LSHMEAB

Yeah. I suppose it's been a circular evolution. In all seriousness, this FEELS like a lot previous Bills "hidden gem" receivers. It would be awesome if he was the real deal, but my expectations are not high. More than the bar-fight, it's concerning that he didn't earn a spot on a Rams team devoid of talent at the position. He's already established himself as "that guy" we're gonna fixate on in camp, so he'll provide entertainment if nothing else.

Once Baker punked him, Cowherd had to move the other QB's up a notch. He's a relatively interesting big picture guy, but short on details. These talking heads are fans who happen to have a decent look/voice. Definitely want to take everything "they" say with a grain of salt. If you want detailed Bills discussion or take, you're not gonna get it from a national pundit.

This thread is only 5 pages long and it's already been an emotional rollercoaster. I went from loving Duke to questioning his off field antics to questioning his actual football ability to a state of cautious optimism that he might stick. I need to see a few more pages to decide how I really feel about this Williams character.

This is why I'm a big fan of the Beasley acquisition. He's not a guy who's going to give up on a play if his route doesn't work out. He'll fight his way back into the play and try to find a soft spot. I don't think Allen is ever going to be a classic drop back timing QB. His instinct is to extend plays. When you've got such a QB, you've got to have receivers down the field equally adept at improvisation.

I prefer both. Just look at guys like Ricky A Williams/multiple Oregon backs, etc. Production at the collegiate level hasn't been a great measuring stick for RB's in terms of projecting them to the professional level. As I said, plenty of scouts/experts had him pegged as a top 5 back in this draft while many other top producers are summarily dismissed by the league. That tells me the professionals believe this kid's game will translate whereas many others have not. I'm just not hanging my hat on production when it comes to RB's.

I'm not a huge fan of this pick. The idea that production trumps measurables at the RB position just doesn't ring true. The NCAA is littered with backs who had MONSTER seasons at the collegiate level, but never got it done in the NFL because they weren't big/fast enough. This guy was drafted right around his projection, so the scouts/draft "experts" must have seen something special in Singletary. We shall see.

I've heard Beane break down the WR position as a whole and refer to it as a basketball team. Something along the lines of ideally you'd like to have guys able to do x,y, and z. At the end of the day, the best players should make the roster, but I do believe they put some stock into a "balanced" group.

Yeah. It's technically illegal, but I've never heard of an individual citizen being arrested for a few bucks on an online account. It's tough to crack down on the sites because they're out of U.S. jurisdiction. Really, there are so many crimes with actual victims occurring online; it's not a priority nor should it be IMO.

Yeah, but Kimmel is a clear accomplice. Not quite sure why'd he'd let this video leak, but he better lawyer up.

Meh. You gotta pay 45 bucks to cash out. Not a total scam, but pretty shady in that regard.

At -170, you're better off leaving it alone and hoping it goes to 7 + money. The difference would be that 7 wins would be a push and not a loss, but you'd more than double your money. At -170, you gotta put up 170 to win 100. Just not a fan of that. Wait, though there's certainly no guarantee that it'll go to 7. Even -150 just doesn't do it for me.

What did you edit?

The Bears and Colts debacles are performances I'd never like to see again. One was DA and one was NP, so I get the disclaimer. Still, we seemed woefully unprepared. The alternative explanation is that it's difficult to motivate a team when they have zero confidence in the QB.

True. Blowout is subjective. There were 5 games in which we were absolutely dominated. It's only 7 if you include the Chargers (31-20) and Pats Road(24-12). The score doesn't scream blowout, but we were never in those games. What I love about McDermott as a coach thus far is that he's found a way to win more close games than he loses. That's big in this league. The blowouts, however, are a legitimate concern. We didn't see many of them in 2017, so the hope is that with an improved roster, we won't see many of them in 2019. If we do, there's a problem.

Let's hope! I'll give Cowherd credit for digging enough to mention the 7 blowouts. That's more than you'll hear from the average talking head.

Don't like all the UB guys, but how in the world can you question this regime in the UDFA department after Foster/Wallace? They've made a lot of "questionable" decisions, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here. These rankings are meaningless. How in the world can you accurately gauge the true value of guys who weren't even drafted?

I'm weird like that, but I think we just struck gold again with a 5th RD LB. Vosean Joseph. Big fan.

When he refers to the coaching staff "issue" and then says "turns him off from football," I get the sense that his entire lazy take is based on a JACKET.

Losing with pride! I'd love to see that change, but it's been our culture for a LONG time. I like it when someone asks why I'm a Bills fan. That's my team. It's very simple. When they win, it's going to mean a h*ll of a lot more to me than when the (Warriors/Patriots/Yankees) or whoever you currently root for wins. Of course there are real Warriors/Pats/Yankees fans, but you get the gist. I think that speaks to the "culture." Through all the misery, Bills fans persist. The sense of "loyalty" is real.

For sure. When I think back on the season, it was ball placement and not velocity that stood out as something I'd like to see him improve. He's got to get better at hitting backs/intermediate outlets in stride. We all know the supporting cast was trash, but this is the improvement that would take his game to another level. Lack of improvement in this area is really the only thing that could derail his career. He's got guys who can actually catch, so I expect to see the numbers and efficacy improve.

That stuck out to me as well. Very, very strange comment. If you miss, it doesn't really matter WHY you missed. Beane's got a right to a personal belief system, but it doesn't really affect the football team. The team will sink or swim based on the abilities of the players he drafts; not WHY he drafted them. It definitely felt like he was qualifying the pick; perhaps based on criticism. Fair enough, but as you said, not a ringing endorsement. Fair point. Good to know.

I guess the fatigue would be that corner is probably the only position we've drafted relatively well in that LONG time span. I suppose that is much more concerning than losing a few FA's. Nevertheless, lock Tre up now. Why wait?

Say what????? Since I've been a "grown" fan, I've seen Thomas Smith, Jeff Burris, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, and Stephon Gilmore walk as FA's. That obviously goes back further than 15 years, but it's kind of a big deal. And yeah, Shaq is a bust considering his draft slot. Maybin would have been a bust in the fourth round. Not a fan of that either. It's been 20 years since we were relevant. I can walk and chew gum at the same time here.

Are we gonna go with "Edmonds" like we did with Eric "Woods." I'm fine with it. Just want to know how to proceed. As to the OP. If Ed Oliver has a Kyle Williams like career, I'd be ecstatic. We tend to place unrealistic expectations on rookies based on hope. I love Ed and it's possible he'll have a HOF career, but it's almost as if a Williams like career would be seen as a disappointment. Kind of crazy IMO. I remember when LT was drafted and Bill Polian compared him to Thurman Thomas. There were Chargers fans that thought that was absurd. He's gonna be better than Thurman Thomas! Now in that case, it could be argued that he did have a better career than Thurman. So probably a poor example, but I digress. Comps to HOF or near HOF careers should NEVER be viewed as a slight.

Average players like Shaq have a place in the league and can provide value; as BACKUPS. The issue here is that picking up Shaq's option would have been a massive overpay. I'm pretty sure Zay wouldn't have an option and I'm not convinced he'll be on the roster in two years. My hope is that they extend Tre before that option becomes an issue. With his work ethic, health, and talent, I'd love to see them make a pre-emptive move and lock him in NOW. Pretty tired of drafting CB's in the first round only to see them walk.