Colin Cowherd's Take

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Just not true. In 7 drafts this regime has picked two defensive tackles - total. A 1st rounder and a 3rd rounder. DBs they have drafted lots on day 3, but the fewest in the first two days of the draft of ANY team in the league in that timeframe (since 2017). They have drafted fewer linebackers in the first two days of the draft (3) than they have offensive linemen (4). 

 

They haven't been great judges of oline talent. From their FA acquisitions to their draft picks. I agree they could have done more, but that is at LEAST as much about talent evaluation as it has about teambuilding strategy. 

Thanks for this.  I don't track the drafts all that carefully, but it has seemed to me that they've been light drafting o linemen.  Whatever, as you say, they haven't been very good at finding quality oline talent that is worth keeping long term.  Of course, I tend to forget that they've had Dion and they acquired Morse, so that's something.  And the book is still open on Brown.   And, of course, they haven't been sitting on their hands.   They've been signing linemen for years, looking for the right guys.  Maybe McGovern and Torrence will be the answers inside.  

 

McBeane don't do anything without a reason.   I think they are reluctant to draft olinemen in the first couple of rounds because olinemen may be among the biggest crapshoots in the draft.   Olinemen are notoriously unprepared to play in the NFL when they come out of college, and except for the true stud tackles who go in the top 10, it's just seems very difficult to determine who's going to grow into the kind of guy who is a keeper.   It's easy to miss on olinemen, like drafting a Cody Ford - a guy with the body but who just doesn't grow into a quality NFL lineman.  That means that in terms of utilizing your high draft picks efficiently, you're better off drafting other positions that can be projected with a higher degree of certainty.  You get a higher return on your picks.  Wait for a Torrence, who seems to have a high floor.   Of course, that strategy means you have to get yourself some good linemen in free agency, and McBeane haven't succeeded there.  Add in the mistake they made with Teller, and it leaves the Bills where they are right now - and where they've been for several years: hoping that this year's off-season fixes will do the job.  

[Mat68]

I get what he is saying but by bringing up the Oline he clearly hasnt followed what Buffalo has brought in.  Largest FA signing was for Mcgovern at guard.  First 2 picks were for the best receiving Te in the draft and arguably top pure guard in the draft.  Throw in the numbers by signing Edwards Quessenberry and Shell you can not with a straight face say Buffalo has not prioritize Oline this offseason.   Buffalo didnt make any Von type moves.  They didnt have the money to.  I think Harty and Sherfield are low key solid signings and upgrades to the roster. 

[SCBills]

14 hours ago, Airseven said:

Beane has done a poor job with both lines. He wastes money and resources on one and tosses leftover scraps to the other.

 

"Has", as in past tense, I'd agree.  

 

I can't take Cowherd seriously when he talks about our OL as if it's last years OL.  It's typical national talking head shtick where they only notice if we're the Chiefs signing a name like Taylor or Bengals signing Orlando Brown.  Apparently signing a solid starting OG with upside, drafting one of - if not (the) - best OG in the Draft, along with upgrading the depth is too nuanced for the Cowherd's of the world to pay attention to.  

 

This DL, when healthy, has no excuse to not be a Top 5 DL in the league.  Von, Floyd, Rousseau, Jones, Oliver, Ford & Phillips is a top tier unit, regardless of whoever else does anything (Settle, Epenesa, Lawson, Boogie).   

 

Now, where criticism for the upcoming season is valid, is that we have a ton of money tied up in Von and Floyd.  Money that could've gone elsewhere (D-Hop) if we had hit on Boogie and Epenesa... or done something else with the picks.  

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by SCBills

[Shaw66]

55 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

All of this can certainly happen and hopefully it does. 

 

However, much of it is optimism and looking at the glass half full. 

 

Kincaid is a rookie and proclaiming him to be the next Kelce like TE is really not realistic. It's really unknown how much of an impact he will have. 

 

Davis is what he is. He's a middling WR2. Not great and not terrible. He certainly deserves criticism after last year's performance. He needs to improve.

 

Dorsey is a pretty big concern. He's young and raw. He's playing calling and schemes were quite elementary. I believe his inexperience was clearly evident last year. There is no guarantee he will improve. Imho, the offense stats were very good due to Allen rather than Dorsey. 

 

Beane has made moves this off season. I like his assertive and aggressive mindset. He clearly has tried to address the trenches. It's yet to be seen if these move pay dividends. To be honest, lots of his prior moves have been largely unsuccessful. You would think by now the Oline would be solid? 

 

The Bills are no doubt SB contenders. That doesn't suck as compared to the past decades of grief. Credit Beane and McD for building a winner! 

 

It's time to take the next step. It's been time for two straight seasons. I'd argue that wasted opportunities are passing. Will this year be another? 

There's good stuff here to comment on.   

 

First, I agree very much it's on Dorsey.  Davis is certainly good enough, and the supporting cast of wideouts certainly are good enough, also.   They're all playmakers.   And Short might surprise.   I agree that we can't expect a lot of yardage out of Kincaid, but I think it's likely he will have impact beyond his yardage.   If he catches some balls early out of the slot, he's going to force defenses to play differently.  

 

All of it, however, depends on play design and play calling.   That's on Dorsey.   I think he was inadequate last season, and the question is whether he actually will make real progress growing into his job.  

 

As for your final point (bolded), I have to say that that kind of comment always bothers me.  I think it ignores how incredibly difficult it is to win a Super Bowl.   Every season, we hear the winners talk about how hard they worked, how everything fit together just right, how they all love each other.   It's really, really hard.  If it were easy, KC would have won four in a row by now.  It's six months of brutally hard work, with injuries, surprises, etc.   Really difficult.   It's not like the Pegulas sent McBeane out to the store and they forgot to get milk, and then next year they forgot the milk again.   It's more like they sent McBeane to the store and they failed to bring home a rare vintage cabernet from 1953 - sure they've got a really nice car to drive to the store, but it still doesn't mean that they're going to be able to find that one bottle of wine.  Send them out next year, they still might not find that bottle.  Winning the Super Bowl is more random than we'd like to think.   You can do pretty much everything right, and do one thing wrong - pick one decision in those 13 seconds, and you don't win.  Of course, it means that someone else did enough of the right things and you didn't, but the difference between those two performances is tiny, and it's very difficult to be the winner, even once.   It's not going out to pick up a quart of milk.

[newcam2012]

15 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Cowherd's really good, when he gets his facts straight. 

 

As others have said, he complains about the Bills oline without once mentioning that they've addressed the oline - we'll see if it works. 

 

And he asks why the Bills are spending on defense when over the past four or five years the Bills have been around the top of the league in points allowed and total yards.   What he doesn't mention is that during the same time, the Bills ALSO were around the top of the league in points scored and total yards.   

 

The point he should be making is that the Bills have a great offense already (yes, it could be better, but the mantra about their needing another wideout is way, way overdone), and now they have a stable of elite pass rushers in a league where pass rush is the only thing that stops good passing teams.  

The bottom line is the Bills haven't done well un the playoffs. They have consistently fallen short. 

 

Some are happy with a division title, a playoff birth and a lone playoff win. Of course, it's way better than the past. 

 

The team led by a franchise QB should be able to progress further than they have. 

[Logic]

4 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

The bottom line is the Bills haven't done well un the playoffs. They have consistently fallen short. 

 

Some are happy with a division title, a playoff birth and a lone playoff win. Of course, it's way better than the past. 

 

The team led by a franchise QB should be able to progress further than they have. 

Other teams have franchise QBs, too. Having a franchise QB is not a "definitely win the Super Bowl" ticket.

The Josh Allen Bills have been stopped in the playoffs so far by Watson, Mahomes, and Burrow. Franchise QBs, all.

If you don't believe in McDermott and you want a coaching change, that's fine. But if you think that changing out coaches is automatically gonna punch the Bills' ticket to the Super Bowl, I say.....be careful what you wish for.

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by Logic

[Alphadawg7]

16 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

Pretty blunt take from Colin. Wondering how others feel about what he says. 

 

We had a rookie OC last year...that hurt as well.  But he now has a year under his belt...and now we addressed OL this offseason.  So not really sure why Colin thinks the OL is still a mess, we made upgrades there and added competition as well.  

 

Our defense has let this team down more in the playoffs than our offense has.  

[newcam2012]

8 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

There's good stuff here to comment on.   

 

First, I agree very much it's on Dorsey.  Davis is certainly good enough, and the supporting cast of wideouts certainly are good enough, also.   They're all playmakers.   And Short might surprise.   I agree that we can't expect a lot of yardage out of Kincaid, but I think it's likely he will have impact beyond his yardage.   If he catches some balls early out of the slot, he's going to force defenses to play differently.  

 

All of it, however, depends on play design and play calling.   That's on Dorsey.   I think he was inadequate last season, and the question is whether he actually will make real progress growing into his job.  

 

As for your final point (bolded), I have to say that that kind of comment always bothers me.  I think it ignores how incredibly difficult it is to win a Super Bowl.   Every season, we hear the winners talk about how hard they worked, how everything fit together just right, how they all love each other.   It's really, really hard.  If it were easy, KC would have won four in a row by now.  It's six months of brutally hard work, with injuries, surprises, etc.   Really difficult.   It's not like the Pegulas sent McBeane out to the store and they forgot to get milk, and then next year they forgot the milk again.   It's more like they sent McBeane to the store and they failed to bring home a rare vintage cabernet from 1953 - sure they've got a really nice car to drive to the store, but it still doesn't mean that they're going to be able to find that one bottle of wine.  Send them out next year, they still might not find that bottle.  Winning the Super Bowl is more random than we'd like to think.   You can do pretty much everything right, and do one thing wrong - pick one decision in those 13 seconds, and you don't win.  Of course, it means that someone else did enough of the right things and you didn't, but the difference between those two performances is tiny, and it's very difficult to be the winner, even once.   It's not going out to pick up a quart of milk.

Great post. Agree with most everything. 

 

Of course winning it all is extremely difficult. I don't think anyone would beg to differ. However, that difficulty should never be used as a excuse to not winning it all. Not saying you are doing that but I feel many have that mindset. 

 

When you land the best or second best planet on earth a team has or should have a legit chance if going to the SB. That's not even saying winning it. The Bills haven't even sniffed the above. Imho, that's undeachieving and not meeting realistic goals. Perhaps, my standard is too high here? 

[Shaw66]

7 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

The bottom line is the Bills haven't done well un the playoffs. They have consistently fallen short. 

 

Some are happy with a division title, a playoff birth and a lone playoff win. Of course, it's way better than the past. 

 

The team led by a franchise QB should be able to progress further than they have. 

Well, yes.   But we are talking about Cowherd's critique of the Bills and why they haven't succeeded.   His take was uninformed and naive.  He essentially said the reason the Bills have failed is that they already had a really good defense and they kept acquiring more defensive players.   That's naive and uninformed for two reasons:  (1) if they didn't need to acquire more defensive players because their defense already was good, well, then they don't need to acquire more offensive players, either, because their offense already is good, and (2) they actually drafted someone who looks like a good interior offensive lineman, and they signed a free agent who's been a solid starter for several seasons.   

 

So, sure, he can complain all he wants, as we all can, about the fact that the Bills haven't won a Super Bowl, but he deserves to be called to task when he says stupid things. 

[Shaw66]

2 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

Great post. Agree with most everything. 

 

Of course winning it all is extremely difficult. I don't think anyone would beg to differ. However, that difficulty should never be used as a excuse to not winning it all. Not saying you are doing that but I feel many have that mindset. 

 

When you land the best or second best planet on earth a team has or should have a legit chance if going to the SB. That's not even saying winning it. The Bills haven't even sniffed the above. Imho, that's underachieving and not meeting realistic goals. Perhaps, my standard is too high here? 

No, not too high.  And I agree with what you say.   

 

Acknowledging it's difficult doesn't automatically translate into an excuse.  There's a difference between an explanation as to why something happened and making an excuse.   

 

For any team, the answer to the question "why didn't you win the Super Bowl" is "we weren't good enough."   There are a lot of explanations for why one team or another wasn't good enough.  There are explanations for the Bills, too.  

 

What people mean when they say that an explanation is an excuse is that they think the team is using the explanation to make it okay that they didn't win.  One thing we know for sure is that the Bills - the owner, the GM, the coaches, and the players, do not think it's okay.  They aren't making excuses for themselves.   They're trying to do something that is very difficult, and they're going to keep trying.  

 

Fans can complain if they want, but I'm not complaining.  Yes, the Rams won a Super Bowl, and almost immediately they weren't competitive.  The Bills are competitive every season, and they intend to stay there.  I can support that. 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

Colleen Cowpie spews what his west coast writers create for him.  His take on most things is based on relatively superficial research.  His take on the Bills' off season is pretty much off the mark.  What he neglects to acknowledge is that the 2023 draft class was pretty weak overall and the CAP constrained free agent activity.  Beane has taken what was already a really good roster and improved it.  He may not have done it like many of us wanted but it is better nonetheless.

[John from Riverside]

3 hours ago, ScottLaw said:

Not sure where the improvement is in the RB room nor do I think that moves the needle for the offense/team whatsoever… If the Bills want to represent the AFC in the SB they’ll need their defense to be much improved against the Mahomes’s/Burrow’s/Lawrence’s of the conference while having enough offensively in the passing game outside of Diggs and keeping Josh upright. 

Being able to run the ball would’ve definitely helped us in that cinci game

14 minutes ago, Florida Bills Fanatic said:

Colleen Cowpie spews what his west coast writers create for him.  His take on most things is based on relatively superficial research.  His take on the Bills' off season is pretty much off the mark.  What he neglects to acknowledge is that the 2023 draft class was pretty weak overall and the CAP constrained free agent activity.  Beane has taken what was already a really good roster and improved it.  He may not have done it like many of us wanted but it is better nonetheless.

Let’s not forget that he was very late to come around on Josh Allen

[DCofNC]

15 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

Look at all the OL picks and signings.

 

Wow, that was easier than I thought.

Well, context is the next easy thing you can work on.  Weigh it vs DL picks and signings and it’s a joke.

[hondo in seattle]

I don't watch because I don't care about Cowherd's take.  There are a thousand talking heads in the media.  The vast majority, like Cowherd, know less about the Bills than most of us here.

 

Now I would watch if Cowher was talking about the Bills.  I'm not sure if Bill knows more about the Bills but he does know far more about championship football than I do.  

[Doc Brown]

6 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

But Josh is running for his life Doc and taking too many dangerous hits. 

I agree but some of its on him holding onto the ball too long to extend plays which often work out.  It’s a double edged sword.  

[newcam2012]

2 hours ago, Logic said:

Other teams have franchise QBs, too. Having a franchise QB is not a "definitely win the Super Bowl" ticket.

The Josh Allen Bills have been stopped in the playoffs so far by Watson, Mahomes, and Burrow. Franchise QBs, all.

If you don't believe in McDermott and you want a coaching change, that's fine. But if you think that changing out coaches is automatically gonna punch the Bills' ticket to the Super Bowl, I say.....be careful what you wish for.

 

The best way to punch your ticket to the SB is to get a franchise QB. Your very statement of who has won SBs or gone to SBs proves that. 

 

With that said, the Bills franchise QB hasn't accomplished this. That has to say something...Coaching? Execution? Game planning? Schemes? Player fit? Injuries? Preparation? Bad luck? 

 

Whatever the reason it's been several years of playoff disappointment. Don't ask me. Just look at Diggs and Allen after their playoff exits. 

[Logic]

Just now, newcam2012 said:

 

With that said, the Bills franchise QB hasn't accomplished this. That has to say something...Coaching? Execution? Game planning? Schemes? Player fit? Injuries? Preparation? Bad luck? 

 

Whatever the reason it's been several years of playoff disappointment. Don't ask me. Just look at Diggs and Allen after their playoff exits. 

The only thing it "says" to me is that OTHER teams have franchise QBs and good rosters, too.

You say the best way to punch your ticket to the SB is to have a franchise QB. That's true. But sometimes all seven teams in the AFC playoff field have franchise QBs. So what's the "deeper meaning" for the six that don't win? Is it always a larger systemic failure?  Or is it just a system where, in each game, two teams face off and only one can win?

If two teams face off in an exciting duel and one barely outlasts the other, is it always a complete referendum on the losing team? Or did one of the two teams just happen to have the ball last?

Your hypothesis of "they have a franchise QB and yet they haven't won it all, so something must be wrong in the bigger picture" just seems overly simplistic to me, that's all. Only one team out of 32 gets to win the championship. 

Can improvements to coaching, scheme, personnel, and execution be made? Of course! But that doesn't necessarily mean there's some larger, deeper thing that is structurally wrong with the team. 

It's hard to win the Super Bowl. 

[newcam2012]

2 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

We had a rookie OC last year...that hurt as well.  But he now has a year under his belt...and now we addressed OL this offseason.  So not really sure why Colin thinks the OL is still a mess, we made upgrades there and added competition as well.  

 

Our defense has let this team down more in the playoffs than our offense has.  

I don't disagree but I will say there is no guarantee that the Oline will be above average. I anticipate them being better but how much better? Will the Oline still be a weakness or a strength? 

 

Colin's point is the Oline has been a mess while other teams like KC turned their line issue around in one year. That's all very true. It's an organizational failure. Cody Ford and Saffold were huge mistakes. What makes you think they have

gotten it right this time? 

 

Dorsey going into his 2nd year doesn't means he immediately improves. He could get worse. It cuts both ways. Of course, we Bills fans hope improvements are made. Just seems like many on here automatically think an improvement is imminent. It's not. 

 

The D under Fraizer in the playoffs has been porous. Nothing more to say there. Not sure why he was allowed to be the DC for so long. Now it's McD D and we shall see what changes. His reputation will be tested and perhaps so will his Bills tenure. 

[uticaclub]

Is anyone comfortable with Spencer Brown being the RT? This take happens to be spot on.

[Alphadawg7]

12 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

I don't disagree but I will say there is no guarantee that the Oline will be above average. I anticipate them being better but how much better? Will the Oline still be a weakness or a strength? 

 

Colin's point is the Oline has been a mess while other teams like KC turned their line issue around in one year. That's all very true. It's an organizational failure. Cody Ford and Saffold were huge mistakes. What makes you think they have

gotten it right this time? 

 

Dorsey going into his 2nd year doesn't means he immediately improves. He could get worse. It cuts both ways. Of course, we Bills fans hope improvements are made. Just seems like many on here automatically think an improvement is imminent. It's not. 

 

The D under Fraizer in the playoffs has been porous. Nothing more to say there. Not sure why he was allowed to be the DC for so long. Now it's McD D and we shall see what changes. His reputation will be tested and perhaps so will his Bills tenure. 

 

I hear ya, but honestly this is true for every team every year though when addressing a weak spot.  Meaning you won't know until the games are played.  KC didn't know either until they played the games when they bolstered their weak spots.  

 

And a major weak spot for us has been our DL in the postseason as well.  We bolstered both units, so for Cowherd to act like we didn't is pretty silly.  We added several new offensive lineman, including a 2nd round pick many thought would go in the top 20 of the draft.  

 

And while Ford was a miss, that is so long ago, people are way too hung up on that.  All 32 GM's miss on players in every single draft, to hold this one miss over Beane's head as if it is an indicator he can't draft OL is kind of silly, yet this board just can't seem to let that go.  And just about everyone loved that pick when it was made.  In fact, I got flamed a lot in my mock drafts where I mocked us taking Ford in the 2nd because everyone said I was nuts because he would never make it out of the first round.  It was a great pick at that time...sometimes those guys just don't work out.  

 

Last thing on Cowherd...its pretty silly to talk about Ed Oliver's extension vs spending on a big FA OL or something...they do not impact the cap in the same way at all.  It is a lot easier to afford to extend Oliver than it is to spend big on a FA player cap wise.  In fact, we gained cap space by extending Oliver.  These two things are not comparing apples to apples.  

 

It's true and accurate to say we don't yet know how the OL will do...but it is false for him to claim it still is bad and we didn't address it.  Biggest question mark is probably Brown, but we just also added some promising competition to the RT spot who could push him for minutes if he struggles.  But, there is also still reason for optimism on him too with him healthy entering the season.