Rocky Landing

I was a huge fan of Hollins, and I was happy when he was signed. I hate to see him go. In the end, he was exactly what I thought he would be in terms of his role, but he far exceeded expectations. A real clutch player, effective end zone guy, and down-field blocker. That being said, while he did exceed expectations, his use as a blocker may have proved redundant, and his main flaw-- his ability to gain separation-- was certainly real. We have a strong enough TE room that we don't need a WR to be played like one. Still... sad he won't be a Bill.

I know it's not an apples to apples comparison to Diggs. And I'm not suggesting he's some kind of locker room cancer. Perhaps "teammate" was the wrong word for me to use. I'm sure players advocate for themselves all the time, but at OBD, it's done behind closed doors. I honestly believe that's the way Beane/McD prefer it. But Cook, regardless of how flexible it may be, seems to have publicly drawn a line in the sand. One would expect that isn't out of the blue, but comes on the heels of conversations they've already had. And if Cook's "$15M" post was done without provocation, it's a bit of a blindside.

Why?

Perhaps not an apples to apples comparison, but Cook's actions are reminiscent of Diggs behavior, and they were willing to eat $30M+ to let Diggs go. Beane has a history of rewarding players who show themselves to be good teammates, along with being good players. Cook is engaging in behavior that I don't believe Beane, or McD will tolerate. It's a precedent that they have not allowed to be set, and as good as Cook is, I don't believe they're going to set it now.

Man, if when I was that age, we could have been arrested for putting a family member in a choke hold, we would have had a helluva lot of legal bills...

He's not elite, but he's a solid starter, and I think he still has plenty of potential to improve. And, I don't care how much he gets paid, I only care how it affects the cap. I like this move.

There are varying measures of what people consider a "successful season." One of those scales (the one held by the OP) holds that a successful season ends in a Super Bowl win-- period. Others might consider making it to the Super Bowl some measure of success. Miami Dolphins fans are currently talking about, maybe next season, making a "deep playoff run..." as a successful season. Jets fans would just like a return to relevancy. During the drought years, before Allen showed up, I used to joke on this site about how we would perennially win the offseason. Personally, I don't share @Hermes perspective. I'm not sure where I fit on the scale of what I would consider a "successful season," but I will say that I consider this last season-- one in which few pundits, and media analysts had us winning the division, much less getting one score away from the SB-- to be successful. I think any season where a team far exceeds expectations should be considered successful. This last season has made me especially optimistic for the next. And I certainly don't think there is one successful team, and 31 failures per year. That's a glass 31/32 empty. I can't live like that. I'm definitely a "glass half full" kinda guy (even if it is half full of sh!t...)

I think it’s a good idea.

Not Encino-- that's in the middle of the San Fernando Valley. He has a house in a gated community in Dana Point, which is South of Huntington Beach. If Josh Allen lived there year-round, he would not be playing football (unless he didn't mind driving about 3 1/2 hours every day).

Of course not. Neither does Josh.

Are you suggesting that Allan would only be willing to play for the Chargers, or Rams, and that he would go out of his way to engineer a deal in one of those franchises? Seems like a stretch. He doesn't have a home in LA now. And there really isn't a reason for Hailee to live there full time, either. Motion picture production is way down in LA, but even if it were booming, it's a part time gig for someone like her, and a lot of the productions she would be involved with wouldn't shoot in LA anyway. Even animation voice work is largely done remotely these days. There's no reason to live in LA full time. Plus, the city is a sh!thole. Trust me-- I live here.

Especially now that there are three wildcard teams, and only one playoff bye per conference, getting the #1 seed is huge. It's not unreasonable to say that it was one of the largest factors that got KC into the Super Bowl.

40 is the new 30. And 50 is the new 40. And by the time Josh is 40, that 40 will be the new 30 from the previous 30, which will be the new 20. Probably by the time Josh hits Social Security age (which will have been raised to at least 70 by then) That 70 will be the new 60, at least three times removed, meaning that Josh should be a dominant NFL quarterback well into his "Golden Years," which by then will be "the new 80" which will, of course, be around 90 years old. Math.

Boobs.

I would be happy if you're right.

In year-two of his career, I don't believe his draft position matters at all. If he's ready to start, he will. But, frankly, he looked like a liability on Sunday, and he was targeted often. And, honestly, I don't really feel like Hamlin is starting quality, either. IMO, Rapp is the only starting quality safety on the roster. Safety is definitely a position in dire need of upgrades to my mind.

I don't picture him starting the season, unless he really improves in the offseason. Him starting in the AFCCG was a clear function of our lack of depth at the position. But, I certainly don't think he'll be cut. Do you?

Just my opinion On Offense: I think on offense we need one, speedy boundary receiver who can consistently get separation.. and that's it. The Bills have an opportunity to enter the '25 season with almost the same offense they finished with, and that's not a bad thing. The familiarity, consistency, and culture on that side of the ball shouldn't be underestimated. Maybe Cooper can be that boundary WR? But, we sure didn't see it this season. But, I wouldn't be surprised if they re-signed him (although, I suspect most would disagree with that...). But certainly, our O-line, RB, and TE, and QB rooms should, as much as possible, stay the same. Maybe Zack Davidson for Q Morris. Maybe sneak Tyrell Shavers on there-- minor tweaks. On Defense: Quite the opposite. The only players I would feel strongly about holding onto are, Groot, Oliver, Benford, Bernard, Milano, Taron Johnson, Rapp (that's right, I said it), and maybe Epenesa, and Dorian Williams. I would imagine we hold onto Cam Lewis (who is important for depth, and ST), Carter, Solomon... keep kicking the tires on Cole Bishop, I suppose... Maybe not a complete overhaul, but a minimum of four new starters, and a lot more depth.

That ignores a lot of factors, including the concept that McDermott can improve as a coach from season to season. I think we probably both agree that the defensive roster in '22 was far better than in '24.

I don't have to look forward, no. I choose to.

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I am looking forward to what McDermott, Brady, and Babich can achieve with a significantly upgraded roster, especially on defense, which I fully expect the Bills to have next season.

I've been watching this scenario oddly taking place on high-speed here in LA (where I've lived since '91). When the Rams first moved back here, I went to the first Bills game they hosted in 2016, and sat in the third row, at the 20yl for a couple hundred bucks a ticket. There were plenty of empty seats, and it sounded like a Bills home game. There really weren't any Rams fans to speak of, in the way we define fandom in Western NY. Just some folks going to a football game and rootin' for their team. It had more in common with Medieval Times dinner theatre and they were sat in the Blue and Gold section, so that's who they cheered for. But in '22, when they won their Super Bowl, you would have thought these "Rams fans" had been bleeding blue and gold their whole lives. Since then? Rams fans have been peeling away like old paint in the sun.

IMO, there is one WR missing from this team.

I remember at draft time last season, numerous posters (some of whose opinions I actually respect) say things like, “ every pick should go towards offense…” or, “the first two picks, at least, should be for a WR…” But anyone going into this season not understanding how thin this defense was, simply wasn’t paying attention. I recall Beane at a press conference in the offseason defending the roster by saying, “we’re not giving up on the season. We still intend to win games.” And win we did. We were one score away from the Super Bowl, and if Kincaid had caught that pass, we would have been in a position to take the lead. I have no doubt the defense will be overhauled this offseason. I believe that was always the plan.