Logic

It sounds like Brown is demanding that whoever acquire him also make him the highest paid WR in the league. We have no way of knowing if it was Buffalo's lack of willingness to acquiesce to that deal that ultimately killed the trade, or whether it was Brown's dislike of the city of Buffalo. It's all conjecture based on assumption. If it WAS simply Brown's dislike of Buffalo that undid the deal, well....Buffalo's image problem isn't new in the NFL. It's been used as a threat against players for years ("Keep messing up and I'll trade you to Buffalo!"). It's always been this way. It hasn't stopped Buffalo from landing some marquee free agents over the years.

You know you're a huge dude when you make an NFL left tackle look like a child.

I already am a big fan of Brandon Beane. I think he is going to prove to be an EXCELLENT GM. That being said, I'm actually a bit perplexed at the attempt to get Brown. From a culture standpoint, it doesn't seem like a fit. From a "having a head case WR yelling in Allen's ear every time he doesn't get the ball" perspective, it doesn't seem like a fit. Considering McDermott recently says he wants a WR that can work well with Allen, catch passes, then put the ball down and line up and do it again, it doesn't seem like a fit. Considering McDermott and Beane recently talked down the notion of needing a "#1 WR" in their offense and given the fact that Daboll's Erhardt-Perkins offense historically DOESN'T need a #1 WR, it doesn't seem like a fit. I fully grant that adding Brown would be a HUGE boost to the Bills offense from a pure talent standpoint. But from all the other angles I just mentioned, it seems like a weird move. One thing it does is show us all that without a shadow of a doubt, Beane views 2019 as the year to strike and really build up the talent level on this team, and is willing to take risks to accomplish that goal.

Fair enough. I was thinking of it from a "waking up" perspective, and less so from a "going to bed" perspective.

If only there was already a thread about this!

Is there? I'm not doubting you, but I haven't seen this reported anywhere. It seems to be universally agreed upon that Brown is the one that nixed the trade.

Good for you, chief! I go to bed at 9 because I start work at 5am. I don't have a smart phone and, thus, don't receive notifications about football.

I feel mixed about this. On the one hand, obviously the Bills don't want a guy who doesn't want to be here. Brown seems to have become very selfish and egotistical, and the thought of him yelling at Josh Allen any time he doesn't get the ball and wrecking the culture that McBeane have worked hard to build sounds terrible. On the other hand, his addition to the offense would have immediately made it extremely potent. Brown on one side and Foster on the other would have been IMPOSSIBLE for defenses, and it would have taken defenders out of the box and opened up Buffalo's running game. Furthermore, Brown's addition likely would have meant increased national interest and perhaps an added prime time game or two. At the end of the day, I suppose it's a good thing that this head case isn't coming to the Bills. But sheesh, the offense would've been exciting with him in it!

Because the Bills don't need two right tackles, and none of the three of them are suitable left tackles.

He is 31. I'd rather have Daryl Williams or Ju'Wan James.

I live on the west coast, so I woke up to all of this news. It was a real roller coaster of emotion. Co-worker as I walked into work, sleepy at 6am: Hey Mr Antonio Brown! Me: What ?! Co-worker: You guys traded for Antonio Brown! Me: [furiously typing "Antonio Brown" into Google] Top three headlines, in order: "Bills have deal in place to acquire Antonio Brown"; "Antonio Brown is still a Steeler because he didn't want to be a Bill"; "Bills GM says Bills have pulled out of trade talks". I went from knowing nothing about it, to thinking the Bills had acquired him, to seeing that they hadn't because he didn't want to come to Buffalo, in the span of a minute. Roller coaster.

Losing the Colts snow game would have eliminated the Bills from the playoffs. If you recall that game, the Bills barely won as it was. The difference in score that day came from the sideline jump ball to Benjamin followed by his high-point catch in the end zone for 6. There's no way to know for sure, of course, but I like to think the Bills wouldn't have won that game without those catches from Benjamin... ...The only problem is that those two catches were pretty much his only positive contributions to the team during his entire disappointing tenure. While the Benjamin trade has to be looked at as a failure, I can't blame Beane for trying in this instance. And for the reason mentioned above, at least one positive thing came of it. https://youtu.be/w4-Ino9ytmk?t=166

Nobody in the NFL is perfect. Nobody. So far, Beane's trade hits seem to outweigh his misses. Oh, and the Bills wouldn't have broken the playoff drought without Benjamin. That's a fact.

Just a reminder that Beane got a 3rd for Tyrod and a 5th for McCarron -- both better picks than what Denver just got for Keenum. Badass wizard, that Beane.

I disagree that it's a below average FA market. Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert, Jesse James, Golden Tate, Tyrell Williams, Adam Humphries, Devin Funchess, John Brown, Trent Brown, Juwan James, Daryl Williams, Matt Paradise, Mitch Morse, Roger Saffold, John Sullivan, Mike Iupati, Sheldon Richardson, Danny Shelton, Muhammad Wilkerson, Justin Houston, Trey Flowers, Ziggy Ansah, Preston Smith, Dante Fowler, Za'Darious Smith, CJ Mosley, KJ Wright, Anthony Barr, Kwon Alexander, Thomas Davis, Mo Claiborne, Rashaan Melvin, Kareem Jackson, Landon Collins, Earl Thomas, Eric Weddle, etc, etc Any of the above players would help the Bills. Not all of them are game changers or world beaters, but there is lots of value to be had there. Like I said, I respectfully disagree with the notion that there's nothing worthwhile in free agency.

Awesome piece. Like a much tamer and less drug-addled Hunter S Thompson. I agree that the combine is about 5% useful information and 95% an opportunity for the NFL to make money and command an audience in the offseason.

"There's a right tackle position open in Buffalo. He was a converted defensive tackle, so his best football is ahead of him on the offensive side of the ball. Powerful point-of-attack player. He can kick inside or play right tackle." -- Mike Mayock SOURCES TELL US "I don't know if I see him as a guard or a tackle yet, but I think he can play both. I like him because I think he could upgrade our pass protection inside if we did bump him to guard, but he's athletic enough to play right tackle, too." -- AFC West scout NFL COMPARISON Joe Barksdale BOTTOM LINE Quality tackle who operates with good balance and solid technique. Shows some good initial quickness and a smooth kick-slide out of his stance, but might be better in short areas as a guard rather than in open space as a tackle. He's athletic enough to operate in space, but power appears to be his calling card. His wide-hand approach in pass protection could be a difficult habit to break, but he has the natural power to withstand bull rush that might come with that. Dawkins is a well-schooled, three-year starter who has chance to transition into an early starter. -Lance Zierlein

Great hair.

Thanks for sharing! I don't know how to copy and paste my TDN mock draft results, but I just did one and this was the result: 9. WR DK Metcalf 40. IOL Chris Lindstrom 74. WR Riley Ridley 112. RB Devin Singletary 131. DT Daniel Wise 147. TE Alize Mack 158. CB Isaiah Johnson 181. EDGE Carl Granderson 225. RB Elijah Holyfield 228. LB Kendall Joseph This draft would require that the Bills have already secured an OT, DT, and TE in free agency, which doesn't seem too unreasonable. Imagine adding Metcalf, Lindstrom, Ridley, Singletary, Holyfield, and Mack to this offense? And was still able to snag a DT, CB, Edge sleeper, and the always-necessary-apparently 7th round try-hard special teams ace linebacker. Boom!

Kevin Johnson 6'0", 185 lbs, 31" arms STRENGTHS Smooth hips with excellent balance. Very natural in man coverage. Has feet and discipline to play square and mirror against complex routes. Has low, controlled backpedal. Disruptive in press coverage -- alters routes and slows receivers. Can easily transition laterally and has quick-twitch to break on throws in front of him. Flips hips and accelerates against vertical routes. Crowds wideouts on perimeter and constricts target area for deep boundary throws. Plays stronger than his listed weight. Has athleticism and enough speed to recover when beaten. Decisive player. Fights to disengage and support against the run. Willing to drop shoulder and lay lumber as zone defender. Usually followed opponent's best receiver around the field. WEAKNESSES Has a lanky frame with a very thin lower body. Gets fooled by head fakes downfield and turned around too often. Late to turn and find ball at times. Missed too many tackles as senior. Thin frame a concern as NFL run supporter. Will show too much respect to deep speed and allow separation by receivers who slam on brakes and catch passes in front of him. Ejected from Louisville game for targeting. Flagged nine times for 132 yards over the last two seasons. DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1 or 2 NFL COMPARISON Sam Shields BOTTOM LINE Johnson is a three-year starting cornerback who showed great improvement in man coverage from 2013 to 2014. While he lacks desired weight at the position, his cover skills, athleticism and competitiveness give him a shot to come in and start right away. Johnson can play gunner on special teams.

I think it's quite possible that the Bills will view getting a Welker/Edelman like slot receiver as a bigger priority than getting a boundary WR, which is what Williams would have been. They may already like Zay and Foster as their starting outside receivers, but feel that the need a quality slot guy to be a security blanket for Allen and to really make the New Englandesque offense hum on all cylinders. If this is the case, then Humphries is the best and most logical choice in free agency. I admittedly know nothing about the slot prospects in the draft this year.

Anyone with Tyrell Williams high on their wishlist might want to start looking at Plan B. The Colts have more money than the Bills, and there are coaching connections (not to mention an established franchise QB) that might make them a more desirable destination. TYRELL WILLIAMSWR, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports the Colts are in "strong pursuit" of free agent Tyrell Williams. La Canfora echoes the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Michael Gehlken's report from last week, saying the Raiders are also courting Williams, who is expected to get $12 million-plus annually. This doesn't sound like a path Colts GM Chris Ballard would typically travel down; he hasn't shown a big belief in building through free agency, and Williams is going to be expensive. But both coach Frank Reich and OC Nick Sirianni know Williams from their Chargers days. Indianapolis does need to do something out wide to take the burden off T.Y. Hilton.

I'm so confused.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/03/06/bengals-say-they-have-plans-to-get-john-ross-more-involved/ Bengals say they have plans to get John Ross more involved Posted by Michael David Smith on March 6, 2019, 8:12 AM EST Getty Images After a report that the Bengals were looking to trade wide receiver John Ross, the Bengals insisted that he’s still in their plans. But what, specifically, are their plans for him? New Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan indicated that they think Ross, the all-time Scouting Combine 40-yard dash record holder, should be able to do more downfield. Ross scored seven touchdowns last season, but he caught just 21 passes for 210 yards.