Matt Miller's Team-by-Team Draft Rumors (what he's hearing about the Bills)

[HOUSE]

I just couldn't wait to get behind that paywall for all the inside scoop.

 

I am born again....

[glazeduck]

 

9 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

I could see a guy like rondale Moore at pick 30 before a RB.  

That was the name that popped into my head when I read the "RAC WR" comment. He does seem to check a lot of this staff's boxes (elite athlete, young breakout/dominator age, fits multiple needs, versatile weapon, starred in a big conference, great separator, etc.)

[Bangarang]

1 hour ago, todd said:

After Star, we're extremely weak at a 1 technique DT. I'm hoping we can find one. The way we rotate, there needs to be good depth behind Star. We saw what happened last year when he wasn't there. The D wasn't as good, and we had trouble getting to the QB. So that's what I'm hoping for somewhere in the remaining offseason.

Oliver is the only good DT on this roster.

 

Star was average before he even took a year off.

[OldTimer1960]

2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

I would rather have a better pass rush than a better #2 corner.  Wallace isn't terrible.

Well, yeah, all things being equal.  However, if the available DEs aren't as good as the available CBs, shouldn't that change the equation?  

6 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Oliver is the only good DT on this roster.

 

Star was average before he even took a year off.

Crop of DTs is pretty weak in the draft - at least based on my reading and many of the available guys don't have the size that you are looking for.

[OldTimer1960]

9 minutes ago, glazeduck said:

 

That was the name that popped into my head when I read the "RAC WR" comment. He does seem to check a lot of this staff's boxes (elite athlete, young breakout/dominator age, fits multiple needs, versatile weapon, starred in a big conference, great separator, etc.)

injury and size concerns with him - not saying he couldn't be a consideration, but he does not fit all of the desired parameters.

[NewEra]

4 hours ago, Logic said:

I'm still combing through old mocks and articles on Miller's website. 

As I was going through his "7 days, 7 rounds" series, I saw him make the following picks in the first three rounds for the Bills:

Round 1: RB Travis Etienne
Round 2: CB Eric Stokes
Round 3: WR Anthony Schwartz

I know that a running back in the first round upsets a lot of people around here, but for me? The idea of adding the speed and "instant offense" that Etienne and Schwartz would bring while ALSO still getting an athlete like Stokes at CB2? That would be a home run.

Also, the recent Cover 1 video showing the Bills moving to more of an outside zone running scheme has me wondering if they ARE, in fact, taking a long look at Etienne. Miller describes him as the ideal angle-busting, one-cut-and-go, outside zone runner, and compares him to Dalvin Cook. 

Anway....draft season is fun. 

I like the speed element 

[glazeduck]

2 minutes ago, OldTimer1960 said:

injury and size concerns with him - not saying he couldn't be a consideration, but he does not fit all of the desired parameters.

Cole Beasley brought those same "concerns" with him and he's done quite nicely for us. Moore is like Beasley on supersteroids.

[billybrew1]

4 hours ago, Logic said:

If you know Matt Miller, you know that he's one of the better voices in the scouting community. He's reasonably well connected, and he puts out good, sane, accurate content year after year.

He puts out an annual "what I'm hearing" article as the draft approaches, and it often contains good insight into which way teams are leaning. He has more info about some teams than others, but he shares at least a little something about all 32 teams.

The full version of this article is behind a paywall, but a kind soul shared a guest pass with me and I was able to read it. I may just end up subscribing to thedraftscout website anyway, because there's a lot of great content there.

https://www.thedraftscout.com/p/matt-millers-scouting-notebook-team

Here is what Miller says about the Bills:

Buffalo — A playmaker on either side of the ball is the rumor coming out of Buffalo. They’ll play the board and let talented athletes slip to them as always, but a speedy cornerback, yards-after-catch wide receiver or three-down running back would all get a lot of consideration here. That could easily be the first three picks for Buffalo.




...I don't know about the rest of you, but I find that pretty darn interesting. We all know they're looking for a more athletic and well-rounded cornerback, but the RAC receiver and three down running back tidbits -- and the lack of any mention of pass rushers or offensive linemen -- is eyebrow-raising.

p.s. Save me the "no one knows anything, it's all a smokescreen, Beane doesn't let his secrets out!" reply. Yes, the Bills run a tight ship. No, it's not impossible for certain well connected people to find out which ways they're leaning. Yes, it could all be a smokescreen -- but I doubt it. 

I don't think the need for skill players on offense is any news at all. We simply don't have enough special players on offense. We need another WR that can beat man to man badly and if the league is not going to take the talented RBs, we will.

 

We need difference makers on defense as much as offense, even more in a way, but if they are not there, they are not there. Maybe we get one at the trade deadline?

For me, the draft feels like it is clearing up....

We want other teams to take the RBs to push talent in other areas to us. I think the RB talk is mostly smoke screen.

The WR need is real though. We only have three dangerous ones, probably.

IMHO - The Bills need five good football players to put a win anybody in the SB. One each at: WR, TE, DT, DE and CB.

The problem with the defensive end is he might just not be available to us in this draft. So, we put him aside.

We Sign Ertz which is a huge get for us if he isn't too old. Just a huge get. Another guy that can make big plays.

So now we're down to three (we got the TE and we put DE on the back burner) that leaves: CB, DT and WR.

Those are our first three picks. We picks a safety late to compete with Jaquan Johnson and Josh Thomas at back up safety.

Finish the draft one way or the other drafting linemen. Maybe we hit one?

Now we have a team much stronger than last years team imho.

Now we are lacking nothing but that extra-talented pass rusher.

Now we wait for teams to fall by the way side and there will be losing teams with good ends on expiring contracts.

We pay the big price (mostly in salary) and send a decent pick their way.

Now, we're feeling NFL strong.

Now perhaps one or two of, Obada, Epenesa, Daryl Johnson, Ed Oliver, Tremaine Edmunds and the rookie DLs are playing above what was expected. Now our O-Line is really cruising both run and pass looking like a top three OL. Allen now is just toying with teams. Beating them without much of a threat.

The Bills have coordinators heads spinning. Too many weapons on both sides of the ball.

Who knows? Maybe Edmunds not only hits a new level but he and Milano both stay healthy and just keep raising their games. Maybe we see what McD originally wanted with Klein or one of the other vet LBs and we pull out a new defense to throw teams off. With Star (and maybe Harry has a huge comeback now too!) and the rookie DT control that one-tech spot and they play Ed more aggressively and it pays off too?

 

Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket....

 

 

[OldTimer1960]

9 minutes ago, glazeduck said:

Cole Beasley brought those same "concerns" with him and he's done quite nicely for us. Moore is like Beasley on supersteroids.

There are always exceptions.  There are good pass rushers who aren't super fast, good CBs who don't have good size, etc.  Beasley had already proven to be very good in the NFL.

 

Again, I'm not saying Rondale Moore won't be good - undersized guys like Steve Smith and Desean Jackson have had success, but a lot of undersized guys and guys with injury history have had problems making it in the NFL as well.  

 

Taking Rondale Moore in round 1 feels like taking a nickel CB in round 1.  Maybe it is a good idea, but I'd be a bit cautious there.

[billybrew1]

4 hours ago, NewEra said:

After being aggressive the entire season (and to start the AFCCG going for it on 4th down on our 1st possession) McD reverted back to his old tendencies, kicking FGs while the oppostion scores TD after TD.  Coaching not to lose as opposed to coaching to win the game.  
 

the afccg showed me that we need a better CB2.  McD was coaching scared on D.  Almost as if he had zero confidence in the players in coverage.  We didn’t have a defender in position to stop one pass the entire game. That was the worst defensive performance we had all year and it looked like (to me) that McD was worried about getting beat overtop on every play.

We lost both battles of the line of scrimmage. That was the biggest thing. Especially their O-line vs. our defense.

The most glaring difference was our lack of talent on offense. We had Allen and Diggs and KC just laid on those two heavy and we had nobody who could do anything about it. JB, Beasley were hurt and this crippled our O all playoffs then we even lost Gabriel Davis and that was it. Our offense as stalled. So, we have to figure a way, a little t of it is luck, but you have to be in incredible shape,take care of your body and Daboll has to scheme his WRs that can't beat one on one that well into the game, like McKenzie and Davis, maybe this year we draft a rookie and also keep Hodgins, really have a very strong room. Although that would be seven WRs and maybe no KO or PR there. Maybe we do, have McKenzie do kick-offs and the rookie do PRs. I'm all for drafting The speedster from Florida...

Sign Ertz.

Go Florida WR, Syracuse CB then DT Shelvin (get bigger on that line at the point.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

5 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Etienne can’t pass block so must be Harris. No way they put him out there on 3rd down in this offense if he can’t pass block 

Lots of good YAC options - Elijah Moore In the 1st 

Speedy CB is a straight up NEED

Chris Simms said this morning Etienne is a good pass protector, and he pretty much said Harris is just good at everything but not great at anything (Zack Moss?). Actually compared him to Fred Jackson. Has Etienne #1 and Harris #4 on RB rankings.

[Motorin']

5 hours ago, H2o said:

Terrace Marshall from LSU comes to mind in the back end of the 1st as well. 

 

He's also a big Red Zone target. 

[GoBills808]

Just say no to first round running backs

[Solomon Grundy]

1 hour ago, DCOrange said:

 

 

No RAS for Najee Harris since he didn't do athletic testing, but needless to say, Javonte and Etienne would both represent a massive upgrade in the athleticism department over Moss/Singletary (though I still hate the idea of taking a RB this year anyways).

Any idea what Chuba Hubbard RAS is?

[DCOrange]

2 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Any idea what Chuba Hubbard RAS is?

Just a tad lower than Javonte

[Saint Doug]

Doesn’t every team look to draft a playmaker? Outside of long snapper and maybe the o-line, isn’t everyone a playmaker?

[Solomon Grundy]

3 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

Just a tad lower than Javonte

I thought Chuba ran a 4.38 at his pro day?

[YoloinOhio]

33 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Chris Simms said this morning Etienne is a good pass protector, and he pretty much said Harris is just good at everything but not great at anything (Zack Moss?). Actually compared him to Fred Jackson. Has Etienne #1 and Harris #4 on RB rankings.

“The primary area of concern for Etienne is inconsistent results in pass protection. His tape reveals too many instances where he is tardy to diagnose pressure schemes and lacks the technique needed to consistently execute blocks in pass protection. “

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/travis-etienne/Du4Anwx10a

 

Etienne is a great RB prospect and Im sure he is RB1 on many boards. But the Bills, specifically, run a WR centric, sophisticated pass first offense. What they need from a RB , if drafted In the 1st round  especially, may be different than another team. I don’t think they will draft one in the 1st, regardless. This report specifically refers to a 3-down RB. If that’s referring to the 1st round, etienne is a stretch. This team wants to throw to the WR. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by YoloinOhio

[DCOrange]

6 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

I thought Chuba ran a 4.38 at his pro day?

It looks like it was initially reported as a 4.36/4.38 but ended up being bumped up to a 4.48/4.50.

Edited April 14, 2021 by DCOrange

[Brennan Huff]

46 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Chris Simms said this morning Etienne is a good pass protector, and he pretty much said Harris is just good at everything but not great at anything (Zack Moss?). Actually compared him to Fred Jackson. Has Etienne #1 and Harris #4 on RB rankings.

Fred Jackson went to Coe college