GunnerBill

Of the outsiders I think probably Cincy is still the most dangerous if the change of Defensive Coordinator works for them. Maybe if Houston can get its oline sorted they could still push? I think the Chargers have a tougher road now. They just lost their best player for the year in Rashawn Slater. Denver to me is a team that is going to win double digit regular season games this year but then still look a class below come playoff time.

I am not sold yet on Shavers making it. I will say this... the chances Shavers and Shenault both make it is less than 5% IMO.

I am not closed to this. I am just not persuaded yet.

Agree. That one was overturnable IMO.

He's not bendy or quick twitch but has a decent first step, can convert his length advantage into power when he bull rushes and has good aggressive hands (especially good rip move). The two concerns for me on the Arkansas tape were his consistency..... there are games where he looks dominant and games where he looks like a big guy who isn't really a football player and his stiffness - especially when trying to change direction. I don't have my board in front of my but I think I had an early 3rd on him - so right about where the Bills took him. I still like the pick there value wise and think there is some ceiling but right now he feels more like a guy who might make an impact in years 2,3,4 than as a rookie.

I don't think replay got any of them wrong. None of them were clear and obvious mistakes to my eye. It comes down to officials spots on the field. That is where the error was. It's almost impossible to win those spot call challenges.

He isn't guaranteed a jersey on gamedays right now. It looks like Solomon is firmly ahead of him and will make up the top 4 with Groot, Bosa and AJE. They generally dress 9 DL and so it probably comes down to whoever the 5th DT is (maybe Carter?) vs Jackson.

I disagree. I always thought last year was a mini reset year. Not rest and reload, but definitely the turning of a page on AllenBills v1.0. That wasn't to say it was a free hit, or the Bills didn't try to win. They did. And they were darn close. But I always felt it was more about the growth of the guys in that new core..... Cook, Benford, Shakir, Brown etc... I think that happened - all four of those guys took a step forward and I feel better about the Bills chances going into this year. I always say Superbowl teams generally have 3 to 4 elite players and the Bills last year going in only had one. I still think absolute bona fide it is one right now but I think Benford and Brown in particular are right there on the cusp. If they can take another small step into the company this year then by the post season I think the Bills might have what you need elite talent wise. It wasn't that the window was shut in 2024, but it was open less wide than in 2021-23 and less open than it is this year too IMO and looks to be for the next 2 or 3 years too.

This, for sure, is correct. I think people would be less bothered about the delay until 30 September if this hadn't already dragged on so long. It is largely out of the league's hands though as they always wait for the conclusion of the legal process first and that only concluded last month.

It is ridiculous but the NFL has always treated things that could impact the on field (such as PEDs) more seriously than things that just tarnish the reputation.

Mid by his standards. Yep. He has still been a top 5 QB in the NFL both years. That just shows how high his standard is.... but yea... he has not played at his highest level the last two years.

The other thing he was is a clunky scheme fit for a lot of schemes. I remember when I was doing the 2 round mock with @gonzo1105 there were a few edge needy teams in that late 2nd territory where Jackson just was not a fit. We found a team in the end in that range where it made sense..... the Buffalo Bills (I know they ended up taking him in the third but we didn't have trades).

So from what I have seen so far it's c.$15m guaranteed at signing with a foregone conclusion option bonus in 2026 of about $7.5m at which time some of the 2027 money also guarantees. Feels like the Bills are tied in at least for this year and the first two of the four year deal. Sounds kinda fair. Josh breaking his hand week 1 last year forced them to back off running Josh inside the 5 so much (excpet for sneak type plays) and made them trust Cook. Finding out he is pretty reliable inside the 5 means they know now they don't need to use Josh as that battering.ram down there. In the long run that broken hand might have been a blessing.

For sure. I just don't think when it fails it automatically equals the coach is bad. I get it. In the modern world things are binary. That is just not reality though.

It will. But I also don't think it makes it right.

Agree.

I think ideally they would. But I just think the others are clearly superior players and with longer term potential. Green or Feeney will likely be retained on the PS and if they got an injury they'd be activated. The way the rules are these days encourages teams to keep the young developmental guys on the 53 and the experienced but limited vet guys on the PS.

He practiced for about 5 days before getting hurt... and while I agree the reports weren't glowing they weren't terrible either. There is a ton more information available..... 32 starts worth of game film from the University of Kentucky. And this is not saying you are only allowed to be positive..... but I'm not surprised you get push back on such a strong negative opinion (to the point of saying you will stop posting if you are wrong) based on reading a few scouting reports and 5 days of training camp his rookie year.

So basically it is a gut feel based on reading scouting reports?

What is it about him that makes you so convinced he will fail?

Bishop can't go on PUP. Once you are in camp it's too late. He would have to go IR. I don't think I expect that at this stage... but even if he does Herndon is still a fair way down the pecking order. I think Rapp, Hamlin, Lewis, Forrest and even Hancock as a safety would all come in advance of Herndon.

Yea I thought he sounded blunt on both Bishop and Samuel. There was some tangible frustration in his tone on both IMO. That said I agree with @gonzo1105 - this move is about making sure they can get through the Bears game without exposing their second stringers to too heavy a workload while Bishop and Rapp remain out. If who turns out to be a good pro? Hairston or Bishop?

I agree that I think it will be someone other than KC in the Superbowl from the AFC this year. For both Buffalo and Baltimore it really has to be them. They have been the two teams vying for that #1 contender status consistently and yet the one other time in the past six seasons that it was someone other than KC it was the Bengals who sort of came from nowhere and have not as consistently contended. There is pressure on both the Bills and the Ravens this year to get it done. And if it is not KC but also neither of them then pressure will rachet up on both staffs IMO.

Yes. I still say it was. The number 1 priority for the Bills going into 2020 was they needed to come out of it knowing for certain whether Josh Allen was the guy. He had a mixed rookie year, took some steps in 2019 but with plenty of inconsistency still present and in 2020 they needed no excuses can he be the guy for this team. Much easier to make that assessment with a veteran, elite, wide receiver than with a rookie - however good that rookie ultimately is. If they were faced with a similar decision today and they traded for the vet I'd hammer them. They know who Josh is, take a swing on the young talent. But in 2020 the priority was finding out for sure on Josh Allen and trading for Stefon Diggs allowed them to do that more than drafting any receiver in that class would have. Also - though this supports your point re. them needing to better evaluate offensive talent - they weren't picking Jefferson there anyway. I have it on pretty good authority that at the point they made the trade the calculation they were talking through was vet Diggs vs rookie Tee Higgins. The draft was still six weeks away, so things could have changed.... but as at the point they made the trade I think the guy they were otherwise leaning towards picking at that spot was Tee.

I think more likely the case the $15.28m is the money guaranteed at signing. I suspect the rest of the guarantees are in a team option bonus which triggers next spring and the construct of the contract makes an absolute certainty will be picked up. It's something Beane has used before as a tool when you want to amortise a good chunk of the money but your cap situation for the current year is tight so you can't stick a lot of amortised money on this year. That isn't to say the eventual number can't come in a shade under the reported numbers... both Shakir and Bernard did. But I suspect that is the major reason for the discrepancy on guarantees. The Elijah Moore takes in the spring were wild. He has all but disappeared since we got to camp. I don't know that he is a lock for the roster at this point.