GunnerBill

I had a late 3 but two of my knocks were: 1. He will be strictly slot only because of his length. 2. Won't do much as a rookie because the Boise system he was coming from was as far from a pro offense as it is possible to get while still playing the same sport. Both of which have been bang on. Even given those two factors though him lasting to the 5th was a real surprise.

I still think we reached on Carter! It wasn't the deepest group 7 had gone in round 2, and I think the Bills were sat at the end of round 3 with a desperate roster need for some youth at the position knowing round 4 was going to be another hot run... and I think five went in the 3rd round comps and top half of round 4. After that nothing until really late. I think they probably just figured they pass at the end of the 3rd they likely don't get a guy who can play in the rotation as a rookie left for them by the time they pick in the 4th.

Bills Dolphins too. Double Fitzbowl.

Correct. Arm length was never a "and so Shakir can't play" it was a "it makes him a slot only". And it has.

"When I looked at who they got #4 is disappointing truthfully. We're going to be #1 in defense next year that is just a fact." Rex Ryan's introductory presser.

Yep. I got accused in the run up to the draft of using separation as a proxy for speed not just when talking about Keon but some of the other receiver prospects too. But I wasn't. They are different things. Is speed a factor in getting separation? Sure. But as you say there are plenty of example of track stars who couldn't separate at the NFL level because their release was poor or they couldn't run routes or they didn't have the nuances of the position.

So I'd consider those some of the nuances within release and route running rather than separate factors in themselves, but I suppose others might see that differently. I don't disagree at all they are important.

Yes, Hue was his guy. That is true. But even going into the process he was saying "this should be Schwartz or an offensive guy". By the end of the process he was team Hue and had practically offered him the job without realising his bosses were hiring Rex.

Ugh. My least favourite booth in the entire league. Luckily I will be on holiday in Cyprus with a cocktail in my hand. That should numb the brain pain of listening to Green and Harlan.

I think it is certainly trending that way and I fully expect it to play out that way. I agree he already shows a much higher ceiling. For it to be definitive I think we do need a bigger sample size. Also not sure it is fair to say Gabe was inconsequential in the playoffs. He had three big playoff games in seven attempts with the Bills - Indy 2021, Chiefs 2022 and Dolphins 2023. His playoff production is an area that is hard to knock him for.

They should either have hired Schwartz or hired an offensive Head Coach who was going to leave Schwartz in total control of the defense - which in fairness to him (he got plenty wrong but not this) is what Doug Whaley implored the Pegulas to do. They ignored him and hired Rex.

I think the difference in 2020 and 2021 was that Gabe was WR4 (until the very end of 21). It was actually Diggs, Brown, Beasley and then Diggs, Sanders, Beasley. Gabe was playing relief pitcher at that point. Cooper is definitely not as good as prime Diggs. There is an argument he has more left than Diggs showed down the stretch last season but prime Diggs is the best receiver of the Allen era, without question. Coleman definitely has more talent than Gabe. That's why Keon was a 2nd round pick and Gabe was a 4th round pick. Athletically he is just more talented. He needs to keep stacking the production but if he can show consistency (another thing Gabe struggled with) then by the end of the season we will conclusively be able to say that's an upgrade. Shakir right now is right there with prime Beasley for me too and I think he is going to surpass Beas's career year in 2020 this season as long as he stays healthy. If only they could get Samuel healthy and going a bit as that 4th guy / relief pitcher rather than as no more than a poor man's Isaiah McKenzie gimmick guy (I know Samuel is better than McKenzie but in terms of impact on this offense so far he is a poor man's version of the old McKenzie gimmick role). And the tight ends and running backs are waaaaay better than we had in 2020/2021. The line is better than 2021 too, and probably better than the 2020 line who in hindsight we can say were a bit of a mirage in a season when with no fans in the stands pre-snap penalties were down and the league definitely backed off calling offensive holding in order to help games flow. I think the conclusion is this offense doesn't have an elite stud that the 2020 offense had in Stef. But it might be all around deeper.

Maybe it was but his first three seasons here he was exceptional and only JJ Watt and Justin Houston outsacked him across those three years in the entire league. Then Rex thought he'd make a good coverage player.

I know that. But the NFL is beamed around the world now and I suspect some of the scrutiny stems from that. I have said multiple times I have no doubt Brady wasn't meaning to cause any offence.

Dion Jones? He sucked. That is why he was cut. He has been cut from 4 teams in 3 years. He is finished.

You can definitely "win" with leverage, not sure I'd call it separation though that may be a semantic point.

If Von ends up being a critical piece in a Superbowl team I might change my mind. Until then it isn't close.

Separation comes down to four things: 1. Release - this it the most improvable with coaching. 2. Route running - this is improvable with repetition but there is also an element of natural talent to it too. Some guys just instinctively have the nuance. 3. Explosiveness - improvable with the right strength and conditioning training. 4. Longer speed - the hardest bit to improve. I think Keon can get better as a separator I just don't think that will ever be his best asset. You don't have to be a separator to be a good NFL receiver. But I think you do to be a great one and I'd add to that every great offense needs someone who can separate vertically. That doesn't have to be Keon. It is about balancing the ticket to borrow some political language with what you have playing opposite him at the other outside receiver spot. That has to be a route running technician or a vertical speed guy IMO. What the Bills do at that spot next year: retain Coop? Draft anothet guy? Sign a FA? will be instructive. He definitely does have the bolded. It was another thing I remarked on when I evaluated him in the spring. When FSU used him in the slot and got him free releases and he could dictate the territory he wanted to occupy in a route he was dominant. When he was outside against physical corners who would challenge him off the line he had a tendency to let them pick their spot first and then play off the contact exactly as you describe.

Mario. Not close.

No we don't 😀

Yea I have no idea what Q-tips are. What a bizarre name.

We don't spell coupon with a Q!

Millionth time. Meaning in British English.

For the millionth time I am talking about British English. I accept it has other meanings in American English.

Plus Elam. Obvs.