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Robert 'HoF' Foster Just Throw Him the Damn Ball! 🤔 Needs work. * Still working on getting D'haquille 'Duke' Williams' name incorporated into a team name.

Some of this is true. I remember John Brown and Duke Williams not coming up with receptions. But not sure how you can watch that game and not come away with the realization that Josh was pressing. This is “Sugar High Josh”. He was completely reckless. His legs is what help take the game to OT. Had he just relaxed and taken what was given to him, rather than forcing the ball to Pat DiMarco or trying an horrible lateral to Dawson Knox late in the game. His fumbles and failure to generate points allowed Houston to climb back in. To your point - I do believe that Josh and the entire team learned from this failure

Every year there's some Bills play er who wins what I call the Duke Williams award given to the player who everyone here is convinced will be grabbed up in second, but doesn't. It shows you that NFL front office types and coaches, know what a true NFL roster player looks like more than most here do.

Not even close to reaching Duke Williams level.

Every year there is the Duke Williams award given to the player who if he's cut by Beane will get grabbed up another team but in end doesn't and instead ends up on the Bills PS. Joe Andreessen will be this years run away winner! Admittedly he had looked very good and with the injuries at LB, good chance he makes the 53 so we may never know. But past experiences show the front offices of teams have a better understanding of what an NFL player really looks like as these guys every year aren't often picked up.

I think another interesting comparison might be with the 2021 roster. Despite not making it to the Championship game (as they did in 2020), I think 2021 was the year that we all thought they could/should go on to win it all...probably the best team in the McDermott era to date. Pos 2021 2024 QB Allen, Trubisky Allen, Trubisky RB Singletary, Moss Cook, Davis WRs Diggs Shakir Sanders Samuel Davis Coleman Duke Wiliams Claypool, MVS Kumerow, Hodgins Hollins, Hamler TE Knox Kincaid. Knox LT Dawkins Dawkins LG Feliciano Edwards C Morse McGovern RG Ford Torrence RT Williams Brown So, quarterback is a push. I'm taking Cook and Davis over Singletary and Moss. Diggs wins the #1 WR battle for the 2021 squad, but from there down, I'm taking the 2024 WRs over the 2021 WR corps. Kincaid/Knox is better than Knox/no one. Dawkins is a push. Not much difference between Feliciano and Edwards probably. As of now, Morse wins the center position, but I'm taking Torrence and Brown over Ford and Williams on the right side (although Williams played well in 2021). Pos 2021 2024 LDE Addison Rousseau NT Lotulelei Jones DT Oliver Oliver RDE Hughes Epenesa/Miller WLB Milano Milano MLB Edmunds Bernard SCB Johnson Johnson CB White/Jackson Douglas CB Wallace Benford SS Poyer Rapp FS Hyde Bishop I'm taking Rousseau over Addison, and Daquan over Star. Oliver, Milano, and Taron are all pushes (provided Milano is back to form). I'm taking Epenesa and Miller over Hughes for two reasons, where Jerry was in his career at the time and the hope that Von returns to form---but I could see someone taking the other side on that to. I'm taking Bernard over Edmunds at Mike. And Benford gets the nod over Wallace. Obviously, Hyde and Poyer win the safety battle easy. Then there is Tredavious vs. Rasul. I would give the nod to Tre, but he missed the last 6 games of the year and the two playoff games in 2021, so I'm taking a healthy Rasul over 2021 Tre/Jackson. I honestly do not see any reason why we can't still go on a deep playoff run. The only players I picked from the 2021 squad over the 2024 squad were Diggs, Morse, Poyer, and Hyde. I don't think center will be a problem or that big a drop-off. So, to me, the only major question marks (personnel-wise in comparison to 2021) are can McDermott get the younger safeties up-to-speed? I don't expect them to have the knowledge and rapport of Hyde and Poyer, but are they good enough to keep the drop-off to a minimum and hold their own? And, developing DBs does seem to be a strength for McD, so crossing my fingers. And then, without Diggs, how will the rest of the WR corps handle things? But, with Kincaid in the mix, way better depth, Shakir maturing, and Josh Allen distributing the ball, I really do think we will be fine without Diggs (just mo).

Duke Williams. That's where he was working when Beane felt he was perfect for the Bills WR as he understood it...

Duke Williams

Where's Robert Foster and Duke Williams on this list?

Kerley joined a room that also included Robert Foster in 2018...were Kerley and Pryor brought in for ST? Sanders as a #2, "stretching the field"...on his 6th team in 12 years (4th in 3 seasons)? At age 34? Come on! Anyway he sprained his knee in week 14, back in week 16. They released him at the end and he retired. Andre Holmes and Andre Roberts were brought in as excellent ST players and "backup starters" at WRs? They were backing up the star packed WR room of Benjamin, Bath Salt Jones, "Kerley Thompson and Pryor"?? good point! Crowder was pushing 30 , sparing used in 4 games then got hurt. As a receiver in the NFl, he was pretty much done--except the inept Commanders couldn't resist giving him more money for nothing. As it turns out, Duke Williams clearly did not have the talent to play in the NFL---and he had never demonstrated such before Beane figured he would be good enough for the Bills. Isabella has yet to make any impact at all in the NFL. He touched the ball once for the Bills. 25 ST snaps. 2 Offensive snaps. It's a waste of a roster spot--a guy you can't use anywhere. Brown (32.0), despite being passed around by 3 teams the previous season (and recording zero catches), was "elevated" off the PS 5 days after signing and played in their next 2 games. Other receivers in the game were Diggs, Davis, McKenzie, Knox, Shakir..... The draft was always available to address the WR room...

When Beane traded a 3rd round pick for Kelvin Benjamin in his 4th year, and assumed his fully-guaranteed 5th year option (already picked up by CAR) he expected him to "solve his WR room issues". Emmanuel Sanders was also brought in to start as a John Brown replacement, a guy fast enough to get open down field and be #2 opposite Diggs. Jameson Crowder was brought in as Plan B in case McKenzie couldn't justify increased playing time. Those 3 guys were, in fact, intended to be starters or potential starters ("solve issues in the WR room"). Benjamin got injured and lost motivation, Sanders and Crowder just got injured. Bad on Beane that he couldn't predict that I guess? Sanders and Crowder played well before they were injured. Deonte Harty was a whiff by Beane, I grant that. If you're trying to make a "simple" point that the rest of that gang were brought in to "solve our WR issues", your point sailed "wide right. Andre Holmes, Andre Roberts, Jake Kumerow, Trent Sherfield, and now Mack Hollins were brought in as excellent ST who could "back up" the starters at WR. That would be a very strange definition of "brought in to solve WR issues". [Folks here can disagree that it's worthwhile to give a #5 or #6 slot to a ST player, but it's how Beane and McDermott roll, and that's different than pretending they were "brought in to solve our WR issues". They weren't. Duke Williams and Andy Isabella were both brought in as guys with the physical talent to succeed in the NFL, who could play on the Scout Team and maybe be elevated and fill in for a game or two if someone got hurt. I know it fights the "narrative" here, but same is true of Brown and Beasley 2.0: they weren't brought in to "solve WR issues", they were signed to the PS to be elevated and available in case of injury to starters at the end of the season, when we had already lost 2 WR to IR. Kerley Thompson, and Pryor were signed in 2018, when we didn't have a WR room beyond Fat Kelvin and Bath Salts Jones.

Beane bringing in "a veteran/leader" to the WR room, you say? Now that I consider it, given Beane's track record at this, Hollis could well be the next Kelvin Benjamin/Andre Holmes/Deonte Thompson/Terelle Pryor/Jeremy Kerley/Andre Roberts/Duke Williams/Emanuel Sanders/Jameson Crowder/Brown+Beasely 2.0/Deonte Harty/Andy Isabella/Trent Sherfield... ... and that's just the list of jabronies who made the roster.

Agreed but I have to temper my enthusiasm, it is about this time every year I read all the hype and think we had a killer draft until reality sets in. For example Dorian Williams and Nick Broeker along with free agent Richard Gouraige I thought were real steals in the 2023 draft and none of them really showed much although we essentially got 2 1st rounds last year so overall very good draft. And the year before of course was Kaiir Elam who has shown flashes but not enough. And I was really upset to see yet another mid-late rd RB pick but as I read and watch Davis it is hard not to get get excited. And Dewayne Carter, a three time Captaln, amazing when you think about it and not exactly a football factory at Duke. Love listening to that guy, he along with Coleman are going to be fan favorites.

Come on now. Duke Williams was closer to Benjamin than Claypool. Neither are in the same ball park athletically to Claypool.

It is a flier. But Claypool accomplished more in his first two seasons than all of them did/have in their entire careers COMBINED, and that's including both Duke Williams and Robert Foster in this mix with those you mentioned. His chances of amounting to something are more so than the rest. Just saying.

OMG. How did I forget all time Bills offseason legend Duke Williams?!?! Thank you for the reminder!

Excuse me but Duke Williams?!!??!

I have read that argument and have read that argument and have read that argument. Franchise tag values and number of players at that position drafted in the early rounds do not concur. I like that other guy better who told me I was wrong to consider that, and 2019 WR with Brown and Beasley would be more comparable (though even there, that was a WR corps that fell way short and left Allen targeting Duke Williams and Pat DiMarco in the playoffs)

I think the bills will be fine with the wr group they have but this season feels much like the 2019 season setting up for a splash at the position next year. I do think this group has much more depth than we every have had 2019 WR/TE group: John brown (averaged 586 yards per season prior) Cole Beasley (averaged 467 yards per season prior) Mckenzie (averaged 98 yards per season prior) knox (Rookie) duke williams (Rookie) robert foster (541 yards rookie season) 2020: diggs (averaged 924 for yards per season prior) Beasley (averaged 506 for yards per season prior) brown (averaged 715 for yards per season prior) mckenzie (averaged 154 for yards per season prior) davis (Rookie) knox (388 yards rookie season) 2024: samuel (averaged 483 for yards per season prior) shakir (averaged 386 for yards per season prior) kincaid (673 rookie season) knox (averaged 393 for yards per season prior) coleman (Rookie) MVS (averaged 525 for yards per season prior) claypool (averaged 376 for yards per season prior) Hollins (averaged 281 for yards per season prior)

Big body, contested catch guy, a little more like Keon than I would say Gabe is, but not an athlete compared to him. Keon has a 38 inch vertical compared to Dukes 30 inch vertical. That is a huge difference. Keon ran the 10 yard sprint at 1.54 which is above average for a guy his size while Williams was at 1.70. We haven't had a lot of bigger contested catch types here. Certainly none with this sort of athletic ability.

Duke Williams

His best comps are Devonte Adams and a healthy Mike Williams with the Chargers. If you watch the new Bills video he talks to our new DT from Duke about that game. He tells Coleman they scrapped their normal gameplay and put in a total new one for FSU. From Mt understanding the other starting WR went out and all they had to do was focus on Coleman.

Great reference point. Pat Williams had a very good NFL career with us and the Vikings. Real good guy too. I have never even seen Dewayne Carter play. (Duke football is not usually appointment TV) However, from I have heard he sounds like a solid pickup. Hopefully he plays at Ed Oliver's level as he grows into an NFL player. And if he can be better then Ed at some point (Ed has been good, but not great) even better.

Fun game to play is see if you can't count the number of Bills player in that clip. I've said it before guy needs to invest in a jugs machine, also it's year 3, so it really behooves him to get it figured out. RBs don't make sense to get 2nd contracts usually but if it's one that also functions as a major part of the passing game that's different. I think I remember his press conference maybe him saying that he feels healthier than he's been in a long time. Obviously take it with a grain of salt from the player but that'd definitely be something I'd like to see, it's sad when things like that get in the way of a player even more when you can see he's got some talent. They're no Duke Williams though.

Not as good as Duke Williams!! 😉