Dan Orlovsky: Bills offensive weapons are top five in the AFC, too many are sleeping on this team

[Thrivefourfive]

Man, so now it’s popular to love this group?

 

I still don’t see it, and I’m one that’s okay with this group. I think they could be as effective as needed to be a very productive scoring unit. 
 

No WR1. By the way, this is more the argument around this board. “Weapons”—no WR1 is an auto not a top five for a lot of posters, including me. So the Dolphins, Bengals, guess the Texans, Jets, Baltimore (Andrews), Indy(??), Jags for sure, all better right now. 

[NoSaint]

12 hours ago, Logic said:

For what it's worth (probably not much): My personal opinion is that the Bills would be JUST on the outside looking in of the "top five in the AFC" discussion.

In no particular order, I'd list the Texans, Chiefs, Dolphins, Bengals, Titans, and arguably the Jaguars as having better weapons than the Bills. So I'd probably have the Bills sixth or seventh. A big jump from Kincaid and Shakir could change that, but that's where I'd have it now.

essentially even here you are saying they are in the batch of “average” pass catchers

 

and I think we can agree that Josh is probably a decent multiplier for what we think of those guys ratings. 
 

the classic is cook-Kincaid-Coleman-Samuel really ever going to be talked about as top third of the league if not for thinking you have an absolutely elite match up nightmare at qb? If you sub Josh for even a middle of the pack cousins/tua type of player at qb suddenly the group is a wreck. 

[Sierra Foothills]

10 hours ago, eball said:

 

I don't even think we had one stud -- just a guy who thought he was but disappeared down the stretch and pouted.

 

 

Just for the sake of clarity, you're talking about Steve Diggs... correct?

 

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

3 hours ago, GoBills808 said:

Yeah my definition of depth isn't how many JAG wideouts you can accumulate, it's how far you can push them down the depth chart

Very well said.

[TheWeatherMan]

18 hours ago, Logic said:

For what it's worth (probably not much): My personal opinion is that the Bills would be JUST on the outside looking in of the "top five in the AFC" discussion.

In no particular order, I'd list the Texans, Chiefs, Dolphins, Bengals, Titans, and arguably the Jaguars as having better weapons than the Bills. So I'd probably have the Bills sixth or seventh. A big jump from Kincaid and Shakir could change that, but that's where I'd have it now.

Josh Allen is the most lethal weapon in the NFL.  Bills will always have a chance as long as he is healthy.  But from a wholistic standpoint I agree with your assessment minus the Titans and Chiefs.  I’d put the Bills at #5.

[Doc Brown]

I know it pry won't happen but a trade for Aiyuk would make these weapons among the best.  Having Aiyuk, Coleman, Samuel, Shakir, and Kincaid at least the next two/three season would be maximizing our Super Bowl window with Josh still in his prime.

Edited May 25 by Doc Brown

[Pete]

1 hour ago, Doc Brown said:

I know it pry won't happen but a trade for Aiyuk would make these weapons among the best.  Having Aiyuk, Coleman, Samuel, Shakir, and Kincaid at least the next two/three season would be maximizing our Super Bowl window with Josh still in his prime.

Surely it would.  But Patriots didnt need star WRs.  They did it with TEs.  We have two great ones.  KC just won Superbowl with a bunch of nobodies.  IMO Bills are good enough to win Superbowl now.  We have added YAC and players with high catch percentages.  Aiyuk would be great.  Bills have enough IMO, and next season is a talanted WR class once again.  Bills are loaded with draft picks next season would be better to land our stud X WR, and not have cap ramifications

[BarleyNY]

18 hours ago, Logic said:

Yeah it seems as though Orlovsky's comment is based on a decent amount of projection.

IF Coleman hits and IF Knox returns to his '21-'22 form and IF Shakir elevates his game and IF Kincaid takes a sophomore leap...then the Bills could reasonably be a top five group in the AFC.

If we're going solely by proven NFL production, it's pretty hard to argue top five with a straight face.

 

It was an oddly worded statement. Dan O didn't say “talented”. He said “arguably” top five in the AFC wrt “diversity and matchups”. I don’t even know how I’d argue one way or the other on that, especially with how little we know about this group and how they’ll fit in here and with each other. Would it surprise me to see this group be successful with Allen at QB? Not at all. Would it surprise me to see them hold the team back? No. Too much in the way of unknowns to have a good idea of what we have. Just have to wait and see. 

[BillsFan2313]

8 hours ago, Thrivefourfive said:

Man, so now it’s popular to love this group?

 

I still don’t see it, and I’m one that’s okay with this group. I think they could be as effective as needed to be a very productive scoring unit. 
 

No WR1. By the way, this is more the argument around this board. “Weapons”—no WR1 is an auto not a top five for a lot of posters, including me. So the Dolphins, Bengals, guess the Texans, Jets, Baltimore (Andrews), Indy(??), Jags for sure, all better right now. 

 

Andrews? Dude has had 2 years with 70+ receptions. 

Edited May 25 by BillsFan2313

[Orlando Buffalo]

Houston and GB at this point last year had worse receiver rooms then we do at this point, and KC receivers were clearly worse during year but all 3 teams ended up top 8 in league passing yards. The only teams that threw the ball well where the QB was not the star is SF and Miami. The whining sounds just like last year with Bernard because people don't recognize that the profile of the team will be different. 

[SoCal Deek]

Can the Bills 2024 passing game perform up to recent seasons levels? Sure….i guess so. But looking at the list in the opening take, I only see a second year TE as having much of a track record. Do we want to see Shakir step up? Sure! Do we pray Knox will become more of a receiving threat? Sure! Do we hope Cook has learned how to catch the damn ball? Yep! Do we have our fingers crossed that Coleman is indeed the diamond in the rough that the Bills appear to think he is? Again….we sure do! But to look down the current list of available weapons and suggest that the Bills are locked and loaded is ridiculous. 

Edited May 25 by SoCal Deek

[Fan in Chicago]

2 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

I know it pry won't happen but a trade for Aiyuk would make these weapons among the best.  Having Aiyuk, Coleman, Samuel, Shakir, and Kincaid at least the next two/three season would be maximizing our Super Bowl window with Josh still in his prime.

It's quite strange but a single addition like Aiyuk, Metcalf or maybe Deebo Samuel immediately vaults the WR room to top 5

[MarlinTheMagician]

I think the key word is "weapons" rather than just "wide receivers".  Until our boy Coleman proves it (and I think he can), our wide receivers alone may be middling.  However, when you look at the totality of our "weapons" - pretty darn good, more than enough I believe.  Spreading weaponry across RBs, WRs and TEs is likely a reflection of Josh's maturation.  He has ample game experience to know where to distribute the ball all over the field and how to put playmakers with YAC skills (Cook, Davis, Samuel and Shakir), opportunities to make big plays out of short passes in space.  I like that so much better than "gotta get it to Diggs."  Stretch them vertically and horizontally, challenge them with size, speed and agility.  The ability to do that with this group is pretty awesome, IMHO.  Seems that across all our weapons we have a good sampling of every trait that threatens a defense - size (both height and weight with our two tight ends), speed, and shiftiness.  The cherry on top for me is we also stand to run the ball much better than at any time since the Shady days.  Feeling dangerous!

[HardyBoy]

20 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Steve Diggs is the greatest player that has ever lived. Ever.

 

 

 

Steve is like a construct man, the opposite of which is Stu, don't be Stu.

 

Lol, love that movie

[nedboy7]

Who do you trade for Aiyuk?  I like the idea. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

22 hours ago, warrior9 said:

Per the bolded: 

 

THE TITANS?! Dude, they have Will Levis at QB a 32 year old Hopkins and Ridley that disappeared in many games last year. Better weapons than the Bills? 

 

Jags?! Who on their team would you take over who we have on our team at any skill position? 

 

Texans: I can understand this but they had the worst schedule in the league last year and they don't this year. It will be a telling year for them. 

 

It's so odd to me that your sentiment would be SO different if we drafted a guy that looks like this instead of Coleman (and yes, you wouldn't be as critical at ALL if we drafted this twig) : 

 

 

Lot of time rookie QB's look real good, but then teams figure them out by the 2nd year.  Even with adding Diggs, I'll be surprised if Stroud plays as well this year.

 

Levis is a real emotional guy, a fan favorite, but how much improvement will we actually see??

[NewEra]

11 hours ago, GoBills808 said:

Every team has a congregation of JAGS at the bottom of the depth chart, that's just the reality of filling a roster

 

The dolphins are probably claiming Berrios and River Cracraft are great depth...because they're behind Hill/Waddle/Beckham Jr

I don’t agree that every WR 4-6 are equal.  

[Mr. WEO]

top 5...in the AFC...isn't a massive bar to raise

[NewEra]

10 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah c'mon @NewEra .......better reserves alone does not equal a deeper WR corps. 

 

Sure you replaced your 11 catch Trent Sherfield with an 18 catch Mack Hollins..........and your 15 catch Harty with a 21 catch MVS.      

 

But how much do these 1-a-game kinda' catch guys move the needle and make the offense "great"? 

 

 

 

 

 

It does though. That’s what “deep” means.  Ever heard the term “top heavy” with regards to sports?  Talent up top but lacking talent on the bottom.  Deep is having good depth…. Hence using the word deep.  Having 2 elite wrs and 4 terrible WRs doesn’t equal a deep unit.  

 

You think all WR 4-6 are all equal too?  Cool.  I don’t.  I think teams can have better positional depth than others.  I think this WR has better depth than in years past.  I think our starters this year are weaker than the previous 4 seasons.  
 

yes, I think MVS and Hollins are better than Harty and Sherfield just like I thought Sherfield and Harty were better than Kumerow and dummy.  They aren’t obscene takes by any means, but do you.  

[hondo in seattle]

It's good to see a former NFL QB being even more optimistic about our receivers than a homer Bill fan like me.  

 

But it's easier to get open when you have a good OC scheming up good plays and calling them at the right time.  I don't know yet if Brady is that guy.