GunnerBill

And he is spot on by the way.

Especially a guy like Benford who was a 6th round pick. His rookie deal paid him $3.8m total. Nice. Enough to be life changing, but not really enough to give him and his family total lifetime security. So I get betting on yourself but if he tears his knee up badly or something else week 1 having not signed and is never the same again and doesn't manage to cash in that matters to him more than most. That gave the Bills some leverage. As with all contracts devil is in the detail but sounds like a hell of a win to me.

He might only have had one "great" season but he had a pretty darn good one in 2023 too. That is not me advocating paying him. But I think he is still actually a bit underrated by some Bills fans.

It's a great contract for the Bills.

Ha. I have him 3rd. I'll explain it very gently. And then agree with him.

He was in 2024. For sure.

When he is wide the Bills run it. I did have the breakdown late in the season (around week 14 or 15 or so). Can't put my hands on it right now - and I don't know that I saw an updated number at the end of the year - but it was like 80% of the time Shakir splits wide the Bills run it and his actual receptions from wide splits were like 10 or 11 I think.

And yet when Josh has had the ball with a chance to win the in the playoffs the past two years he hasn't had that guy to make a play for him. I'm sure Bills would be top 5 or 6 in scoring next year even if they did nothing more on offense, so long as Josh is healthy. But am I sure that it will be any different in the post season in the clutch when we need a guy to step up and make a play? No.

Except of course this regime has zero responsibility for Q.

He makes Shaq look like Bruce Smith. He is going to Pittsburgh.

I'd rather let someone else bet on that. I'd bet on someone who knows what he is doing.

I disagree. I think his ceiling as a WR is a good #2 who is a big play maker rather than a volume guy. His ceiling as a corner is the best in the league.

He is the type of guy old school scouts love. All hustle, all effort, all power, full gas no breaks.... use every cliche going. But his pass rush is pathetic. I watched a bit of his film but abandoned it as an evaluation. If I don't think a guy is even going to be worth a 4th round grade on my board I just move on. Indicatively I thought he was a late day 3 player.

I disagree on #62. If he is there with my first 2nd rounder I'd probably do it depending on the board. Agree at #30 though. That would feel a bit of a reach to me.

Shakir is 100% a slot only. I can't believe this is even still a conversation. It is proven beyond doubt at this point.

I wasn't necessarily saying Palmer is the same player as Gabe - they are different in style - but I think they are the same tier of guy. Low end #2s who you are delighted if they are you first guy in off the bench but always think are upgradeable as your #2. As for the Sanders comparison, sure he did break out later but he got better each year in Pittsburgh as his playing time increased so it was easier to just say that was opportunity. In his final year there he was a very good #2 to the best WR in football at the time. It's also worth saying he went to Denver as the #2 as well to Demaryious Thomas and his numbers were not as good as the guy he replaced in that role from the previous year - Eric Decker - who went to the Jets. I see the style similarity but I do think Sanders was a tier above and was going to his new team as the #2 whereas Palmer comes here as, for the moment, the #1 outside guy. I don't hate the Palmer move or the contract. I'm fine with it. As I keep saying, he will have a career year with Josh Allen if he stays healthy. But he isn't suddenly going to be come a game breaking receiver. A bit like when John Brown came here and had a career year, but he was still John Brown just with a better Quarterback hence better numbers. On Coleman - I agree. I was saying long before that draft and before it became trendy after Matt Harmon said it, Keon Coleman is a big slot. That is where his skillset is best suited. His strength is after the catch ball in hand not separating downfield. The question if Coleman moves inside isn't who comes off the field between he and Palmer... it's who comes off the field between he and Shakir. That's the pair long term I am less sure about co-existing and you can add Kincaid into that mix too IMO. All three are at their best as slot receivers (though they have very different styles). The Bills' issue is other than Palmer they don't have anyone who is best outside.

Yea it is the maxed out point that worries me. He is good technically. I just worry about whether that technique is going to be enough to win consistently against better competition. I see him as a guy who will play his keys, be fundamentally sound, take advantage when tackles whiff and get some clean up sacks when other DL create havoc. But in terms of him individually as a pure pass set pass rusher.... he just doesn't wow me and I don't know what more there is to come.

I'd take Princely over Ezeiruaku every day of every week and wouldn't think twice about it. I know that isn't the consensus, and that's fine. But if Ezeiruaku had played in the SEC he is a 5 sack guy IMO.

Yes. But equally guys who are going to be break out stars have a way of showing it before the end of their rookie deals. Palmer is fine. I can easily see him having career years with Josh and adding 150-200 yards to his previous best. Is a 1,000 yard season out of the question? No. But he basically is what he is. He isn't going to be some hidden gem that suddenly breaks out. The Chargers have had enough need at wide receiver that if he was that guy we would have seen it.

I am not, I did say above I think his ball tracking is excellent. I just don't think he runs routes very well. And route running translates - especially if you wanna play outside. I see the ceiling but there is a lot of development needed IMO to tidy up what he is now. The floor scares me.

We will see. I think his route running is was too sloppy and he deserves pushing down the board from where the consensus on him started. From where it is now.... no I think it's about right. He will got latter half of round 1 or, at worst, the first half a dozen picks of day 2. I'm fine with that (although I don't see him as a fit for the Bills particularly). When he was being talked about as a top 10/top 12 guy? Nah. Too many questions for me. He is a better route runner than JSN, I think he has a better release package too. I think he can play outside in the NFL. Depends where he is drafted, of course, but I'd expect him to be much more a 50/50 split guy.

I don't think we did have two safeties, did we? I went into last year's dradt thinking we had zero safeties. We had about the same depth at defensive tackle, possibly a bit more at edge but a big question mark over who would start opposite Groot and how much they'd get out of Von in a rotational role. Then from a depth perspective I'd put Hamlin's job and Ingram's job and the OL backups as a lot more secure for the 53 now than they felt a year ago. Likewise there was definitely one running back job up for play going into the 2024 draft. Going in this year I feel like there is possibly a tight end job, a receiver job, a couple of corner jobs, a safety job and possibly two defensive line. Oh and a punter. In terms of the easiest places for rookies to make the team its there.

Yea, it is possible. I do think there were more potentially open spots last year in fairness. But it is fair to say the Bills haven't generally been big move uppers later in drafts under this regime. Their MO has more been up early, back late if anything.

I think the best use of them is if there sre prospects there we really like to trade up from our spots in round 4. Earlier than that they are next to useless as trade capital. But using say #169 and #177 gets us from #109 in the early 4th to say #96 at the enr of the 3rd. And then #173 can turn #132 at the end of the 4th into about #116 in the mid 4th. And the Bills would still have their own 5th and 6th rounders. So you'd end up with Own 1st Two late 2nds One late 3rd One mid 4th One late 5th One late 6th Seven picks but two 2nds and no 7th. And 5 picks in the top 120 of the draft. Something like that is, I think, both realistic and attractive.

Yea I am completely the opposite on this point. I know Egbuka has played more slot to this point and Burden has played more split wide, but I see the release package and route running as an ideal fit as a move receiver from the Z position. I think Burden is a guy you need to play in the slot because his route running is going to be a concern outside. Let him just go find space in the middle of the field. I know you are a lot higher than me on Burden though. I'm just not sold on his tape. I feel like Egbuka's floor is the safest of the top 4 receivers in this class. He can run routes and run them very well and that translates.