Beck Water

Another interesting take - podcast with Matt Parrino and Joe Buscaglia. Buscaglia is, I think, quite well connected inside the Bills. Buscaglia has some interesting takes: 1) "I don't know that (the situation with the Bills) was "as toxic as some people are making it out to be". He says Diggs is a "vastly misunderstood dude, quite honestly". He says Diggs is a "very intelligent, self-aware, thoughtful person who understands what he's doing when he's doing it" but also "has not allowed his personal feelings, for the most part, to get in the way of his work ethic and trying to get the most out of everybody on the field". [all I can say to that is, Just Wow Joe. Frankly, if that's true that Diggs is very self aware and understands what he's doing when he's doing it, then Shame On You, Stefon for some of the crap you've pulled] He goes on to say "that said, was there some fatigue? Yes. I think that is very obvious, whether it was Stefon being fatigued with coming up just shy in the playoffs, whether it was fatigue of Stefon's I guess, intensity, from the building, but there was some general fatigue to where the Bills had opened themselves up to the premise of potentially trading him" Joe says (and remember, he does have good connections) "from everyone he's talked to" that the Bills went into the 2024 off-season open to the idea [of moving Diggs] but also "believing that Diggs would be part of their 2024 plans". He makes an analogy to Zillow and the blue "Make Me Move" dot, and says the Texans came in with a "Make Me Move" offer for Diggs, offering what may be a high 2nd round pick next year. 2) They discuss whether "the beat" missed the signs - brought up the Tim Graham anecdote from the Jets game. Parrino points out he has a background in communications (not PR, how humans communicate) and that he felt a lot of the clips that came out (Josh and Stef being playful in practice) was PR and that he couldn't remember in the locker room seeing him communicate with Allen or interact with him. So they feel there was a genuine disconnect, and neither of them know how and what it was (both say they've been trying to find out). Interestingly, they both speak very highly of how great Diggs was to deal with in press conferences and how much more they got from him [no mention of stuff I've heard directly from other media guys about Stef dodging his press responsibilities or declining to talk to press in the locker room for weeks or months at a time] They point out the reporters see everything in training camp, and then once the season starts and rules change, they only see about 15%. They both comment that Josh seemed like "a different dude" last season, in a press conference before Dorsey was fired he seemed "subdued" (and during the Denver game, after he scored to take the lead, wasn't pumped up or celebratory). After that they spend a good bit of time going back and forth about Josh's demeanor and Stef's demeanor in interviews after the season with nothing substantive, ending by reiterating that they don't think the Bills came into the off season thinking they had to move Diggs, and at one point thinking they wouldn't, and then Houston came up with "a great offer". They both agree that there was a real disconnect between Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs but they don't know what it is. 3) they discuss Buscaglia's mock draft and various WR in the draft ----------------- Anyway, give it a listen if you like. I think the most substantive thing was Joe Buscaglia's take that the disconnect between Allen and Diggs was real, they don't know what it was, that per his sources the Bills didn't go into the off-season feeling like they "had to" move Diggs but that they were open to it, that the Texans trade was a good value that "made them move". I personally was a bit shocked by what I would describe as Buscaglia extolling Diggs, how very intelligent and self-aware person he is and how he "understands what he's doing when he's doing it". If that's the case, then Diggs is self-aware that he's behaving like a total douchecanoe at times (leaving the building after a tough loss). Diggs seems to me more to fit the classic pattern of a narcissist. He is known to be a "player" romantically. Those are usually narcissists, guys who can turn on the charm and make their target feel like 2 million bucks while the guy is "into them", then flip a switch and "drive by" with no concern for the former target's feelings or perspective. They've moved on, why can't you? And narcissists are the classic "double standard" guys, where they'll be happy to let you know everything that you're doing that isn't up to their standards, but God Forbid you hold up a mirror and expect them to see what they're doing that isn't up to the standards they have for you - That's Different. So it doesn't surprise me that two press guys would perceive Diggs as giving a lot to the press and coming across very well to them, but somehow miss the big picture point that he would dip out on his NFL mandated press responsibilities when it didn't suit him - and I don't think Diggs has any clue what the impact of him dipping out on the team after a tough loss would be.

I remember, but while I do think Shakir is being a little hyped-up and that people who expect him to be able to inflate his 611 yds and 39 receptions to 60 or 70 receptions for 900 or more yards, or to take over as a boundary receiver, may be disappointed - I also think the situation is much different than Foster. Foster was a one-trick pony. His trick was get off the line, and run fast, and he wasn't that great at tracking the ball in the air, either (but he could run fast enough to get under an overthrow). Once DBs got the picture, they would jam him on the line or even hold him and take the DH or DPI instead of giving up the TD. Shakir, while some people wanted him last year, really worked on his craft and worked hard in the off-season. He came into 2023 as a much better WR all around, better at releasing, running better routes, showing better hands. And he didn't just have 1-2 unworldly games, as Gabe Davis did - he showed a pattern for game after game of catching everything thrown his way, studded with 3 games close to or over 100 yds. If he gets more target share, he's 100% earned it by working at his craft. BUT, it would be very risky to count on him producing at a 1/2 level.

"Sorry Josh didnt want to hear that his dumb decisions and 3 ints cost us an easy Jets win." It's literally what you wrote. It's not "on" the reader to infer that you were being metaphorical, it's "on" you to write more clearly. If that's you're point, it's incorrect. You don't know that either. You don't know what Kyle Allen was saying to him, you don't know what the other guys Tim Graham couldn't hear or wasn't reporting on said. I'm willing to believe, Walk the Walk.

Exactly. drop mic, end thread. He may be goofing off 100% and not seeing after his physical condition and throwing motion or doing anything to improve his mental grasp of the game. He may be doing exactly what he needs to do to ensure he shows up in the best mental and physical shape of his life and has improved his field vision and solidified his throwing motion He may be meeting up with our newer receivers like Kincaid and Shakir and Curtis Samuel. He may not be. But a couple of social media posts of him golfing or of Diggs and of Mahomes working out, don't prove a damned thing one way or the other and there's only one word for anyone who thinks they do: Credulous .

The thing is, we needed Diggs in the playoffs - and he wasn't there. We really need a game-changer to get us over the hump in the playoffs, it's just Diggs was Not That Guy the last 2 years.

Another cool time lapse One of the friends we went 'eclipse hunting' with told me not to bother trying to take photos, as people with better cameras would be posting them.

Valid point, and we absolutely agree that Diggs didn't choose the right time or apparently the right words (whatever they were) to constructively call out a teammate. That leaves the point that you CREATED words from Diggs when even Graham, who was right there, didn't hear what Diggs actually said. Second, you implied that Josh didn't know very well that his on-field decision making cost his team a win - when in the context Tim Graham gave in his podcast (he was disconsolate, sitting there in his pads with a towel over his head, clearly taking it hard) there is every reason to believe he knew very well. I repeat - I KNOW you're better than this.

I really need to stay away from this stuff. I will just say one word: Credulous. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credulous It's very disheartening and discouraging to me to read the amount of credulity in these posts. Josh Allen has a golf handicap of 9. Patrick Mahomes has a golf handicap of 7.7. No one can work at their craft 24/7. Since Mahomes and Allen are both fantastic athletes, if anything the logical conclusion would be that Pat Mahomes spends more time golfing and working at being a better golfer than Josh Allen. Josh was obviously filming some kind of promo for this Grant Horvath guy. Why is a good question (doing a favor, paid for it, etc), but he spent a couple hours on the golf course filming a promo with this guy. Diggs PR and various guys social media have put out some photos of him working out with Stroud. Diggs organized an off-season get together with Josh and receivers his first year on the Bills to show what a great teammate he was after pouting and forcing his way off of the Vikings. We never heard about him doing it since - never heard about him traveling to Orange County to hang out with Josh and work out. None of this gives fans a true or complete picture of how these guys are actually spending the majority of their time in their off-season. Anyone who believes otherwise ..... is credulous.

Right, because Diggs trying to fit in his spring workouts in suboptimal French hotel gyms between fashion shows and skipping OTAs - not to work out more intensely on his own, which I would understand, but to attend Coachella while Josh was with the team at OTAs, says "I'm really taking things more seriously than you"

You're better than this. Be better. First of all, in the original source, Tim Graham on the Tim Graham and Friends podcast, Graham described how disconsolate Allen was after the game, really taking the loss hard, sitting there after the game at his locker in his pads still, with a towel over his head. Second, even Tim Graham - who was there - didn't know what Diggs said to Allen, so you can stick your "didn't want to hear...." creation somewhere. I have no idea what "players quitting throughout the 2022 season" means. Last, there are constructive ways and destructive ways to call a guy out. If you want to actually ahve a constructive impact, you need to do things in a constructive way.

Here is a link to the original coverage with my transcript If we're gonna discuss this in its own thread, maybe we can go to the source.

What do you think it explains? This was previously presented and transcribed, not as interpreted by Florio but from the original Tim Graham and Friends podcast. The context is that Allen was taking the loss hard, was still sitting at his locker with a towel over his head, disconsolate. Kyle Allen was trying to console him and a stream of other players was coming by to offer Allen an encouraging word

Sedona and kayaking don't go together in my mind. Is this whitewater? We have friends visiting with their two Elkhounds. We'll be driving South tomorrow am (4 people and 3 dogs) to a state recreation area almost on the centerline of the totality. The significant unknown is the forecast is "partly cloudy" so crossing fingers. The rest of the unknown is just how nuts southern MO will be with this.

Wish I could vote for more than one. Declining talent AND Good receiver for me.

I noticed him. The Bills game plan treated him the way Roadrunner treats Wylie Coyote

Right-o, that's why he played a legendary game in NE where the Bills scored a TD on every drive - because he's "kind of bad" at pre-snap reads and "really bad" at post snap reads. Whatever you say

So....when McKenzie shot the bald eagles, he was just trying to "take one for the team"? (OK I know there's gonna be someone....WE'RE JOKING HERE, OK?)

Wait, @Buffalo716, Just what are you saying here? Are you trying to tell me that footballs ARENT stuffed with feathers? I thought the feathers were to help them fly!

I think his son is still on house arrest with an ankle monitor, so Good Luck With That

Not just coaching but the rest of the talent OK to the rest of it, good points and wise advice. To the first of it, "admits to not being a film junkie" isn't even what Josh actually said, but I've provided transcripts and all the rest of it so I've run up the white flag on that battle

Joe Montana was 37 years old and had missed one entire season and a second season until the final game due to an elbow injury at the point he was traded to a different team, where it wasn't just that he didn't have Jerry Rice - he didn't have much So not exactly a comparable situation Also, no offense to Stefon Diggs - but he's no Jerry Rice.

I believe the bolded is what Greg Cosell meant, when he said the facts on tape show that Diggs "was not a #1 WR at this point in his career": that he has lost the ability to separate down the field. Now that can be true for various reasons: 1) Diggs could have sustained some injury that was hampering him at the end of the season 2) He was being used differently - only on short routes - under Joe Brady for no explicable reason 3) He had checked out mentally and was mailing it in 4) the undefeated Father Time is catching up to him I do think Diggs was getting their best CB from most teams but yeah, he wasn't being double covered and bracketed and taken away down the stretch.

I'd just like to throw in here that given the way the league has operated in the past, I would predict that Rice's legal team will delay any legal procedings until well into or after the season, and NFL discipline, if any, will be applied to the 2025 season. So nothing to worry about here for the Chiffs.

I actually don't agree that Allen hasn't improved since 2020. He had his highest completion % and yards in 2020, but there's more to being a great QB than those two parameters. In 2021, early in the season, Josh played an amazing, patient, "take what the defense gives" game against the Chiefs. The comeback they played against Tampa Bay when he took them to OT absolutely made Tom Brady a fan. He then played two utterly amazing games at the end of the 2021 season - the NE playoff game where the Bills scored a TD on every single drive of the game, and Bill Belicheck actually came to the locker room after the game to offer respect to Josh, then the 13-second game against KC. Those and other games in 2021 were games that showed a step in his level of QB play - not his completion % or YPG, but his mental grasp of the game. I find 2022 and 2023 difficult to assess because I don't know how much of what I saw was Dorsey or Brady as OCs, how much was the definite drop in WR talent with Brown, Sanders and Beasley gone and inadequately replaced by Davis, McKenzie, and an injured Crowder. Your point about Mahomes is also valid, but I'd say the same thing that I believe Mahomes has gotten better at reads and at taking what the defense offers since 2018 as well, and that completion % and yards don't tell the whole story.

1) discussion of the Bills W-L record with Allen, before and after Stefon Diggs, as though that proves Allen "needs" Diggs or Diggs "made" Allen what he is. Look, folks, he was a raw rookie and then an improved 2nd year player, then he would have become a more improved player in 2020 whether Beane traded for Diggs or another WR or drafted Jefferson or someone else. It was a big story in 2020 how Allen changed up his throwing motion and it helped him become more accurate. 2) discussion of how "Allen doesn't work in the off season" with the implication that Diggs is just out there grinding. Meanwhile Diggs is going to fashion week in Paris, Coachella during Bills OTAs (while Allen is actually with the team in OTAs) 3) the latest is people dumping on Allen for Tim Graham's podcast revelation about the "it's only one ***** game" without the context of it being after the game, while Allen is sitting there taking the loss hard, still in his pads, and the rest of the team is coming over trying to lift him up, and whatever Diggs said wasn't reported (but Allen wasn't snapping at anyone else). Probably more, but I'm actively trying to avoid it