GunnerBill

There were some. Definitely. The 2015 roster was, aside from QB the most talented I think I have seen in Buffalo on paper. Sadly not only was the QB underwhelming the coaching was horrible. But at the same time the Bills still have a top 3rd of the league roster even aside from Allen. It isn't as good as San Fran or Philly, or Cincy, or probably Dallas.... but I think it's about on a par with KC.

The reason I don't exclude 6th and 7th rounders is because I wouldn't exclude the successes he has had there - Tyler Bass, Christian Benford (potentially) and Dane Jackson in particular. So don't think it is fair to include the 6th and 7th round hits but not the misses. Though obviously those misses hurt less. Elam and Bernard fair, too soon to say. I think on Moss he can play in the league. He isn't great and he was overdrafted but as a short yardage back, good in pass protection and actually a good pass catcher he is a backup level player. On your final point, actually often they are. It is a really important part of the job. If you can draft the number of starting and solid backup level players Beane has in his drafts that is a way of managing your roster really effectively. GMs who don't do that lose their jobs pretty quickly. I agree drafting stars matters too and I have made this criticism if Beane for a number of years now. Lots of 6s and 7s not enough 9s and 10s. But you only have to look at the depth defensively last year with all the injuries to see that the 6s and 7s do matter, they will enable you to ride our injury crises better than other teams. Without the 9s and 10s they won't win you a championship though.

Rapp is really a box safety too. What they did last year is Poyer played much more as the centre fielder with Hamlin in the box role. I expect Rapp will mainly play in the box and Poyer will play deep if Hyde can't go.

I don't much disagree with that actually. I think Dawson Knox and Taron Johnson are better than "marginally above average" but that apart I don't disagree with much else. Beane doesn't draft many outright busts... guys who just can't play. Cody Ford was one, personally I think Boogie Basham was another but let's see how he does with the Giants before we sign off on that. And then there is Vosean Joseph in round 5, Luke Tenuta in round 6, Austin Proehl in round 7. That is probably it. In all of his drafts. It is likely among the lowest outrigh miss rate of any GM. But I think the only two guys he has drafted who are top 5 at their position are Josh Allen and the aforemention Taron Johnson at nickel..... and both of those came in his first class in 2018. He needs a pick to hit really big sooner or later or the cap situation will be increasingly difficult to manage. Maybe Torrence or Kincaid or James Cook in year 2 are it. Gotta keep pur fingers crossed. We need some of our best players to still be on their rookie deals.

This is my view too. If someone wants to blame coaching for a choke in 2021 be my guest. No argument made. That wasn't the problem in 2020 or 2022 in my view.

Or luck. Or matchup. There is lots that plays in.

They have been top 3 in the regular season 2 of the past 3 seasons. They haven't made or won a Superbowl. We all know that. But when it gets to that point it becomes about more than just a QB.... talent, coaching, matchup and luck are all variables.

Yea but I just do not get the sense he is a "see the big picture guy." He does not need to coach. He could walk tomorrow and land any network TV job he wanted covering the NFL. Maybe I will be proven wrong and he is happy to bottom out draft Williams and try and win but nothing about his personality suggests that to me tbh. The Rams would have to TRY to lose to even get close to the #1 pick. I just do not see them doing that.

I agree that the positions they have hit on are not premium positions. But Smith is a top 5 RG. Humphrey a top 5 C and Sneed a top 5 nickel corner. And they have had starters from round 2 where we have had busts. The 2021 and 2022 drafts are big wins for KC over Buffalo

Yea they'd have to actually really try to tank. I said that right at the start. Is McVay in on a total tank? I mean he was talking retirement two years ago because he'd climbed the mountain. Maybe he is and they are gonna try really hard to lose. Just not sure I see that tbh.

Some truth to that, sure. But they did draft Humphrey and Smith who are among the best at their IOL positions in the NFL. IOL isn't necessarily a difference maker position, agreed. But they did draft elite level players at C and RG.

Maybe it won't. But they have to do it.

The criticism of Beane has never been his ability to draft contributors or even starters. It is his ability to draft difference makers. I still think that is the knock. He has one in 5 drafts to this point (exluding this year's rookies) and that is Josh Allen. He doesn't have many true busts. But he doesn't have a lot of slam dunks either.

Disagree. I think 5 is their absolute floor.

I didn't contradict myself at all. You read between the lines of my posts. Don't. I promise you I know how to express myself. Read the words. Don't assume things that aren't there.

The Rams will win more than 2 games.

I agree we haven't in the playoffs. But I think that is luck more than anything else. We can beat good teams. I am not sure the Jags can. But let's see. But they haven't done it. Yea there you go.

Does it? The Bills have beat top teams. They haven't beat them all on a run to the Superbowl.... but they have beaten good teams. Jags yet to prove it.

A reminder.... Dodson was ahead of Bernard at the point Bernard got hurt in camp. I hope but I do not have much expectation.

Cos Cincy't tackle situation is so bad Joe blocks for himself?

Yea... he predicted each week the Bills would lose. They did eventually lose. So he claims he was on point. Laughable.

The Jags should win a lot of games. So should the Lions. For both the question is are they ready when they play the top half dozen teams in football to go punch for punch. On both I am less convinced. And it is much harder when you have that expectation on you.

If the Dolphins go 15-2 I'll give you the money myself. Despite using pretty much the exact same turn of phrase as I recall.... yea... we believe ya.

The point isn't about who is the biggest threat though, the point is about matchups. The NFL is a matchups league. It is why when people say stuff like Team A only beat Team B by 3 but Team C beat Team B by 20 ergo Team C is better than Team A.... it is just nonsense. Nobody can have a perfect team in the parity of the NFL. Every team has strengths and weaknesses and they match up to different opponents differently.

Yea the Lions equally have to prove that they can beat a playoff team. They were playing the "plucky underdog" last year. There is legit expectation this time. I think they will come up just short again on Thursday night and lose by one score again. That is the hump they need to show they can get over.