GunnerBill

I agree they had to trade them. That was implicit in what I said in point 1. But I don't think they didn't realise until after free agency. That was known sooner. So that is an arbitrary cut off date IMO. As for who should they have taken... let's see. BTJ would certainly have been a win. We will see where Keon is at the end of the year. But I repeat: the Diggs contract decision, the lack of draft investment at receiver 2021-2023 and the way they handled things this spring might have elements of misfortune but they have strong elements of bad decision making too.

Myles Garrett isn't getting out of Cleveland without at least two 1st round picks. The Khalil Mack trade Vegas to Chicago was two firsts, a third and a 6th for Mack, a second and a 7th. And Garrett is a better player than Mack ever was.

They mismanaged Gabe's career here too, I spoke about that earlier in the week in another thread. Took too long to see if he was a 1B and by the time they did so their cap position basically meant they had nowhere to go once it was clear he wasn't. Their handling of the receiver room has been a fail. And that goes directly to Beane and his staff.

Agree. They are atrocious. I have done that job, I know how difficult it is. I spent a season doing Manchester City pressers every week and finding ways to try and cut through the coachspeak. But the questions they ask are way too long and way too vague. Sal M is the worst. Every question is so long with so many sub clauses that you can't remember by the end where it started.

Sadly the answer to this question at the moment is "not in his gap." I agree with those saying they gotta try and get him on the field because Hamlin isn't an answer to anything but when you put in a performance as brutal as the one Bishop did in Houston you are going to pay for that by riding the pine some.

I think there was some misfortune, sure, but whether they needed to give Diggs a new 4 year deal when they did is I think a legit question and it was asked at the time. On the original deal we took on at the trade he was a free agent after 2023. Could they have found a way to bump his money without adding four years? Could they also have done more in the years 2021-2023 in the draft to stock the receiver room? Could they have managed what they did this past spring with the receiver room? I think they had some misfortune. They didn't know that the Diggs / Allen relationship was going to rupture quite so spectacularly. They also probably didn't bank on Diggs hitting the decline at 30 and thought he might stay close to elite for an extra year or two. But they have also mishandled the receiver room over the past few years. There is no question about that. The Amari Cooper trade is the first step towards climbing out of a hole of their own making.

Here is how I see it: 1. The Bills were in a bad spot in that they had a formerly elite receiver, on the decline, with a huge contract and a broken relationship with the organisation and most importantly the star Quarterback. 2. They had to eat a ton of money for the gain of a 2nd round pick to get a fresh start and get him off the roster. 3. They then bungled their approach to wide receiver (particularly boundary receiver) in the offseason. The mid-level FA acquisition (Samuel) looks like a total bust of a signing at this stage and the rookie they drafted has the limitations in the pros that he had in college - predictably. 4. Given that situation getting a very good (never been elite mind you) receiver back for the cost of a 3rd round pick with a tiny salary and no long term obligation if it turns out he is declining as a rental until the offseason when you can address it properly and fix last spring's mistakes is about as well as they could have done. I'm not calling it a win overall though. It is a part mitigation of a loss. Don't get me wrong I love the Cooper pick up. I was advocating for it weeks ago. But you have to put it in its proper context before getting too excited.

This is true, but the Bills after 7 years of barely giving up explosives on defense are suddenly giving them at a concerningly high rate. That is a reflection of the safety play. I agree Bishop was part of that, he struggled massively against the Texans and both their touchdowns were on him. But it isn't like the others are holding it down either. We don't have a single true starting level safety on the roster. I suspected that before the season and, unlike last year at linebacker when I suspected that Milano was our only starting level player and then Bernard (and in the end Dodson) got on the field and actually showed they could play, it is how it has played out so far. Rapp is that guy who you love as your 3rd safety who can play in some dime looks but who has to be at his peak to get by as a starter and he is the best of the bunch. I think given that the argument for get Bishop on the field and let him take some lumps is a strong one. But I suspect for the exact reason you state that isn't what they will do.

I genuinely have no idea what that was. If the Jets were out of time outs, then as bizarre as that formation looks I would sort of get it. I can only imagine there was a serious miscalculation and they thought the Jets were out of TOs. Because if they weren't then there is no way from there you play full scale prevent. Baffling. And I know you make the wider point about McDermott and while I don't want to relitigate every past failure here generally even if I don't like every play call they make at the end of half/game I pretty much always understand the logic of what they are trying to do. I understand the thinking on Monday Night on the Hail Mary itself and I do think on that actual play the execution was probably worse than the play call (although as I have said before I'd have rushed 4) but that play before in the screenshot..... I have no explanation. I haven't seen his pressers yet but did anyone ask McDermott (or Babich for that matter) about that particular play? It was one of the most inexplicable play calls I have seen in 22 years of watching the NFL.

His misses are total miskicks. He has twice this year missed low and skewed off to the right on kicks where he made contact with the ball with the wrong part of the foot. That sort of thing can happen but it should happen to a kicker say once every 3 seasons. It has happened to Bass twice in 6 weeks. At this point to have such technical breakdown twice it HAS to be mental.

And Aaron Rodgers is not Tom Brady. He doesn't possess that drive. He is a man baby who points fingers at everyone but himself. Even his press conference at the end on Monday was embarrassing. I don't see any way he holds that team together to win 8 of 11. He is part of the problem in Jersey not part of the solution. For me this takes the Bills from "no shot" at a Superbowl this year to "outside chance." There are still at least six teams I'd have above them in the pecking order, but if the Cooper can get up to speed and give the Bills some semblance of a vertical passing game back then on their day I think they can beat any team.

I think there is a VERY strong case that he is. He is just such a reliable guy.

I would not have blitzed. I wouldn't have sent two either but I hate blitzing in those scenarios. It fails much more often than it works IMO.

Oh yea, I think they were all tired of him. And Diggs wanted out.

This is only the case if they are void option years. Automatic void years (which I think Cooper's are but I'm not certain) still count.

But so does Sean. That is the thing. Neither of the two people I had contacts with on staff are still in the building but I know when they were their take was always that Sean was the more powerful of the two internally, though they both report to Terry. Also they are, and have been from the start joined at the hip. Even in the celebrating the Pegulas thing Terry talks about how important it was to find a GM who "had worked with Sean before."

I think ultimately only Terry could take the decision. He is so close to both guys I don't think there is any way he lets someone else fire them. If they get to the point where they think they need regime change (either HC, GM or both) it would have to be Terry's call. Possibly Pete Guelli as the guy running the business day to day would have some input but the way the Bills list their execs on the website I think it's telling that Beane, McDermott and Guelli are displayed on the same level. My guess is none of them have the power to fire the other. If there was anyone in the organisation lobbying for Diggs to be moved (other than Diggs himself of course) it was Allen, not McDermott.

I don't see a significant difference in immediate impact of taking Coleman off vs Hollins off. Neither is winning outside. Is there a long term benefit to exposing Coleman to more and letting him see how teams defend him and hopefully adjust and improve? Sure and that would be my preference. But right now they are pretty much equal level of JAG on the field.

Star.

Altidore really sucked at Sunderland. He was miles short of being a Premier League player.

Love it. He was my #1 target of the realistic options all factors considered. This isn't like trading for Stef Diggs in 2020 but it has the potential to transform this offense all the same.

Three main factors for me: 1. The injuries to the second level. Missing Bernard, Johnson and Milano is definitely a significant factor. I know two of them were back last night but as they get back into the groove that should help. 2. We are playing less split safety and more two high because we are worried about leaving ANY of our safeties isolated in center field. The days when if you started to get gashed you immediately put Hyde or, normally, Poyer into the box and went single high are gone. They don't trust these guys in single high, takes one more man away in run defense. 3. Daquan Jones is really struggling. When the wall comes from big guys it comes quick. Looks like it hit him like a truck this offseason. Oliver missing the last two doesn't help either. But they NEED a 1T upgrade next year. I was always against the Jones extension at his age.

But we rusher two on two consecutive plays. If they'd played defense on both plays no guarantee at all that he gets them into FG range.

I didn't like rushing 2 on the Hail Mary. I'd have rushed 4 - though worth saying we rushed 4 on the Hail Murray and got stung. But I'd have rushed 4. That said I understood what they were trying to do on the Hail Mary. Where they were trying to give themselves maximum cover guys to play the HM and the sideline at the same time. Wasn't what I'd have done but understood it to an extent then you just gotta execute better. Lazard beat all the Bills to the prime spot. The less excusable play was the play before where they also rushed 2 when the Jets had a timeout left and gave them an easy 15 yards. That made no sense to me. Just play your normal defense there. Okay move the safeties back 10 yards if you wish, but otherwise just play defense. Not sure what that plan was designed to defend?

And yet again last night he is struggling running clearouts to open other things up. Has been an issue for him all year. He has to be a lot better on plays where he isn't getting the ball as well as those where he is.