finn

Good point. That squares with the Athletic's take after last season, which was that with no deep threat (Gabe Davis was a cartoon figure), teams rolled up on the short and intermediate routes, leaving the Bills with no option but to wait for the deep shot once or twice a game, which (late in the season/playoffs) Allen overthrew twice and Diggs dropped once.

On reflection, maybe this is a good move. I was willing to give Diggs the benefit of the doubt after his decline over the second half of the season. But then I think of that drop in the playoff game against KC. That spoke volumes. If you choke at the most important moment of the season, you're not untradeable anymore. Wish it were a first-rounder this year, but that's just not realistic. Hopefully they trade up for a WR 1. Maybe their first and second this year and their second next year to move up for one of the Big Four.

So a lousy 2nd round pick next year and we lose our best WR AND take a huge cap hit? WTF?

Beane has plenty of options at safety/corner, including Simmons and Blackmon after June 1 with the Tre White savings. Could be a decent safety available in the second round, too. No, I think Beane will draft a pass rusher then trade up in the second to nab a WR he likes, using a fourth-round pick. Then depth picks for DB and OL.

Basically what we've been paying Von Miller...🤢

Yes, I'll always appreciate him for those deep balls, against KC in the playoffs especially, but also the long TD he caught in stride when Allen was throwing from the end zone under heavy pressure. The pessimist in me sees a player just good enough to delay Beane from investing in the WR position before now, which might have made the difference the past two years between the Super Bowl and merely the playoffs. Still, I wish him luck. He seemed like a good guy, and he worked hard.

Was Davis really a downfield threat? It's always seemed to me he was just a guy out there, with average WR speed, average hands, and little ability to get separation. His success, one could say, was entirely due to a future HOF QB throwing to him. I'm willing to learn that I've been wrong about him, though. What did you see or know that I didn't describe here?

This board was pretty bullish last year at this time, as I recall. People were optimistic with things returning to normal after the truly weird 2022 season. Gabe Davis would finally shine, his injury behind him, Von and Tre would be back, a healthy Poyer and Hyde had another good year in them, Dorsey's offense and Kromer's O-line would improve with a year under its belt, and so on. But so many things went south, especially injuries. So, yes, I'm optimistic, but cautiously so. Actually, I'm most worried about Bass. You need a reliable kicker to win in this league, and Bass was not reliable last year.

A younger Linval Joseph.

Does anyone know if interviews and private workouts correlate with players the Bills draft ?

I wonder if Beane promised him that start. If they sign Blackmon or Simmons, that promise would be pretty disingenuous, less so if they draft a safety in the second round. He sounds like an excellent depth player but a gamble as a starter. My ideal scenario (given the cap): They sign Blackmon after June 1 and draft a safety in the fifth round and a corner in the fourth or fifth. Go into the season with Douglas and Bedford backed up by Elam, a rookie, and a free agent, with Blackmon and Rapp at safety backed up by Edwards, and a rookie. Jackson backed up by Lewis.

What don't you like about him? He's the athletic white guy, right?

What about trading down to pick up another second and third? They still might be able to pick up a good WR since the draft is deep there, and they'd have two more high picks. With needs at DE, DT, and S in addition to WR and depth on the offensive line, those two picks would be welcome. The top four or five WRs will be gone, but Mitchell, Franklin, or one of the two Xaviers might still be there in the second. Put it this way, would you rather have 1. Brian Thomas or 2. Keon Coleman AND a top safety AND a decent DT?

On his tiny throwing hand.

I won't miss Gabe. I can say that even as I recognize the valuable qualities he brought to the team. We need a big WR who can block, get deep, win contested throws, catch the ball in clutch moments, and block downfield. Gabe did some of that, but not all.

Yikes, that hurts our depth. Now we have Elam, Lewis, and....[crickets]

Add one impact WR, and you're looking at that guy, Diggs, Shakir, Kincaid, and Cook. With Allen behind a decent line, that's a scary lineup to face. One home run, and they go from meh to "Wow!"

Well, continuity, depth, and familiarity with schemes are all pluses, along with rewarding hard work and performance. I do think Dawkins, Jones and Epenesa performed well. Dawkins had a great season. According to the Athletic (take it or leave it), Epenesa is the only natural fit on the roster rushing from the right side. Jones has been terrific, even after his injury. Lewis is good depth. Are you objecting to Rapp? Trubinsky? I didn't love these signings myself, but, again, I see the upsides.

Agreed. I wouldn't trade him for less than first-round pick and extras.

Just what I was thinking. Davis was a WR2 playing opposite Diggs with the best quarterback in football. Brown was a backup playing with a rookie, albeit a terrific one.

NFL.com describes him as having top-end speed. News to me.

An older Gabe Davis. Davis: 45 catches for 746 yards, 16.6 avg. 6'2" 210. Brown: 33 catches for 567 yards, 17.2 avg. 6'2" 215.

And Isabella. Could be not as long as he wanted, like two years instead of four or five. Not so appealing to be back on the market at 32. (He'll be 30 in August.)

Oh, duh. I was thinking about releases of other wide receivers around the league. Thanks.