Einstein's Dog

A different way to look at WR1 is to say it's your best WR on the team. And currently the Bills WR1 is pathetic compared to the rest of the league. An offense that has Josh should have a good WR core. Josh has the best 25-30 yard laser passing in the game today (maybe ever?). Get Josh a better WR that we can call a WR1. Beane lost Diggs who was our best WR and we should get a new best. Then it is easy to think K Coleman is better than G Davis, Samuel is better than Sherfiled/Harty while Shakir and Kincaid are both better with a year of experience. Our WR room can be better than last year with the acquisition of a WR on the level of Diggs last year.

The extra second and extra fourth along with Tre money and a Josh restructure could net a real WR1!!!! A stud WR, a vet RB, and a vet safety (Hyde/Simmons) would end all this ridiculous talk of a rebuild and we would be talking Superbowl once again.

I guess I'll have to listen to Beane's presser. Beane is notorious for setting the bar low but you're the second one to say that Beane said no trade is coming.

Respectfully, what are you talking about? I was quite clear, transitioning is not the same as a rebuild. I have not heard Beane specifically saying what you are claiming. There is a thread below wondering who Beane was alluding to when he said "We worked out a guy today we are going to end up signing". I think you may be interpreting something you heard or read in your negative light - much like you did when you used the words transition with rebuild.

A transition is not the same as a rebuild. Look at this team with an Aiyuk on it. It has a better WR room than last year. And another rookie WR would be a waste, slotted in behind Aiyuk/Coleman/Samuel and Shakir.

The quote is taken out of context, the team is transitioning because it lost a lot of the veterans and new people are going to need to step up. It seems by all accounts the Bills have drafted a lot of quality high character players. And even the depth pieces are quality. I took the drafting of just one WR as a good sign. It signals to me they are keeping room for a veteran addition. No rookie could be reasonably expected to replace Diggs. Getting another rookie like Franklin in the 3rd would have signaled to me a rebuild. The Bills still have a spot for the veteran. They have 2025 draft capital to get one. They have Tre money coming in along with another possible Josh restructure for 2024 funds along with no more Diggs as a way to justify future year payments.

True, but I think the Bills need another good player at the WR spot. It's an area where I believe you should have talent. Now with Samuel/Shakir/ and Coleman they can use one more major contributor. And I think having 2 rookies out of those key 4 WRs would make it a rebuild year.

The draft did hit needs but the trade downs made it feel controlled and not panicked. And the trades down look like they knew exactly who was intended as the target and they didn't want them (Worthy at 28, Legette at 32). So the moves down look well thought out. I agree with most everyone else that the WR spot is at a huge downgrade year over year as it stands now. If K Coleman is the G Davis replacement and C Samuel is the Sherfield replacement the WR room could be upgraded. But that means getting a Diggs replacement and that is not a rookie- so it will be interesting to me to see if they go full rebuild mode by drafting Franklin or keeping the spot open to fill with a veteran.

The difference, to me, is you have settled to call this a "semi-transitional" year. I don't think we need to do that. In order to avoid the "semi-transitional" year we should add a veteran WR. The draft is for the future (and by the way, that is what Shakir was about). We definitely should add a WR for the future (and with an early round pick hopefully get earlier returns so they can be useful this year), And IMO start doing so on a more regular basis. For 2024 though, A WR veteran is easily >5th rounder. I give the DHop example but many others qualify. Beane can, and should, assemble a WR room that gets the Bills back to a talent level that is not considered "transitional".

Or putting out leaked feelers to help move along his real trade interests who may be dragging their feet (ie DHop/DJ Moore/K Allen/C Godwin/Metcalf etc)

No, it's not literally impossible. Beane would have had to make it work cap wise. But clearly there are people that think there are ways Beane could make it work. Many of us don't know exactly what they are, but believe it is possible. For instance we have heard Josh didn't max out his extension, probably others too.

I agree Diggs and Davis fell off and Shakir rose, and Kincaid looks like he will be excellent. But to me, we still want two good WRs. It's an important position. Having Diggs not be good was extremely costly - seems like they had already factored and game planned for Davis' dropoff. I want a good rookie WR - hoping for McConkey/Franklin/coleman/AD group. But I also want a good vet WR. I'm hoping the moves Beane made can bring home both - that the man I know as a wizard.

Also, Beane can have things prepared behind the scenes. Josh's restructure for instance, ready to go on a moments notice.

For me, it's not the production, it's having good players. We need more good players - yes, Shakir and Kincaid are good. But right now we're replacing Diggs and Davis with Samuel and ?(Hollins??). What a downgrade. IMO to stay one of the top contenders we need another good WR - really 2, one can be a rookie though.

You think a lower cost, 4th to 5th rounder WR is going to be more attractive than DHop? Or K Allen. And yes, I'm thinking short term for this vet. The hope would be our other WR that we take can ascend into the WR1 role - be it McConkey/Franklin/Coleman or AD. And I am also hoping the FO keeps putting draft resources into the WR position, isn't 2 years from now supposed to be a great WR draft? (again). No one will for sure get us over the hump, but I have always felt the best chance to get the big prize was to be a contender for multiple years. We lost our top WR in Diggs and I don't think a rookie is anywhere near an adequate replacement.

Definitely. And having this extra day could help. Chicago for instance has very few picks left and they now have a lot tied up in WR - K Allen/DJ Moore and now Rome. K Allen or DJ Moore may be available. Tenn bought Ridley and has the 1st round pick from last year, so DHop and his attractive $13M salary might be able to be obtained kind of cheaply - especially if they want to add one of these potentially good second tier WRs. Tampa may want to revise there big investment in the WR room - they just upped M Evans and have C Godwin.

I think a move for a trade for a WR that requires a lot of draft capital and money is unlikely. But I would think Beane would be interested in getting a veteran who is on a decent contract for some lower draft capital. DHop at $13M, DJ Moore at $15M, C Godwin or maybe DK Metcalf. Beane bought himself a whole day to see what he can get. A veteran plus a McConkey/Franklin/Coleman would be a home run to me.

X Worthy and L McConkey are both good choices left.

My dream is alive, Tenn takes Rome, trades DHop to the Bills.

D Moore for a 1st round pick and a player? No, that seems like overkill. I'm for the idea of picking up a vet but for a much lower draft pick. If Chicago wants to use #9 on a big 3 WR, then we should be able to get one of their veteran WRs for a lot less.

Marvin Harrison Jr AZ Rome Odunze Tenn Ladd McConkey KC Brian Thomas Jr Colts Xavier Worthy Buffalo

For me, part of the suspense is to see if this is going to be an inflection point kind of phase. I haven't truly bought into Beane's low expectation schtick. The Bills could still pull out of it and go with a transition. You can get a different team slowly over the years, not the radical 2 rookie WRs having major roles. To me the transition plan would be get a Diggs replacement, a veteran WR but more reasonably priced than the divas - options such as DHop/C Godwin/DJ Moore. Then the Davis replacement can be found in the draft- the second tier types Worthy/McConkey/Franklin/Coleman. Get another vet RB and a safety -either Simmons as you mention above or Hyde. That's a solid contending team.

I do think it would be exciting. I just find it hard to believe that Beane would allow such an on-paper downgrade from last year. A rebuild year with Josh in his prime? If I were the GM I wouldn't do it, so I don't think Beane will.

I agree with you that Shakir or Samuel are not replacements for either Diggs or Davis. Where I disagree is I think the Diggs replacement should be another good veteran WR - no second tier WR is comparable IMO. The Davis replacement can be the highly drafted second tier guy. Also getting one veteran and one rookie balances out the aging of the WR room. Then the Bills draft another WR in a year or two as the veteran is done.

And the one no one talks about "The Bills are aggressively looking to trade for a veteran WR with a reasonable contract". Suspiciously quiet, that one.