How much longer will the window be open?

[JohninMinn.]

The NFL is designed to subtract pieces that are in place to get Josh over the hump. Salary cap issues have taken a toll. Im worried about offensive tackle, linebacker positions and special teams. Also is Tre White a liability? I think this must be the year. Miller,Morse Diggs gone next year.

Edited August 29, 2023 by JohninMinn.

[BruceVilanch]

Josh is 27, our window is wide open. 

[boyst]

depends how long we keep Josh Allen upright.

 

but the way this team is built now, complementary of itself and working as a unit in principle: the window closed last year.

 

there is a new window right now that is open until the end of this season. we have too much volatility and age on our roster to see beyond a few years.

[Success]

The "window" is a myth.

 

It will be varying degrees of open - but as long as Allen is QB, it's not closed. 

 

[Rc2catch]

Whole lotta speculation and a weird time to post it. I read somewhere that once you’re paying a second contract to a quarterback you can’t fill all the holes and need to draft well. A little development for the players at the bottom of the roster helps too. 

[Nephilim17]

I think most people expect Diggs and Miller to play 2024. Morse depends on his health but with no concussions this year, I could see him back in 2024 as well.

If Kincaid takes off, and I think he will, and Cook playing at a high level, we will still have Knox and at least 3 good weapons (not counting Steph) in 2024. I don't think there's reason to panic on the offensive side. and Sherfield could be a nice WR 3.

Defense is aging... yes. We need a cornerback to step up and Rousseau to continue to ascend. If Williams can become a good starter we may be ok but the safeties will be a concern by then.

[The Frankish Reich]

1 minute ago, JohninMinn. said:

I think this must be the year. Miller,Morse Diggs gone next year

True. 

But I'm not sure that's all bad. To be honest, I expect a semi-down year or couple of years. We saw that with other teams with great QBs: the Packers with Rodgers, the Saints with Brees. There was always a 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7 for a couple years, but even that's not awful.

But the "window" will always be open as long as Josh Allen is under contract and healthy.

[K-9]

5 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

The NFL is designed to subtract pieces that are in place to get Josh over the hump. Salary cap issues have taken a toll. Im worried about offensive tackle, linebacker positions and special teams. Also is Tre White a liability? I think this must be the year. Miller,Morse Diggs gone next year.

Diggs signed an extension last year and he doesn’t become an UFA until 2028, so why is this his last year?

[Don Otreply]

As long as we have Allen, that’s how long…,

[HOUSE]

You guys are infatuated with windows.

The window this the window that...

Windows, windows, windows 

[boyst]

2 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

You guys are infatuated with windows.

The window this the window that...

Windows, windows, windows 

found a mac user.

[K-9]

2 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

You guys are infatuated with windows.

The window this the window that...

Windows, windows, windows 

[BuffaloBillyG]

The window closes Friday at noon. After that we will have to use the door.

[stlbills13]

Actually just washed all our windows and some were harder to get open so someone on here remind me to open the windows more frequently over the next 12 months

[Royale with Cheese]

Our window is open every year Allen is the QB.

[SoTier]

The window closed when Beane failed to draft Creed Humphrey ... 

 

//sarcasm

[WyoAZBillfan]

How long was the “window” open for Elway, Young, Kelly, Marino, Moon,  or P. Manning?

 Flip side of that conversation how did the “window” work for Farve, Rodgers, Big Ben, Eli and Brees.

I realize some of those names won a couple of SBs, others never did. They were all competitive most of their careers. Trent Dilfer is still an enigma it seems. 

[BrettFavre]

17 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

True. 

But I'm not sure that's all bad. To be honest, I expect a semi-down year or couple of years. We saw that with other teams with great QBs: the Packers with Rodgers, the Saints with Brees. There was always a 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7 for a couple years, but even that's not awful.

But the "window" will always be open as long as Josh Allen is under contract and healthy.

I agree, but what you're describing is the closing of one window and the opening of another a few years later. The window would be firmly closed during a couple 8-9 years since we wouldn't be anywhere near winning the Super Bowl then. Every great QB goes through a few different windows as their team retools talent and manages cap issues.

[balln]

https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-win-projections-regular-season-super-bowl-chris-simms-josh-allen
 

it’s closing 

[zow2]

I've been on this for the past few seasons.  In my opinion, we are entering year 4 of our 5 year window.  Still a very solid chance to win the Bowl this year (unless injuries derail the team).  And next season (Fall 2024) they will still have a good shot.  After that i think the team takes a step back, reloads, maybe some big staff changes..

[Low Positive]

2 minutes ago, WyoAZBillfan said:

How long was the “window” open for Elway, Young, Kelly, Marino, Moon,  or P. Manning?

 Flip side of that conversation how did the “window” work for Farve, Rodgers, Big Ben, Eli and Brees.

I realize some of those names won a couple of SBs, others never did. They were all competitive most of their careers. Trent Dilfer is still an enigma it seems. 

Elway, Young, Kelly, Marino, Montana, and Moon played most of their careers before the salary cap era. 

[MAJBobby]

27 minutes ago, JohninMinn. said:

The NFL is designed to subtract pieces that are in place to get Josh over the hump. Salary cap issues have taken a toll. Im worried about offensive tackle, linebacker positions and special teams. Also is Tre White a liability? I think this must be the year. Miller,Morse Diggs gone next year.

As long as Josh Allen is the QB, the Bills window will remain Open.

[Gregg]

The Pats kept the window open for about 20 years with Tom and Bill. The rosters changed over the years obviously but as long as they had Tom and Bill, they were a contender. I do think there will be a decent amount of turnover with the Bills roster for next year especially the defense. Too many players are on the wrong side of 30. I would call it a re-tool or reload instead of a rebuild.

[WyoAZBillfan]

2 minutes ago, FrenchConnection said:

Elway, Young, Kelly, Marino, Montana, and Moon played most of their careers before the salary cap era. 

Agreed, Do you not think in todays football game they wouldn’t be competitive because of salary? Joe B is an example of the same type of QB. Those names are huge reasons those teams were always in the hunt. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

8 minutes ago, balln said:

https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-win-projections-regular-season-super-bowl-chris-simms-josh-allen
 

it’s closing 

 

Ah, yes, Chris Simms.

 

A football intellect unparalelled

 

[balln]

Just now, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

 

Ah, yes, Chris Simms.

 

A football intellect unparalelled

 

Yea he’s been all about allen. He things they don’t have players to support him. And he’s right . He’s perfectly credible 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, balln said:

Yea he’s been all about allen. He things they don’t have players to support him. And he’s right . He’s perfectly credible 

He's perfectly credible in your mind because he supports your presuppositions

 

[Rigotz]

Assuming this is a “we can’t keep missing on picks” thread in disguise.

 

It makes it harder to win if we miss draft picks, but I’d like you to name another team with a top 3 QB whose window was closed while that player was playing at a top 3 level.

 

There isn’t one. They compete every year.

[Mango]

Our offensive line is meh at the moment, its pipeline is totally nonexistent, and we have some combination of system/progressions plus a QB with a penchant to hold the ball for a long time. 

 

Pair that with  pushing the roster salary cap close to and above the max with a still fairly cheap QB ($18M for 2023) and a poor hit rate at the top of the draft, the Bills window is likely smaller than it should be. The Bills will likely have to do a bit of retooling with a step back in the next couple of seasons. 

That said, we have Josh Allen, so anything can happen, and there is always a chance.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

How long will the Chiefs' window be open?

 

Answer that question and then apply it to the Bills as well.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

5 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

Assuming this is a “we can’t keep missing on picks” thread in disguise.

 

It makes it harder to win if we miss draft picks, but I’d like you to name another team with a top 3 QB whose window was closed while that player was playing at a top 3 level.

 

There isn’t one. They compete every year.

 

The closest comparisons i could think of would be maybe Rivers and Ryan?  Rivers only made the playoffs twice in his last 10 seasons with the chargers, a lot of it was on the defense there (as well as some chargers luck).  Matt Ryan won an MVP, and made it to a super bowl, but they couldn't really build a defense there. 

 

As much as we want to complain about the missed picks, we've still fielded a solid defense pretty much the entirety of Allen's tenure here.  I don't know what the future holds, but doubling down on OL and DL is likely the way to keep this train churning forward.  

[Process]

Lol. Turn off ESPN.

[Mango]

5 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

Assuming this is a “we can’t keep missing on picks” thread in disguise.

 

It makes it harder to win if we miss draft picks, but I’d like you to name another team with a top 3 QB whose window was closed while that player was playing at a top 3 level.

 

There isn’t one. They compete every year.

 

I think there is a difference between always having a chance because you have a good QB, and operating in a window as a/the SB favorites. Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans always had a chance with Ben, Brees, Rodgers but they weren't necessarily always in their SB window. And they weren't always good teams (especially GB and NO). 

 

I think the window is being the favorite, or having the expectation to win the SB. 

 

To keep the window wide open both Allen and McD will have to do more less at WR and defensive allocation as we actually start paying Allen real QB money. We need a constant pipeline of young OL and WR to rotate when we can't afford everybody.

[BillsPride12]

2 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

How long will the Chiefs' window be open?

 

Answer that question and then apply it to the Bills as well.

The Chiefs have already broken through the window...Twice 

[mjt328]

Here is the reality check.  Most of the premier players on our roster are on the threshold of 30 years old, if they haven't already passed it.

Outside of Josh Allen, here are the All-Pro/Pro-Bowl guys and current leaders of our team:

 

Stefon Diggs (29), Dion Dawkins (29), Mitch Morse (31), Von Miller (34), Matt Milano (29), Tre White (28), Jordan Poyer (32), Micah Hyde (32)

 

The truth is that we could possibly get another 2-3 years out of this core.  And Brandon Beane could do some creative restructures to keep them all around.  That would be great.  But we could also start seeing a noticeable decline this season.  Next offseason could see us cutting some of them to clear necessary cap space.

 

So to keep this window open, we need our younger guys to start stepping up and filling these roles.  ASAP.  At least some of them need to become leaders in the locker room, and start producing on the field at a high level (not just an OK starter).  I'm talking about guys like James Cook, Gabe Davis, Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid, O'Cyrus Torrance, Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, Ed Oliver, Kaiir Elam, Christian Benford, etc.

 

I really really hate saying this.  And I'm hoping that I'm wrong.  But I do believe the current window has already closed.  The odds that everyone I listed above keeps playing at a high-level for 2023 and beyond is not great.  Miller and Hyde are coming back from major injuries.  White struggled last year, and may never return to his old self.  Morse seems to miss time every year.  There are some indications this preseason that Dawkins and Poyer may have already lost a step.  And the majority of our "young talent" from the last 2-3 drafts has been a big disappointment.  Combine that with a brutal schedule, ridiculously tough division, and the seemingly impossible hurdle of getting past Kansas City/Cincinnati.... It's just not looking good from where I sit.

 

[Beast]

This much longer.

 

 

[Airseven]

4 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

The Chiefs have already broken through the window...Twice 

It may be that the Bills window opens when the Chiefs unlock it…

 

My answer would be the window is about closed on this regime. New management and direction could reopen it.
 

Windows do shatter on occasion. Any given Sunday as they say.

[John from Riverside]

I’m wondering why you think that Diggs is gone next year?
 

One of the top wide receivers in the league he is on a contract that doesn’t make sense to cut him

[John from Riverside]

5 minutes ago, Airseven said:

It may be that the Bills window opens when the Chiefs unlock it…

 

My answer would be the window is about closed on this regime. New management and direction could reopen it.
 

Windows do shatter on occasion. Any given Sunday as they say.

They also push out and fall down in the street and shatter
 

This regime is not going anywhere

[Mango]

8 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

How long will the Chiefs' window be open?

 

Answer that question and then apply it to the Bills as well.

 

I think Mahomes is the better QB by a some margin, can do more with less at WR, is much more slippery in the pocket, and has a quicker release which protects his OL a bit more. 

I think the set up in KC is closer to Brady and NE. The Bills are closer to Rodgers/GB or Brees/NO. There will be a lot more ups and downs, but we will always have a chance vs. being the favorite.