Bills practice Thurs 8/17 starting with McD interview

[SectionC3]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Googling stats is a terrible way to answer that question as it not only lacks context of their past circumstances, it contains no information or data from this off-season and camp.

 

Sherfield and Harty are near locks because they are better players than their stat sheet shows do to lesser opportunities and they have had great camps.  Their roster spots biggest threat would be injuries to themselves at this point.  
 

Shakir isn’t as safe IMO, but he’s pretty safe because they really like him and he’s shown some good things too even with some things he needs to work on.  He won’t be a safe stash on the PS, so if they want to keep him it has to be on the 53 man roster.
 

Andy Isabella could make the cut decisions interesting if he keeps turning the coaches heads for all the right reasons.  
 

I think we keep 6 WRs:

Diggs, Davis, Sherfield, Harty, Shakir, Isabella

 

Shorter goes to the PS unless they keep 7 in which he would be the 7th guy.

There’s a couple of weeks left, but Shorter looks to me like a candidate for a redshirt. 

[NewEra]

30 minutes ago, Special K said:

 

Were you watching last season?? Elam had a hard time cracking the lineup battling these exact players you are describing. It got so bad that at one point they had to bring in the bloated corpse of Xavier Rhodes for competition.

 

Not to mention the fact that Elam still has no locked down a spot in the starting lineup battling these exact same players you described while having a year plus an offseason to get ready.

 

Agree to disagree, but my scenario still would have been the better option.

 

Well, he would have had a year to develop here, so time will tell if he becomes a better player this year....I think he will.

It got so bad that we signed Rhodes last year because Tre was out, Benford was hurt and Dane was hurt…… but yeah

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Since they’ve been rotating MLB I wonder if Klein starts this week.

[oldmanfan]

48 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

 

I've beat this drum for several years now as most here know and the way MLB is being handled is a major reason why.

 

I was never a big Edmunds fan and glad this team didn't give him the deal Chicago did, but drafting all these tweaner/midget type of players was highly suspect and relying on fringe NFL player like Dodson is (at least to start the year) is a recipe for disaster.

 

Won't matter how good this Dline is the middle is of the field will be wide open in terms of both passing/running lanes and this schedule is a murderer's row in terms of opposing QB's this year.

 

 

They will play a lot of 4-1-6 with Rapp on the field.  

[SWATeam]

9 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Since they’ve been rotating MLB I wonder if Klein starts this week.

I hope not.  Just gotta stick one guy in there at this point and hope he runs with it.  Klein can be the backup option if it's a disaster.   

[buffaloboyinATL]

5 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I think that the idea that the Bills are “loaded” at WR is funny.  They have 2 proven players in Diggs and Davis.  The idea that Harty, Sherfield and Shakir are so good that they could not be beaten out is absurd.

I think you are under-estimating Sherfield and Harty to be honest.  They are strong WR's 3 and 4.

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by buffaloboyinATL

[Ya Digg?]

51 minutes ago, Special K said:

 

Were you watching last season?? Elam had a hard time cracking the lineup battling these exact players you are describing. It got so bad that at one point they had to bring in the bloated corpse of Xavier Rhodes for competition.

 

Not to mention the fact that Elam still has no locked down a spot in the starting lineup battling these exact same players you described while having a year plus an offseason to get ready.

 

Agree to disagree, but my scenario still would have been the better option.

 

Well, he would have had a year to develop here, so time will tell if he becomes a better player this year....I think he will.

Again, you keep making your argument using hindsight. Think back to the beginning of last season/all of the off-season stuff before the season started. In your head last April-August your thought was I really wish we had drafted a LB to sit the bench all year and I would much rather have a 3rd round CB (that you still haven’t named btw) fighting for a spot on the team. Also, Rhodes was brought in because the secondary was decimated with injuries, not because Elam was playing poorly (which he really wasn’t). 
 

we can certainly agree to disagree

[Special K]

38 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Lloyd did struggle a lot as a rookie but is having a good camp this year.

 

 

Yeah, definitely think he will take that leap this year.

 

I think that having a plan for the MLB spot squared away with Lloyd would have been better than reaching for a player for the CB2 position with Elam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s done is done, so I hope Elam pans out and the Bills find a way to power through the season with what they have at MLB.

5 minutes ago, Ya Digg? said:

Again, you keep making your argument using hindsight. Think back to the beginning of last season/all of the off-season stuff before the season started. In your head last April-August your thought was I really wish we had drafted a LB to sit the bench all year and I would much rather have a 3rd round CB (that you still haven’t named btw) fighting for a spot on the team. Also, Rhodes was brought in because the secondary was decimated with injuries, not because Elam was playing poorly (which he really wasn’t). 
 

we can certainly agree to disagree

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Special K

[BillsShredder83]

4 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

I think you're right.  I think they were concerned about Dodson's ability to cover the run and not get sucked in by PA, and how to handle the coverage responsibilities he couldn't manage the way Pteredactyl Arms could.

 

Dodson has been a leader on a top ST unit - I think he has the green dot on ST - so I don't think they anticipated any leadership and communication issues there.

 

 

You're correct, but on the other hand we've seen it before that a guy is a Preseason Hero and Squibbs on Sunday in the regular season.  The Bills have a draft pick and an UDFA invested in 6'4" WR who can play ST.  Then they have Ateman and Dezmon Patman, who are also 6'4". 

 

That suggests that the Bills see a need for a tall strong WR and are quadrupling down to try and find a guy who can play.  Do they cut them all, and keep Isabella? 

 

Do they move on from last year's 5th rounder, Shakir, who has already demonstrated similar numbers to Isabella's rookie season (but with less WR talent in front of him as a roadblock and in 6% more snaps), and who shows both great promise and inconsistency?

Or do they keep 7 WR?  But how do they do that, and maintain depth at TE and keep all the guys they want to keep on D?

 

 

Great post.  A good predicament to be in.  Hopefully one or more of these guys flash on Josh's 1-2drives, and see heavy playing time the rest of the game. Personally i think Ateman and Patman are great guys to make practice squad.  Theyre not ready to move on from Shakir barring an absolute tragic game and weeks of practice. 

 

That in mind, Isabella has the highest upside, especially when zooming in on this season.  Hope they game plan him heavy and he gets a good chance to showcase his skills.  If the staff can do that, theyve done their job, whether he does nothing, goes offfff, or anywhere in between.  F a game plan, these are all about evaluating.

 

If KAllen sucks, I hope theyre quick'ish to pull him for Barkeley.  We cant evaluate these guys properly if the QB is abs sucking out there

[ChevyVanMiller]

2 hours ago, The_Ripster said:

 

Diggs
Davis
Harty 

On paper, those 3 are the only locks because it would really mess up the teams' bankroll if they were to be cut.

Sherfield seems like a guy they brought in to back up Diggs, and from what I've read he has been impressive.

After that, you have two 5th rounders (Shorter and Shakir) and a multitude of other dudes who have all impressed. (Patmon, Shavers, Ateman)

Can't see them keeping the older 5th rounder over the newer one, kinda defeats the purpose of why they drafted Shorter in the first place.
And I doubt they have plans to keep more than 2 dedicated slot/gadget WR's. 

My best guess...

Diggs

Davis

Harty

Sherfield 

Shorter
Shavers

From what I've read Shorter is a special teams ace at gunner , and so is Shavers (he was actually Araiza's gunner on ST for the aztecs).

Also, don't forget Kincaid needs touches too so imo there is no real reason to put such a heavy emphasis on slot depth, especially when they have Diggs and Sherfield + Harty if they wanna mix things up.
 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know. They gave Isabella his own presser today after featuring his catches from Josh at yesterday’s practice. I think the tea leaves are reading that he makes the 53.

[Scott7975]

5 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Defense should be more than fine if Tre/Hyde return to form(even without Von for most likely the first 6 or so games)… even with a questionable MLB in there.

 

I agree.  Every team has a weak area.  Cant expect studs at every position.  I care about our offense... is Josh going to get better protection, can we run the football with a RB, is our receiving core (including TEs) going to be better this year, and will Dorsey run a better offense utilizing the talent he has?  I will throw in... will Gabe catch more targets this year?  I think our defense will be good enough.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Scott7975

[AuntieEm]

5 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Defense should be more than fine if Tre/Hyde return to form(even without Von for most likely the first 6 or so games)… even with a questionable MLB in there.

 

Yea our defense can play opportunistically if Allen and the offense dominate as I personally expect they will.  I just don't think these guys will accept regression and they take care of business with emphasis on we will take what we want up to you how we best ya.

[PBF81]

1 hour ago, Special K said:

Bills have had a track record of finding late round corners that can play in the NFL.....Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson, Benford on the Bills.....Kevon Seymour and Rachad Wildgoose on other NFL teams.

 

Indeed.  My take on that is that McD, having been both a DB as well as a DBs Coach, has as good a bead on talent there as anyone ever.   Unfortunately when it comes to DL and LB, not nearly as tight.  

 

 

[BillsShredder83]

3 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

But why are they locks?  They are certainly not very proven.  Shakir in particular isn't.  Harty is a proven special teams player and Sherfield had 30 catches last year.  I'm arguing that we are over-rating Harty, Sherfield and Shakir.  Harty has 64 NFL catches over 4 years, Sherfield has 67 over 5 years and Shakir has 10 in 1 year.  Does that scream "proven"?

 

Please don't interpret this to mean that I think they are horrible.  I am only saying that they are really not proven, so why would they be considered "locks" to make the roster?

Hartys contract tells me he is a lock, that contract also tells me theyve already wrote his skillset into playbook.  Havent seen any reason to cut him.  Short of his play all the sudden being disatstrous, he makes the team. Sherfield is big/physical and more NFL ready then the other big WR's, atleast for the 2023 season, and a HUGE plus for him is his blocking.   Him and Gabe out on running plays is going to be very nice!  As far as Shakir goes, I cant see them giving up on him this fast, especially with the positive flashes we've seen.

 

Im far away from saying that we have an elite WR room.... but i think all these guys bring a unique skill set that compliment the team and each other. JMHO

[Don Otreply]

My god there is an awful lot of whimpering going on in this thread, 

the picture in my mind is a bunch of characters running in circles repeatedly saying Omg, Omg, Omg, what ever shall we do, all this over a coach saying one word, “ concern”  do you folk not realize that every HC has constant “concern” about damn near everything about his team?  y’all need to LTFU, eat some chocolate and savor your favorite bourbon 🥃, and maybe take a nap…

[BillsShredder83]

2 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

I agree with much of this.  I do think Shakir is in the most potential danger of the 3.  I don't mind Shakir and hope he does well, but he isn't super big or super fast, so he has to win with quickness and he HAS to have sure hands.  He is reportedly struggling with his hands in practice and that drop in the last game was bad.  I don't know why Isabella wouldn't have an opportunity to beat him out.

 

I am not saying that Sherfield or Harty are bad, but they are far from proven (other than on special teams).  Now, if people want to ascribe Harty and Sherfield's lack of stats to lack of opportunity- couldn't that also be said of the other guys trying to win spots?  I fully expect Sherfield and Harty to make the team, I'm just saying that they aren't truly established NFL receivers that should be locks.

Anybody know?  Shakir was known to have great hands coming out of the draft wasnt he? I know, so did Zay, but i think context matters.  Is this a flukey baseball cold streak type things with his hands, or is there a fundamental problem with his catching a la Gabe Clappy Davis?

[DaggersEOD]

4 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Can McD just play MLB himself?

Well if player can be like coaches on the field, why can’t coaches be like players on the field. 
 

The math adds up 👍

[Bongo]

16 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Anybody know?  Shakir was known to have great hands coming out of the draft wasnt he? I know, so did Zay, but i think context matters.  Is this a flukey baseball cold streak type things with his hands, or is there a fundamental problem with his catching a la Gabe Clappy Davis?

I would guess it is not a hands issue but a concentration issue. He’s making the ridiculously hard catches so I don’t think it’s hands. He missed the crazy easy catch. Probably thinking ahead too much because he saw it as easy; literally taking the eye off the ball.

[uninja]

2 minutes ago, Bongo said:

I would guess it is not a hands issue but a concentration issue. He’s making the ridiculously hard catches so I don’t think it’s hands. He missed the crazy easy catch. Probably thinking ahead too much because he saw it as easy; literally taking the eye off the ball.

case of Knox-itis 😂 

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, SWATeam said:

I hope not.  Just gotta stick one guy in there at this point and hope he runs with it.  Klein can be the backup option if it's a disaster.   

I agree. Sink or swim with Dorian. Have Klein ready if things get ugly. At this point Spector & Bernard are probably busts and Dodson has communication/leadership  issues. Or bring in Barr on a cheap 1 year deal.  

[AuntieEm]

51 minutes ago, Special K said:

 

Yeah, definitely think he will take that leap this year.

 

I think that having a plan for the MLB spot squared away with Lloyd would have been better than reaching for a player for the CB2 position with Elam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s done is done, so I hope Elam pans out and the Bills find a way to power through the season with what they have at MLB.

 

Especially given that McD knows how to coach up cb talent so they easily could have got some fa corners to fill in 

 

3 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I agree. Sink or swim with Dorian. Have Klein ready if things get ugly. At this point Spector & Bernard are probably busts and Dodson has communication/leadership  issues. Or bring in Barr on a cheap 1 year deal.  

I can see Josh leap at the chance to daft Barr.  Give Barr a shot a SB ring and maybe some future spot on coaching staff.  Some vets might welcome a path into coaching post playing career. Could be used as an incentive ad a handshake deal.

[Gregg]

Didn't Bucs LB Devin White request a trade earlier this offseason. I don't know what it would cost but maybe Beane should kick the tires and see if a deal could be made.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Gregg

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

3 hours ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Look up the definitions of "literally" and "nothing" and you'll understand. Neither of these words are used correctly. 

 

 

 

I remember hearing a lot in the past how the safety and LB spots are interchangeable in this defense but now all the sudden they're completely different and we have to let the rookie LB learn the outside backer spot. 

Dude, they did literally nothing. Stop being condescending. They brought in zero new players at the MLB spot. That is... literally nothing.

[AuntieEm]

9 minutes ago, Gregg said:

Didn't Bucs LB Devin White request a trade earlier this offseason. I don't know what it would cost but maybe Beane should kick the tires and see if a deal could be made.

 

Be nice if they needed some of the talent we may have to re l ease so get something out of it while players get a shot to stick where there is space for them.

[JerseyBills]

22 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I agree. Sink or swim with Dorian. Have Klein ready if things get ugly. At this point Spector & Bernard are probably busts and Dodson has communication/leadership  issues. Or bring in Barr on a cheap 1 year deal.  

Think we need to pump the brakes. If anything I think it was McDermott trying to motivate more than anything.  

Maybe has something to do with 2 fights Dodson was in the middle of. All camp we heard that communication was solid.. idk.. just don't think it's nearly as bad as ppl are making it out to be . We got a helluva LB coach too

 

 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

I have felt that the Bills will play the best two linebackers regardless of position labels.  At this point, those two guys are Milano and Williams. It could have been their plan all along, otherwise drafting Williams makes little sense.  McD's comments may be intended to light a fire under the guys competing for the MLB position.  I also don't rule out a trade with a team that is desperate for some o-line help (Bills have some expendable o-line guys).

[Beck Water]

4 hours ago, OldTimer1960 said:

But why are they locks?  They are certainly not very proven.  Shakir in particular isn't.  Harty is a proven special teams player and Sherfield had 30 catches last year.  I'm arguing that we are over-rating Harty, Sherfield and Shakir.  Harty has 64 NFL catches over 4 years, Sherfield has 67 over 5 years and Shakir has 10 in 1 year.  Does that scream "proven"?

 

Please don't interpret this to mean that I think they are horrible.  I am only saying that they are really not proven, so why would they be considered "locks" to make the roster?

 

Sherfield is a proven STer who played 611 snaps on offense last year, excels at downfield blocking, and had 30 receptions for 411 yds.  That's as proven as you're gonna get on the low-budget side of the FA market.  He was intended as Kumerow's replacement with an upgrade at playing receiver.  I think he hits that mark.

 

When you look at Harty, the Bills offered him a 2 year, $9.5M contract with $5.25M guaranteed.  When a team pays a guy that much guaranteed money, they typically consider him a "lock" for a spot.  I agree with your point that his one year of decent production and his injury history make him far from a sure bet as an available contributor, but yeah.

 

Shakir is interesting.  We have him for cheap for the next 2 years, and he showed some abilities to play in the NFL last season.  To push aside a guy like that, you have to either have this year's 5th rounder be lighting up practice (by all reports, he's not) OR bring in a FA who is lighting up practice,  Well, in Isabella, maybe they have - but he's had 4 years of "not much" in the league so one has to wonder if he's a training camp phenom.

[BigAl2526]

3 hours ago, Not at the table Karlos said:

Look up the definitions of "literally" and "nothing" and you'll understand. Neither of these words are used correctly. 

 

 

 

I remember hearing a lot in the past how the safety and LB spots are interchangeable in this defense but now all the sudden they're completely different and we have to let the rookie LB learn the outside backer spot. 

While it's true that linebackers have plenty of responsibility covering passes on the short zone and defensive backs are supposed to provide run support,  There is no way that DBs averaging no more than 200 lbs are going to be able to take on run blockers and make plays tackling running backs the way that a quality linebacker will, nor will a linebacker be able to provide sticky coverage on an elusive receiver the way a defensive back can.  By playing what is essentially a "dime" defense (six defensive backs and one linebacker, a defense can be vulnerable to offenses getting big chunk plays by running the ball on "obvious passing downs."

[ColoradoBills]

1 hour ago, Don Otreply said:

My god there is an awful lot of whimpering going on in this thread, 

the picture in my mind is a bunch of characters running in circles repeatedly saying Omg, Omg, Omg, what ever shall we do, all this over a coach saying one word, “ concern”  do you folk not realize that every HC has constant “concern” about damn near everything about his team?  y’all need to LTFU, eat some chocolate and savor your favorite bourbon 🥃, and maybe take a nap…

 

21 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

Think we need to pump the brakes. If anything I think it was McDermott trying to motivate more than anything.  

Maybe has something to do with 2 fights Dodson was in the middle of. All camp we heard that communication was solid.. idk.. just don't think it's nearly as bad as ppl are making it out to be . We got a helluva LB coach too

 

 

 

Agree.  McDermott said he has concern over "leadership and communication".  Neither of those are "physical" traits.

Fans need to give this a little more time.  I want to see how Dodson reacts to all of this.  

[OldTimer1960]

1 hour ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Hartys contract tells me he is a lock, that contract also tells me theyve already wrote his skillset into playbook.  Havent seen any reason to cut him.  Short of his play all the sudden being disatstrous, he makes the team. Sherfield is big/physical and more NFL ready then the other big WR's, atleast for the 2023 season, and a HUGE plus for him is his blocking.   Him and Gabe out on running plays is going to be very nice!  As far as Shakir goes, I cant see them giving up on him this fast, especially with the positive flashes we've seen.

 

Im far away from saying that we have an elite WR room.... but i think all these guys bring a unique skill set that compliment the team and each other. JMHO

I need to start being more clear with my writing.  I never said that Harty or Sherfield should be cut.  I was only saying that they aren’t so proven that if some other WR really plays well that they should be able to beat one or the other out.  I am not predicting that they will be cut nor saying that they should be.  Only saying that their careers to date don’t warrant automatic roster spots.  

[whorlnut]

MLB is not going to be what is the difference between an early playoff exit and the SB. You know what was last year?  Offensive weapons. Beane addressed that and the line this off-season and chose to let it play out at MLB with what he already had. Kudos to him for doing right by his franchise qb. Imo, that’s what could be the difference between us winning and not winning the SB. 

[newcam2012]

42 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

Think we need to pump the brakes. If anything I think it was McDermott trying to motivate more than anything.  

Maybe has something to do with 2 fights Dodson was in the middle of. All camp we heard that communication was solid.. idk.. just don't think it's nearly as bad as ppl are making it out to be . We got a helluva LB coach too

 

 

I don't know how bad it is. I know after Edmunds wasn't signed, I said to myself the Bills need to fill that hole. No way did I feel any of the current guys back then were starter material. Sadly, I feel the same today. Maybe even more so. 

 

We saw how poorly the Bills D was when Edmunds wasn't in there. He was missed for sure. 

 

I guess we have to hope someone steps up or McD can somehow hide and scheme the weakness. Not ideal.

 

Personally, I think the Bills in had their eye on Jack Campbell and he got scooped up early. 

1 minute ago, whorlnut said:

MLB is not going to be what is the difference between an early playoff exit and the SB. You know what was last year?  Offensive weapons. Beane addressed that and the line this off-season and chose to let it play out at MLB with what he already had. Kudos to him for doing right by his franchise qb. Imo, that’s what could be the difference between us winning and not winning the SB. 

Happen to agree with this take. I'm all in on the offense. Give Allen weapons and protection. Beane has tried to do this. It's a winning strategy IMHO. 

[whorlnut]

9 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

I don't know how bad it is. I know after Edmunds wasn't signed, I said to myself the Bills need to fill that hole. No way did I feel any of the current guys back then were starter material. Sadly, I feel the same today. Maybe even more so. 

 

We saw how poorly the Bills D was when Edmunds wasn't in there. He was missed for sure. 

 

I guess we have to hope someone steps up or McD can somehow hide and scheme the weakness. Not ideal.

 

Personally, I think the Bills in had their eye on Jack Campbell and he got scooped up early. 

Personally, I think you are way off. Beane wanted to add to the offense at the expense of continuing to add to the d for once. And he did that. I can bet anything campbell wouldn’t have been the pick if he was available. But we’ve been down that road before, so I’ll let that go.  
 

I just feel like no one wants to admit that defense doesn’t matter as much when the stakes are high. Look at how we exited the playoffs recently. The d completely crapped itself in 13 seconds. That was even with edmunds who everyone is crying about losing. I’m sorry…I just don’t share the same opinions on the d. Let’s get it top10-15 and make the o unstoppable. Beane appears to have tried to do that this off-season. 
 

Id personally rather have a game wrecking DT like Chris Jones or Quinnen Williams. Those are the guys that make a huge difference on defense. I’m just not with any of the doomsday crowd at MLB. Sorry. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by whorlnut

[Beck Water]

39 minutes ago, BigAl2526 said:

While it's true that linebackers have plenty of responsibility covering passes on the short zone and defensive backs are supposed to provide run support,  There is no way that DBs averaging no more than 200 lbs are going to be able to take on run blockers and make plays tackling running backs the way that a quality linebacker will, nor will a linebacker be able to provide sticky coverage on an elusive receiver the way a defensive back can.  By playing what is essentially a "dime" defense (six defensive backs and one linebacker, a defense can be vulnerable to offenses getting big chunk plays by running the ball on "obvious passing downs."

 

Well, to be fair.....linebackers can't always take on run blockers and make plays tackling running backs.

 

One reason Edmunds and Milano looked so much better against the run last season was that the DL played the run better and kept the LBs clean to tackle the RB.

[Shaw66]

3 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

 

One reason Edmunds and Milano looked so much better against the run last season was that the DL played the run better and kept the LBs clean to tackle the RB.

This is true.  It was noticeable last season.  At least it looked that way to me, even though rushing yards allowed per attempt were essentially the same both seasons.  

 

These discussions about the MLB have me beginning to wonder if the MLB is the least important player on defense.   Think about it.  Pretty much everyone here cares more about the corners, the edge rushers, the interior defensive linemen.  The biggest problem with the defense last season was that the Bills were missing their safeties.  

 

Edmunds, who is a sloppy tackler and who plays with very little aggressiveness, was the Bills leading tackler.   Doesn't that suggest that a solid, good athlete who is an aggressive tackler should be able to fill the position (in the run game)?   The middle linebacker is a guy who runs around in the middle and makes tackles because the guys all around the perimeter have forced the play to the inside.  

 

There are good middle linebackers in the league, by the aren't the game wreckers who used to play in the middle 20 or 30 years ago.  

 

I'm taking a wait and see approach on this.   I'm just not convinced that there's as big a problem in the middle as many here (including me) have thought.  

[AuntieEm]

3 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This is true.  It was noticeable last season.  At least it looked that way to me, even though rushing yards allowed per attempt were essentially the same both seasons.  

 

These discussions about the MLB have me beginning to wonder if the MLB is the least important player on defense.   Think about it.  Pretty much everyone here cares more about the corners, the edge rushers, the interior defensive linemen.  The biggest problem with the defense last season was that the Bills were missing their safeties.  

 

Edmunds, who is a sloppy tackler and who plays with very little aggressiveness, was the Bills leading tackler.   Doesn't that suggest that a solid, good athlete who is an aggressive tackler should be able to fill the position (in the run game)?   The middle linebacker is a guy who runs around in the middle and makes tackles because the guys all around the perimeter have forced the play to the inside.  

 

There are good middle linebackers in the league, by the aren't the game wreckers who used to play in the middle 20 or 30 years ago.  

 

I'm taking a wait and see approach on this.   I'm just not convinced that there's as big a problem in the middle as many here (including me) have thought.  

 

I'm thinking the opponents are gonna need to match Allen and Co in points I don't see many teams with the talent to do that easily might get a few points but they will be too little and too late.

[whorlnut]

6 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

This is true.  It was noticeable last season.  At least it looked that way to me, even though rushing yards allowed per attempt were essentially the same both seasons.  

 

These discussions about the MLB have me beginning to wonder if the MLB is the least important player on defense.   Think about it.  Pretty much everyone here cares more about the corners, the edge rushers, the interior defensive linemen.  The biggest problem with the defense last season was that the Bills were missing their safeties.  

 

Edmunds, who is a sloppy tackler and who plays with very little aggressiveness, was the Bills leading tackler.   Doesn't that suggest that a solid, good athlete who is an aggressive tackler should be able to fill the position (in the run game)?   The middle linebacker is a guy who runs around in the middle and makes tackles because the guys all around the perimeter have forced the play to the inside.  

 

There are good middle linebackers in the league, by the aren't the game wreckers who used to play in the middle 20 or 30 years ago.  

 

I'm taking a wait and see approach on this.   I'm just not convinced that there's as big a problem in the middle as many here (including me) have thought.  

Awesome post. Great job. Totally agree. I just don’t care as much as some people. It’s silly to me that people are so upset about it. We have a hall of famer on the edge, the best safety duo in the game, Tre freaking white, all pro Milano and people are upset about our mlb?  Come on. It’s dumb imo.

[BillsShredder83]

1 hour ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

I have felt that the Bills will play the best two linebackers regardless of position labels.  At this point, those two guys are Milano and Williams. It could have been their plan all along, otherwise drafting Williams makes little sense.  McD's comments may be intended to light a fire under the guys competing for the MLB position.  I also don't rule out a trade with a team that is desperate for some o-line help (Bills have some expendable o-line guys).

What I'm most confused on, for so many reasons, is why we would just openly declare Williams won't start? Such a weird thing to do. Even if it's 100% sure, why announce it? Seems demotivating to me, leave the carrots dangling at minimum

[whorlnut]

5 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

What I'm most confused on, for so many reasons, is why we would just openly declare Williams won't start? Such a weird thing to do. Even if it's 100% sure, why announce it? Seems demotivating to me, leave the carrots dangling at minimum

Agree. It’s obvious that kid has nose for the ball and is aggressive. Edmunds had everything but lacked a mean streak. Give Williams a chance and call it a day. 

[GoBills808]

I realize preseason is the most optimistic time of the year but 'middle linebacker doesn't matter' is a truly unique coping mechanism😂😂

 

never change football fans