Should the Bills move Milano to MLB?

[Arkady Renko]

5 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

If Milano still weighs only 223, I'll eat my hair - starting at the roots.  I don't think that's what 6'0" 223 looks like.

But I don't think a few dozen wings would effect the type of physique change in Williams (or Bernard) we'd like to see.

 

Tug of war used to be an Olympic sport.  

[StHustle]

2 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Oh no! Please don’t go, I’d hate for the thread to lose a wordsmith such as yourself. 

Do you always call fellow Bills fans names or is this a new thing you’re trying out? I feel like if this conversation was in person you wouldn’t feel so empowered to call anyone names. 

 

Yeah you clearly don't know me buddy

[frostbitmic]

14 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

If Milano still weighs only 223, I'll eat my hair - starting at the roots.  I don't think that's what 6'0" 223 looks like.

But I don't think a few dozen wings would effect the type of physique change in Williams (or Bernard) we'd like to see.

 

I just took that number from the roster listed by the team. OK so Williams would need to add some beer to the wings and some beef on weck. Maybe they can find some TB12 laying around he could drink, I've heard it's good for muscle growth.

[Beck Water]

Just now, frostbitmic said:

I just took that number from the roster listed by the team. OK so Williams would need to add some beer to the wings and some beef on weck. Maybe they can find some TB12 laying around he could drink, I've heard it's good for muscle growth.

 

LOL pretty much, the roster lists guys combine weights.  They have Josh listed at 6'5" 237, hasn't he said the trainers want him at 242 and he's more like 245-247 at times?

 

Though he looks pretty good in that belt

 

[1st&ten]

Well the plan is to put Epenesa back on the weight adjustment program & he will be the MLB. (just kidding) I think Klein & Williams will split duties. As other posters have noted a little Buffalo pizza & wings & Williams can put on 15 Ibs. Also there is plenty of time for Beane to sign someone to compete for the spot.

[Buffalo716]

2 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

I think Milano plays sideline to sideline in our D.  I could be misinterpreting @Buffalo716, but I think he's saying that the role of the LB in McDermott's predominantly 3-2-5 D "maps", or is more equivalent to, the role of the middle backers in a 3-4 where the OLBs take on more of an "edge" role in pass rush and run defense - not that both our LB are playing equivalent roles or playing the inside of the field.

 

If you mean Milano's role may change with changes to the D, that may be - I don't have any insight into how McDermott may adjust the D to compensate for losing Edmunds.  I know when they had Klein playing for Milano for 4 games while Milano was on IR, they changed up the roles and responsibilities some.  Frazier talked about it in a presser, and it's one of the reasons Klein went from "zero to hero" in about a month (horrible looking play to DPOW).  If I were guessing, though, I'd guess that changes to Milano's role will be slight and there will be other changes such as playing more base D or "heavy nickel" or rotating one of the safeties (or all of the aforementioned)

 

But if you mean he actually changes roles and takes on the MLB role for the Bills (which is what I understood you to say in the post to which I responded) and rotates off the field for Klein in running situations - Nah. You can mark my post and I'll take my receipts if it goes down like that.

So I was saying that In a traditional 43 the mike will and Sam all have very defined roles 

 

in McDermotts nickel defense the 2 inside backers more resemble the roles of a traditional mike and will in a 34

 

both inside backers

[CaptnCoke11]

Yeah let’s move one of the best WLB in the league out of position.  Seems logical 

[Bobby Hooks]

13 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Yeah let’s move one of the best WLB in the league out of position.  Seems logical 

I mean, there’s been eight pages of conversation, but sure just stop In and respond to the title. Not annoying at all. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Bobby Hooks

[TBBills Fan]

I think as others said, it will be a hybrid approach and maybe McD wants linebackers with speed...so we may not be looking for a thumper in the middle

 

That said, I dont know why they never talked about Milano getting the Green dot and making the calls....that makes sense since he has been here the longest

[CaptnCoke11]

1 minute ago, Bobby Hooks said:

I mean there’s been eight pages of conversation, but sure just stop In and respond to the title. Not annoying at all. 

Ok hear me out… dumb idea 

[Bobby Hooks]

3 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Ok hear me out… dumb idea 

Woah, you’re the first one that said anything about the “hear me out!” 
 

You should take that act on the road, how many episodes of Seinfeld did you have to watch to get so funny? 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Bobby Hooks

[Shaw66]

2 hours ago, mjt328 said:

 

I caught the Jim Rome interview, and was going to post the same thing.

 

At this point, I think Bills fans just need to accept that our coaching staff just sees the that position in a different light.  The days of Mike Singletary, Junior Seau and Ray Lewis are long-gone.  We have no interest in that kind of player in our defensive system.

 

The big complaint with Tremaine Edmunds was that (despite his large size), he wasn't really great at taking on blockers and plugging the run.  His greatest value always came in coverage and preventing throws over the short/middle of the field.  He always played more like an OLB.

 

It was always going to be tough to get a replacement with Edmunds physical characteristics.  But with us drafting Terrell Bernard last year and Dorian Williams this year, I think it's pretty clear that we are still more concerned with stopping the pass.  If that means being undersized compared to the traditional MLBs around the league, then so be it.  For now, I think the plan is for Tyrell Dodson to start.  Hopefully Bernard or Williams eventually takes the job.  If everyone sucks, we have AJ Klein as a fallback.

 

 

 

I agree with you.  All these years I've wanted Edmunds to be a bigger hitter, tougher against the run.  Now I think the Bills didn't like him because he wasn't quick enough, he didn't close well enough with solid tackles, either in the flats or on the blitzes.   They loved how big he was, but they wanted him to be quicker, like a safety, not like a traditional linebacker.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

 

This, combined with other things you've posted (that Milano was playing MLB because of where Edmunds lined up, for example) makes me feel you don't completely understand the role of MLB in McDermott's defense.

 

Give the Rome show a listen.  Beane actually spells out super-clearly what he implied in his interviews post-draft and what McDermott has said.

 

The MLB is the "QB of the defense".  His responsibilities go beyond what he's supposed to do after the snap.  He has to understand the role of 10 other players in each defensive call and how they vary depending on what the offense does pre- and post- snap.  He has to get all the other players lined up correctly and adjusted if the offense adjusts pre-snap.

 

McDermott earlier and Beane in the Rome show explictly pointed this out.  Beane said that Williams, in their view, has the physical tools to play MLB, but he needs to understand the defensive scheme, not only his role but the other players' roles, so that he can fulfill the mental responsibilities, and that they aren't going to put pressure on him to do that right off the bat.

 

This isn't some kind of GM-speak, it's the reality of NFL football.  The point of starting him at OLB and having him master that, is he'll need to understand that role intimately to play MLB successfully in McDermott's scheme and it might give him a path to the field in case of injury while he adjusts to a more complicated defense.  I think, though, that McDermott must have been favorably impressed with what he already knew or how quickly he grasped stuff when he came through OBD because that's when talk started about him "learning both".

 

 

That's exactly what I heard.

Ok let's assume you are correct. Why could rookie Edmunds do it but rookie Williams can't? 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

9 hours ago, boyst said:

i was on record stating this almost immediately williams is not our MLB.  got roasted, too.

 

milano will move to the middle in a hybrid role. he will not be the same player he has been for us. i fear this will beat him up and age him quickly.

 

klein will fill in for the traditional mlb role on run downs. we really could use a donta hightower type for run downs. even a brandon spikes. if we had takeo spikes i'd pop a rod 6 to midnight faster than a blink of an eye.

 

regardless, the middle of this defense is now a liability and hoping that our front 3 / 4 has improved enough to cover this up. i am not sure they have.

As soon as an opposing offense sees a Brandon Spikes-type out there, they’re going to check out of a running play 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, mjt328 said:

 

I caught the Jim Rome interview, and was going to post the same thing.

 

At this point, I think Bills fans just need to accept that our coaching staff just sees the that position in a different light.  The days of Mike Singletary, Junior Seau and Ray Lewis are long-gone.  We have no interest in that kind of player in our defensive system.

 

The big complaint with Tremaine Edmunds was that (despite his large size), he wasn't really great at taking on blockers and plugging the run.  His greatest value always came in coverage and preventing throws over the short/middle of the field.  He always played more like an OLB.

 

It was always going to be tough to get a replacement with Edmunds physical characteristics.  But with us drafting Terrell Bernard last year and Dorian Williams this year, I think it's pretty clear that we are still more concerned with stopping the pass.  If that means being undersized compared to the traditional MLBs around the league, then so be it.  For now, I think the plan is for Tyrell Dodson to start.  Hopefully Bernard or Williams eventually takes the job.  If everyone sucks, we have AJ Klein as a fallback.

 

 

 

I guess we will have to see how it plays out. Hope I'm wrong but I just think they are wrong. Bernard did nothing to suggest he could play in the NFL last year. Williams at least in tape looked more explosive. Hope he wins the MLB job becuase if Beane wasted a 3rd round pick on a 17 game backup OLB instead of adding a WR or pass rusher that is just nuts. 

[snamsnoops]

5 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

I feel like that’s the second time you’ve posted that now. Anything else to add, or did you just want to write it out again? 
 

And again, who’s to say he’d be less effective? What if, and this is a big what if, but what if he was MORE effective?! 

So you are saying there is a chance!

 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

6 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

That’s fair, but also, and I don’t mean this as a shot at you, kinda boring. What kind of threads would we have here if all we posted on were exactly what the coach and GM have said? 
 

Just seems like it would be a board of Chris Brown fluff. 
 

Personally, I can’t wait for your thread titled 2+2 = 4 ; here are the things we know for sure. 
 

Josh Allen is QB, we have a Justin Shorter, etc. 

 

Where’s the intrigue? If we just posted the team quotes provided by every news outlet, without a little creativity, would we even need the message board? 
 

 

I believe some contributors would rather just post “Go Bills!  Trust the Process!” … that really livens up the chat, don’t ya think? 🤪

[boyst]

40 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

As soon as an opposing offense sees a Brandon Spikes-type out there, they’re going to check out of a running play 

Exactly, and expected but if you're in nickel and the package is a heavy run offense than you should be fine. 

 

We do need to upgrade nickel, unfortunately. 

[John from Riverside]

10 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Does it make more sense to try and win a Super Bowl with AJ Klein at the position? 

Just show me where they’ve given any inclination that that’s their plan even Brandon being in his press conference call AJ Klein, a Veteran in the room that doesn’t sound like a starter to me

[AuntieEm]

10 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

Maybe they’re unleashing a brand new hybrid mlb/olb roving backer scheme?! 
 

You don’t know who the mlb is until it’s too late! 

They are converting out lb core into strafties which are roving lb/Safety hybrids.