the missing link - an Alvin Kamara-type player

[BADOLBILZ]

32 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

What do you think of Michel's postseason performance in 2018? Also, He was hurt a lot this season, but he did average 5.7 ypc on 79 carries, which -- excluding QBs like Lamar Jackson -- was second best in the league after Dobbins.  That's Gillislee level stuff! (I kid.) Anyway, he did look pretty explosive this year when he was in there.

 

I did watch that Eagles/Saints game, and to be honest, I thought the Eagles were going to blow them out early on -- that is, until the Saints started completely dominating, which was well before halftime. Bad drop by Jeffrey, for sure, but there was no guarantee of a TD. The drop occurred at around the 18 yard line, IIRC. The Saints were indeed behind until late in the third, but bear in mind that they scored on their first drive of the third quarter -- and it took up eleven and a half minutes.

 

 

Timmie Smith had a great run behind the Hogs in the playoffs in 1987.   You can get aberrations in production from RB's in small sample sizes.   Michel has been a pretty huge disappointment.   Singletary averaged 5.0 ypc on a much larger workload in 2019.....you are ready to move on from him.   We'll see if the Pats pick up Meh-chel's 5th year option.

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

That's what you THINK........Harris and Etienne were playing on dominant teams and both had over 600 carries in college.......not low mileage.

 

The Bills have to fix their running game.........it was astonishingly unproductive considering the threat of the pass.........but IMO that is an offensive line issue.

 

Mitch Morse undermines their running game, IMO.    Feliciano would be better there than at guard and much better than Morse in the run game.

 

It's a strong OT class.......they might find a LT that can play RT right away with that pick.   If they pay Williams at RT they could address a pass rusher or a CB.   Or perhaps they trade a high pick for a proven stud pass rusher or CB.   

 

Real, high-dollar, important positions that also help you unseat the Chiefs.

 

Then find a James Robinson later in the draft or maybe Moss and Singletary run for 5.0 ypc behind a better OL and scheme.

 

I think there are many ways to skin the cat and get past a KC........throwing their weight into the RB position is short-sighted but I don't doubt they'd do it because they already have used two "starting" level picks on RB's the past two seasons.

I hear ya.  I’m not opposed to that plan more than I am enamored with the skill set of these RBs.  If it was last year, I wouldn’t have wanted to draft any of the RBs in rd 1.  Cam Akers and Clyde were my top 2.  
 

sometimes there are talents that debunk the theory that taking a RB in round one is a mistake.  A theory I subscribe to. 
 

what happens if we don’t cut Morse?  What happens if we keep Feliciano and Williams.....and Cody Ford/boettger. I think there’s a chance we have 4 of the same starters next season.  That’s not going to fair very well imo.  If we do completely retool our OL, drafting a rb in rd one is unlikely.  
 

if we return 4+ of our starters along the OL, I’d like a rb in rd 1 or 2.  If we have 1-2 returners, I’m good with seeing what the new line can do while signing Jeff Wilson or a rb with some speed to the corner, on the cheap.  
 

for whatever reason, I feel that we’re going to have at least 4 of these guys back starting next year.  And we’ll watch Chris Jones and Frank Clark obliterate them again next year in the afccg

[dave mcbride]

9 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Timmie Smith had a great run behind the Hogs in the playoffs in 1987.   You can get aberrations in production from RB's in small sample sizes.   Michel has been a pretty huge disappointment.   Singletary averaged 5.0 ypc on a much larger workload in 2019.....you are ready to move on from him.   We'll see if the Pats pick up Meh-chel's 5th year option.

My beef with Singletary - who I actually think is non-terrible - is that he's not a good receiver. I want a back who is all purpose and actually good, like Kamara. I'd prefer to get him later in the draft, but sometimes other teams want guys like that too. 

 

I agree about the line, but tackles aren't the problem. The Alabama center appears to be pretty good. The guard for OSU seems good too. You can get a top center/guard in the mid-30s, so you'd be able to trade down and pick up, say, a late third/early fourth.

Edited January 26, 2021 by dave mcbride

[John from Riverside]

5 hours ago, Rico said:

I don’t like burning a #1 on a RB, but I would not complain if we drafted Etienne.

I normally would not either......but there are gonna be a lot of free agent OL and DL on the market this offseason

 

When your team is THIS close getting to the Super Bowl....that is the right time to target players and not accumulate picks....because there is no room for the picks on a talented roster

[Don Otreply]

4 hours ago, MJS said:

Singletary is puzzling to me. I really expected a big year out of him. He looked pretty dang good last season. Not sure what happened.

 

Our oline really regressed in run blocking too, for some reason. Daboll needs to fix that and get more creative with the run game.

 

I'm all for trying to trade for or draft a big time running back. A guy with speed and explosiveness.

The O line run blocking difference from last year is that we lost Spain, and then Ford was playing injured then he was out on IR, last year run blocking was noticeably better with those guys on the O line. For some reason or another no one seems to see this or even brings it up, oh well.. 

 

Go Bills!!!
 

 

[TableDestoyer69]

5 pages in, and nobody has remarked that the thread title says missing link rather than missing piece

 

I think the Geico caveman might be available, though

[Pete]

6 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

It is a total waste. RB’s are a dime a dozen. 

 

I keep reading this.  If RBs are so easy to find, where is our RB production?

 

points win games.  A RB TD is worth just as many points as a TD pass.  We need points, so a stud RB would certainly help.

Kamaras are not a dime a dozen.  We should swing for Kamara types like we swing for QBs- they are game changers.

 

In a perfect world- I gift Josh a pass catching stud RB and a elite TE

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

6 minutes ago, Pete said:

I keep reading this.  If RBs are so easy to find, where is our RB production?

 

points win games.  A RB TD is worth just as many points as a TD pass.  We need points, so a stud RB would certainly help.

Kamaras are not a dime a dozen.  We should swing for Kamara types like we swing for QBs- they are game changers.

 

In a perfect world- I gift Josh a pass catching stud RB and a elite TE

No one disputes that there are absolute game-changer RB’s, like Henry, CMC, and Kamara. 
 

I guess the issue is weighing whether you can get a comparable or better back for less in free agency or lower in the draft. Kamara himself is a great example. Fournette was the first RB off the board at 4 overall. The Saints got Kamara in the third round. 

[Reed83HOF]

4 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

A referee who doesn't make one of the worst non-calls ever, for one. 

[Mr. WEO]

"Shady" is available, no?

2 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

I normally would not either......but there are gonna be a lot of free agent OL and DL on the market this offseason

 

When your team is THIS close getting to the Super Bowl....that is the right time to target players and not accumulate picks....because there is no room for the picks on a talented roster

 

There's always room for more talent on any roster.  Sunday we saw where the Bills could use more.

 

 

[TheBrownBear]

RB is a huge need for sure.  Singletary regressed badly this season.  I was expecting a huge year from him and he just flat out didn't perform.  His drop on Sunday night changed the entire complexion of the game.  He had a 20 yard gain ahead of him.  At worst we kick a field goal and extend the lead to 12-7, but if he catches that and we go in and add a TD - everything changes, imo.  That play literally took the wind out of our sails.  You could see it on the body language of the entire team.  

[BuffaninSarasota]

7 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

The Bills finished second in the NFL in scoring.

 

RB is not a position I would put much into...........they've expended two picks in round 3 on RB's which was two too many for anything short of a game changer.........now it's incumbent on the Bills All-world personnel department to find that big play guy late in the draft and UDFA.

 

I like the suggestion of some that McKenzie be used more out of the backfield.

 

Drake is an enigma.........I expect Moss will be a better player next year than Drake..........I know that's not the type of player you are looking for but just that I think Drake will be a bust wherever he goes.

 

7 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

The Bills finished second in the NFL in scoring.

 

RB is not a position I would put much into...........they've expended two picks in round 3 on RB's which was two too many for anything short of a game changer.........now it's incumbent on the Bills All-world personnel department to find that big play guy late in the draft and UDFA.

 

I like the suggestion of some that McKenzie be used more out of the backfield.

 

Drake is an enigma.........I expect Moss will be a better player next year than Drake..........I know that's not the type of player you are looking for but just that I think Drake will be a bust wherever he goes.

and we got exposed for our lack of any run game by KC.....

[BADOLBILZ]

15 minutes ago, BuffaninSarasota said:

 

and we got exposed for our lack of any run game by KC.....

 

 

Yeah that 36-3 stretch really exposed the Bills run game.

[CEN-CAL17]

This team will not use pick 30 on a RB.... it’s gonna be OL, DL or CB. 
 

If Morse is released for cap Savings. Creed Humphrey C Oklahoma. I like Dayvion Nixon DT Iowa. CB I haven’t really looked into yet....

 

Also if John Brown is released don’t be surprised for another weapon for Josh at 30. 
 

 

[BADOLBILZ]

4 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

My beef with Singletary - who I actually think is non-terrible - is that he's not a good receiver. I want a back who is all purpose and actually good, like Kamara. I'd prefer to get him later in the draft, but sometimes other teams want guys like that too. 

 

I agree about the line, but tackles aren't the problem. The Alabama center appears to be pretty good. The guard for OSU seems good too. You can get a top center/guard in the mid-30s, so you'd be able to trade down and pick up, say, a late third/early fourth.

 

"tackles aren't the problem"

 

You shouldn't use the early rounds of the draft to fill immediate needs.

 

They change.

 

Fast.

 

I remember starting a thread about drafting Aaron Donald a couple weeks before that draft and everyone who responded basically said "yeah, no way....can't you see we have all these stars on the DLine.....the defensive line isn't the problem!".  

 

QB

Pass rusher

CB1

LT

WR1 or potentially great TE(rare)

 

Trust the process or trade out.  

 

Yeah some teams break from that and have some success.......but when McBeane chose to basically rid the team of all the prior regimes 1st and 2nd round picks for pennies on the dollar they lost quite a bit of margin for error time-wise in their re-build.      They really need to use those early picks to keep those big dollar type positions stocked.........and hopefully longer term.

[Bill from NYC]

On 1/26/2021 at 10:27 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

I remember starting a thread about drafting Aaron Donald a couple weeks before that draft and everyone who responded basically said "yeah, no way....can't you see we have all these stars on the DLine.....the defensive line isn't the problem!".  

 

Not everyone.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 1/26/2021 at 10:35 AM, dave mcbride said:

I know, I know, guys like him are hard to find. But a RB who is both a talented runner and an excellent receiver out of the backfield would take the Bills' passing game to an even higher level (not to mention the running game). The Bills' passing game is awesome, but it's awfully reliant on WRs. Is there anyone with a Kamara profile in this year's draft? If not, Kenyon Drake--a free agent who turns 27 today--would be my target. He's not Kamara, but his game is similar, and he probably has 2-3 good years left in him.  

 

I wanted Kenyon Drake in 2019.  It rots my socks that the Cardinals got him for a conditional 6th that turned into a 5th.  I suppose Miami didn't want to trade within the division but still. 

 

The Cardinals transition tagged him for $8.5M last year, that's how good he was for them in 2019.  I think that may indicate his contract expectations are out of our budget, or at least the budget that we can allocate.

 

I'll be interested to hear the answer to your question about Kamara-types in the draft.

[whorlnut]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/247sports.com/Article/Kadarius-Toney-Alvin-Kamara-says-models-his-game-Florida-Gators-NFL-Draft-2021-Tennessee-New-Orleans-Saints-160024342/Amp/
 

Here he is...

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 1/26/2021 at 8:32 PM, CEN-CAL17 said:

This team will not use pick 30 on a RB.... it’s gonna be OL, DL or CB. 
If Morse is released for cap Savings. Creed Humphrey C Oklahoma. I like Dayvion Nixon DT Iowa. CB I haven’t really looked into yet....

Also if John Brown is released don’t be surprised for another weapon for Josh at 30.

 

I think we need to retain Morse (we don't save that much, relative to the dead cap hit) AND draft a C/G upgrade.

[billsfan89]

I don't necessarily know if the missing link on the offense is any type of player. Yes the team could use some speed out of the backfield and maybe an upgrade over Knox at TE. But considering how banged up the WR corps ended up being (Davis, Brown and Beasley were hurt going into the game and Diggs got dinged early on) I am not sure that there even is a "missing link" in the offense. You have 4 WR's who all are good players when healthy and complement each other well. Yes John Brown's health is now a concern again but Davis provides depth. You have Knox who looked to come on stronger to end the season and is at worst a good complementary weapon, you have an O-line that is stacked for once and you have a pair of good young RB's who can do a little of everything. 

 

To me the issue is more so can John Brown or Gabe Davis be a WR2? Brown can if he is healthy but can he stay healthy? Gabe is a nice player but is he ready to take on that role?