We have not taken a step back.

[hondo in seattle]

While I think the roster right now is worse than last year's, I'm not a complete curmudgeon.

 

If we enter the playoffs healthy, I believe we have a chance to make a run even with this squad.   

 

The best team doesn't always win the Lombardi.  Sometimes being healthy and hot make the day - though that's not anything I've ever personally experienced.   

[Thurman#1]

Have not taken a step back?

 

We really have.

 

But, you be you.

 

There's every reason to think we can still compete for a title. But yeah, we took a step back.

[ngbills]

This logic is basically assuming everything goes right and the old addition by subtraction holds true (which I am not a fan of because that means you have incompetent coaches making bad choices). If the Bills are not a team that on paper took a step back then I dont know what team in the league did. We lost multiple starters and all have not been replaced with a better player. That by itself would suggest a step back. It would be better to argue it is only a small step back, but to say it was a step forward? 

 

The biggest flaws in being better are:

 

OL - We moved our G to C and a backup G to the starting G. I dont see how that is an upgrade. The hope is this reshuffle works out. But it could be very likely that McG is worse at C than Morse and Edwards is worse at G than McG so you have two positions worse off. 

 

Edge - Floyd being gone is not an upgrade. The hope is Von is better so we dont miss Floyd as much. But based on what we saw from Von last year that is not even close to a guarantee. 

 

WR - Davis has not been replaced. Even if we do draft his replacement there is hope a rookie is better but its hard to say. Samuel is an upgrade over Harty. Hoskins and Sherfield are a wash. So the hope is really a rookie can step in to Davis role. 

 

S - Hyde and Poyer played nearly every snap. Its way too easy to just say no big deal. Rapp was here last year and was not an upgrade last year. Edwards is serviceable. The hope is we dont see  a big fall off, not that we upgraded the position. 

 

The other moves have not been as impactful. But I dont see how any position group could be viewed as an upgrade at this point. Again, its basically the flawed logic of this guy who we all used to say was good is now not good so no matter who replaces them is better. Not the end of the world. The hope is we hit on some draft picks and like we have seen with KC have some early season growing pains but see contributions from the new guys down the stretch. 

[Mat68]

As of right now the loss of Floyd, Poyer, Hyde, and Morse has made those areas weaker. Everywhere else is normal off season attrition.  After the draft I can see where getting younger at multiple spots will result in a net positive.  

[Billsfanatic8989]

Step back? No

Step forward? Also no

 

Right now, KC, Bal, Cin, & Hou all have better teams imo. 

 

And if Rodgers is healthy, I'm not seeing us being that much better than the Jets. Thus, winning this division is no longer a guarantee.

 

Time is running out. If NE actually gets a franchise QB, they could be division contenders by 2026.

Edited March 25 by Billsfanatic8989

[colin]

compared to the opener of last season (which we lost, at the jets, with allen having one of his worst games as a pro since his initial 2 or 3 seasons at the ver least).

 

we are equal to better at LB (williams exp is better depth, tiny bernard leveled up)

better at corner (douglas is better than tre)

worse to way worse at safety

worse at DE (if von is magically back to who he was before the injury, then we are better, but that's a tall order).

 

on O we are 

same/better at rb (cook w some burn, but not a big change)

qb same obv

OL kinda a toss up.  if we get injured it's way worse, but our RG has a year under his belt, and they let morse walk who is earing like 4mm a year now, so clearly they think they just got better because we coulda paid him that).  if we get decent LG play, it's better

TE we are better, kinkaid will be better this season than last

WR at this point, i'd say we are flat to down a little.  davis could do some things, even tho he got over paid going away.  maybe shakir has grown or something, but we can only say better if we get a real WR in the draft who gets burn day one and contributes.

 

coaching wise i think we have a much better stich.  brady is at least as good as dorsey, and i think potentially much better.

 

we've gone younger and more aggressive/creative on D, and mcd being just the HC i think works better than him being HC/DC.

 

we improve vs the nfl if we stay healthy, get a couple rooks to play well, and get some kind of production from knox, milano, von, and a bit more even out of diggs.  that was heavily missing last year (first 3 in particular).

 

if  we are reasonably healthy, i still say we can beat any team on any day.

 

 

[msw2112]

Without getting into specifics, I think that the team has taken a bit of a step back, losing some talented players and key positions, but they're far from done.  They'll add a full draft class, plus a few more free agents.  When it's all said and done, they'll be similar to last season, but perhaps a bit younger and faster.  They'll be more economically viable salary-cap wise, which will help better position them for the future - keeping the "window open."  As others have said, if the defense can remain relatively healthy next season, that alone will make the team better than it was for the majority of this past season.  And last year's team is not a bad baseline.  They won the division, had a #2 seed, won a playoff game, and had a very close loss to the Super Bowl champs that may not have happened if they had a healthy defense.  Am I disappointed that the Bills didn't beat the Chiefs?  Of course.  Does that mean the team is terrible and has no hope for next season and the future?  Absolutely not.

[Don Otreply]

   Being that “it” wasn’t getting done with the guys we let go…, Beane likely feels his strategy is a lateral move with more upside at the very worst.

 

   From what I have read here we will be something like 17 million give or take under the cap when the Tre White cut becomes official, Beane has this under control. Sit back and enjoy the show, 😁🍸🚬
 

 

[uticaclub]

The players we lost were washed; it was time to move on. We would be worst if we held on to them.

 

 

Poyer was a nobody before he got to Buffalo, Morse has concussion issues & is a pushover come playoff time, Hyde’s neck might break, and Floyd disappeared down the stretch. The problem the Bills have is outside of Allen; there is no elite talent, and the coach thinks he coaches in a Disney movie.

Edited March 25 by uticaclub

[Doc]

Whether they're better depends on whether Brady is a better OC than Dorsey (Brady will be able to install his own offense unlike having to take over Dorsey's mid-season), Kromer is correct on the OL moves (he must have signed-off on Morse being cut and Bates being traded) and whether Von can return to form or at least replace Floyd's production.  I think safety will work itself out one way or another.

[Billl]

Just looking at the preseason Superbowl odds:

 

2024:  +1100

2023:  +900

2022:  +600

2021:  +1100

 

Vegas thinks the team has taken a small step back. 

[FireChans]

55 minutes ago, Billl said:

Just looking at the preseason Superbowl odds:

 

2024:  +1100

2023:  +900

2022:  +600

2021:  +1100

 

Vegas thinks the team has taken a small step back. 

I think it’s funny that the team that got embarrassed by the Bengals had better odds than the team that lost by a FG to the eventual SB champs. Just goes to show you. 

[transplantbillsfan]

Isn't this the same thread?????