Beasley had three broken ribs last season?

[John from Riverside]

I thought Bease was great but there’s a reoccurring theme here the guy gets injured every year

[Hapless Bills Fan]

4 hours ago, Logic said:

While I agree that Beasley lost a step last season, I also think teams came into games against the Bills with two primary objectives: Stop Diggs and stop Beasley. 

Specifically, if I recall correctly, at least one opposing defender mentioned -- or perhaps it was Josh himself who mentioned it -- that the Bills offense has certain "rules" on which way the receivers are supposed to run their option routes based on the coverage. So if it's "Coverage X", the five yard option route turns into a dig. If it's "Coverage Y", the five yard option route becomes an out. Teams, through film study and because a lot of the Erhardt-Perkins and Mouse Davis concepts the Bills were running have been around for years, were often able to mess up the Bills' "rules" on these routes through post-snap rotation into different coverage that what was initially shown, thus causing the WR to choose the wrong option. 

I think a combination of teams keying on Beasley more (particularly on 3rd and short to medium), teams having a good read on the Bills' passing game "rules" and taking away option routes, and Beasley losing a step either due to injury or age all combined to explain his less effective season. That said, he still caught 82 passes, the same as the year before. He just didn't seem to do as much with them.

In any case, I'm hopeful the Bills can get more athletic, dynamic, and explosive at the slot position. Crowder is younger and probably better at getting RAC yardage, but I'd still like to see them upgrade in the draft.

 

Yes, this definitely happened.    It's part of becoming one of the "teams to beat", opposing DCs put in more effort trying to "break the code" of your offense.

 

Another part is that when teams had no doubt in their minds that we weren't going to run, they could get pressure with 3 or 4 by abandoning gap integrity and just overloading one or the other side of the line, then just blanketing the middle of the field.  I think it was compounded (even at the start of the season, when he was healthy) by Beasley being a bit slower.  Given time, chances were Beasley could still work himself open but we wouldn't have time.  So Daboll went to using shorter, quicker routes, but since Beasley wasn't great at RAC (and sometimes our downfield blocking sucked) those didn't get a lot of yards.

 

It was startling to me how much quicker the crossing routes were when McKenzie was running them.

46 minutes ago, CoudyBills said:

I can't help but notice you didn't back up your assertion.

 

Chances are, he can't - it's just his "read" on a bunch of stuff. 

 

Also likely he couldn't get very far into it without going into a stuff we ask folks to stay away from.

 

[BullBuchanan]

1 hour ago, Buffalo619 said:

Poor Bease. He was abused last year.
 

One of my favorite all time Bills. 

 

1 hour ago, CoudyBills said:

I can't help but notice you didn't back up your assertion.

Right.  You can play with a fracture, pain tolerance.  You can't generally play on a break.  Also, trying to downplay either is ***** pathetic.

You know the dude has a twitter account right? Do I have to read it for you? He's never known when to shut his ***** mouth. Off the top of my head:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/impending-free-agent-cole-beasley-blasts-cowboys-front-office-for-his-lack-of-involvement-in-offense/
https://www.nfl.com/news/cole-beasley-on-cowboys-wrs-we-re-just-getting-open-0ap3000000967380
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/07/22/is-cole-beasley-trying-to-get-cut/

 

[BillsShredder83]

21 minutes ago, BullBuchanan said:

 

You know the dude has a twitter account right? Do I have to read it for you? He's never known when to shut his ***** mouth. Off the top of my head:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/impending-free-agent-cole-beasley-blasts-cowboys-front-office-for-his-lack-of-involvement-in-offense/
https://www.nfl.com/news/cole-beasley-on-cowboys-wrs-we-re-just-getting-open-0ap3000000967380
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/07/22/is-cole-beasley-trying-to-get-cut/

 

So it's not that he's toxic, you don't like what he has to say.

Dude towed the line and did his part as the best slot receiver for 2 years for us. Haven't heard a teammate ever say a bad thing about him!

It's an NFL locker room, everyone has diff opinions.... but everyone knew how banged up he was, especially in the playoffs last year, and he suited up and warrior'd through.

 

So best slot guy in the league, played through bad injuries, anybody who does that is loved in the locker room... and thinking Crowder of McKenzie step in and just become 3rd down tyrants is absurd. How many yards did mck have outside of NE games? 100?

 

He has potential but to assume a guy who's had 2 or 3 good games in his career is a stretch... and there's a reason mcd hasn't trusted him enough to get playing time. I guess we'll see. I want a Super Bowl, not another "good team".

[BullBuchanan]

13 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

So it's not that he's toxic, you don't like what he has to say.

Dude towed the line and did his part as the best slot receiver for 2 years for us. Haven't heard a teammate ever say a bad thing about him!

It's an NFL locker room, everyone has diff opinions.... but everyone knew how banged up he was, especially in the playoffs last year, and he suited up and warrior'd through.

 

So best slot guy in the league, played through bad injuries, anybody who does that is loved in the locker room... and thinking Crowder of McKenzie step in and just become 3rd down tyrants is absurd. How many yards did mck have outside of NE games? 100?

 

He has potential but to assume a guy who's had 2 or 3 good games in his career is a stretch... and there's a reason mcd hasn't trusted him enough to get playing time. I guess we'll see. I want a Super Bowl, not another "good team".

Listen, Cole. You aren't close to the best guy in the league. You've been a JAG your whole career and you had one good season. Pump the brakes.

 

Drama follows you wherever you go and you can't help but be a distraction. Good riddance.

 

Crowder is an instant upgrade.

Edited March 31, 2022 by BullBuchanan

[BillsShredder83]

Thanks for proving my point lol you exposed yourself for what this is better than I could 👍

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Bring him back

 

 

14 hours ago, CNY315 said:

He need some milk

 

wasnt allowed due to kovid restrictions 😉

 

 

[Chandler#81]

I confess. I did it after one of his stupid Twitter bombs.

🤷‍♂️

[Thurman#1]

13 hours ago, Niagara Dude said:

Beasley was still a very useful player, I believe he still would be on the team if he agreed to a pay cut.  He did a lot to help Josh Allen in his first few seasons,  I am not going to crap a guy who played with a broken leg against KC in that ACF title game.

 

 

You can believe it, but there's no evidence for it that I've seen.

 

I might have missed it. Did anyone say this, on the player or the team side? That's an honest question. Can anyone link something?

[Thurman#1]

4 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Thanks for proving my point lol you exposed yourself for what this is better than I could 👍

 

 

I don't like what he said. He's certainly right that we have a right to be selfish or make unpopular stands about things. It's within our rights ... but that will carry consequences in how people think about you.

 

But you don't hear people criticizing the other Bills who didn't get the shot much. They criticize two, Beasley for constantly going on about it even during the season, and Lotulelei who insisted on not getting vaccinated and then having Covid make him miss a couple of weeks and then drastically reduce his effectiveness the rest of the year.

 

There were apparently five guys who were unvaccinated. Did any others get a ton of flack? Did the other people who caught Covid, vaxed or not, get flack? Beasley's insistence on bringing the focus back to Covid and his beliefs again and again was a huge majority of the reason he was caught in a bit of an SNS maelstrom.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Thurman#1

[dollars 2 donuts]

19 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

It really doesn’t matter.  He’s been declining since 2019, and wasn’t worth $.  He was hurt a good portion of 2020 and 2021.

 

He was worth it 2019, and I’m glad he was on our team, when we really needed it.

 

 

His decline in 2020-21 was to catch 164 balls for 1,660 yards.  It is the highest 2 year receiving total for the #2 on this team in franchise history, and he was hurt in 2021 which might explain the yardage reduction.

 

If people want him gone and also don't think his cap figures work, fine.  My thing is I don't look at 82 receptions last year and go, "meh, whatever", because I believe (and correct me if I am wrong) besides Peerless Price's 94 receptions in 2002, no Buffalo Bill #2 receiver has ever caught as many as 82 receptions in a season.*

 

* Correction, one other BB #2 receiver has...Beasley with 82 receptions in 2020.

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by dollars 2 donuts

[dgrochester55]

Beasley was a big part of Allen's development and people loved him until a specific topic came up last year.   It is fair to say that moving on was a cap necessity or that his production was down last year.   It is unfair to pretend that he was not a key contributor in his first two years here or to imply that he was a bad person.    We moved on and it makes sense that we did, but I wish him well.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

8 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

So it's not that he's toxic, you don't like what he has to say.

 

Is there any circumstance in which one of the wide receivers on a football team claiming that the FRONT OFFICE (not the defense, or who is open) dictates who gets the ball, would be a helpful and productive thing for a WR to say? 

 

I dunno about toxic, but does any football fan think that's a positive, helpfl to the team, thing to put out in the media?  Do you?

 

The bit about how the WR are "getting open" is also pretty finger-pointy at the QB for not getting the ball to those wide-open WR. 

 

Again, I dunno that I'd call that "toxic", but does any football fan think finger-pointing teammates in public is healthy?  Do you?

 

To Beasley's credit, he didn't do that here.  Ever.

 

The op you're responding to said "He's never known when to shut his ***** mouth" - well, he kept his mouth shut about play on the field and his teammates for 3 years.

 

 

[Shake_My_Head]

10 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

I thought Bease was great but there’s a reoccurring theme here the guy gets injured every year

And yet he missed one game over the past two years.    Availabily is a huge ability.

[TheFunPolice]

It seemed like when we were struggling we could switch to "throw to Beasley" and he was open and caught it every time. 

 

Sad to see him go, but obviously teams aren't looking to throw big $$ his way

 

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 minutes ago, Shake_My_Head said:

And yet he missed one game over the past two years.    Availabily is a huge ability.

 

On the one hand, I agree.  On the other hand, I think there were times this past season when the Bills were fielding dinged, less effective WR.

Would we agree that there is a point for every player where "next man up" is better than "dinged starter"?

 

I think Beasley's fierce competitiveness and desire to stay on the field sometimes put him on the wrong side of that point.

8 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

Listen, Cole. You aren't close to the best guy in the league. You've been a JAG your whole career and you had one good season. Pump the brakes.

Drama follows you wherever you go and you can't help but be a distraction. Good riddance.

Crowder is an instant upgrade.

 

I hope the latter is true but at this point "not proven"

He avoided being a distraction here for 2 years (and for the most part during the season, last year)

 

He's not the best slot in the league, but he's not JAG there either.  If you don't think he's in the top 10, maybe top 5 slot WR in the league, gotta question your football chops.

[Teddy KGB]

Broken ribs and listening to all the 💩 fans hot covid takes.  

Edited March 31, 2022 by Teddy KGB

[KHAN]

On the field: Warrior.

 

Off the field: Keyboard warrior....

 

The guy is gone because he's a nozzle.

 

The vax is a personal choice. I disagree with his choice, but I respect it.

 

What I do not respect is his knack for being a distraction. The twitter bombs and multiple fines for breaking the collectively agreed protocols. McD seems like a guy who is not fond of distractions.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Teddy KGB said:

Broken ribs and listening to all the 💩 fans hot covid takes.  

 

Here's my hot Covid (vax) take.

 

Take it. Don't take it. But shut the **** up.

Edited March 31, 2022 by KHAN

[BullBuchanan]

9 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

On the one hand, I agree.  On the other hand, I think there were times this past season when the Bills were fielding dinged, less effective WR.

Would we agree that there is a point for every player where "next man up" is better than "dinged starter"?

 

I think Beasley's fierce competitiveness and desire to stay on the field sometimes put him on the wrong side of that point.

 

I hope the latter is true but at this point "not proven"

He avoided being a distraction here for 2 years (and for the most part during the season, last year)

 

He's not the best slot in the league, but he's not JAG there either.  If you don't think he's in the top 10, maybe top 5 slot WR in the league, gotta question your football chops.

Hill, Kupp, Allen, Lockett, Lamb, Godwin, Schuster, etc. He had one season in his entire career that he belonged in the conversation, and last year sure as hell wasn't it.

Don't let that stop you though.

[Shake_My_Head]

Just now, Hapless Bills Fan said:

I think Beasley's fierce competitiveness and desire to stay on the field sometimes put him on the wrong side of that point.

 

How so?    His YPC was down, but I can't think of any stretch of games where he was inneffective.   Cole's 4.5% drop rate in 2021 was a lot better than Isaiah's 11.5%, probably a factor in the coaching staff's decision to keep him on the field.

 

As previous posters have mentioned, defenses were scheming more to take away the intermediate routes in 2021.   Beasley's Average Depth of Target went from 7.8 in 2020 to 5.6 in 2021, meaning teams were putting more pressure on his routes and making Josh throw the ball quicker.     That's what happens in the NFL--DC's adapt.   I think Daboll also adapted late in the year, as his Yards Per Target rose over the final four games, including the playoffs (with the KC game being exceptional).      

 

I'll miss CB, and think McKenzie has big shoes to fill.   I hope he can step up and be a 60%-plus snap count player like Beasley was.