Bills sign G Forrest Lamp

[BuffaloBill]

1 hour ago, ExWNYer said:

 

I'm not sure if that is a 'dad joke' or if you are just throwing shade...

 

 

Keep your lamp posts to yourself

[machine gun kelly]

It’s a household name.

 

 

I was runnningg.

 

[Chandler#81]

41 minutes ago, ExWNYer said:

 

This should resonate with @Chandler#81

Yep. Saved it to my photos. Man after my ❤️

[MAJBobby]

2 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

I guess, but you’d think these vet minimum guys number 1 priority would be going to a place they can make the 53 man roster and get their $900k base guaranteed.  

Except not how it is. See NE signings like these for the Years Brady was there. Players know good teams give them exposure. 

[billsfan89]

Good Brian Winters replacement.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

27 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Not sure if their blocking scheme changed at all with coaching shift but that could be a reason. He’s a zone-based fit which is what the Bills appear to be moving toward. 

Bills said they moved to a power based scheme at the end of last year. Beane said that actually. Which is why the Morse talk started. 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Buffalo_Stampede

[atlbillsfan1975]

23 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

With all the OL signings a lot of Competition and assets that could be moved for picks instead of outright cuts near end of camp. There are many talented OL ok this team that came get a 5th or below at end of camp instead of cut. 

People want to play for winners. And Beane and McD will start the players that earn it. These players see that and know they will have a clean slate shot to win a job. 

And maybe how the Wyatt Teller trade turned out for Cleveland helps Beane. 

[Arm of Harm]

1 hour ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Why do these vet minimum guys with a fair amount of NFL playing time keep signing here?  Beane basically returned his entire 53 man roster that went 13-3.  There’s gotta be other teams where they’d have a better shot at making the roster.  

 

In this particular case, I think it's because the Bills are weak at offensive guard. Easier to earn a starting spot here than it would be with a lot of other teams.

[Mickey]

This kind of addition is really emblematic of how this team is being managed. This team believes that players can learn, they can get better, their value is not a fixed, static quality. That is really what this team is about and Josh is just the most obvious example but you can find that ethos up and down the roster. It isn't because they are finding great players that were somehow overlooked. They are finding guys who just need to get a little bit better to really be an asset to the team and then they help them do just that, get better.  And then they re-sign them.

 

Coaches actually coaching? What is the world coming to?

[ExWNYer]

1 minute ago, Mickey said:

This kind of addition is really emblematic of how this team is being managed. This team believes that players can learn, they can get better, their value is not a fixed, static quality. That is really what this team is about and Josh is just the most obvious example but you can find that ethos up and down the roster. It isn't because they are finding great players that were somehow overlooked. They are finding guys who just need to get a little bit better to really be an asset to the team and then they help them do just that, get better.  And then they re-sign them.

 

Coaches actually coaching? What is the world coming to?

 

They have said repeatedly that they want coaches who are also 'teachers'. That is evident as seen in the growth and development of many of the players on the roster.

[HOUSE]

 

[turftoe]

7 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

And maybe how the Wyatt Teller trade turned out for Cleveland helps Beane. 

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

[Arm of Harm]

10 minutes ago, turftoe said:

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

 

I think what may have induced Lamp to sign here may not have been the Teller trade, so much as the Williams story. Williams came here looking to revive his career, earned a starting spot, played well, and has now received an extension. I'm guessing Lamp is looking to do that exact same thing at offensive guard.

[The Jokeman]

14 minutes ago, turftoe said:

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

one miss, how many players/trades has Beane hit on? Losing Teller hurts yes but think all of Beane's good outweighs all the bad. 

[glazeduck]

Young player, position of need, elite upside, zero risk, Pro Bowl caliber name. Hard to not absolutely love this one! 

[Shaw66]

22 minutes ago, Mickey said:

This kind of addition is really emblematic of how this team is being managed. This team believes that players can learn, they can get better, their value is not a fixed, static quality. That is really what this team is about and Josh is just the most obvious example but you can find that ethos up and down the roster. It isn't because they are finding great players that were somehow overlooked. They are finding guys who just need to get a little bit better to really be an asset to the team and then they help them do just that, get better.  And then they re-sign them.

 

Coaches actually coaching? What is the world coming to?

Thanks for this.   I think many people don't see that this philosophy is at the core of the how the Bills operate.  

 

The Bills believe their players can learn to play better.  They believe that they should have an offense and a defense that is continually evolving, becoming more complex and more nuanced, so it can perform in different ways.   And they believe they can make that work because their players can learn to fit themselves into that scheme.  

 

So, the Bills look for players who believe in the Growth Mindset, and they ask those players to invest in themselves by committing to get better.  They go looking for guys, in the draft and in free agency, who have shown the ability and interest in continual improvement.  

 

And this signing also relates to two related points.   One is that Beane likes to sign guys who have underperformed coming off their rookie deals.  A guy like Lamp, who went high in the second round of the draft, has the physical tools to play the game at a high level, but he underperformed for some reason, so his original team didn't lock him up.  The Bills pursue guys like that, telling them to come to Buffalo on a short-term deal and prove to themselves and their coaches that they can learn and grow.   And when a guy does show that, the Bills re-sign them, like Feliciano and Williams.  

 

The other point here is that offensive linemen in the draft are a crapshoot.  I saw something here recently about how many first-round offensive tackles have underperformed.   They're a crapshoot because college offenses don't require these guys to learn any offensive line techniques - just stick the guy across from you and stay with him for a one-count, and the play is gone.   They aren't pass blocking for 3-4 seconds, and they aren't running complicated running schemes.   So, a lot of the offensive linemen who make it in the NFL make it after having bounced around the league for a few years, on practice squads or on the bench, getting a few starts here and there, learning technique, building their bodies to the needs of the league.  Then, around year three or four, they emerge as starters.  Not everyone, of course, but many of them.   Beane clearly would rather get three or four offensive line prospects in their third or fourth or fifth seasons and try them out than burn a number one or two pick on a guy they hope will work out.    Clearly, they were high on Ford, but Ford is an example of the problem.   Not only has he been hurt; when he has played, he hasn't shown that he is a solid NFL starter.  HE simply didn't learn enough playing college football at a high level that translated immediately to the NFL.

 

I think this signing is what we can expect from Beane, year after year.   Will he chase a high-end offensive line free agent, and take a tackle in the first round?   Yes, maybe, but he's going to have to be really sold on the guy.  (It would be interesting to know what Beane thinks about the Morse signing, for example, now that he's a couple seasons into it.)  In the meantime, he'll keep on signing five guys who've been around the league for several years, expecting that two of them will stick, and of the two, one will become a keeper.  

13 minutes ago, Arm of Harm said:

 

I think what may have induced Lamp to sign here may not have been the Teller trade, so much as the Williams story. Williams came here looking to revive his career, earned a starting spot, played well, and has now received an extension. I'm guessing Lamp is looking to do that exact same thing at offensive guard.

I agree.  Players are seeing that Buffalo is a place where they can succeed, and when they succeed they are rewarded with a contract.   Williams is one example.   Milano is another.  

 

And they're seeing that guys like Feliciano, who might have made a few bucks more someplace else, also are staying, because this is a team they want to be with.  

 

I've said this before.  At the end of his press conference at the end of the season, McDermott said the Bills are a team where players can come to play the best football of their lives.   That quote is at the end of the Bills video about the Growth Mindset.  McDermott is selling that point, and I think guys like Lamp are buying it. 

[blacklabel]

That's a good pickup. He was rated pretty highly coming out of college. Saw plenty of mocks here that had him going to the Bills. Hopefully it's just been injuries that have stunted his career a bit. He played every snap last season for the Chargers so that's a positive sign. I still think it's Ford and Feliciano at the two guard spots but this dude could give either one a run for their money if he catches onto the scheme quickly and all that. 

[JDubya76]

2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

That’s exactly what I thought of from just reading the title of the thread.

[BeastMode54]

I love Lamp

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, Back2Buff said:

Makes me feel a lot better about the 4th string guard.  I think the plan might be to use Bates as the swing tackle this year.

 

Dawkins-Ford-Morse-Feliciano-Williams

Bates-Ike-Lamp-Hart

 

I really wasn't all that impressed with the Devey and Douglas signings.  I like this one much better.

 

Beane stocking up on tradeable assets coming out of camp

[gobills404]

 

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by gobills404

[GunnerBill]

I will be interested to hear from camp and see in pre-season (if we get one) whether they try Lamp at center at all. McDermott has talked in the past about his preference for having a backup center who isn't a starter, I remember him talking to Howard and Jeremy about it and saying "ideally that's what you'd like to have" or words to that effect so that when you center goes down you only need to make 1 change on the line rather than 2. I actually think Morse to Feliciano at center is very little drop off but Lamp is similar in playing style to Morse and just a little shorter and I just wonder whether it might an option that they are thinking about.

3 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

 

 

 

He was a good pass blocker for Herbert last year, that has always been his strength. The Chargers power inside run scheme really isn't a fit for him though. 

[gobills1212]

3 hours ago, Bray Wyatt said:

 

Do you really love Lamp? Or are you just picking out free agent guards and saying you love them?

Post of the year! 

[Solomon Grundy]

[Rigotz]

Did someone say Lamp?

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Rigotz

[Buffalo03]

His name is Forrest Lamp. People call him Forrest Lamp 

[cba fan]

Bills must have been very convincing in the negotiations.

We all know he would have lit up the CFL. 😎 

[msw2112]

This is a smart signing, along with the other veteran OL signings.  A few thoughts:

 

1.  If you sign 3 or 4 veteran OL with starting experience, chances are that at least one of them will do well in the Bills program and be a significant contributor.  Sign 1, maybe not, sign 3 or 4, your odds go up.

 

2.  Even if these guys don't become significant contributors, they provide solid injury depth.  Given their starting experience, they won't be "deer in the headlights" if thrust into action.

 

3.  Going this route allows you to draft OL in the late rounds or go the UDFA route.  Based on how many linemen take time to develop, and the unpredictability of drafting linemen (as was mentioned earlier in the thread), this is a smart route.  A guy like Boetteger is a great example of a UDFA OL who developed over few years into a solid player.  Bates could turn out to be another.  You can save your higher draft picks for other positions, and develop an OL or 2 at the back of the roster or on the practice squad while you have veteran depth in front of them. 

[IgotBILLStopay]

OMG. Deja vu. He was the guy drafted immediately after Zay Jones. I thought Lamp was pretty good based on the senior bowl practice tales and tape in 2017 - but it was not a position of need for us. And we know the 2017 Senior Bowl was where McD did his first serious in-person scouting for the Bills (Dawkins, Peterman etc.). I remember he more than held his own against those Alabama guys - Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson. I think he switched to guard because of having short arms - but I wouldnt mind giving him a run at backup tackle as well.

Edited April 7, 2021 by IgotBILLStopay

[Rico]

Cool, I don’t remember anyone wanting Lamp this off-season before today. Beane is so sneaky!

Edited April 7, 2021 by Rico

[IgotBILLStopay]

wonder why the chargers moved on from him - continuity in front of Herbert cant be a bad thing, no?

[Royale with Cheese]

I wonder if the coaching staff will have him or Ford with the opening 1st team in camp.

[The Jokeman]

33 minutes ago, IgotBILLStopay said:

wonder why the chargers moved on from him - continuity in front of Herbert cant be a bad thing, no?

New coaching staff, prior injury concerns and didn't grade out great by PFF. I'm sure there's a reason for it, all I can say is low cost possible high reward signing but time will tell. 

[Doc Brown]

37 minutes ago, IgotBILLStopay said:

wonder why the chargers moved on from him - continuity in front of Herbert cant be a bad thing, no?

They upgraded their interior with the Feiler and Linsley signings.  Oday Aboushi is also pry a slight upgrade.  

[atlbillsfan1975]

2 hours ago, turftoe said:

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

I don’t think it was a fail on Beane’s part at all. He went with what he knew and trusted his evaluations. Good on Teller for continuing to develop in Cleveland. He might not have just as easily.

[HOUSE]

1 hour ago, gobills1212 said:

Post of the year! 

 

That was not the post of the year, you have to wait on the mail in ballots

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

The lamp gifs just keep getting better and better in this thread! 

[MAJBobby]

3 hours ago, turftoe said:

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

Except when it comes to Pass Pro. 

[freddyjj]

2 hours ago, gobills404 said:

 

 

So my theory is Lamp wanted to wear the 2 best retro jerseys in the league in his career.  Chargers powder blue and Bills all Whites with standing Buffalo helmet.

 

Seriously, see PFF scouting report when he came out. 

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-pff-scouting-report-forrest-lamp-g-western-kentucky

Played LT at a small school, projected to OG or OC at NFL level.  Maybe an audition in camp at C/G to see if he can be main interior backup.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by freddyjj

[Shaw66]

3 hours ago, turftoe said:

I'm not sure there is any way to spin the Wyatt Teller trade in a positive light. I've heard people say it helped with the Diggs trade and such but it was a fail on Beane's part. Teller has been a beast in Cleveland. He has been one of there best lineman.

This made me laugh.  I guess it's true that the picks helped in the Diggs trade, but it's not like the Diggs trade wouldn't have happened if the Bills hadn't made the Teller trade.  

 

I don't think the Teller trade was a disaster or to use your word, a "fail," but it IS amusing the extent to which people will go to defend Beane.   I think Beane has been excellent, but nobody gets them all right.  If Beane had a chance to undo that one, I'm sure he would.  

 

Mickey Mantle struck out once in a while, and so does Beane.