GunnerBill

I was a huge Watson guy. He has flashed. His issue is staying on the field. I was a bit less of a Johnston guy. The thing with him was he always played smaller than his size. For such a big guy he was bad above the rim. Way too many body catches.

Yea AJ and DK streets ahead of a Mike Williams. The other two still potential. Watson needs to stay healthy. Johnstone needs to prove it. He has been disappointing as a rookie.

I mean not massively. But Williams is a particularly bad separator. I think he is pretty overrated.

I think Mike Williams is really meh too. He does not separate at all.

Yea like them both. I think Leggette is going to be a riser if he runs well. He is in my second tier at the moment. I think he fits my "will start as a #2 but with #1 receiver potential" category once he has mastered some of the nuances of the game in his release and just in how he uses that speed. I think Worthy is a bit more a complimentary player rather than someone I look two years on and say that is my best guy. I think his ceiling is like a good #1B. A guy who you can move around the formation, who can go deep on the outside but who you really want to use as a matchup piece. I agree they have to prioritise a receiver. I would have taken a shot on Hyatt too. At different times last year I thought Hyatt or Rashee Rice could make sense. Rice there is more your Diggs type, Hyatt your vertical speed guy. But I don't think two early receivers is a "need". That is my point. One certainly is.... or a FA / trade splash.

That is fine, that's your belief. But they would have a top pass catching group. As long as the 1st rookie you take works out.

Diggs, the right early pick rookie, Kincaid, Shakir, Knox, Cook. If you can't win with that you don't have a weapons problem IMO. Like I say if the draft falls where there is a receiver sticking out for them after they have taken one then by all means. But they don't need two. One receiver who plays outside and has game breaking speed is a need on this team. Another receiver isn't necessarily a stupid pick but it isn't a need. Their needs will be WR, DL and S.

I expect they will do something at safety in FA.

I disagree with that. I think they need to come out of the first two rounds with one legit receiver prospect. I would take a second one somewhere but I don't think they need three top end stud receivers. If it falls where they have taken one round 1 and they get into round 3 and there is a guy there they shouldn't pass because they have already taken one. But that is different to needing two in the first two days.

Yea Ed's arm length is below the ideal for a Dlineman. He isn't Calijah Kancey, who has sub 30 inch arms or anything but it is on the smaller end. Ed is 31.75. Aaron Donald is also on the smaller end at 32.5 compared to someone like Chris Jones who is 34.5. I do think it has probably cost Ed half a dozen sacks or so over the years where he has been right there and just not had that bit of extra length to drag a guy down. But he has still been a disruptor inside. Outside when backs are trying to run at your outside shoulder those long arms matter way, way more. And that is why Groot is so good in those situations.

I also think Leslie being the kind of guy he is he probably also saw Sean taking on the defense as a HC knowing he was under increasing scrutiny wanting more control and will have realised that having he, the playcaller for the previous 6 seasons, hanging around in the background wasn't necessarily the most helpful.

What I have had confirmed is that as the staff took their week off the Bills fully expected Leslie back. He was not fired, there was no desire to lose him. He contacted them after that break and said he wanted to step away, exactly as Brandon laid it our publicly. Now something obviously prompted that and my speculation is the decision had already been taken that McD would call the defense. But if that were the case is suggests the Bills were happy for Leslie to continue as DC, just without the playcalling responsibility.

Unfortunately at times it felt like the only play that worked in Chan's playbook.

I don't think he was ever coming back. The contentious point as I recall at the time was more did he jump or was he pushed and Frazier definitely jumped. It was his own decision to step away. I think (although despite trying to I haven't had this absolutely confirmed) that McDermott decided to call the defense and after originally accepting that Leslie having taken the week off post self scouting decided he wasn't willing to continue as DC without playcalling responsibility.

Yea, definitely one early. Then I suspect one of our 107 6th round picks.

Yea I did reflect last night on how deep they are now and how injuries had dropped Christian Watson down the pecking order a bit.... but when he has been healthy he has been really productive. I wanted to draft him instead of Elam. If I was Beane I might consider a phone call after the season. Wouldn't be giving up a 1st or a 2nd for him, but if Green Bay was willing to take a 3rd or some combination of pick swaps I might be willing to have a conversation. He is that speedy outside, downfield, type. I think if he could stay healthy he would EAT in our offense.

Yea the thing is nobody ever said he was coming back. The Bills were clear on two things, 1. Leslie wasn't going to coach in 2023; and 2. He wasn't done with coaching. When asked if he was going to be back with the Bills they were completely non-committal.

Indeed the Chiefs going back a couple of years tried to make Jones a full time defensive end. It didn't work. He is much better rushing as a 3T. With all of these interior pass rushers it is a nice change up to use them off the edge in certain pass rush looks but long term it is equivalent of buying a Ferrari and then driving it just in your local neighbourhood for the school run and the supermarket. And as for the idea that it helps your run D.... I'm not so sure. The Bills have decent run defenders on the edge. Groot is one of the best in the league in that category. I also think people are acting like we are about to play Bill Cowher's Steelers who can mash you on the ground. This group will try and run the ball to stay out of 3rd and long and they have two solid backs but if the Bills just play their keys, trust their fundamentals and execute they don't need any special plans or funky formations to stop this version of the Steelers in the run game. As one recently fired coach woukd say - just do your job.

Couldn't get Kincaid? That's Luke Schoonmaker. But whether Dallas were really taking Kincaid or not, and I'm not here to say either way but I have never thought it was the slam dunk others did, the real story is the guy they did take in the first was Mazi Smith, a 1T space eating defensive tackle with half a sack in two years as a starter on a pretty dominant Michigan defensive line. He has started three times, played fewer than 30% of their defensive snaps and barely got on the field last night as Aaron Jones ran for 118 yards and 3 touchdowns. I have been a big fan of the work the Cowboys front office has done drafting in recent years but, in admittedly not a good draft class, one year in their 2023 haul looks like a wash. Slightly off topic but it is a bit why I was less bothered than I would normally be last year that Beane spent his top two picks on kinda high floor guys at non-premium positions. In a good draft (like this year's seems to be) that is not something I would necessarily support. But in last year's draft I didn't mind it so much.

I think he technically IS under contract until this season ends for the Bills. I see the Schefter tweet but when he walked away last year it was reported he was still under contract. If that is the case then how can he already be out of contract unless I suppose he and the Bills have quiety come to a pay off arrangement in between time. Which I accept is quite possible.

In terms of time the Patriots are on that list as well.... Tennessee's last playoff win was AT New England. Appreciate it is probably only 2 games for then but their last playoff win was beating the Rams in the Superbowl. And I think I am right the Jets currently own the longest streak without a playoff appearance? I think it is 13 years.... catching the Bills drought up fast.

Hadn't watched him at all so wasn't a guy I had a grade on.

Will the last one out of Dallas turn off the lights.

Should be an RTP on Parsons too.

Probably do have to kick here on 4th and 10.