Is the MLB Competition Over Before It Started?

[BillsFan692]

On 8/11/2023 at 5:41 PM, Shaw66 said:

I like that guess.   It's consistent with my guess about what McDermott's grand scheme is.   I think he is testing the limits of the speed-vs-size tradeoff.  He is going to force offenses to prove that they can over the Bills' front seven in the run game, and until those offenses can prove they can do that, McDermott is going to play fast athletes who tackle aggressively.   (That, by the way, may also have something do with why Elam hasn't won the CB2 spot outright - he hasn't brought that kind of talent to stopping the run.  I don't know, but it's consistent with this idea that Bills could play with one linebacker.   If you're taking run stopping linebackers off the field, then the defensive backs have to be run stoppers.)

Our dbs are tiny and consistently get plowed over seems major SUS that this is our strategy

[jethro_tull]

I had mixed feelings about Edmund's performance- made the occasional great play but seemed frequently out of position in coverage.  Pass coverage against slot WRs or TE is the key requirement of an MLB in the present game.  

Bernard had one start last year and was horrible in coverage. 

Dodson seems to be decent at both run and especially coverage and I have no problem with him as the starter.  Could be an upgrade over Edmunds where it counts most.  

[Beast]

3 minutes ago, jethro_tull said:

I had mixed feelings about Edmund's performance- made the occasional great play but seemed frequently out of position in coverage.  Pass coverage against slot WRs or TE is the key requirement of an MLB in the present game.  

Bernard had one start last year and was horrible in coverage. 

Dodson seems to be decent at both run and especially coverage and I have no problem with him as the starter.  Could be an upgrade over Edmunds where it counts most.  

You’re out of your mind.

 

Edmunds was mediocre as a run defender and was elite in pass coverage. I would dare to say there is no better MLB in pass coverage in the NFL.

[jethro_tull]

14 minutes ago, Beast said:

You’re out of your mind.

 

Edmunds was mediocre as a run defender and was elite in pass coverage. I would dare to say there is no better MLB in pass coverage in the NFL.

I know what the stats say and in most games he plays great but in big games against the best he has not played his best.  There are more than just financial reasons why the Bills did not re sign him.

Edited August 13, 2023 by jethro_tull

[Bangarang]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

Yup.  I think this Dobson guy is going to be under a microscope and turn into Colin Brown really fast.

 

 

McD is going to need to get crafty with how uses both Dodson and Rapp.

[NewEra]

3 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

McD is going to need to get crafty with how uses both Dodson and Rapp.

And some Bernard.  I expect him to get some time

[benderbender]

Edmunds didn't change the defense by his amazing skills. The defense was modified to accommodate Edmunds athletic profile and minimize his lack of instinct. If McDermott didn't think he could carry on without him, we would have broken the bank to keep him. 

[Eastport bills]

2 hours ago, NewEra said:

When someone beats him out

The question is whether that happens before he hurts too much. If Dorian plays the next 2 preseason games like the first, he will be a better option in 2 LB sets with 5 in the secondary.

[Dopey]

3 hours ago, jethro_tull said:

I know what the stats say and in most games he plays great but in big games against the best he has not played his best.  There are more than just financial reasons why the Bills did not re sign him.

Seems the consensus here is that the defense folds in big games. Not just Edmunds. By that logic, you could say the same for Milano. I mean he did get Mossed on the game winning td by KC in our last playoff loss to them. Well, unless you wear those anti-Edmunds glasses too. They kinda skew the vision. 

[peterpan]

I just assumed AJ Klein would be the starter.  He was always #2 behind Edmonds and did well filling in I thought. 

[jethro_tull]

27 minutes ago, Dopey said:

Seems the consensus here is that the defense folds in big games. Not just Edmunds. By that logic, you could say the same for Milano. I mean he did get Mossed on the game winning td by KC in our last playoff loss to them. Well, unless you wear those anti-Edmunds glasses too. They kinda skew the vision. 

that is a good point and i have no personal "stats" to back up my feelings, just lasting impressions from watching every game.  too many times my curse meter went in the red after TE did something to get caught.  

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Falcons waived former starter Mykal Walker. Wonder if this guy could come in for a look. I know he made a ton of tackles last year. Not sure why he was waived already (unhappy with his role, etc)

 

anyone have any insight on him?

[QLBillsFan]

10 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Falcons waived former starter Mykal Walker. Wonder if this guy could come in for a look. I know he made a ton of tackles last year. Not sure why he was waived already (unhappy with his role, etc)

 

anyone have any insight on him?

Well I watched him at Fresno State. Super athletic and plays mlb. New DC in ATL but I think he’s very much worth a look!!! 

Edited August 14, 2023 by QLBillsFan

[machine gun kelly]

8 hours ago, BillsFan692 said:

Our dbs are tiny and consistently get plowed over seems major SUS that this is our strategy

So Benford and Rapp are tiny?  Rapp is quite a bit larger than Hyde and Poyer, you know those 1st and 2nd team all pro guys that before last year were the best safety tandem in the league.  Tre a previous 1st time all or sucks.  Taron who is considered a top 2-3 NCB in the league has somehow forgot how to cover.

 

Rapp is for our heave TE and running teams instead of Taron.  Mika I’d size has never been a problem and we have length and powered up from the first 4.  Beane admitted he was going for more speed at MLB.  
 

When Von is back, we have the potential to have Groot inside at 6’7, and Floyd who also has length.

[Sierra Foothills]

On 8/11/2023 at 11:06 AM, Mikie2times said:

https://www.sportscasting.com/whats-with-the-green-dots-on-nfl-helmets-and-how-many-players-have-them/

 

Perhaps two players can have the dot?

 

 

 

Would they make the dots smaller or just cut it into a half round?

 

If they made them smaller would it be based on diameter, circumference, surface area?

 

5 hours ago, peterpan said:

I just assumed AJ Klein would be the starter.  He was always #2 behind Edmonds and did well filling in I thought. 

 

I'll take your opinions much more seriously as soon as you change out of that ridiculous green outfit.

 

[NickelCity]

3 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Falcons waived former starter Mykal Walker. Wonder if this guy could come in for a look. I know he made a ton of tackles last year. Not sure why he was waived already (unhappy with his role, etc)

 

anyone have any insight on him?

 

Iirc he had a good rookie campaign and then has been playing poorly since. Started to see his role diminish last season.

[Eastport bills]

On 8/11/2023 at 9:17 AM, KDIGGZ said:

This "competition" was never much of a competition to begin with. They had Dodson, who is a career backup but knows the defense, and they had Bernard, who is the size of a safety. They never even made an attempt to replace Edmunds and I think it will come back to bite them in the you know what. The MLB is a very important piece in this defense. It's the Luke Kuechly position. You can't just stick a backup in there and call it a day

Well said, sadly the brain trust is glossing over a position that averaged 110 tackles and called the defensive signals. God help us if Milano goes down.  AJ Klein could probably handle the mental part, but the physicality, tackling and closing speed to cover the underneath crossers he’s not close to what we had and neither is the other applicants.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

On 8/11/2023 at 9:27 AM, I'm Spartacus said:

Go with Klein 

I noticed he was out there late in the 4th quarter. Was wondering if they meant he was washed up and about to wash out. 

[Thurman#1]

On 8/12/2023 at 11:16 AM, PBF81 said:

 

OK, hedge it however you want, but your answer is essentially that yes, they did choose it.  Correct?  

 

No one cares about circumstances that every other team is subject to as well.  At the end of the day they are where they are due to the way that the roster has been managed.  Would you agree with that?  

 

It sounds as if you're trying to suggest that they chose it, but it's not because it was planned that way, which seems to be contradictory.  Choosing something ("chose") implies that there were other options.  

 

 

 

 

Like it or not, those circumstances are a huge part of the decision-making process. Huge.

 

Yeah, every team has to deal with the cap and the draft and so on. But that doesn't make it any less of a factor. It's a huge 

 

They may well have chosen it ... but not as an absolute the way you're painting it here. When they make these choices they're doing so knowing that if you get what you want at one position that you are limiting your funds for use at other positions, that  you can only draft what's available when your pick comes up, and so on. They have made it very clear, again and again and again, that they wanted to keep Edmunds. That was their best option in terms specifically of maximizing their MLB. But they couldn't do it and have their cap be what they want it to be.

 

Of course there were other options. But not unlimited other options. There isn't a team in the league that doesn't have major concerns at one position or more that they wouldn't have liked to handle differently in an ideal world. 

 

Bottom line, even if it works out that MLB is manned this year at a replacement level, or even slightly below that, they look like they have one of the top two or three rosters in the league.

 

Being a fan, I'll likely be fretting at MLB play this year. Wondering if they'll try to use Dorian Williams there next year. And enjoying a season watching a terrific team perform.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Thurman#1

[BBFL]

10 hours ago, NickelCity said:

 

Iirc he had a good rookie campaign and then has been playing poorly since. Started to see his role diminish last season.

107 tackles in a “diminished” role last season…?

 

Wow. 
 

By statistical guidelines, who cares how he got them, at that number he has to be worth a look. 
 

(But in seriousness. He became a starter last year. His role increased from the previous 2…)

Edited August 14, 2023 by BBFL