What is your biggest lingering question mark or concern heading into camp?

[US Egg]

Too much new blood.

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

As others have already mentioned upthread, pass rush…we haven’t solved it really ever with this regime, and we know getting pressure on Mahomes is key. Really hope I’m pleasantly surprised this year…2nd main concern for me is Bass. 

I couldn't agree more. Our #1 weakness will be generating pressures and sacks from our front 4 rotation. I'm not feeling confident we're hitting 54 sacks this year. Bass is a hot mess and that extension was ill conceived.

[Doc Brown]

3 hours ago, US Egg said:

Too much new blood.

That was my first thought.  One WR who's ever caught a regular season ball from Josh Allen.  Two new safeties.  A new offensive and defensive coordinator.  A lot of new positional coaches.  Too many unknowns for my liking.

[GunnerBill]

13 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

No....I have AJE around 6, Von 6 and Groot maybe 7 with the wind at his back. 

 

AJE 9, Groot 6, Von 2. They will get at least 7 or 8 from Ed Oliver to add to that.... but beyond that agree it is a concern. 

Edited June 25 by GunnerBill

[Magox]

19 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

As we await camp to open, where is everyone at right now in terms of your biggest question lingering mark or concern?

 

For me its CB depth.  While I am very excited to see how Elam fairs once the pads go to see if he can push Benford to start, the reality is we don't have much of anything behind the trio of Rasul, Benford, and Elam with Elam still being an unproven commodity still.  In a loaded AFC Conference full of fire power, it feels like we are dangerously thin at CB, especially since we still don't know what to expect from Elam at as either a starter or backup.  

 

 

 

 

I think we lack depth on the boundaries at CB as well, I know there is some hope for Elam and Ingram but until they show consistency it's a concern.    Also depth and potentially quality at the starting spot at safety.

 

The pass rush has the potential to be decent at the edge but if Epenesa and Groot don't continue to improve and Vonn doesn't return back to a semblance of who we was just a couple years ago this could be problematic.

 

The WR spot, even though there is good potential there with Shakir, Samuels, MVS, Claypool and Coleman, some of these guys haven't done it consistently in the NFL over the past few years.    I am not nearly as low as some of the posters are on this group but also recognize that if they did perform like a bottom unit it wouldn't be outside of the realm.

[ProcessTruster]

My biggest concern is that the Bills are facing almost entirely either top tier or very talented QBs, instead of the Mason Ruldolph types that many opponents rolled out the last couple years.   that's my biggest concern.   no more Bailey Zappes and the Jets kid Qb to play this year.  

[ganesh]

22 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

It's safety. If Bishop can't step in right away we are in trouble. 

It can become less important if our front seven can generate enough pass rush. 

 

Of course, McDermott defense is based on keeping everything in front of them (on the backside) and we are likely to give up a lot of yardage but may toughen when they are in the Red Zone

[Cash]

23 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

As we await camp to open, where is everyone at right now in terms of your biggest question lingering mark or concern?

 

For me its CB depth.  While I am very excited to see how Elam fairs once the pads go to see if he can push Benford to start, the reality is we don't have much of anything behind the trio of Rasul, Benford, and Elam with Elam still being an unproven commodity still.  In a loaded AFC Conference full of fire power, it feels like we are dangerously thin at CB, especially since we still don't know what to expect from Elam at as either a starter or backup.  

 

 

 

Great thread! Honest question: how good do you think other teams’ #4 outside CB is? I can’t name a single one (except ours), so I have no idea myself. My feeling is that Jamarcus Ingram is probably on par or better than others around the league. That’s not to say I’d be happy with him starting a playoff game, but I doubt there’s a #4 outside corner in the league that could make their fans happy starting a playoff game. Full disclosure: I’m still a full-on Elam believer and think that most of his problems last year were from trying to play through injury. I’d be totally fine with a healthy Elam starting a playoff game. 
 

For me, I’ll say the O-line. More of a ? than a concern at this point. Plan A is to have a guy play C for the first time in a long time, and promote last year’s jumbo TE to a starter. It might work fine, but it also has 2 potential points of failure. I’m curious what Plans B and C would look like. Also curious how committed they are to Plan A. Sometimes it’s on the level of, “This is what we’re doing unless we simply can’t,” but sometimes it’s more like, “This is where we’re starting but it’s an open competition.” If the latter, I could see Alec Anderson getting the C job if either Edwards or McGovern struggle in the new role. 
 

Side note: Who else remembers the drought year where we signed a guy to play either C or LT, then moved him to the other position? White guy, pretty nondescript name I think. I don’t think he was particularly good at either position. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

My biggest concern is very easy. Joe Brady.

 

[bigK14094]

4 hours ago, ProcessTruster said:

My biggest concern is that the Bills are facing almost entirely either top tier or very talented QBs, instead of the Mason Ruldolph types that many opponents rolled out the last couple years.   that's my biggest concern.   no more Bailey Zappes and the Jets kid Qb to play this year.  

Didnot the JEts kid beat the Bills a couple of times?

[RyanC883]

1. The biggest question is whether CB Kaiir Elam will be relevant, and further, whether he will play like a 1st round pick.  If the answer is yes, we have a stacked CB room.  If not, we are thin after the starters.  

 

2.  Will we be able to generate pressure on the QBs.  Will AJ, Groot, and others step up and become a menace this year.  

On 6/24/2024 at 2:51 PM, dpberr said:

Center.  Critical position.  They have to get a lot right consistently. 

 

Kicking is a close second.  I sense a kicker who has lost confidence.

 

Great points about Center, but I'm not too worried there.  We have McGovern who has played before in the NFL, and Van-Pran, who allowed like 1 sack over the last 2 years in the SEC.  Humphrey came in for KC and balled out, I think Van-Pran can do the same.  

[Fleezoid]

With the recent issues with Bass, the kicking game is now a concern. who knows, He might get dialed-in and we're good. Then again, he might not.

 

The other thing, the entire secondary! As was mentioned in other posts, the CB depth is likely a problem and I think it will be a problem because I honestly Don't think Elam will get to the next level. He lags in zone coverage and was getting burned on several sideline routes last year.  I think he lacks instincts and is slow to react to receiver breaks. And of course, losing Poyer/Hyde. 

 

But in reality, I'm now scared to death. If I combine all the posts from this entire thread, we're screwed!

 

[GASabresIUFan]

Proven depth and that’s about it.  
 

1 QB - check

2 Deep and talented RB room - check

3 excellent TE room - check

4 talented and deep OL - check, people can worry about center all they want, but McGovern played center in HS and College. He’ll be fine and has a stud rookie backing him up.  If SVP beats out McGovern at center, McGovern goes back to guard and Edwards to the bench strengthening our OL.

5 Deep WR room with significant upside - We aren’t going to miss Diggs at all.  

 

6 Solid DL starters - Oliver, Jones, Rousseau, and Epenesa are all good to excellent.  Miller and the rest of the depth are an unknown but guys like Williams, Johnson and Smoot all have significant NFL experience.

7 LB room - maybe the best we’ve had with Milano, Benard, Williams, and other strong depth (Morrow & Jones).  Like the rookie to make it even better.

Excellent starters at CB - Douglas, T Johnson, and Benford are all very good to excellent. Elam and depth are the questions.

Safety -  Edwards played well as an injury starter in KC, Rapp did the same here.  Bishop could easily beat out one,  but that would be a good problem.  It would be a great bonus if Hamlin gets back to the player he was before his injury.

 

The Bills, especially on defense, would benefit from staying healthy for a change.  However McD knows defense and we weathered Jones, Miller, Milano, White and Hyde’s injuries on defense last season and honestly, I think our depth on defense is more talented than last year even if some are very young.  Draftees, Carter and Ulofoshio will strengthen already strong groups.  If Solomon proves he can rush the passer in the NFL then all the better.

 

People need to chill.  We bring back 8 starters on offense and 9 starters on defense.  We have added Samuel and Coleman to the WR group, and brought back Epenesa and Jones.  This is a really good football team with the potential to be great.  

Edited June 26 by GASabresIUFan

[Chaos]

Playoff gameplanning and coaching. 

[JerseyBills]

Milamo and Von

 

If they could get back to their normal selves, our defense is in good hands 

[Mikie2times]

On 6/24/2024 at 11:38 PM, US Egg said:

Too much new blood.

Yup, a lot reasons we could start slow. 

Edited June 27 by Mikie2times

[billsherd]

Brady and how we do first year under his play calling.

[Freddie's Dead]

WR.  Once again, we have failed to get Josh the weapons he needs.  Hopefully Samuel and Hollins are not the next Sherfield and Sharty.  I have more faith in Claypool and MVS than those guys.  Time will tell.

[hondo in seattle]

On 6/24/2024 at 9:37 AM, PBF81 said:

What the offensive plan is!   In spades.  

 

We have Josh Allen, one of the best QBs of all-time, a generational talent and arguably the best QB in the entire league.  Thus far he's been less than optimized as has our offense.  

 

This offense under Allen has the ability to be prolific, or has had it anyway, and to the point of league-leading despite Mahomes & KC.  

 

Allen was drafted for his big-time arm and "ability to make any throw," not to manage games in a ball-control running attack.  

 

THAT is the strength and core of what will ever determine whether we win a championship, not our running game or defense primarily.  Yet, that's what we appear to be catering to, our running game, short-passing game, and defense.  (aka Complimentary Football)  

 

8 seasons in for McD and 7 seasons in for Beane, with Beane lapping himself in cap issues now, and we are well beyond the fish or cut bait point here now.  

 

Under Brady last season in our last 7 regular season games Allen averaged 1.4 passing TDs, posted a 60% compl.%, and had a rating of 85.5.  He was also all but solely responsible for our uptick in rushing production.  That's abysmal and cannot even approach continuing or it's going to be a long season.  Over the course of a season it would render him statistically average in passing TDs, and bottom quartile in compl.%  and rating, which presumably needless to say would be inexcusable despite it not having been inexcusable in the second half of last season.  

 

It's a tall order for McBrady, and with diminished weaponry, a new C and LG (also, can we remain injury-free along the OL like we did last season), and a focus on running the ball featuring a RB that peters out somewhere south of 200 carries, and which would otherwise be fine if it didn't come down to Allen having to do everything.  

 

McD has what he wants, two Coordinators that he can control, a ball-control offense, a roster full of slot receivers, and Allen playing a short-passing game, and with the receiver on our team having logged the most yards in any single season (873) being a problem child on a very cut-able 1-year, $1.1M contract with only $25k guaranteed.  

 

Let's hope for the best.  But right now it ALL seems to hinge on Allen.  It's difficult to envision this team winning many games if Trubisky were starting, which a good offensive system should at least keep the team competitive.  

 

 

 

I don't agree with PBF on a lot but I agree on this. 

 

The reasons for doubt are obvious: we lost our best wideout, another starting WR, and Brady didn't perform well statistically last season.

 

But Brady is reportedly installing his offense with new concepts we haven't seen before.  And while we don't have any marquee players on offense beyond our all-world QB, we do have a bunch of pass catchers with complementary skills. 

 

A good OC could potentially build a potent offense with this.  But there's not a lot of objective evidence to tell us that Brady will be a good OC.  Still, I hope.  McD chose him above other options and Josh seems genuinely excited about the changes he's installing. 

 

Like any fan, I'm really interested in how our motley group of pass catchers will perform - who'll step up and who'll falter.  But ultimately the performance of the WR group will depend a lot on Brady and I'm not sure what to expect from him.  To me, there is no bigger question mark.  

[Beck Water]

On 6/25/2024 at 2:28 AM, Doc Brown said:

That was my first thought.  One WR who's ever caught a regular season ball from Josh Allen.  Two new safeties.  A new offensive and defensive coordinator.  A lot of new positional coaches.  Too many unknowns for my liking.

 

Eh. 

-One WR who has ever caught a regular season pass, but 3 returning receivers with the TE. 

-Rapp was here last season and played 16 games and 42% of the defensive snaps - when he played, they used Rapp as a safety in Poyer's role and rotated Poyer up into the box as a "dime"- type to take on coverage responsibilities Dodson, playing for Milano, couldn't handle.  We also have Cam Lewis and Damar Hamlin as backup safeties who know the system.

-The offensive coordinator was here last season and was interim OC for 9 games with a 7-2 record (one OT loss)
-The defensive coordinator was here last season and thoroughly familiar with the system

 

The WR corps is inexperienced and I'm less than thrilled with the quality safeties, but I think too much is being made of the "new blood".   New blood can be helpful, too.