GunnerBill

Thanks for that. Good read. I have always thought Lurie was one of the better owners in the NFL. I remember the day he fired Chip Kelly 18 months after sidelining Howie Roseman and handing Chip the keys to the castle. He fronted up, did an hour and a half at the podium getting roasted by reporters where he completely owned the decision, set out what the next steps were going to be and accepted he had made a mistake and he was determined to fix it. That's what leadership looks like folks. Almost exactly a year later Pegula fired Rex Ryan and the first person who was sent out to do any media was Anthony Lynn as interim Head Coach. That is not what leadership looks like.

They definitely do like guys they are familiar with. The whole NFL does in fairness. Even the Eagles who have strong links to Georgia's football programme and have drafted from there a ton, and started their rebuild on defense last March by resigning Gardner-Johnson who they knew and had before. Personally I don't think the problem is them over prioritising X or under prioritising Y, I just don't think they have evaluated talent well enough and they haven't found enough difference makers. I don't see a particular pattern to it. They've taken swings on athletic high ceiling guys like Groot, Kaiir and Cole Bishop and they hve drafted high floor "safer" prospects like Kincaid, Torrence and Bernard. Sure, they are probably more protective of the culture than some other teams but Ed Oliver have personality questions on him, James Cook had questions about his passion and commitment too... it's not like they have totally avoided anyone with any flags. It's just they haven't found enough stars and I think it comes down to they gotta evaluate talent better. I don't think it is an approach problem. I think it's an evaluation problem.

Yea. We just need a bottom feeder willing to take on the cap hit for the benefit of gaining a draft pick.

Coleman wouldn't have dropped out of round 2 I don't think. I didn't like him as a prospect, but even I had a late 2nd on him. Those other guys were all higher and better prospects IMO. DeJean is a corner though. I know a lot of draft sites listed him as a safety, but he only ever took the odd snap at safety in college - he played corner and a bit of nickel and he has played entirely as a nickel in the NFL. I always thought he was a corner.

It's the truth. I have spoken to people who were in that building. McDermott was in the driving seat by the draft. And while yes, everyone has links to guys in college, and the Bills still use them - the same Dave Aranda was the reason we took Terell Bernard two rounds higher than the consensus had him - that draft was very clear and very obviously driven by McDermott's contacts book not Whaley's scouting staff. The difference is he trusts Brandon Beane.

I'd take any of those combination of safeties and corners. Holland and Murphy is my preferred combination but that is probably the most expensive combination too. They brought Simmons in for a visit last year didn't they? He ended up signing a 1 year, $8million deal with the Falcons which given our cap position we would not have been in a position to match. He probably didn't play up to that contract in truth, but if he wanted to come for say $3-4m as a 1 year ring chase to end his career (I don't think he has ever even played a playoff game) then I'd be interested.

He didn't scout them in the sense of he wasn't on the road, sure (though really that isn't the GM and DPP role either) but they drafted all guys that he had links to. Tre White's defensive coordinator at LSU was Dave Aranda (a buddy of McDermott's who had interned with the Panthers) who gave a personal recommendation. Zay Jones's wide receivers coach at ECU was Phil McGeoghan who had joined the Bills in the same role that January. Dion Dawkins came from Temple where McDermott had deep connections going back to his Philly days because Temple played at the Linc. Matt Milano came from Boston College where Anthony Camponile (another former Panthers intern who has just been hired as the Jags new DC) was on staff. I don't think he trusted Whaley's scouting reports at all. He relied almost entirely on recommendations of people he DID trust.

Monos was essentially assistant GM, in all but name. His title was Director of Player Personnel but he was over both sides. Rob Hanrahan has Director of Pro Personnel and Kelvin Fisher was Director of College Scouting. The Whaley era did definitely have some success with its pro side. Zach Brown, Lorenzo Alexander, Corey Graham, Mike Gillislee, the Jerry Hughes trade as well (obviously) was on their watch. On the 2017 offseason - the draft was pretty heavily McDermott controlled. I know that for a cold stone fact. I'm not sure Whaley and Monos were doing more than manning the phones to be honest he was in full control. I don't know about the free agency period. First it was 5/6 weeks earlier so not clear by that stage if McDermott had yet convinced Terry to move on from the front office and second you invariably need more front office involvement there because of the contract / salary cap element. And I agree it was a great off season. I don't think Dion has been an all pro but Tre, Milano and Poyer were all first team all pros as Bills and Hyde was a second team. All pros Beane's record is: 1 traded for first team: Stefon Diggs (2020) - n.b. was also a second team all pro (2022) 2 drafted second team: Josh Allen (2020 & 2024); Taron Johnson (2023). 1 free agent signed second team: Cole Beasley (2020)

Technically, yes. In reality power had passed to Whaley.

The last two years the playoff came down to our offense having the ball last needing a touchdown and not being able to score. That isn't to say the D played well in those losses. But if you are talking about what it came down to... that's it.

Joe isn't on here. But this https://x.com/TheJoeMarino is his twitter, his DMs are open and he is responsive (if you DM him about something sensible). Shoot your shot.

Elam won't be on the team. Whatever way it happens. The chances if him being here in 2025 are less than 10% IMO.

Edwards had a really good year. I am not throwing that away because he had a poor final game. I doubt the Bills will either. He is a big Kromer guy. I don't hate the idea of cutting AJE. He is what he is and that is a 6 sack a year guy. I wasn't in favour of bringing him back either, although they got him at a reasonable price. But unless you are able to land a vet upgrade it puts you in a bit of a hole. If their answer at edge is a rookie (especially if it is a 2nd or 3rd round rookie) then AJ should stay.

You cut AJE if you can afford a vet upgrade. You keep him if you are attacking the position with a rookie.

Yea but I don't think you cut AJE if you are going with a rookie. He is useable vet depth. You only move him on to help you afford a vet upgrade IMO.

Yea and hitting on the non-premium positions (RB, LB, slot WR) when you don't have answers at the premium positions (outside WR, DE, CB) eventually gets you to where the Bills are now. Where you are looking at possibly needing to bring in expensive vets at the premium positions that will cost you keeping a couple of your drafted non-premium position guys on reasonable contracts. Take Shakir. If the Bills had traded up, taken BTJ last year and now knew they had a true outside #1 receiver under a rookie deal for 3 years plus the option, then signing your slot receiver to a decent 3 or 4 year contract is a no-brainer and you have two reliable guys for Josh to go to. But part of the calculation on whether to pay Shakir now is "wait do I need that money to fill the more important spot on the boundary with a vet contract guy?" So bad positional value decisions plus a couple of whiffs ends up risking you having to lose some of your more successful picks. It all plays into the puzzle.

And neither is trade up in the first type material.

I said at the time it was too rich for my blood. When the wall comes for the big men it tends to come fast. If you are going after a big fish in the edge pool via trade or FA you cut AJE and put that money towards it. If you are relying on drafting a rookie at that spot you keep him. That is the calculation for me.

I think he is finished. I wouldn't keep Jones at any money. I don't think he is physically able to contibute anything beyond replacement level play.

Not exactly. I don't think Keon is gonna become Worthy or McConkey just through more targets. Worthy and McConkey were used quite differently to each other. McConkey was used largely from the slot as a matchup piece vs linebackers and was used in the intermediate game. Worthy was mainly outside and generally caught either gimmicky bubble screens at the line or deeper balls with not much in between.

They actually did do quite a lot different on defense in that regular season game. They played the most zone coverage they have ever played vs the Josh Allen Bills. Was that just to trial it? To throw us off the scent? Or because they thought it was a wrinkle they could exploit? Who knows? But they did. The interesting point about them running new stuff on offense vs us but then not vs the Eagles is interesting though. There are reasons that might be the case but I genuinely think one of them is they hugely respect and are wary of Buffalo. As you would expect. No team has beaten them more often

I just think he is done. He had a good game against Denver in the playoffs. But basically otherwise he was invisible this year

But that isn't going to be as a downfield outside receiver. It will be as a big slot or a flanker who runs lots of short catch and run stuff. He will never be a good separator. So you gotta use him close to the line and manufacture touches for him.

Off the top of my head: Dion Dawkins (would start for every other playoff team except Detroit, Philly, Minnesota and Tampa) Spencer Brown (would start on every playoff team except Detroit, Philly and the Chargers) James Cook (I reckon he'd start on 7/13 other playoff teams) Ed Oliver (I reckon he'd start on 6/13 other playoff teams) Christian Benford (I reckon he'd start on all but the Eagles and possibly the Texans)

I'd cut Von and Daquan because I think they are done basically. I'd consider cutting AJE too but possibly not until after the draft. I wouldn't cut Edwards.