Which position group is weakest today?

[GASabresIUFan]

Milano played nearly 90% of D snaps in the playoffs and looked just fine.  He had 17 tackles.  He also played 5 of 6 games to end of the season (he was inactive against NE in the first game and was one of the starters who didn't play in NE game 2.  

 

Milano Bernard and Williams are significantly better players and depth over Rapp, Bishop, Hamlin and Forrest.  I understand the worry about the depth after Williams, but management has more faith in Andressen and Ulofosahio (and maybe Spector) than the fans do; otherwise they'd have drafted someone.

[Doc Brown]

At Beane's next press conference a reporter should ask him whether he thinks Wide Receiver or Safety are the weakest unit on the team.

[Solomon Grundy]

14 hours ago, Pete said:

I believe it’s obvious

Yeah.. safety seeing that you listed it twice 😎

[djp14150]

15 hours ago, Pete said:

I believe it’s obvious

The acuity of some fans?

[GASabresIUFan]

Safety down leads 61 to 54 over WR.  

[SCBills]

Linebacker and Safety are weaker than Wide Receiver, imo..  but when you factor in the importance of WR, compared to LB/S, it makes it a more interesting conversation and those 3 are clearly the spots well all keep our eyes on.    Every other position group is proven high level or heavily invested in recent offseasons. 

 

Personally, I don’t care much about Joe Andreeson’s story if he has to be counted on, and with Bernard undersized and constantly banged up, Milano older and constantly banged up, that leaves Williams as an important depth piece and then a bunch of “who knows”

 

Safety is wait and see.  If Cole Bishop makes a jump, I’m not concerned about him and Rapp at all, outside injury.. in which case I hope Forrest or Hancock are something because Hamlin ain’t it. 


 

Edited Tuesday at 04:07 AM by SCBills

[pennstate10]

19 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

Why are there two Safety slots in the poll?  
 

When Rapp is the best player in a position group that is your weakest position. 
 

The whole defense is in transition.  As many as 12 new players were added in the draft and free agency, headlined by Bosa, White, the two suspended DL, Hairston, Sanders and Jackson. Now add Carter, Ulofoshio (sp?), Solomon, Andreessen and Bishop and Beane has basically retooled nearly the entire defense.  Unless Hancock can become a starter, Beane has more work to do at Safety. 

Dummy!

Dont you know that all nfl teams play with 2 safeties?  If not 3. 
 

[stlbills13]

10 hours ago, ganesh said:

Plus both Milano and Bernard miss games due to injury. And we don’t have proper backups.  We don’t want to be in the position we were two playoff exits ago.  Besides Williams there is no real back up at LB.  This is a super weak position.  And with Taron having a poor season last year there us a big question mark on this team to play the 5DB 2LB scheme effectively. 

Look at the first 5 or 6 games before his injury.  He was having great games.  I am sure the knee injury affected him rest of the season.  He will be back 

 

I agree with both of these points although I think the coaching staff likes Ulufoshio and viewed last year as mini red shirt year like they like to do with LBs in their 2nd year. But LB depth still scares me, as does Taron. It's why I like the Hancock pick so much but probably not for this season.

 

I do think Kincaid will rebound but TE is still a concern for me. TE is our best path to pass catchers putting fear in opponents now

[Low Positive]

The thing that annoys me about this discussion in general is the idea that drafting WRs would automatically fix the problem. What if I told you that the Bills drafted a slightly undersized WR who can practically fly in the second round of the draft? Would that make everyone feel better? 

 

How would everyone feel if we drafted a WR in the second that had this pre-draft evaluation by Lance Zierlein:

”Superb combination of size, strength and speed. Forward lean and early burst into routes. Eats into cushions faster than cornerbacks expect. Sudden hands to stab high fastballs on first two levels. Silky smooth deep-ball tracker with second gear to run under it. Graceful body adjustments in mid-air for 50/50 balls. Excellent quickness to gather and squared to QB.”

 

BTW, I just described two guys on the Bills roster, picked in the second in back to back years. Can you guess who they are?

[T master]

After last season the true weakness on this team was defense and Beane focused on it like they focused on the Offensive line the year before so if the defense turns around this year like the offensive line has done this team will be even better than last season .

 

Safety is one of the weakest points I still feel, Hamlin although a great guy and a good depth player is not a starter in the NFL ! The jury is still out on Cole Bishop .

 

I wanted them to pick up Emenwori in the draft but if Bishop can step in as a starter this season and have Hamlin as a back up it could be better than last season .

[BuffaL0L0k0]

On 4/28/2025 at 5:45 AM, finn said:

Ongoing conversation in another thread, but I'll just agree with those who are bewildered by Beane's lack of urgency on wide receivers. Mahomes has Rice, Hollywood Brown, Worthy, and now Royals. Burrow has two studs in Chase and Higgins. Hurts has DeVonta and AJ Brown. Allen? Shakir, who has never had a 1000 yard season, Coleman, a slow possession receiver who wasn't even catching jump balls late last year, Palmer, who is supposed to be the second coming of Jerry Rice but who the receiver-starved Chargers happily let go, Samuels, who we keep making excuses for, and a bunch of practice squad level players. Color me underwhelmed. 

 

Meanwhile, he continues to dump--DUMP--resources into the defensive line. Lovely to have, what, four big investments in the DT position, but at the expense of mediocrity at another key position? Maybe he's planning to trade for Pickens or someone. But I doubt it. As others have said, he's probably thinking, "Hey, Allen and the running game did it all last year, so let's assume they'll be able to do the same again this year. What could go wrong?"

 

Let's watch Jalen Royals, whom he could have picked instead of Walker. I really, really hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling it's not going to be pretty. 

 

 

I understand and even share part of your underwelmed sentiment, however I think we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit, and being pressured by looking at the greener gardens of our Nemesis (Chiefs) despite them being trumped by PHI on February, Worthy and all, and CIN who has not even sniffed playoffs in a couple of years, despite that tandem of WR, We can tell our GM and staff seem contempt with what an elite Josh can give them, but I dont think they are blind to the fact thta there is still work to do, from here to Sept to fix the WR room. The stone in the shoe is thta Coleman underperfomred to be a 2nd almost 1st rd pick, but that doesn´t men he hit his celieng, so let´s see...

Edited Tuesday at 06:32 PM by BuffaL0L0k0

[finn]

4 hours ago, BuffaL0L0k0 said:

I understand and even share part of your underwelmed sentiment, however I think we are getting ahead of ourselves a bit, and being pressured by looking at the greener gardens of our Nemesis (Chiefs) despite them being trumped by PHI on February, Worthy and all, and CIN who has not even sniffed playoffs in a couple of years, despite that tandem of WR, We can tell our GM and staff seem contempt with what an elite Josh can give them, but I dont think they are blind to the fact thta there is still work to do, from here to Sept to fix the WR room. The stone in the shoe is thta Coleman underperfomred to be a 2nd almost 1st rd pick, but that doesn´t men he hit his celieng, so let´s see...

Agreed that it's too early to say. Much of my dismay comes from seeing this absolute gem of a quarterback with merely adequate receivers to throw to. Beane looks at last year's offensive production and says, "Good enough," since the team has needs elsewhere. But does he realize that the production could be better, even historically good, if he just provided Allen with the stars that all his top peers have? Allen is rivaling or surpassing them throwing to Mack Hollins and a washed-up Amari Cooper. How would he do with weapons like Justin Jefferson or Cee Dee Lamb?

 

Not sure it's possible to make it happen at this point, though; the die is cast. Time for me and my ilk to stop fretting, complaining, and criticizing and get aboard the hype train. Go Bills!

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

Pete is a warrior 

[BuffaL0L0k0]

4 hours ago, finn said:

Agreed that it's too early to say. Much of my dismay comes from seeing this absolute gem of a quarterback with merely adequate receivers to throw to. Beane looks at last year's offensive production and says, "Good enough," since the team has needs elsewhere. But does he realize that the production could be better, even historically good, if he just provided Allen with the stars that all his top peers have? Allen is rivaling or surpassing them throwing to Mack Hollins and a washed-up Amari Cooper. How would he do with weapons like Justin Jefferson or Cee Dee Lamb?

 

Not sure it's possible to make it happen at this point, though; the die is cast. Time for me and my ilk to stop fretting, complaining, and criticizing and get aboard the hype train. Go Bills!

My friend you just made a bunch of great points!!, Josh deserves better, via one true WR1, not even a tandem like many teams have ala Tee and Jamaar, or Tyreek / Waddle, etc... he would just explode and break all NFL records, I have faith we still have 5 or 6 elite years out of him, and he is signed to be a Bill for that long..

Edited 22 hours ago by BuffaL0L0k0

[Pete]

On 4/28/2025 at 11:43 PM, GASabresIUFan said:

Safety down leads 61 to 54 over WR.  

Offense scores points.  More points win game.

It’s a passing league.  Let’s give possibly the greatest QB to ever play, 4 mediocre WR and leave the 5th WR as an afterthought.  Josh is 28 years old. In what universe does that make sense?

[boyst]

Anyone who still doesn't see it is linebacker is blinded. When we face teams with a good TE and run game (Cleveland, Baltimore, KC, Phili, Houston) we will need two quality starters.

 

Milano is recovering from two major injuries and amazing but it's a lot to expect him to be as stout as he ever was while Bernard is 20-25 lbs undersized but overachieves. Williams played above his weight in 2024.

 

Beyond that we are depth chart fodder. 

[T master]

The Cheerleaders !! 🤔 

[GASabresIUFan]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Offense scores points.  More points win game.

It’s a passing league.  Let’s give possibly the greatest QB to ever play, 4 mediocre WR and leave the 5th WR as an afterthought.  Josh is 28 years old. In what universe does that make sense?

Pete give it up.  The team lost the last two years in the playoffs because the team’s defense wasn’t good enough. The team averaged 30 pts a game last season and in the playoffs and still lost.  
 

This draft was about revitalizing the lousy defense.  It was about adding depth and finding eventual starters to replace guys like AJE, Carter, White and others.  
 

Why is safety winning the poll?  It’s simple.  Even after a D prioritized draft there isn’t a single good player at safety. Rapp is adequate at best and Bishop is raw and unproven.  
 

Every other position group on the team has at least one good or better player.  QB has Josh, RB has Cook, WR Shakir, the OL has Brown, Dawkins and McGovern, and TE has Kincaid and Knox.  On Defense CB has Benford,  LB Bernard and Milano, DT has Oliver and DE Rousseau and Bosa.  
 

All the complaining about the WR group isn’t going to change the facts.  
 

I’ll add that this is all on paper.  If Coleman and Palmer step up, WR goes from mediocre to good.  Bishop develops into the player Beane expected when drafted and the safety narrative also changes. 
 

Go back two years ago and I doubt most people had our OL as a strength with a rookie guard, the aging Mitch Morse at center, the inconsistent Brown and newly signed McGovern at the other guard.  
 

PS Safety 75- WR 67. 

Edited 12 hours ago by GASabresIUFan

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

I went with safety - because only two play, and shakir is better than anyone we got there. 

 

Rapps a starter in this league, but there aren't many on this board who wouldn't replace him.  Love that he plays with an edge, as that was something they needed to replace when moving on from Poyer.  

 

Bishop was picked after Coleman, and after 1 year had less of an impact. I think he starts this year, and hopefully a full camp of install will be good for him as he missed a lot of time in camp. 

 

Hamlin is fine in coverage, and seemed to get over the tentativeness he had starting after his cardiac arrest but we all watched enough to know, he isn't a big hitter, he isn't fast, and his angles are inconsistent.  He's just not "good", he's an adequate backup who knows the checks and the system - IE he doesn't kill you out there like a rookie or budget free agent might.  Watching some of our other lower picks play makes it pretty apparent that there's a chasm between guys like Hamlin and guys like spector.  

 

[Pete]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFan said:

Pete give it up.  The team lost the last two years in the playoffs because the team’s defense wasn’t good enough. The team averaged 30 pts a game last season and in the playoffs and still lost.  
 

 

Kincaid dropped the ball.

 

Kincaid's weak ass running attempt failed to get a 1st on 3rd down, the play before Josh was robbed on 4th.

 

Bills offense sputtered on final drive.  No WR could get open.  Season ends Dalton flailing and dropping, what would of been a legendary Josh Allen throw, and ending our season.

 

Defense played horrible, but in the end, the Offense had a chance to win the game, and failed.  Fact.

 

Big Mouth Diggs drops another amazing Josh Allen throw.  Once again defense played horrible. But Defense steps up, and makes two stops in 4th quarter.  Bills offense had a chance to win at the end of the game.  And again, Wide Receiver drops incredible Josh throw.  Offense sputtered in 4th quarter again.  No Wide Receivers can get open on final drive.  Josh getting blitzed, and WR struggled to get separation.

 

I love that we fortified DL and Pass Rush! I love we added to CB and S! I love we added TE3! I think it is a major ***** up being  so cavilier about WR 5 at the very least!  Or even better, WR 1 or 2!