Steps taken to solve last year's problems

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

Thanks for this comment, and the one about Levi.  Maybe we'll see Jackson platooning there this season. 

 

Still, the Bills aren't showing any great urgency in getting a better corner onto the roster.  Compare the aggressiveness with which Beane pursued wideouts, offensive linemen, and defensive lineman in the past two seasons with what he's done about corner backs.   That says to me that they don't see it as a position of need.  

 

Interesting points.  Let me toss some thoughts back atcha, no big planned argument, just thoughts.

 

At WR and CB, one viewpoint is you need a star (maybe 2 starts at WR) and then capable guys.  We have a guy the Bills regard as a star at CB.  Still, they could use more depth at “capable guys”, especially with no one behind Norman.  Dane Jackson saw playing time because Norman and Wallace were hurt.  If the roster is White, Wallace and Jackson, who sees playing time if one of them gets hurt?  I could be wrong but I don’t think we’re done at CB. 

 

Or, it could be CB is a position at which they have the most faith in their pro personnel evaluation.

 

Did we really pursue WR aggressively the last two seasons?  We pursued Diggs aggressively (see above viewpoint “you need a star”).  I guess you might say we pursued Beasley and Brown aggressively.  Sanders was our most expensive FA signing in a year with tight money.  But after that, our WR acquisitions are ....underwhelming in terms of resources.  4th round pick on Davis, 6th round pick on Stevenson, Powell as a potential KR/PR, bunch a’ JAGs.  Still, we’ve put a lot of resources in at WR, so OK.

 

My viewpoint on OLmen is that we’re throwing a lot of minor acquisitions at the wall to see what sticks.  We’re not “aggressively pursuing” the top linemen like Thuney etc.  Instead we’re going for the white and blue porcelain bowl at the yard sale and hoping it turns out to be a valuable Chinese dynastic antique.  OK that’s not the greatest analogy, but work with me here.

 

We’re sort of doing the same thing at DE.  We need pass rush, we decided not to put all the chips in on signing an expensive FA.  Instead we’re going the low budget route and hoping if we take enough swings, we hit a couple times.

 

I guess my bottom line is that I’m not entirely sure volume of signings equates with perceived needs.

 

 

 

[Don Otreply]

31 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I’m always optimistic but Beane can’t spend this much draft capital on the defensive line without getting some major production soon. If it was any other Unit on either offense or defense, this Board would be going nuts. The four young guys I listed above represent the top picks we’ve had now for the THREE drafts. That’s a major investment.

I hear ya, but It is likely that Mcbeane will continue to invest in the D line, until they land the QB killers that they are looking for,  it’s the nature of how it works.  That it’s a big investment isn’t so much an issue, as that investment needs to continue to happen until there is a pay back as it were. 

[Boxcar]

I have to believe one of Nelson or Sherman will end up on the team.

[BarleyNY]

16 minutes ago, Boxcar said:

I have to believe one of Nelson or Sherman will end up on the team.

We’d have to clear some cap space for a signing like that.  We need to make some room by cut down day anyway.  That could be a restructure of Dawkins or cutting/trading away salary.  But signing someone like Sherman or Nelson would require more work to be done.  Not that we couldn’t do it, just that we’re at a point where choices need to be made.

[BADOLBILZ]

51 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

I agree completely, which is why I was hoping we'd draft a big fat tub of goo as another 1 technique.  Getting Star back will help.  Maybe Phillips will be better as he should be fully recovered from his ACL.  I still anticipate a tub of goo veteran signed before the season starts.

 

 

1 tech is the only position on offense or defense where they haven't signed anyone..........even a depth player.........since last training camp.    

 

That would be unusual for a position where they TRUSTED the veteran(s) at the position...........let alone whatever they think Lotulelei can do heading into a season where he would turn 32 with 19 months between the last NFL game he played and this preseason.

 

At some point people might want to consider the clues that they value the pass rush greater now that they are a high scoring team..........they literally played the entire season like that last year.    Their statistical dropoff defensively was more about a brutal schedule,  injuries to the LB position and the loss of the pressure that produced 16 sacks from walk-year Phillips and Shaq than it was who they had playing traffic cone at 1 tech.   

 

 

[oldmanfan]

1 minute ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

1 tech is the only position on offense or defense where they haven't signed anyone..........even a depth player.........since last training camp.    

 

That would be unusual for a position where they TRUSTED the veteran(s) at the position...........let alone whatever they think Lotulelei can do heading into a season where he would turn 32 with 19 months between the last NFL game he played and this preseason.

 

At some point people might want to consider the clues that they value the pass rush greater now that they are a high scoring team..........they literally played the entire season like that last year.    Their statistical dropoff defensively was more about a brutal schedule,  injuries to the LB position and the loss of the pressure that produced 16 sacks from walk-year Phillips and Shaq than it was who they had playing traffic cone at 1 tech.   

 

 

Maybe.  It will be interesting to see the final roster for the D line.

[SoCal Deek]

50 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

I hear ya, but It is likely that Mcbeane will continue to invest in the D line, until they land the QB killers that they are looking for,  it’s the nature of how it works.  That it’s a big investment isn’t so much an issue, as that investment needs to continue to happen until there is a pay back as it were. 

That’s going to change when Josh’s contract comes due. They’ll no longer have the luxury of buying free agents like they’ve tried to do the last couple of years. Those draft picks HAVE TO pay off or they’re gonna be in real trouble.

[BADOLBILZ]

25 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Maybe.  It will be interesting to see the final roster for the D line.

 

 

The evidence that they don't want non-pass rushers on the field seems pretty strong.

 

The team views both Rousseau and Basham as guys who can be used to rush the passer inside..............and they signed Efe Obada.........who got most of his pressures from inside.     Obada played on a Panthers front that used 4 DE looks extensively against the Chiefs.........a game Carolina almost won.  

 

I'm not saying McD is going to follow his mentor Jim Johnson and go all wide 9............but being able to bump the 1 tech player to the 2 or 3 alignments opens up the pass rushing opportunities without tipping your hand personnel wise the way putting a lump like Star on the field does.

 

[Don Otreply]

33 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

That’s going to change when Josh’s contract comes due. They’ll no longer have the luxury of buying free agents like they’ve tried to do the last couple of years. Those draft picks HAVE TO pay off or they’re gonna be in real trouble.

True enough, 

[Shaw66]

5 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Interesting points.  Let me toss some thoughts back atcha, no big planned argument, just thoughts.

 

At WR and CB, one viewpoint is you need a star (maybe 2 starts at WR) and then capable guys.  We have a guy the Bills regard as a star at CB.  Still, they could use more depth at “capable guys”, especially with no one behind Norman.  Dane Jackson saw playing time because Norman and Wallace were hurt.  If the roster is White, Wallace and Jackson, who sees playing time if one of them gets hurt?  I could be wrong but I don’t think we’re done at CB. 

 

Or, it could be CB is a position at which they have the most faith in their pro personnel evaluation.

 

Did we really pursue WR aggressively the last two seasons?  We pursued Diggs aggressively (see above viewpoint “you need a star”).  I guess you might say we pursued Beasley and Brown aggressively.  Sanders was our most expensive FA signing in a year with tight money.  But after that, our WR acquisitions are ....underwhelming in terms of resources.  4th round pick on Davis, 6th round pick on Stevenson, Powell as a potential KR/PR, bunch a’ JAGs.  Still, we’ve put a lot of resources in at WR, so OK.

 

My viewpoint on OLmen is that we’re throwing a lot of minor acquisitions at the wall to see what sticks.  We’re not “aggressively pursuing” the top linemen like Thuney etc.  Instead we’re going for the white and blue porcelain bowl at the yard sale and hoping it turns out to be a valuable Chinese dynastic antique.  OK that’s not the greatest analogy, but work with me here.

 

We’re sort of doing the same thing at DE.  We need pass rush, we decided not to put all the chips in on signing an expensive FA.  Instead we’re going the low budget route and hoping if we take enough swings, we hit a couple times.

 

I guess my bottom line is that I’m not entirely sure volume of signings equates with perceived needs.

 

 

 

No argument - gotcha.  I just like talking about this stuff.  

 

I think what I said remains true - that McBeane don't feel that corner is an area of need.   

 

Remember that Beane has said free agency is to fill holes, the draft is to acquire talent.   He drafts, especially in the early rounds, for BPA, not need.  

 

Where have they been active in free agency?   As I said, OL, DL and receiver.   Beane's strategy obviously is to sign a lot of guys in areas of need and let them compete to make the squad and for playing time.   He does that by acquiring journeymen, not stars.  Beasley was a high-end journeyman, Brown is a mid-level journeyman - both were improvements over what the Bills had, but we were dreaming if we thought the Bills were going to get any more of them in 2019 than they did.   Sanders is a high-end journeyman at this point in his career.   Diggs was a draft choice - BPA.   OL and DL, journeymen, over and over again.  He did it this year with kick returner - he had a need and he went after a late round pick and a free agent to fight it out with McKenzie.  That's how Beane meets the roster needs of the team - bring in marginal guys and let them compete.  It's very clear. 

 

In the draft, Beane goes after talent in the front end of the draft, pure talent.   In the back end, he goes after talent at positions of need.   The fact that he grabbed two offensive linemen in the lower rounds and only one corner, says it again:  McBeane don't think they have a problem at corner.   We, you, me, plenty of others may think they do have a problem, but they don't.  

 

Two years ago, Beane went after Vontae Davis.   That suggested to me that he thought he had a need at corner.   Last year it was Norman, whom I considered to be a lower-probability starter than Davis.  That suggested to me that Beane felt the need was less urgent.  This year he chased no one in free agency, and picked one late-round corner in the draft.   That all says to me McBeane don't see corner as a position of significant need.  

 

 

[1ManRaid]

On 5/11/2021 at 12:50 AM, Chandler#81 said:

wtf is this? 🤦‍♂️

 

On 5/11/2021 at 1:25 AM, jabu said:

 

LOL, my thoughts exactly.

 

My best guess is - we drafted some OL and DL and hope we've improved.

 

 

 

Hey at least we're getting high school essays now rather than grade school book reports.  I just hope it doesn't escalate to doctorate thesis stuff cuz I don't think my brain can handle that.