Richard Noggin

@TheWeatherMan your nausea (hope you feel better) is a reaction to the Bills top-3 roster options at safety, yes? Rather than my deft analysis of how that top-3 depth chart should shake out, of course. I actually think Rapp is at least an average starting S in the NFL, who brings some physicality and flash. Problem there is he just absolutely obliterates himself and his teammates too often by dropping his helmet and becoming ordinance. Someone on the team will miss games because of Taylor Rapp. Forrest is kind of intriguing on a McDermott defense. Was on an early trajectory in DC, but injuries plus a coaching change caused regression there in years 3 & 4. Tested like a beast coming out, though: 9.69 RAS. And flashed early on in the league. Availability will be the thing with him. And Bishop...well, I don't know. He could progress the same way we hope Kincaid will. Sucks that both Utah guys are facing steep curves. Would be great if Bishop somehow leaps past Rapp, because I think Rapp is an okay starter (while it lasts and until he lights up a teammate). Bishop was WAY behind Rapp last year. He was way behind Hamlin if we're being honest. Forrest could be a dude, though. Hancock I think is more likely a subpackage guy or flexible replacement like Lewis, rather than a threat to start. Happy to be wrong there.

For Kincaid I'm really curious about usage that first season (and since). SO MANY little dump-offs and check downs to the flat either behind or at the LOS. It was bizarre how Dorsey used him at first. Was Kincaid so inept at vertical route-running? Or was it an inability to read coverages on the fly and adjust while remaining on the same page as Allen? Or was it an inability or unwillingness by coaches to scheme such routes for Kincaid? Were they so scared of his blocking that they wouldn't line him up at Y for an advantage up the seam? There are so many possible circumstances that could have influenced Dalton Kincaid's production to date. As fans we don't get to know if usage is a player problem or a coaching problem or what, exactly, but we can wonder...

And do those numbers fall dramatically short of the Browns' averages for WRs? Important to frame it within that context, although I'm immediately thinking Jeudy was MUCH more successful.

This is also an interesting lens through which to view Deone Walker, given the injury he battled through last season (pars fracture). Beane projected near certainty that Walker would be ready for camp, and hinted at him maybe not doing much until then. He directly suggested we shouldn't read into it or be worried if he doesn't participate much this offseason. Kincaid, on the other hand, I don't know if injury is really the big thing there. Would seem like he's born to split the seam and attack LBs and Ss...but that has rarely been where he flashes. There's obviously the post TD against Pitt 2 years ago in the playoffs, but otherwise, is there really another similar play that stands out? I don't know. Hoping for him to find his place in Brady's offense. Worth noting that Knox isn't seemingly being targeted on those routes either.

You're not exactly wrong with the illustration of him as an introvert, but that's completely FINE in my book if he's selfless and hard working, and there are other guys in the room with more bombast and collaborative nature. As the 2024 season progressed, Cooper repeatedly saw/earned like NO TARGETS and yet still made comments to the effect of this team being special and him enjoying football for the first time ever? One could argue Cooper is a guy at this stage who isn't desperate to play for just anybody (in the absence of a serious FA offer), but he might be someone the Bills call (again) in-season if they suffer WR injuries? I think he's almost perfect as a fill-in X for Brady's offense, even if the most recent stats definitely do not support that claim. He'll be healthy, at least. And still capable of making a play, even if he's lost a couple steps.

Bit hyperbolic innit Doesn't hold up to rigorous scrutiny, although there's no doubt some players simply haven't "fit" for whatever reason yet have performed better elsewhere. Also no doubt some players who were afterthoughts elsewhere have famously shined with the Bills. It ain't easy, but we have to truly challenge our own conclusions when we're so emotionally invested and we don't have access to so much that happens behind closed doors. Rapp and Forrest with Bishop subbing in here and there? Best case with current position group?

Decent Buffalo-specific coverage on Sirius though? I'm not much for listening to national sports coverage. I will, but would much rather find a jazz station or even WBFO's new digital all-music format called "The Bridge." (Kinda/sorta emerged out of the ashes of The Pink.)

Wait, was Moore awful last year? I don't ask that combatively, but I haven't heard/seen that kind of blunt indictment to date (could be blind). Isn't Romeo Doubs some kind of dumb-dumb? Without looking it up, I vaguely recall some nonsense with him last season. Like potential football character stuff. No? Watson, sure. Offers exactly what the Bills fans have been lacking.

The final WR and DB numbers are likely reliant on how the returner competition shakes out. Curious if any of the rookie DBs have enough return ability to threaten Codrington's spot? Codrington WAS a pretty good punt returner last year. Maybe it's more Shenault who's on the bubble, which I think is right. Moore seems like a guy who could return punts.

With the bolded bit in first paragraph, are you switching from Hollins to Cooper there (trade and offensive run that followed)? Love the point about smaller/better separators being Josh's wheelhouse, and hadn't viewed Palmer through that lens (6'1" 209), but it's fascinating. So much difference between what Beane likes in a WR (size/physicality) and what suits Allen better (speed/separation). In the draft, Beane loves tall WRs and isn't super troubled by middling 40 times. Right at the start of day three I really fell in love with the idea of Jaylin Lane. Or of course Jalen Royals. One of the Jayleins. Someone with explosiveness and shiftiness and speed. But alas.

Palmer doesn't really expand the playbook as much as they hope executes it better? And Moore is here more for depth and competition rather than for gameplanning around? Either way I liked your point about Brady's potential growth. SO important whoever is on the final 53.

Huge point here. Not necessarily for this topic exactly, but I'm really hopeful Brady comes up with all kinds of counters to and expansions off of last year's tendencies, as well as new stuff. Exciting to watch both sides evolve and discover what they can do well in 2025.

Miami probably shouldn't have too many 1 PM or 4 PM games at home in the first 6 weeks of the season, tbh. Or conversely, the rules about sideline fans/shade could just be adjusted to prevent dangerous and unethical gamesmanship. I'm not aware of the Bills actively preventing visiting opponents from accessing vital heating equipment during extreme cold weather games. Why is Miami allowed to block medically vital sideline cooling equipment during extreme hot weather games? Because their sideline is shaded, they can then medically imperil their opponents? Crazy.

Finally, someone with eyes that see. Shavers vs Virgil (vs Shenault vs Hamler) for WR5 in 2025 lol. Draft WR and OL and RB in 2026 like an offensive mirror to 2025's defensive picks.

Agree for the most part with where you're both going here. Beane HAS in fact invested in receiving targets with Kincaid and Coleman in the draft and Samuel and now Palmer in FA. Problem is, the results haven't been immediate or impactful. Shakir was both drafted and re-signed, though, so that's another much more successful target acquired and developed. Beane is now taking at least one more season to let his coaches maximize the aforementioned investments, with maybe one more addition to the room at some point in 2025. With the way Royals and Horton fell, of course we're frustrated that we didn't get one. But I think it was maybe more egregious to miss out on adding at least one more WR each of the past two drafts. This 2025 draft was at least properly milked for its specific depth at DL and DB. In a way, Beane is mirroring top NFC teams more than his AFC counterparts, with his emphasis on stocking the trenches overall and the defense in particular. I was happy to see him triple up on DLs and DBs. Go ahead and just fix those pipelines in a draft really well suited to doing so.

What if the league's DCs caught up with McDaniel's offense faster than he (and his roster) have been able to evolve. What if Miami's defensive roster was absolutely gutted by poor management and brutal injury runs. Those things are somewhat outside McDaniel's responsibility. But also, eff him and his unethical owner and the Dolphins overall. They get what they deserve.

Oof.

BUT DID YOU INCLUDE THE PICKS SPENT ON DIGGS

Your explanation continues to evolve and become more convincing, if I'm being honest. I was initially arguing only a strict statistical rebuttal to your claim of "very average" athleticism. The published RAS is nearly a quartile above average. That's irrefutable. However, you continue to erode my faith in that metric for Hawes, and now I'm sad. Thanks.

Was totally kidding, but being way too subtle about it, apparently. You are a gentleman and a scholar.

Hey gang, been offline all day. What did I miss?

Go sign that first guy he hugs! If Jackson is 6'6" 260, then that truck is 6'8" 3 hunjy. Get 'er done, Beane.

Just don't get caught. Depends if his patient gets caught?

I mean, you're responding to a Chiefs fan, so...classic Chiefs Planet really