Picking up Edmunds Option a Rare Beane Mistake

[Rochesterfan]

6 minutes ago, pigpen65 said:

Milano is so friggen good. When he rushes the QB he looks like a pitbull. Feet just keep moving and he just sort of melts through the creases in the Oline. When he's in coverage he's great at watching the QB's eyes and has a way of getting himself in good position to break up passes. I assume this is what the coaching staff thinks Edmunds has the potential to be doing also because of his size and athleticism. But it really just comes down to instinctually, Edmunds doesn't have the same thing going on. Olineman destroy him in the run game. He really doesn't even try and take lineman on, 9 times out of 10 he just backs up and lets the lineman take him down the field. And in pass coverage i never notice him on anybody's back. He's usually just hanging out guarding ghosts and watching the pass go around him. I don't get the Edmunds love from the fans or the coaches. I would much rather go with a more traditional middle line backer like Klein. Somebody who won't be as big, fast, or strong but who has the middle linebacker instincts to see a run, put his head down, and plug the hole at the line of scrimmage. 

 

 

That is what you want, but McD wants the MLB role played by Edmunds to be a deep zone cover guy.  He is rarely asked to pick up TEs or WRs or RBs in man to man - therefore he shouldn’t be “on anybody’s back”.  He typically drops trying to prevent throws - and as was shown by Baldy’s tweet - on multiple sacks - he was in position to prevent a quick strike and therefore allow the pressure to get home.

 

Additionally McD - and most NFL coaches are significantly less concerned than fans with running attacks.  They don’t want an old school Klein LB that can only attack downhill because that leaves you vulnerable to even a mediocre passing attack.

 

There are many things about Edmunds I hope improve, but good teams with top end QBs know how to attack what Buffalo ran and a big part of that was to flood the middle of the field with multiple guys and have the QB look one way and then throw the other.  When the Bills could get no pressure - that forced Edmunds to move to attack one receiver and left the other open.  It was a scheme issue and it looks like the Bills addressed it with Safety help.  The Safety picked up the TE several times against Miami - freeing Edmunds to shade into his zone and taking away curl routes.

 

Last year we attacked several good LBs with similar throws - flood Beasley and Diggs through the middle and if the LB stepped up to Beasley - hit Diggs over the top and if the LB stayed back - hit Beasley.  It is a simple 2 person concept that forces a player to make a decision and gives the QB an easy completion in the vacated area.  That was very common with Edmunds and was especially seen against KC - and it was not Edmunds doing anything wrong - it was no pressure to force the 1st throw - allowing the QB to slide and read Edmunds.

 

I do agree - he struggles to disengage from blockers and moves backwards on contact - many times on purpose, but without a full understanding of the defense - I am not sure what that is about.  Many times his taking a step back allows him to move to keep the guy contained and allow others to flow.  He is not - nor will he ever be - a Ray Lewis, Dick Butkus type of MLB that attacks like a Heat Seeking Missile, but he is a strong team leader that seems to fill the exact role they ask of him on a defense that when he has been healthy - has been top 10 and top 5 his first 2 years.  

[Thurman#1]

On 9/21/2021 at 11:52 AM, JayBaller10 said:

I’d like to believe this myself, given his length and speed, but he’s not a physical player. I think if he were to blitz off the edge and a tight end got in his way, the tight end wins. I don’t say that to be snarky, I just can’t remember one play where Edmunds physically imposed his will on an opponent. Not a single one that made me say “wow, Tremaine!” His next contract with the Bills shouldn’t be worth more than Milano’s and if it is, I’d be upset if I were Milano.

 

 

I would argue that says more about your memory and what you are looking for than it does about his performance.

 

One comes immediately to mind.  On the play when he stoned the guy at the goal line on third and goal last year, he absolutely imposed his will.

 

Most times when he makes a tackle, really. The ball carrier would rather stay up. Tremaine tackles him.

 

What you and many others seem to want is the train wreck Brandon Spikes or Dick Butkus kind of play. That's not the kind of player he is. And there really aren't many more Brandon Spikes / Dick Butkus players in the NFL anymore. The league has changed. McDermott wants a guy with speed, height and length in the middle. He doesn't need a guy to blow people up. He need someone to make tackles, to go sideline to sideline, to be very strong in pass coverage and Tremaine does that.

[Brand J]

13 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I would argue that says more about your memory and what you are looking for than it does about his performance.

 

One comes immediately to mind.  On the play when he stoned the guy at the goal line on third and goal last year, he absolutely imposed his will.

 

Most times when he makes a tackle, really. The ball carrier would rather stay up. Tremaine tackles him.

 

What you and many others seem to want is the train wreck Brandon Spikes or Dick Butkus kind of play. That's not the kind of player he is. And there really aren't many more Brandon Spikes / Dick Butkus players in the NFL anymore. The league has changed. McDermott wants a guy with speed, height and length in the middle. He doesn't need a guy to blow people up. He need someone to make tackles, to go sideline to sideline, to be very strong in pass coverage and Tremaine does that.

I dont necessarily need Duck Butkus or Brandon Spikes, but i do want a MLB who doesn’t look like he’s on skates whenever he comes in contact with an OL. Tremaine doesn’t play a physical brand of football, to say otherwise is foolish. He is a sideline to sideline backer, but always a step or two slow in making the big play. He’s an above average player, largely based on his measurables, nothing more.

[GoBills808]

 

[Gugny]

2 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

 

 

Should have been flagged for taunting.

 

[GoBills808]

 

[Gambit]

56 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

 

Such a smart play that unfortunately goes unnoticed because ppl would rather hate on him.

[Rocky Landing]

When Edmunds has been out, or has played injured, this defense has struggled. 

 

Something that I have been pondering (and granted, I'm a total homer, and way too optimistic, in general) is Edmunds' ceiling. It strikes me that he has played exceptionally well the last two weeks, including vs. the Steelers-- I would say, better than he played all last season, or up to this point in his career. I honestly think he has yet to reach his ceiling. It could very well transpire that Edmunds gets extended, and for a reasonable price, we end up with a MLB that is top 10 in the league. I do still think he has that potential.

[BADOLBILZ]

On 9/21/2021 at 8:52 AM, BarleyNY said:

Edmunds is the kind of player that can be debated endlessly by fans.  He is a high pick that makes splash plays,

 

"A “splash play” in football is a play that makes a big splash—that is, it makes a big impact on the game. A “splash play” might be a quarterback sack, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery, or an interception."

 

 

I'm not sure how you came up with this idea.......but Edmunds does not make many "splash plays".

 

Yes, he is inconsistent.........but the most glaring weakness in his game is the near complete lack of impactful, game changing "splash" plays.

2 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

When Edmunds has been out, or has played injured, this defense has struggled. 

 

Also not true.

Edited September 22, 2021 by BADOLBILZ

[Coach Tuesday]

We have a linebacker who regularly makes “splash plays” and it’s not #49.

[FireChans]

7 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

We have a linebacker who regularly makes “splash plays” and it’s not #49.

Bingooooo.

 

Milano is the difference maker on this defense. We have struggled horrendously when he is out.

 

He may be our best defender.

[HurlyBurly51]

12 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

We have a linebacker who regularly makes “splash plays” and it’s not #49.

Luckily he has already been extended!

[Chaos]

20 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I would argue that says more about your memory and what you are looking for than it does about his performance.

 

One comes immediately to mind.  On the play when he stoned the guy at the goal line on third and goal last year, he absolutely imposed his will.

 

Most times when he makes a tackle, really. The ball carrier would rather stay up. Tremaine tackles him.

 

What you and many others seem to want is the train wreck Brandon Spikes or Dick Butkus kind of play. That's not the kind of player he is. And there really aren't many more Brandon Spikes / Dick Butkus players in the NFL anymore. The league has changed. McDermott wants a guy with speed, height and length in the middle. He doesn't need a guy to blow people up. He need someone to make tackles, to go sideline to sideline, to be very strong in pass coverage and Tremaine does that.

Is he actually good in pass coverage? 

[machine gun kelly]

20 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

I would argue that says more about your memory and what you are looking for than it does about his performance.

 

One comes immediately to mind.  On the play when he stoned the guy at the goal line on third and goal last year, he absolutely imposed his will.

 

Most times when he makes a tackle, really. The ball carrier would rather stay up. Tremaine tackles him.

 

What you and many others seem to want is the train wreck Brandon Spikes or Dick Butkus kind of play. That's not the kind of player he is. And there really aren't many more Brandon Spikes / Dick Butkus players in the NFL anymore. The league has changed. McDermott wants a guy with speed, height and length in the middle. He doesn't need a guy to blow people up. He need someone to make tackles, to go sideline to sideline, to be very strong in pass coverage and Tremaine does that.

Couldn’t have said it better Thurm.

[Max Fischer]

This thread is embarrassing. It seems clear too many fans don’t understand TE’s role in this defense. It’s toxic. 

[ctk232]

On 9/21/2021 at 9:38 AM, pigpen65 said:

Milano is so friggen good. When he rushes the QB he looks like a pitbull. Feet just keep moving and he just sort of melts through the creases in the Oline. When he's in coverage he's great at watching the QB's eyes and has a way of getting himself in good position to break up passes. I assume this is what the coaching staff thinks Edmunds has the potential to be doing also because of his size and athleticism. But it really just comes down to instinctually, Edmunds doesn't have the same thing going on. Olineman destroy him in the run game. He really doesn't even try and take lineman on, 9 times out of 10 he just backs up and lets the lineman take him down the field. And in pass coverage i never notice him on anybody's back. He's usually just hanging out guarding ghosts and watching the pass go around him. I don't get the Edmunds love from the fans or the coaches. I would much rather go with a more traditional middle line backer like Klein. Somebody who won't be as big, fast, or strong but who has the middle linebacker instincts to see a run, put his head down, and plug the hole at the line of scrimmage. 

I just…how are these hot takes still going on? Do you not watch or understand our defense? I’ll try and keep this short as I’ve (and many others) have posted this more times than should be needed.
 

1. McD runs a base nickel defense which, by literal definition, does not have a “traditional” MLB, nor does it even have an MLB position.
 

2. The roles as assigned are damn near identical between Milano and Edmunds in the defensive scheme. This is intentional as it primarily is used to address the pass heavy league we find ourselves in.
 

3. It does so without sacrificing too much in run defense by asking the front four (especially 1T and 3T IDLs) to gap manage, while Edmunds and Milano are free to plug in addition to our hybrid nickel DB. Anyone wishing to disagree with me here hasn’t listened to the players, much less Lorenzo Alexander literally say as much. 

To use someone like Klein in Edmunds role would require a fundamental shift in scheme, as it did last year when Milano went down and Klein had to step in for an extended period. This is due to the completely different physical abilities and attributes of Edmunds, and just how unique of a player profile is required to play this position in McD’s defense. It’s maddening to hear these takes when what you’re asking for is nothing short of an entirely different defense, philosophy and all.

 

For the defense we do run, and Edmunds has been asked to QB for the past four seasons, he has done a phenomenal job. Not without error or injury affected play, but phenomenal nonetheless. So much so he’s made multiple pro bowls, and lest we forget the fact that he played most of the past two seasons less than 100% with his shoulder (a shoulder…as an LB). Put simply, the success of our defense lies as much with him as does the offense with Josh.
 

I say maddening, but it’s also truly hilarious to see everyone here pile on the Edmunds hate with little to no statistical evidence, reference to performance vs assignment execution, or the pretty obvious fact that we’ve had a top ten D for almost four seasons now. The only supported claim I’ve seen is he has missed gap assignments on run plays, but this is a very low probability event at best when compared to overall defensive snaps and run plays faced. Also, isn’t our run D something like 2nd in the league after the first two weeks? Who knows…guess we’ll be having this conversation again by week 10 based on how frequently these threads pop up.

Edited September 23, 2021 by ctk232

[BADOLBILZ]

21 minutes ago, ctk232 said:

I just…how are these hot takes still going on? Do you not watch or understand our defense? I’ll try and keep this short as I’ve (and many others) have posted this more times than should be needed.
 

1. McD runs a base nickel defense which, by literal definition, does not have a “traditional” MLB, nor does it even have an MLB position.
 

2. The roles as assigned are damn near identical between Milano and Edmunds in the defensive scheme. This is intentional as it primarily is used to address the pass heavy league we find ourselves in.
 

3. It does so without sacrificing too much in run defense by asking the front four (especially 1T and 3T IDLs) to gap manage, while Edmunds and Milano are free to plug in addition to our hybrid nickel DB. Anyone wishing to disagree with me here hasn’t listened to the players, much less Lorenzo Alexander literally say as much. 

To use someone like Klein in Edmunds role would require a fundamental shift in scheme, as it did last year when Milano went down and Klein had to step in for an extended period. This is due to the completely different physics abilities and attributes of Edmunds, and just how unique of a player profile is required to play this position in McD’s defense. It’s maddening to hear these takes when what you’re asking for is nothing short of an entirely different defense, philosophy and all.

 

For the defense we do run, and Edmunds has been asked to QB for the past four seasons, he has done a phenomenal job. Not without error or injury affected play, but phenomenal nonetheless. So much so he’s made multiple pro bowls, and lest we forget the fact that he played most of the past two seasons less than 100% with his shoulder (a shoulder…as an LB). Put simply, the success of our defense lies as much with him as does the offense with Josh.
 

I say maddening, but it’s also truly hilarious to see everyone here pile on the Edmunds hate with little to no statistical evidence, reference to performance vs assignment execution, or the pretty obvious fact that we’ve had a top ten D for almost four seasons now. The only supported claim I’ve seen is he has missed gap assignments on run plays, but this is a very low probability event at best when compared to overall defensive snaps and run plays faced. Also, isn’t our run D something like 2nd in the league after the first two weeks? Who knows…guess we’ll be having this conversation again by week 10 based on how frequently these threads pop up.

 

 

There have been some unfair criticisms of Edmunds........like saying his isn't physical enough........that's certainly not the case.

 

But the criticism regarding his lack of big, game changing plays over the last 3+ season's is simply factual.    And it's not just fans on a website who note it.   Watch the games.   It's part of his identity around the league now.

 

People like yourself and @Max Fischer can do a ton of research trying to familiarize yourself with the Bills defense.....but to understand what you are seeing you also need to be able to use your own eyes and a little common sense as well.

 

Milano and Edmunds don't have identical roles in the defense.

 

They are similar but you can't on-one-hand say that they have nearly identical roles but effectively one guy "by design" makes big plays and the other does not.   

 

Edmunds is a top 10-12 MLB/ILB ...........a devalued position.........and that's OK but when you are the biggest and most gifted player playing the position in the NFL and your team traded up in the middle of round 1 to select you and you are about to become a $12M-$20M per year cap liability.........people are going to expect YOU to be the guy making plays.    

 

The mike on a defense is traditionally a mirror reflection of the (also de-valued) RB position.......and if you take your nose out of the biased Bills coverage/analysis and actually follow the rest of the league....... that's really still the case with most of the truly elite MLB/ILB's.

 

Physically, Tremaine Edmunds is the Derrick Henry of inside LB's..........but unlike Henry he doesn't perform like a truly elite player at the position.

 

In short, save the line of bulls*t about he's just so misunderstood for people who don't know he can perform A LOT better.

[ctk232]

59 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

There have been some unfair criticisms of Edmunds........like saying his isn't physical enough........that's certainly not the case.

 

But the criticism regarding his lack of big, game changing plays over the last 3+ season's is simply factual.    And it's not just fans on a website who note it.   Watch the games.   It's part of his identity around the league now.

 

People like yourself and @Max Fischer can do a ton of research trying to familiarize yourself with the Bills defense.....but to understand what you are seeing you also need to be able to use your own eyes and a little common sense as well.

 

Milano and Edmunds don't have identical roles in the defense.

 

They are similar but you can't on-one-hand say that they have nearly identical roles but effectively one guy "by design" makes big plays and the other does not.   

 

Edmunds is a top 10-12 MLB/ILB ...........a devalued position.........and that's OK but when you are the biggest and most gifted player playing the position in the NFL and your team traded up in the middle of round 1 to select you and you are about to become a $12M-$20M per year cap liability.........people are going to expect YOU to be the guy making plays.    

 

The mike on a defense is traditionally a mirror reflection of the (also de-valued) RB position.......and if you take your nose out of the biased Bills coverage/analysis and actually follow the rest of the league....... that's really still the case with most of the truly elite MLB/ILB's.

 

Physically, Tremaine Edmunds is the Derrick Henry of inside LB's..........but unlike Henry he doesn't perform like a truly elite player at the position.

 

In short, save the line of bulls*t about he's just so misunderstood for people who don't know he can perform A LOT better.

Not sure where to start here………

 

So you’re saying because he doesn’t make the big game changing plays (whatever that means) he isn’t worth extending much less having on the team? If that’s so then you have a case to make for cutting most every player on the team depending on what your definition of frequency of big plays is. For example, as equally “big” as the sack is on any given play, the 1T eating up a double team opening an inside gap makes it even possible to begin with is just as “big” - Tre does this repeatedly, as does Milano.

 

The responsibilities of both LB positions in the base nickel defense are damn near identical the way McD wants them to be played. It’s a hybrid combination of physicality and speed, primarily to negate passing offenses in dropback zone coverage while playing fast in gaps in run defense. This isn’t research or opinion, it’s what McD has said about his own defense. As a result, neither are nor can be what everyone considers prototypical or “traditional” LBs. This is also why we have the hybrid nickel position, which requires a larger more physical DB to attack on runs and blitzes. Milano and Edmunds have the same responsibilities in the defense, but each have unique physical attributes that allow them to excel in different areas. Despite this, both are asked to drop in coverage, gap stuff, and blitz from multiple positions. 

Why are you comparing him to Derrick Henry? Attempted argument by analogy? Also are you saying the rest of the league’s MLB/ILB are all hard nosed run stuffers, which is the defining quality that makes them truly elite? Ever seen Devin White? Darius Leonard? Bobby Wagner? They drop in coverage with the best of them. Mirror-reflection of the RB, just what is that supposed to mean as a measure of what an LB is and should be in THIS defense. Not sure what the rest of the league has to do with how our defense is run, but sure…

 

Lastly, can he play better? He sure thinks he can, and considering his age I’m not one to argue with it. What player on our team can’t play better? But your hilarious expectations of what he should be because of what it took to get him are woefully inconsistent with the reality of his strong performance, and marked improvement each year. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by ctk232

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

There have been some unfair criticisms of Edmunds........like saying his isn't physical enough........that's certainly not the case.

 

But the criticism regarding his lack of big, game changing plays over the last 3+ season's is simply factual.    And it's not just fans on a website who note it.   Watch the games.   It's part of his identity around the league now.

 

People like yourself and @Max Fischer can do a ton of research trying to familiarize yourself with the Bills defense.....but to understand what you are seeing you also need to be able to use your own eyes and a little common sense as well.

 

Milano and Edmunds don't have identical roles in the defense.

 

They are similar but you can't on-one-hand say that they have nearly identical roles but effectively one guy "by design" makes big plays and the other does not.   

 

Edmunds is a top 10-12 MLB/ILB ...........a devalued position.........and that's OK but when you are the biggest and most gifted player playing the position in the NFL and your team traded up in the middle of round 1 to select you and you are about to become a $12M-$20M per year cap liability.........people are going to expect YOU to be the guy making plays.    

 

The mike on a defense is traditionally a mirror reflection of the (also de-valued) RB position.......and if you take your nose out of the biased Bills coverage/analysis and actually follow the rest of the league....... that's really still the case with most of the truly elite MLB/ILB's.

 

Physically, Tremaine Edmunds is the Derrick Henry of inside LB's..........but unlike Henry he doesn't perform like a truly elite player at the position.

 

In short, save the line of bulls*t about he's just so misunderstood for people who don't know he can perform A LOT better.

What an absolutely perfect description of Tremaine. I cannot remember one big play he's made in his 4 years. Go ahead and call him a glorified 2nd strong safety based on the defense we run. And accumulating a bunch of tackles 3-4 yards downfield field doesn't excite me. He's even uninspiring when he rarely blitzes the qb. We all hoped in maybe be close to Keuckly but that's never going to happen. Great assessment BADOL.....

[BADOLBILZ]

9 hours ago, ctk232 said:

Not sure where to start here………

 

So you’re saying because he doesn’t make the big game changing plays (whatever that means) he isn’t worth extending much less having on the team? If that’s so then you have a case to make for cutting most every player on the team depending on what your definition of frequency of big plays is. For example, as equally “big” as the sack is on any given play, the 1T eating up a double team opening an inside gap makes it even possible to begin with is just as “big” - Tre does this repeatedly, as does Milano.

 

The responsibilities of both LB positions in the base nickel defense are damn near identical the way McD wants them to be played. It’s a hybrid combination of physicality and speed, primarily to negate passing offenses in dropback zone coverage while playing fast in gaps in run defense. This isn’t research or opinion, it’s what McD has said about his own defense. As a result, neither are nor can be what everyone considers prototypical or “traditional” LBs. This is also why we have the hybrid nickel position, which requires a larger more physical DB to attack on runs and blitzes. Milano and Edmunds have the same responsibilities in the defense, but each have unique physical attributes that allow them to excel in different areas. Despite this, both are asked to drop in coverage, gap stuff, and blitz from multiple positions. 

Why are you comparing him to Derrick Henry? Attempted argument by analogy? Also are you saying the rest of the league’s MLB/ILB are all hard nosed run stuffers, which is the defining quality that makes them truly elite? Ever seen Devin White? Darius Leonard? Bobby Wagner? They drop in coverage with the best of them. Mirror-reflection of the RB, just what is that supposed to mean as a measure of what an LB is and should be in THIS defense. Not sure what the rest of the league has to do with how our defense is run, but sure…

 

Lastly, can he play better? He sure thinks he can, and considering his age I’m not one to argue with it. What player on our team can’t play better? But your hilarious expectations of what he should be because of what it took to get him are woefully inconsistent with the reality of his strong performance, and marked improvement each year. 

 

1.  I literally said he's a top 10-12 MLB/ILB in the NFL........so don't start straw-manning me with the BS notion that I said he doesn't belong on the team.    You can't possibly have misinterpreted that.   And comparing the MLB in this defense to a guy who is, in theory, doing his job by just tying up blockers is a weak argument.   He's in position to make plays.   His predecessor was Pedestrian Preston Brown.......and he lead the entire NFL in tackles in this defense in 2017.   The bar is high.

 

2. I can tell you are regurgitating rather than using your own two eyes because you are talking about the hybrid nickel as if the Bills really use that.    They use Taron Johnson almost exclusively as their nickel coverage defender.   And you can't say that Edmunds/Milano have the same responsibilities and not acknowledge that Milano regularly makes game changing "splash" plays........TFL, sacks, forcing or collecting turnovers.........and not explain why Edmunds has not.

 

3. I am comparing him to Derrick Henry because they are both players with body types and traits that are usually associated with elite pass rushers.......the second most valuable players in the game behind the QB's.   Yet they have somehow ended up at devalued positions.    Henry lacks certain skills that you want in a great RB.........but he's taken the great physical skills that he has that other RB's don't.....and made himself into inarguably the most valuable RB in the NFL.   He changes games and has reached his potential.   Edmunds skills have not materialized into anything close to his potential.

 

As for the "run stuffer" question........what I am pointing out is that Edmunds lacks some of those RB/MLB traits.......the instincts, the elusiveness and leverage that are associated with guys like Devin White, Leonard and Wagner.    But Henry isn't extraordinary in those regards either.   He uses his speed and power to dominate the position.   For Edmunds though, lacking those "smaller player" traits has seemingly left him in no-man's land as a playmaking, game changing player.  

 

4. What player on our team can't play better?  That's a feeble attempt to avoid the point.......but I'd say a bunch of them.  Milano?  White? Johnson? There are a lot of players who are likely at their pinnacle and are in the right defense to be at their best.   Edmunds is supposedly in the right defense.   But he's not his best........not anywhere close to it........he can play A LOT better.   That is the distinction between he and most of the starters who have modest room for improvement.    And don't get me started on his "marked improvement".    Claiming that he was "markedly" better in 2020 than 2019 is absurd.    

 

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by BADOLBILZ