GunnerBill

So there are some dysfunctional teams. The Bills are not one (though for a long time they were). But the process as it works in functional organisations is that they have clear specifications of the types of person they want and the types of player they want at each spot and everyone from the area scouts up understands the schemes that the team runs and what that means for the skillsets of the players they need. The scouts and the senior personnel people do the evaluations over the course of the season, the GM and his top assistants use that to build a board. In the spring they involve the coaches in meetings at the Combine and 30 visits etc and then give them special projects to look at (particularly if there is a question about a player's fit or they have little clusters of players at a spot similarly graded). Then they use all the info they gather through the spring to make any adjustments they need to their board (from interviews, from coaches projects, from medicals etc). Then the GM uses the board on draft day to make the picks. That is the collaborative type of process most teams use. I've long believed that the Bills veer towards the smaller side on board size. More in the 100 to 120 space than the 150 plus space, just based on how they act in the draft. So as for the "McDermott pre-approves everyone they pick" in a sense if they make the draft board then everyone at the top of the organisation has approved them as a potential selection by the Buffalo Bills. But in the other sense the idea that he has personally evaluated all 100 to 120 guys on their board in the level of detail to govern their choices is for the birds. That's why he wanted the man he trusts as the GM. Because he knows he can't do that.

FBS school, small size, not much of a run player. But MAN he can rush the passer.

My key take aways: 1. Impressed with Keon's knowledge of the game and coverages. For someone who has only focussed on football the last 3 years he talked ball impressively. 2. No secret I thought they reached a bit on DeWayne Carter. But as I always say the bits the amateurs can't know is the interviews and the person. Love his attitude, love him turning up in a suit. I once turned up in a suit for an interview at a sports shop back when I was a student. It's about being professional at whatever you do. Yea, he's my kinda guy. 3. The chemistry and trust between Beane, Gray and Gaine has clearly developed. That first year that Schoen and Morgan left I remember watching the draft videos and feeling really strongly that Beane looked isolated. Still to an extent last year you felt like it was all on him. This year felt more like it was previously, he has his top two lieutenants in place and he can trust them and feels more relaxed. 4. Laura Pegula being featured was interesting to me. Given what has been written about the fact that she (Terry's eldest daughter from his first marriage)is increasingly powerful in the organisation in Kim's absence. Succession wise it bears watching. 5. I don't think there was any grand plan when they started moving down from #28 to draft Coleman. It felt much more like "no firsts left let's focus instead on recouping that 3rd rounder and then see where we are left" but equally it is clear that as night one ended there was no re-stacking the board they knew Keon was their pick.

And then Beane took the running back..... because Beandon runs personnel not McDermott.

I don't disagree with that in principle. But the Bills backed themselves into a corner at safety with how they handled free agency. Because the drop off from Bishop to the three stiffs on the roster might be greater than the drop off at any other position on the entire team. Btw I don't think people would have said safety was a weak class. It was weak at the top, sure. But the sweet spot was always late 2nd to early 4th. The safety class was one of the stronger groups in that range.... sort of 60 to pick 120. In fact 10 went between #58 and #133. I know your point is that made it silly to use #60 on one and not your 3rd or 4th rounder but again they backed themselves into a corner there with how they approached free agency. I woulda gone about the offseason differently. But from where they put themselves they HAD to come out of the draft with a safety who could start early for them. The alternative would have been horrific. It was a draft for need though. The first four picks were at the spots where they had the biggest holes on the roster. Some people might believe that was coincidence and following the board. I don't. In actual fact of the four Bishop was the best value in terms of my board at the spot he was taken.

The problem is they have nothing on the roster at safety. Before FA I was very much in the "make safety your FA priority" camp. But they didn't. They re-signed two backup level players and signed another backup level player. Going in with Rapp - Edwards - Lewis - Hamlin would have been the sort of group bad enough to be a liability so the value above replacement of Bishop is considerably higher. So while spending a 2nd rounder on a safety doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies their overall resource allocation at safety this offseason is still pretty negligible and forced them into doing something in the draft. I don't think any of the other 3 are even serviceable NFL starters.

McDermott doesn't set the draft board. Beane does. I agree that they don't have many disagreements that is because McDemott trusts Beane to do his job. They agree the overall strategy of how they want to approach a season and that stage of the roster build but then it is over to Beane and his staff. They ask the coaching staff to do projects on specific draft prospects but McDermott does not evaluate every player on their draft board. He trusts Beane to do that.

I don't think any decision is "all on Beane." That isn't the way they operate. They are VERY collabrative. But Beane makes the decisions on personnel. Of course McDermott got him the job. He was handpicked by McDermott to be his GM. But it is because he wanted someone in charge of personnel he trusted. He trusts Beane. Beane runs personnel. The decisions are his. I am not saying he is overruling McDermott left right and centre. He doesn't have that power and even if he did that isn't how they operate. But he is NOT just doing McDermott's bidding. He is ultimately the guy they trust to take the calls on personnel. On Diggs specificially I am sure the pair of them sat down and discussed what was right for the team, what trading him would mean and how they would then build out a receiving corps. To be honest that kind of trade would be the same anywhere. Even a more traditional linear organisation like Philly or Indy where the Head Coach reports to the GM. They would not make that move without all making sure they are on the same page. Yep, he isn't that type of person or GM. That isn't how they work together. One doesn't overrule the other. They work together on the strategy and then they let one another execute their role in line with that strategy. For McDermott that means hiring a coaching staff, implementing schemes and managing the game on gamedays. For Beane that means hiring a front office and scouting team, identifying and signing free agents and evaluating and selecting draft prospects.

They win or lose based on their defense. When they give up more than 20 they lose and I don't see that being any different with Wilson or Fields. So the question for the Steelers is have they reinforced the D enough to get to 9-8 again? I think the answer is probably yes. But the defensive front is still an issue and in that division I wonder if the Ravens and Browns will just be able to run it down their throats.

But they are Brandon Beane's decisions.

The draft is personnel decisions. They are Brandon Beane's. The people who think McDermott is in the background making every decision are wrong. He has input. But the personnel decisions are not him.

Of course he doesn't take guys the Head Coach doesn't want. They are very tight with each other they share a vision for how the team is built. But the decisions on personnel are Brandon Beane's. They way this roster is built bears all the hallmarks of the Hurney / Gettleman builds in Carolina when Beane was a senior exec in that front office. This is a Brandon Beane built roster. He makes the personnel decisions.

Yes. But Brandon Beane is in charge of personnel. He makes the calls. If we want to talk about the draft McDermott did run we found Tre White (all pro), Dion Dawkins (7 year starter) and Matt Milano (all pro). The drafts since then have been run by Brandon Beane and for good - and there has been a fair amount of good - and ill he is responsible for the selections.

McDermott didn't draft anybody. Beane did.

I don't really like roasts. It is not really a thing over here and tbh I hope it stays that way.

We will open in division. I can see the Jets or New England in Buffalo or New England or Miami on the road. I hope its fewer prime time games though I expect not. As someone this side of the pond for whom prime time means taking at least half a day's leave afterwards they are a real pain.

I'm not sure that I believe they were. I obviously really liked Legette but I am not sure the Bills were as high on him.

Yea I said all along they knew who Dan Morgan wanted. He and Beane are tight. Its a rare case where a GM would say "come on who is your guy, as long as its not our guy I'll do it" and because if their relationship Morgan is gonna tell him.

I was having a conversation with @JerseyBills who was saying he was one of the best LBers in the game in Madden 4 years ago. I was replying to him explaining his career trajectory. You decided for reasons unknown to insert yourself into the conversation to suggest that I was somehow misleading him (I wasn't) with the 4th team in 4 years. If your original point was "yea it's 4 in 4 years but that is not that uncommon for dust settles FAs like this to fill out the backend of rosters" the conversation would have ended there. Because you are right on that. Instead you claimed I was trying to "make it sound more dramatic." Which I wasn't. I was just presenting a fact. At no stage did I not accept it was common. It is. It is also uncommon for those guys to make significant impacts for their teams. Both are true.

I agree. I like this actually as a punt. But nobody should be under any illusions that is what it is. It is a punt on someone with some physical talent who for reasons other than height, speed, athelticism is in the last chance saloon with his NFL career

Okay so my criteria for my choices is: 1. I am only considering their performance in Buffalo not their overall NFL career. 2. They can not have played a playoff game as a Bill. Which leaves me with a choice of Jason Peters and Mario Williams. Reason? I think they were the two guys that spring to mind as having periods of elite performance in their Bills run and at premium positions too. I wanted to pick a receiver and thought about Lee Evans but he was just a lesser player than Mario and Peters. EDITED: I forgot Peters somehow. Gilmore was originally my 2nd choice. He'd be third for me.

You sum exactly my point with Carter (who I don't dislike, just think took him earlier than I would). There was a run a DTs. They needed a DT and therefore their choice at the end of the 3rd round was about filling that gap. That is exactly what I think happened, potentially above and beyond board value. Especially as they wanted a DT last year too and didn't get one and it has left them in a bit of a hole with Ed basically the only DT on the roster beyond the immediate short term. On Davis he was my R6. I had a pretty clear top 5 - four of whom went day 2 and Wright who the Dolphins gave up a 2025 3rd for early on day 3. Davis is a good back and he was my best of the rest. Again they had a big hole behind Cook. It was a need. But is still a low premium position. Cook is still more talented. He is going to be RB1. So it is a 4th rounder for someone who at least the next two years is a backup running back.

Where have I not accepted that?

No I didn't. I spoke facts and you took offence for some unknown reason. I like Deion. But its his 4th team in 4 years.

When I read this I thought "whoa that's a bit bold for what would have been a rookie 5th rounder." And then I thought about it and I think you are right. Which kinda tells its own story. It isn't about Malik. It is about the fact that this WR corps by any measure is missing a fair few elements that you'd like to have.