Other Bills recognized by execs, coaches and scouts

[eball]

Another thread devolving into a moratorium on Brandon Beane, with predictable responses on both sides.

 

Under Beane the Bills have operated under only one defensive system -- McDermott's.

 

I don't think it's a stretch to say that defensive players such as Oliver, Benford, and Rousseau are respected around the league. We'll see if a defensive scheme change results in players receiving more individual accolades this season.

 

[SCBills]

11 minutes ago, sunshynman said:

The O as a whole has more than enough talent to win the SB. Sure we could use upgrades, but O has not been the issue. D scheme was our biggest problem since the 12 seconds. D has never good enough, missing starters constantly, too hard of a schema for most players to play in. The youth movement and new attacking D will need to gel quickly. If it does, this team can win it all.

The thing I’ll say about the Offense is that in recent years it’s looked so difficult.  
 

Allen basically drags them to 28-35 points. 
 

But it takes a toll and any other QB that’s not a farmboy freakshow is missing time. 
 

Hes played through a broken hand, broken foot and torn UCL in his throwing shoulder in 3/4 recent years.. and that’s just what we know.

 

The torn UCL, any other QB is missing weeks, maybe more.

 

All it takes is one play, as in the torn UCL, but it just seems like we ask him

to do wayyyy too much every year.  
 

His career in Buffalo is basically the second half against the Brady led Bucs.  It can’t keep being that difficult on him. 

[BillsFan619]

12 minutes ago, eball said:

Another thread devolving into a moratorium on Brandon Beane, with predictable responses on both sides.

 

Under Beane the Bills have operated under only one defensive system -- McDermott's.

 

I don't think it's a stretch to say that defensive players such as Oliver, Benford, and Rousseau are respected around the league. We'll see if a defensive scheme change results in players receiving more individual accolades this season.

 

I agree, eball.

 

The thread was intended to shout-out those players that were recognized, but just another thread devolved into “we don’t have enough players around JA”.

 

I wish we had a couple more elite players as well, but do so many threads have to morph into this? 🤣

 

Go Bills!

[Gunsgoodtime]

Honestly, that's a really sad list and a big part of the reason we have not won a Superbowl 

[Rocky Landing]

The designation of "execs, coaches, and scouts" certainly gives these opinions pieces more cred. But, for players to make it onto these lists, they still have to be put in positions to succeed, or even stand out. McDermott was consistently in the bottom fourth of blitz %, and his bend-don't-break philosophy doesn't do much for a player's stat line. Defensively, we're entering a new era with a dramatically different scheme, without McD. I suspect/hope that there are going to be some Bills defensive players who are going to start turning some more heads this season.

 

Offensively, having the #1 QB, #7 RB (should have been higher), and a couple honorable mentions for the top ten really isn't bad. And I don't care that we don't have a top 10 O-lineman. Our O-line was ranked sixth in the league last season. 

 

All that being said, it would be nice to have a top ten WR to pair with our #1 QB, and #7 RB...

 

GO BILLS!

 

[MJS]

2 hours ago, balln said:

It’s spot on. Bills roster is good not great outside of JA and cook. 
 

Spencer brown is awesome. But he gets beat too much by smaller bendy edge rushers too much to be considered top 10. But debatable 

 

Dion I’ve always felt is over rated. He’s inconsistent. Def body / fitness issues 

 

That’s why we’re not winning big time games w regularity to get to Super Bowl.

 

not enough impact players. Especially on D. 

Benford is a top 10 corner, though. He's the only other one who belongs.

[Allen2Moulds]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

It's interesting to see that Dion has fallen from "one of the best in the league" to "solid starter".

Or perhaps the rest of the NFL simply doesn't value those players as highly as we do.

I know we often overvalue our own, but even a guy like Lane Johnson, said that he believes that Spencer Brown is as good as any RT in the league. 

 

In looking at the tackle list, it reminds me of the Pro-bowl, where guys live off of name, well beyond their prime, ala Ruben Brown.  Even professional analyst and film junkies, don't enjoy doing film study on the big uglies, and as a result, this position group seems to be the most inaccurately assessed year in and year out. 

 

In looking at the CB list, there's 2 things that pop out to me, that I disagree with.  Cooper Dejean, being that he plays more of that Nickel corner/safety role.  I really like the player, but it's a different position to me.  The 2nd is Jaycee Horn.  The guy is living off of name alone and is one of the most overrated players in the league.  In my opinion, he's done nothing to show that he's a top 10 CB.  The rest of the list seems pretty accurate.

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

1 hour ago, Gunsgoodtime said:

Honestly, that's a really sad list and a big part of the reason we have not won a Superbowl 

 

Again, is it and is it?

 

I dont see many Chiefs on these lists other than the expected ones (Mahomes, Jones, Kelce), I'm not counting Kenneth Walker for them yet.

 

I see a lot of Texans, Lions and 49ers in there, and they havent won any SBs. Texans and Lions not even close. And I'm not surprised to see a lot of Lions considering they drafted in the top 10 (top 3) like 6 years in a row under Campbell. Similar for Texans.

 

I think the only team that has a good amount of players on the list and has won a SB is, unsurprisingly, the Eagles.

[DCofNC]

5 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

also an incomplete list.  Oliver and Benford are among the best players at their positions also.  

only Bills fans (some of them) regard Oliver as “among the best” at his position.  For what it’s worth, nobody outside of Buffalo is going to throw Benford in the top 10 at CB either.

[DCofNC]

5 hours ago, SCBills said:

While I think Brown and Benford are way too under the radar, Beane better hope McDermott was holding this roster back, because when your peers view your team as a poverty squad around Allen.. that’s not just fans chirping. 
 

The Defense has a ton of young players and guys coming off injury plagued years, so this year could be a glow up or more of the same. 
 

The Offense.. Moore & Kincaid have to work, otherwise it’s realistic to say that Brandon Beane may have squandered the most physically gifted QB to ever play the game.  
 

Not gonna lie.. it’s kind of jarring to see how weak this team is outside JA is viewed by other execs and scouts.  
 

I get that we have a very complete roster with a ton of guys probably in that next tier, but still … to see it on paper like this… concerning. 
 

This team has a lot to prove… and I’m hopeful in the stockpiling of young talent on Defense and addition of Moore to an Offense with JA/Cook and a Top 5 OL, but as we get closer, the thought creeps in.. do we have enough?

 

I sometimes question if anyone here actually watches games outside of the Bills game or if they do, is it sober?  This whole idea that this is a “complete roster” is BS. The DL has been mediocre at best for the better part of a decade, the LB group has been one of the weakest in the league for about as long and the secondary hasn’t been anything special since Hyde got hurt. 
 

The OL is solid, not spectacular, the WR group has been a joke for years, Knox is still the best TE on the roster until Kincaid can stay healthy and Cook is a real good back.  The only thing complete about this team is the complete waste of cap space and waste of JAs prime years.

[hondo in seattle]

6 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

There’s already a thread about JA. Here’s other Bills recognized.

 

James Cook - Ranked #7 RB - "He has a three-down skill set, pass-game value, inside run ability and a speed threat on the outside," an AFC executive said. "[He] has become a complete player."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49145576/ranking-nfl-top-10-running-backs-2026-execs-coaches-scouts

 

Dalton Kincaid - Honorable mention TE - "A very gifted athlete. He hasn't put it all together yet, but that's partly due to injury -- he absolutely can. I expect him to."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49267903/ranking-nfl-top-10-tight-ends-2026-execs-coaches-scouts
 

 

Dion Dawkins - Honorable mention OT - "A solid starter, plays with an edge, can be good in both phases but shows inconsistent effort."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49248530/ranking-nfl-top-10-offensive-tackles-2026-execs-coaches-scouts

 

 

Go Bills!

 

When Dion talks, he sounds like a high effort guy.

 

Yet when he plays, he seems to demonstrate low effort at times.  

 

That disconnect has me wondering how much of Dion's inconsistent effort has to do with load management.  I don't know how-well conditioned he is but sometimes I wonder if he's loafing because he's tired or because he doesn't think his full effort is required on a play so he's saving it for later.  

[Buffalo716]

3 hours ago, eball said:

Another thread devolving into a moratorium on Brandon Beane, with predictable responses on both sides.

 

Under Beane the Bills have operated under only one defensive system -- McDermott's.

 

I don't think it's a stretch to say that defensive players such as Oliver, Benford, and Rousseau are respected around the league. We'll see if a defensive scheme change results in players receiving more individual accolades this season.

 

It's also a system that brought 6 top 10 YPG defenses 4 Top 5 PPG and 8 top 10 Turnovers caused.. and unfortunately was really never healthy when it mattered

 

Our defense might have aged out but in its prime it was at the top of the league in a lot of categories .. universally respected

 

We get a youth infusement back.. with some of our veterans who are still in their prime and we can get some better results again 

 

Nobody had problems earning accolades in this defense the first 5 years.. a lot aged, got more wear and tear and left their prime 

 

Currently now have a few guys in their prime with Rousseau and Ed and Benford ... With some ascending players in Bishop and Hairston and walker

 

But there's really not an All-Pro in that group.. legitimately two of them turning into All pro caliber players is what Super bowl defenses need

 

Super bowl defenses that destroy offenses in the Super bowl are typically filled with multiple all pros.. Seahawks had three last year 

 

I think the bills do have good pieces in place but they need to grow and develop into playmakers consistently

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 16 by Buffalo716

[JaBu]

9 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

When Dion talks, he sounds like a high effort guy.

 

Yet when he plays, he seems to demonstrate low effort at times.  

 

That disconnect has me wondering how much of Dion's inconsistent effort has to do with load management.  I don't know how-well conditioned he is but sometimes I wonder if he's loafing because he's tired or because he doesn't think his full effort is required on a play so he's saving it for later.  

 

Perhaps Dion has recognized that and is the reason he has now lost 45 pounds.

 

Bills O-Lineman lost 45 pounds with one goal in mind, support Josh Allen

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bills-o-lineman-lost-45-003413717.html

[DrDawkinstein]

14 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

When Dion talks, he sounds like a high effort guy.

 

Yet when he plays, he seems to demonstrate low effort at times.  

 

That disconnect has me wondering how much of Dion's inconsistent effort has to do with load management.  I don't know how-well conditioned he is but sometimes I wonder if he's loafing because he's tired or because he doesn't think his full effort is required on a play so he's saving it for later.  

 

I think the idea that Dion was giving low effort and "giving up on plays" that spread through the Bills fanbase was mostly wrong.

 

The few clips I saw that were used as evidence of this were plays were Dion held up his block for 3-4 seconds, then Josh broke the pocket and scrambled outside.

 

OL cant hold the DLs from disengaging, and they cant chase them and block from behind. So when the camera view is zoomed in just on an OL, it looks like they stopped playing, but there is nothing else for them to do. They have to stay home and look for guys to block in case Josh scrambles back their way (which rarely happens).

[4th&long]

They better hope they got some good young guys ready to take the next step.

[BillsFan130]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

It's also a system that brought 6 top 10 YPG defenses 4 Top 5 PPG and 8 top 10 Turnovers caused.. and unfortunately was really never healthy when it mattered

 

Our defense might have aged out but in its prime it was at the top of the league in a lot of categories .. universally respected

 

We get a youth infusement back.. with some of our veterans who are still in their prime and we can get some better results again 

 

Nobody had problems earning accolades in this defense the first 5 years.. a lot aged, got more wear and tear and left their prime 

 

Currently now have a few guys in their prime with Rousseau and Ed and Benford ... With some ascending players in Bishop and Hairston and walker

 

But there's really not an All-Pro in that group.. legitimately two of them turning into All pro caliber players is what Super bowl defenses need

 

Super bowl defenses that destroy offenses in the Super bowl are typically filled with multiple all pros.. Seahawks had three last year 

 

I think the bills do have good pieces in place but they need to grow and develop into playmakers consistently

 

 

 

 

 

I do agree that the players got older towards the end which was "part" of the downfall. (Hyde and Poyer being the big ones)

 

But I think another big issue was lack of scheme adjustment.

 

2018-2022, in some ways, Mcdermott was a step ahead of the NFL. Playing 2 deep safeties, living in nickel, taking away the big play, inviting the run, etc. Which was great to stop the heavy 10-11 personnel teams who would throw it 35-40 times  a game.

 

The problem? Teams adapted to more 12 and 13 personnel, ran a lot more, and the Bills didn't adjust nearly enough.

 

They kept light boxes and kept signing and drafting undersized guys. (Bernard as the prime example)

 

So to me it totally makes sense why and how the defences were really good early on in the Mcdermott era, and then started to regress the last few years

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17 by BillsFan130

[ChattanoogaBills]

Always drafting undersized defensive overachievers will lead to key injuries as the season progresses. Ed Oliver being drafted over Dexter Lawrence was laughable to say the least.

 

And we continue to draft along the same lines... I'm hoping for the best. At least beane traded down and made a lot of picks.

[NoSaint]

6 hours ago, eball said:

Another thread devolving into a moratorium on Brandon Beane, with predictable responses on both sides.

 

Under Beane the Bills have operated under only one defensive system -- McDermott's.

 

I don't think it's a stretch to say that defensive players such as Oliver, Benford, and Rousseau are respected around the league. We'll see if a defensive scheme change results in players receiving more individual accolades this season.

 

you figure all those guys are top 20 or so at their positions. Graded out of 64, great, but out of 32 simply respectable 

each also flashes potential  get higher but hasn’t lived at that ceiling 

 

[4merper4mer]

9 hours ago, Einstein said:

It's interesting to see that Dion has fallen from "one of the best in the league" to "solid starter".

Or perhaps the rest of the NFL simply doesn't value those players as highly as we do.

Or perhaps it’s an insignificant article that doesn’t contain snippets on every single player in the league.

[MJS]

8 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Doesn't really matter.  There is no question those guys are among the best players at their position.  They both get discounted nationally for a couple of reasons, Oliver is always hurt so they don't really think of him and Benford got labeled a zone corner only and that is all you hear about him.  Like a lefty that doesn't throw hard but still wins so they call them crafty as a backhanded compliment.  

 

You don't need some content filling list to tell you that those guys are excellent players.

 Benford is legitimately a top 10 corner in the league. Oliver is not a top 10 defensive tackle, though. He had one season where he played like that, and the rest have been lots of injuries or just above average.