HappyDays

Yes, I heard the audio and my source who told me what it meant has been 100% accurate with everything they've told me so far.

This is correct. More specifically, the blow up was Diggs saying to Josh "what's your excuse now?" (I have actually heard the audio, it was picked up by whoever was wearing the mic'd up microphone for that game) because Josh missed a throw in the game that he had also missed in practice. Their relationship has frayed.

Yes that is what I was told.

My source tells me Diggs is in Buffalo, just not at camp. My source assumes Diggs is trying to send some kind of message but he isn't sure what message or why.

Bills have been regular season kings for years now. They've been under .560 win percentage just once since 2017. Why would anybody try to rationalize an opinion that says we will suddenly break that trend? I'm not worried about us making hay from September to New Years. It's what happens after that I have questions about.

Yeah you knew where I was going with that question, so I'll accept you understand that a pass-catching TE is an extremely valuable position in the modern NFL.

He isn't small or slow. Pop quiz - which non-QB has given the Bills the most trouble over the past three seasons?

Well first of all, Kincaid isn't ever going to be "starting over Knox." They will have different roles in the offense. Kincaid is going to be the starting big slot from day one. As for earning his playing time, he is reportedly already earning 1st team reps and a decent target share from Allen in OTAs. He isn't going to platoon as a rookie, he is going to have a substantial role in the offense from day one.

53 catches 573 yards 5 TDs

So what are we talking about here? The original point I made is that Davis is highly likely to be the #2 target in our passing offense which is a scenario that I am not comfortable with. YOU'RE the one that then tried to bring in names like Harty, Shakir, and Sherfield, as if any of them represent legitimate competition for Davis' heavy target share. Davis wasn't the #2 target share in 2020 and 2021 when he had established veterans with proven production like Beasley and Sanders in front of him. This year, like last year, we don't have anybody like that. Harty is likely an improvement on McKenzie, Sherfield is likely an improvement on Kumerow, Shakir is likely an improvement on his rookie year self... That's all good but it's just improving the depth pieces on offense last year. The top end potential is still exactly where it was. So it seems you agree that the only thing stopping Davis once again being the #2 target is Kincaid immediately hitting close to his ceiling as a rookie. It's a lot to ask. As confident as I am in his abilities, he still has to acclimate to the brutal NFL schedule and NFL physicality. No other Super Bowl contender is relying on a rookie to have that kind of impact on their offense. You're trying to downplay the impact of the #2 outside WR in an offense that likes to throw the ball downfield and has a QB that specializes in tight window throws outside the numbers. Davis as the WR2 represents a major defect in the passing offense, just like it did last year. Maybe we'll overcome it if Kincaid hits his stride early and some of the role players rise above their expectations and the OL suddenly jumps to a top 10 level. As of right now though it is a huge question mark.

Not sure how much I believe him but it at least sounds like good news.

Harty is not going to get the 2nd most passing targets. Come on now. If he makes it through the whole year healthy that would be a great outcome.

Kincaid is the only one of these that has a realistic chance of being the #2 target. I think you know this.

I am as hopeful as anyone about Kincaid's impact as a rookie. I still think it is a lot to expect him to immediately be the #2 target in the offense. If he has the impact you suggest then yes I will be more comfortable with Davis as the #3 target. But I would rather go into the season without relying on a rookie to be the only thing stopping Davis from being the #2. It's a big risk that signing Hopkins immediately takes care of.

No one ever talks about this for some reason but the Bengals would have won the Super Bowl last year and the AFCCG this year if Burrow had played just a little better in each of those games. I like Burrow, he's a great QB and he has single handedly changed the narrative in Cincinnati. I just don't understand why a lot of analysts pretend he has had nothing to do with his team falling short the past couple years.

Oh, that's interesting. Why are you stretching to find reasons to criticize Beane? It's bizarre. There are genuine criticisms to be made without suddenly flipping the opinion you've always held.

If it helps to understand our position - the fascination is not with Hopkins specifically, it is with upgrading Gabe Davis as the WR2. Hopkins just happens to be the one available player that would do that. If for example we had Tee Higgins or Devonta Smith on the team this would be a dead topic. Many of us simply aren't comfortable relying on Davis to once again be the #2 target share in this passing offense which is what he currently projects to be. What about Hopkins' recent actions shows him to be the opposite of what we need? Von Miller required a $100 million contract to sign here. So I assume you think he is also not the kind of player we should have signed?

Yeah I expect Shakir to be the official starting slot WR but I'm expecting Kincaid to ultimately get more snaps and targets than him, especially as the season goes along. He is too talented and too pro-ready to not have a significant role early on. OTAs only tell you so much but he has apparently been a favorite target of Allen in the past two sessions that the media attended. Kincaid was practically designed in a laboratory to defeat the cover 2 shell defense that befuddled us so much last year. His attributes will be more valuable to us in the slot than anyone else on the roster IMO.

You could have just said "no I haven't listened to a single thing the team has said about Kincaid" instead of implying there's a chance he winds up as the TE3. You do you though.

It's hard to take anything you say seriously when this statement shows that you haven't been paying attention at all. I mean here you're implying there's a chance Kincaid starts the season as the #3 TE behind Quintin Morris. Have you listened to a single thing the team and beat reporters have said about Kincaid's role?

We'll see what happens when the pads go on and he has to deal with NFL physicality, but I can't remember the last time I was this certain a Bills rookie would end up being great. He is just such a perfect fit with Allen's skill set. I really think they are going to be unstoppable together for the next decade.