this to win.

 

Edge...no evidence Edmumds can be out there and we know our D loves him at MLB. Edmunds is still very young and a pro bowler. He may be overrated, but he's not terrible. This is ridiculous.

 

QB we are fine here. Maybe draft a late round QB or UDFA.

10 hours ago, Protocal69 said:

I hate to say it but a big problem is our reliance on zone defense as our primary defense. If you look at teams that made the final 4 all except Buffalo plays man coverage. Most coaches would rather play man BUT from a cost perspective zone corners are cheaper than man corners. The BILLS had to play Tre White but he really needs to pick up his man coverage to justify his contract. 

 

Most QB's worth a damn will pick zone defenses apart UNLESS the team running zone has a GREAT pass rush. Think of the 49ers team that went to the Super Bowl last year. I'm not saying ditch zone coverage all together but we should be able to say we are playing man coverage and do it well when the situation dictates it.

 

The problem is no pass rush / pressure with base line while in zone.