3rdand12 Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 On 5/29/2019 at 7:43 PM, Florida Bills Fanatic said: Based on the limited information from OTA's and other sources, I think this is a credible analysis. Of course it is ! It's Gunner's yearly prediction. always well thought out.
LSHMEAB Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 5 hours ago, GunnerBill said: I think Foster is way more of a lock than Zay. The only reason people think Zay is a lock is because he was a second round pick(who we traded up for). A: Beane/McDermott have made plenty of mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. To their credit, they've shown a willingness to cut bait. B) Zay was not(presumably) a Beane selection. I expect him to make the team, but he's not on completely solid ground. He's gonna have to earn it. By all accounts, he's fully dedicated the offseason to improve both physically and mentally. Nothing would shock me with Zay. If he gains some confidence, I can see him being a major contributor and a bonafide second tier WR. Also wouldn't be blown away if he was cut or traded if it doesn't translate on the field.
MrEpsYtown Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 Great work Gunner. I get the sense that the regime feels better about Spencer Long than they do about Spain. It seems like they are making it crystal clear that they want him to be a starting guard here. I know Spain is injured and I really like him, but I think Long is a lock and is extremely likely to be one of the starting guards. I'm not sure Spain is a mortal lock, though I think he should be.
Rocky Landing Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said: The only reason people think Zay is a lock is because he was a second round pick(who we traded up for). A: Beane/McDermott have made plenty of mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. To their credit, they've shown a willingness to cut bait. B) Zay was not(presumably) a Beane selection. I expect him to make the team, but he's not on completely solid ground. He's gonna have to earn it. By all accounts, he's fully dedicated the offseason to improve both physically and mentally. Nothing would shock me with Zay. If he gains some confidence, I can see him being a major contributor and a bonafide second tier WR. Also wouldn't be blown away if he was cut or traded if it doesn't translate on the field. I can only speak for myself, but I don't agree with this. By this time, I don't think anyone gives a damn about where Zay was drafted. I think that Zay is a lock because he has improved from year one, to year two (and from all accounts, to year three), and has turned into the WR that he was sold as in the draft-- which is to say, that he is a solid #2, with a complete route tree, who can get separation, has reliable hands, and is utterly consistent. I don't think he has reached his ceiling, yet, but I also don't think his ceiling is as a true #1. I don't think he has yet shown the ability to bring down the contested ball, and I don't think he has an enormous catch radius. But, he is a reliable receiver who can make a play on any spot on the field. He might be our most versatile WR. I put Zay above Foster (which is, essentially what makes him a lock). I see Foster as a dynamic talent, but limited in his role on offense. I think that a lot of Bills fans have built him up in their minds to be greater than the sum of his parts. He had some great plays towards the end of last season, and they're easy to find, but he also had some really poor routes, as well. At the very least, he showed a difficulty in tracking the ball in his earlier games. That's a pretty big deal when your biggest asset is as a sideline receiver with the speed to get separation from the corners downfield. To be clear, I assume that they're both going to make the team. I also think that Foster is a much more exciting receiver for the fanbase. But, I think that Zay is the more valuable commodity, especially with the acquisition of Smokey Brown. Edited May 31, 2019 by Rocky Landing 2
BADOLBILZ Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 6 hours ago, Bill from NYC said: Would the 500K signing bonus make it tough to release Yeldon or is that too little to care about. For Beane it's too little to care about. He's been a little careless with the nickels and dimes.........which is something he's going to have to pay more attention to down the line if he gets that far.
Augie Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 14 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said: For Beane it's too little to care about. He's been a little careless with the nickels and dimes.........which is something he's going to have to pay more attention to down the line if he gets that far. He covered his bases at a time when he had cap room to do that. It’s a bit sketchy when you have a couple elders in the RB room. I’m not for wasting anything intentionally with the cap, but how often do you have your top two RB’s approaching AARP territory? I’m fine with accepting that this is unique, and a wise exception.
TPS Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 1 hour ago, MrEpsYtown said: Great work Gunner. I get the sense that the regime feels better about Spencer Long than they do about Spain. It seems like they are making it crystal clear that they want him to be a starting guard here. I know Spain is injured and I really like him, but I think Long is a lock and is extremely likely to be one of the starting guards. I'm not sure Spain is a mortal lock, though I think he should be. If you go by their contracts, Feleciano is a lock, and Spain is just another vet in the competition.
MasterStrategist Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Rocky Landing said: I can only speak for myself, but I don't agree with this. By this time, I don't think anyone gives a damn about where Zay was drafted. I think that Zay is a lock because he has improved from year one, to year two (and from all accounts, to year three), and has turned into the WR that he was sold as in the draft-- which is to say, that he is a solid #2, with a complete route tree, who can get separation, has reliable hands, and is utterly consistent. I don't think he has reached his ceiling, yet, but I also don't think his ceiling is as a true #1. I don't think he has yet shown the ability to bring down the contested ball, and I don't think he has an enormous catch radius. But, he is a reliable receiver who can make a play on any spot on the field. He might be our most versatile WR. I put Zay above Foster (which is, essentially what makes him a lock). I see Foster as a dynamic talent, but limited in his role on offense. I think that a lot of Bills fans have built him up in their minds to be greater than the sum of his parts. He had some great plays towards the end of last season, and they're easy to find, but he also had some really poor routes, as well. At the very least, he showed a difficulty in tracking the ball in his earlier games. That's a pretty big deal when your biggest asset is as a sideline receiver with the speed to get separation from the corners downfield. To be clear, I assume that they're both going to make the team. I also think that Foster is a much more exciting receiver for the fanbase. But, I think that Zay is the more valuable commodity, especially with the acquisition of Smokey Brown. Agree about Zay over foster, both are locks in my opinion. Zay might be the most controversial player, from a fan perspective on this team.....some think he's fighting for a roster spot, and others (like myself) think he's on the verge of something special. I'd also consider Spencer Long ahead of Spain, injury aside. I think he wins a starting guard spot, and brings more versatility in the event of injuries up front
MrEpsYtown Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 9 hours ago, TPS said: If you go by their contracts, Feleciano is a lock, and Spain is just another vet in the competition. I agree on Feliciano as well. Not sure if he starts somewhere, but I think that when Morse is back we see Long and Feliciano as teh first team guards.
GunnerBill Posted May 31, 2019 Author Posted May 31, 2019 27 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said: I agree on Feliciano as well. Not sure if he starts somewhere, but I think that when Morse is back we see Long and Feliciano as teh first team guards. I am certain Spain starts on this line. He is our best guard. And it isn't close. I think the contracts can be explained by the fact that early in FA Spain wanted a bigger deal. The Bills reportedly had interest but didn't want to pay the price. They spent the money elsewhere and Spain realised as his market dried up he was going to have to take a 1 year prove it deal somewhere. I don't think there is any chance he chose Buffalo over LA and his other options without a strong indication that the starting job was his to lose. 3
GG Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 14 minutes ago, GunnerBill said: I am certain Spain starts on this line. He is our best guard. And it isn't close. I think the contracts can be explained by the fact that early in FA Spain wanted a bigger deal. The Bills reportedly had interest but didn't want to pay the price. They spent the money elsewhere and Spain realised as his market dried up he was going to have to take a 1 year prove it deal somewhere. I don't think there is any chance he chose Buffalo over LA and his other options without a strong indication that the starting job was his to lose. Morbidly, Beane is rooting for C/G injuries on other teams. 1
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 Why are some names in bold? I would have Julian Stanford as a blue.
GunnerBill Posted May 31, 2019 Author Posted May 31, 2019 3 minutes ago, 2018 Our Year For Sure said: Why are some names in bold? I would have Julian Stanford as a blue. They are all in bold..... or show that way for me anyway.
TPS Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 25 minutes ago, GunnerBill said: I am certain Spain starts on this line. He is our best guard. And it isn't close. I think the contracts can be explained by the fact that early in FA Spain wanted a bigger deal. The Bills reportedly had interest but didn't want to pay the price. They spent the money elsewhere and Spain realised as his market dried up he was going to have to take a 1 year prove it deal somewhere. I don't think there is any chance he chose Buffalo over LA and his other options without a strong indication that the starting job was his to lose. The point I made is what their contracts indicate. If Spain is cut, his cap hit is minimal; if Feliciano is cut, his dead cap hit > if he is on the team. I’m sure you’re assessment of Spain is correct, but feliciano is the tougher assessment. Given he doesn’t have a lot of film, he’s a relatively unknown, except to the Bills’ O-Line Coach. He’s a lot like Long in his position flexibility, so if it comes down to those two, the contracts will have an impact. Finally, I’m not saying it changes his “color,” but it does suggest someone thinks highly of him...
GunnerBill Posted May 31, 2019 Author Posted May 31, 2019 Just now, TPS said: The point I made is what their contracts indicate. If Spain is cut, his cap hit is minimal; if Feliciano is cut, his dead cap hit > if he is on the team. I’m sure you’re assessment of Spain is correct, but feliciano is the tougher assessment. Given he doesn’t have a lot of film, he’s a relatively unknown, except to the Bills’ O-Line Coach. He’s a lot like Long in his position flexibility, so if it comes down to those two, the contracts will have an impact. Finally, I’m not saying it changes his “color,” but it does suggest someone thinks highly of him... Oh I expect Feliciano and Long to both be on the team. One of them will start and the other will be their primary interior swing guy. I just think there is a chance if Teller were to win the starting G competition (which I view as unlikely) then it might come down to one or the other of Feliciano and Long. Their skillset is similar. Agree on contracts though. 2
HappyDays Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, Rocky Landing said: I put Zay above Foster (which is, essentially what makes him a lock). I see Foster as a dynamic talent, but limited in his role on offense. I think that's crazy. You could see on the tape in the latter half of the season that teams were game planning to stop Foster. Safeties were shadowing him down field. I didn't ever see that kind of attention given to Zay. Foster is a threat to score a TD on every single play. Zay is a decent route runner but he has zero ability to make plays happen all on his own. Foster had his faults, especially early on, but his skill set is a nightmare to defend. I'll take the "limited" dynamic talent over the JAG with a full route tree. Edited May 31, 2019 by HappyDays 3
John from Riverside Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 4 hours ago, GunnerBill said: I am certain Spain starts on this line. He is our best guard. And it isn't close. I think the contracts can be explained by the fact that early in FA Spain wanted a bigger deal. The Bills reportedly had interest but didn't want to pay the price. They spent the money elsewhere and Spain realised as his market dried up he was going to have to take a 1 year prove it deal somewhere. I don't think there is any chance he chose Buffalo over LA and his other options without a strong indication that the starting job was his to lose. To me there is not a chance in hell Spain does not start on this OL.....and we need to get him worked to a longer contract while we have him on the team.
billsredneck1 Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, GunnerBill said: I am certain Spain starts on this line. He is our best guard. And it isn't close. I think the contracts can be explained by the fact that early in FA Spain wanted a bigger deal. The Bills reportedly had interest but didn't want to pay the price. They spent the money elsewhere and Spain realised as his market dried up he was going to have to take a 1 year prove it deal somewhere. I don't think there is any chance he chose Buffalo over LA and his other options without a strong indication that the starting job was his to lose. spain may not make it not make the final roster. they have been playing feliciano in morse's place so far in ota's. that tells me he is going to make the roster. obviously the starting experience goes to spain(who i believe played only lg) and is a more of a finesse player. whereas, feliciano is a punch in the mouth guy with felxibility. Edited May 31, 2019 by billsredneck1
John from Riverside Posted May 31, 2019 Posted May 31, 2019 7 minutes ago, billsredneck1 said: spain may not make it not make the final roster. they have been playing feliciano in morse's place so far in ota's. that tells me he is going to make the roster. obviously the starting experience goes to spain(who i believe played only lg) and is a more of a finesse player. whereas, feliciano is a punch in the mouth guy with felxibility. LOL On 5/30/2019 at 10:17 AM, BADOLBILZ said: I agree 100% with your listings. Going into camp it's pretty straight forward where they all stand right now, IMO. But of course injuries, acquisitions(and possibly departures) and a few guys playing up or down from their rank will change the final roster slightly. The biggest decisions will be on the OL. Cutting guys like Teller or Boettger in favor of older players might be a good short term play that looks bad in a couple years but those are good problems to have. Teller has PS elegibility.....I know there is a risk of another team picking him up but we might have too much veteran talent to not take that chance. and....am a fan of Teller
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