What Are Your Expectations For The 2023 Season?

[H2o]

I know various FO personnel say the Salary Cap is a "myth", but you still have to navigate with care. One day it will catch up to you. So in light of that, and our situation, what do you all expect for 2023? 

 

QB: We have a top 3 QB and we need to build around him to get where we want to go.

 

RB: Cook could end up being our Alvin Kamara. He needs to add some strength in the lower body this off-season and Dorsey needs to use the guy goodness sake. It got better the last 4 or 5 games of the season, but they need to be more disciplined and creative with it this year. I don't think Hines will be kept at his current $$$ either. Cook will be the featured RB next year and then a guy they can get for $3.5M or less. Maybe D'Onta Foreman?

 

WR: Diggs, Davis, Shakir, McKenzie. Will this be a "run it back" scenario with a couple of cheap adds? I hope not, but I have a bad feeling they will. We could look to draft someone, but our highest WR was Zay Jones in the 2nd since 2017. Technically, yes, we spent a first on Diggs. But at some point the FO has to be able to evaluate and hit on the talent it drafts, so we have them on rookie deals. 

 

TE: Knox, Morris. Knox is solid. Morris is meh. We could use an upgrade, but I wouldn't expect $$$ or an early draft pick to be spent here. Probably a cheap FA pickup or UDFA. 

 

OL: This is the train wreck of a unit. Dawkins is decent, Morse is meh, Bates/Brown should both be backups, and Saffold should be washing dishes at Golden Corral. We need AT LEAST two starting quality adds. One at RT and one at LG. I wouldn't mind keeping Dawkins and replacing the rest. Hopefully, this unit sees some $$$ thrown its way in FA AND at least 2 of our first four draft picks. Beans has to get this right. If he doesn't, if he and McDermott can't get a legit OL together? It's gonna be a long season.

 

DL: Miller, Rousseau, Epenesa, Basham, D. Jones, Oliver. Many question marks here. Will they extend Oliver? Maybe. Depends on the $$$ he wants. I'm sure they'd love to lower his cap #. Rousseau looked a little better this year, but his pressures dropped when Von went down. Heck, the whole defensive front fell off when Von went down. Jones was a nice surprise in the middle. He was exactly what Star was supposed to be, but couldn't live up to. Von was being Von until the knee injury set him down. He would have had 12 sacks or more and the defense as a whole would have looked a lot better. Hopefully we get him back fully healthy by October. They need to figure out what to do with Basham. Do you let him get back in the 290's like he was at Wake and play DT or do you keep with the same failed experiment you tried with Epenesa? I would love to see us bring back both Lawson and Phillips. They are both solid players in this defense. The $$$ will have to be right though. I don't expect much movement here outside of Lawson and Phillips possibly coming back. Not enough $$$ to go around and I hope they're smart enough to spend our draft capital elsewhere. 

 

LB: Milano, Bernard, Spector. That's it. Our All-Pro and two 2022 draft picks. What direction will we go. A $20M Franchise Tag on Edmunds cannot be the decision. It will completely shut us down on all other fronts. I would hope we go a different route altogether. One thing is for certain, we need to add at least 3 LB's. Two for depth and one to start in the middle. I could see one of our first three picks being on a LB to replace Edmunds and another later for depth. Dodson wouldn't be a bad re-signing for depth either. I would love to see us add Trenton Simpson (Clemson), Drew Sanders (Arkansas), Jack Campbell (Iowa), or Dorian Williams (Tulane). Campbell or Williams are my personal preferences. Any of the four would start day 1 at the Mike here. 

 

CB: White, Benford, Elam, Johnson. Don't be surprised if Dane receives a "right of first refusal" tender of about $2.6M and they run it back. I don't see much change here at all. 

 

S: Hyde, Neal, Hamlin (if he ever plays again). This is another weak spot of the team now. I can't see us giving Poyer what he will get elsewhere. I wouldn't be shocked at a Benford move, but I think they like his long term prospects at CB. There may be a mid-level add in FA, possibly bring Marlowe back, but almost certainly there will be a draft pick. 

 

ST: Bass, Ferguson. I expect Martin to be brought back, but he could get more $$$ elsewhere. They will go the cheap route on a Punter. 

 

Overall, there is a ton of work to be done here if we want to compete for the AFC crown. The schedule looks really tough next year as well at the moment. Beane needs to shift a bunch of $$$ around, spend that $$$ on those who truly deserve it, and reshape this roster effectively. If we take a step back next year, a real possibility if they don't get things right through FA & the draft, then we may be looking at sweeping changes in 2024. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Thoughtful essay on the OP's part.

All I've got is this board continues with its weekly quadrophenia. 😁

[Rebel101]

Disappointment and the hopes everyone will be fired by 2024. I also hope we haven’t wasted such a talented roster by having soft hearted coaches. 

[John from Riverside]

I’ll get back to you whenever I see what off-season moves they make
 

It won’t be management or coaches. It will have to be players.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

Pretty fair assessment all around … unfortunately, it doesn’t swell my hopes for a championship in 2024.  He was a buffoon but the old coach Dickerson (is he still above ground?) always said: “draft the best big man you can find” …. It’s not sexy, but it’s a path to success. At pick 27, I’d be more than happy to see the Bills take the top OG in the draft, who is probably still available. 

[John from Riverside]

Just now, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

Pretty fair assessment all around … unfortunately, it doesn’t swell my hopes for a championship in 2024.  He was a buffoon but the old coach Dickerson (is he still above ground?) always said: “draft the best big man you can find” …. It’s not sexy, but it’s a path to success. At pick 27, I’d be more than happy to see the Bills take the top OG in the draft, who is probably still available. 

Let’s keep in mind that the bills were one of the top four teams in the league regardless
 

Those teams that are ahead of us are about to lose players just like we are

 

They’ve got cap problems just like we do

 

You just don’t know how was season is going to go we battled through some of the worst injuries I have seen in a long long time on this bills team and still won

 

Improvements need to be made but if you have a franchise QB, you’re always in it

[Repulsif]

Pain

[Don Otreply]

I expect a revamped O-line that can block in both pass and run situations, with next to no drama. I expect our offense to take the easy first down option instead of punting after an ill advised pass attempt, I expect a D that can be more effective all game long, especially in clutch moments. I expect all of our coaches to be able to make multiple and effective adjustments quickly throughout the games when their initial game plan isn’t proceeding as expected, not just at half time.

 

Now do I in reality think these things will happen to an extent that changes the team for the better? In a word, no. 

 

What will happen is that GM & coaches will do the very same things that they have been doing, we will have a winning record likely win the AFCE and get bumped out of the post season like we have been the last few seasons.

 

I do hope to find out that i am wrong, and that these things actually happen and we win the AFC and the league championship.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Drew21PA]

One of either here

 

1 playing with more aggressiveness because jobs are on the line - better coaching decisions and better front office accountability

 

2.  Wheels fall off and we are starting fresh in February 2024

 

We will see what “McBeane” regime is made of this year with their backs against the wall

 

think about it this is it.  New stadium better have something to cheer for with those new ticket and concession prices ….

 

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

17 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

old coach Dickerson always said: “draft the best big man you can find” ….

Do that for your O line, and then you'll discover how all your 'smaller, faster, lighter, kinder, gentler' D linemen are getting hurt in practice. 😁

[JaCrispy]

Divisional round exit…Sorry, but I just can’t see us getting by KC or Cincy at this point…Not to mention the up and coming Jags (and possible sleeper Cleveland)…I will need to see some major upgrades before I have that kind of confidence about this team…

[4th&long]

If they bring all the coaches back I expect a god regular season record, 12 wins or so. Then an early playoff exit. Why would it be any different than the last 4 years?

[Nextmanup]

I've said this a ton of times all over in many threads: I think we will have a small regression next year.

 

A few more losses in the regular season, and an earlier or similar bow-out in the playoffs, short of a conference championship appearance, again.  

 

I think we retain both coordinators and this leads to similar problems next year.

 

McDermott won't make changes until he HAS TO, which will be at the end of next season.

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, JaCrispy said:

Divisional round exit…Sorry, but I just can’t see us getting by KC or Cincy at this point…Not to mention the up and coming Jags (and possible sleeper Cleveland)…I will need to see some major upgrades before I have that kind of confidence about this team…

People will read your post and throw hate your way, like they did when you predicted we would lose to the Bengals in the "predict the score" thread.

 

When will folks understand it's not about blind cheerleading!  It's about being RIGHT.

 

Actually, I wish someone would make a perpetual "blind cheerleading" thread.  Anyone who wants to be that sort of fan can post everything they write in that thread.

Would keep the forum a lot happier, like it has been for almost  week now!  All the Kool Aid folk are still not coming back....never had so much elbow room and breathing space around here! 

 

LOL

 

 

[Chaos]

48 minutes ago, H2o said:

if he and McDermott can't get a legit OL together? It's gonna be a long season.

Here's the thing.  Allen alone can compensate for the poor oline against all but the top teams.  If we don't improve this unit, the season with be long in the sense we will make the playoffs, but it will be another tease season where we are back after the divisional playoff round discussing how the Bills get over the hump. 

5 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

I've said this a ton of times all over in many threads: I think we will have a small regression next year.

 

A few more losses in the regular season, and an earlier or similar bow-out in the playoffs, short of a conference championship appearance, again.  

 

I think we retain both coordinators and this leads to similar problems next year.

 

McDermott won't make changes until he HAS TO, which will be at the end of next season.

 

 

 

If you are right, that will be the completion of McDermott's seventh season.  How many head coaches get an 8th season without getting to a least one super bowl? 

[JaCrispy]

8 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

I've said this a ton of times all over in many threads: I think we will have a small regression next year.

 

A few more losses in the regular season, and an earlier or similar bow-out in the playoffs, short of a conference championship appearance, again.  

 

I think we retain both coordinators and this leads to similar problems next year.

 

McDermott won't make changes until he HAS TO, which will be at the end of next season.

 

 

 

People will read your post and throw hate your way, like they did when you predicted we would lose to the Bengals in the "predict the score" thread.

 

When will folks understand it's not about blind cheerleading!  It's about being RIGHT.

 

Actually, I wish someone would make a perpetual "blind cheerleading" thread.  Anyone who wants to be that sort of fan can post everything they write in that thread.

Would keep the forum a lot happier, like it has been for almost  week now!  All the Kool Aid folk are still not coming back....never had so much elbow room and breathing space around here! 

 

LOL

 

 

Honestly though, I was so tempted to put money on the Bengals straight up…just had that feeling…

[Freak-O]

I expect them to win the division. After that, anything can happen. My expectations are lower than after last year’s exit, and maybe that’s a good thing. 

Edited January 29, 2023 by Freak-O

[bobobonators]

AFCCG. Anything less will be a letdown. 

[Buffalo03]

Another Divisional round playoff exit

[JMM]

1 hour ago, John from Riverside said:

I’ll get back to you whenever I see what off-season moves they make
 

It won’t be management or coaches. It will have to be players.

This.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

Watching the Bengals game will give you some valuable info on how we improve. When they double Chase watch for Higgins and Mixon to light it up. Watch the push the Cinncy O-Line gets compared to what we see with the Bills O-line. Watch the amazing Bengals play calling and halftime adjustments  that actually work. So for me we need a threat opposite Diggs, new C, LG, RT and a RB that is an actual threat like Mixon. If we move Dawkins inside to LG then we need LT,C, Rt