Poorly constructed roster

[Dr.Sack]

I think Hines and Cook will be the difference 

[BeavercreekBillsFan]

2 hours ago, Since1981 said:

We will lose the OBJ sweepstakes due to weather and him chasing stats and shiny lights. BUF comes up short on these two. We don’t have a #2 skill player that strikes fear such that defenses game plan. Allen, Diggs and it tails off a cliff. 

This. Unless Allen has a few plays a game where he scrambles and breaks a game open,  we are cooked. Teams are going to take away Diggs and while Gabe was clutch in the playoffs last year, he’s not the most reliable guy. We don’t have a running game to fall back on either. Add in the fact that our D is overrated despite looking good from a DVOA perspective, and I’m not that confident going forward. 
 

The homers on this site get their panties in a wad if you are even a little critical of Beane. While he’s been really good, the reason we aren’t going to win it all comes down to his many misses in the draft and his constant refusal to invest in the offfense, specifically the OL. He burned 2nd rounders on guys that dont produce enough like Boogie and Epenesa, those picks should be paying off right now. Then ignoring the OL through the draft and completely wasting a pick on Bernard was the cherry on top for me. Just an awful pick. This draft HAS TO BE FOCUSED ON WEAPONS AND OFFENSIVE LINE this year.. but I’m betting beane drafts a safety. 
 

 

Yes every team has warts but agree with what others have said that we are all in. We invested in Von because our window is now. Unfortunately, KC is in our way and they’ll have home games again throughout the playoffs. Add in the fact that they got multiple picks from MIA in the Tyreek deal and they’re set up to continue dominating with how great their GM is. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

2 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

I think Hines and Cook will be the difference 

Hines looks amazing.  Cook is looking better - seems motivated, which may be, in part, the result of signing Hines.  Will be interesting to see the vibe here after we kill the Lions Thursday.

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by redtail hawk

[T master]

IMHO i feel moving on from Beasley was a very big mistake for Josh in particular he was the safety blanket that 99.9 times out of 100 would move the chains but because some at 1 Bills dr were more worried about team perception in the NFL than having some one they could always depend on to fight in any situation the Bills are where they are with that position .

 

But they have tried to reinforce that position with others that are either hurt or still learning the game so with these new pieces that will take time for Josh to develop what he has lost by the moves that have been made & i think we are seeing that on the field .

 

But because those given 100 receptions a year that were lost & were mostly the receptions that were the ones that kept drives alive to keep the offense on the field we are seeing our offense struggle in games where it use to be easy .

 

It's the same thing when chemistry is interrupted . I remember certain bands that would lose 1 member just 1 and the bands future turned completely in a different direction !

 

Look at Zeplin with out Bonham, Molly Hatchet with out Danny Joe, then there are teams that lose 1 player & the change takes time to find another to replace the production so even though thoughts are usually that its easy to replace certain parts or pieces it can be proven that in some cases it is not as easy as it was thought to be .

[mjt328]

12 hours ago, RunTheBall said:

I don’t agree with this at all. Maybe new fans or fans who haven’t been through the previous ups and downs feel that way. I don’t think most do at all.

 

Having been through more down years than up, I appreciate the opportunity for us to be a team that should compete for a SB but in no way do I expect it. Too many things have to go right for a team to make it a slam dunk expectation. Enjoy the ride for all that it is because it will come to an end. And if your ability to enjoy this team is dependent on them winning the Super Bowl you are going to miss out on a lot of good football experiences.

 

I'm an old timer (been watching since the late 1980s), and that's probably why I feel so much urgency to win this year.

 

I've seen how quickly the championship window closes in the NFL, and how few chances most teams actually get.

This year we are watching the sun set on a few great/really good QBs.  Aaron Rodgers had one Super Bowl win.  Russell Wilson the same.  Matt Ryan had one appearance.

 

The idea that we have another 10-15 years ahead of us with elite Josh Allen is probably wishful thinking.  I really hate to say it.  But history is not on our side.  Look at the careers of QBs who play his style (Cam Newton, Michael Vick, Steve Young).  Those guys really had 7-8 years of high-level play, and then fell off a cliff.  It's easy to say Allen will just adapt to becoming a pocket passer.  But we really don't know for sure.  Everyone thought Russell Wilson was an elite passer, until he stopped using his legs.

 

There is a really good chance the defense takes a significant step back in 2023, due to free agency and the salary cap.  The Bills really need to seal the deal with this group.

 

[Mango]

I think Beane has done an overall good job. We entered the season as SB favorites and last years KC game proved to be the two best teams in the league. 
 

But…

 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention I had some concerns going forward. We’re tight against the cap, and have over committed resources at some position groups without premier return. Namely our continuous misses at RB and out DL with is good but not elite. Every time we draft another Basham, Groot, Moss, etc. to make up for Singletary, Epenesa, it means we don’t take a player for another position group that needs help. 
 

The Bills are tight against the cap with 20+ players with contracts coming up and real issues at OL, an expiring Morse contract, starting RB, WR depth, Safety, and LB  depth going forward. 

They’ve pushed all their chips in this year, but for all the talk of “being sustainable” going forward, I’m a bit cautious when I break it down by position group. 

[Green Lightning]

Like most takes, the OP's thoughts are not 100% off, but far from right. They brought in Jamison Crowder, and when healthy, looked like that safety valve Josh needed. He was a big loss when he went down. I agree that they thought Gabe would take the next step - hasn't yet, but still a talent. I mostly fault the lack of a better Oline. I dread 2nd down and two because we never make it. We cannot push the LOS to get a yard. Against the Browns we moved the ball on the ground but not on short yardage. Solid pass rushers force heroics from Josh too often. So yes, nice to have a solid #2 receiver, but I hope to Hell we get some better O linemen next year. 

[colin]

14 minutes ago, Mango said:

I think Beane has done an overall good job. We entered the season as SB favorites and last years KC game proved to be the two best teams in the league. 
 

But…

 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention I had some concerns going forward. We’re tight against the cap, and have over committed resources at some position groups without premier return. Namely our continuous misses at RB and out DL with is good but not elite. Every time we draft another Basham, Groot, Moss, etc. to make up for Singletary, Epenesa, it means we don’t take a player for another position group that needs help. 
 

The Bills are tight against the cap with 20+ players with contracts coming up and real issues at OL, an expiring Morse contract, starting RB, WR depth, Safety, and LB  depth going forward. 

They’ve pushed all their chips in this year, but for all the talk of “being sustainable” going forward, I’m a bit cautious when I break it down by position group. 

 

 

i think we just have a bit of an allocation problem.  we had a bad allocation to DL last two seasons, and we fixed it.  injuries have not helped, but the DL is pretty nasty this season.

 

i now think we have a mix of RBs who can get us production, cook getting his head and hands up to the level of his running could be a major weapon.  

 

our biggest issues are:

 

no 2nd play maker on O.  maybe cook becomes that but we need a WR

OL play -- i think we can get this right w a couple changes, just need one OG to be a nasty force and it all falls into place IMO

back up secondary: i'm gonna chalk this up to luck since we have a mash unit

back up LB: this is actually an issue.  dodson is not up to par for the sort of insane requirements we have of our LBs.  if we could add a couple big S small LBs, that might be what we need for depth and flexibility.  we are gonna lose at least one of edmunds and poyer.

 

said more succinctly: we really need another playmaker on O and a slightly better OL.  the D stuff is what it is, but that's not where the best bang for the buck will be.

[Eastport bills]

22 hours 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.

No problem with the plan for the slot receiver but not getting more veteran depth after Hyde went down for the year (even though he’s ready to play now) and Poyer getting  dinged is going to be a real challenge.With Elam hurt and the rest of the backups being less than impressive, stopping good passing teams looks tricky.

[CorkScrewHill]

On 11/21/2022 at 10:18 AM, FireChans said:

People LOVE Taiwan Jones. It's all everyone talks about.

He is a very good special teams player and saved us when Gabe mishandled the onside by knocking it out of bounds.

[GunnerBill]

On 11/21/2022 at 3:15 PM, 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 

 

 

 

So depth to cover for all the injuries they have had... that isn't roster building. No team has sufficient depth to survive playing an entire set of backups in the secondary for two games as we did. 

 

However, the relative thinness of the WR corps behind Diggs and the questionable ability of our offensive line were questions posed by some of us pre-season. And if the reason that you are thin there is because you are paying 4 DTs at mid-level contracts of better then you can't be run on by the Jets the way they were. 

[FireChans]

25 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

So depth to cover for all the injuries they have had... that isn't roster building. No team has sufficient depth to survive playing an entire set of backups in the secondary for two games as we did. 

 

However, the relative thinness of the WR corps behind Diggs and the questionable ability of our offensive line were questions posed by some of us pre-season. And if the reason that you are thin there is because you are paying 4 DTs at mid-level contracts of better then you can't be run on by the Jets the way they were. 

I actually think, and this is crazy, the defense has done as well as could be expected with CB3 and CB4 starting on the boundary and S3 S4 and S5 getting work on the backend. Not to mention the smattering of injuries to Milano, Edmunds, Oliver, Rousseau here and there.

 

To not have this defense be one of the worst in football is a feather in Frazier and McD’s cap. 

[billsfan_34]

On 11/21/2022 at 10:54 AM, SCBills said:

 

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. 

WR was one of our areas of depth. Kumerov was playing good ball and then injured/IR. Knox will never be like Kelce- the guy is just a rare talent. Agree we need Davis to play better and Shakir to develop as well. I never liked cutting Hodgins- thats where my problem for WR lays. 

[todd]

21 hours ago, Eastport bills said:

Are you hanging your hat on week 3? Since then our defense looks very different. When the depth guys in the secondary took over look at the passing and running stats in the last 3 games. It’s our job to question the way the team is constructed. 

Questioning is great. The answer is you are wrong.

[SCBills]

54 minutes ago, billsfan_34 said:

WR was one of our areas of depth. Kumerov was playing good ball and then injured/IR. Knox will never be like Kelce- the guy is just a rare talent. Agree we need Davis to play better and Shakir to develop as well. I never liked cutting Hodgins- thats where my problem for WR lays. 

Hodgins was never the answer.  IMO. 
 

The draft board fell horribly for us, in terms of WR.. but if Jake Kumerow is outside WR3 on a pass heavy team, that’s a problem. 
 

We had issues coming into the season, only exacerbated by the non-production from the slot position thus far. 

[Trock]

Letting Bease walk was a huge mistake.  Lil dummy isn’t even close to same production. Bease was Joshs check down option for hot routes.  It’s unfortunate the Bills and fans pitch forked him out of Buffalo. Maybe we can roll out the red carpet and win him back. 

[Lane Meyer K12]

Everyone is intitled to their opinion. It feels like flogging a dead horse, but those who were around for the Jauron days and some of the years surrounding those can remember what a bad roster looked like. Incompetence and disarray were commonplace. This roster and coaching staff would have been a wet dream back then. They are hurting with injuries but outside of that I cannot muster much to complain about. 

[Eastport bills]

1 hour ago, todd said:

Questioning is great. The answer is you are wrong.

Thank you so much for giving us the definitive answer on the roster construction, without so much as any reasons or explanation. I’ll get back to when I need the last word on any other questions about the team. Do you have a blog or an online column. Much appreciated taking your valuable time to render this decree.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

1 minute ago, Lane Meyer K12 said:

Everyone is intitled to their opinion. It feels like flogging a dead horse, but those who were around for the Jauron days and some of the years surrounding those can remember what a bad roster looked like. Incompetence and disarray were commonplace. This roster and coaching staff would have been a wet dream back then. They are hurting with injuries but outside of that I cannot muster much to complain about. 

Let a player go, then draft that exact position in Round 1. 

[buffaloboyinATL]

Apparently, no one told you that our 3rd string RB has "elite running ability". That sounds like a well built roster to me.