GunnerBill

There is no chance of this.

One of the OGs around here when I joined. Always found him nothing but decent. Condolences to his family.

I don't think they ever loved Gabe like they love Shakir. Beane was waxing lyrical again on the Ross Tucker podcast this week. Of course there is a chance Shakir just has insane demands but my very strong belief is that they will extend him. They talk about him like he is their own son. For those asking "well why wouldn't you?" My answer would be that it is really hard the play offense inside out now in the NFL. I know Brady managed it for years but even he at the end went to Tampa where they had two studs that can play and win outside. Cooper Kupp was a #1 mainly from the slot. St Brown is too. But they are few and far between and I think there are already reasons based on what we saw at the start of this year to suggest Shakir isn't that. What he IS is a really fine slot receiver who if you spread defenses out, make them defend the entire field and give him some room to operate can really be a weapon inside. The question is that something you pay or not? I have my doubts but strongly believe when the Bills add Shakir's character and attitude into thay mix their answer will be yes. My guess is the Bills do a 3 year extension. That has tended to be their go to for guys like Milano and Taron who were clearly valuable players but in less valuable positions. Spotrac has him between $18.3m AAV and $20.4m AAV. I have him top end of that range in return for taking a shorter deal. Something like 3 years $62m, $40m guaranteed but because the Bills still have him under contract next year and will pay the signing bonus in that year it is basically a 4 year $63m deal. They can put a few mill onto the 2025 cap and keep a bit of flexibility down the road. Might depend on what they want to do with Cooper as well I suppose.

What a dumbnut. The way to beat Josh Allen is hope he is having a passive, kinda meh day. He will read this and be ready to ball Sunday. Bills hang 40 on the Fins.

Bishop is a SS. I was never sold that he and Rapp was a winning duo. Edge in round 2 was unlikely just cos the talent wasn't there. I didn't want either of the two who went just infront of us - Braswell because he is a 3-4 OLB and Kneeland because I don't think he is very good. And then the three that went round 3 - Elliss, Isaac and Hunt - are all either every much OLBs or in Hunt's case a total project (though I did like him a lot, I actually had Solomon graded higher). It is worth saying nobody drafted at edge between our 2nd round pick and us selecting Solomon has more sacks through 8 weeks than Solomon. Elliss ties him with 2.

Again, I'm not talking about should they. I am saying I think they will.

You know I agree with the bolded. I just think he is this regime's type of guy and when they have had them in the past they have extended them. I'm not arguing they should extend Shakir. I think they will though. Maybe. I think they will extend him personally. They love him. You only have to put Beane or McDermott in front of a mic and say his name and they just wax lyrical about his character, his team first approach, his toughness, his humility.... you name it they have praised it.

I'd be shocked if this regime is still here and they DON'T extend Shakir. I am going to agree with all the reasons you will give as to why they should be wary of it, but he is just their type of guy and I think they try and lock him up after this season if he continues at his current pace.

Yea I stopped short of saying this group was better. That remains to be proven I think. My personal view as you know is always elite talent is ultimately what wins and they had an elite talent in 2020 but don't in 2024. The relativity point is also well made, but equally I think the conversation here is only about the Bills relative to the Bills. And what I am definitely NOT saying is "if they re-sign Cooper they are good for 2025 and they can just go back to throwing day 3 picks only at the position." I want another receiver next year even if they bring Cooper back. Maybe not a 1st rounder but one of their 2nds or a 3rd after a trade down should be allocated to the spot IMO.

Texans. I don't care if the Jets do win, positives in either for me. But Aaron Rodgers is becoming easier to hate with every passing week.

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.