NFL Execs on what each team should worry about (Athletic: paywall)

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

Cart and horse issue in Buffalo.  It all depends upon Allen.  If he can win and produce then the guys around him will look better.  The D would have bigger names if they were a part of a winning playoff team.

 

 

"It all depends on Allen"  playing at what level?    Tom Brady?

 

There is a reason that teams that have had success with young QB's in recent years have gone out and streamlined their cart to make it very easy for said young QB to pull.........that whole "sink or swim" old school approach to developing a QB is no longer the working model of how it's done in the NFL.

 

The Bills have given Allen some *better* targets but it's still one of the least imposing groups of skill players in the entire NFL.

 

That context matters.

[Max Fischer]

3 hours ago, TroutDog said:

Quote:

 

Buffalo Bills

The worry: Buffalo might not have the explosive playmakers to take the next step.

“People talk about Josh Allen’s accuracy and that will be the top concern if he winds up being Blake Bortles as a passer on third down. I wonder if they have the horses overall. You root for them because they do it the right way, but where is the big-play flair, the explosive, big-play home-run guy both offensively and defensively? They have a lot of lunch-pail-type guys who work hard, are smart, but might not get you over the hump to, say, 10-plus wins.”

 

https://theathletic.com/1180817/2019/09/03/nfl-execs-on-what-all-32-teams-should-worry-about-entering-the-season/

 

This falls in line with the ‘not having big names’ argument. I don’t buy it. 

 

The biggest concern to me this year is Josh’s continued improvement. 

 

Sure, the Bills would be better with a few upgrades but one big name would not likely to be more than a half-game improvement.  

 

[JaBu]

 Of course no one thinks this offense is explosive at this point.  9 of the 11 are new to the team and have never played a regular season game together yet. Was Kelley considered elite after his 1st year in the NFL? Did anyone say Eric Moulds was explosive his first year or two in the league? Foster sure has that same potential if last years 2nd half is any indication.

[C.Biscuit97]

7 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

"It all depends on Allen"  playing at what level?    Tom Brady?

 

There is a reason that teams that have had success with young QB's in recent years have gone out and streamlined their cart to make it very easy for said young QB to pull.........that whole "sink or swim" old school approach to developing a QB is no longer the working model of how it's done in the NFL.

 

The Bills have given Allen some *better* targets but it's still one of the least imposing groups of skill players in the entire NFL.

 

That context matters.

My worry is we gave Allen a Tom Brady receiving core.  I think he would have benefited from having a big skilled TE (maybe we have one but they don’t seem like elite types) and a big, number 1 receiver on the outside.  Really like Beasley and Brown as compliments but I think we are trying to make top targets and they aren’t that. Guess we’ll see soon enough. 

[Capco]

3 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

If our D is as good as we think it is, we'll be in good shape if our O can just average something like 24 points/game.

 

That would make us an above-average scoring offense.  Over the last 10 years the average points/game from all sources (not just offense) is somewhere between 22 and 23.  Last season the average was 23.3 points per team per game.  

 

If the offense can average 24 points/game I'll be extremely impressed.  According to last year's stats that'd be good for the 11th ranked scoring offense.  The Bills ranked 30th in that category last year.  

Edited September 3, 2019 by Capco

[BuffaloBill]

13 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

"It all depends on Allen"  playing at what level?    Tom Brady?

 

There is a reason that teams that have had success with young QB's in recent years have gone out and streamlined their cart to make it very easy for said young QB to pull.........that whole "sink or swim" old school approach to developing a QB is no longer the working model of how it's done in the NFL.

 

The Bills have given Allen some *better* targets but it's still one of the least imposing groups of skill players in the entire NFL.

 

That context matters.

 

I neither said nor implied that Allen has to play at a Brady level.  Let’s start with at least a middle of the NFL passing game.  The Bills have been among the teams in tha cellar for a long time.  At the end of the day you could take the top three receivers from the league and put them on the team.  It matters little if the scheme is wrong and or the QB can’t get the ball in their hands through the air.

 

Are the Bills skills players not imposing because the Bills have an anemic pass offense?  Which comes first?

[eball]

42 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Whaley’s team were loaded minus QB, and even as flawed he was, Tyrod did “make” a pro bowl.  The Whaley hate is so misplaced (not saying you’re hating on him but those were some talented teams).

 

I don't hate on Whaley, I just question (in retrospect) his method of "team building."  The trade to acquire Sammy was a poor decision, as was paying Dareus.  And as much as I loved Shady while he was here, I can certainly understand those who argue spending that kind of money on a RB in this day and age was foolhardy.

 

I wouldn't quite call his teams "loaded" but the roster in 2015 was playoff-worthy.

[Chandler#81]

New Rule; Next guy who starts an (Athletic: paywall) thread has to buy everyone a subscription. All these threads allow for is the rest of us to discuss the OPs take on the article content.

[BADOLBILZ]

10 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

I neither said nor implied that Allen has to play at a Brady level.  Let’s start with at least a middle of the NFL passing game.  The Bills have been among the teams in tha cellar for a long time.  At the end of the day you could take the top three receivers from the league and put them on the team.  It matters little if the scheme is wrong and or the QB can’t get the ball in their hands through the air.

 

Are the Bills skills players not imposing because the Bills have an anemic pass offense?  Which comes first?

 

 

So like 28th best WR/TE corps but Allen should elevate them to middle of the league?

 

I believe in Allen's ability to develop long term but this is a guy who completed 52% of his passes last year..........they are asking for a huge personal leap from him,  IMO.

 

And to answer your last question it's definitely the players who aren't imposing.

 

In 12 combined NFL seasons Beasley and Brown have totaled just 3 seasons over 700 yards............we love them because they are ours and right now we envision getting the "best" versions of them but these are seasoned NFL vets who really haven't done much............and they are the point men for your receiving corps.

 

Robert Foster is the wildcard..........if he plays to his potential he is special...........but it appears that he is either a head case or going to be a constant injury concern.........the Bills aren't really saying.    Between 4 years at Bama and one year in the NFL he's played well for 2 months.   He's like our version of Martavis Bryant.......except instead of a drug problem he may have something else that weighs him down just when it looks like he's ready to turn into a stud.  

 

 

[Green Lightning]

2 hours ago, GG said:

Sounds like the annual description of the Pats* for the last 20 years (except the QB)

This. And not for nothing, how many Josh to Smoke bombs will it take for them to be play Akers?

[yungmack]

Elite receivers are not necessary for elite team status. List the 5 acknowledged best WRs in the league and look at where their teams finish. The same can be said for so-called elite RBs. The key to success is an elite QB whose line is above average, with good coaching. The rest is gravy.

[BuffaloBill]

57 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

So like 28th best WR/TE corps but Allen should elevate them to middle of the league?

 

I believe in Allen's ability to develop long term but this is a guy who completed 52% of his passes last year..........they are asking for a huge personal leap from him,  IMO.

 

And to answer your last question it's definitely the players who aren't imposing.

 

In 12 combined NFL seasons Beasley and Brown have totaled just 3 seasons over 700 yards............we love them because they are ours and right now we envision getting the "best" versions of them but these are seasoned NFL vets who really haven't done much............and they are the point men for your receiving corps.

 

Robert Foster is the wildcard..........if he plays to his potential he is special...........but it appears that he is either a head case or going to be a constant injury concern.........the Bills aren't really saying.    Between 4 years at Bama and one year in the NFL he's played well for 2 months.   He's like our version of Martavis Bryant.......except instead of a drug problem he may have something else that weighs him down just when it looks like he's ready to turn into a stud.  

 

 

 

 

Allen was drafted to be an elite QB not a middle of the pack, game manager.  A mid level finish in the league should be a minimum expectation for him this year.  In the en, all that matters is that the Bills win games.  The strength of the team is defense.

 

As for WR’s, again, nobody is going to be elite unless they have a QB who can get them the ball.  Do you think Ju Ju would have taken the leap forward in Buffalo?  It is mostly improbable.  

[TroutDog]

1 hour ago, Chandler#81 said:

New Rule; Next guy who starts an (Athletic: paywall) thread has to buy everyone a subscription. All these threads allow for is the rest of us to discuss the OPs take on the article content.

I included everything about the Bills in the original post. Just saying. ? 

[NoSaint]

5 hours ago, TroutDog said:

Quote:

 

Buffalo Bills

The worry: Buffalo might not have the explosive playmakers to take the next step.

“People talk about Josh Allen’s accuracy and that will be the top concern if he winds up being Blake Bortles as a passer on third down. I wonder if they have the horses overall. You root for them because they do it the right way, but where is the big-play flair, the explosive, big-play home-run guy both offensively and defensively? They have a lot of lunch-pail-type guys who work hard, are smart, but might not get you over the hump to, say, 10-plus wins.”

 

https://theathletic.com/1180817/2019/09/03/nfl-execs-on-what-all-32-teams-should-worry-about-entering-the-season/

 

This falls in line with the ‘not having big names’ argument. I don’t buy it. 

 

The biggest concern to me this year is Josh’s continued improvement. 

 

Its a star driven league- we will see if Allen is a star. 

[Mr. WEO]

6 hours ago, DJB said:

Im cool with it. Continue to doubt the Bills and hopefully we turn dome heads and earn some damn respect 

 

 

Screw the dome heads----football was made to be played in the elements!!

[TroutDog]

17 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

 

Its a star driven league- we will see if Allen is a star. 

I believe that’s in relation to viewers and fantasy, not necessarily success. 

 

With Dallas as an example, please paying a RB, QB and WR exorbitant salaries restricts a teams ability to build around them. 

 

Personally, I like the way Beane is building this team. It may not be fast enough for most fans but the end result should be. 

[BADOLBILZ]

48 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

As for WR’s, again, nobody is going to be elite unless they have a QB who can get them the ball.  Do you think Ju Ju would have taken the leap forward in Buffalo?  It is mostly improbable.  

 

 

You're just wrong about that.

 

DeAndre Hopkins ring a bell?  Who was his QB before Watson arrived?   Josh Gordon had breakout season and one of the best seasons ever by a WR with a bunch of scrub QB's.

 

Stud WR's can excel even with bad quarterbacking.

 

Juju had 1400+ yards last year and  nearly 1,000 starting less than half the games in his rookie year.   He has had 97 yard TD's in both of his two seasons...........he's by no means the product of some surgical passer.........he's REALLY good and yes he would have broken out here as well.  

 

But again.......if you don't think a stud WR can excel without good QB'ing you just aren't aware of the facts.

[NoSaint]

20 minutes ago, TroutDog said:

I believe that’s in relation to viewers and fantasy, not necessarily success. 

 

With Dallas as an example, please paying a RB, QB and WR exorbitant salaries restricts a teams ability to build around them. 

 

Personally, I like the way Beane is building this team. It may not be fast enough for most fans but the end result should be. 

 

Meh. You probably won’t like the 2021 bills in that case as tre, josh and tremaine likely will be on even bigger deals. 

 

If if they are game changing stars, it’ll be great. If it’s dak, maybe less so. 

[Mat68]

I understand they had Marshawn Lynch.  Who was Seatles playmaker the year they won?  The Patriots never have a "playmaker" but take what the defense/ matchups dictate. 

 

I'm curious to see how defenses react to Foster, Beasley, Brown.  That puts a lot of stress on the corners and safties.  They may not have a number 1 playmaker but either Brown or Foster can run by anybody.  That leaves a lot of room for Beasley, TE d'jour, Zay or Robert's, and a Rb.  

 

McDermott and Daboll are following the NE model.  Matchups more than one guy all the time.  On paper the offense doesnt scare anybody.  With the Oline they have assembled, paired with the speed and quickness added outside, their offense on the field is going to create problems.  

[Wayne Arnold]

5 hours ago, GG said:

Sounds like the annual description of the Pats* for the last 20 years (except the QB)

 

I was thinking the same thing, although even Brady isn't an "explosive playmaker". He's just a guy who always makes the right read and puts the ball perfectly in his teammates hands.