HappyDays

God Trubisky is so late with the ball. Stared at Morris wide open for a full second before throwing that one.

Ok I've seen enough of the starting DL. Get everyone out.

Just get all the starters out of the game if the field is that wet. Can't evaluate these pass catchers anyways with Trubisky throwing the ball.

Nice work beating a double block. We need more of that from him.

That isn't true? He's been WR6/7 in camp.

The dream is dead

You can't deny that this looks a little familiar...

I think he needs to develop his ability to have a plan when the CB wins on the initial release. He is never going to be Stefon Diggs as a route runner which is fine but that means he needs to have a plan to win against tight coverage. That is a nuanced skill that takes time and live reps and a lot of coaching. It isn't going to happen overnight. Until he can do that with some level of consistency he isn't going to be a true WR1. My concern is that based on the players behind him he is going to be forced into the primary X role before he's really ready. In a vacuum I don't mind so much because I'm a believer in live reps being the fastest track to development, but when we're talking about spending a whole year of Allen's prime under those conditions it feels like a waste. Ideally we would have a true X WR on the roster and Coleman could be used as mainly a red zone weapon with some sprinkled in manufactured touches in between the 20s while he figures out the rest, but the Bills have made it so that we don't have the luxury. He pretty much has to be our primary outside WR from day one, or at the very least split that role with an even less exciting option in Mack Hollins, and I just can't believe he's ready for that kind of workload from the hardest position in the formation until I see it in live games.

You know I loved the Keon Coleman pick Alpha. But recent reports have not been quite as optimistic as this. He struggled separating in the endzone against Chicago and reportedly struggled separating against Pittsburgh in the joint practice too. I'm not backing down on my initial feelings about him as a prospect, not even close, but we have to be realistic about the expectations in his rookie year. His game needs a lot of refinement. I knew that even when I was the loudest voice in the room advocating to draft him. His physical skills and work ethic make me confident he will get there eventually. As far as this year though I can't see him immediately performing like a true WR1. Those are big shoes to fill for a raw young rookie. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Metcalf or Hopkins at the trade deadline.

Yeah that's why I would look to Metcalf, and Hopkins for the same reason. Neither team looks to be competitive this year. That 2nd rounder from Minnesota should be a very good trade chip. I would prefer Metcalf because we could extend him and immediately have our #1 WR for the foreseeable future.

Sounds like the plan is to play them for most of the 1st half, but if the predicted thunderstorms are bad the starters will get pulled.

Whereas I'm hoping they are saving our $10M in cap space for a mid-season WR trade. Metcalf and Hopkins are the two I have my eye on. Safety isn't going to be the position that determines our Super Bowl chances. We need our passing offense to be capable of steamrolling teams, and as of today I don't think that's likely.

After reflecting on it for an entire day, I feel less concerned by this news than most. For several reasons: 1) The biggest reason is one that's been sifting through my head for months now, which is that I don't really care all that much about the defense... Milano was on the field for our first two Chiefs playoff matchups, and our Bengals playoff matchup. What good did that do us? No defensive player has been a difference maker for us in a post-wildcard game, Milano included. So I just can't bring myself to care. 2) Milano is our best defensive player but he's a WLB. That is not a position that really changes the game script. It's almost like having an elite RB. It's nice but it isn't going to be the main reason you win a championship. If you can't overcome it with talent at more premium positions, you were never a championship team to begin with. 3) I'm kind of excited to see Dorian Williams get his opportunity. Our run defense specifically I think will be even BETTER with him on the field. I'm worried that he is going to be lost out there in pass coverage at times, but baptism by fire might be just what he needs to get acquainted with NFL speed and processing. He has all the physical talent in the world, McDermott and Babich just need to get him to a baseline level on the mental side of the game. Plus, Williams was likely to get meaningful starting reps at some point this year no matter what, given how injury prone Milano has been. With him now being the day one starter we won't have to suddenly throw him on the field without warning halfway through the season in a critical game. Get his feet wet and let him grow into the role. 4) Worst case scenario we have plenty of replacement level depth options ready to take over the job and none of them are named AJ Klein. This goes back to point 2 - it's just a WLB... You can get by with replacement level play at the position. The narrative on the season hasn't changed at all with this injury. The season will still come down to more consistent defensive coaching from Babich/McDermott, the pass rush actually showing up when it counts, and most importantly Brady and the offensive weapons proving they can support Allen enough to deliver a top 5 offense. Those were the most important factors one month ago and they're still the most important factors today. Milano was an added bonus, not a fundamental piece of the puzzle.

Groot is legit an elite edge setter though. He has a claim as the best run stopping EDGE in the entire NFL, since his rookie season really. Sure that's not exactly what you're hoping for from a 1st round EDGE so hopefully the pass rush production improves, but he is much more impactful than Shaq Lawson ever was. The NFL at large will probably value him more than you think when he hits FA. Being able to shut down run plays on an entire side of the field isn't sexy but it's very valuable.

Updates from Matt Parrino:

Hardy has really been coming on lately. Seems like a great find in the 6th round.

ProFootballDoc is somewhat of a hack but I'll take any positive news I can get at this point.

At least Beane had some foresight to take Bernard and Williams in consecutive drafts. Good example of how quickly team needs can change. At the time both players were seen as redundancies on the roster and the picks were questioned for it. Now they are both starting. This is why you always draft BPA.

Spector is always dealing with something too. He's looked pretty good when he gets on the field but can't rely on him.

At least there's a chance of a return. Dorian Williams is going to have to step up big time. He looked lost against the Bears. I guess if that experiment fails, Spector can be a steady but low ceiling option.

Fingers crossed it is only partially torn. I believe that would put him in line to possibly return late in the season.

I was told torn bicep

He has a presser at 12:30 in advance of the Steelers joint practice.