MrEpsYtown

Here’s my 2020 Captain Hindsight draft: 2- Antonio Gibson or Jeremy Chinn or Logan Wilson (I'm probably taking Gibson) 3- Cameron Dantzler CB very good corner 4- Gabe Davis - great pick 5- Darnell Mooney WR 4.38 6- Bass - sticking with it 6- Kamren Curl - S Beast 7- James Robinson RB Only sticking with two of our picks here. I think this draft was a huge whiff. I get that AJ still has potebtial, but we passed on some true talent to take him and the Moss pick felt very forced, as well as the QB pick.

I actually like Tommy Doyle as a possible guard if they can’t sign an Austin Corbett type. Yeah i know he’s tall, but it doesn’t matter if you have a 6-5 QB. Doyle has explosive measurables and athleticism and seemed to be coming around as a blocker. I don’t know that you can get an offensive linemen at 25 with more upside aside from Linderbaum.

I feel like they need to hit on free agency. This roster needs complimentary veteran players to help put them over the top. I am not sure if rookies at the back end of each round will really move the needle. Maybe Jordan Davis, or a corner, or a DE like Cameron Thomas. but somewhere they need to find IOL, a corner, a punter, and pass rush. They should also try to package some of their nine picks to target guys and come away with 5 good draft picks.

It is much better than the 2020 draft where we snagged Gabe Davis and a kicker. To me that draft is extremely underwhelming. Unless you count Diggs ofcourse. The 2021 draft gave us an immediate starter at DE and at RT. Plus, I like Doyle more than most as well as Basham. Basham needed to play more. Plus Jack Anderson wound up playing a bit for the Eagles, starting a game, and Wildgoose played in a bunch of games for the Jets. But both drafts have been rather disappointing considering some of the players who were on the board when we made picks.

I will say this, we have nine draft picks and I am not sure you can find 9 guys who make this roster. Grabbing a once in a lifetime type of punter makes sense, especially with championship aspirations. The thing is, when our offense did sputter, it usually resulted in a short field for the opposing offense. This dude can flip field position which makes your offense and defense better. Plus he is a lefty which they clearly like. I think there is a good chance he goes in the third, 5th the latest. JMO

Any free agents/trade targets there we need to know about? Kirk? Mack? Bryant Johnson?

I know it’s obvious but the level of disappointment there is very high. AJ has really done nothing. I wish he could play against Austin Jackson every game, becuase he has his number for some reason. The sliver of hope I have for AJ is that it took him a while to become a starter at Iowa. Which is crazy considering he was a 5 star recruit. Maybe he just takes a long time to get going and adjust. But, unless he foes it this year, he will be a free agent before long. But, he really hadn’t played much and I think we need to transition to a place where some of those Hughes/Addison snaps transition to the younger guys. I think the upside Rousseau carries is so much higher than anybody on the roster. I really love Cameron Thomas in the draft. Outside of a maybe trade for Mack, I am not sure if there are really upgrades out there. The guys we have just have to get better.

After the Kromer thing, I am going Austin Corbett. He becomes a starting guard and Williams becomes a valuable backup or is gone. You can afford to sign Corbett and re-sign RFA Bates. Here is the thing about Corbett, his career was in the toilet until Kromer pushed the Rams to grab him from the Browns. And that was when he resurrected his career. Kromer essentially saved it. I don’t think Corbett is a guy who will just go to the highest bidder and sign with the Jets. He’s a guy who has been in a crap situation and knows what it is like to be on that side. So I think he will value fit to a certain extent. I am not sure if the Rams will be able to re-sign him and so the next best place would be Buffalo with Kromer. Corbett is another former college left tackle who converted to the interior and seems like he has found his fit at right guard. He is a realistic target, who won’t be a massive massive cost, and fits a need and the scheme, and offers versatility. Plus he’s a former walk on and a high school wrestler.

Was Neal playing nickel linebacker in place of Matt Milano that game? Maybe that’s what he is, and Bryan Scott type guy. Maybe our Nickel should be him and Milano and T.E. Can hit the bench.

Also, that punter is not going in the seventh round. I think he goes in the 4th. I know that sounds crazy, but there are a bunch of bad teams with a lot of early picks who will take a flyer early on a guy who punts 80 yards.

We definitely need better offensive linemen, but it does not matter where they are drafted. Unless you are getting a slam dunk elite player, like Ronnie Stanley, Trent Williams, Quentin Nelson, Brandon Scherff, can’t miss guys, there are so many terrible linemen who are just totally over-drafted. The Andre Dillards, Mike Williams of old, guys who had flaws in their games but fit a need. That is bad drafting imo. Look at free agency this year. UDFAs like Andrew Norwell are out there. Heck Laken Tomlinson and Austin Corbett are former failed high picks who were acquired for peanuts and found their game, just like Wyatt Teller. The Eagles spent a first round pick on a terrible Andre Dillard, and their starting left tackle, who is turning into one of the best in the league, is a former rugby player drafted in the seventh round. Just find good players who fit what you want to accomplish. I also think it is important to consider RAS and draft elite, projectable athletes, guys like Spencer Brown (3rd) and Tommy Doyle(5th), Ryan Bates (UDFA traded for Eli Harold.)

I don’t think the rotation is the issue, it’s the quality of the players. Ed Oliver should not come off the field. But outside of that, who really deserves more snaps? Maybe Rousseau? I think it is a philosophical thing, I guess the idea is having fresh guys wearing out the offensive line. I don’t think it has really worked, but until we have better defensive linemen, I think it is hard to really say. Also, what makes a difference for the Rams is they move guys around and give exotic looks. If you can get Donald on the opposing teams worst linemen, that makes sense. Out scheme is quite stringent and a little vanilla. We are going to be in a 4-2-5 alignment, with contain defensive ends, and really never twist etc. As the year went on, we saw less and less of the double A gap mug defense, and that is the only alignment that really gives us an exotic package. When your players are meh, it makes sense to rotate them and keep them fresh, but there is something to be said for the idea you mention, that this doesn’t allow guys to really get into the flow of the game.

That would bring the whole McKissic joke here full circle. But I do prefer McKinnon simply because of his pure speed and I think he is a better player overall, though he has had that one major ACL injury. But I’d be ok with McKissic as well.

I have made no secret of the fact that I really want a Jerick McKinnon. The reason being is that he is a very good runner and receiver. The Bills like to go five wide quite a bit, if they get a friendly box, they bring the back in and run the football. Shades of the Patriots and James White. I really like the strategy, but with Singletary and Moss, they are meh receivers. That allows teams to cover him with a linebacker. A guy like McKinnon gives you a very deadly 5 set as he is effective as a runner and receiver. We play so much 1 back, 1 tight end, 3 receivers…11 personnel. A back that is also a deadly receiver makes this something almost indefensible when you factor in Josh Allen’s running ability. You can’t spy etc. All that said, McCaffrey is the elite version of what I am talking about. Probably the only guy better is Kamara. I wouldn’t be against McCaffrey for that cost. That cost seems unrealistic to me though. I would think Carolina asks for Matt Rhule guy Dion Dawkins, which I would not do. I don’t see why they would want Beasley. The injury situation worries me, but McCaffrey will stay fresh if he plays with a guy like Josh. And his role does not entirely remove Singletary from the equation, which also keeps him fresh. All that said, would I rather sign McKinnon and Christian Kirk and keep my picks? Probably. But McCaffrey is an elite player, there is no doubt. I think you have to kick the tires when an elite player becomes available and you have to be smart about how much you are willing to give up.

Ain’t happening. They won’t trade him. However, I could see a trade with either D’aron Payne or Montez Sweat. They aren’t going to be able afford to pay all these guys long term. However they dont need to make a move now. They have some time. Sweat for Edmunds, who says no? They have a massive hole at linebacker and we need sacks. What about Payne for Edmunds? Payne and Edmunds are playing on a 5th year option so it matches up. Payne is the perfect complement to Ed Oliver.

@GunnerBillThoughts on Cameron Thomas? He is quickly becoming my draft crush. And I like the Washington corners and Linderbaum.

And I know that Oliver is not Aaron Donald, but Aaron does not have to worry about gap integrity around him. The other guys on the line have to make him right.The Bills need to turn Oliver loose and have the other guys, who ain't getting to the QB anyway, cover for him and make him right. Let him pay to his strengths.

There is definitely some smoke there. Even though he graded out well with the Titans, they had no interest in re-signing him. Goes to free agency, complete crickets and has to accept a very low offer from the Bills. Plays well, and gets an extension and they dump him like it’s nothing. Now the Bengals are probably going to look for an upgrade and I expect Spain to have a pretty cold UFA again as everyone is going to remember that last play against Donald.

I am not sure that playmakers are going to want to come play with Josh. He distributes the ball so much. Not saying that guys won’t want to play with him, but I don‘t know if it is going to be a big pull. If a guy wants to play with a great QB and just wants to win, and isn’t worried about touches, this is ideal. However, I think offensive linemen want to come play with him as he avoids sacks. I think where we may get that discount is guys who have never won a super bowl. Calais Campbell type of player who has been around awhile and wants a shot at a super bowl. Guys like Chandler Jones don’t work in this equation because he has a ring. Patrick Peterson, Justin Houston, maybe Brandon Scherff, Andrew Norwell, Reilly Reiff. Dudes who have already gotten paid, are older, and just want a ring.

You are probably right. People always pay a premium for sacks. There is some boom or bust there, but Key gets to the quarterback, and that is, uh, key.

That guy this year is Cameron Thomas from San Diego State. I hope we draft him.

Watching the super bowl, and watching Leonard Floyd, I thought about Edmunds. Floyd had all the strengths and physical traits of an edge player. The Bears draft him and play him on the edge sometimes, but also off ball linebacker in coverage, and he is not great. He wasn’t playing to his strengths. Essentially a bust. He goes to LA and gets to pin his ears back, set the edge and rush the passer. In six years he has 38.5 sacks. 20 of them came the last two years in LA. And it isn’t like he was playing with scrubs with Chicago. He just wasn’t being used right. I fear that Edmunds may have this same fate.

Key was also buds with Tre White at LSU. He is an interesting fit with upside. Heck bring the whole LSU gang back together…Key, Donte Jackson, DJ Chark. I think the projected contract for Key feels a bit high, but i like the idea and thinking.

I think teams, like the Bills need to consider moves like the Rams made. Trading for established assets rather than drafting a developing them is not the worst approach when you are in a super bowl window. Outside of those big fish though, the majority of that roster is home grown talent or undervalued guys signed to nice contract like Leonard Floyd and A'Shawn Robinson. The Rams haven't sold out completely. They lakc picks and flexibility going forward, but trading for a Miller or Odell is a better return on investment in the short term, than trying to draft somebody at the back end of the first and second round. i mean the Bills have 9 picks. 9 rookies on the roster next year going to help win a Super Bowl? I doubt it. We need quality over quantity.

I am with you. This approach is quantity over quality, which is the wrong move. They are throwing a bunch of spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. If you take all those contracts combined, you can probably sign two higher quality players. Crap is crap. Whether it's a big pile or a small, it's still crap. Meanwhile the Bengals grabbed two big fish for their D line in DJ Reader and Trey Hendrickson and all of a sudden they are in the Super Bowl. Add that to good drafting and a couple of smooth moves like acquiring BJ Hill and they have something going there.