finn

What do you like about him? I'm curious. I realize I'm looking for reasons to dislike him, but I've noticed how tepid he is about acknowledging that other quarterbacks might--just might--be as good as him. Look at Allen's gracious comments about Lamar before their playoff showdown this year. With every last person with a microphone (no exceptions) praising him at every turn, and couching even modest criticisms in lavish lickspittlery, you think Mahomes could manage a few nice words about his peers besides the usual trite BS. You see what you want to see, I guess, but I see a smirking, self-satisfied punk.

Judging in hindsight seems unfair, but how else do you judge a GM's performance? McConkey, Sweat, DeJean, Lassiter, and Bullock were all second rounders, and Beane passed on all of them for Coleman. Every one of them looks like a budding star at a position (WR, DT, S, CB, S) of need for Buffalo. It's too early to write off Coleman, but I would say his odds of being another Elam are better than his becoming a player of the caliber of these five.

Tyler Grable might end up starting at left tackle in a few years, along with SVPG at center. Bishop and Coleman will be starters next year, and Davis is already an important piece on offense. Too early to tell for the rest of the picks, but already that's not a terrible class. A lot depends on Coleman. He looked like a different player after his injury, like he lost the will to go get the ball, rendering him pretty much useless out there. If he turns it around, and even if one of the later picks--Solomon or Carter, for instance--contributes, this might end up to be a very nice draft indeed. I think Bishop will be a force.

Yeah, but the league hasn't announced yet that three of our "home" games will be in Buenos Aires, Kuala Lampur, and Ulaanbaatar, in outer Mongolia.

I've noticed the same thing. A talent-first approach might have led Beane to take Humphrey over Basham, McConkey over Coleman, and maybe even LaPorta over Kincaid, whom Beane might have taken because Allen liked him. With the 2024 class considered, Beane's overall record as a talent evaluator is not looking good at all. Maybe he needs to follow McDermott's lead and overhaul his staff. Unless the problem is not his staff but his own judgment.

Reminds me of just how snake-bit the Bills have been with injuries. They might have been among the most healthy teams overall the past five years, but the injuries to White, Milano, and Miller--arguably their three best players at the time--were body blows. The team went from one of the best defenses in the league (in points allowed and EPA) to truly mediocre. Meanwhile, the lynchpins of their defense, Poyer and Hyde, both hit the wall at the same time, and the new generation--Rousseau, Oliver, Epenesa, Bernard, Williams, Elam, and Basham, have been underwhelming. Only Benford has exceeded expectations. Bad luck? Bad talent evaluation? Or bad coaching? Maybe some combination. In any event, it won't be easy to turn it around next year. Anyway, back to Milano. Definitely keep him. He can still be a star. So can Rousseau on the right side with a powerhouse rusher on the left (not Miller). Maybe Bishop will turn out to be a force, too. And I love Taron and Bernard. The others... Let's just say this defense needs an infusion of talent. Not sure of the cap implications, but I wouldn't be grieving if Beane got at least one high draft pick for some combination of Oliver, Epenesa, and Elam. I would love to see a more talented set of defensive tackles, a monster edge, and a top cornerback. Beane has ten picks to work with, three in the first two rounds--possibly four if he can trade the three I mentioned. And he can create cap room for at least one big signing. It CAN be done, especially since the offense only needs one top player. All eyes on you, Beane.

No, my point was that Beane might want to better heed his scouts' advice on day one and two, not just on day three. It's appropriate the execs make the final calls in the draft, since there are considerations the execs know about and the scouts don't. But, as we at TBD know all too well, it's easy to fall in love with players and feel positive you're right, since, after all, you've read two draft magazines and saw a lot of highlights on YouTube. If I'm Beane, I go with the scouts unless I have very, very good reason not to.

Joe Schoen who let Barkley walk without compensation and signed Daniel Jones to a $92 million contract before releasing him, too, also without compensation? This is the guy whose judgment Beane trusted above his own?

The only nugget I found interesting was their speculation that Beane might be making the calls in the early rounds and his scouts (experts) in the later rounds, which would explain the results we've seen. That, together with their observation that Beane is a management guy with no background in scouting made all the pieces fall into place for me. You see the same thing happen on other teams with the owners or head coaches shouldering in and choosing the first-round players, usually with disastrous results. If this is the case, Beane needs to check his ego at the door on draft day.

Not pressuring the quarterback, not jamming the receivers, and not covering them is a recipe for disaster, and that was the 2024 Bills defense in a nutshell. Even with deficient offensive tackles, Mahomes (and Stafford et al) had time to pat the ball, bounce a few times, and wait for his receivers to come off their free release and into their routes. Far from building a defense to stop Kansas City, McBeane have created a dream defense for Mahomes to play against. If I'm KC, I'm terrified of Allen and deeply relieved that the Bills defense is so, so bad.

Maybe not, but Beane may be overly cautious about medicals. I really wanted him to draft Trey Smith a few years ago at guard, especially when he fell from the second to the third round, then fourth , fifth, sixth--and STILL Beane passed. Finally KC picked up him up late in the sixth round, and he's been an excellent starter since, with no problem with his "debilitating" injury.

Any specifics?

This the day after the Buffalo News reported the Bills have ranked in the top ten healthiest teams in the NFL six of the past eight years...

How about Marcel Dareus? If you want to consider "worst" to be the worst considering where he was picked, you can make an argument for Dareus, who was just a warm body when it came down to it. Third pick of the 2011 draft, followed immediately by three future Hall of Fame players: AJ Green, Patrick Peterson, and Julio Jones.

It was a great pick. Just fun, even if it didn't work out.

Another criteria for worst draft pick would be who disappointed the most. For me, that would be Mike Jasper, a 400-pound offensive lineman who could dunk a basketball. What could go wrong?

The NFC champs just humiliated the Chiefs by rushing just four and dropping seven. Beane sees this and eyes the upcoming draft, determined to build a dominating defensive line. In fact, he's so eager, he may double dip and draft two defensive ends in the first two rounds AND add one of the best defensive linemen in the league, even if it blows up the cap for years to come. That was 2021. Four year later, he's in the exact same position. My point: Don't get your hopes up. Like McDermott, Beane might be just good enough to lose. (P.S. I'm a Bills fan. My hopes are up no matter what. Sigh.)

Agree. That's a me-first, Diggs-type vibe. Definitely listen to trade offers, but if a third doesn't materialize, have play out his last year and let him go, no hard feelings either year. He'll be wanting to prove himself, so he should give the Bills a good year.

Interesting comparison. Both are prototypes for the position except for the most important "It" factor."

I do think Allen needs a WR1, which won't be easy to acquire, since he'll either be very expensive or high-round pick, neither of which the Bills can easily afford giving the alarming state of its defense. Aside from that need, they should be set on offense (given that Cook doesn't hold out) and can devote most of their attention and cap room to defense. What will it take to turn this bottom-five unit into a top-five? An elite pass rusher (e.g., a Garrett or Crosby), AND a run-stuffing tackle, AND a top cornerback, along with quality safety, linebacker, and corner depth. In short, pretty much all ten draft picks and all the cap room Beane can create.

Have you noticed the proliferation of articles reporting that other reporters have come up with wild trade or signing? Like "Bills linked to Tyreek Hill."

I agree about Bishop, but we do need a quality veteran next to him. When they had Poyer and Hyde back there, they led the league in defensive EPA by a wide margin. If the Bills want to continue rushing only four, they need a quality secondary to pair with a potent rush. If Beane had found the resources to sign Justin Simmons last year, I think that would have put them over the top. But it won't be easy. They need a WR1, a top pass rusher, a starting corner, AND a quality safety. You could argue they're all equally important, but, after this Super Bowl (which echoed the Tampa Bay demolition of Fey Patrick), I fear Beane will once again sell the farm for an aging pass rusher who will flash then get hurt, setting the team back for another three years. I'm rooting for you, Beane, but I have to say my faith in you is dwindling as your meh drafts pile up.

You're missing the most obvious reason: the word spread that the Chiefs were being humiliated and tuned in. That's the only reason I did. Don't underestimate the power of schadenfreude.

Want to play the hindsight game? 2024: Round 2: Beane picked Coleman over Lad McConkey, Cooper DeJean, and Kamari Lassiter (and Worthy, of course) 2023: Round 1: Moved up for Kincaid instead of down for Joey Porter, Sam LaPorta, Rashee Rice (all in the second round), and Tank Dell (third round). 2022: Round 1: After KC jumped over us for McDuffie, Beane moved up for Elam instead of down for George Pickens and others. I have to stop. Too depressing.

Agree. It was drop back, pause a beat, throw. Last night, it was drop back, pause a beat, get sacked. The defensive line is getting the heat, but it's the linebackers and secondary that were the problem, either the players or the Babich/McDermott "Let them have eight yards, maybe they'll get a penalty or something, hopefully" defensive philosophy. I wonder if McDermott and Beane are on the same page. Beane seems to want overwhelming pressure on the QB, and McDermott wants bend don't break (or break, fine, but hope the offense will bail us out).