GunnerBill

The Saturday night game in Denver on route to our first division title. Just absolutely smoked them. It was a "you do not deserve to be on this field with us" performance that I in my fandom had never seen from the Bills before.

McClaurin is the other guy who was older when drafted that stands out. I take the point on the age thing. I just think it is correlation not causation. And he was a 3rd round pick.... even way back then. The poster's point was even if Coleman had gone back to FSU and put up 1200 yards and 9 touchdowns running a 4.6 in the 40 he wouldn't have been a top 10 pick. He is right on that. Doesn't mean you can't be a good player. But 4.6 WRs are not getting drafted in the top 10.

To me you know you have a true number 1 when he is the guy that the other team is focussed on trying to take away. I always go back to the Vikings actually when Diggs and Thielen were there together and Thielen invariably had more production and long before he was a Bill I had arguments on this forum that Stefon Diggs was the #1 there (around the time they both got paid) because when you watched the games he was the guy teams were gameplanning to take away. They were happy to let Cousins have Thielen and move the chains they didn't want him to have Diggs and hurt people. Kelce has definitely been a #1 for KC. Gronk was a #1 for New England. You can win Superbowls without one though. But I think the collection of attributes you do have better be strong. The Flacco Ravens always spring to mind. They had Torrey Smith as a vertical burner and Anquan Bolden as a big contested catch possession receiver (and a good tight end whose name now escapes me). Smith and Bolden were both #2s but they had such complimentary skillsets that the combination was sufficient. That's what the "draft two, big guy and speedster" advocates in the run up to the draft were on about. If they had taken (for example) Coleman AND Frankin (say in the spot they took Carter) they still wouldn't have a #1 but they'd have two guys with complimentary skillsets. My issue with where we are is less that we don't have a #1. It is that second only to the Chargers we have the least proven WR corps in the entire league.

To this day in terms of draft value points spent on wide receiver in the first 3 rounds of the NFL Draft Sean McDermott (one year running the draft) has spent more than Brandon Beane (seven years running the draft). We have a Carolina drafter doing Carolina drafting. It's all about Beane.

I wasn't making the argument that it is the same to be clear. But I do think in the interests of balance worth pointing out. I think the key for them was they had their best defense of the Reid era last year. We probably have a defense that is worse than before as well. And I definitely have not argued the Bills receiving corps is acceptable. I have been arguing for the last two years it wasn't when we had Diggs and Gabe. It definitely isn't now when it is Curtis Samuel and a rookie.

I think they are the only one with less proven production at the NFL level than the Bills. Chargers 32. Bills 31. New England 30. What I will say is the Chiefs would have been 32 on this list for me last year and we saw how that worked out. I know they have an all timer at tight end but their most proven NFL receiver going into last year was MVS.

I don't think his vision has been coherent.

He is GREAT covering slots and tight end near the line. It is his the thing that stands out on his tape IMO. I do think that is slightly different to the question about him as a centre fielder. He has the physical attributes to do it. His tape isn't as good there though for me. That isn't me saying he sucks at it or anything to be clear. But personally I think as a rookie he is better served in the Poyer role than the Hyde one.

Oh he is only here because McD hand picked him. No doubt. But Beane running the draft would always look like this IMO. Unless he had a Head Coach who had personnel control over him. Indeed in terms of draft value via the JJ chart McDermott spent more day 1 and 2 capital in his 1 draft in charge than Beane has in his 7.

I do agree thar we haven't prioritised offensive assets - wide receiver in particular even nearly enough. But I am 100% confident that would have been the case wherever Brandon Beane was the GM and whoever his Head Coach was. So long as Beane has personnel control he will prioritise defensive line, linebackers and running backs. It is Carolina 101.

I was a firm no when you asked before. I'm still a no. But a softer one. I just am not a big Diontae Johnson guy and never have been. Sloppy route runner with bad hands and a questionable attitude.

Nope. LAC is the worst "proven" group. But they have 3 new wildcards to throw at it. Ours is probably second least proven and we added one dart but a second tier one. New England is probably slightly more proven (never been a big Juju guy but do like Kendrick Bourne and that duo more proven than Samuel and Shakir) they have two low second high third tier new darts in Polk and Baker. It is much of a muchness.

For what our need is I agree. Chark is the best fit. I actually wanted him last year. I have us New England and LAC as the worst 3. I don't think ours is worse than theirs necessarily but it isn't better.

I think McConkey catches. I went Worthy yards thinking big plays but Legette and Coleman make some sense to me there as well. TDs I think Coleman.

Agree unless they hired like a Shanahan or a McVay or someone who would have the authority to have final personnel say and use Beane as a glorified chief scout (although if you are doing that you'd be better getting someone else IMO).

I mean its still one receiver in 7 years first two days.

Beane gambles on a gambler. Interesting.

If you run sub 4.45 Beane tells you to ***** off to Miami. Gotta have another linebacker FC. A team that only plays 2 should be at least 6 deep at that spot at all times. He learned that from Gettleman.

So I also see Cole as more of a Poyer replacement than a Hyde replacement. I don't love his timing as a centre fielder whereas his instincts and timing are much better when he is in closer in the box or covering closer to the line. But I do buy the "he is the most athletic safety on the team" argument. Personally I think Edwards will start as the deep safety with Cole primarily in the box. But let's see how it shakes out.

I am 100 and I mean 100% sure it would be the former. I have done the pick by pick anaylsis of the Panthers drafts during Beane's decade in senior front office positions. 3 receivers in the first two days in 10 years. Over a dozen DL in the same period. It is who he is. It is how he learned. It is what he believes in.

While I definitely fall more on your side about this draft.... every team that has an elite QB for 10-15 years has to have at leadt one reset in that time. Because other position players don't age as well as Quarterbacks. New England had reload years with Brady. They still won their division and made the playoffs because the AFC East was a disaster zone. New Orleans had three 7-9 years in a row in the middle of Brees. Green Bay missed the playoffs twice mid-Rodgers. It is inevitable. Personally I expect the Bills to make the playoffs this year. But I don't think it is a Superbowl window year. Though as I said last night 2022 was supposed to be that for the Chiefs and their rookies all balled out and they won the Superbowl anyway.

He is another guy best in the slot though. We need a guy who is at his best outside.

Of course McD had a part to play but Brandon Beane's constant focus on the DL isn't because of Sean McDermott. It is because of Dave Gettleman and Marty Hurney. Seriously, people should go and look at the guys Beane learned his trade under. It isn't McDermott's influence that he drafts loads of DL and LBs and RBs and almost no WRs. That is who Carolina were when he was in that front office moving through the ranks. I disagree on that. To me the difference is a reload is about moving on older expensive players. A rebuild you are giving away prime age players for assets - what the Commanders did last trade deadline was a tear down for a rebuild. Sell any asset on the roster build picks. Miami when they first ditched Gase and hired Flo did the same. They are rebuilds. That is the distinction IMO.

C-. I think there were some good picks but overall slighlty underwhelming

I think he is a better longshot than Shorter.