Bills cuts to get to 53 [final info in the OP]

[GunnerBill]

52 minutes ago, No_Matter_What said:

With Stevenson on IR, you need to guess again

 

One of the DTs.

[ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin]

15 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

I'm hopeful they've improved at WR with Stevenson, Kumerow and Sanders.

 

DE is also probable as an improvement with Rosseau, Boogie and Obada. This was the biggest hole on the team last year. Younger and cheaper for going forward.

 

RB is also better with Breida added. I am convinced Breida suits up for more games than not, and Daboll will find a way to get him the ball.

19 minutes ago, FLFan said:

I am not sure I get the Hollister love.  He has bounced around because he is a very limited athlete at the position who does not block very well.  This makes him of limited value, certainly not a starter, more a third TE on the roster guy.  You will likely see both Morris and Becker on the practice squad to fill this role in an emergency.  Otherwise they have no need for a third TE active in any given week.  

 

I share people’s concerns about Knox’s reliability and hoped the Bills might be able to upgrade in the off season but Hollister was certainly not that.  The TE position will not be the difference in championship or not for this team.  They have plenty of offensive firepower without an all pro at that position.  It is the OL and DL that will need to make the difference.

 

As a pro-Hollister guy I will chip in my thoughts.

 

He has been a productive backup TE in the league. (Seattle)

He has remained healthy in the NFL, Sweeney has not.

He makes the catches he should. (knock on Knox)

On this team he is at worst a 3TE and probably the 2nd best.

What other available TE matches the criteria above?

 

That said, I really hope Buffalo looks to TE seriously in next year's draft or FA class. It helps a QB so much. (See Brady and Mahomes)

[BADOLBILZ]

27 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Outside of Hollister, they kept all the players people were clamoring for.  And with Hollister clearing waivers, the Bills can put him on the PS.

 

And if Stevenson is the only guy to short-term IR, that's great news.

 

 

Just sayin' for all the concern expended........it really wasn't hard at all to get to 53.

 

Same thing last year.   Easy.

 

Keeping 3 long in the tooth DL instead of just 2 over the younger, team controlled Bam Johnson was the only really debatable move.

 

As I said..........the waiver wire around the league would be LOADED with recognizable young WR names.........not likely that Stevenson would have been picked up on waivers..........the Bills situation is just precarious at WR with Beas and Davis unvaxed,  they had a lot of motivation to keep 7 and he was there and familiar with the offense and could be IR'd.

 

[ColoradoBills]

23 minutes ago, FLFan said:

I am not sure I get the Hollister love.  He has bounced around because he is a very limited athlete at the position who does not block very well.  This makes him of limited value, certainly not a starter, more a third TE on the roster guy.  You will likely see both Morris and Becker on the practice squad to fill this role in an emergency.  Otherwise they have no need for a third TE active in any given week.  

 

I share people’s concerns about Knox’s reliability and hoped the Bills might be able to upgrade in the off season but Hollister was certainly not that.  The TE position will not be the difference in championship or not for this team.  They have plenty of offensive firepower without an all pro at that position.  It is the OL and DL that will need to make the difference.

 

I'm over this TE thing but the question for me was Hollister IMO is better and more reliable than Sweeney.

Sweeney has been healthy for 6 games in 2 years and has 8 total receptions.

Beane will probably prove me wrong as he has in the past!

[jkeerie]

50 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Usually don't IR a guy for concussion and have not heard "he's in the protocol"

They said he went out with a head injury, but it's also possible he re-injured his foot and didn't feel it until the next day.

Did Beane say why he was going on IR?

Beane mentioned  his foot.  He said he actually hurt it before the Chicago game and was amazed he was able to run back the punt.

[BADOLBILZ]

25 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

I'm hopeful they've improved at WR with Stevenson, Kumerow and Sanders.

 

They were pretty awesome last year so that's a tall order.

 

My concern with the group is still not having that deep threat that physically threatens defenses into playing off............because that dink and dunk 5 wide stuff we saw  Saturday is a recipe for beat up WR's,  amongst other negatives.

 

Maybe Davis continues to transcend his modest speed/quickness talent and fills that role..........but Sanders and Beasley will not........and it will be hard for Diggs to match/top last season.    Especially knowing he will probably come into the season a little banged up.

[ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin]

3 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Just sayin' for all the concern expended........it really wasn't hard at all to get to 53.

 

Same thing last year.   Easy.

 

Keeping 3 long in the tooth DL instead of just 2 over the younger, team controlled Bam Johnson was the only really debatable move.

 

As I said..........the waiver wire around the league would be LOADED with recognizable young WR names.........not likely that Stevenson would have been picked up on waivers..........the Bills situation is just precarious at WR with Beas and Davis unvaxed,  they had a lot of motivation to keep 7 and he was there and familiar with the offense and could be IR'd.

 

 

largely agree with you.

 

The contracts on Butler/Addison probably stopped any trade from happening. Addison did lead the team in sacks last year, but now he does not have to be the #2 guy in the rotation. Cap hits and lack of partners made this a reality. The FA DL signings have not been good to date. The drafted young guys need to step up, and the succession plan is in place now at DE. That is good work. Epenessa/ Rosseau and Boggie is a nice place to start the DE rebuild. Hughes may come back next year on a team friendly/ pass rush specialist role for a push, but not have to be counted on if they develop.

 

As for offense. Buffalo is a passing team now. 4 and 5 wide sets are not uncommon. This is proven by the shortage of TE on the roster. Vax or not, 3 or 4 WR were dinged up in the AFC Championship game last year, I think that has haunted the team since. Good to have depth in the system, mix in young blood and guys with different capabilities on the roster. On a passing first team if TE is weak, WR better be strong. I think it is now.

 

Kumerow adds WR size in red zone situations, like you would want from a TE. Stevenson adds speed lower on the depth chart and ST ability.

 

It's a different way of thinking for long time Bills fans, but in a passing league, QB (locked up), WR (7) and DE (6) are among the most important positions.

 

Buffalo did a nice job there.

[BADOLBILZ]

5 minutes ago, ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin said:

 

largely agree with you.

 

The contracts on Butler/Addison probably stopped any trade from happening. Addison did lead the team in sacks last year, but now he does not have to be the #2 guy in the rotation. Cap hits and lack of partners made this a reality. The FA DL signings have not been good to date. The drafted young guys need to step up, and the succession plan is in place now at DE. That is good work. Epenessa/ Rosseau and Boggie is a nice place to start the DE rebuild. Hughes may come back next year on a team friendly/ pass rush specialist role for a push, but not have to be counted on if they develop.

 

As for offense. Buffalo is a passing team now. 4 and 5 wide sets are not uncommon. This is proven by the shortage of TE on the roster. Vax or not, 3 or 4 WR were dinged up in the AFC Championship game last year, I think that has haunted the team since. Good to have depth in the system, mix in young blood and guys with different capabilities on the roster. On a passing first team if TE is weak, WR better be strong. I think it is now.

 

Kumerow adds WR size in red zone situations, like you would want from a TE. Stevenson adds speed lower on the depth chart and ST ability.

 

It's a different way of thinking for long time Bills fans, but in a passing league, QB (locked up), WR (7) and DE (6) are among the most important positions.

 

Buffalo did a nice job there.

 

 

Oh they definitely need the depth at WR...........especially if running a lot of 5 wide because of a lack of TE's.  

 

Emmanuel Sanders reportedly loves the up-tempo offense but that's likely because he can catch a lot of passes and pad those reception stats.

 

More short passes = more hits on the WR corps though............that volume took it's toll in the playoffs.

 

Like to see them push the ball down the field more and put less wear and tear on WR, ideally.

[ColoradoBills]

14 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Yep…. Which is what some fans were arguing about the team after FA/draft…. How exactly to this team improve enough to overtake the Chiefs?(who went all in on improving their offensive line)…. Regardless of the Chiefs, It’s really hard to say they’ve improved at all. 
 

As I’ve said before, more improvement from Allen and home field advantage is really their best bet for getting to the SB because the rest of their roster isn’t  nearly as talented as the Chiefs is. 

 

Well Beane has set his roster and he and his guys have "crossed the Rubicon".  All that is left is to see if you or he are correct.

[Doc]

17 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Yep…. Which is what some fans were arguing about the team after FA/draft…. How exactly to this team improve enough to overtake the Chiefs?(who went all in on improving their offensive line)…. Regardless of the Chiefs, It’s really hard to say they’ve improved at all. 
 

As I’ve said before, more improvement from Allen and home field advantage is really their best bet for getting to the SB because the rest of their roster isn’t  nearly as talented as the Chiefs is. 

 

So adding 3 DL and getting Star back means nothing?  The plan was to get pressure on Mahomes.

[NewEra]

1 minute ago, ScottLaw said:

Maybe I should’ve said “on paper” it’s hard to see where they’ve improved at all. 

On paper, the defensive line is much improved imo.  Rousseau, Obada, Star and Boogie replace Trent and Daryl.  

[ColoradoBills]

2 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Maybe I should’ve said “on paper” it’s hard to see where they’ve improved at all. 

 

You and others have made that point but now is the time to see whether or not Beane and McDermott's plan this year works.

They seem to be going in with the continuity being extremely important.  Iron sharpening iron type of reasoning is part of that.

 

Guess all that is left for me is watching to see what unfolds in a long season.

[Coach Tuesday]

38 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

They were pretty awesome last year so that's a tall order.

 

My concern with the group is still not having that deep threat that physically threatens defenses into playing off............because that dink and dunk 5 wide stuff we saw  Saturday is a recipe for beat up WR's,  amongst other negatives.

 

Maybe Davis continues to transcend his modest speed/quickness talent and fills that role..........but Sanders and Beasley will not........and it will be hard for Diggs to match/top last season.    Especially knowing he will probably come into the season a little banged up.

 

Maybe I was more down on Smoke last year than others - he looked totally washed to me, I had zero confidence he could beat his man in any kind of semi-contested situation.  And I'm probably higher on Sanders than you are.  (Then again - you may have been wrong about Laviska Shenault, eh?)

[Pokebball]

1 hour ago, FLFan said:

I am not sure I get the Hollister love.  He has bounced around because he is a very limited athlete at the position who does not block very well.  This makes him of limited value, certainly not a starter, more a third TE on the roster guy.  You will likely see both Morris and Becker on the practice squad to fill this role in an emergency.  Otherwise they have no need for a third TE active in any given week.  

 

I share people’s concerns about Knox’s reliability and hoped the Bills might be able to upgrade in the off season but Hollister was certainly not that.  The TE position will not be the difference in championship or not for this team.  They have plenty of offensive firepower without an all pro at that position.  It is the OL and DL that will need to make the difference.

For me it's simply comparing Hollister to the other TEs.  I thought he was very close to Knox, if not better.  IMO he is better than Sweeney.

[Doc]

7 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Not even sure Basham plays much at all this year, Rousseau looks like he can make a difference but again, he’s a rookie who sat out last season from football, jury’s out on Obada who was a rotational piece in Carolina whom they let go without a fight. Star to help the pass rush? 😅😅

 

 

I think it’s more than plausible to suggest they didn’t do enough to fix their flaws and overtake the Chiefs. We will see.

 

You have no idea how much Basham will play, and if early returns are any indication, he should play a lot this year.  As for Rousseau, what does sitting out last year have to do with anything?  And Obada had 5 sacks in a backup role last year.  Murphy and Johnson had 3, so...  Meanwhile Star is there to occupy blockers, but you knew that already.

[SoCal Deek]

31 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

They’ll be a good team again without question…. I’m talking about winning the conference and I don’t think they have the best roster in the conference(clearly the Chiefs do and I think the Browns are close too if Mayfield continues to improve)…. Like I said, the best way for the Bills to make up for that void of talent is home field advantage, some luck, and Josh Allen being Josh Allen again. 

I would add coaching and game time management/strategy to the difference makers this year. The Bills have a top-notch roster.  This will come down to how they play in those few critical times in those few critical games.

[jkeerie]

8 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I would add coaching and game time management/strategy to the difference makers this year. The Bills have a top-notch roster.  This will come down to how they play in those few critical times in those few critical games.

I actually thought that our coordinators were distracted by their head coaching interviews.  I thought our game plans both offensively and defensively were lacking in the playoffs, particularly that last game.

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, jkeerie said:

I actually thought that our coordinators were distracted by their head coaching interviews.  I thought our game plans both offensively and defensively were lacking in the playoffs, particularly that last game.

I'm not sure about the distraction angle, but I do know that there are only so many plays in a typical NFL Game.  Game planning and play calling make a HUGE difference between winning and losing.  It's easy for everyone to coach from their sofa, but it's a ton of pressure to get it right....and to adjust on the fly when you didn't. The latter was my problem with Championship Game. We were right there for the first third of the game, and then....nothing.

[eball]

3 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

I do not understand this team's approach to the tight end position for like THREE DECADES.  It's like they forget the position exists.

C’mon, Coach. Have you not watched Daboll’s offense? The Bills absolutely view the position differently, and it’s hard to argue with the results of the past two years. Unless you’ve got a Kelce or a Kittle, to the Bills it’s a JAG position. 
 

[ColoradoBills]

Just seen on Spotrac that Reid Ferguson signed a 1 year $990k contract with the Bills.

He had signed a 3 year extension earlier this year.

I'm sure other news will be out soon to see if this is accurate.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/reid-ferguson-19383/

 

Reid Ferguson signed a 1 year, $990,000 contract with the Buffalo Bills, including an average annual salary of $990,000. In 2021, Ferguson will earn a base salary of $990,000, while carrying a cap hit of $990,000.