GunnerBill

To be clear I don't know what the relationship was like in 2023. My take on 2023 is all my reading based on how it looked. My take on 2022 is verified from inside the building and by the end of that season the relationship was in a really bad place.

Yea there was definitely a rift. At the end of 2022 they were barely on speaking terms, they had no communication at all over that offseason. They obviously managed to patch something together to play during 2023 and I don't know what the relationship was like coming out of that season, but I did find it interesting no mention at all of Josh in his exit message. In comparison on his way out of Minnesota he said "Kirk will always be my guy" of Cousins. I think the Bills concluded whatever was broken between them was unfixable.

Their designated UK "home" stadium is Wembley. When they play at Tottenham it is a road game.

I think walk. Davis will have 2 years in the system and can take over, draft another mid round RB that year and keep cycling through. The ONLY thing that changes the equation is if he becomes a real receiving threat. That could make them re-consider. I don't just mean a decent check down option. I mean Kamara or McCaffrey who teams design pass plays for. I don't see Cook ever being that but if he were then it might tip the balance for them. Never draft one day 1 either.

I'm coming if it happens.

But I'm not sure McDermott being in a make-or-break season is a reality. Nothing that the Bills have done or said this off-season leads me to believe that is the case. I still think they'd have to miss the playoffs for there to be a change.

Yea he was elite but for a shorter period. He was considered something of a 1st round bust in Chicago but he had a solid 5 year period there with the Panthers where he was right at that elite level and was a bona fide #1 weapon on that team. As you say he isn't in the Gronk, Kelce, Gonzalez tier but he had a solid period of elite play in his career.

Thats still around a 2am finish though London time. And I don't know how you get all those people out and home from Wembley or Tottenham at that time. The night time infrastructure just isn't in place to do it. And I know people will say "ah but for one night surely they will find a way" well take it from someone who was at the Euro 2020 (in 2021) final at Wembley with England in it.... those ad hoc one off arrangements don't work. And that game finished much earlier. The problem is our biggest stadia are not in very accessible spots. The Olympic Stadium might work a little bit better. But still not easy.

I am not here to tell you that Epenesa is a stud. Or even that is truly a full time starting defensive end (I don't think he is). But it is wrong to say he hasn't developed since he has been here. He was just a pure bull rusher in college whose stock in trade was running tackles over and cleaning up the Quarterback. Almost all of his sacks the past two seasons have been on outside speed rushes where he has definitely learned to dip his shoulder and square offensive tackles up before exploding past them. He didn't have that ability when he came out of college so he has definitely developed. He is also arguably the Bills' best finisher when he gets pressue. When AJ is in range of the QB he usually gets him down whereas Groot, Ed, Floyd all at times in the last couple of seasons have been guilty of letting their guy get away. I think his role remains essentially just a situational pass rusher. His all round skillset still isn't there to be your go to defensive end IMO. Doesn't play with enough eye discipline, doesn't set the edge, doesn't play with patience and isn't a master of his hand usage. I don't hate the contract at what it is... 1yr 7m or 2yrs 12m. But equally I am not telling you our pass rush is solved because we have AJ Epensea.

Hasn't been first team all pro since 2020. He was a 2nd team all pro in 2022.

That is exactly why the teams with rookie QBs value those mid tier WR2s. Because you need certainty. It doesn't stop you drafting one as well. Indeed that is how the Bills got Gabe. John Brown was their #2 for their 3rd year QB and they took a shot at a drafted guy too. I don't see that market changing. Teams with QBs on rookie deals will continue to sign established vet WR2s to mid tier deals unless something drastic happens to disrupt the model (CBA changes and/or modifications to the way the cap / free agency works).

Yea they'd sell out even at SB prices. And there are plenty of suites at Wembley that wouldn't be an issue. I agree the Superbowl in London is not going to happen. But it isn't because they'd struggle to sell tickets. I promise you that would not be an issue.

What, if anything, this process has taught us is I should talk more about Ryan Tannehill.

I hated the pick. And in 2019 after the Browns game I was like "he needs to step it the ***** up." Indeed @Beck Water in a former life gave me a ban for it.... I was critical of his 2023 season as well. I think it was the worst year since he broke out properly in 2020. But only by his standard not by standard of the league. I don't shy away from the times I have criticised Josh. Nor do I think he should be beyond criticism (which he often is here). But the poster is talking about something that demonstrably never happened.

No they are not. It will never happen because of the first reason. But if the first reason were overcome and they kicked off at 7pm GMT they'd sell out, multiple times over.

I don't have a link I can send you but I have seen it and multiple people I talk to have too. Sure he can rush the passer. But he doesn't play the run at all and he tries when he wants.

Yea. I think Burrow is better off script than Purdy and certainly than Goff etc, but I think compared to the other guys we talk about in the elite conversation he is weaker there. He is the probably the best in the league purely from the pocket though.

I don't think it is besides the point. I think it is exactly the point. I'm not here lauding the Bills pass rush. I'm just saying Ngakoue is not the answer.

And what chance do the US have of winning the World Cup?

Exactly why it wouldn't work. That's 11pm here. Wherever you have it - Wembley, Tottenham, Olympic Stadium... you can't get people out and home / to hotels at 4am. Yep. They'd sell out. Absolutely no problem. Within minutes.

Yea Khan has won three mayor victories and three pretty comfortable ones at that. London is a Labour city. Always has been. Boris broke the mold but he is the only Conservative to have won the mayoralty since it was introduced. That said, while the Conservatives were in power nationally it suited them to have a Labour mayor. They ran Zac Goldsmith who was a credible candidate but way too rich the first time against Khan but they have run two utterly hopeless fruitcakes against him the last twice. It suited them to have him there as a bogey man to try and pin transport strikes and police #### ups and infrastructure overspends on. With them about to get pulverised in the General Election and the likelihood of at least a decade out of power I suspect they will try and run a more credible candidate next time. But even if they do it is still an uphill battle for a Tory to win London. So Khan could be around a while yet.

I mean we have given you two world cups in the last 30 years whereas the home of football hasn't had one since 1966! Whereas you lot can only just kick a soccer ball. I saw Diana Ross try.... The Superbowl winners call themselves "World Champions" do they not?

I mean he just won a 3rd landslide victory in the Mayoral election. Yep, mid June trooping the colour. I know because the brass band rehearse up and down under my office window for a month beforehand and it has begun! Yea you get Strongbow less now than you did. The hipsters prefer the trendy Irish bottled ciders but if you can find a proper decent old style boozer you will get it.

It won't happen. I think the time difference is a limiting factor here. Realistically the latest you can kick off to get it all in and get people out of the stadium and back to their hotels etc is about 7pm. That's 11am Pacific time. Do the NFL really want a Superbowl kicking off then? Of course Sadiq wants it. He is the Mayor of London and it would bring in a chunk of revenue. I might be biased of course but London is the greatest city on earth IMO, it just isn't the right place for the Superbowl.

The market for the proven thing, decent not great, #2 receivers like Gabe Davis is, and will continue to be, teams with QBs on rookie deals.