Where Bills park Ford in 2020 dependent on FA/Draft

[BarleyNY]

2 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Smokescreen? 
 

They were talking on Cleveland radio today about how obviously desperate the browns are this year at OT and like Houston last year teams could try to jump them for a guy, since the OT class is top heavy. 
this would push other players down to the Bills

I was thinking the same thing: I fully expect them to know where they want Ford to play.  But Good Lord, don’t tell anyone.  Make the other GMs guess which position you need to fill.  And while you’re at it build Ford up by giving him props for being able to play two positions rather than tell the world he isn’t good enough at one of them.  Jeez.  GMing 101.  Talk up your guys and give no useful info to anyone. 

[mjt328]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Isn't that sort of bass-ackwards?  They should decide where they think he should play, and then go after a RT or a guard accordingly.

 

This is how I feel.

 

At this point, the coaches have had an entire year to work with Cody Ford, every practice, in person.  It's one thing to be going mostly off college film and the Combine, and being a little unsure when picking a guy in the draft.  But at this point, the Bills SHOULD have a good feeling whether he can truly develop into a solid tackle, or if he would be better kicking inside. 

 

Now don't mistake me.  I have no problem giving him more time to develop, if the coaches truly think he belongs at RT.  But going into Year 2, I hope we've moved past the "experimental phase" and have settled into just helping him become better at his ultimate position.

 

[Buffalo716]

Just now, thebandit27 said:

Hmmm...weird then that the team with the star-studded Martin-Frederick tandem got absolutely manhandled by the team with the better pass rush on thanksgiving.

 

The point here is that you win games with great pass rushers, great corners, or great individual efforts from QBs and WRs. You’ll never once hear that Quentin Nelson was the difference in a winning effort. 
 

Not because he’s not good, but because guard simply isn’t an impact position.

 

Just follow the money. There’s a reason that QBs, WRs, pass rushers, tackles, and corners are the 5 highest paid positions in the game.

 

You want to have those guys on your roster already, so that you don’t have to pay a premium to get them in FA. Other positions are MUCH easier to fill in FA, so it’s not nearly as important to draft them early.

Obviously their are core positions that are valued higher

 

But if a generational guard or DT or something falls to you and you can use it , you gotta take them

 

I wouldn't really trade up for a guard

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, Logic said:

Good thing you're not the GM.

The Bills under Beane tend to only commit so much money to one position group. 

With Morse the highest paid center in football and Dawkins about to receive a lucrative left tackle contract, I don't anticipate the Bills ponying up enough dough in free agency to get a surefire starter at RT. It's not a matter of if the Bills have enough money OVERALL -- they do. To me, it's more a matter of how they seem to like to allocate funds. Based on the big contracts of Morse and (soon to be) Dawkins, I anticipate the Bills either going the cheap competition route (a Joe Haeg or a Daryl Williams) or the rookie route.

I'd love to be wrong, too. I have no problem paying big money to offensive tackles -- particularly when your prized young QB is entering a pivotal year three campaign.

 

It’s not just Beane, under the cap all the teams allocate money to position groups.  Morse is no longer the highest paid center BTW - I think he’s down to 3rd or maybe 4th.  

 

But I don’t think it’s an accident that both McDermott and Beane mentioned “we’ve got to protect” first when talking about offense.  

 

[YoloinOhio]

Unless one of the top 3 fall to 22, I’m not a big fan of taking a WR in the 1st. Once a QB is in place I like building in the trenches in the 1st - OL or DL, and skill positions after that. Recently it seems that WRs taken in the 2nd have performed better than those taken in the 1st, and it’s such a deep WR draft I think once you get past Jeudy/Lamb/Ruggs the value is better in the 2nd. 

[EricScott]

11 hours ago, Logic said:

I'm hoping they sign a legitimate RT in free agency, but with the money they're about to have invested in Dawkins and Morse, that may not be likely.

Instead, we may see a cheaper option brought in to compete at that spot, like a Joe Haeg.

Alternately, I would be thrilled if one of the big four OTs falls to the Bills in round 1. Given the money they'll have invested on the o-line and given how Beane tends to operate with respect to not overspending on one position group, a rookie right tackle for the next five years sounds like the winning choice.

I think there are actually five tackles worthy of our first pick- Wills, Wirfs, Becton, Thomas and Josh Jones. I'd be perfectly happy with any of these five, and then go receiver in Round 2.

[BeastMaster]

9 hours ago, thebandit27 said:

What? No.

 

Dear sweet mercy no.

We have the 22nd pick.

 

It all depends what positions are selected up to that point that determines what the best value will be. 

 

You cannot say a certain position is not worthy of a first round pick until you see what players are left on the board when it's selection time. It may very well play out that a Guard or a RT is the best pick at that point.

 

Making definitive statements about only certain positions being good choices doesn't strike me as a very good philosophy/approach, especially when you are slotted to pick mid to late in the draft.

[thebandit27]

35 minutes ago, BeastMaster said:

We have the 22nd pick.

 

It all depends what positions are selected up to that point that determines what the best value will be. 

 

You cannot say a certain position is not worthy of a first round pick until you see what players are left on the board when it's selection time. It may very well play out that a Guard or a RT is the best pick at that point.

 

Making definitive statements about only certain positions being good choices doesn't strike me as a very good philosophy/approach, especially when you are slotted to pick mid to late in the draft.

I know what you mean; hear me out for a second...

 

There are certain positions for which it’s rare to see an elite player in their prime hit the market—QB, LT, WR, pass rusher, CB.

 

There are others where it happens quite often—interior OL, RB, run-stopping DT, LB, S.

 

Given that the odds are much higher if finding an elite talent in round 1 (just by virtue of the larger talent pool), doesn’t it make sense to draft the premium positions in round 1? That way you always have them in the queue and don’t have to find them in FA.

[Bray Wyatt]

12 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

So the fact that Conklin and Ty's actual play on the field doesnt sway your opinion on this

 

That is a LOT of money to tie up on OT's and I really do value good OL play......but I dont want to pay just for the sake of paying......

you would rather tie up more money in a tackle entering his twilight of his career? You would only be paying both ty and Conklin for this year, where we have a ton of cap space and can afford it 

[atlbillsfan1975]

10 hours ago, thebandit27 said:

Everything that’s not a QB, WR1, dominant LT, pass rusher, or CB.

 

You can find everything else in FA in any given offseason.

I have to agree. Which is why the Bills will have at least 3 positions of need that are high value to choose a player from.

 

Do you consider the Oliver pick last year a pass rusher?

[BeastMaster]

38 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

I know what you mean; hear me out for a second...

 

There are certain positions for which it’s rare to see an elite player in their prime hit the market—QB, LT, WR, pass rusher, CB.

 

There are others where it happens quite often—interior OL, RB, run-stopping DT, LB, S.

 

Given that the odds are much higher if finding an elite talent in round 1 (just by virtue of the larger talent pool), doesn’t it make sense to draft the premium positions in round 1? That way you always have them in the queue and don’t have to find them in FA.

I'm not sure. 

 

I guess it ultimately comes down to what the GM believes philosophically. 

 

I see the logic behind what you're saying, but I'm not necessarily sure that myself or Beane subscribe to that.

[YoloinOhio]

Stay calm.

 

 

[thebandit27]

25 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Stay calm.

 

 

“‘We traded 2 picks to move up and draft Cody Ford thinking he could maybe play OT, but if not we’ll slide him to guard. Now that we’re not so sure he’s a tackle, we should draft another guy that probably isn’t a fit at tackle”.

?

[YoloinOhio]

2 minutes ago, thebandit27 said:

“‘We traded 2 picks to move up and draft Cody Ford thinking he could maybe play OT, but if not we’ll slide him to guard. Now that we’re not so sure he’s a tackle, we should draft another guy that probably isn’t a fit at tackle”.

?

Wrestler tho

[EasternOHBillsFan]

17 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Exactly, this isn't brain surgery. This is the best and most obvious solution. Ford is a LG. Stop trying to force feed his "slow feet" at RT.

 

I think a vast majority of us agree with this... we have proven that we are a very smart organization under Beane and will ALWAYS be open to making our offensive line better over flashy moves. This is why we are a playoff team and not 6-10 and getting Josh killed.