BillsVet

They seem to prioritize offense only when they have to...like 2018 when they needed a QB and recognized it'd take some maneuvering in round 1. Or, in 2019 when their moribund offense needed a major talent infusion. Even 2020 trading for Diggs after their WR group proved good but not good enough against better teams and in the post-season. And amazingly those 3 off-seasons were before Josh ascended into being a veritable franchise QB. For all the joking around about the roster being so deep and picks not making it out of camp, their depth on offense is not aligned with Beane's comments about protecting Josh. I wonder after 2021 and 2022 off-seasons what authority Beane has at OBD. Or, if he goes defense to keep the HC satisfied. I'd just hate to be in a meeting with ownership after 2022 following another playoff loss to explain that the plan of featuring a new blocking scheme, new offensive coaches and aging UFA OL signings was insufficient.

I think we should credit McBeane for the picks and welcome them to Buffalo, but be sure to remind them their stay will be brief. Sad.

Of course, but you can't teach speed nor is there anyone on that roster who can get deep the way people are hyped about Stevenson. He might be last year's sleeper the way Shakir is this year's sleeper.

It speaks to the superior depth though. Beane was wise enough to bring back Kumerow and he's played real NFL minutes. And then there's Stevenson who might be the fastest guy next to Tyreek Hill and is a true sleeper with returner ability. He was picked in the 6th round last year. Not to mention, people are already forgetting Hodgins, a 2020 6th. Those guys are McBeane picks too who haven't had their time to shine.

The board consensus heading into the draft was that 4-7 rounders aren't going to make the roster. Buffalo's too deep at every position.

I'm concerned he's not going to make the roster. Buffalo is so deep at WR, especially, Marquez Stevenson, Isaiah Hodgins and Jake Kumerow already.

Davis is a guy who's logged seasons of 56% and 55% catch percentage. Which says the guy is forced to make contested catches. He's been in that 3rd receiver role, but now has more focus on him as their 2nd. At the end of last season (weeks 13, 14 16, and 17) when he got more than 80% of the snaps he recorded 1 game over 50 yards receiving. Then, against NYJ he was targeted 14 times and caught 3 passes. People putting a lot of faith in a guy after that division round game. Need to see a lot more than that to take pressure off Diggs and make this a good offense. That, and he'll need to stay healthy or it's an unproven type gonna get those snaps. Sal continuing to audition for a spot with the team media group.

Making the playoffs in 2017 or 2019 was nice, but the standard is a lot higher now and much more than the generation of fail before McBeane. Others have noted that the Bills are thin on offense at WR and across the OL. If Josh is the way this team wins games, that's really concerning yet no expense is spared staffing McD's defense. It's a bold strategy Cotton. Let's see if it works out.

They miscalculated last year signing another short to intermediate receiver who lacked the ability to get deep. But maybe that's the goal for their offense now...be a lateral versus vertical unit. Still, there's a price to pay using all these premium resources on defense...and it's gonna come at the expense of the guy the Pegula's are paying 43M per over the next 6 beginning in 2023. If they're getting to the playoffs but stuck going on the road for a divisional game these next 1-2 seasons then their roster building strategy needs an overhaul.

Funny thing about draft time is people know the cost of everything but the value of almost nothing. Buffalo was picking at 25 originally and used a 4th to move up to 23. It's gonna take a couple years, but at this point I'm cool with trading a 3rd to move up to grab a WR at 15 when your depth there is porous. After all, Buffalo getting another LB for the defense isn't a huge cost because those players aren't impacting games as much as a WR does. You can sign decent UFA LBs at value prices without burning top 100 picks anyway. Loads of WR's available after the draft? Come on dude. If you're talking UDFA's...yeah maybe 1 out of 20 becomes something. As for vets...try fitting them under the cap constraints this team faces each season now. To your final comment...KC last season was the better offense and threw the ball better. The Cheaps offense has been better at getting YAC and is overall less reliant on their QB carrying the ball. Maybe not, but maybe they held remedial communication seminars for the HC and his DC who stumble in crunch time.

For a front office highlighted here and elsewhere as being one of or the best in the the league they're strategically underwhelming this draft. Going CB, RB, and LB with their top picks makes me wonder if they're focused on not entering the arms race going on across the NFL. With other teams loading up at WR, McBeane want more secondary help. And, rather than go after those WR's early, they'll draft backs who can catch the ball. And of course, continue with more high picks for the front 7 as I'm sure McD wants. My issue with McBeane is they default to defense in an offensive era where more often than not the better passing offense wins in the playoffs.

Reid and Veach are secure in their off-season moves at WR and offense as a whole. You can draft defense when offense is prioritized which aligns with current league trends.

The trade for Diggs doesn't mean they get a pass on drafting WR for 2 years. In fact, they've used 1 pick from rounds 1-3 on a WR from 2017-21. Likely to change tomorrow, Buffalo has used UFA liberally at WR and OL. Need to draft and develop play-makers on offense. Davis isn't a lock at this point with his 6 career regular/postseason games with more than 80 yards receiving. Wallace being a slower less physical zone CB wasn't the big issue. Hill catching passes and Mahomes having time to throw was.

I guess you missed my point about have an elite TE to pair with their post-Hill WR group. And I'll trust Andy Reid to staff an offense before McD. If they thought Hill was expendable, then JuJu, Hardman, and Valdes-Scantling should be more than sufficient. But you left those 3 out of your post. Not surprised. McD is going defense heavy from the line to the secondary almost every off-season. Other emerging AFC contenders are loading up on offense and improving/maintaining their pass rush.

They also don't have Jake Kumerow as their backup Z and X receiver. And have a All-Pro level TE. Buffalo's strategy is not build up their defense with other teams (LVR, KC, LAC, CIN) featuring multiple top receivers paired with a QB. Drafting defense given current rules doesn't work. But McD gonna put that round peg in the square hole no matter what.

You can never have enough defense.

Well, they did pass on a chance to take one of 2 QBs who are being paid over 40M per next season. But they weren't ready to take a QB that season. LOL

Those two seasons are over...and bounced out by a team that prioritizes offense.

Somehow premium resources tend to shade toward the defense. At this rate, I think McD won't be satisfied until all the defensive is 1st rounders/high dollar UFAs.

5 of 7 1sts in the McD era on defense.

McD gotta have his defense.

The lead up to the draft was ridiculous for multiple reasons. First, there were people here screaming about how McBeane had to do something after the Jets traded up to 3. And then there was the arguments for and against each QB. Nice to say that now, there was nothing to worry about. It all worked out.

Check the DL snap counts when McD was Carolina DC. Kawann Short and Charles Johnson were frequently over 70%, but it didn't mean they lacked the rotation McD insists on. Now that he's a HC that rotation is as much a guarantee as ever. Their UFA signings this season reinforces it. Except next season Josh's deal kicks in and there's no way they can keep spending on non-pass rush types. Stands to reason they'll use more draft picks on DL to keep the rotation alive. At some point, the DL spending and picks will keep inhibiting the offense's and how this team wins games...Josh's arm.

Juvenal had no idea his writing in the late 1st century/early 2nd would also apply to another great nation 1900 years later...people really love their panem et circenses. At what cost...only time will tell.

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."