RD 3, Pick 91: LB Dorian Williams, Tulane

[Koufax]

Talking to a friend who is very high level in another draft room and he said he really likes our pick of Dorian and thinks he might be a monster in our defense. I was complaining saying that I like our first two picks but didn't quite understand our third, and he quickly disagreed.  Fingers crossed he is right.

[SoCal Deek]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

You're right, but we shouldn't expect anything different.  The networks all live off the NFL, so they aren't going to bash the NFL.   It's all positive fluff.   

 

More to the point, the whole draft show seemed like an ad for the upcoming season.   After every pick, it sounded like some team just became a Super Bowl contender.   The truth is some of these guys will be great, most will be average and some will bust.  And the analysts don't know which is which.  So, they report on them like they're all great, with the objective of getting the fans feeling good about their team and anxious for the season to start.  

 

 

Come on Shaw….every single one of these kids (and their parents)just fulfilled a lifelong dream. I’m going to give the commentators a pass on their optimism. Would you prefer they trash them? Every single one of these guys will be saving the DVR clip of this moment for the rest of their lives. 

[longtimebillsfan]

21 hours ago, boyst said:

I was talking about Edmunds

Yeah, I don't know who you are. But the whole 6969 thing, isn't it past your bedtime?

The pro bowl is a joke, go look at who is elected this year. Tell me the joke of a guard we played deserve to go?

Beane doesn't know what he is doing.  Pro bowl voters are clueless.  The Bears are morons for giving him the huge 4 year contact.  But you are the expert. 

 

I am in awe  of your expertise. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by longtimebillsfan

[SACTOBILLSFAN]

21 hours ago, NewEra said:

I liked him in rd 4-5- seems like a reach.  I wish we took Ika, salvederi or jones.

 

if we went LB I wish we went To’oTo’o 

To’o To’o isn’t an NFL player. He’s way too slow to play in coverage and gets bullied in the run game. 

[Rigotz]

5 hours ago, 3rdand12 said:

At what position ? Serious question

 Bills going to a 4-3 ?

I’ve seen a few people suggest this and the practical implication is that Taron Johnson would not play in base defensive sets. So we’d pay a $10M/yr elite nickel corner to not play.

[NewEra]

14 minutes ago, SACTOBILLSFAN said:

To’o To’o isn’t an NFL player. He’s way too slow to play in coverage and gets bullied in the run game. 

You might be right.  You might be wrong.   He’s just as fast as Jack Campbell.  Williams also gets bullied in the run game and his Mike instincts aren’t nearly as good as To’oTo’o.  
 

 

[boyst]

35 minutes ago, longtimebillsfan said:

Beane doesn't know what he is doing.  Pro bowl voters are clueless.  The Bears are morons for giving him the huge 4 year contact.  But you are the expert. 

 

I am on awe  of your expertise. 

You don't know me. I don't recognize you so I doubt you know anything I've ever said. 

 

Beans let the dude walk. Pro bowl voters are clueless. It's a popularity contest. The Bears are silly to give him that much. He will never be all pro. He will never be top 5 in his position.

 

Follow me for more actual football knowledge. It may help you learn some X's and o's but until then. Xxx 😍

3 hours ago, aceman_16 said:

I think you are moving the bar to fit your narrative....carry on

Not at all. I've been posting a very long time. I once got flamed for an entire dissertation on linebacker play and how Milano was more important to this team than Edmunds... And I got flamed by many.  This was after Edmunds rookie year.

 

I need to post more so I can actually have some folks understand my knowledge of X's and o's or just not post at all. 

 

The Twitter style ***** hot takes posting folks do these days sucks.

[aceman_16]

3 minutes ago, boyst said:

You don't know me. I don't recognize you so I doubt you know anything I've ever said. 

 

Beans let the dude walk. Pro bowl voters are clueless. It's a popularity contest. The Bears are silly to give him that much. He will never be all pro. He will never be top 5 in his position.

 

Follow me for more actual football knowledge. It may help you learn some X's and o's but until then. Xxx 😍

Not at all. I've been posting a very long time. I once got flamed for an entire dissertation on linebacker play and how Milano was more important to this team than Edmunds... And I got flamed by many.  This was after Edmunds rookie year.

 

I need to post more so I can actually have some folks understand my knowledge of X's and o's or just not post at all. 

 

The Twitter style ***** hot takes posting folks do these days sucks.

Well good thing I am not on twitter. I have been a long time board member (before this date just lost my info...I am old) as you have.l been. I have agreed with a majority of what you said over time. However, by saying Buffalo misses on LBers when one was a multiple time pro bowler who got paid a 72 million dollar deal with 50 million guaranteed in free agency and the other considered one of the best we have ever had and an all-pro as "meh no big deal dis team still suckz dudez when it comes to picking linebackers" is an absolute cold take and at this point you're bordering on troll status.

[Success]

3 hours ago, Koufax said:

Talking to a friend who is very high level in another draft room and he said he really likes our pick of Dorian and thinks he might be a monster in our defense. I was complaining saying that I like our first two picks but didn't quite understand our third, and he quickly disagreed.  Fingers crossed he is right.

 

Having scoured the internet, I can confirm that some out there have this same view - and think he could be a real steal.

 

I've rarely seen opinions so wildly different on a player.  But it's cool that there are more than a few who think he could pan out very well.

 

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Come on Shaw….every single one of these kids (and their parents)just fulfilled a lifelong dream. I’m going to give the commentators a pass on their optimism. Would you prefer they trash them? Every single one of these guys will be saving the DVR clip of this moment for the rest of their lives. 

No, not at all; don't trash them.  I was just recognizing the reality of the situation.   It's a tv show, it's entertainment.  They aren't going to diss anyone on the show, and I don't have a problem with that.   I'm just saying you shouldn't believe the hype.  Just recognize that they're promoting these players and the NFL.  

[In Summary]

Besides Jones, what DT is going to keep these little guys clean? 

[VW82]

I'm still somewhat miffed about the reaction to this pick. Who specifically did we not pick who was going to immediately solve our problem at MLB? Maybe I'm missing someone.

 

We took a very productive player who was the best player on a good defense and who has a tantalizing athletic profile. Sometimes small school guys have untapped upside. We have a pretty good coaching staff when it comes to teaching coverage skills. And so much of picking prospects is about the quality of the individual and how much they want it. None of you guys were in the meetings or know this kid personally, I presume. You don't know that he won't be a super productive player for us in a year's time. 

[Dr. Who]

50 minutes ago, VW82 said:

I'm still somewhat miffed about the reaction to this pick. Who specifically did we not pick who was going to immediately solve our problem at MLB? Maybe I'm missing someone.

 

We took a very productive player who was the best player on a good defense and who has a tantalizing athletic profile. Sometimes small school guys have untapped upside. We have a pretty good coaching staff when it comes to teaching coverage skills. And so much of picking prospects is about the quality of the individual and how much they want it. None of you guys were in the meetings or know this kid personally, I presume. You don't know that he won't be a super productive player for us in a year's time. 

The more I have thought about this pick and read various reactions, the more I like it. However, I think you have to allow that the pick reminded folks of the Bernard selection last year. Bernard may yet work out, but his first year was uninspiring and folks saw the pick as doubling down on a prior mistake. And there were good players at other positions that seemed worth taking. I liked Ika, the massive Baylor DT, for instance.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Dr. Who

[VW82]

11 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

The more I have thought about this pick and read various reactions, the more I like it. However, I think you have to allow that the pick reminded folks of the Bernard selection last year. Bernard may yet work out, but his first year was uninspiring and folks saw the pick as doubling down on a prior mistake. And there were other good players at other positions that seemed worth taking. I liked Ika, the massive Baylor DT, for instance.

Totally reasonable take. My argument wasn't that no one was better, just that I didn't see a starting MLB. 

 

Not saying this is what happened but I have no issue with a FO admitting defeat on a guy and drafting his replacement/competition right away. Williams is raw so I don't expect he'll be playing much initally. Either way, we needed more talent at LB with the loss of Edmonds. This solves that even if the fit isn't perfect and we might have to wait a bit for the payoff.

Edited April 30, 2023 by VW82

[BigAl2526]

On 4/28/2023 at 10:40 PM, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Kind of seems like a very similar player to Bernard…size wise. 

He's actually a little faster and heavier than Bernard.  Still pretty small.  The scouting reports of both of them suggested they need to develop the mental aspect of their game.  

[ColoradoBills]

4 hours ago, Rigotz said:

I’ve seen a few people suggest this and the practical implication is that Taron Johnson would not play in base defensive sets. So we’d pay a $10M/yr elite nickel corner to not play.

 

I'm not sure if there will be a change in scheme and if so, what that means.  I could surmise that nickel will still be a big part regardless.

Taron played 92% of snaps last year.  I can see that number going down.  How much we would have to see.  

 

Having Kincaid in camp may be a good way to attempt any D change to counter some of the havoc Kelce wreaks.  I don't see if a

change is coming that it's immediate and absolute.  Taron's contract is up after next season FWIW.

[chongli]

Well, I am going to reserve judgment, but Nate Geary of WGR doesn't like this pick:

 

 

And, of course...no surprise here:

 

 

[Richard Noggin]

12 minutes ago, chongli said:

Well, I am going to reserve judgment, but Nate Geary of WGR doesn't like this pick:

 

 

And, of course...no surprise here:

 

 

 

So many otherwise smart fans have been all caught up in the "TE" technicality of the Kincaid pick, thinking that because Knox got (maybe over-)paid that a 2nd TE is not a priority. But they fail to realize that TE was an actual roster hole prior to the draft, like TE2 was vacant, and that Kincaid is more like a position flex guy who is a slot WR who can also reduce down and motion in ways that create mismatches. He's like adding to the WR pipeline without bumping one of them off the roster. 

[John from Riverside]

1 hour ago, chongli said:

Well, I am going to reserve judgment, but Nate Geary of WGR doesn't like this pick:

 

 

And, of course...no surprise here:

 

 

Why would you let a post of filthy beast see the light of day that guy doesn’t know jack *****

[Matt_In_NH]

Could the bills be planning to run more base this year?   Trying to understand the puck still.