So, what's the plan at RB?

[hondo in seattle]

5 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

 

Everybody would love to have 22 superstars, backed up by incredible depth at every position.

But with the salary cap, teams need to prioritize the areas they consider most important.

 

For example, this draft really showed how much Sean McDermott's defense emphasizes the D-Line over the secondary.  In this kind of zone scheme, they don't see the need to obtain multiple lock-down corners.  With enough pressure, they are confident Levi Wallace/Dane Jackson can do the job.

Outside of a few exceptions (Tennessee for instance), I believe that RB is also way low on
that list.

 

I'm not sure where I'd put RB on the list.  It's not our most glaring need, for sure.  We scored a lot of points last year with the folks we had.

 

Still I hated seeing KC in a 4-1-6 and other teams likewise selling out to stop the pass.  

 

To prevent that we either need to upgrade the line or the RBs or both.  We did a little - not a lot - to help both position groups this offseason.  We'll see how it works out.  

 

 

[mjt328]

26 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

Yeah, it's interesting how many good-to-great running backs the Bills have had over the years and how few good/great quarterbacks.

 

If in today's game I could choose Josh or Thurman, I'd choose Josh.  No doubt.  But how fun would it be to have both?

 

It would be great to have both.  No doubt.  I would love to see Singletary/Moss turn into superstars.  

 

It's just about allocating resources.  Not all positions can get equal attention.

If you decided to spend a Round 1-3 pick on all of the 22 starting spots, it would take over 7 years to address every position.

Most teams can only afford between 5-10 players (depending on the QB contract) making over $10 million per year. 

 

My opinion is that Quarterback, Offensive Tackle and Edge Rusher always get first priority.  They are followed by Wide Receiver and Cornerback.

Running Backs, Tight Ends, Defensive Tackles and Safeties can often be addressed on Day 2.  Good interior Guards, Centers and Linebackers are the easiest to find in later rounds.  Of course there are always exceptions, depending on scheme.

 

[BuffaloBills1998]

I really wanted Najee Harris but I think I see what Beane is doing. I think he’s taking the blue print from Shanahan’s playbook on playing with rotating backs and he’s trying to build up the o line more to help the RBS. But if we still struggle to run the ball this year then I really hope Beane will go after a RB via free agent, trade, or the draft. We gotta be able to take some pressure off of Allen’s shoulders.

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

The Bills plan is solid, cost effective and proven to work in the NFL. It is the old rotating backs and give them different looks to defend. We are a passing team, and complementing that is all we are after.  The Ezekial Elliott model, was never in the works with these guys.

[YattaOkasan]

LOL that Brieda is JAG.  He had the fastest recorded speed in the NFL in 2018 and 2019.  He might be the fastest guy in the league with pads on (I dont quite think this is true) let alone at the position.  

[Arm of Harm]

31 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I'm not sure where I'd put RB on the list.  It's not our most glaring need, for sure.  We scored a lot of points last year with the folks we had.

 

Still I hated seeing KC in a 4-1-6 and other teams likewise selling out to stop the pass.  

 

To prevent that we either need to upgrade the line or the RBs or both.  We did a little - not a lot - to help both position groups this offseason.  We'll see how it works out.  

 

 

Yeah, I was hoping for a bigger upgrade to the interior OL than what we actually saw. I’ve got my fingers crossed that Lamp can become a quality starter.

[Jauronimo]

17 hours ago, ChicagoRic said:

Right now the Bills have:

 

Singletary: I'm not sold on him.  

Moss: Also not sold on him.

Antonio Williams: Looked ok in spot duty, but only 12 carries.  Can he block?  Not sold on him.

Wade: Intriguing non football guy. Fast but old and still learning the game. Likely stuck on the practice squad again.

Breida:  JAG.

Taiwan Jones: Less than JAG

 

So far no UDFA RB's added.  

 

So what's the plan?  Will Oline pickups improve the run blocking?  Will they grab another team's castoff? Is there a Fred Jackson type UDFA just waiting to be signed?

 

 

The plan is to go with Moss and Singletary and Breida.  

[4merper4mer]

17 hours ago, ChicagoRic said:

Right now the Bills have:

 

Singletary: I'm not sold on him.  

Moss: Also not sold on him.

Antonio Williams: Looked ok in spot duty, but only 12 carries.  Can he block?  Not sold on him.

Wade: Intriguing non football guy. Fast but old and still learning the game. Likely stuck on the practice squad again.

Breida:  JAG.

Taiwan Jones: Less than JAG

 

So far no UDFA RB's added.  

 

So what's the plan?  Will Oline pickups improve the run blocking?  Will they grab another team's castoff? Is there a Fred Jackson type UDFA just waiting to be signed?

 

 

Beane said in his presser that he is not going to sleep until Chicago Ric is sold on the plan at RB.  

[r00tabaga]

17 hours ago, ChicagoRic said:

Right now the Bills have:

 

Singletary: I'm not sold on him.  

Moss: Also not sold on him.

Antonio Williams: Looked ok in spot duty, but only 12 carries.  Can he block?  Not sold on him.

Wade: Intriguing non football guy. Fast but old and still learning the game. Likely stuck on the practice squad again.

Breida:  JAG.

Taiwan Jones: Less than JAG

 

So far no UDFA RB's added.  

 

So what's the plan?  Will Oline pickups improve the run blocking?  Will they grab another team's castoff? Is there a Fred Jackson type UDFA just waiting to be signed?

 

 

This ain’t your grandfather’s Buffalo Bills..... we throw way more than run

[Don Otreply]

Well, now that we have our preferred O line personnel healthy at the same time and first time in over a season of play, with additional quality backups, and a run game/ blocking schemes that are being addressed, at B Beanes not so subtle urgings, to those in charge of said run game schemes, I think we will all be happy to see our run game as being quite efficient and effective when it is used, not much else to say that the FO and HC haven’t already eluded to..., gonna go get a beer 🍺 now..., 

[Solomon Grundy]

Easy....2022!!

[Straight Hucklebuck]

18 hours ago, ChicagoRic said:

Right now the Bills have:

 

Singletary: I'm not sold on him.  

Moss: Also not sold on him.

Antonio Williams: Looked ok in spot duty, but only 12 carries.  Can he block?  Not sold on him.

Wade: Intriguing non football guy. Fast but old and still learning the game. Likely stuck on the practice squad again.

Breida:  JAG.

Taiwan Jones: Less than JAG

 

So far no UDFA RB's added.  

 

So what's the plan?  Will Oline pickups improve the run blocking?  Will they grab another team's castoff? Is there a Fred Jackson type UDFA just waiting to be signed?

 

 

Doesn't it seem like it's just like 2018 and 2019? 

 

Singletary/Moss in the lead role, with a rotational veteran behind them. 

 

Does Breida dress on Sunday or does he get the TJ Yeldon treatment? 

 

 

[In Summary]

This is just an opinion:  Only the teams without a top QB worry about having a top running game.  It only has to be "good enough" - a credible threat to bring LB's and safeties up to create space for your receivers.  Maybe you emphasize RB, but only if they can catch and pass protect as well as they run.   If the Bills cared more about running they would have prioritized their G/C positions - not their RBs.  The running game will be used when matchups favor it, not because it is part of the Bills' core offensive identify.

[BillsfaninSB]

The plan is for them to block while Allen throws the ball. 

[Doc]

52 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Doesn't it seem like it's just like 2018 and 2019? 

 

Singletary/Moss in the lead role, with a rotational veteran behind them. 

 

Does Breida dress on Sunday or does he get the TJ Yeldon treatment? 

 

Breida will dress.  He also plays STs.  

[klos63]

12 hours ago, Doc said:

 

I'm not sure why Beane doesn't consider a RB with 4.38 speed to be a homerun hitter.

 

 

 

It doesn't appear looking at the stats that passing changed much from 2019 to 2020.

 

 

 

A muffed exchange between the QB and RB always gets charged to the QB.  But that was on Moss.

Allen threw for 1500 more yards and 17 more TD's.

[Doc]

10 hours ago, klos63 said:

Allen threw for 1500 more yards and 17 more TD's.

 

Yup, because he became an elite QB.  Outside of him, Mahomes, Brady and Rodgers (edit: forgot to mention Watson) no other QB who was drafted from 2000-2018 (I'm excluding QBs who were drafted in 2019 since they're supposed to improve in their 2nd years) and who was a full-time starter the past 2 seasons had significantly more yards in 2020 than the year before.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Doc

[klos63]

2 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Yup, because he became an elite QB.  Outside of him, Mahomes, Brady and Rodgers no other QB who was drafted from 2000-2018 (I'm excluding QBs who were drafted in 2019 since they're supposed to improve in their 2nd years) and who was a full-time starter the past 2 seasons had significantly more yards in 2020 than the year before.

I get that, but we were talking about the Bills running game, not other teams. Different situations. We threw a great deal more, sure, if Allen wasn't great we would have run more, but I still think it's easier to throw with no crowd noise and I would expect we might need to run a bit more, not a lot, but definitely more.

[Doc]

4 minutes ago, klos63 said:

I get that, but we were talking about the Bills running game, not other teams. Different situations. We threw a great deal more, sure, if Allen wasn't great we would have run more, but I still think it's easier to throw with no crowd noise and I would expect we might need to run a bit more, not a lot, but definitely more.

 

Sure, balance on offense would be nice and I'm hoping that the stable of RBs the Bills have will give them an effective rushing attack.  But this idea that Josh only became a good passer because of no crowd noise isn't borne-out by any statistics. 

[hondo in seattle]

On 5/2/2021 at 11:36 PM, Arm of Harm said:

Last season the Bills changed their blocking scheme in a way which helped Moss and harmed Singletary. Maybe Singletary adapts to the new blocking scheme. If not I figure it will be Moss as the starter and Breida as the change of pace/speed back. 
 

This past season Moss averaged 4.3 yards per carry, while earning a perfect track record as a blocker. The career average for Thurman Thomas is 4.2 yards a carry, and Thomas played behind a much better line. On the other hand the Bills offense of the Kelly era was run oriented, and that tends to decrease average yards per carry. While I do not consider Moss an elite player, I think all three of him, Breida, and Singletary are solid. Much bigger problems on this team than RB. 

 

The YPC comparison isn't really valid.   Defenses were more run heavy in those days.   Last year, defenses only sent out 3 or more LBs on 24% of snaps.   The LBs who do get on the field these days are generally better in coverage but worse at tackling than the LBs in Thurman's day.  But mostly we're asking Moss to break tackles of sleight CBs.

 

You allude to the other shortcoming of the comparison.   The 90s Bills ran a lot.   This meant opponents actually schemed to stop Thurman.   Count the number of DBs that Josh was looking down last season.  Defenses had no respect for our run game.   Nearly every defender out there was a pass rusher or pass coverage guy.  

11 hours ago, mjt328 said:

 

It would be great to have both.  No doubt.  I would love to see Singletary/Moss turn into superstars.  

 

It's just about allocating resources.  Not all positions can get equal attention.

If you decided to spend a Round 1-3 pick on all of the 22 starting spots, it would take over 7 years to address every position.

Most teams can only afford between 5-10 players (depending on the QB contract) making over $10 million per year. 

 

My opinion is that Quarterback, Offensive Tackle and Edge Rusher always get first priority.  They are followed by Wide Receiver and Cornerback.

Running Backs, Tight Ends, Defensive Tackles and Safeties can often be addressed on Day 2.  Good interior Guards, Centers and Linebackers are the easiest to find in later rounds.  Of course there are always exceptions, depending on scheme.

 

 

This is a fair argument.  I know some teams actually have a budget for each position group.  I get the impression that Bean has decided to prioritize his financial and draft capital on throwing the ball and stopping our opponents from throwing on us.