Nephilim17

I agree that recent evidence shows the McBeane don't think that in a passing league MLB is a priority position. But perhaps they had the same or a similar view when they drafted Edmunds but were hoping with his height, reach and speed he could be a unicorn MLB and be a vital asset on the D for the short passing game. But he really wasn't. And now they figure most, if not all MLBs, aren't really a force against passing teams so that's why it's no longer a priority worth much more than low-third-round picks.

Kincaid will be a top-5 TE by the end of 2024.

One more thing: Josh told Pat he expects the run game to be a lot better this year. That's good to hear.

Fun vid. I watched it all and didn't get the scoop on Steph though, other than it's all cool. Good to see Josh says the team isn't afraid to play Kincaid and he and Knox's blocking are "good enough" to mess with lighter defensive packages. When asked if he's vocal, Josh responded that he's more about leading through action and this confirmed my suspicions that he doesn't get in people's grills and yell at them like some QBs do. Also good to hear that Beane will talk to Josh about personnel decisions though Josh underplayed how much Beane actually listens. Good vid but nothing too mindblowing.

I think most people expect Diggs and Miller to play 2024. Morse depends on his health but with no concussions this year, I could see him back in 2024 as well. If Kincaid takes off, and I think he will, and Cook playing at a high level, we will still have Knox and at least 3 good weapons (not counting Steph) in 2024. I don't think there's reason to panic on the offensive side. and Sherfield could be a nice WR 3. Defense is aging... yes. We need a cornerback to step up and Rousseau to continue to ascend. If Williams can become a good starter we may be ok but the safeties will be a concern by then.

Here's an article on Kingsley Johnathan's good preseason and the Bill's D-line depth being the "best of McDermott's era." Look, I don't like using a 2nd round pick (29th in that round, btw) on a player who doesn't work out but if the Bill's really like Johnathan that's a mitigating factor here. McDermott has been preaching that unless you're Josh or Steph or Von that you have to earn your way onto the field and he can't do that if an undrafted free agent is playing really well but doesn't get rewarded for his hard and smart work. It's a message to the whole team (and we're seeing that with Elam, who may still become a starter by the some point this season). My guess is that by mid season with Von, Floyd, Rousseau, AJ and company we will have a good pash rush. People need to vent but let's revisit the state of the D-line room in a few months and see if it's in bad shape or not. https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/kingsley-jonathans-numbers-battle-shows-bills-d-line-depth-is-best-of-mcdermott-era/article_870deeee-4459-11ee-b83b-9b2839d5c2f2.html

He contained the hostess but he couldn't grab her.

It's so hard to judge this from the outside (the mental part) but I suspect and fear it may be true. I still fear that when things go bad, Josh gets anxious. Perhaps this is merely perception and not reality. Perhaps it's true but he's evolving and getting better. This season will be a good test of the team's toughness in the trenches and between the ears.

Just a wild guess and hope, but maybe Sean liked a lot of how Elam plays but maybe there's one aspect he wants Elam to clean up (handsiness?) and this is a short-term message. Again, just a hope. To only have Cook start from the entire 2022 class would be horrible.

Subject line scared me! If he's not injured, make more clear this is a hypothetical question!

I get it. But maybe after 17 years of bad Buffalo football there's a part of him that wants to believe this is a great team. I don't look to him for objective takes but I don't mind listening to the radio show either once in a while; Tasker does occasionally offer insight I find interesting. And hell, with all the doom and gloom here, I don't mind some positivity once in a while — even if it may not be always accurate.

"Well now I've got some Advice for you, little buddy Before you point the finger You should know that I'm the man I'm the man and you're the man And he's the man as well So you can point that fu****' finger up your a**" 😁

One Bills Live isn't journalism, it's marketing. Sometimes when they get outsiders like Greg Cosell, these people make very veiled critiques of players (but never the system) but you'll be hard pressed to see Tasker, Brown or Maddy Glab (she was hired just to have a young female presence; she's not very good at dissecting football) say something bad about the team.

None of these will stick (like butter) but I like Big Easy.

Why does it have to be a binary choice — get the other teams QB or protect out QB? I think you need to do both when you expect to play Mahomes and Burrow in the regular season and playoffs. The question should be, IMHO, where did we misspend dollars that could've gone towards the o-line? This might catch flak, but I wonder if paying an aging Diggs $28 million in the next three years is the right play.

That Sherfield catch in traffic was nice too. But yes, only a handful of positives and wagonloads of crap.

But does he pass muster? Not ready to write Harris off yet. But a good thing we have Murray.

I think McDermott and Beane we're hoping that Edmunds with his physical traits could be an elite player who could make game-changing plays on a regular basis. Instead, Edmunds delivered solid play that was rarely spectacular. So they didn't resign him and committed a couple late-thirds to try to man the role. The fact that they didn't extend him long before free agency tells me they weren't convinced he was worth his draft status — or they really wanted to and Edmunds numbers were unworkable. But I doubt after the end of Edmunds third season (when he was allowed to be extended) that he was asking anywhere close to the numbers the Bears ended up giving him. Another point: They gave Floyd $7,000,000 (base; worth up to $9 million with incentives) when they already had Rousseau and Miller coming back no later than game 6. That money could've went a long way in getting a proven veteran MLB — if they thought the position was of vital importance in their scheme. But they didn't. We'll see how much of an overall D drop-off we experience with bottom-third MLB play. I suspect (or hope) it's not as much as some fear.

Far too soon to say with confidence but my gut tells me that Kincaid will be elite within a year or two tops, Torrence will be good, and Williams could become a Milano-level LB but could also never break beyond backup status (highish ceiling, lowish floor). That's optimistic guesswork.

"But there are some important legal distinctions. If Oher had been adopted by the Tuohys, he would have been a legal member of their family, and he would have retained power to handle his own financial affairs. Under the conservatorship, Oher surrendered that authority to the Tuohys, even though he was a legal adult with no known physical or psychological disabilities." Very interesting stuff there. I will reserve judgement till a court case is held but that point above is curious, at the very least.

I bet with Josh in there and the threat his arm and legs bring that the run game gets a lot more potent in the regular season.

Perhaps the bigger question than "is the MLB competition settled" is "how much will mediocre or bottom-third MLB play impact a defense that should (assuming Tre somewhat returns to form and that age doesn't hit Hyde and Poyer hard this year) have a great line and backfield? I think that the answer is not a lot. Or I hope that's the case. I didn't see Edmunds make a big difference against KC and Cinci and so I don't think his absence will hurt as as much as some fear, even with diminished play at the position. Good MLB play is not essential to slow down high-powered offenses today. IMHO.

@Shaw66I agree with much if not all of what you're saying. McDermott is not thinking about long-term contracts when deciding whom to start. I was simply pointing out that your one comment in isolation from your main argument — that losing Milano is as big of a risk as losing Morse — didn't make sense to me. What did you mean by "losing" MIlano is the same risk as losing Morse? Your response is more about your general argument than addressing my very finite question. I agree with your big argument.

Sorry, Shaw, but Milano is locked up through the end of 2026 and Morse is just locked up through the end of 2024. Plus, Morse's considerable concussion history makes him liable to stop playing at literally any game he takes another big shot to the head. How do you figure losing Morse and Milano are equal?

Hi, I couldn't watch the game on vacation with no TV and bad internet. Questions please: 1. How did the new FA O-lineman look? 2. How did Rapp look? How was he used? 3. How did the young guys Elam and Benford look? Thanks in advance! 🍻