First Round Bust

it means the end of another fun and interesting season is upon us..sigh...I always refer to the Pro Bowl as the the NFL season funeral.... but we can look forward to free agency next month, excessive mock drafts (the draft cant come soon enough)...the playoffs keep getting better due in part to the salary cap and the parity it creates in a macro-sense...so its hard to go from that intensity to.....

With the Senior Bowl (yesterday) East-West Shrine (last week) games and more importantly practices going on recently Bills scouts are active...a limited extract from todays BN about Bills scouts, dirs, etc...experienced, local and national, a little insight into the process... quick name a scout, they have been with us for years...thankfully... Terrance Gray was hired by General Manager Brandon Beane in May 2017 as director of college scouting after spending the previous 11 years in the Vikings organization. At the same time, Lake Dawson was hired from Cleveland to be assistant director of college scouting. Dawson had 22 years of NFL experience before joining the Bills. Gray was promoted last May and still oversees all of college scouting. The Bills have five area college scouts. Pete Harris scouts the Northeast, Mike Szabo the Southeast, Brian Fisher the Midwest, A.J. Highsmith the Southwest and Tyler Pratt the West Coast. Keith Jennings is the Bills scout for BLESTO, the 12-team national scouting service. Dennis Hickey is a national scout who came to the Bills in 2017 after serving as general manager of the Dolphins. Doug Majeski, who joined the Bills’ scouting staff full time in 1989, is a senior college scout who mostly handles a select number of schools in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Gray says having such a veteran group has helped navigate the scouting challenges the past couple of years. “I was an area scout before I took the director of college scouting when I came here in 2017,” Gray said. “Anyone who knows the actual day to day of scouting, you’ve got to be a self-starter, you’ve got to be motivated, you’re really working independently. To have guys with that amount of experience is a great benefit. “Dennis Hickey is a former GM,” Gray said. “Lake was a vice president. Szabo could be a director. Brian Fisher’s experienced. Doug Majeski is a former director. It makes my job a lot easier. But beyond that, it’s great to be able to bounce ideas off guys – little check points in our process. I always tell our guys if you see something you think we can do better or that I may have missed along the way, let me know. ... Whether it’s coverage of schools, how many looks we get on a kid, the small school process, there’s so many layers to what we do. Having that degree of experience in our room is beneficial.” The Bills divide all the college prospects into tiers over the summer. Tier 1 prospects get at least two looks per area scout, at least one look per national scout, and the Bills’ top personnel executives (Beane, Gray, etc.) check them out. Tier II prospects, who might have peaked at the college level, are seen by at least one area scout and one national scout.

he did, in-house ,Tom Bresnahan, but using K-gun hurry-up set Kelly called the plays as mentioned. https://pro-football-history.com/franchpos/7/7/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-history - seems the position was invented in 1978 or was recorded as of then... Had the opportunity to watch a cliub Marv training camp practive at Fredonia State, lived down the slow pace, esp the position drills, picked-up with O versus D but by then the wife and kid were long for the car and the drive to Ohio...

tenth in the entire NFL, not just on the Bills

no pro football weekend so as community service to keeping you depressed barnyard animals fed here is a limited extract of non-QBs MVPs from espn+, pay service, its cheap, a lot of Sabres games which is good for us out-of-WNY-market folks, plus other NHL games (nice alt to centre ice) plus MLB games and whole lot of various college sports, not an endorsement, but I likey and here is one reason why... non QB MVPs Poyer came in at #10 (Donald and Kupp were 2 and 1 then TJ, Deebo, Micah P next) No. 1 in EPA per play and No. 1 -- easily -- in EPA per dropback. Biils D allowed just 12 passing touchdowns all year, less than half the number the average team allowed. And the Bills did it without a ton of superstars, plus Tre'Davious White was out for the last third of the season. How? One part of the equation was excellent safety play. While nearest defender information isn't perfect because it doesn't necessarily capture a defensive back's responsibility on a play, it's hard not to notice Poyer as an outlier. Opponents lost 30 total EPA (including five interceptions) when Poyer was the nearest defender to the target at the time of ball arrival, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That is the best of all players who played deep safety at least 60% of the time. His yards per coverage snap allowed was just 0.3, second-best in the same group and fueled by a minus-17% completion rate over expectation (negative is better), also second-best. It is a little bit of a leap of faith to have Poyer here instead of bigger names like Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa, particularly given we don't have as advanced safety metrics as we do for pass-rushers. But in what metrics we do have for safeties, Poyer was elite. In order for the Buffalo defense to produce like it did, it needed exceptional play from some of its players..... ....being gashed by the run game over-rates the passing stats to a certain degree

makes me wonder is this primarily Dorsey's hire as the OC or McDs as the HC..I am certain as part of the interviewing process for the OC position that the staff the OC expected to have or want came up ?

exciting hire for sure - the collaborationn of Dorsey-Brady-Josh-Webb and new OL coach (TBD) is energizing - in the worst case if Dorsey here only 1 year then Brady rises to OC a nice succession plan....not expecting anything on the D-side of the balll unless Frazier gets hired (Mia, Hou, Minn)...he interviewed with Mia at least once and Hou last year - not sure about this year ? he coached Minn already doubtful he goes back there...

he gets to pick his new qb coach, as the current asst qb coach is a Daboll disciple who came with him from Alabama (but is giving up coaching a star for who knows), as well as new O-line coach which very well may be an in-house promotion as well

yes, the future is now, but we got cap issues, and we got 9 draft picks, last year we cut and lost 2 picks from the PS (Anderson, Wildgoose) so 9 arent going to make it. so, I trade up from pick 25 up to pick Jordan Davis, NT from UGA 6-6-340 - this could cost us a #2 or #3 depending on how far he drops - the #2 gets up 10 spots.. we need size as I expect Star to be cut to save 4M. This is a deep corner draft, so then I would trade to get back into the second round or move up in the second round by trading our second round pick next year. This gets us DT depth (resign Harry and Zimmer, plus Oliver) and gives us quality corner depth so we dont have to keep Levi W if he gets paid which he very well may. We dont need tackles, other than depth so the middle-late rounds, where we have 2 picks in rounds 6 and 7, is where I would get RB, WR speed and guards.

because the process of player selection (free agency, draft, waiver cuts and picks and the biggest chubby..a..trade) is color-blind; its transparent, its watching college games and wishing the Bills could draft THAT guy, the senior bowl where Beane and company are or will be, the combine, then the mock drafts, the draft itself (a non-football event that every NFL city wishes it coulkd host) and we ultimately expect the best to be selected. we argue need over talent or vice versa and whether or not its wise to draft a guard early or a punter at all....none based on color or the need to cuz Its based on workouts, physcal and mental testing, stats, metrics and analytics, comparison, scouting, hours of tape review, interviews, ranking all and by position and need, and at the end it based on talent and skill and not the color of the players skin which in the end is great thing...and unfortuantely the hiring process for coaches and coordinators cannot say the same I applaud those who try because its hard, they are trying to change things amognst the powerful and rich for the better and when you do that you get unfairly criticzed by those who are ignorant and insecure. Its easy to look to our left and to the right and find fault, try looking up, for those are ones saying look to your left and right....

Mahomes mentioned that Kelce analyzed the D and to look for him, at LOS during cadence Mahomes yelled "Do it Kels do it" ?

appeciate the insight of a respected insider, ok so the kick-off may or may not have been flawed but a high kick to the 5 or 10 should have been the play over the touchback and no time runoff ? the D took away the long ball and the sideline but gave the middle seam further suggestions: 1. 2 or 3 man rush not 4 2. one defensive hold esp on first down should have been ordered to run more time 3 the use of timeouts on D is zero benefit as the O see the D as well as was the case with Kelce telling Mahomes his analysis during the timeout, plus Mahomes yelled for Kecle "Do It Kelce do it !" and the D did not pick up on that ???

agree you dont see the assistant retained when the GM gets axed they seem to turn to external hires, Giants for example hired a vet GM who was near retirement age to being with 3-4 years ago, you would think they would have hired an heir apparent to do a knowledge transfer or get mentored, but not the case and how far does the housecleaning go as far as scouts and staff ?

as part of the process of hiring a coord, each team must interview external candidate(s) so the rumors of Dorsey to Jersey Jiants are likely true to that extent, in addition to Dorsey I fear that our DL coach - Washington, who is former DC at Carolina (he replaced McD I believe) could be a candidate to become a DC again somewhere as I fear he would be our replacement for Frazier IMHO. I would expect someone like Gaine to become our AGM, he was with Beane before and now after his stint as GM of the Texans....any quality org has a business continuity or succession plan for its management team...

if the GM and HC have a blind spot it is for former free agent Carolina players they know and who in turn know the defense, Star and Butler are misses, Obada was a freebie pickup, the hit and miss with the draft picks is a given with every team, I think the Carolina thing has run its course hopefully...this management team drafts well overall with lots of mid and late round hits and some early round misses such as Zay Jones and Cody Ford who will get one more shot come training camp...this is the year AJ (a second-rounder) has to step-up and show he can play well more consistently..some of which is based on reps which he was not given and or not earned

What do yiou says to the fact that the Bills are winless on the road in the playoffs under Mcdermitt, I say it points more to the defense than the offense. we cant have everything, the fact that we gave up 42 points and over 30 to the Titans...look at the yards rushing we gave up is an on-going problem we have two starting tackles in place for years, the center and guard positions are usually not early picks unless hall-of-famers. Teller was a fifth-rounder for example. We already gave up a first-rounder for a WR for Diggs who will likely be extended. Davis is number 2, Beasley back for one more, the position will not be ignored and free agents like Sanders did, will want to come play for Josh and the ring.

Trey, Gabriel Davis, Josh, Edmunds, Spencer Brown, 99 (injuries), for starters all contributed early - the new defensive ends not as much yet, I think you are looking for impact, monster man, star player results...early, right away - not the philosophy of the veteran coaches as Bills age-wise are always top 10 oldest NFL roster, the kids learn while the vets play. but to your point, the future is NOW.... we have nine (9) picks coming this draft with one each in the first five rounds and two each in rounds six (Car) and seven (Atl - thanks to the gift that keeps on holding, I mean, giving, Lee Smith). Need space-eating nose as Harry, Oliver and Zimmer (pending UFA-ACL tear) are light (under 300) and our run defense is consistently exposed against the good teams...and need a CB esp if Levi gets paid, and he very well ma y leave for that, and OL depth (always) Plus 9 picks are not going to make our roster, two got cut last season and got poached from the PS (Anderson, Wildgoose) so given that I would trade up from our first-round pick #25 to get Jordan Davis - UGA - 6-6-340, and then since it is a deeper draft than usual for quality corners, per Joe B (Athletic) move up again in the second round, pick 57 and add some middle round picks to get a quality CB and if needed pull from next years draft picks, cuz the future is now...see LA Rams model. Use the late round picks in rounds 6-7 for OL and overall depth, and punter maybe ?, those will take some grooming.

never going to happen - the NFLPA would never give into an option for a player to make more money when added to active roster

early word on this year draft is deeper than usual corners...per Joe B the Athletic...so I personally would move up to get space-eater Jordan Davis from UGA to replace Star, he is the Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Outland Trophy winner in his senior season 6-6 - 340. and then move up again with more middle round picks to get a corner, esp if Wallace bolts, then we still have 4 picks in 6th-7th round to get a guard, center a la Wyatt Teller....harder for picks to make our roster and we have 9 this year, plus we cut 2 this past season and they were poached from PS - Anderson, Wildgoose the future is NOW !!! need to fill holes faster

agree with overall assesments as far as needs...esp resigning #99 and make and effort to resign LevI Wallace and Hughes which may not happen the best FAs are your own...which was last year strategy likely this years... Beano did say they will make the effort to resign Levi Total of 9 picks: #25, 57, 89, 126, 166 184 (from Car), 203, 228 (from ATL) , 243 - Beano is well-armed (Teams eliminated in the Divisional round get picks 25-28) https://www.tankathon.com/nfl/full_draft Since the future is NOW, I dont have a problem with moving up in the early rounds to get us that big nose tackle to replace Star, as we are kind of light otherwise (Harry, Oliver, Zimmer), AND corner which has not been a high pick since Trey (at #27) even if it means moving multiple picks this year and possibly next year as well...as in early picks

if I aint startin I aint departin...Garry Templeton shortsop STL Cadinals baseball ...response...back in the 1970s-80s All-Star snub then invite

they each have a bleeping name: Wide Right, 13 Seconds, and Music City Miracle- in that order...as mentioned previously and I agree and want to vomit...again.... Its wonderful being a Bills fan, we are a great fanbase and this team unites us and the city like no other, but goddamn it....

wonder who is left from the football dept involved in that big decision other than the owner ?

the team is 3-3 in playoffs under Clappy McBean era, and 5 out of 6 have been with Josh with all wins at home, and all losses on the road (Jax game was Tyrod not Josh as qb ) , the next step...is road game, need I say more, its a process from what I hear...

in this case the inadvertent whistle was blown during play so it cannot be un-done and not subject to further (video) review..Maxx Crosby said best..deal with and move on and we had a lot of chances to make plays...not the best work by a playoff crew I give you that... In baseball the umps do have the rule and right "to make things right...in volleyball there is reiplay it and the re-do...in basketball there is video review.