Would Cole Beasley come back to Buffalo?

[Sundancer]

1 minute ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Not in two years. His time in Tampa was "catch and fall down", and just short of the 1st down.

 

Same as his role here. BEaseley was the opposite of a YAC receiver. It's one reason the Bills YAC is up so much. 

[Beck Water]

1 hour ago, LyndonvilleBill said:

I think people are dissing McKenzie because of incorrect expectations. When I look at his stats for the season, he is actually around his averages or above in most cases since being here. Reality is, he is not Beasley and won't be. If the coaches thought he would be, they wouldn't have drafted Shakir or brought in Crowder. Team knows what they have. McKenzie is a Man match up wr and not a zone wr. His best plays are on the move, not sitting down in a zone. Hopefully we will see him go off again tonight. 😁

 

I think you're exactly right that the Bills didn't expect McKenzie to replace Beasley.  They expected to replace Beasley with 4 different guys:

1) Platoon McKenzie and Crowder.  Taron Johnson commented that switching them off was a nightmare to cover because they were so different.

The two of them together would project to 72 receptions, 744 yds, 50 1D over 16 games - which is quite reasonable production from the slot. 

2) The Bills made it clear they wanted a pass-catching RB and I believe they intended to replace part of the route package Beasley ran with passes from the RB.  That hasn't quite worked out.  Cook has not stepped up in that role yet (that route vs the Lions - UGH)

3) As a former QB, I think Dorsey wanted to see a big body (Dawson Knox) across the middle.  But we've been needing Knox to block or at least chip and release, and something was going on with him - I think he was struggling to catch in practice or something after losing his brother, because before the Browns game, Knox had less than half the targets of last year.  Hopefully that's turning around.

 

People are dissing McKenzie because there are a crowd here who are reactive AF.  He's had a handful of very visible gaffs, most of which arguably aren't entirely his fault.  He's the "class clown" so he makes himself a target, especially in the absence of "ooohs" and "ahhhs" plays like Davis vs. Pittsburgh, even though other players have made at least as many FU's some of which arguably are their fault.

 

We see the same phenomenon with other players, Jackson or Taron Johnson have struggled recently for various reasons and people are here "bench him" "cut him" "he's trash" "he plays like *****" blah blah.

 

56 minutes ago, colin said:

i really think he's the "hidden MVP" in that he had an outsized value to the team vs how visible he was.

 

Now we're getting into canonizing the backup QB territory.  Yes, Crowder contributed.  Yes, his contributions were important and are missed.  But c'mon man, the guy had a catch % <50% when he broke his leg.  He had 1.5 receptions, 1 1D per game and 15 ypg while rocking 33% of the snaps. 

 

That is in no way "hidden MVP" territory.

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, Sundancer said:

 

5th best offense last year. Currently 2nd. 

 

They have not replaced Bease (or they did but the replacement broke his leg) but they are still funcitoning at a high level. I'm open to bringing him back if he has anything left but if Brady couldn't find a use for him, not sure Josh will. 

 

Brady has no familiarity with Beasley.  I don't really care if Cole can't get us any YAC... just help us move the chains.  

 

The offense has not been good.  It's middle of the pack if you take away the hot start to the year. 

[Joe Ferguson]

At least we won't see 2-3 drops a game.

[DrDawkinstein]

2 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

Brady has no familiarity with Beasley.  I don't really care if Cole can't get us any YAC... just help us move the chains.  

 

The offense has not been good.  It's middle of the pack if you take away the hot start to the year. 

 

But he's not moving the chains anymore. That was the issue in Tampa.

[Rigotz]

10 hours ago, Putin said:

Would Love for Beasley to come back

!!! 

 

Surprised this is getting so much love.

 

As a player, he would help the team.

 

As a person, it would be a huge risk. He clearly has very strong views on a lot of things and there's a big risk that welcoming him back would divide the locker room.

[SCBills]

3 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

But he's not moving the chains anymore. That was the issue in Tampa.

 

Perhaps.  He's clearly diminished from the guy he was a few years ago.  We all know that.  But he had zero familiarity with Brady, and vice-versa..  I'm not going to expand that to Josh Allen and our Offense, of which there is a ton of familiarity. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

 

Surprised this is getting so much love.

 

As a player, he would help the team.

 

As a person, it would be a huge risk. He clearly has very strong views on a lot of things and there's a big risk that welcoming him back would divide the locker room.

 

Who exactly are you worried for in the locker room?  Josh Allen loves him and Diggs, McKenzie and Davis have all stayed in contact with him.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by SCBills

[QCity]

57 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

 

 

And what happened in Tampa was simple. He's old and his body is done and he couldn't pick up the 1st downs anymore. Back to back games he came up short by a couple yards, got chewed out by Brady, and then was released. And then said he didn't want to be there anyway. Like typical Bease.

 

This. The guy is shot. Father Time is undefeated.

[DrDawkinstein]

6 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

Perhaps.  He's clearly diminished from the guy he was a few years ago.  We all know that.  But he had zero familiarity with Brady, and vice-versa..  I'm not going to expand that to Josh Allen and our Offense, of which there is a ton of familiarity.

 

But we saw it here at the end of his time in Buffalo too. Tampa was just a continuation of his decline.

 

Look, I want the Bills to win a SB more than anything. Regardless of his off field garbage, if he could play, I'd welcome him back. Especially right now with all the injuries. But he's done.

[Beck Water]

42 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I missed this interview.  What did McKenzie say?

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/isaiah-mckenzie-i-just-had-to-wait-my-turn-and-it-came

 

He says a lot of very team-first and "correctspeak" stuff about how important divisional games are.

 

He was asked "how badly did you need that game?" and he says "I've been wanting it for a while, I just had to wait my turn and it came, I took advantage of my opportunities when it came" "going into this game, it gives me some confidence, I just want to help the team win" - all very best-behaved teamspeak. 

 

But in between he says "I just wanted to put it on tape".  Who worries about "putting it on tape"?  Guys auditioning for a new team, that's who. 

 

IMO.

 

He cracks a genuine smile and seems genuinely thrilled to have John Brown back. 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Beck Water

[Bookie Man]

Seems like a lot of people have had a change of heart with Cole. I felt like about 85% of posters here were happy to see him go. 

[Nephilim17]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

But in between he says "I just wanted to put it on tape".  Who worries about "putting it on tape"?  Guys auditioning for a new team, that's who. 

 

Interesting catch. Could he be saying "put it on tape" meaning so he gets more playing time this year, though, as if he's still fighting for snaps this year? 

Your inference could be right. McKenzie's pay is pretty low and I don't expect him to remain the starting slot guy here for long.

[TampaBillsJunkie]

10 hours ago, Dick_Cheney said:

Hell yes. 

Next, let’s bring back Incognito and Stevie Joshnson. Let’s go all out. 

Don't forget Freddie, we need help in the backfield.

[DrDawkinstein]

7 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/isaiah-mckenzie-i-just-had-to-wait-my-turn-and-it-came

 

He says a lot of very team-first and "correctspeak" stuff about how important divisional games are.

 

He was asked "how badly did you need that game?" and he says "I've been wanting it for a while, I just had to wait my turn and it came, I took advantage of my opportunities when it came" "going into this game, it gives me some confidence, I just want to help the team win" - all very best-behaved teamspeak. 

 

But in between he says "I just wanted to put it on tape".  Who worries about "putting it on tape"?  Guys auditioning for a new team, that's who. 

 

IMO.

 

He cracks a genuine smile and seems genuinely thrilled to have John Brown back. 

 

 

You're getting into my territory of stretching and inferring things

[Livinginthepast]

56 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

OK, who we cut to put him on the roster?

 

Gabe Davis, the only apparent deep threat on the team and 2nd on the team with 650 receiving yards (also 5 TD)

 

Khalil Shakir, our newly drafted guy who has shown some flashes, and who many have praised and wondered they don't see more?

 

Isaiah McKenzie?  He's the populist choice here with many clamoring for his head, but he's contributed 6 TD and 21 1st downs (projects to 10 TD and 34 1D in 16 games) and he just had a 103 yd game.  As Cover1 put it, "he's the only receiver on the team who can consistently outrun a DB and get open".  If you read between the lines of McKenzie's locker room interview this week, he knows it could happen, I'm not sure it's the smart move.

 

Not sure it's the smart move to cut any of these in favor of a guy who's been sitting on his sofa and who "took his ball and went home" in Tampa when asked to live on the practice squad and play ST, especially when it's not clear he'd be nearly as effective in Dorsey's play designs.

 

 

Good points, but judging how this season of freak injuries is going who is to say that any of the above receivers are going to survive unscathed? You could sign him to the practice squad could you not?

[transient]

9 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/video/isaiah-mckenzie-i-just-had-to-wait-my-turn-and-it-came

 

He says a lot of very team-first and "correctspeak" stuff about how important divisional games are.

 

He was asked "how badly did you need that game?" and he says "I've been wanting it for a while, I just had to wait my turn and it came, I took advantage of my opportunities when it came" "going into this game, it gives me some confidence, I just want to help the team win" - all very best-behaved teamspeak. 

 

But in between he says "I just wanted to put it on tape".  Who worries about "putting it on tape"?  Guys auditioning for a new team, that's who. 

 

IMO.

 

He cracks a genuine smile and seems genuinely thrilled to have John Brown back. 

 

IDK. You could just as easily interpret that as wanting to get more chances to perform in a game instead of just showing what he's got in practice. I think it's a common sports figure of speech nowadays.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, colin said:

 

i really think he's the "hidden MVP" in that he had an outsized value to the team vs how visible he was.

 

 

6 catches (of 13 targets) for 60 yards and 4 1st downs over 4 games is "an outsized value"??

 

come on...he was a complete non-factor.

[ddaryl]

11 minutes ago, ßookie_tech said:

Seems like a lot of people have had a change of heart with Cole. I felt like about 85% of posters here were happy to see him go. 

 

Still thrilled

[oldmanfan]

Don't know.  Don't care.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

18 minutes ago, ßookie_tech said:

Seems like a lot of people have had a change of heart with Cole. I felt like about 85% of posters here were happy to see him go. 

It’s simply performance based. He was breaking down. Beasley fresh might be a good idea.