Anyone Want To Take A Vet Minimum Flier On Yannick Ngakoue?

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

There’s a reason this name pops up every year and we don’t hear it at playoff time. Pass. 

On 5/31/2024 at 3:13 PM, Alphadawg7 said:

 

People forget...Bills were 3rd in sacks in the entire NFL last year, only 3 behind the top team too.  And that is with Tre, Milano, and Jones all out for most the season and Bernard missing the end of the season.  

 

Our pass rush isn't as dire as many fear IMHO.

But in the playoffs when t hey really really REALLY need to make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable?  It becomes the Invisible Men. 

[Alphadawg7]

7 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

There’s a reason this name pops up every year and we don’t hear it at playoff time. Pass. 

But in the playoffs when t hey really really REALLY need to make the opposing quarterback uncomfortable?  It becomes the Invisible Men. 

I get that…but last year…Maybe that had more to do with Tre, Milano, and Bernard all missing the playoffs and being forced to lean on people like Von…who was a ghost of Von.  Not to mention Jones had just gotten back after a long injury stretch and wasn’t back to peak form either.  

[billsbackto81]

Never been a fan and just don't consider him a difference maker. 

 

Never understood all the fuss about this guy.

[julian]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Can't really argue with any of that. Age and hope are powerful influences on decision making. Plus the fact you already know him and assuming he is a good locker room guy he probably gets the benefit of doubt. 

2026 is a long time from now. You can imagine contracts like Miller, Knox, Dawkins and Milano will probably come off the books by then. Who else do you have to re-sign by then? It will be too early for Kincaid and Torrence. Allen will have gotten a pay raise by then. That leaves the three Bs - Brown, Benford, and Bernard.  None of them look like All-pro break the bank contracts as of right now but all hopefully will get extensions. So paying for a decent DE that is still young probably makes sense. 

Yeah, it’s a tight wire walk when it comes to deciding on 2nd contracts for young players who are good, not yet great but have upside and are good locker room guys.

 

 The Bills are past due to hit on a 1st round special player, Kincaid has a chance but Rousseau popping off this year might move the needle more than anything else.

 

ps.  I’m not predicting a Rousseau emergence, I’m just wishful.

Edited June 2 by julian

[Sierra Foothills]

3 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Epenesa is terrible. He has not developed any pass rushing techniques since he has been here. No idea why they brought him back. I know others feel differently on this board.

Rousseau I have higher hopes but he has disappointed so far. He has more talent but can't seem to stay healthy and disappears for huge stretches of the season. He did get a nice sack in the Steelers playoff game. And for the record I 100% agree picking up his option. 

They will regret giving Epenesa a second deal. My guess is they let Rousseau walk after his 5th year. 

The kid from Troy is intriguing as a pass rush specialist. 

My guess is the two players that start at DE in 2026 are not on the team right now. Really hope I am wrong about Rousseau.  He's only 24. Would be huge if he could be a 10-12 sack a year guy. He's a good all around DE. 

 

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I am not here to tell you that Epenesa is a stud. Or even that is truly a full time starting defensive end (I don't think he is). But it is wrong to say he hasn't developed since he has been here. He was just a pure bull rusher in college whose stock in trade was running tackles over and cleaning up the Quarterback. Almost all of his sacks the past two seasons have been on outside speed rushes where he has definitely learned to dip his shoulder and square offensive tackles up before exploding past them. He didn't have that ability when he came out of college so he has definitely developed. He is also arguably the Bills' best finisher when he gets pressue. When AJ is in range of the QB he usually gets him down whereas Groot, Ed, Floyd all at times in the last couple of seasons have been guilty of letting their guy get away. 

 

I think his role remains essentially just a situational pass rusher. His all round skillset still isn't there to be your go to defensive end IMO. Doesn't play with enough eye discipline, doesn't set the edge, doesn't play with patience and isn't a master of his hand usage. I don't hate the contract at what it is... 1yr 7m or 2yrs 12m. But equally I am not telling you our pass rush is solved because we have AJ Epensea.

 

The one thing I like about both Epenesa and Rousseau is probably what the Bills liked about them... they are long and rangy and can create problems in the passing lanes.

 

That's something that doesn't really show up in the box scores except in passes defensed and INTs (Epenesa had 2 last year).

 

On passing downs where Ed Oliver is taking a blow, I like the idea of Epenesa and Rousseau taking turns in the middle to place their length in the central passing lanes and where their athleticism is more of a mismatch against interior O-linemen.

 

2 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Can't really argue with any of that. Age and hope are powerful influences on decision making. Plus the fact you already know him and assuming he is a good locker room guy he probably gets the benefit of doubt. 

2026 is a long time from now. You can imagine contracts like Miller, Knox, Dawkins and Milano will probably come off the books by then. Who else do you have to re-sign by then? It will be too early for Kincaid and Torrence. Allen will have gotten a pay raise by then. That leaves the three Bs - Brown, Benford, and Bernard.  None of them look like All-pro break the bank contracts as of right now but all hopefully will get extensions. So paying for a decent DE that is still young probably makes sense. 

 

Also, teams have a tendency to want to give second contracts to players they've drafted. It doesn't always work out but it helps foster good chemistry when a team rewards its own.

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

5 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

The one thing I like about both Epenesa and Rousseau is probably what the Bills liked about them... they are long and rangy and can create problems in the passing lanes.

 

That's something that doesn't really show up in the box scores except in passes defensed and INTs (Epenesa had 2 last year).

 

On passing downs where Ed Oliver is taking a blow, I like the idea of Epenesa and Rousseau taking turns in the middle to place their length in the central passing lanes and where their athleticism is more of a mismatch against interior O-linemen.

 

 

Also, teams have a tendency to want to give second contracts to players they've drafted. It doesn't always work out but it helps foster good chemistry when a team rewards its own.

 

Agree with all of this.

That said I remember multiple times Rousseau lined up in the middle and even dropped back in coverage. I don't remember Epenesa ever rushing from the middle but I could have missed it. 

 

5 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

The one thing I like about both Epenesa and Rousseau is probably what the Bills liked about them... they are long and rangy and can create problems in the passing lanes.

 

That's something that doesn't really show up in the box scores except in passes defensed and INTs (Epenesa had 2 last year).

 

On passing downs where Ed Oliver is taking a blow, I like the idea of Epenesa and Rousseau taking turns in the middle to place their length in the central passing lanes and where their athleticism is more of a mismatch against interior O-linemen.

 

 

Also, teams have a tendency to want to give second contracts to players they've drafted. It doesn't always work out but it helps foster good chemistry when a team rewards its own.

 

Agree with all of this.

That said I remember multiple times Rousseau lined up in the middle and even dropped back in coverage. I don't remember Epenesa ever rushing from the middle but I could have missed it. 

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

6 hours ago, julian said:

Yeah, it’s a tight wire walk when it comes to deciding on 2nd contracts for young players who are good, not yet great but have upside and are good locker room guys.

 

 The Bills are past due to hit on a 1st round special player, Kincaid has a chance but Rousseau popping off this year might move the needle more than anything else.

 

ps.  I’m not predicting a Rousseau emergence, I’m just wishful.

I honestly beleive Torrence has a shot at All-Pro this year. Maybe at least 2nd team. The kid can be special. 

At one time I said Knox was the most physically talented TE in team history.  Bills may have the worst history of TEs since the merger. Not a single ProBowl.  Kincaid could change all that if he continues to develop. He will never be a dominant blocker but that doesn't mean he can't be a star. Kelce is at best an average blocker. Gronk was all world in both blocking and receiving. Guys like Graham, Gates, Whitten, and Kittle were never considered elite blockers yet were elite TEs. If Kincaid turns out to be somewhere between Graham and Gates  in terms of receptions/TDs he may be the second best draft pick in Beane's career.

[Richard Noggin]

18 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

I’m pumped to see what Solomon can bring to the pass rush.  Fact is, the Bills  have no idea if his dominant pass rash in college will translate to the NFL.  Not sure it’s wise to rely on a rookie pass rusher to correct what was a rather poor outside rush last season nor is it wise to expect Miller to come back to form.  Bills need to find a way to get to Mahomes, ideally only rushing 4, or they will once again be watching the SB from their couches. 

 

I don't think anyone is RELYING on Solomon right now (even though the Troy pass rusher pipeline is actually historically legit in this millennium). However, a valid NFL depth EDGE guy (like Smoot, Toohill, or Jonathan) will NOT make the Bills' 53 because of Javon Solomon, so he WILL then be relied upon to contribute on special teams and/or hopefully pass rushing sub-packages.

 

If Javon Solomon was even just a couple inches taller, he'd have been drafted on day two, even though his functional length (wingspan) is better than Latu, Verse, Robinson (Chop), Trice, Ellis, and others. (Lotta those dudes aren't much heavier than him, either.)

[Matt_In_NH]

16 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

The one thing I like about both Epenesa and Rousseau is probably what the Bills liked about them... they are long and rangy and can create problems in the passing lanes.

 

That's something that doesn't really show up in the box scores except in passes defensed and INTs (Epenesa had 2 last year).

 

On passing downs where Ed Oliver is taking a blow, I like the idea of Epenesa and Rousseau taking turns in the middle to place their length in the central passing lanes and where their athleticism is more of a mismatch against interior O-linemen.

 

 

Also, teams have a tendency to want to give second contracts to players they've drafted. It doesn't always work out but it helps foster good chemistry when a team rewards its own.

 

It also helps them justify their draft picks.   I am not a Beane basher but this is just human nature.   Not all players even who are just good need a second contract unless that value is truly there. 

Edited June 3 by Matt_In_NH