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

[GoBills808]

Has to be Brady

[dpberr]

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

 

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

[MR8]

1) WR shake out - this includes Kincaid and his progression as I think he factors in A Lot at slot.  I also don't think our WR situation is as dire as others do, but how it shakes out will be a huge indication of how they want to run the offense. So more strictly WR, who stays, who goes, who can step up, and how will they be used... Which leads to #2

 

2) Brady's Offense - we've seen Daboll and Dorsey, now it's time to truly see Brady... He has OC experience at LSU and in Carolina, he's not a rookie like Dorsey was, and he knows these guys as well as Samuel from Carolina... How does he build a multiple scheme to attack defenses with these players to maximize their abilities? 

 

3) Safety... Can Bishop start right away? Who is going to start opposite him? Can they be even as dynamic as last year with worn down Hyde/poyer... I won't hop for "in prime Hyde/poyer" until we see a full year of Bishop and whoever else starts.

 

4) pass rush... How are they going to generate pressure? Is it scheme, blitzes, or what? They opted to not address the loss of their top producer, so what happens here? I expect them to be looking for a trade partner quick if these guys look flat. 

 

5) O-Line and how it gels - last year was the best O-Line they had for Josh, and they let Morse walk and moved McGovern... So 2 slots are different than 2023.  Not the continuity you'd want.  My hope is Van Pran-Granger really is the steal many have projected and he steals that C spot with McGovern kicking back to OG. Either way there is more change than you'd want to see on a line that was very good most of last year.  

[Buffalo Boy]

3 hours ago, 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.  

 

 

👆!!!

   We have allowed complete malfeasance to be accepted and even exalted as Good Coaching. Allen being the thing giving this thought process legs.

   We are half way through Allen’s career and we are “ mini rebuilding” on the fly. IF, they are just trying to not beat him up this year because they understand privately that it is a rebuild year, I’m down with that. If however this is what McBeane thinks a SB winning roster and MO is then we are completely screwed.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Pass rush from front 4. DE is the worst position group on the team right now. All that can change if Miller is even 80% of his prior self. If he is as bad as he was last year they should just cut him after the first 8 weeks of the season. 

Can anyone one the roster get double digit sacks???

[Ethan in Cleveland]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

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

If Bishop can't start that will be one hell of a wasted pick

[GunnerBill]

9 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

If Bishop can't start that will be one hell of a wasted pick

 

If he can't start early, agreed. Not quite there if he can't start week 1. But if by week 5 or 6 he isn't starting it is a questionable use of a premium asset.

[LABILLBACKER]

Will Matt Milano be 100% by September? He's the straw that stirs this defense. If Matt can even play 90% and Bernard plays like last year, it will open up the play of everyone else.

[LABILLBACKER]

49 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Pass rush from front 4. DE is the worst position group on the team right now. All that can change if Miller is even 80% of his prior self. If he is as bad as he was last year they should just cut him after the first 8 weeks of the season. 

Can anyone one the roster get double digit sacks???

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

[Rampant Buffalo]

Concerns:

 

OL. The departure of Mitch Morse means we have one less starting caliber OL. What starting caliber OL did we add, to make up for that?

WR. Last year our X was Davis and our Z was Diggs. This year we have an X of Coleman and a Z of . . . ? Marquez Valdes-Scantling is going into his 7th season, and has never had 700 receiving yards. He's spent his career catching passes from Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. I think we upgraded at gadget player (Curtis Samuel instead of McKenzie).

Safety. Both of last year's starters gone, Bishop the only notable addition.

CB depth, as described in the OP.

DL. Will von Miller be significantly improved over last year? If not, where does that leave us?

OC. Serious questions about Brady.

DC. What are we getting in Babich?

 

Do we have enough problems with just those? Apparently not. Just for kicks, we also have a question mark at kicker.

 

If I had to pick just one thing from the above list, it would be wide receiver.

[Don Otreply]

For me, not that certain position groups of concern aren’t worth keeping an eye on, but I’m most interested in how Brady’s play calling and scheming  people open will work out after there is film on what we are doing offensively, and can he keep defenses guessing, 

[Your Brown Eye]

How is our dopey coach gonna screw up this year

[Robert Paulson]

pass rush and S if Hyde doesn't come back in late August- which I think is the plan. 

 

A healthy Von means 15-20 extra sacks ( 10 for Von and the rest when Von drives the QB into someone else's arms.) without that we are a bottom third of the league in sacks and pressures

[frostbitmic]

WR - Coleman - They took a 5th round draft pick over keeping a 5th year option on him

      - Shakir - Came on last year and looked good for someone there was a lot of grumbling about last summer (can't catch and can't get open)

      - Samuel - Wasn't his fault he played for a team that can't figure out what to call themselves

      - Hollis - Had a decent season a couple years back with the Raiders

      - Exxon Valdez Scantling - Packers, Chiefs, Jets, Chiefs, Bills all in the past couple of years

      - Claypool - Bills are his 4th team in two years. Last year shortly after trading for him the Bears told him to not come back.

 

Center - Is the job already McGoverns or will Clapp or VPG get a chance to win the job. McGovern probably has the least experience at Center on the team.

 

Kicker - Has Bass gone bad ? ... Seems like he lost his mojo last year.

[Beck Water]

7 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

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

 

What, you're not impressed by a starting duo of Taylor Rapp and Mike Edwards?

[Orlando Buffalo]

My concern is definitely safety because while I know they will play differently I am not sure how it can be better. 

[PBF81]

3 hours ago, Your Brown Eye said:

How is our dopey coach gonna screw up this year

 

... and who is he going to throw under the bus.  Kicking coach maybe.  

 

 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

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. 

[MasterStrategist]

Biggest ? has to be Joe Brady and how his offense scheme will look come September, use of our various weapons.  Make no mistake, he inherited Dorseys scheme and you don't make any big changes in season.  Those last 7+ games just showed us how well he plans, adjusts in-game, etc.  But ultimately we still need to see.

 

Player/position wise.  It's LB to me.  That's the most important group in a McD defense.  Is Milano going to be his old self?  Can Bernard take another step, or has he reached his ceiling?  

 

Our secondary, we need a 4th corner to step up OR wait on final cuts.  Safety play went into full decline mode LY, I don't see us being much worse and could be better if Bishop contributes immediately.

[Beck Water]

For me it's WR.  

 

I feel if there's one position group where McDermott and company can identify talent and develop talent and use the players they have to their best potential, it's at defensive back.  

 

People forget that the closest the Bills have gotten to the Super Bowl was 2020.  And in 2020, the Bills had the #2 offense (by 8 freakin' points) and the #16 defense.  On the other hand, in 2019 we had the #2 defense in the league and the #23 offense.

 

We need that top offense, and I don't believe we'll have it without quality WR play.  Which, I'm not sure we the hosses to produce