GunnerBill

It means that in the UK too. It's normally pretty clear which version of the word someone is using.

I agree with the context part. It's pretty clear that Tom did not mean it to be offensive. I don't have a particularly high bar for offensive words when the intention behind them is to offend, particularly vulnerable groups.

Correct. It has no gender connotation at all in the UK. It is just the most severe way of calling someone a jerk. I mean it's still a vulgar word and not one I use very often but it doesn't have the cultural sensitivity it does in the US.

No, from the chat in the GDT and the SB I get it, it doesn't have the same baggage in the US as it does in the UK. But you have to remember the NFL is beamed round the world now. To anyone watching on Sunday night on this side of the pond that word was a "wow did he just say THAT?" moment and so the fact it has caused some fire I don't think is surprising. I'm sure Tom wasn't intending to offend anybody, probably didn't even realise the word has different cultural meanings in other places. Interestingly I used a term on this forum recently, that is perfectly harmless in the UK and a long standing member PM'd me and alerted me to a cultural sensitivity it has in the US. I was grateful to them for doing so.

It is an offensive short form of the word "spastic" which unless it is used in its strictest medical form is considered offensive. Calling someone a "spastic" because they behave erraticly is considered pretty offensive to people eho actually have disabilities.

We discussed this in the SB the other day. In the UK he'd have been fired, instantly. It is pretty much second only to the n word in terms of offensive terms you can't use. I understand it doesn't have the same baggage in the US but honestly it made me very uncomfortable. I mentioned it in the GDT

Yea I'm thinking for the Bills of someone in that Isaiah Oliver to Mike Hughes kinda tier. A guy who has been a starter and if they start they can be passable, but ideally you want as your solid vet on the bench. Let them compete with Elam and a draft pick and may the best man win.

"Gabe upgrade" is probably the more accurate term. But yea I do still think Gabe was a good use of a 4th round pick. The issue wasn't picking Gabe in round four. It was then not picking a receiver in any higher round until four drafts later this spring because you felt you were "good" there.

Yes, I certainly can't verify it. But that rumour certainly got round pretty good.

Yea Pickens isn't a big separation guy. He is plenty fast enough but he doesn't have the best release package and he isn't really a route runner so he ends up having to make a ton of contested catches or at least catches in traffic. He is, however, elite at and around the catch point. His body control, hands and ability to track the football are elite. What you ideally want opposite him is a proper technician of a route runner. I think if the Bills had drafted him when he came out when they still had a season and a half of prime Diggs to play the other side they would have been borderline unplayable.

I think if he wanted to do a short term deal it would have happened last offseason. He wanted a longer term commitment. He has only really had one decent contract in his career. Before that he was on and off practice squads on vet minimum. I think there is very little chance he comes back without at least testing his market personally.

Yep me too. Elam, a dust settles vet and a day 2 pick to compete for the job opposite Benford is my guess. And if Elam doesn't win the job (which I wouldn't expect him to) I'm not sure he will be on the roster.

Nah he is really good. I think his sack production so far this year is a bit of an outlier that is just one of those strange runs players can go on but as a run stopper and pocket pusher he is right up there. Especially since Daboll arrived and moved him to NT.

Sure, I completely agree with that. But your "stats!" comment to me read as in "ignore this chart it doesn't match the eye test." I think it does meet the eye test through 8 weeks, even if there are reason especially the last two weeks to be encouraged that it will improve the second half of the year.

I watched the all22 last night. Man oh man he was brutal. BRU.TAL. The Seahawks scoring drive in the second quarter they just went at Williams repeatedly. Four of the plays in that drive were at him and they went for a total of 47 yards. He got washed out on a screen pass to Walker for 5. Completely bit on a fake reverse and was out of his zone which allowed a pass to Bobo for 15. Was way too deep in his zone for no obvious reason and then attacked the runner square on and got made to look silly as Walker zoomed past him down the sideline for 17 and finally was way too deep in zone again for a screen to JSN for 10 that got Seattle inside the 5. His worst game of the season BY FAR. We should remember that progress with young players, especially linebackers where play recognition and instinct are big, is not always linear. But there is no way to my mind that you keep him on the field if you have Milano healthy and ready to play. Honestly, if Milano is healthy I just don't think there is any way you can trot Williams out there instead of him. Maybe Milano gets on the field and isn't Milano and you have to go back to Williams. But Williams is still being worked by misdirection drive in and drive out and I just don't think the Bills can afford to roll with a guy who so often just looks like he doesn't know where he should be.

I mean my eyes do still tell me through 8 games the Bills, apart from Shakir, have had issues separating. That is what the stats are tracking. Did we see flashes from Coop v the Titans? Yep. Have we seen a bit more separation from Keon the last three weeks now they are not just running him vertically 90% of the time? Yep. But this is 8 weeks worth of data it isn't going to shift immediately based on the past couple of games.

Cooper has only played 57 snaps and not all of those are passes so he is a very small bit of the data that goes into that chart.

It was described to me as like a toxic episode of the Kardashians. I have never watched an episode of the Kardashians mind you. But one can imagine.

Nah, the most you are getting from a guy still on the bench in year 3 is a late future day 3 pick. I suspect the Bills believe he is more valuable than that as a depth piece right now. If someone offered a mid round pick however.... well they'd pack him off as quickly as they could.

Oh f**k. Let's hope it didn't go anything like the 2022 edition. It was the beginning of the end for that season.

Maybe. I just think you can find Evans level insurance policies on the street even at this point of the season. I mean we did with Ty Johnson last year and he ended up ahead of Evans (who had all the same benefits he had this year of being in camp with the team etc) on the depth chart.

His highest snap count pre-suspension was 29. I think he will be active this week and play 20 snaps or so. This is their plan with Von anyway. Let Smoot (on early downs) and AJE (on passing downs) do a lot of the work. Rotate Von in situationally. Keep him fresh for the post season and hope he can make an impact at that point. The more interesting question is who sits? Personally it would be Toohill but I suspect it will be Solomon. Especially the next couple of weeks where I think the Bills plan will reflect what they did in Seattle - try and take away the run and make Tua / Flacco beat them.

Where do I say anything that argues otherwise? Coleman's ceiling is clearly higher than Gabe's. We saw Gabe's ceiling here - he is what he is. I don't disagree at all that he has is not a natural catcher of the football, he has snatchy hands and he drops way too many balls. But my point is I always saw Coleman as an upgrade at that role in the offense. The bigger body guy who isn't a natural separator, who - certainly on the outside - is going to need to win with leverage and body control and they also had the similarity that coming into the league their release packages needed work. I said it on draft night, 40 time be damned, I think Coleman is quicker than Gabe. He certainly has better hands. And he is more versatile and a much bigger threat after the catch (which I personally felt was his best attribute on film). That isn't giving Gabe some credit he isn't due. The Bills tried to make Gabe a full time, barely comes off the field #2, that wasn't me. He failed at it and everyone knew we were in need of an upgrade at that spot. To me it was always more comfortable to see Keon as that. The Gabe Davis upgrade we all knew we needed. It is why I like the Cooper trade so much. Part of the issue for me coming into the year was I felt like they were essentially asking everyone to play up a spot. They almost had Keon trying to replace Stef Diggs and Mack Hollins trying to replace Gabe. Now with Coop in the fold and Keon breaking out, plus Shakir continuing to play at a high level in the slot I think there is a legit case that the starting wide receiver situation they have right now, today, is better than the one they had last season.

The post you quoted literally says why I think his ceiling is where I think it is. You can disagree, that's fine. It is a game of opinions. But I don't think it is insane or or nuts.

I'm not as high on Riq Woolen as others tbh. I think Witherspoon is the best corner on that team but Woolen isn't a mug by any means and Keon definitely won that matchup conclusively on Sunday. He is ahead of where I'd have had him at this stage. I'd have put him between 650 and 750 yards for the year (although with 7 or 8 touchdowns) and he is on pace for about 840. So there is lots there to like but I still need to see him separate better and more consistently - especially downfield - before I am willing to raise his ceiling to a true #1.