Protocal69 Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 To project which NFL franchises are in the best shape for the next three seasons, we asked our panel of experts -- Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walder and Field Yates -- to rate each team's quarterback, remaining (non-QB) roster, draft, front office and coaching using this scale: 100: A+ (Elite) 90: A (Great) 80: B (Very good) 70: C (Average) 60: D (Very bad) 50 and below: F (Disastrous) After averaging the results from the panelists, each of the five categories was weighted to create the overall score -- roster (30%), quarterback (20%), draft (15%), front office (15%) and coaching (20%). The result is a comprehensive ranking based on how well each team is positioned for the future. 14. Buffalo Bills Overall score: 79.3 CATEGORY SCORE NFL RANK Overall roster (minus QB) 83.8 6 Quarterback 69.3 26 Coaching 83.8 9 Draft 74.0 20 Front office 83.0 7 Why they're here: Buffalo's nasty defense isn't going anywhere, and it plays under excellent leadership in coach Sean McDermott and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. GM Brandon Beane has attacked all layers of team building: major trades (Stefon Diggs), lucrative free-agent deals (Mitch Morse), value additions (there are many) plus a solid drafted nucleus. Josh Allen is the key for this team's rise. -- Yates Biggest worry: There are no more excuses for Allen. The front office acquired a legit No. 1 WR in Diggs, bolstered the rushing attack with the drafting of Zack Moss in the third round, and have an under-the-radar superstar in second-year TE Dawson Knox. In a division no longer inhabited by Tom Brady, Allen must deliver. I have my doubts. -- Riddick Looking ahead: It's great that Allen has speedy weapons, but Buffalo's top three receivers are 6-foot or below, which isn't ideal for a quarterback who battles accuracy issues. Add a big-bodied receiver for balance, and another tight end alongside Knox for catch-radius purposes, similar to Lamar Jackson's setup in Baltimore last year: think wider targets. Otherwise, the Bills' roster is primed for playoff runs over the next three years. The defense is wildly underrated. -- Fowler Top stat to know: Allen's 2019 was somewhat of a mirage: In reality, he ranked just 24th in Total QBR. Buffalo has a strong roster, a good coach and a sharp front office. But for the Bills to go on a deep run over the next few years, all three of those areas have to be perfect to compensate for Allen's weaknesses. It can be done, but it won't be easy. -- Walder 1
Herc11 Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) This is completely asinine. - Allen leads team to playoffs, yet is scored below avg. - Front office has killed it in the draft last couple years and gets scored avg All this shows is that the media continues to not do real research, which should consist of actually watching. Edited July 20, 2020 by Herc11 1
DCOrange Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 For those that are interested, the rest of the rankings are as follows: Baltimore Kansas City San Fran New Orleans Dallas Philly Pittsburgh Seattle Tampa Indy Tennessee Minnesota New England Buffalo Green Bay Cleveland LA Chargers LA Rams Las Vegas Atlanta (tied with Miami) Miami (tied with Atlanta) Arizona Houston Denver Detroit Washington Cinci NY Jets NY Giants Carolina Chicago Jacksonville 1
SCBills Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) So basically, much of his grade revolves around a pessimistic view of Josh Allen. Also, he has us as "average" drafting?... Strongly disagree. Edited July 20, 2020 by SCBills 6
Protocal69 Posted July 20, 2020 Author Posted July 20, 2020 Just now, Herc11 said: This is completely asinine. - Allen leads team to playoffs, yet is scored below avg. - Fron office has killed it in the draft last couple years and gets scored avg All this shows is that the media continues to not do real research by watching games. My thoughts exactly. As bad as they talk about Allen you would think the Bills defense was the 85 BEARS
Herc11 Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) 4 minutes ago, DCOrange said: For those that are interested, the rest of the rankings are as follows: Baltimore Kansas City San Fran New Orleans Dallas Philly Pittsburgh Seattle Tampa Indy Tennessee Minnesota New England Buffalo Green Bay Cleveland LA Chargers LA Rams Las Vegas Atlanta (tied with Miami) Miami (tied with Atlanta) Arizona Houston Denver Detroit Washington Cinci NY Jets NY Giants Carolina Chicago Jacksonville So this list is supposed to project the next 3 yrs, yet several teams ranked ahead of us have ancient QB's on their last go around... Tampa Indy New Orleans Pittsburgh Edited July 20, 2020 by Herc11 8
DCOrange Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Herc11 said: So this list is supposed to project the next 3 yrs, yet several teams ranked ahead of us have ancient QB's on their last go around... Tampa Indy New Orleans Pittsburgh As is always the case with stuff like this, there's always questions about how to weight that kind of uncertainty. Those guys could end up being their teams' starter for the next 3 years or they could retire after one. I think they at least attempted to bake that into the rankings already. I imagine Brees is viewed as more than the 9th best starter in the league, but that's where the Saints QB position was ranked. Likewise with Tampa and Pittsburgh being #13 and #14 respectively at QB. And the Colts are tied with Buffalo as far as the QB ranking goes (i.e. they think both are below average). I think the overall point is that those teams are set up for success even if they end up with a new QB during that time frame and the same goes for Buffalo.
JoshAllenHasBigHands Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 24 minutes ago, Protocal69 said: To project which NFL franchises are in the best shape for the next three seasons, we asked our panel of experts -- Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walder and Field Yates -- to rate each team's quarterback, remaining (non-QB) roster, draft, front office and coaching using this scale: 100: A+ (Elite) 90: A (Great) 80: B (Very good) 70: C (Average) 60: D (Very bad) 50 and below: F (Disastrous) After averaging the results from the panelists, each of the five categories was weighted to create the overall score -- roster (30%), quarterback (20%), draft (15%), front office (15%) and coaching (20%). The result is a comprehensive ranking based on how well each team is positioned for the future. 14. Buffalo Bills Overall score: 79.3 CATEGORY SCORE NFL RANK Overall roster (minus QB) 83.8 6 Quarterback 69.3 26 Coaching 83.8 9 Draft 74.0 20 Front office 83.0 7 Why they're here: Buffalo's nasty defense isn't going anywhere, and it plays under excellent leadership in coach Sean McDermott and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. GM Brandon Beane has attacked all layers of team building: major trades (Stefon Diggs), lucrative free-agent deals (Mitch Morse), value additions (there are many) plus a solid drafted nucleus. Josh Allen is the key for this team's rise. -- Yates Biggest worry: There are no more excuses for Allen. The front office acquired a legit No. 1 WR in Diggs, bolstered the rushing attack with the drafting of Zack Moss in the third round, and have an under-the-radar superstar in second-year TE Dawson Knox. In a division no longer inhabited by Tom Brady, Allen must deliver. I have my doubts. -- Riddick Looking ahead: It's great that Allen has speedy weapons, but Buffalo's top three receivers are 6-foot or below, which isn't ideal for a quarterback who battles accuracy issues. Add a big-bodied receiver for balance, and another tight end alongside Knox for catch-radius purposes, similar to Lamar Jackson's setup in Baltimore last year: think wider targets. Otherwise, the Bills' roster is primed for playoff runs over the next three years. The defense is wildly underrated. -- Fowler Top stat to know: Allen's 2019 was somewhat of a mirage: In reality, he ranked just 24th in Total QBR. Buffalo has a strong roster, a good coach and a sharp front office. But for the Bills to go on a deep run over the next few years, all three of those areas have to be perfect to compensate for Allen's weaknesses. It can be done, but it won't be easy. -- Walder I wonder if ESPN tells its writers to lean heavily on the total QBR metric.
RiotAct Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 I can’t really argue who they put ahead of us, except maybe New England, Pittsburgh and Indy.
SCBills Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 1 minute ago, DCOrange said: As is always the case with stuff like this, there's always questions about how to weight that kind of uncertainty. Those guys could end up being their teams' starter for the next 3 years or they could retire after one. I think they at least attempted to bake that into the rankings already. I imagine Brees is viewed as more than the 9th best starter in the league, but that's where the Saints QB position was ranked. Likewise with Tampa and Pittsburgh being #13 and #14 respectively at QB. And the Colts are tied with Buffalo as far as the QB ranking goes (i.e. they think both are below average). I think the overall point is that those teams are set up for success even if they end up with a new QB during that time frame and the same goes for Buffalo. I think this year could go a long way in changing the narrative...just as a WC win would have done so. We're about where i'd expect in terms of media respect given a strong Front Office/Coaching, talented roster and having made the Playoffs last year. I'm more bullish on Allen than you seem to be, but I understand the hesitation from media folks until he proves that hesitation isn't warranted. I'm not sure I understand our Drafting score. They acknowledge we have a Top 10 Roster, Coaching and Front Office, yet we are average at Drafting? Doesn't jive... I think Beane and co. have done a great job at drafting. 2 1
JESSEFEFFER Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 Which draft was subpar? The 2020 draft where they traded their #1 to acquire Diggs and the rest of their picks got mostly positive grades? The roster and front office are graded highly but their drafting is below average? Josh's 2019 was a mirage due to QBR? We all watched every play last year and I think the majority of us know what kind of year he had and are expecting/hopeful that he will show more progress in 2020. 400+ points or bust. Maybe the playoff game left a negative impression but I saw a bunch of their roster miss plays that game and generally think that's a good thing for 2020. They can all own a part of that loss.
Kirby Jackson Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 Not going to get my panties in a bunch but this article is wrong in their view of the Bills. They have an open Super Bowl window over the next 3 years. They aren’t a middle of the league team moving forward. They are WAY too low on Allen. They are projecting the QB situation to worsen over the next 3 years? That feels like a MASSIVE reach considering the direction he’s trending. He has 21 TDs and 2 INTs in his last 10 starts. We are supposed to believe that this raw prospect, with massive talent, on a big upward trajectory, will suddenly fall of a cliff? That’s the expectation? That’s just bad 7 3
DCOrange Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 9 minutes ago, SCBills said: I think this year could go a long way in changing the narrative...just as a WC win would have done so. We're about where i'd expect in terms of media respect given a strong Front Office/Coaching, talented roster and having made the Playoffs last year. I'm more bullish on Allen than you seem to be, but I understand the hesitation from media folks until he proves that hesitation isn't warranted. I'm not sure I understand our Drafting score. They acknowledge we have a Top 10 Roster, Coaching and Front Office, yet we are average at Drafting? Doesn't jive... I think Beane and co. have done a great job at drafting. Yeah, I think the drafting is the part that stands out. Not sure if it's meant as actual drafting ability, future draft picks, or some mix of both. It also could be heavily influenced by their relatively low opinion of Allen, who Beane traded quite a deal to acquire.
billsbackto81 Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) Philly is currently like 40 million over the cap but they're 6th on this poll as far as their franchise being in the best shape the next 3 years? Tampa, Indy and Pittsburgh have QBs that are approaching retirement with no viable option behind them. What am I missing here? Edited July 20, 2020 by billsbackto81 3
Philly McButterpants Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 the usual BS from these jerks. POints have all been made Ancient QB's; cap issues; 20th in drafting? A deep run into the playoffs will cure all of this. BTW, aren't these all the same guys who said Lamar Jackson should be a wide receiver? Now he's the "superstar" QB?
BullBuchanan Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) 44 minutes ago, SCBills said: So basically, much of his grade revolves around a pessimistic view of Josh Allen. Also, he has us as "average" drafting?... Strongly disagree. We've drafted one superstar, in White over the last 4 years and that was either McDermott or Whaley, probably a combination. We drafted two other starters that year in Milano and Dawkins who almost certainly came off Whaley's Big Board, because there's no way McD could have known enough about those guys, though he could have picked them over others. As for Beane, he drafted Allen and Edmunds, who are both still unknowns at this point, Oliver and Ford who are also unknowns and Singletary, who looks like a good player. Based on the kind of Player Epenesa is, I think it's probably unlikely he becomes a 3 down monster, and I think the story is probably the same with Moss. 3 of 8 from 2018 are no longer on the Bills and you could potentially see all but Allen and Edmunds gone before opening day. It isn't disastrous drafting but it's really not great. I see average as fair. Edited July 20, 2020 by BullBuchanan 1
ExWNYer Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 11 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said: Not going to get my panties in a bunch but this article is wrong in their view of the Bills. They have an open Super Bowl window over the next 3 years. They aren’t a middle of the league team moving forward. They are WAY too low on Allen. They are projecting the QB situation to worsen over the next 3 years? That feels like a MASSIVE reach considering the direction he’s trending. He has 21 TDs and 2 INTs in his last 10 starts. We are supposed to believe that this raw prospect, with massive talent, on a big upward trajectory, will suddenly fall of a cliff? That’s the expectation? That’s just bad This is where I am, as well, Kirby. I don't take much stock in predictions (good or bad) but the Josh Allen narrative is growing old. He has improved since coming into the league and if these prognosticators can't see that then they are just trying to hang onto their original 'he sucks and will always suck' view. They pretty much like everything else about the organization but because they don't think Allen is 'elite', that makes them average overall? Makes no sense. Philly is ranked sixth and despite the love Carson Wentz receives, he is far from a sure thing, let alone 'elite'. He can't even stay on the field. 1 1
Hampton Josh fan Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 Instead of defending Allen amidst all the negativity by these ESPN experts, I look at the ratings of the other QBs that lead teams that will compete with Allen for a playoff spot. In the East what has any other QB shown to give ESPN confidence they will be better? Then there is the outstanding supporting cast that the Bills have brought in that should make Allen better.
Doc Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 LOL @ New Orleans, Tampa, Pgh, Tenn and the Cheaters, considering we're talking about 3 years. 3 1
SCBills Posted July 20, 2020 Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) 13 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said: We've drafted one superstar, in White over the last 4 years and that was either McDermott or Whaley, probably a combination. We drafted two other starters that year in Milano and Dawkins who almost certainly came off Whaley's Big Board, because there's no way McD could have known enough about those guys, though he could have picked them over others. As for Beane, he drafted Allen and Edmunds, who are both still unknowns at this point, Oliver and Ford whoa re also unknowns and Singletary, who looks like a good player. Based on the kind of Player Epenesa is, I think it's probably unlikely he becomes a 3 down monster, and I think the story is probably the same with Moss. 3 of 8 from 2018 are no longer on the Bills and you could potentially see all but Allen and Edmunds gone before opening day. It isn't disastrous drafting but it's really not great. I see average as fair. 2018 looks way different to me than it does you. Teller was traded for a pick and two late round picks were cut. Not exactly disastrous in my eyes... 18' DRAFT Josh Allen is what he is. Potential superstar / Potential bust / Maybe somewhere in-between. So far he's shown to be raw with an insane ceiling and always improving. Tremaine Edmunds just got listed as a Top 10 LB by ESPN... and he's barely scraping his potential. Harrison Phillips is an unknown - Looked great early on last year before tearing his ACL Taron Johnson is a solid slot corner Siran Neal is a pretty solid player at S/Big Nickel Wyatt Teller was traded for a pick Ray-Ray & Proehl... Late Round picks - Cut Edited July 20, 2020 by SCBills 1
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