Rocky Landing

All white after Labor Day???

That was a hype video? I thought it was a commercial for some dystopian Netflix joint...

I believe the Bills' O-line goes into the season ranked around eighth, which sounds about right to me. But, there is still an amount of uncertainty, as McGovern is taking over at center (which he did in college, but hasn't in the NFL), and, of course, Edwards at LG. The part of this scenario that bothers me is that it almost has to be assumed that Edwards will be a downgrade at LG. He was on the team last season, and was on the field frequently as the sixth lineman in jumbo packages. But, if he were a better option at LG than McGovern, he would have been the LG.

Describing Miami as an "offensive juggernaut" is absurd. The Fish started off their '23 season with an impressive string of wins, with an impressive number of points. But McDermott had their number from the get-go, and it didn't take long for the rest of the league to figure them out. Their system was built on super-quick timing routes that required that Tua get the ball out incredibly fast-- which he did. And don't get me wrong-- that's an impressive skillset he has. He had the league's fastest release, and was extremely accurate. That was hard to defend. But, the league figured out that the key was to simply disrupt the timing of the routes, and force Tua to hold onto the ball longer than he wanted. And once Tua was pressured, he folded like a lawn chair. The problem they have this season is that they have done little to change their identity. One might think that the first thing they would do-- now that they've doubled down on Tua, and the speed game-- is give Tua some better protection so he can adjust to a disrupted timing route. But their O-line may have taken a step backwards with their replacement of center Connor Williams with Aaron Brewer-- the Titan's previous Guard. This article also severely downplays the steps back their defense has taken. It was a lot more than just Christian Wilkins they lost. And their new DC is unproven, to say the least.

... probably...could...might...if...should...potential......... some of my least favorite words in the English language. But, it's why we watch the game.

How have they improved this year?

I don't really put much stock in the "disarray" element of this story. But the level hubris involved is pretty stunning. I don't generally put much stock in season openers, either, but the Jets starting their season in San Francisco, on MNF, is likely to have a huge impact on their season, win, or lose.

I mentioned this in another thread-- I kind of hope the Bills lose the coin toss, the Card defer, and the first regular season play we see is a kick return by UDFA Brandon Codrington, who was completely unknown to me before yesterday.

I'm kinda hoping that the Bills lose the coin toss vs. the Cardinals in week one, and the first regular season play we see is a kick return by UDFA Brandon Codrington, whose name I had never seen until yesterday.

My pessimist take: I feel like the only two positions one could argue have improved are RB, and CB-- the former being on the shoulders of a rookie backup, Ray Davis, and the latter on the training camp performance of two backups, Elam, and Ingram. I suppose you could say that WR depth has improved, but even that is highly speculative, and of course, there is no true #1. To say the team has improved as a whole is a hard argument to make. My optimist take: Groot, Epenesa, Miller, Elam, Shakir, and Kincaid-- all veterans from last year-- enter this season on better footing than they entered last season. WR depth (beyond the #1) is better. And while the departure of Diggs leaves a gaping hole on the field, it may very well have repaired the mood in the locker room. Sky's the limit. Bottom line-- there's plenty to be optimistic about, but this team ain't the Chiefs, or the Belichick*/Brady* era Patriots*. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Just saw that. My bad.

Does it strike anyone else as weird that we cut Daquan Hardy, and traded with the Jets for a rookie UDFA DB, Brandon Codrington, that no one's heard of, but is described as a "speedy kick returner," and put him on the 53?

He's a #4 role player, special teams standout, exceptional downfield blocker, has a better catch %, and drop rate than MVS, and as a bonus, he's a great locker room presence. Why is that so hard to understand, Einstein?

Brandon Codrington. A UDFA we got in a meager trade with the Jets. Described as a "speedy kick returner." Weird...

If Late Nate Peterman, and Mac & Cheese Jones are still in the league, there should be a place for Zappe somewhere.

I will never eat Diggs' Hotsauce again.

This is the way I thought about Hamler about a month ago. But on offense, and even as a kick returner, he hasn't separated himself from the competition. As far as today is concerned, I wouldn't put much stock in a preseason game vs. the Panthers' third string.

Joe Andreessen. I think an opportunity opened up for Andreessen with the Milano injury, and I think he capitalized. Very good chance of making the roster. Zack Davidson. I think Davidson also has a very good chance, especially if they only carry five WRs, which I think is likely. J'Marcus Ingram is solid depth on a very thin secondary. Also a very good chance. Javon Solomon has been impressive, and consistent. Decent chance to make the 53. I think he does. Tylan Grable. I had originally thought that Tylan Grable was a wasted pick, but he has been terrific in the preseason. He still needs to be developed, but I think he may have shown enough to be developed on the 53. If not, he's probably safe on the PS, imo. Tyrel Shavers has made the most of his time in Buffalo, including his time on the PS last season. The biggest knock on him out of college was inconsistent hands. He seems to have improved remarkably. With his ST skills, he could be WR#5. KJ Hamler was an intriguing prospect when they brought him in. He's the kind of player who could fill a role on offense that we are lacking to a degree. But, imo, he just hasn't been consistent enough. I'd love to see him make it, but I doubt he will. Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The only thing MVS has going for him at this point, is a slightly bloated contract. He has not delivered. I keep hearing things like "he's the only true field stretcher on the team..." etc., but I don't see it. No ST, bad drops for his entire career, and a redundant skillset. I think they eat his salary. Gable Steveson is a fun project for the PS. He's shown some flashes, and that extraordinary athleticism. But, he's way too raw to spend the capital developing him on the 53. Those are my takes.

Negative??? Go check out a Patriots* forum...

Trying to think of why you might decide to compare RGIII to OJ Simpson. "...same exact mentality...?" What are you even talking about???

I watched his interview of Keon Coleman, and I was really impressed with how charismatic, and well spoken he was.

I’m one of them. I paid a lot of money to watch him embarrass the franchise in that Chargers game in Los Angeles, at Stubhub Stadium. His play was disgraceful.

The black helmet looks like it should have one of those peeing Calvin stickers on the back. Then the real question would be, whose logo should Calvin be peeing on?

A lot of good points being made in the last couple pages, and your’s is a reasonably take. I’m very reticent to use that word “lock” beyond the obvious three, though.

I seem to remember Dean Kindig talking Hamler up a couple times. But it’s hard to sift through all the narratives, and 12 second highlight shots. Even the “experts” have biases this time of year. But I think @BADOLBILZ above is right. There has been an assumption on this site that they’re carrying six WRs. But at some point, adding yet another 6’4”+ receiver is just redundant (on a team that really can’t afford redundancy).