Buffalo Bills: Embedded - Exclusives from the 2022 NFL Draft

[CapeBreton]

I like how it just cuts to them trading down in the second, it would have been interesting to see what was happening before they made the trades. I still think James Cook was the guy all along and they knew they could trade down a couple times and still get him.

[jkeerie]

7 minutes ago, CapeBreton said:

I like how it just cuts to them trading down in the second, it would have been interesting to see what was happening before they made the trades. I still think James Cook was the guy all along and they knew they could trade down a couple times and still get him.

According to Beane they had 5 guys they liked on the board at 57 so when they got the offer to trade down to 60 they took it.  At 60, all 5 guys were still there, so they took the offer to trade down to 63.  At 63, 4 guys remained, so they stood pat and took Cook.  So at the very least Cook was number 2 on their list and very likely could have been at the top of the list.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

Good stuff—was cool to see Tre there to welcome the Rook, and Josh’s good natured semi trash talking starting already about testing him out in camp lol. Love it!!!

[GunnerBill]

So I will caveat this with my usual "Embedded is state sponsored propoganda" line... but if we take on face value (with no reason not to) here is what I think we learned:

 

1. The Bills WERE already talking trade ups prior to Kansas City moving up to #21. BG and TG are clearly talking about getting to Green Bay's spot before the trade goes down. 

 

2. The "they jumped us" but then didn't take our guy so we immediately move up is a tactic we have seen from Beane before. Cody Ford, 2019. The Panthers traded up, he thought Ford was a gonner, they took Greg Little and Beane responded by saying "okay I am taking no more chances, we are going up to get him." Felt eerily similar to that. Even more convinced Elam was always their guy. 

 

3. Beane told us after the draft that when they moved back in round 2 they had 4 or 5 guys. Aftet the first slide back all were still there but after the second slide back ine had gone and so they decided to pick. It has been speculated that guy was Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati. I think that the phone guy saying "James?" After Beane had said "ring Cook" confirms it. Not saying it means they had Bryan ahead of James or anything, but I suspect it confirms who the one of their possibles who had gone was. Might give us a little insight into their thoughts re. Poyer. They didn't "have to have" a safety but if a guy they liked was available they were willing to pull the trigger.

 

4. I think when Beane says Shakir was their guy at #130 and was sticking out when they traded up in the 5th he was being totally genuine. Just the way he points up at the board it is almost a "how the hell is he still there?" moment. 

 

5. I was disappointed not to see more of the war room chat around the Bernard pick. His was the most surprising pick of the Bills' entire draft IMO and I'd like to have seen the discussion there. Was it always him? Did they consider other guys? 

 

6. I still think TG was relatively unconvincing as 2nd chair but given it was his first time doing it and his wife was basically in labour at the same time I will give him a pass. I don't know if Brian Gaine doesn't fancy a full on FO role and is happier in his advisor gig... but he is the guy I'd feel most comfortable with as Beane's right hand man. He will miss Joe Schoen. There doesn't seem anyone he has that same innate natural chemistry with. 

[BillsFanForever19]

28 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

So I will caveat this with my usual "Embedded is state sponsored propoganda" line... but if we take on face value (with no reason not to) here is what I think we learned:

 

1. The Bills WERE already talking trade ups prior to Kansas City moving up to #21. BG and TG are clearly talking about getting to Green Bay's spot before the trade goes down. 

 

2. The "they jumped us" but then didn't take our guy so we immediately move up is a tactic we have seen from Beane before. Cody Ford, 2019. The Panthers traded up, he thought Ford was a gonner, they took Greg Little and Beane responded by saying "okay I am taking no more chances, we are going up to get him." Felt eerily similar to that. Even more convinced Elam was always their guy. 

 

3. Beane told us after the draft that when they moved back in round 2 they had 4 or 5 guys. Aftet the first slide back all were still there but after the second slide back ine had gone and so they decided to pick. It has been speculated that guy was Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati. I think that the phone guy saying "James?" After Beane had said "ring Cook" confirms it. Not saying it means they had Bryan ahead of James or anything, but I suspect it confirms who the one of their possibles who had gone was. Might give us a little insight into their thoughts re. Poyer. They didn't "have to have" a safety but if a guy they liked was available they were willing to pull the trigger.

 

4. I think when Beane says Shakir was their guy at #130 and was sticking out when they traded up in the 5th he was being totally genuine. Just the way he points up at the board it is almost a "how the hell is he still there?" moment. 

 

5. I was disappointed not to see more of the war room chat around the Bernard pick. His was the most surprising pick of the Bills' entire draft IMO and I'd like to have seen the discussion there. Was it always him? Did they consider other guys? 

 

6. I still think TG was relatively unconvincing as 2nd chair but given it was his first time doing it and his wife was basically in labour at the same time I will give him a pass. I don't know if Brian Gaine doesn't fancy a full on FO role and is happier in his advisor gig... but he is the guy I'd feel most comfortable with as Beane's right hand man. He will miss Joe Schoen. There doesn't seem anyone he has that same innate natural chemistry with. 

 

Real good stuff here. Though I'm not so certain they were talking Trade Ups before Kansas City. I believe they were talking Trade Down to GB's 2nd spot at 28 in that instance, as it followed Beane talking about moving down. They did briefly discuss a Trade Up to GB at 22 after KC made their move, but they wanted a 3rd and Beane passed.

Edited May 12, 2022 by BillsFanForever19

[GunnerBill]

9 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Real good stuff here. Though I'm not so certain they were talking Trade Ups before Kansas City. I believe they were talking Trade Down to GB's 2nd spot at 28 in that instance, as it followed Beane talking about moving down. They did discuss a Trade Up to GB at 22 after KC made their move, but they wanted a 3rd and Beane passed.

 

They were. They use the phrase "Green Bay are wanting to get out" you don't use that phrase for a team trying to come UP the board. 

[BillsFanForever19]

11 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

They were. They use the phrase "Green Bay are wanting to get out" you don't use that phrase for a team trying to come UP the board. 

 

Okay, but that would imply to me that Green Bay called us to let us know they want to move down. Not necessarily us calling around trying to move up. Especially considering we didn't call them back until after the KC pick and turned it down when we found out what their asking price was in that moment. If we were the ones making the calls and were that interested, you'd think we'd already have the framework set.

Edited May 12, 2022 by BillsFanForever19

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Okay, but that would imply to me that Green Bay called us to let us know they want to move down. Not necessarily us calling around trying to move up. Especially considering we didn't call them back until after the KC pick and turned it down when we found out what their asking price was in that moment.

 

Whoever called whoever the Bills were having discussions with teams about going up before the trade. There is also an unmentioned team that we see TG on the phone to before the KC trade up where he is talking about giving up #130 and #168. I think it is absolutely clear from the video that the Bills were not just sitting waiting for the board to fall to them even before the trade for McDuffie. Which is, I should add, what Beane told us. He said they had agreed that going into the teens cost too much but started talking to teams at #20 to guage what it might take. That seems to be borne out by the evidence. 

[CSBill]

The attire evolution . . .

 

Day One: Dark suits and ties for everyone

Day Two: Lighter colored suit coats, with open collars and no ties allowed

Day Three: Hoodies!

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, CSBill said:

The attire evolution . . .

 

Day One: Dark suits and ties for everyone

Day Two: Lighter colored suit coats, with open collars and no ties allowed

Day Three: Hoodies!

 

Yep. Standard draft approach. 

[Rochesterfan]

1 hour ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Real good stuff here. Though I'm not so certain they were talking Trade Ups before Kansas City. I believe they were talking Trade Down to GB's 2nd spot at 28 in that instance, as it followed Beane talking about moving down. They did briefly discuss a Trade Up to GB at 22 after KC made their move, but they wanted a 3rd and Beane passed.

 

Disagree - they were literally on the phone working trade calls when the NE trade out was announced.  They did not know who was moving up.

 

With what they showed and what Beane said afterwards and the timing as the KC trade was announced - things fit together.  The Bills were looking really at 1 player and were willing to give up a 4th round pick to ensure they got him.

 

They were not willing to give up a day 2 pick to get him the difference in value was to great.

 

Beane originally said they started calling once the draft reached 20 seeing if a 4th could get it done.  It sounds like even 130 and 168 was deemed to rich.

 

What I saw was concern when KC moved up, but no real change when McDuffie was the pick - they did not seem to scramble as if suddenly we need to move - that action had already began.  They want Elam - I still do not think McDuffie was on their board in reality - he was more a guy they were waiting on as a potential start of another CB run.

 

Beane did talk in post draft about moving down if their last guy was drafted - he also started thinking they might have to move down when 4&5 went as CBs. 
 

 

 

 

[muppy]

8 hours ago, TheProcess said:

Absolutely love these. 

DITTO!~!~!!!!!!!!!

1 hour ago, CSBill said:

The attire evolution . . .

 

Day One: Dark suits and ties for everyone

Day Two: Lighter colored suit coats, with open collars and no ties allowed

Day Three: Hoodies!

maybe for free agent signings its a bills t-shirt off the rack 

 

🙂

[The Wiz]

21 minutes ago, muppy said:

DITTO!~!~!!!!!!!!!

maybe for free agent signings its a bills t-shirt off the rack 

 

🙂

Beane's calling them while on the can. 

[freddyjj]

2 hours ago, CSBill said:

The attire evolution . . .

 

Day One: Dark suits and ties for everyone

Day Two: Lighter colored suit coats, with open collars and no ties allowed

Day Three: Hoodies!

Chillin Saturday

[Shaw66]

4 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Okay, but that would imply to me that Green Bay called us to let us know they want to move down. Not necessarily us calling around trying to move up. Especially considering we didn't call them back until after the KC pick and turned it down when we found out what their asking price was in that moment. If we were the ones making the calls and were that interested, you'd think we'd already have the framework set.

I get the sense that there are at least two different kinds of discussions going on between teams at the time.   One is the discussion like the one the Bills had with the Broncos when the Bills wanted to go up to get Josh.   That was a discussion that put a deal in place - "you get this, I get that, and we both agree we'll do it if the guy you (Denver) want is off the board."  It was a negotiated deal, pre-packaged and ready to go if the conditions are right.   I think the other discussions, which occur late in the first round and later, are more of the nature of "are you willing to make a move?" and maybe "what would you be looking for?"   They're just preliminary discussions to test the appetite of both teams.  Then they talk when the time comes, and they seem to follow their draft  value charts pretty closely.   They add up the values and make an offer.  I think the other team does the same.  If they're using the same chart, they get the same answer and say yes.   If they have different charts, they get different answers and either think "no way" or "that's a steal."

 

The point is that trades in the second round and beyond are pretty mechanical - add up the values and say yes or no.   And it makes sense - look at the move to get Shakir.  You're packaging a couple of sixths plus your fifth to get a better fifth.  Beane doesn't have to study that overnight to know he's going to do it.   He's just playing the current hand of poker and deciding whether to throw a couple of extra chips on the table.  I won't say he isn't taking it seriously, but he understands that he's not talking about so much value that he's going to analyze it for very long.  

[Shaw66]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

I’m interested to see how they shape the front office without Schoen. I didn’t see much chemistry between Terrance Gray and Beane. Maybe it’s just me.  

Yes, it looked that way to me, too.   I think the process makes that kind of evaluation part of Beane's job.   He's evaluating the kind of support he's getting, not just objectively but subjectively too - is there chemistry?, and in post-draft reviews he's giving his team constructive criticism about the quality of the support they gave, what they need to do to improve.  And it's part of the process constantly to be asking if they have the right guys at the table, just like whether they have the right guys in the locker room.    And it's perhaps telling that Beane hired Matt Bazirgan a week after the draft. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

Yes, it looked that way to me, too.   I think the process makes that kind of evaluation part of Beane's job.   He's evaluating the kind of support he's getting, not just objectively but subjectively too - is there chemistry?, and in post-draft reviews he's giving his team constructive criticism about the quality of the support they gave, what they need to do to improve.  And it's part of the process constantly to be asking if they have the right guys at the table, just like whether they have the right guys in the locker room.    And it's perhaps telling that Beane hired Matt Bazirgan a week after the draft. 

I deleted my post because it was just me speculating but we’ll see. I think Gaine is Beane’s obvious choice for #2 but who knows.

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, Shaw66 said:

Yes, it looked that way to me, too.   I think the process makes that kind of evaluation part of Beane's job.   He's evaluating the kind of support he's getting, not just objectively but subjectively too - is there chemistry?, and in post-draft reviews he's giving his team constructive criticism about the quality of the support they gave, what they need to do to improve.  And it's part of the process constantly to be asking if they have the right guys at the table, just like whether they have the right guys in the locker room.    And it's perhaps telling that Beane hired Matt Bazirgan a week after the draft. 

 

I do worry Beane will end up feeling it is a lot more on his shoulders. I have been told by people who would have reason to know that Beane trusted Schoen's evaluation ability even above his own. They were very much a team. Beane's name was above the door but to all extents and purposes when it came to the draft and free agency they were basically co-GMs. Beane did the other bit of the job the strategy, the administrative side, the accounting to owners, but the bit that was pure evaluation they were two halves of the same whole. 

 

I don't know that he has anyone he would lean on and have that same faith and confidence in. Don't get me wrong, most GMs don't. The relationship he had with Schoen was special. I do think Beane will miss him. 

[SWATeam]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

3. Beane told us after the draft that when they moved back in round 2 they had 4 or 5 guys. Aftet the first slide back all were still there but after the second slide back ine had gone and so they decided to pick. It has been speculated that guy was Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati. I think that the phone guy saying "James?" After Beane had said "ring Cook" confirms it. Not saying it means they had Bryan ahead of James or anything, but I suspect it confirms who the one of their possibles who had gone was. Might give us a little insight into their thoughts re. Poyer. They didn't "have to have" a safety but if a guy they liked was available they were willing to pull the trigger.

 

I see that differently.  If Bryan Cook was in consideration Beane would have most likely added the qualifier, not just say "ring Cook."  By saying that I believe only one Cook was in play at that point.

[GunnerBill]

7 minutes ago, SWATeam said:

I see that differently.  If Bryan Cook was in consideration Beane would have most likely added the qualifier, not just say "ring Cook."  By saying that I believe only one Cook was in play at that point.

 

He didn't add the qualifier because Beane knew Bryan had just gone. The phone guy had likely not been quite so laser focused. I think that strongly suggested that Bryan was the "one guy that went" that Beane talked about. Not saying Bryan was ahead of James on their board. But I think he was the "one guy that went" that Beane talked about.