BillsVet

Hard to believe considering Buffalo has used 2 1sts on Watkins, a 2nd on Woods, and a 3rd on Goodwin in the past 4 drafts. If you don't draft well in this league the ramifications almost put you in a continued downward spiral. Coming out of it is exceptionally difficult and UFA can't make up for it. Jarrett Boykin, Justin Hunter, Walt Powell, Greg Salas, Leonard Hankerson, Dezmin Lewis, Kolby Listenbee, Percy Harvin, and Brandon Tate were not acquisitions that made Whaley look like he knew what he was doing there. And now, they've removed Woods and Goodwin from the equation. The likelihood after Philly Brown was signed that group improves is slim.

Lets ask John Idzik about saving cap space and how it helped the Jets in 2014. Or his job status after the season.

Striking lightning in a bottle with lower cost UFA's every year isn't a recipe for continued success. It's nice to highlight, but were it not for poor drafts it wouldn't be necessary. And for the credit he gets for defensive acquisitions, his offensive ones have been horrible. Yes, they have to sign A LOT of players to begin camp and it stands to reason several will be UDFA's, street free agents, their draft picks, and low cost UFA's. It doesn't remove the fact that Whaley owns this roster. And that it's extremely thin going into his 5th off-season as GM should indicate he's not up to the task.

Whaley may be adept at signing bargain bin defensive UFAs to fill roster holes, but his performance on offense, both in the draft and free agency, has been brutal.

Who's the last one they selected in the first three rounds? The Bills haven't drafted one to be bad in so long as opposed to the rest of the league. (BTW It was Kevin Everett in 2005)

It'd be Billsy to take a TE and attempt to replicate what other teams are now doing. Billsy, because they'd have done it by using a high 1st and big UFA dollars. So many fans said offense wasn't (EDIT:their) problem last year, but cited the defense. And right now, their secondary depth, starting LBs, and DE depth is more of a priority. This team doesn't have the luxury of taking a TE in the top half of the first round. Hasn't stopped the front office from doing it.

And yet, CK was beaten out for the RT job by a 7th round pick in 2014 and 2015 and then a street free agent in 2016. He's a second round pick that hasn't been a full time starter by his third season and hasn't impressed 2 coaching staffs. To expect that to change in his 4th season seems a stretch.

Who's the looser that posted this thread?

Chris Gragg? His contract expired and even if he came back, he's neither a solid blocker nor a deep threat (if TT could stand in the pocket long enough). McCoy is the wrong back for this offense, which needs one cut types to be decisive. Not someone who dances and will more frequently take losses. If Gillislee is here next season I would expect him to get about as many carries as McCoy. Besides, McCoy has 8 seasons of wear and tear on him and after all, how many backs at 29 are running for 1000+ yards? Just because they were successful last year running the ball doesn't mean it'll occur this year. Players age, schemes change, and defensives adapt to what you're doing. At the same time, they have the element of surprise because this offensive side hasn't run Dennison's offense. I just see them using McCoy differently to the point his production will drop.

Well, this makes sense. TT is a mobile QB and turnstiles like Jordan Mills force him to leave the pocket that much more.

Show me a UDFA or later round (4th-7th) pick starting on this team from 2010-2016. Let's double down and make Castillo the DCoord. Then we'll really be cooking with gas.

https://cdn.meme.am/cache/instances/folder636/26650636.jpg

I have a feeling Whaley played his last card undermining RR who clearly wasn't as good as his mouth. Tell me how the Bills current method is working. How many new HC's (now 4 since 2010) have been able to win with the current front office?

https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAKXAAAAJGU4OGE5N2M1LTliZTAtNGFhYi1hNzE1LTJkOGIzMDFiODE3OQ.jpg Funny how these threads are not only annual now, but take place as someone else noted at free agency (there's still time left to acquire players!) the draft, and of course, in pre-season (they're playing vanilla schemes!). Remain calm...all is well.

There isn't another franchise in the NFL that's toed the mediocre line for as long as Buffalo has. They've won between 6 and 9 games each of the past 6 seasons despite a change in ownership, new GM's, HC's, QB's, high draft picks, big UFA spending, scheme changes, et al. And, 14 out of the last 17 seasons they've been in the 6 to 9 win range. For as bad as Cleveland's been, they're in the second year of a true rebuild. The Bills meanwhile continue to avoid at all costs a rebuild in hopes what they've been trying will eventually work. OTOH, Cleveland totally revamped their leadership, took a new approach to talent acquisition, and at least have a path. I'm not sure what the Bills are doing except hiring new coaches and hoping bridge QB's suddenly can play.

For all the talk about the running game, Buffalo's pass blocking last season was mediocre. TT doesn't have the greatest pocket presence, but his mobility bailed out the OL numerous times. And still, Taylor was sacked a NFL worst 42 times. It wouldn't surprise me if they know being better in the passing game is imperative in Dennison's offense.

Kouandjio played (more than half his season's snaps) when Glenn was injured the final 3 games of the season. And if the team is searching for RT's as reports suggest, it tells me they're not considering the option of playing Glenn at RT to allow CK to play the other side. And why would they? It makes little sense to pay Glenn 60M for a position that typically has TE help. And I've never heard of a swing OT who can't play the right side.

Why should the Bills flip their top OT to the right side to accommodate a 2nd round pick who hasn't earned his way onto the field for the 2 previous coaching staffs?

Good teams occasionally have to let high priced veterans go for several reasons. Difference is, they regularly have an experienced replacement ready to step in and therefore don't need their draft picks to immediately step in and play at a high level. Last year it was insane to expect Lawson, Ragland, and Washington to all provide solid play.

I posted in another thread they've now got 5 starters from the 2012-15 drafts: Glenn, Watkins, P. Brown, Darby, and Miller. Expecting the personnel group to improve on draft day in hopes of building the foundation Whaley talked about in January is a wish and a prayer. He's never been able to do it and talking about a "foundation" is absurd considering Whaley's been here now this his 8th off-season. There are depth issues all over the field and not enough resources to address them. I doubt they can adequately fill out their secondary, add a 2nd and 3rd WR, improve the RT position, obtain a decent backup QB, solidify the DL, and add LB's to play their new scheme. It's the story going back more than 10 years: too many needs and not enough picks/UFA dollars to address them.

Banking on finding low cost veterans is the result of poor drafts. It's nice when they find value and perhaps it can happen again, but until they become more adept on draft day, the focus on UFA will be greater and therefore a bigger risk. Buffalo has 5 starters on the roster from their 2012-2015 drafts (2016 is too early to tell) 2012: Glenn (2nd) 2013: No one (McCoy added in trade for Alonso) 2014: Watkins (1st) P. Brown (3rd) 2015: Darby (2nd) Miller (3rd) This group doesn't endear a base to the roster either. And the fact they're not finding players beyond the 3rd round should be concerning as well.

At some point it will have to happen. They've pushed off the impact of some contracts into the future (Clay, TT, etc), have little depth at several positions (WR, LB, S, CB), a new coaching staff that will implement new schemes, and a bottom quartile QB who doesn't hurt you much, but doesn't win you games either. That, and their cap space is not what other non-performing teams had going into the off-season. I see some bad contracts, poor drafts, the lack of depth at multiple positions and the inevitable changes of another coaching staff pushing down the win total this season.

Well, there aren't any HC's to throw under the bus for not making the playoffs with the premier roster built by the personnel group. The likely sourcing of the leaks is the point. Agents are going to say things and involve sports media types to spread what they want about player contract size. Same principle goes for front office and coaching types. If they want to leak something to get their way or undermine someone they will.

That would be so Billsy. At the same time their depth is an issue and this roster needs help all over the field.

Not advocating their departure, but the team isn't in a good position now this their 3rd full season owning the franchise. They seem to take a long time learning the business.