Diggs NOT at mandatory minicamp, McDermott "very concerned" DAY 2 UPDATE: He's back

[Irv]

56 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

Apparently nobody showed up today.  NOT EVEN THE COACHES!

 

Are they on strike?

[GoBills808]

25 minutes ago, Magox said:

Wow!   Hadn’t heard this until right now

 

 

This is first I've heard of this tbh

 

Big if true 

[Solomon Grundy]

26 minutes ago, Magox said:

Wow!   Hadn’t heard this until right now

 

 

Michael Lombardi folks.... 😂😂

[C.Biscuit97]

either way, I hope it’s Drama Diggs last year in Buffalo. He’s getting older and we need to cut costs somewhere. 

[C.Biscuit97]

1 minute ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Michael Lombardi folks.... 😂😂

Lombardi is the biggest joke ever. He was like the water boy on the Pays, had one of the all time worst drafts in nfl history with the Browns, and pounds his chest like he is some expert at football. So sick of these blowhards who don’t really know anything more than regular fans.

4 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

This is first I've heard of this tbh

 

Big if true 

He knows nothing. I do think guys got scapegoated the last couple of years though. But that’s what any head coach would do. 

[HappyDays]

30 minutes ago, Magox said:

Wow!   Hadn’t heard this until right now

 

 

 

My source described this information as "laughable." It sounds like Michael Lombardi is giving his opinion here, not any sourced info.

[GoBills808]

3 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Lombardi is the biggest joke ever. He was like the water boy on the Pays, had one of the all time worst drafts in nfl history with the Browns, and pounds his chest like he is some expert at football. So sick of these blowhards who don’t really know anything more than regular fans.

He knows nothing. I do think guys got scapegoated the last couple of years though. But that’s what any head coach would do. 

Ty

 

If McDermott was calling plays at KC I figure someone would have heard of it before today

[Dablitzkrieg]

Don't buy this for 1 second 

[Mike in Horseheads]

32 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Ty

 

If McDermott was calling plays at KC I figure someone would have heard of it before today

Maybe he was calling them for the Chiefs to show up fraizer

[DrDawkinstein]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Lombardi is the biggest joke ever. He was like the water boy on the Pays, had one of the all time worst drafts in nfl history with the Browns, and pounds his chest like he is some expert at football. So sick of these blowhards who don’t really know anything more than regular fans.

He knows nothing. I do think guys got scapegoated the last couple of years though. But that’s what any head coach would do. 

 

I'm not one to give McD a pass, but it's a tough spot for HCs.

 

You either fire your guys and then people say you scapegoated them. Or you refuse to adjust your staff and then EVERYONE gets fired by the owner, like Wade (and maybe Mularkey, and a lot of other NFL coaches).

 

 

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

My source described this information as "laughable." It sounds like Michael Lombardi is giving his opinion here, not any sourced info.

 

Thanks for clarifying. It didnt even seem like he understood how big/crazy of a story he was breaking. Probably just diarrhea of the mouth and Lombardi saying stuff without thinking.

[GoBills808]

8 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

I'm not one to give McD a pass, but it's a tough spot for HCs.

 

You either fire your guys and then people say you scapegoated them. Or you refuse to adjust your staff and then EVERYONE gets fired by the owner, like Wade (and maybe Mularkey, and a lot of other NFL coaches).

 

 

 

Thanks for clarifying. It didnt even seem like he understood how big/crazy of a story he was breaking. Probably just diarrhea of the mouth and Lombardi saying stuff without thinking.

You could tell McAfee and the guys were like 'dude do you even know what you're saying'

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, Magox said:

Wow!   Hadn’t heard this until right now

 

 

 

Michael Lombardi supposedly said it on his podcast a while ago. 

 

The question is, how did Michael Lombardi acquire this "inside scoop"?

 

Then there's this:

"In September 2017, Mike Lombardi made headlines by criticizing Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson: "He might be less qualified to coach a team than anyone I’ve ever seen in my 30-plus years in the NFL."[28] Pederson would lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl championship later that season."

 

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

My source described this information as "laughable." It sounds like Michael Lombardi is giving his opinion here, not any sourced info.

 

Did your source ever get back to you with any insight on what exactly the issue was with Diggs?  Apologies if you said something and I missed it.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Beck Water

[HappyDays]

6 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

Did your source ever get back to you with any insight on what exactly the issue was with Diggs?  Apologies if you said something and I missed it.

 

No I don't think my source ever found out. Seemingly nobody has been able to find out.

[The Wiz]

21 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

No I don't think my source ever found out. Seemingly nobody has been able to find out.

I know Tim Graham did an interview that said it wasn't between diggs and Dorsey.  So we are running out of people or things that it could be.

 

Sorry if posted elsewhere.

 

 

EDIT: Finally found the clip.

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by The Wiz

[JerseyBills]

As most of us expected.  Still strange considering his #s but we didn’t hear this when Dabol and Hall were here and Diggs has repeatedly said he loves the freedom he has on O. Who knows 

[GoBills808]

14 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

As most of us expected.  Still strange considering his #s but we didn’t hear this when Dabol and Hall were here and Diggs has repeatedly said he loves the freedom he has on O. Who knows 

Think I'll take the tweet above yours over Ben Volin and the Boston Globe 

[JerseyBills]

54 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Think I'll take the tweet above yours over Ben Volin and the Boston Globe 

Doesn't necessarily mean it's a Dorsey issue. But ya I agree

[HappyDays]

3 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

As most of us expected.  Still strange considering his #s but we didn’t hear this when Dabol and Hall were here and Diggs has repeatedly said he loves the freedom he has on O. Who knows 

 

This matches up with something my source said today. It sounds like the Bills want to move more towards a structured offense with less freestyling/choice routes. Diggs likes the freestyling though. So he isn't happy with how much input he has in the direction of the offense.

 

One example that was shared to me was a 4th down play against the Bengals in the red zone which fell incomplete. I don't have a video on hand. But it's the play very late in the game where Diggs looked visibly frustrated after the ball fell incomplete to Davis. Apparently on that play the structure of the play said that Diggs should run outside. But the CB was shaded outside so he freestyled and ran inside instead, right over the top of Davis's crossing route. Allen didn't throw him the ball and Diggs was frustrated that Allen didn't follow his freelance on that play. In his mind he's always been able to freelance in situations like that and he doesn't like that Allen followed the structure of the play instead of Diggs' freelancing. Hopefully I explained that well enough.

 

Whatever the messaging from the team is, it appears that the issue really is as simple as Diggs wants the ball more and wants his voice heard more in terms of the design/structure of the offense.

 

Personally I take this all as bad news. Even if the issue is resolved for now it's the kind of thing that can easily blow up again if Diggs still isn't happy with his role midway through the season and we've suffered a couple disappointing losses. If our offense comes out hot and we are winning I think everything will be fine, but at the first sign of adversity I worry about how Diggs will handle it.

[BuffaloBillyG]

36 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

This matches up with something my source said today. It sounds like the Bills want to move more towards a structured offense with less freestyling/choice routes. Diggs likes the freestyling though. So he isn't happy with how much input he has in the direction of the offense.

 

One example that was shared to me was a 4th down play against the Bengals in the red zone which fell incomplete. I don't have a video on hand. But it's the play very late in the game where Diggs looked visibly frustrated after the ball fell incomplete to Davis. Apparently on that play the structure of the play said that Diggs should run outside. But the CB was shaded outside so he freestyled and ran inside instead, right over the top of Davis's crossing route. Allen didn't throw him the ball and Diggs was frustrated that Allen didn't follow his freelance on that play. In his mind he's always been able to freelance in situations like that and he doesn't like that Allen followed the structure of the play instead of Diggs' freelancing. Hopefully I explained that well enough.

 

Whatever the messaging from the team is, it appears that the issue really is as simple as Diggs wants the ball more and wants his voice heard more in terms of the design/structure of the offense.

 

Personally I take this all as bad news. Even if the issue is resolved for now it's the kind of thing that can easily blow up again if Diggs still isn't happy with his role midway through the season and we've suffered a couple disappointing losses. If our offense comes out hot and we are winning I think everything will be fine, but at the first sign of adversity I worry about how Diggs will handle it.

In his 3 years here Diggs has been targeted on 484 of Allen's 1785 passing attempts. That's just over a 27% share of the targets. That also doesn't include plays that Allen threw a pass where Diggs was not on the field. 

 

Just over one out of four attempts head his way as it is. I don't see that number going up especially with the Bills signing Harty early in FA, hearing how much Allen is taking a liking to Sherfield and sinking a 1st round pick in Kincaid. Not to mention Knox will get his, Davis will get thrown to and the RBs may factor in. 

 

I really don't think it's even going to take a string of losses to ignite this. There were a few times last year he was visibly upset early in games when the team started slow. Like it or not this season's narrative is quickly turning into "Diggs Watch."

 

[Beck Water]

5 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

As most of us expected.  Still strange considering his #s but we didn’t hear this when Dabol and Hall were here and Diggs has repeatedly said he loves the freedom he has on O. Who knows 

 

So I dunno about "source close to the #Bills locker room" talking to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

 

Several people here have sources IN the Bills locker room, their sources don't know.

 

Mitch Morse gave an interview (it's on BuffaloBills.com) where he described himself as "Blissfully Ignorant" of the details, and when pressed said he really didn't know, and the reporter didn't know, and when it came out then they'd both know.

 

Jay Skurski of TBN, who is credentialed for as a member of the Bills press coverage and has many contacts on the team, said

Quote

Here’s the truth, which you might not like hearing: I have no idea what caused it. The two sides who do know the truth – those being Diggs and whoever he’s spoken to with the Bills (Brandon Beane, McDermott, Allen, etc.) have all chosen not to come clean on the situation. In doing so, they invite speculation. For a fan, that has to be all sorts of frustrating. You just want to know what’s going on with your favorite team. It sure is frustrating as a media member, too.

 

In the meantime, we have had all sorts of speculation here, from frustration with Dorsey to frustration with his new WR coach Travis Henry to frustration with Allen, with all sorts of fantastical reasons - all from someone who knows someone who knows Diggs etc etc.

 

I think that if the real basis of the issue isn't widely enough known to be known to players, like Mitch Morse, or to guys with friendly or professional sources, the odds  that Ben Volin really knows are probably not so good.