McDermott - "Still looking for that other safety"

[Brand J]

Just now, MJS said:

They drafted one high last year!

And reports were that they were keen on selecting Malaki Starks, so they were at least thinking about doing it again. 

[BillsPride12]

2 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I think it was a mistake to ever draft one high. These days, and especially in McDermott's scheme, the safety position is mostly about cerebral traits. All else being equal you'd prefer to have a high end athletic talent there of course, but that's not as important as the safety understanding their responsibilities and hitting their landmarks. That's where Hamlin despite his athletic limitations still beats out Bishop.

 

Hyde and Poyer were 5th and 7th round picks respectively. Hyde had a 4.73 RAS score, Poyer had a 5.32. I don't know why this regime decided a top 64 pick with athletic traits but under-developed instincts and technique was the direction we needed to go.

 

To each their own.  That's a position where I would much rather have a premium talent at.  Especially with the issues our Defense has had the last couple years.  Look at the success the Steelers and Ravens had during the Ed Reed and Polamalu years.

 

Meanwhile our biggest competition going into this season is going to be rolling out a Safety combo of Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks 

Just now, Brand J said:

And reports were that they were keen on selecting Malaki Starks, so they were at least thinking about doing it again. 

I would have LOVED for that to happen!  He is going to be a stud.  Just watch him and Kyle Hamilton ball out in Baltimore this year

[Mat68]

14 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

It's mind boggling to me they didn't pull the trigger on Emmamwori in the draft.  Safety is such an important component to a McDermott Defense 

I think Starks was graded different.  For a match zone scheme Emmamwori is an enigma.  How fluid in coverage is he?  I think Isiah Simmons hurt his evaluation.  

[BillsPride12]

2 minutes ago, MJS said:

They drafted one high last year!

And he sucks!

[Mat68]

Jordan Hancock.   Give him a look.  I think he makes the defense more multiple.   

[Paup 1995MVP]

3 minutes ago, NickelCity said:

I'd love to see what Hancock next to Rapp looks like, but it's a lot to put on a rookie. 

Hancock started on the Buckeyes Nat Championship team.  I don't think the moment would be too big for him.  Is his game ready to start?  That's for the coaches to get him there.  I really like his instincts and athleticism though.  Just needs experience.  

 

The secondary was rough last year.  And looks pretty bad outside of Benford right now.  One thing noone is talking about is losing our secondary coach after the 2023 season.  John Butler.  He was good.  And left because he wasn't given the DC job.  Babich has definitely not done much.  I think Butler had a lot more experience.  Losing him as secondary coach maybe a bigger deal then anyone knows.

[HappyDays]

6 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

To each their own.  That's a position where I would much rather have a premium talent at.  Especially with the issues our Defense has had the last couple years.  Look at the success the Steelers and Ravens had during the Ed Reed and Polamalu years.

 

Meanwhile our biggest competition going into this season is going to be rolling out a Safety combo of Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks 

 

Guys like Hamilton and Reed are rare talents where the cerebral traits match the athletic traits, which is what made them 1st round picks. Starks was known for his instincts too, of course it remains to be seen how good he is in the NFL.

 

Hyde and Poyer were not premium talents but they gave us elite safety play. That was my point.

[BuffaloBill]

It’s mind boggling to see the Bills fail at safety. This is the position that McDemott may be best known for identifying and coaching.  Bishop looked like he was ascending at the end of last season. It’s hard to believe that despite camp injuries another year of development is apparently not working for him.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

12 minutes ago, MJS said:

They drafted one high last year!

 

8 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

And he sucks!

This is why it's important not to use recreational drugs in conjunction with one's workplace duties. 🧐

[strive_for_five_guy]

I think best case scenario this turns out like a couple years ago where MLB was an open competition throughout camp, and no one knew Bernard would end up ready to be the starter bc he had been injured.  If Bishop could just get healthy and then some consistency in terms of reps, I think the coaching staff believes he can take on the starting role.  But he really hasn’t earned it yet either.

[BullBuchanan]

16 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I think it was a mistake to ever draft one high. These days, and especially in McDermott's scheme, the safety position is mostly about cerebral traits. All else being equal you'd prefer to have a high end athletic talent there of course, but that's not as important as the safety understanding their responsibilities and hitting their landmarks. That's where Hamlin despite his athletic limitations still beats out Bishop.

 

Hyde and Poyer were 5th and 7th round picks respectively. Hyde had a 4.73 RAS score, Poyer had a 5.32. I don't know why this regime decided a top 64 pick with athletic traits but under-developed instincts and technique was the direction we needed to go.

 

Probably because you can train the mental part of the game. You can't train size or (for the most part) speed.

[MJS]

10 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

And he sucks!

You are using your knowledge post draft to say they should have drafted one high in the draft. Cole Bishop was still highly thought of then.

 

And he has barely played, so maybe wait to see how he does this year and don't write him off from a single preseason game.

[balln]

18 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I think it was a mistake to ever draft one high. These days, and especially in McDermott's scheme, the safety position is mostly about cerebral traits. All else being equal you'd prefer to have a high end athletic talent there of course, but that's not as important as the safety understanding their responsibilities and hitting their landmarks. That's where Hamlin despite his athletic limitations still beats out Bishop.

 

Hyde and Poyer were 5th and 7th round picks respectively. Hyde had a 4.73 RAS score, Poyer had a 5.32. I don't know why this regime decided a top 64 pick with athletic traits but under-developed instincts and technique was the direction we needed to go.

 

Beane who’s enamored w Kincaid. Got swindled w asking him advice. He’s too plugged in and friendly with the players. He’s Knox’s boy too. And he’s grossly over paid. too much w this regime about feelings and loving each other. Not enough on cold hard player e v a l and talent acquisition 

[HomeskillitMoorman]

I'm glad this is such a big question mark with a couple weeks left before the season starts 

[balln]

18 minutes ago, Brand J said:

I remember in the pre draft process Cole said he used to win most of the battles against Kincaid in practice at Utah. Kincaid concurred. That no doubt endeared Cole to the Bills and they even tried to trade up for him. It’d be a tragedy if the reality of it all was that neither one of these guys are more than an average NFL player, a JAG, given the high investments in both. 

That’s what’s happening

[Alphadawg7]

13 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

I'd say his availability issues probably hurt him more.  In a communication heavy defense you need to be on the field making mistakes so you know how to prevent them in a game.  Missing tons of camp the last 2 seasons is hurting his ability to do that and be trusted as a defensive leader.  

 

This.  Well said, doesn't mean Bishop is looking like a star had he not missed time, but missing time has certainly done him no favors, especially with the mental aspect of playing safety in a McD defense.  And I think McD was sending a message today more than anything and hopefully it helps.  Bishop was also not playing out there with the guys he will normally be playing with, so being behind is tough enough, and then having to do it with mostly 2nd string guys out there too compounds the problem instead of the veteran guys who can do their jobs better and also help him on the field too.  

 

Not making excuses for him, and you aren't either.  But for a young player in this Defense, the missed time and lack of time with the starters is certainly not helping.

[H2o]

I think Hancock ends up in the position long term. He seems like the guy with the most upside to me. I just think McD may not trust him with the entire playbook and all of the assignments yet. 

[Mark Vader]

18 minutes ago, NickelCity said:

I'd love to see what Hancock next to Rapp looks like, but it's a lot to put on a rookie. 

I like how Hancock has played so far. I'm not  that crazy about throwing him to the wolves on day 1, but if he's the one who is showing he deserves to be starting, then you have to go with him.

[ALLinALLEN]

But TBD told me preseason doesnt matter and not to worry about it

[GunnerBill]

31 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Yeah I don't expect them to sign someone else. It is going to be Bishop or Hamlin almost certainly. The takeaway is that after an entire offseason where Bishop seemed locked in as the starter, he has fallen out of favor and is now in an open competition. You can't just live with mental mistakes that directly lead to TDs. They've given him every chance and he hasn't seized the opportunity.

 

This is exactly right.