Poorly constructed roster

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Player development isn’t a straight line. Davis is struggling a little, stick with him and let him figure it out. 

[Logic]

2 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Teams that go 7-3, have the number one offense in the NFL and a top 5 defense in the NFL SUCK!!!!

I just don't understand how people are so completely unable to levy fair and reasonable criticisms at the team while also maintaining perspective. It HAS to be over the top exaggeration, hyperbole, and...whatever the heck the OP is.

Like...yeah...it hasn't been a banner few weeks. We can all see that the team isn't playing up to its capabilities.

Still, like Gugny points out, the Bills are 7-3, one game out of the AFC 1-seed, and are top five in offense, defense, and overall DVOA.

They've been to the playoffs four out of five seasons. NFL analysts and fans pretty much universally agree that Beane is a very good GM, McDermott is a very good coach, and the Bills have one of the best rosters in the league.

Say you're upset with how the team has been playing. Say you wish they had blown out the Browns yesterday. But for the love of god, quit with the "fire Frazier!", "Fire McDermott!", "the roster stinks!" posts. It's just silly and reactionary, not to mention completely divorced from reality.

[MPL]

Headline: Bills fan angry that backups aren't Pro-Bowlers

[97bills]

14 minutes ago, FrenchConnection said:

Every fan thinks that he could do a better job than the GM and HC. “Hey, I built a championship fantasy team and coached my kids little league team to 10 wins! How hard could it be?”

There’s some truth in that, and when compared to KC everyone needs to remember they have Andy Reid. A HOF coach who is great at scheming a offense. Just the yac those guys get is crazy. Allen has a first year guy calling plays, not that it matters Reid makes most offensive coordinators look silly. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Just now, BuffaloRebound said:

The emphasis on special teams versus quality depth is a legit complaint.  I also think the Kelce/Mahomes combo is just better than Josh/Diggs combo.  Other than that, I’m not sure what else the front office can do and there’s really nothing they can do in regards to Kelce/Mahomes being the best out there.  

Especaily since the best ST player they have was acquired via trade two weeks ago.  

Jones, Matakevich, and Kumerow have no place on an NFL roster especially when you carry Gilliam at FB and Sweeney as whatever he does for the team.   I can live with one of those three but not all three.  I now they only play 2 LBs most of the time, but look what happens when either of them are hurt. The linebacker play is terrible.  

 

As for addressing depth, Beane targeted the offense by retaining Bates, signing Saffold, signing Howard (didn't work out but felt it was s good gamble)and bringing back McKenzie.  If White had not gotten hurt I'm sure last draft first round would have been OL or WR.  He tried to get a pass catching RB in free agency but the player changed his mind and then Beane took Cook.  I would have  gone WR or OL instead of Cook but it addressed a slight need.  

 

I hope next year's draft is WR, OL, OL and safety in no particular order.  Obviously FA will affect that but they really should be going heavy on offense next year.  They need a young WR for insurance incase Davis is too expensive to keep and no Shakir is not that guy.  

[BADOLBILZ]

6 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

You seem to be forgetting that they signed Jamison Crowder -- seemed like a solid signing at the time -- and drafted Shakir. 

 

 

They signed a distressed product at WR in Crowder who was only worth $2M on the open market because of mounting injuries (and then he got injured) and they drafted a WR in the 5th round.    That was a couple steps back from having Sanders and Beasley.   Which was already a step back from the trifecta of Diggs plus younger John Brown and Beasley in 2020.

 

The roster is otherwise fine but they have dropped the ball at WR the past TWO offseasons.  Not just this one.......but this one more notably than the last.

 

It's been costly........as Allen is having to play Superman to keep the ball moving.   2 years ago he looked like a guy who might play 15 years at a high level.   He only had to run for 400 yards and was winning from the pocket.  Now he is taking a f#cking beating most weeks having to run the ball to sustain drives because his WR corps has tumbled from top 3 in 2020 to middle of the pack.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

20 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

I am starting to see roster that is poorly constructed and not enough quality depth at key positions. You watch KC who lost Hill and Mahomes still has numerous options at the WR position beyond just Kelce( they had two starters out and still did not miss a beat). We lost vets like Beasley and Sanders and assumed Davis would take another leap,  they then proceeded to go with mediocre guys after that.  

 

Davis cannot be trusted not to drop balls and McKENZIE looks like he cannot be trusted and accident waiting to happen. Even when Josh has time,  teams are just doubling Diggs and others are not creating enough separation.  How many times when teams played zone would we see Beasley find a sport in the zone for an easy pitch & catch in previous years. For a team that throws first,  the WR has become a weakness beyond Diggs.  On the other side of the ball the Bills are paying Matakevich 3.25 million for his special teams,  anyone recall any Steve Tasker level plays for this guy.  Or why is Taiwan Jones still on this team?  Both guy are making more then our 3rd LB Tyrel Dodson who looks terrible playing for injured Edmunds. It's a reason why even when team are running in down our throats we still have only 2 LB'S in the game.

 

We have zero quality depth at the LB position right now and are lucky Milano is healthy and playing like an all pro. How you spend your money is so important and using 4.3 mllion in cap space for Jones and Matakevich is costing us from having better quality depth at regular positions. Yes I believe that money could have been used to have a more competent 3rd receiver ( maybe even Beasley) or a starting level LB who you play on special teams.  Josh needs to be surrounded with better WR's  just like Mahomes has and our defence needs more than two starting level LB'S when teams start to just run the ball

 

I also believe Bills need to stop playing EJ. Epensa over Shaq Lawson,  this looks like Beane forcing Cody Ford on the field because he was a second rounder.  Epensa looks like a second bust but continues to play because of his draft status.  Lawson makes more big plays on far less opportunities 

 

 

You're not wrong. 

 

In some spots - secondary/corner - I think the Bills have scouted, developed and done well. 

 

Hamlin is a good player as a 6th Round pick. He hits hard, and hasn't quite developed the knack that Hyde has for making plays on balls in the air. 

 

Benford is a 6th Rounder from Villanova that has had to come in and play immediately, and he is playing good for that level of expectation. 

 

To get Dane Jackson in the 7th and he can start, that's good scouting. 

 

The Bills #1 corner has been out for a year now. 

 

 

To your point, the Bills haven't gotten much return on the draft investment made in the defensive line. Rousseau is a good DE, with elite size, from a large school, so that pick looks good to me. Beyond that Epenesa is not getting a 2nd contract, he was slow at the combine and he's had to play in the 250's to try and compensate for that since, Basham is a part-time player, they've band-aided at DT, and Oliver has been ok, but not compared to a Top 10 draft pick standard.  

 

Bernard needs to spend the entire year trying to get bigger, he looks small on the field, and you don't see anywhere near the closing speed of Milano. 

 

 

 

On offense, the Bills have no #2 Tight End. 

 

The Bills found a good LT, and paid for a Center. Otherwise, they've gone the band-aid route and patched in with lower draft picks and spot starters in free agency. From time to time this rears it's ugly head. 

 

Like I've said in other threads, in warmups it is obvious that beyond Davis and Diggs, there are no answers at WR. This is the Bills biggest need heading into 2023. They need another playmaker with size/speed. Right now these players they have are just too small. 

 

And they have really gone all-in on running back. Singletary has been a good player, I think, for a 3rd Rounder. He's steady, does his job, been productive from day one, and Cook is coming on. 

 

 

The Bills need a draft focused on WRs and Offensive Lineman. Of course, they will also have to manage Josh's cap hit, and age at Safety, and if they can't resign Edmunds, MLB will push Offensive Lineman down in importance. 

 

[Process]

You're not wrong when it comes to the offense. 

 

Went into the season with McKenzie as a starter and Kumerow as the primary backup on the outside?

 

No #2 TE.

 

Trade for a #3 RB at the deadline when have a huge need at WR?

 

We have an elite QB. Should be building a powerhouse around him, not obsessing on the defense and just relying on him to do everything.

[billsfan_34]

We are 7-3 - no botched snap against the Vikings and we are 8-2. With a turbulent past week, loads of injuries, and ONE PRACTICE we pulled off a huge win! Sit down, eat a sammy, and relax brotha. We have a winnable game this Thursday and all 3 AFC east foes at home still. We just have to get healthy and run the ball.

[SCBills]

22 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

Yes, they figured Davis would take another step forward.  Based on his play last season, that seemed like a prudent bet.  It hasn't worked out as well as we would have hoped.

 

You seem to be forgetting that they signed Jamison Crowder -- seemed like a solid signing at the time -- and drafted Shakir.  It's not like they ignored the position in the offseason or anything.  It's just that the guy they signed to play the slot got hurt in camp and never really recovered, and they've brought Shakir along very slowly.  My guess is they probably had plans for Cook in the slot and haven't felt comfortable opening that part of the playbook up yet.  

 

What did you want them to do?  Go and get Davante Adams?  Pick a WR early in the draft instead of a CB, which we desperately needed?  Tell us what your offseason plan was.

 

Meh.. I think Beane is great, but WR was a blind spot for him this offseason. 

 

They bet on Davis.  Ok.. Fair enough.   Still.. they knew that was a bet.  He's ok as a big play WR 2/3, but the consistency is not there right now.   They had to have weighed the potential that he remains a similar player to what he's shown. 

 

Crowder is a guy they knew was an injury risk when they signed him.. aaand he's injured.  

 

Even if all their bets paid off, there's still no outside WR3, which is absurd in this offense.   We entered the season with Diggs, Davis and three slot receivers.  Now one's been hurt, one's an enigma and the other is a rookie who might as well wear an invisibility jersey.

 

That's no way to build a passing offense.  

 

It was weird in the offseason, and it's proving to be weird now.  Just bizarre roster allocation.   Seems the answer is to have Diggs, Davis stay healthy.. Davis make a jump.. and have Knox become Kelce-lite.   That's it.. That's the best I'm hoping for, because we have no other options and OBJ seems destined for Dallas. 

[whorlnut]

2 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

They signed a distressed product at WR in Crowder who was only worth $2M on the open market because of mounting injuries (and then he got injured) and they drafted a WR in the 5th round.    That was a couple steps back from having Sanders and Beasley.   Which was already a step back from the trifecta of Diggs plus younger John Brown and Beasley in 2020.

 

The roster is otherwise fine but they have dropped the ball at WR the past TWO offseasons.  Not just this one.......but this one more notably than the last.

 

It's been costly........as Allen is having to play Superman to keep the ball moving.   2 years ago he looked like a guy who might play 15 years at a high level.   He only had to run for 400 yards and was winning from the pocket.  Now he is taking a f#cking beating most weeks having to run the ball to sustain drives because his WR corps has tumbled from top 3 in 2020 to middle of the pack.

I think a lot of fans bought into the elite roster talk this off-season and ignored the fact that we lacked a lot on offense. I was never impressed with extending McKenzie, signing Johnson, crowder, Howard, and Saffold to one year deals. All the while signing multiple defensive players to multi year deals and drafting a corner in 1. I mean, what does Allen have to do to get some help?

[Gugny]

Just now, Logic said:

I just don't understand how people are so completely unable to levy fair and reasonable criticisms at the team while also maintaining perspective. It HAS to be over the top exaggeration, hyperbole, and...whatever the heck the OP is.

Like...yeah...it hasn't been a banner few weeks. We can all see that the team isn't playing up to its capabilities.

Still, like Gugny points out, the Bills are 7-3, one game out of the AFC 1-seed, and are top five in offense, defense, and overall DVOA.

They've been to the playoffs four out of five seasons. NFL analysts and fans pretty much universally agree that Beane is a very good GM, McDermott is a very good coach, and the Bills have one of the best rosters in the league.

Say you're upset with how the team has been playing. Say you wish they had blown out the Browns yesterday. But for the love of god, quit with the "fire Frazier!", "Fire McDermott!", "the roster stinks!" posts. It's just silly and reactionary, not to mention completely divorced from reality.

 

Bingo.

 

I've been critical of coaches and players throughout the McDermott/Beane era.  But to say it's a poorly constructed team is just silly.  Bills have been the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl since preseason - and they STILL are.

 

The injury bug has bitten the Bills terribly this season.

 

People are shocked that our JV secondary isn't shutting down elite NFL wide receivers?  Are you kidding me?  

 

The D line SUCKS!  Ask Chubb if they suck after his 19-yard rushing day yesterday, you fools.

 

One of my personal favorites is, "the Bills ain't got no run game."  That's always cute to read about.

 

The list goes on and on.

 

Some people are only happy when it rains.  

 

F*ck that, man.  I'm loving this.

 

 

[warrior9]

38 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

I am starting to see roster that is poorly constructed and not enough quality depth at key positions. You watch KC who lost Hill and Mahomes still has numerous options at the WR position beyond just Kelce( they had two starters out and still did not miss a beat). We lost vets like Beasley and Sanders and assumed Davis would take another leap,  they then proceeded to go with mediocre guys after that.  

 

 

 

 

Did you watch the game last night? Like at all?

 

Chiefs had 4 catches by WR's my guy. So tell me, beyond Kelce, who does he have? 

 

Or do you just see a game, have a thought come to your mind and make an ignorant post?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

4 minutes ago, MPL said:

Headline: Bills fan angry that backups aren't Pro-Bowlers

It almost seems like many fans here didn’t live through the decades where the starters weren’t as good as other teams back ups at most positions. 

[BADOLBILZ]

3 minutes ago, Logic said:

I just don't understand how people are so completely unable to levy fair and reasonable criticisms at the team while also maintaining perspective. It HAS to be over the top exaggeration, hyperbole, and...whatever the heck the OP is.

Like...yeah...it hasn't been a banner few weeks. We can all see that the team isn't playing up to its capabilities.

Still, like Gugny points out, the Bills are 7-3, one game out of the AFC 1-seed, and are top five in offense, defense, and overall DVOA.

They've been to the playoffs four out of five seasons. NFL analysts and fans pretty much universally agree that Beane is a very good GM, McDermott is a very good coach, and the Bills have one of the best rosters in the league.

Say you're upset with how the team has been playing. Say you wish they had blown out the Browns yesterday. But for the love of god, quit with the "fire Frazier!", "Fire McDermott!", "the roster stinks!" posts. It's just silly and reactionary, not to mention completely divorced from reality.

 

 

You were one of the people who didn't think they needed WR help.

 

How do you feel about that now?

 

 

[MPL]

Just now, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

It almost seems like many fans here didn’t live through the decades where the starters weren’t as good as other teams back ups at most positions. 

Keith Ellison was just ahead of his time! He'd be a star in today's NFL! lol

[Straight Hucklebuck]

Fans are not wrong that McDermott has the tendency to hold onto these fringe Special Teamers. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, warrior9 said:

Did you watch the game last night? Like at all?

 

Chiefs had 4 catches by WR's my guy. So tell me, beyond Kelce, who does he have? 

 

Or do you just see a game, have a thought come to your mind and make an ignorant post?

And Toney went right back to the bench with a hamstring again. 

[DrDawkinstein]

7 minutes ago, Logic said:

I just don't understand how people are so completely unable to levy fair and reasonable criticisms at the team while also maintaining perspective. It HAS to be over the top exaggeration, hyperbole, and...whatever the heck the OP is.

Like...yeah...it hasn't been a banner few weeks. We can all see that the team isn't playing up to its capabilities.

Still, like Gugny points out, the Bills are 7-3, one game out of the AFC 1-seed, and are top five in offense, defense, and overall DVOA.

They've been to the playoffs four out of five seasons. NFL analysts and fans pretty much universally agree that Beane is a very good GM, McDermott is a very good coach, and the Bills have one of the best rosters in the league.

Say you're upset with how the team has been playing. Say you wish they had blown out the Browns yesterday. But for the love of god, quit with the "fire Frazier!", "Fire McDermott!", "the roster stinks!" posts. It's just silly and reactionary, not to mention completely divorced from reality.

 

It's tunnel vision with folks not following the rest of the NFL or being around fans of other teams.

 

One of the biggest eye-openers for me as a disgruntled and abused Bills fan was moving to another NFL market and getting a dose of the local fans and their complaints about their team, etc. Showed me that EVERYONE, every team, goes through stuff. And a lot of other teams have it much worse than us, and that was even in the drought!

 

The idea that folks would be CRITICIZING the way this roster is built, given our injuries this year and forced reliance on not only depth, but depth provided by rookie 7th Rd picks and UDFAs, is ridiculous. If anything, our record this year is a testament to how well this roster has been built.

 

We just need to get healthy, and get our healthy guys on the field. Tweak the gameplans a little, and hit it hard in the playoffs.

 

Go Bills!

[Mynamemike]

34 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

Yes, they figured Davis would take another step forward.  Based on his play last season, that seemed like a prudent bet.  It hasn't worked out as well as we would have hoped.

 

You seem to be forgetting that they signed Jamison Crowder -- seemed like a solid signing at the time -- and drafted Shakir.  It's not like they ignored the position in the offseason or anything.  It's just that the guy they signed to play the slot got hurt in camp and never really recovered, and they've brought Shakir along very slowly.  My guess is they probably had plans for Cook in the slot and haven't felt comfortable opening that part of the playbook up yet.  

 

What did you want them to do?  Go and get Davante Adams?  Pick a WR early in the draft instead of a CB, which we desperately needed?  Tell us what your offseason plan was.

I think we were banking on Crowder pretty heavily going into the year.  It’s a shame he got hurt because I think he’s exactly what this offense is missing right now. Josh needs that safety outlet when things get hairy 

[Logic]

1 minute ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

You were one of the people who didn't think they needed WR help.

 

How do you feel about that now?

 

 

Let's see...

Bills are ranked 2nd in YPG and 2nd PPG on offense. They are ranked 3rd in passing yards per game.

The Bills began the season as odds-on Super Bowl favorites and, even after their unimpressive recent stretch are, let me check...STILL odds-on Super Bowl favorites.

Certainly not the doom and gloom apocalypse you foretold.

Hope you're having a nice Monday, my friend.