dave mcbride

Unless you're absolutely terrible at managing the cap (which Beane isn't) or overpaying for position players because you're making a SB run (which is justified, but the Bills haven't had any chance at that in ages), you should always find yourself in a reasonable cap situation if you're not paying a QB. The Bills' 2018 situation was partly a result of very bad cap management by Whaley (trying to run out a SB contender without an upper-level QB) and partly a result of Beane's decision to bite the bullet in 2018 and move cap dollars into that year. The latter was strategic. The Bills' cap situation is going to be great for at least the next two years after this one. Seriously, everyone needs to check out the Bills' cap situation on sportrac for 2020. McCoy and Hughes comes off the books.

I never disagreed with you on quality; I just don't think the pay is an issue. Also, in a relative context, who was better last year at that position? I honestly don't know, but unless there was someone better as a space plugger, they probably were justified in getting him given that they needed someone to fill the role. FWIW, the defense was actually really good overall last year (#2 in defensive DVOA) despite featuring no superstars. I'm not attributing that to him, but they have a particular system, and he does fill a role in that system.

No it didn’t, or not really. They were going to be up against it regardless, and anyway they needed a player for that position. Not many players wanted to come to Buffalo last season, and you’re obligated to overpay a little (it was, along with Oakland, the least popular destiantion among polled players). But last year was a wash anyway because they KNEW they were going to face face a cap problem (of their own creation) and planned accordingly. Not signing Star would not have really have changed the situation. Besides, who else was out there? The years that always mattered for Beane and McDermott were the years beginning in 2019.

I’m not sure of your point. The cap doesn’t matter for the Bills right now, and the Bills actually TRIED to push cap dollars into the 2018 season with the expectation that they’d be free and clear for the next few seasons (easy to do when you’re not paying a qb or any true star contracts). Check out sportrac for 2020.

We really shouldn’t be arguing about overpays (or even bringing it up, frankly) for a team that still has a ton of cap space after 8000 FA signings and is currently slated to lead the league in cap space next year with a number closing in on $100 million. I could care less if they make the occasional overpay. It’s the very definition of a red herring given the situation.

I think this is the reason they shied away from WRs this year: https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/the-2020-wr-class-could-truly-be-historic https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/the-2020-wr-class-could-truly-be-historic

Posting this link sent me down memory lane. This is some good stuff ( @BADOLBILZ - check it out): http://www.espn.com/espnmag/story?id=3793636.

@GunnerBill - Well, I was totally wrong!

Given the iron logic of this cycle, this is a terrible omen for Rosen's career.

Btw, the last 25 seconds of the clip I posted above are genuinely nuts. I recommend watching to the end!

I'm not talking about on-the-field play. It's more about the overall attitude he seems to have: a bit crazy (in a good way!). Randle was like that too.

LOL. You're referring to MSU, right? (it's my wife's alma mater)

Also the 9th overall pick (and a beast on the field)!

To be fair, the fact that it's still called the Big 10 is a stupid as stupid can be.

I'd be shocked if TB takes him even though I know he's been mocked there by many. I think draft mockers perpetually overvalue LBs. We shall see.

To repeat, I'll be shocked if he goes in the top 5. I think it's nuts to spend a top 5 pick on a LB when elite pass rushers are available. They're way more important. The last time the Raiders spent a top 10 pick on a non-pass rushing LB, they ended up with ... Rolando McClain--a total bust.

I loved Smith and thought he was a truly elite LB - a Saquon Barkley of LBs. But Devin White?

The Bills would have 3 Stanford guys on their d-line -- which is crazy. Why the dislike of Trent? The season he was healthy for Washington, he was really good, and while he was banged up last year, he did flash.

See my edit above.

I don't buy it. The number of non-pass rushing LBs going in the top 10 is tiny, and most have been busts relative to their draft position: AJ Hawk, Curry, McClain, Ernie Sims, Keith Rivers. Outside of Kuechly (#9 overall) and Raquon Smith (#8 overall), who stands out as an elite sideline-to-sideline LB taken in the top 10? (I do realize that Patrick Willis was taken at #11.) Maybe Anthony Barr (#9)? He rushes the passer a lot though. The bust-to-boom ratio is very high. http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?position=LB&type=position

I think that the chances of a LB going in the top 5 are VERY slim. I suspect that Devin White is not going to go nearly as high as people think - non-pass rushing LBs are the defensive equivalents of RBs - lots of 'em and easily replaceable. Anyway, I think White is being placed too high in far too many mocks.

My take is yours: he is what he is and pretty much everyone should know that at this point. Yet he's also been an extremely good player. I guess my concern would be that his style of waiting and picking out holes demands a pretty competent o-line. I don't know if the Jets have one at the moment. The Steelers do.

I watched probably 4-5 Seattle games last season and was consistently blown away by his play.

I guess my rejoinder is the ol' "watch 'em play" one. First off, Ford is a terrible run defender. And while he can certainly get around the edge pretty well, his inside game is lacking. Clark, in contrast, consistently creates chaos out there given his fantastic inside/outside game combo and his combination of agility and strength. He's just a better player. Seattle's defense was good last season, and he was a big reason for it.

Houston was a shell of himself last year. He's in all likelihood past his prime. Injuries have caught up to him.