GunnerBill

Ed was 70%. Groot was 60%. The rest was a heavy rotation although injuries obviously played a part in that. As for what the "best teams" do it varies heavily team to team. The Chiefs have 3 guys - Danna, Karlaftis and Jones all at 68 or 69%. Pretty consistent with just the 4th spot a lot more rotated. The 49ers have Bosa at 75%, Hargrave at 57% and nobody else over 50%. Heavy rotation. The Eagles last year had Cox and Hargrave in the mid 60s and then heavy rotation after that. I don't think there is a right or wrong on heavy rotation as long as you have a couple of constants. But I DO think the Bills have to be better at finding cheap contributors up there. You can't have only 1st and 2nd round picks plus guys you have paid good money to. They need to find a day 3 guy who can be part of that rotation.

Yea sucks not to see him. Guyton too. They are both guys I saw as likely in that borderline day 1 / day 2 space. No Mitchell is disappointing but think he is in a different category. He has probably already done enough to go in the first round.

I don't think he is the polar opposite of Elam. I think he is similar. I think he struggles in transitions, gets grabby when beat and is flat out bad in run support. I agree Elam was a terrible fit here. I said that before they picked him too. I wasn't particularly high on Samuel in general to be honest. He was a late 2nd round grade for me. As I said earlier the corner who was, for me, in that high second round grade range where I had Groot was Tyson Campbell. He was solid as a rookie, had an excellent year in 2022 but wasn't as good this past season. He to me is the only answer for who did they miss the opportunity on at that spot with Rousseau. I had a higher grade on JOK, who just had a brilliant year, but he is an off the ball 'backer so I am not gonna kill them for taking a swing on the higher value position.

I don't love the games being so close. Used to be an opportunity when they were a week apart for the Senior Bowl to make late invitations to guys who showed put in the Shrine. Having them two days apart negates that sadly.

We run a ton of stunts this year. We don't run a ton of wide 9 though. That is true. He really didn't. They were better but not better enough for the talent level on that team.

No. The nickel role Taron plays is critical to our D. We will continue to be a nickel base.

Samuel was a terrible fit for our scheme.

I understand the point you are making... but I'm saying it isn't like there were a ton of prospects with real upside there. Tyson Campbell is the only guy I can think of who was: 1. Available 2. A premium position 3. Has demonstrated difference maker type ability. Even with the benefit of hindsight I can come up with precisely one name (and he wasn't as good this year either).

They were really keen to take an edge and he was the best edge on the board. I liked Tyson Campbell as well at corner (had him and Groot graded the same), who has probably been a more impactful pro but other than that it is hard to come up with the guy they should have picked in terms of that ability to be a difference maker.

Long-time members will know already but one of my draft season secrets is that I prefer the Shrine Game to the Senior Bowl. Why? Because I think it exposes you more to guys you would otherwise not have seen and because I think the Senior Bowl gets slightly overhyped. I will watch the Senior Bowl too, though probably not until tomorrow, but for now here are my takeaways from an entertaining Shrine Bowl on Thursday Night. Starting on offense... No other place to start but for Frank Gore Jnr (#3, Running Back, West) who had 6 rushes for 87 yards and a touchdown. It is an obvious thing to say but he is so reminiscent of his dad in the way he plays. He isn't fast, he isn't big, but he has great vision, fantastic feet and he always seems to fall forwards. Gore Snr went in round 3 of the draft way back in 2005 but I suspect a player of his type would be much more like a day three pick now and that is where I expect Gore Jnr to end up. But I won't be betting against him making a team and making an impact in the pros. Another name that might be familiar is Taulia Tagovailoa (#5, Quarterback, West) who originally followed his brother to Alabama before breaking records as the QB at Maryland. The younger Tagovailoa isn't as thick as his brother in terms of his frame but as a result looks a little faster and able to create with his feet when his first read isn't there. He was the best Quarterback on display by some distance but he is very much a system Quarterback who will need a heavy dose of RPO to succeed in the league but in the right offense could be a viable backup and I expect him to be drafted in the later rounds. The other standout on the west offense was another running back, Blake Watson (#22, Running Back, West) out of Memphis, who led his team in receiving, catching all six of this targets for 65 yards and adding 46 on the ground. He is a late day 3 / priority UDFA type but he could find a niche in the NFL as a receiving back. I liked his feel for space in being a checkdown option to his Quarterback and decisiveness with the ball in hand. The east offense had less success but there were a few guys that caught my eye. Dallin Holker (#5, Tight End, East) who transferred from BYU to Colorado State this year and had 767 yards and 6 touchdowns this past season was particularly impressive. Showed himself as a good safety blanket option for his quarterback, blocked willingly and demonstrated an ability to fight for the ball in contested catch scenarios (even if in the NFL replay may have overturned one of his catches). In a shallow tight end class he is probably a lock to get drafted and could even sneak into the middle rounds. A player I'll definitely be going back to the college film of. I also thought Christian Mahogany (#73, Guard, East) out of Boston College was the most impressive offensive lineman on display in a game where DLs probably had the better of it. Like his feet, really sound technically, proficient at re-directing rushers and able to sustain his blocks throughout the down without resorting to holding. Really liked him. It isn't the deepest interior offensive line group. Can see him going on day two. And finally, I suspect Anthony Gould (#2, Wide Receiver, East) probably ensured he got drafted with an impressive punt return touchdown. He has some form as a punt returner in his collegiate career at Oregon State and I suspect a team looking for some pop in the return game will now be willing to throw a late day 3 pick at him and give him a shot in camp and pre-season to earn a job. Onto defense... I thought best defensive player on display was Grayson Murphy (#91, EDGE, West) out of UCLA who had two sacks. Not to be confused with his twin brother, Gabriel, who also played in the game and came into it with the slightly bigger reputation, Murphy showed bend off the edge and some explosion in his first step. He will need to improve his hand usage and I'll be interested in the arm length measurement when that comes at the combine, but definitely a draftable player on day 3 who can contribute early as a rotational pass rusher. Sticking with the Bruins I also came away impressed by Darius Muasau (#50, Linebacker, West) who looks and feels like a modern coverage linebacker. Fast and instinctual player who attacks the ball. But he also laid a couple of really nice hits on ball carriers and demonstrated good lane discipline in the run game. Question will be about where he fits in an NFL defense but this is a day 3 pick with the potential to end up an NFL starter. Jarius Malone (#32, Corner, West) out of Tulane, stole the headlines among the DBs with an interception in the second half and he looks like a possible late round zone corner who could compete for an NFL roster spot, but my eye was drawn to Tyler Owens (#28, Safety, West) out of Texas Tech who would count as a pretty deep sleeper and is probably a UDFA, but I liked his ability in coverage as a bigger safety and he made a nice pass breakup when asked to come down into the box and cover a slot receiver. Not too many 6'2 safeties you see do that. Definitely a name I'll be keeping an eye out for as the draft winds down. Finally a couple of mentions for the defensive line of the east team. I was both taken and disappointed with Mohammed Kamara (#58, EDGE, East) who showed some of the twitch and power he is renowned for but who I kind of hoped might really dominate on the back of a 14 sack season where he stood out for Colorado State but he didn't turn the flashes into plays. I still think an interesting day three pass rush prospect but as a smaller player who isn't going to hold up too well vs the run he will have to show more as a pass rusher to make an impact in the NFL. On the flip side David Ogwoegbu (#92, EDGE, East) out of Houston (but who spent his first four years at Oklahoma) did turn his flashes into plays with two tackles for loss in the run game and the East team's only sack. He is a bit of a tweener for me in that he started his college career at linebacker, moved onto the line but isn't twitchy or bend enough to play as a true edge and probably isn't big enough to be a starting defensive tackle but as someone who plays as an interior penetrator in sub packages I think he has a chance to make a team - although my gut instinct is he will have to do so as an UDFA because that lack of a true position will prevent him being drafted. I hope at least a few of these guys go on to have decent NFL careers.

I think the point might be about whether he makes it down to our spot.

He is a really good coach. I have never known a guy get so much hate off a fanbse for good performance. Frazier was DC in Buffalo 6 years. He had 4 top ten defenses in 6 years. 3 of them were top 5. His only year outside the top 15 defensively was his first year - 2017 - when he was coordinating a defense starting Adolphus Washington, Preston Brown, Ramon Humber and Leonard Johnson. He is a damn good football coach and the disrespect he gets is totally ridiculous. He'd have crossed over with MacDonald in Baltimore too so like when he came here it is a guy he knows as well. In fact I think MacDonald might even have been assistant DBs when Leslie was DBs coach for the Ravens right before the Bills hired him.

The game he didn't blitz once he beat Patrick Mahomes. Just saying.

I can't buy Greg as a fail for where he was picked. He has only missed 4 starts in 3 years and has been a good starting defensive end. Exceptional against the run good at batting balls vs the pass. Sure he is only a moderate pass rusher but he was not drafted in the top 10. He was drafted #30 overall. If at the end of round 1 you get an above average starter who has started almost every game through three years that isnt a fail. If the point is he isn't an elite difference maker, sure, he isn't. And overall it is agreed Beane hasn't found enough of those. But Rousseau isn't a failed pick. He is a really good football player.

Settle is trash. I wouldn't necessarily guarantee Shaq a spot. But Id bring him back on vet minimum and let him compete in camp. Sure Jones is the priority but he is not a must keep and there should be a price at which they say no and walk away. Floyd disappeared after about week 10. He was our best pass rusher early season. But his effectiveness fell of a cliff down the stretch.

Way before my time.

I'd put Fred on too.

I'd put them on the wall. Id put Kyle up there too.

Agree although getting Josh to slide is easier said than done. He just has that gamer in him and in the heat of the battle I am not sure you are stopping him.

The last 3 years they have tried the limit the runs until about week 11 or 12 and then gone to it down the stretch. Was has happened each year? There have been to a lesser or greater extent offensive wobbles early / mid season. I think they need to scrap that plan. Just let Josh play his natural game. He isn't Tom Brady. He is Josh Allen. He plays better when he feels free to run. You are just wrong on James Cook.

I don't think it is the deepest class in terms of guys who can start early.

I think Marcus West was a real credible candidate for promotion. He has earned his chops over the last decade fighting his way up the ladder taking jobs at small time FBS schools before getting to the Bills in 2022. Classic example of a guy who doesn't have the contacts to get in on who he knows and has really had to prove himself. The people I have spoken to on him say he is a hell of a teacher. Hope he makes the step up seamlessly. Al Holcomb has obviously been a linebackers coach in the league before.

Surely you'd let "Never Settle" and "PooPoo Ford" walk too? They are hopeless. He is 32 the wall could come literally any moment. I'd like to keep him and I would do a 1 year deal but if he wants a longer commitment then I wouldn't be willing to go there. So by that metric not a must keep.

There isn't a single "must keep" on that list for me. I'd be interested in Jones at the right price, Shaq is an easy re-sign to vet minimum, and if AJE fails to get what he wants in free agency and comes back to me I'd be interested in doing a deal. The rest can go.

For sure McDermott isn't Belichick or Reid. They are two of the greatest coaches of all time. But they aren't the only guys to have won Superbowls in the past two decades.